ETS Example 2 reads: 'It was her view that the country's problems had been ______ by foreign technocrats, so that to ask for such assistance again would be counterproductive.' Which pivot fixes the direction of the blank?
Aher view, which signals personal opinion and softens the blank
Bagain, which signals repetition and forces a positive blank
Cwould be, which signals hypothetical and frees the blank
Dso that, which signals a continuation pinning the blank to a negative effect
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. so that, which signals a continuation pinning the blank to a negative effect
The phrase 'so that to ask again would be counterproductive' completes a cause-effect chain. For asking again to be counterproductive, the technocrats' earlier effect must have been bad, so the blank must mean 'made worse'. The pivot 'so that' is the engine of that logic.
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