Question 145·Easy·Words in Context
Despite working with a small budget, director Aiko Chen created a film whose visual effects rival those of far more ______ productions.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For Words-in-Context questions, always start by carefully reading the full sentence and spotting signal words like "despite," "although," or "because" that show relationships. Paraphrase the sentence in your own words to understand the meaning around the blank, then predict the type of word needed (positive/negative, about money, size, time, etc.) before looking at the choices. Finally, plug each option into the sentence and eliminate any that are off-topic, don’t match the tone, or don’t create a clear, logical relationship with the rest of the sentence; choose the one that makes the sentence precise and natural.
Hints
Notice the contrast word
Focus on the word "Despite" at the beginning. It tells you that the second part of the sentence should contrast with the idea of a "small budget."
Think about budgets and visuals
If Aiko Chen had a small budget, what kind of productions would typically have stronger visual effects because they can spend more money?
Test the tone and meaning of each option
Try each answer choice in the blank and ask: Does this describe the kind of productions that would usually have bigger budgets and more impressive visual effects?
Step-by-step Explanation
Use the contrast signal word
The sentence begins with "Despite working with a small budget," which signals a contrast between the small budget and something opposite or surprising later in the sentence.
So we should look for a word that helps show that Aiko Chen’s film compares well with films that usually have more resources or advantages.
Understand what is being compared
The key phrase is "visual effects rival those of far more ______ productions."
This means Aiko Chen’s film has visual effects that are as good as those in other productions that are "far more" something. Given the mention of a small budget, it is logical that these other productions have more money spent on them or are more elaborate in their visuals.
Test each option in the sentence
Plug each choice into the blank and see if the meaning fits the contrast with "small budget":
- "far more dubious productions" — suggests more questionable or suspicious productions, which does not logically contrast with budget.
- "far more fragmented productions" — suggests more broken-up or disjointed productions, which is not about money or visual scale.
- "far more seasonal productions" — suggests related to seasons or limited times of year, again not about budget or visual richness.
- "far more lavish productions" — suggests productions that are much more elaborate and costly, which fits perfectly with the idea that they have bigger budgets than Aiko Chen’s film.
Choose the word that best matches the context
Because the sentence contrasts a small budget with productions that presumably spend a lot on visuals, the best word is "lavish" (choice D), which describes something very rich, elaborate, and costly in style or spending.