Question 98·Medium·Words in Context
While the director’s earlier films revel in narrative complexity, her latest release seems almost designed to _____ such intricacy, favoring a straightforward storyline and minimalistic dialogue.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For Words-in-Context questions, always read the entire sentence and look for strong signal words like “while,” “but,” or “although” that show contrast or continuation. Paraphrase the sentence in your own words first—decide if the blank should convey something like “more,” “less,” “similar,” “opposite,” or a particular attitude. Then, plug each option into the sentence and ask: Does this match the overall meaning and tone implied by the other clues? Eliminate choices that contradict the contrast or don’t fit grammatically or logically, even if they are sophisticated-sounding words.
Hints
Use the contrast word
Look at the word “While” at the beginning. How is the latest film different from the earlier films, which “revel in narrative complexity”?
Pay attention to the description after the blank
Reread the part after the blank: “favoring a straightforward storyline and minimalistic dialogue.” Does that suggest more complexity or less complexity?
Match the overall direction of meaning
Ask yourself: Is the new film copying the intricacy, increasing it, or moving away from it? Eliminate any choice that doesn’t fit the idea suggested by “straightforward” and “minimalistic.”
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the contrast in the sentence
The sentence starts with “While”, which signals a contrast between the director’s earlier films and her latest release.
- Earlier films: “revel in narrative complexity” (they enjoy or indulge in complexity)
- Latest film: “seems almost designed to _____ such intricacy, favoring a straightforward storyline and minimalistic dialogue.”
So the new film is being contrasted with the old ones that are very complex.
Use the clue after the comma
Focus on the phrase after the comma: “favoring a straightforward storyline and minimalistic dialogue.”
A “straightforward storyline” and “minimalistic dialogue” suggest that the new film is simple and not complex.
So whatever goes in the blank must show that the new release is not embracing that earlier “narrative complexity,” but instead is moving away from or removing such intricacy.
Test each answer choice against that meaning and tone
Now, think about how each option would change the meaning:
- mimic: to imitate or copy. If the film were “designed to mimic such intricacy,” it would also be complex, which clashes with “straightforward” and “minimalistic.”
- amplify: to increase or intensify. “Designed to amplify such intricacy” would mean even more complexity, again the opposite of a simple film.
- be wary of: to be cautious or suspicious of. It’s usually people, not films, that are “wary,” and being wary of complexity doesn’t clearly match the idea of having a simple structure.
We need a phrase that clearly means doing without that earlier complexity.
Choose the word that means “do without” that complexity
“Dispense with” means to get rid of, omit, or do without something. Plugged in, the sentence becomes:
While the director’s earlier films revel in narrative complexity, her latest release seems almost designed to dispense with such intricacy, favoring a straightforward storyline and minimalistic dialogue.
This perfectly matches the contrast: the old films were complex, but the new one is deliberately dropping that complexity. So the correct answer is D) dispense with.