Question 110·200 Super-Hard SAT Reading Questions·Craft and Structure
Art conservators filling losses in a mural may match the surrounding colors at ordinary viewing distance yet use materials that remain distinguishable under ultraviolet light. This dual standard allows a repair to support a coherent image without ______ the distinction between original paint and later intervention—a distinction crucial to future study.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For a words-in-context question, compare the exact scope and intensity of the options. Here, distinguish a word meaning complete elimination from words describing partial reduction, amplification, or reinterpretation, and use both viewing conditions to determine which effect the method prevents.
Hints
Consider both viewing conditions
The repair looks integrated from a distance but remains identifiable under specialized examination.
Use the word “without”
The blank names an unwanted result that the conservators’ method is designed to prevent.
Distinguish reduction from elimination
The method may make the difference less noticeable in one setting, but it preserves the possibility of detecting that difference in another.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the contrast
The repair blends with the mural under ordinary viewing conditions, but ultraviolet light still reveals which materials were added later.
Determine the required meaning
The word “without” introduces an outcome that the dual standard prevents. Although the method can reduce how noticeable the distinction is under ordinary viewing conditions, it does not eliminate that distinction across all modes of examination.
Select the precise word
“Effacing” means erasing something or making it imperceptible. Because the distinction remains detectable under ultraviolet light, effacing is the most precise choice.