For a difficult words-in-context question, determine exactly what noun or idea the blank characterizes, then compare that scope with the evidence for each option. A nearby sentence may support a distractor that accurately describes a different subject, so select the choice that captures both the relevant evidence and the blank’s precise grammatical focus.
Hints
- Hint 1
Compare the design features
Track which European modernist features appear in the posters and which do not.
- Hint 2
Focus on the blank’s subject
Distinguish between a description of the finished posters and a description of the artist’s engagement with one design tradition.
Step-by-step
- Step 1
Identify the pattern of borrowing
The artist uses modernist asymmetrical layouts in some commissions but retains regional layouts in others. She also replaces modernism’s subdued palettes with saturated colors from regional textiles.
- Step 2
Determine the blank’s scope
The blank describes the artist’s engagement with European design specifically. It does not primarily describe the finished posters, which draw on more than one tradition.
- Step 3
Choose the most precise description
Because the artist adopts some aspects of European modernism in particular contexts while excluding others, her engagement is best described as “selective.”