Question

SAT Question of the Day:

The play, which features ------- mix of comedy, pathos, and music, was correctly described by one honest critic as a -------.
(A) a seamless . . debacle
(B) an ungainly . . hodgepodge
(C) an unfortunate . . masterpiece
(D) an inappropriate . . success
(E) a harmonious . . failure

Answer 1

Here, you're looking for the two words that make sense. The first word, whatever it may be, should have similar connotations to what the critic described it as.

(A) positive . . negative
(B) negative . . negative
(C) negative . . positive
(D) negative . . positive
(E) positive . . negative

So the answer is B. Put it in the sentence, and both words make sense in context as well, so this shows the answer to be true.