2012-05-16 09:00:06

While ______ alone cannot be blamed for all of World War I, most historians would agree that the war would not have escalated so quickly without the fervent nationalism that such propaganda incited.

(A) pride
(B) jingoism
(C) veneration
(D) prudence
(E) bombast

The correct answer is B

Explanation: To predict the missing word, look for keywords in the sentence. Here, the keywords are "the fervent nationalism that such propaganda incited," a phrase that is used in place of the missing word in the second clause. Thus, the missing word must be one that relates to "fervent nationalism" and "propaganda." This makes choice B the best answer, since "jingoism" means "words used to stir up exaggerated patriotism."

None of the other answer choices work, either:

pride: a feeling of accomplishment

veneration: great respect

prudence: wisdom or caution

bombast: high-sounding language that lacks actual meaning but is designed to impress people