Paracompletion Question 6 - CAT 2025
Sentence: Historically, silver has been, and still is, an important element in the business of ‘show’ visible in private houses, churches, government and diplomacy.
Paragraph: __(1)__ . Timothy Schroder put it succinctly in suggesting that electric light and eating in the kitchen eroded this need. As he explained to the author, ‘Silver, when illuminated by flickering candlelight, comes alive and almost dances before the eyes, but when lit by electric light, it becomes flat and dead.’ __(2)__ . Domestic and economic changes may have worked against the market, but the London silver trade remained buoyant, thanks to the competition of collectors seeking grand display silver at the top end, and the buyers of ‘collectables’, like spoons and wine labels and ‘novelties’, at the bottom. __(3)__ . Another factor that came into play was the systematic collection building of certain American museums over the period. Boston, Huntington Art Gallery and Williamsburg, among others, were largely supplied by London dealers. __(4)__.
Step-by-Step Explanation
The paragraph is mainly about why silver was important in society and how the silver trade continued even when its use started to decline. The given sentence explains that silver was traditionally used to show wealth and status in places like homes, churches, government, and diplomacy.
Blank (3) is the best place for the sentence. By this point, the paragraph has already explained how electric lighting and changes in lifestyle reduced the importance of silver. Adding the sentence here reminds us of how valuable and important silver had been before moving on to explain why the trade still survived.
The other options don’t fit as naturally. Blank (1) is too early because the paragraph has not introduced the decline in silver’s importance yet. Blank (2) comes directly after a quote about how silver looks under different lighting, so the sentence would feel disconnected there. Blank (4) is too late because the discussion has already shifted to American museums and their collections.
So, the correct answer is Blank (3) / Option 3.