Question

when critic louis leroy coined the term impressionist in 1874, he intended it as a dismissal, characterizing claude monets impression, sunrise as barely a sketch. yet within two decades, works by monet and his peers had entered major collections across europe. the movements trajectory thus ______ leroy and similarly skeptical contemporaries, whose initial verdicts proved spectacularly inverted by posterity.
1
mark for review
which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
a vindicated
b confounded
c placated
d anticipated

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the context: Leroy and others were skeptical (dismissing Impressionism), but the movement's success (works in major collections) went against their initial verdicts.

• "Vindicated" means to prove right, but the movement went against their dismissal, so not this.
• "Confounded" means to puzzle or prove wrong, which fits as the movement's trajectory (success) proved their skeptical verdicts wrong.
• "Placated" means to soothe, irrelevant here.
• "Anticipated" means to expect, which doesn't fit the contrast.

Answer:

B. confounded