<p>The ___<strong><em>Ambassador was but _</em></strong>_ linguist; yet he insisted on speaking to foreign dignitaries in their own tongues without resorting to a translators aid. </p>
<p>A) eminent....indifferent
b)visiting...a notable
c) revered...a talented
D) Distinguished...a celebrated
E) Ranking...a sensitive</p>
<p>I got C. </p>
<p>The answer key says A.</p>
<p>Why would it be C? Then it wouldn’t have said “yet”</p>
<p>He was a bad/average linguist, yet he insisted on speaking without a translator</p>
<p>it says “but”, so if u put talented it means he wasn’t a talented linguist, yet he still tried. Can you explain why its A?</p>
<p>agree w/ JP. The “yet” signals you that we is not a good linguist. The first blank should be + the second one -. The only one that follows that pattern is A</p>
<p>The famous Ambassador was but a indifferent(Unremarkable) linguist; yet he insisted on speaking to foreign dignitaries in their own tongues without resorting to a translators aid. </p>
<p>If he was NOT a unremarkable linguist, then He IS A REMARKABLE LINGUIST. However, YET contradicts that. So shouldn’t the second blank be positive?</p>
<p>dude…but is not contrasting in this sentence…</p>
<p>but can be replaced with “only” or “mere”</p>
<p>the Ambassador was but an indifferent linguist…was only a…</p>
<p>if you haven’t heard expression using “but” like that I guess that could have thrown you off.</p>
<p>Wow, I have never seen/heard but used that way. Most of the time i see it used as a contradiction: “it is anything but a human”- so its a bit difficult for me to get my head around this new usage… So when does it become mere or only?</p>