Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This sentence completion question describes a cause-and-effect relationship. The first blank describes what advertising must do regarding consumer concerns, and the second blank describes the resulting quality of the commercials.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The sentence suggests a shift in advertising strategy. For advertising to be effective, it must connect with consumers' lives. This implies that advertising should directly engage with or speak to ("address") the "everyday concerns" of consumers.
If advertising addresses everyday concerns, the logical result is that commercials will become more grounded in reality. The word that captures this quality is "realism".
Let's analyze the options:
- (A) allay...pessimism: To "allay" (lessen) concerns is plausible, but commercials characterized by less "pessimism" is not the most direct consequence.
- (B) address...realism: This pair fits perfectly. Addressing real concerns leads to commercials with realism.
- (C) evade....verisimilitude: To "evade" (avoid) concerns is the opposite of the intended logic. "Verisimilitude" (the appearance of being real) would be contradicted by evading reality.
- (D) engage...fancy: To "engage" concerns is plausible, but this would not lead to commercials based on "fancy" (imagination, not reality).
- (E) change...sincerity: It doesn't make sense for advertising to "change" consumers' concerns.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The most logical and coherent pairing is "address...realism". As businesses address consumer concerns, their commercials will reflect this with greater realism.