Critical Reading > Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
Although the conference speakers disliked one another and might have been expected to -------, it turned out that on several substantive issues they were in complete ------- and were able to avoid petty squabbling.
(A) argue . . disagreement
(B) bristle . . apathy
(C) debate . . dissonance
(D) concur . . denial
(E) bicker . . accord
The correct answer is E
Explanation
Choice (E) is correct. Bickering is the kind of petulant or peevish arguing to which personal dislike might have led the speakers, but their “accord,” or agreement, on substantive issues kept them from squabbling.