The author’s claim about the relationship between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens is ______, as it fails to account for several
recent archaeological discoveries. To be convincing, his argument would need to address recent ﬁnds of additional hominid
fossils, such as the latest Denisovan specimens and Homo longi.
disorienting
tenuous
nuanced
unoriginal
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the author’s claim about the
relationship between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. As used in this context, “tenuous” means lacking substance. The end
of the ﬁrst sentence states that the author’s claim didn’t consider certain key pieces of evidence—“recent archaeological
discoveries”—and is therefore weak.  
Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to refer to the author’s claim as “disorienting,” or confusing.
The text suggests that the author’s claim is insubstantial, not that it’s diﬃcult to grasp. Choice C is incorrect because
referring to the claim as “nuanced,” or subtle, wouldn’t make sense in context. According to the text, the claim is incomplete
because it didn’t consider certain key information about recent archaeological ﬁnds; it doesn’t suggest that what’s in the
claim lacks precision. Choice D is incorrect because saying that the claim is “unoriginal,” or imitative, wouldn’t make sense in
context. The text faults the claim because it doesn’t consider certain key information about recent archaeological ﬁnds; it
doesn’t suggest that the author’s claim lacks originality.