<p><span style="font-size:20px;"><span style="color:#27ae60;">The Right Answers</span></span></p>
<p><strong>Blank 2: </strong>You should do blank 2 first because it is an obvious <strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Math Strategy</span></strong>. The word "that" after "1990s" indicates that the two ideas support each other. The idea on the right says "one of these photographs might fetch a hundred times as much..." Maintaining this idea means we would guess "increase" for blank 2.</p>
<p>The answer choice that most closely matches this guess is <span style="color:#27ae60;">ballooned</span>.</p>
<p><strong>Blank 3: </strong>Next, we do blank 3. The strategy we want to use here is <strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Previously Referenced</span></strong> as indicated by the "the" before blank 3. Keep in mind that "the" does NOT always indicate a Previously Referenced, but it does in this case. So what idea did they talk about BEFORE blank 3? They talked about a price difference between the vintage and nonvintage prints. Thus, we guess a word like "difference" for blank 3.</p>
<p>The answer choice that most closely matches this guess is <span style="color:#27ae60;">discrepancy</span>.</p>
<p><strong>Blank 1: </strong>Finally, we can do blank 1. Notice how the two sentences following the first support the first, as indicated by the two periods (full stops) and lack of contrast transition words. Consequently, we're using <strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Math Strategy</span></strong> again. If you look at sentence three, you can see that the author puts the word "vintage" in quotation marks to indicate that they are NOT really vintage. The author also uses words and phrases like "take advantage" and "peddle" to indicate that some shenanigans are going on. Thus, we guess a word like "fakery" in blank 1. </p>
<p>The answer choice that most closely matches this guess is <span style="color:#27ae60;">forgery</span>.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:20px;"><span style="color:#e74c3c;">The Wrong Answers</span></span></p>
<p><strong>Blank 1</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="color:#e74c3c;">influence</span>: This choice has <b>no evidence. </b>We don't know whether people are influencing or not influencing the art of photography itself.</li>
<li><span style="color:#e74c3c;">style</span>: This choice also has <strong>no evidence</strong>. The sentence doesn't reference the style or lack thereof in photography anywhere in the sentence.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Blank 2</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="color:#e74c3c;">weakened</span>: This choice <strong>contradicts</strong> the logic of the sentence. The logic tells us the prices INCREASED, not weakened.</li>
<li><span style="color:#e74c3c;">varied</span>: This choice <strong>contradicts </strong>the logic of the sentence. The logic tells us the prices INCREASED, not changed or varied.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Blank 3</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="color:#e74c3c;">ambiguity</span>: This choice <strong>contradicts</strong> the logic of the sentence, which tells us clearly that the prices increased, or <span style="color:#27ae60;">ballooned</span>. Thus, there is no lack of clarity here.</li>
<li><span style="color:#e74c3c;">duplicity</span>: This is a really good trick answer. We know that the people "peddling" the fake vintage prints are engaging in duplicity. But the "duplicitous" act is talked about in the third sentence. Blank 3 previously references the SECOND sentence -- not the third. Thus, this answer choice <strong>contradicts</strong> the logic of the sentence. Also, what in the hell does it mean to "take advantage" of "duplicity"? Wut?</li>
</ul>