<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><span style="font-size:20px;">Pairing Up</span></span></p>
<p>First things first. We use the <span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Pairing Strategy</strong></span> to identify any synonym pairs among the six answer choices.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Pair 1:</strong> fitfully/sporadically (both mean irregularly or inconsistently)</li>
<li><strong>Pair 2:</strong> irascibly/pugnaciously (both mean in a hostile or aggressive way)</li>
</ul>
<p>Now, we can eliminate the other two choices, since they can't be paired: <span style="color:#e74c3c;"><s>persistently</s></span> and <span style="color:#e74c3c;"><s>judiciously</s></span>.</p>
<p><span style="color:#27ae60;"><span style="font-size:20px;">The Right Answer</span></span></p>
<p>We can use the <span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Math Strategy</strong></span> in two ways here to figure out the blank:</p>
<ul>
<li>Firstly, there's a continuation/support happening at the "and has consequently". Looking to the right-hand side, it says he has acquired more enemies, so the left-hand side should be a reason to acquire enemies. So, the blank should be something like "hostile".</li>
<li>Secondly, we have a contrast happening at "than". The right-hand side says, his predecessors were "smoother" (in this context diplomatic), so to contrast that, the blank must say something like "less diplomatically".</li>
</ul>
<p>Based on this logic, the best pair would be <span style="color:#27ae60;">irascible/pugnaciously</span>.</p>
<p><span style="color:#e74c3c;"><span style="font-size:20px;">The Wrong Answers</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#e74c3c;">fitfully/sporadically:</span> This choice has <strong>no evidence</strong>. There's no information about how frequently or regularly he has challenged the industry firms.</p>