ShmoopTube

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It was a dark and Shmoopy night, when this question knocked at the door...

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If you need a sec to read it yet again, just hit pause and go for it....

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The word "fostering" in line 6 most nearly means...what?

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And here are the potential answers...

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Washington is known for more than rain, coffee,

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and glittery vampires.

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If we don't know what "fostering" means, we can try to consider the answer choices in

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context:

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The city's "cheap cost of living and sheer geographical distance from the traditional

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capitals of American culture" did something to musical experimentation.

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We can tell from the passage that musicians were indeed experimenting in Seattle, which

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eliminates "deadening" for sure.

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"Forgetting" doesn't work either. The grunge rockers wouldn't get a lot of experimentation

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done if they kept forgetting about it.

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"Marketing" doesn't fit either--the marketing of the experimental sound didn't

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come until later. (C) is incorrect because no one was forced

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to experiment.

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"Encourage" means to support, which jibes with the idea that Seattle's environment

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fostered the musical experimentation that created the sound of grunge rock.

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So, (B) is the correct answer.

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It's amazing what a little coffee and rain will do for you.

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