Read the sentence from the passage.
"But the modern era of MP3 players and digital recordings is a far cry from the humble beginnings of sound recording that arose more than a century ago."
How would the connotation change if the author replaced "humble" with "crude" in the sentence?
A.
The connotation would change from exciting to dull.
B.
The connotation would change from informal to formal.
C.
The connotation would change from aggressive to supportive.
D.
The connotation would change from unassuming to unrefined.
D. The connotation would change from unassuming to unrefined.
D. The connotation would change from unassuming to unrefined.
To understand how the connotation would change if the author replaced "humble" with "crude" in the sentence, we need to consider the meanings of these two words.
"Humble" generally has a positive connotation, suggesting modesty, simplicity, and a lack of pretentiousness. It may also connote a sense of gratitude or appreciation for the origins of something. In this sentence, it implies that the early sound recording methods were humble but significant.
"Crude," on the other hand, has a negative connotation. It suggests something lacking refinement, rudimentary, or unsophisticated. It can convey a sense of primitiveness or inferior quality.
Therefore, if the author replaced "humble" with "crude" in the sentence, the connotation would shift from suggesting modesty and significance to implying that the early sound recording methods were unsophisticated or of poor quality.
Based on this understanding, the correct answer is:
D. The connotation would change from unassuming to unrefined.