Explanation

The first part of the sentence suggests that the answer to Blank (i) names a quality that someone who chose to remain in his hometown might tend to have; in addition, the second part of the sentence suggests that this quality has to do with that person’sattitude toward the wider world. The answer choice for Blank (i) that best fits these conditions is “provincial,” so it is correct. Someone who is the opposite of provincial is interested in what is happening outside of his or her narrow domain, so the correct answer choice for Blank (ii) is “kept abreast of.” “Obstinate” may seem a plausible choice for Blank (i), as those who fit the “provincial” stereotype often not only are uninterested in other people’s opinions but also actively resist any pressure to change. However, “obstinate” by itself does not imply any particular attitude toward the world beyond one’s immediate environment, as one can be interested in other people’s opinions while at the same time clinging firmly to one’s own. Thus the correct answer is provincial (Choice A) and kept abreast of (Choice F).
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A/D... wrong! didn't know what "keep abreast of" meant... educated guess failed since I interpreted "make light of" as "make a path of"

Way to memorize this: Keeping abreast of the Kardashians.

We know that the sentence contains two opposite elements. The first part of the sentence talks about a quality that people who remain in their hometowns are generally likely to possess. But it says that the artist did not possess that particular quality. The second part talks about how the artist related to the international artistic movements of his day. And we know that the quality talked about in the first part is the exact opposite (on the contrary) of the artist's relationship to the international artistic movements.

That the artist chose to remain in his hometown does not mean that he remained (i) _______ - homebound -the choice provincial fits best.

on the contrary, he (ii) _______ the international artistic movements of his day. - was aware of - the choice kept abreast of fits best.
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"to make light of" something is to trivialize something, bring down its seriousness.
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