choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

　　The actor's ------- decline in popularity was as striking and unexpected as his ------- rise to prominence had been.

　　(A) sudden . . meteoric

　　(B) gradual . . equivocal

　　(C) precipitous . . obscure

　　(D) dazzling . . secret

　　(E) inevitable . . unpredictable

　　Explanation

　　Choice (A) is correct. We know that "striking and unexpected" describes both the actor’s rise and his decline; "sudden" fits with this description, as does "meteoric," which means suddenly or temporarily brilliant.

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（编辑：马菲）