Question

at a televised hearing on new york city’s policing reforms, the mayor portrayed a plan to expand facial - recognition cameras as a civil - rights victory for marginalized neighborhoods; for civil - liberties attorneys, that framing was ____, borrowing the language of equity while further entrenching surveillance practices that had long targeted those same communities.
which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
(answer : b)
a salutary
b specious
c tenable
d pragmatic

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the context. The mayor's framing is said to borrow equity language but entrench surveillance on marginalized communities. "Specious" means seeming valid but actually false/deceptive, which fits as the framing is misleading (claims civil - rights victory but worsens surveillance). "Salutary" (beneficial) is wrong as the framing isn't beneficial. "Tenable" (defensible) is wrong as the framing is not defensible. "Pragmatic" (practical) is wrong as the framing is not practical in a just way.

Answer:

B. specious