Meaning: 'Accused' means to be charged with a crime or wrongdoing, implying that someone is blamed for something they did not do.

Wrong options:

• alleged: 'Alleged' refers to something claimed but not proven, which does not fit the context of a wrongful charge as strongly as 'accused'.
• blamed: 'Blamed' suggests responsibility for a fault or wrong, but it lacks the legal connotation present in 'accused'.
• condemned: 'Condemned' implies a strong disapproval or punishment, which is too severe for the context of being wrongly charged.

Correct answer: time

Explanation: The word 'time' is appropriate as it refers to a specific period when the film was released, fitting grammatically and contextually within the sentence structure.

Meaning: 'Time' refers to a particular moment or period, indicating when the film distributors made their judgment about the film's release.

Wrong options:

• event: 'Event' implies a specific occurrence, which does not fit the broader context of a period in film history.
• moment: 'Moment' suggests a brief point in time, which is too narrow compared to the broader context of 'time'.
• end: 'End' implies a conclusion, which does not relate to the timing of the film's release.

Correct answer: divides

Explanation: The verb 'divides' fits grammatically as it is in the present tense, indicating an ongoing action that separates success from failure. Contextually, it aligns with the theme of the thin line between the two outcomes.

Meaning: 'Divides' means to separate into parts, indicating the distinction between success and failure in Hitchcock's career.

Wrong options:

• decided: 'Decided' is in the past tense and does not convey the ongoing nature of the separation between success and failure.
• disperses: 'Disperses' means to scatter, which does not accurately reflect the concept of a dividing line.
• disguises: 'Disguises' implies hiding something, which does not fit the context of separating success from failure.

Correct answer: fairly

Explanation: The adverb 'fairly' fits grammatically as it modifies 'equal measure', indicating a moderate degree of success and failure. Contextually, it conveys that both experiences were significant but not extreme.

Meaning: 'Fairly' means to a moderate extent, suggesting that Hitchcock experienced a balanced amount of success and failure.

Wrong options:

• slightly: 'Slightly' implies a small degree, which does not accurately reflect the substantial experiences of success and failure.
• faintly: 'Faintly' suggests a weak or barely noticeable degree, which is inappropriate for the context of his career.
• hardly: 'Hardly' implies a minimal amount, which contradicts the idea of experiencing both success and failure.

Correct answer: matter

Explanation: The noun 'matter' fits grammatically as it refers to the subject or theme of Hitchcock's films. Contextually, it aligns with the idea of controversial topics in his work.

Meaning: 'Matter' refers to the subject or content of something, indicating the themes that Hitchcock explored in his films.

Wrong options:

• eliment: 'Eliment' is a misspelling of 'element', which does not fit grammatically or contextually as it lacks clarity in this context.
• substance: 'Substance' implies the essential nature of something, but it is less commonly used in this context compared to 'matter'.
• content: 'Content' refers to the material contained within something, which is too broad and does not specifically convey the thematic focus of Hitchcock's films.

Correct answer: alike

Explanation: The word 'alike' fits grammatically as it indicates similarity between audiences and critics. Contextually, it emphasizes that both groups had similar reactions to Hitchcock's style.

Meaning: 'Alike' means similar or in the same way, suggesting that both audiences and critics responded similarly to his work.

Wrong options:

• apart: 'Apart' implies separation, which contradicts the idea of shared reactions between audiences and critics.
• aloud: 'Aloud' refers to speaking out loud, which does not fit the context of reactions or opinions.
• alone: 'Alone' suggests being by oneself, which does not convey the shared experience of audiences and critics.