Explanation
Correct answer: B.
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of residential mobility decisions. In this context, "mediated by" means influenced or affected by something. The text establishes that increasing household spending power (an economic factor) produced "mixed effects" on mobility decisions. The text then explains that residential choices are "not fully reducible to economic factors," which means that these decisions don’t simply rely on how much money is available to spend on a residential move but on other factors as well. According to the text, noneconomic considerations, such as access to social networks, also play a significant role. Thus, "mediated by" accurately captures this relationship where noneconomic factors influence what might otherwise be purely economic decisions.
Why the other choices are wrong
Choice A
Choice A is incorrect because "transposed with" would suggest that economic and noneconomic factors are being switched or interchanged when making residential mobility decisions, which wouldn’t make logical sense in this context. The text indicates that these factors coexist and jointly influence such decisions.
Choice C
Choice C is incorrect. The phrase "decoupled from" means separated or disconnected from, which would suggest that economic factors are completely separate from noneconomic factors. This would contradict the text’s main point that residential mobility decisions involve multiple factors being considered simultaneously rather than in isolation.
Choice D
Choice D is incorrect because "antecedent to," which means something prior or earlier, would indicate that noneconomic factors come before economic ones in time or sequence. The text doesn’t establish this chronological relationship. Instead, the text indicates that economic factors (household spending power) and noneconomic factors (access to social networks) simultaneously influence residential mobility decisions.