In the following question, a sentence is given having two blanks in it followed by 5 options. Each option contains a pair of words. Choose the option which contains the correct pair of words that can be filled in both the blanks respectively to make the sentence contextually and grammatically correct. The scientist’s controversial theory was initially __________ by the academic community, but over time, it gained __________ as new evidence emerged.

"Dismissed" means rejected or disregarded, which fits because the theory was not accepted at first."Traction" means gaining acceptance or popularity, which fits the idea of the theory becoming more widely accepted over time. "Embraced, opposition" – If the theory was "embraced," it wouldn’t have faced initial rejection."Challenged, obscurity" – If it was "challenged," it doesn’t necessarily mean it was dismissed. "Obscurity" contradicts the idea of gaining recognition."Rejected, downfall" – "Downfall" implies failure, whereas the sentence suggests the theory eventually gained acceptance."Overlooked, stagnation" – "Overlooked" doesn’t mean outright rejection, and "stagnation" means no progress, which contradicts "gaining recognition."