Choose the suitable word to fill in each plank.

A beauty contest, or beauty pageant, is a competition between people, largely on the (16) _____of their physical appearance. The modern beauty pageant can trace (17) _____ origin to the Miss America pageant, first held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1921, (18) _______the title 'Inter-City Beauty' contest. The following year the title was (19) ___________ as Miss America. (20) ______ contests include the yearly Miss World competition and Miss Universe, which are the two largest and most famous (21)_____ beauty contests.

Women from around the world (22)________ in the competition for these titles. To be selected (23)______ Miss World or Miss Universe, a(24)_______ must be celibate or single. If a Miss WorId fails to live up to people's expectations, she may be disqualifie

D. The organizers of the major beauty contests represent their contests as being events of world importance. (25) ______ , many other people consider beauty contests to be agreeable entertainment event of no great importance.

Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word 'bare' in the second paragraph?