As opposed to general-purpose applications which are widely used in nearly every discipline, _______

As opposed to general-purpose applications which are widely used in nearly every discipline, _______ applications are more narrowly focused. A. specialized B. object-oriented C. electronic D. web authoring

Answer: A. specialized

Explanation:

The sentence contrasts “general-purpose applications” (used in many fields) with those that are “more narrowly focused.”

Specialized means designed for a particular purpose or limited area, which fits the context directly.

The other options refer to specific types or categories of software but do not convey the idea of being “narrowly focused” in the same contrasting sense:

B. object-oriented — a programming paradigm, not a contrast to general-purpose.

C. electronic — too broad; almost all applications today are electronic.

D. web authoring — a specific type of software for creating web content, not a general contrast term.

Thus, specialized is the correct choice.