In the following sentence, the bracketed part is grammatically incorrect. Choose the option that best improves the sentence: The response to that challenge is to make the gains of globalization more visible and its transient downsides, (politically less paining).

Introduction / Context:
This sentence comes from a formal discussion about globalization and its effects. The phrase in brackets describes how the political impact of the downsides of globalization should be reduced. The question asks you to choose the grammatically correct adjective form that fits naturally with "downsides". It tests your understanding of adjective formation and how to connect an abstract noun like "downsides" with the idea of pain or discomfort in a political sense.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Original sentence: The response to that challenge is to make the gains of globalization more visible and its transient downsides, "politically less paining".
• The phrase refers to "downsides", which are plural and abstract.
• The context is about reducing the political cost or discomfort caused by those downsides.
• We are working in a formal, analytical style often found in editorials or policy essays.

Concept / Approach:
In English, adjectives that describe something causing pain often take the form "painful". We say "a painful experience", "a painful injury", or "politically painful decisions". The word "paining" is not normally used as an adjective before a noun, and "pain" itself is a noun. Therefore, "less painful" is the correct adjective phrase. When combined with the adverb "politically", the natural collocation is "politically less painful", which means less damaging or less hurtful in political terms. The adjective must agree in form and position with the noun "downsides".

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify what is being described: the "transient downsides" of globalization.Step 2: Decide which part of speech is needed. We need an adjective phrase that tells us what these downsides are like in political terms.Step 3: Recall common collocations: "politically painful reforms", "politically painful measures", and by extension, "politically less painful downsides".Step 4: Evaluate each option and see which uses a correct adjective form: "painful" is the standard adjective derived from "pain".Step 5: Insert option B into the sentence: "its transient downsides, politically less painful", which reads naturally and clearly.

Verification / Alternative check:
Reading the full sentence with each option helps you check natural usage. Only "politically less painful" matches the style of educated writing about economics and politics. It expresses that the political discomfort created by the downsides should be reduced, which matches the intent of the original clause. The other options sound either awkward or grammatically wrong, so they can be eliminated by ear and by rule.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Option A: "politically less pained" suggests the downsides themselves feel pain, which is illogical. "Pained" is usually used for persons, not abstract phenomena.
• Option C: "politically less pain" uses the noun "pain" instead of an adjective. The sentence then lacks a proper modifier for "downsides".
• Option D: "No improvement" would keep "politically less paining", which is not standard English and is ungrammatical before a noun in this way.

Common Pitfalls:
One common mistake is to convert verbs or nouns directly into modifiers without checking whether an established adjective form already exists. English vocabulary often has conventional adjective forms like "painful", "harmful", and "useful". Using nonstandard alternatives such as "paining" can make writing sound incorrect. In exam questions, always look for familiar collocations that you have seen in newspapers, textbooks, and formal articles; they guide you to the correct choice among confusing similar words.

Final Answer:
The correct improvement is politically less painful.