A series of ___1___ of shell or ivory or thin metal clothed her left upper arm all the way down to her fingers. A necklace ___2___ three pendants bunched together and a few bangles above the elbow and ___3___ on the right hands display an almost modern art. She speaks of the ___4___, ever hopeful human spirit. She reminds us that it is important to visit museums in our country to experience the __5___ that a work of art leaves on our senses, to find among all the riches one particular vision of beauty that speaks to us alone.

Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 2.

The correct answer is with.

Detailed Explanation:

Let's analyze the sentence structure and context for blank number 2: "A necklace ___2___ three pendants bunched together..."

The sentence describes a necklace that possesses or features "three pendants bunched together." We need a preposition that indicates possession, accompaniment, or having a particular feature or property.

Option Analysis:

1. by: Used to indicate the agent performing an action, a means of achieving something, or proximity. It does not fit the context of describing the features of an object like a necklace.

2. with: Used to mean 'having' or 'possessing' particular features or characteristics. Saying "A necklace with three pendants..." correctly describes a necklace that has three pendants attached to it.

3. upon: Means 'on' or 'onto'. A necklace is not placed upon pendants; rather, it features them.

4. in: Indicates location inside a three-dimensional space or container, which is grammatically and logically incorrect here.

Therefore, the preposition with is the most appropriate word to fill in blank number 2.