The _______ plant life on the previously barren volcanic rock created by the Kilauea lava flow is strong evidence that humans, too, will one day be able to inhabit the area.
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Solution
( A. incipient , B. nascent )
The sentence tells you that there was no plant life in the area before, based on the time trigger word previously. Furthermore, if humans will be able to live in the area some day, then you know that plant life being described, must be alive and flourishing. This eliminates static, waning, and flagging. Fervent is used to describe human feelings or something that is very hot, so it does not work in this context. Incipient and nascent both mean that the plant life has recently come into being and are the correct answers.
The late Samuel Huntington was well known for his _______ opinions on relations among different cultures; many of his ideas are still passionately debated today.
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Solution
( C. polemical , E. divisive)
Samuel Huntington’s ideas are still passionately debated so they must be described as ideas that people are likely to disagree about. His opinions may well have been pedantic or hegemonic, but those words do not necessarily lead to disagreement. The same goes for zealous, which, in addition, is also used to describe people, rather than their ideas. The correct answers are choices (C) and (E), since polemical means arguing passionately, and divisive means causing a disagreement.
The former employees started a blog that revealed the embarrassing quirks of the boss, an act which had _______ impact on the company’s CEO.
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Solution
( D. a discomfiting , F. a mortifying )
Recycle the clue embarrassing into the blank. Both assuaging and bolstering are nearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, so eliminate choices (B) and (E). The impact may be monumental, but that answer choice isn’t sufficiently negative, so eliminate choice (C); virulent, on the other hand is too strong, so eliminate choice (A). Both discomfiting and mortifying can mean embarrassing, so choices (D) and (F) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.
The comprehensive bill, signed into law by the president late last week, was _______ 249 new regulations on the fishing industry.
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Solution
( B. rife with , E. replete with )
The bill is described as comprehensive and has 249 new regulations on a single industry, so something like full of would make sense in the blank. Both deficient in and unencumbered by are nearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, so eliminate choices (C) and (D).
By consuming _______ numbers of power bars, some athletes believe they will have proportionally greater amounts of endurance and strength because of the energy-producing ingredients these products claim to contain.
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Solution
( C. copious , F. profuse )
If they believe the benefits of the energy-producing ingredients increase proportionally, the athletes would want to eat more of the energy bars, so you need a word that means something like plentiful. Both scant and measured are nearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, so eliminate choices (A) and (E). Neither furtive, which means stealthy, nor solvent, which means capable of paying debts, makes sense in the blank, so eliminate choices (B) and (D).
His wife’s icy stare and aloof demeanor told Johann unequivocally that his propitiatory gifts had failed to _______ her anger.
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Solution
( E. placate , F. appease )
you’re comfortable with the meaning of propitiatory, you can recycle the verb propitiate into the blank; if not, the clue icy stare and aloof demeanor can tell you—like Johann—that the gifts didn’t calm her anger. Both exacerbate and aggravate are nearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, so eliminate choices (C) and (D). Neither vilify, which means to speak ill of, nor garner, which means to amass or acquire, make sense in the blank, so eliminate choices (A) and (B). Both placate and appease can mean to calm, so choices (E) and (F) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.
The cohesion of Alexander the Great’s vast empire was _______; at his death, Alexander’s lands were divided among his generals, Ptolemy, Seleucus, and Antigonus the One-Eyed.
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Solution
( B. precarious , F. tenuous )
If Alexander’s generals broke up his empire at his death, then its cohesion must have been weak or short-lived. Both abiding and protracted are nearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, so eliminate choices (A) and (C). Neither redoubled, which means made twice as great, nor renowned, which means famous, make sense in the blank, so eliminate choices (D) and (E). Both precarious and tenuous can mean weak, so choices (B) and (F) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.
After hours of practice and innumerable fruitless attempts to catch the balls, Allen was finally forced to admit that he wasn’t sufficiently _______ to be a juggler.
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Solution
( C. dexterous , E. adroit )
The clue innumerable fruitless attempts indicates that Allen lacked the crucial qualification to juggle, so a word that means something like manually coordinated will fit the blank. Both lumbering and awkward are nearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, so eliminate choices (B) and (F). Neither sedate, which means calm, nor implicit, which means implied, make sense in the blank, so eliminate choices (A) and (D).
Scholarship reductions and player defections notwithstanding, the new coach applied himself to rebuilding the program with such _______ that the rest of the staff struggled to match his enthusiasm.
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Solution
( D. fervency , F. zeal )
Recycle the clue and put enthusiasm in the blank. Both indifference and heedlessness are nearly the opposite of what you are looking for, so eliminate choices (B) and (E). Neither cessation, which means stoppage, nor rhetoric, which is the art of effective or persuasive use of language, make sense in the blank, so eliminate choices (A) and (C). Both fervency and zeal can mean enthusiasm, so answer choices (D) and (F) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.
Despite their initial fears, most environmentalists now concede that the artificial reefs have had a largely _______ effect on surrounding ecosystems.
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Solution
( B. benign , E. innocuous)
The trigger despite indicates that the reefs had not justified the environmentalist’s initial fears, so you need a word such as positive or harmless in the blank. Neither caustic nor interminable means positive or harmless, so liminate answer choices (C) and (E). Neither unfounded, which means groundless, nor plaintive, which means mournful, makes sense in the blank; eliminate choices (A) and (F). Both benign and innocuous can mean harmless, so choices (B) and (E) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.