Releasing a series of solo recordings, collaborating with such musicians as David Byrne and Robert Fripp, and producing artists from Devo to U2 made Brian Eno so _______ for a time that one music industry observer was moved to note that “Brain Eno is everywhere—like God, or salt.”
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Solution
(D. omnipresent , F. ubiquitous )
Your word for the blank needs to reflect the idea that Eno is everywhere, so something like common or prevalent would make sense. Choices (B) and (E) give roughly synonymous meanings, but nothing in the sentence supports the idea that Eno is disreputable. Neither omnivorous, which means eating all foods, nor fortuitous, which means accidental, is supported by the sentence, so eliminate choices (A) and (C). Both omnipresent and ubiquitous mean present everywhere—like sodium and divine beings—so choices (D) and (F) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.
The group’s final paper, replete with errors in spelling, diction, and idiom, showed every sign of having been given only _______ proofreading.
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Solution
( B. a cursory , F. a perfunctory)
The blank describes the kind of proofreading that would miss errors in spelling, diction, and idiom, so a word like sloppy or hasty would make sense—anything that suggests a lack of attention to detail. Both fastidious and meticulous are nearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, so eliminate choices (D) and (E). Neither artless, which means without guile, nor extraneous, which means irrelevant, is supported by the sentence, so eliminate choices (A) and (C). Both cursory and perfunctory can mean inattentive to detail, so choices (B) and (F) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.
Hundreds of _______ fans waited in line for hours at the comic book convention to talk to their favorite artists and buy limited-edition toy variants otherwise unavailable.
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Solution
( D. zealous , F. impecunious )
The blank describes fans who would wait in line for hours to talk to artists and buy toy variants, so a word like devoted would make sense. Choices (B) and (E) give roughly synonymous meanings, but nothing in the sentence supports the idea that the fans smelled bad. Neither hirsute, which means hairy, nor impecunious, which means poor, is supported by the sentence, so eliminate choices (C) and (F). Both staunch and zealous can mean devoted, so choices (A) and (D) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.
The stock market having plunged drastically, the investor’s _______ mood on the trading floor seemed incongruous.
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Solution
( A. enervated , F. buoyant )
The clue here is that the investor’s mood seemed incongruous in light of the bad news about the stock market; since incongruous means out of place, you need a word like happy for the blank. Both inconsolable and funereal are nearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, so eliminate choices (C) and (E). Neither enervated, which means weakened, nor sardonic, which means mocking and derisive, is supported by the sentence, so eliminate choices (A) and (D).Both sanguine and buoyant can mean happy, so choices (B) and (F) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.
Expecting Tom to protest the poor grade on his psychology paper, the professor was disheartened when he _______ tossed it in his bag and left the room.
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Solution
( A. gingerly , F. delicately )
The professor was disheartened because Tom didn’t seem to care about his grade, so a word that means without care would make sense in the blank. Both gingerly and delicately are nearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, so eliminate choices (A) and (F). Neither timidly, which means fearfully, nor prudently, which means cautiously, is supported by the sentence, so eliminate choices (C) and (D). Both flippantly and thoughtlessly can mean without care, so choices (B) and (E) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.
Many admirers of art _______ the beauty of Jackson Pollock’s paintings, while others disparage the splatters of color as simplistic.
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Solution
( D. commend , F. extol )
The trigger while indicates that the admirers do the opposite of the others, who disparage it, so something like praise would make sense in the blank. Both defame and underrate are nearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, so eliminate choices (A) and (E). Choices (B) and (C) give roughly synonymous meanings, but aren’t supported by the sentence. Both commend and extol can mean praise, so choices (D) and (F) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.
After finishing the editing workshop, the writers found that they were able to give each other _______ comments, instead of the general and unhelpful suggestions they had been making beforehand.
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Solution
( E. critical , F. constructive )
Before the workshop, the writers’ comments were general and unhelpful; the time triggers in the sentence tell you that things were different after finishing the editing workshop, so you need a word like specific or helpful in the blank. Three of the choices—cursory, superficial, and amateurish—are nearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, so eliminate choices (A), (C), and (D). Derisive, which means scornful, isn’t supported by the sentence, so eliminate choice (B). Both critical and constructive can describe comments that are specific and helpful, so choices (E) and (F) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.
The photographer _______ posed the bride for her portrait, carefully adjusting each fold of her dress and each curl of her hair before taking the picture.
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Solution
( A. meticulously , E. fastidiously )
Recycle the clue carefully into the blank. Choices (B) and (D) can be eliminated; they give synonymous meanings, but nothing in the sentence supports the idea that the photographer was rushed. Neither subversively, which means rebelliously, nor hysterically, which means characterized by irrationality due to uncontrollable emotion, is supported by the sentence, so eliminate choices (C) and (F). Both meticulously and fastidiously can mean carefully, so choices (A) and (E) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.
The unfounded fear that some children, and even adults, have of the circus clown is rather ironic considering that he is meant to be _______ character who invokes laughter and enjoyment.
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Solution
( C. a genial , F. an affable )
The clown invokes laughter and enjoyment, so he must represent a happy character. Ace and crackerjack are synonyms that refer to someone with a certain talent, which may be true of the clown, but these answers are not supported by the clues. Artful may sound like an appropriate answer, but, in addition to meaning skilled, it can mean sly or crafty. None of these are the right definitions. Surly has the opposite connotation of happy, so the correct answers are choices (C) and (E), which both mean friendly or pleasant.
Sylvia Plath was not as _______ a poet as was her husband Ted Hughes, having produced just two volumes of poetry in her short lifespan.
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Solution
( E. prolific , F. fruitful )
The clue here is that Plath produced just two volumes. This phrase, in addition to the comparison to the number of volumes her husband produced, tells you that she did not produce many. Remember that before the blank you have the trigger word not, so you need a word that means productive. Choices (A), (B), (C), and (D) are all adjectives that describe what Plath might or might not have been, but they do not fit the given clue. Choices (E) and (F) are correct because they are synonyms of productive.