The theater critic made an appeal in his most recent review for playwrights to avoid _______ characters and situations, for he could not sit through one more trite play.
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Solution
( B. banal , F. pedestrian )
The blank is about what playwrights should avoid according to the critic, and the clue word trite signals the blank must mean ordinary. If you do not know the word trite, you nevertheless know that he blank must be negative from the phrase could not sit through.Correct choices (B) and (F) mean dull and ordinary, and produce equivalent, appropriate sentences. Choices (C) and (E) are positive, and can be eliminated. Choices (A) means in good judgment and (D) means conveniently practical, and neither choice means ordinary.
Because the discovery of the ancient letters _______ the historian’s claims about the inhabitants of that time, the historian must reconsider the premises of his life’s work.
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Solution
( B. belies , D. controverts )
The blank is about the effect of the letters on the historian’s claims. The clue is the historian must reconsider his life’s work, so the blank means disproves. Choices (B) and (D) mean makes false and produce equivalent, appropriate sentences. Choices (C) and (F) both have the opposite meaning of disproves, and can be eliminated. Choices (A) and (E) also do not mean disprove and are incorrect.
After months of research, the degree candidate was confident in the validity of her thesis, but certain key errors in methodology left the review committee _____.
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Solution
( C. dubious , F. incredulous )
The blank is about the review committee’s opinion of the candidate’s thesis, and the trigger word but indicates that the committee holds the opposite view of the candidate’s view. The candidate is confident that the thesis is valid, so the blank means not confident. Correct choices (C) and (F) mean doubtful, and produce equivalent, appropriate sentences. Choices (A) and (E) represent the candidate’s view, not the committee’s view. Choice (B) means soothed, not doubtful. Choice (D) means annoyed and goes beyond the context of the blank and is not supported.
As _______ a dancer as she was, at least in the opinion of the general public, her failure to have trained at the illustrious Kirov School of Ballet precluded her from achieving the coveted title of prima ballerina assoluta.
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Solution
( C. consummate , F. virtuoso )
Although the fact that the ballerina didn’t achieve a coveted title might suggest she wasn’t a good dancer, the change-direction trigger—at least in the opinion of the general public—indicates that the word in the blank needs to mean something like skillful. Both fulsome and noisome are nearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, so eliminate choices (D) and (E). Neither perfunctory, which means careless, nor evanescent, which means fleeting, is supported by the sentence, so eliminate choices (A) and (B). Both consummate and virtuoso can mean extremely skilled, so choices (C) and (F) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.
Compulsory math and science courses are _______ requirements for many liberal arts students whose minds are more attuned to philosophical debate.
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Solution
( E. exacting , F. onerous )
Students who are more attuned philosophical debate would find math and science to be difficult or demanding. Both facile and elementary are nearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, so eliminate choices (A) and (D). Neither stupefying, which means perplexing, nor meticulous, which means attentive to detail, is supported by the sentence, so eliminate choices (B) and (C). Both exacting and onerous can mean demanding, so choices (E) and (F) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.
The young employee was more _______ by his new assignment than he seemed to be, for his confusion was disguised by his confident smile.
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Solution
( A. perturbed , B. discomposed )
The employee’s confident smile is hiding confusion, so something that means confused would make sense in the blank. Both placated and conciliated are nearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, so eliminate choices (C) and (E). Neither vilified, which means defamed, nor belabored, which means excessively insisted upon, is supported by the sentence, so eliminate choices (D) and (F). Both perturbed and discomposed can mean confused, so choices (A) and (B) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.
When the 25 dogs and cats escaped for the third time that month, the mayor publicly expressed his _______ regarding the clear and ongoing mismanagement of the city kennel.
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Solution
( A. discontentment , C. contempt )
The clue clear and ongoing mismanagement of the city kennel indicates that the mayor would have negative feelings of disapproval. Choices (B), (D), and (E) are positive words that do not complement the clue and should be eliminated. Choice (F) means lack of energy and does not match the meaning you want. Only correct choices (A) and (C) mean disapproval and produce equivalent, appropriate sentences.
Jane was so passionately insistent on her assertions during the negotiation that her _______ tone was noted as the main reason her team prevailed.
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Solution
( B. adamant , E. unwavering )
The clue to the blank is passionately insistent of her assertions, signifying that a similar tone helped her team prevail. Recycle the clue and look for words that mean passionately insistent.Choices (A), (D), and (F) indicate that she would have an insecure, impaired or unsure tone, and can be eliminated. Choice (C) is incorrect because there is no clue that she had an odd tone. Correct choices (B) and (E) both mean unshakably determined and produce equivalent, appropriate sentences.
When he fell into the pit of vipers, Jake was instantly _______ about the possibility of getting bitten by a poisonous snake.
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Solution
( A. distressed , B. apprehensive )
Jake would be scared by the poisonous snake. You can eliminate choices (C) and (E) because they are positive words. Choices (D) and (F) do not relate to being scared, and can be eliminated. Choices (A) and (B) are correct because both mean worried or scared.
By the third day of being sick with the flu, her feelings of _______ were so strong, all she could do was lie on the couch, unable even to get up to shower.
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Solution
( C. lethargy , F. weariness )
The clue is that she has been sick for three days and that she is unable to get up, so the missing word means tiredness or exhaustion. Choice (A) is the opposite of what you’re looking for, and choice (B) is irrelevant to the context of the blank; both choices can be eliminated.Choices (D) and (E) could be feelings following recovery from the flu, but do not mean exhaustion. Correct choices (C) and (F), both of which mean lacking energy, produce equivalent, appropriate statements.