The magazine article was ____(i)____ about the police commissioner’s accomplishments. Although some lawyers’ groups argued against the appropriateness of his tactics, the double digit drop in the crime rate since his appointment suggests that all the journalist’s praise was ____(ii)____.
| Blank I | Blank II |
| (A) effusive | (D) specious |
| (B) tentative | (E) presumptuous |
| (C) bombastic | (F) apposite |
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Solution
(A) effusive , (F) apposite
For the first blank, you need a word that means expressing praise, since the journalist is giving praise at the end of the sentence. Effusive means unrestrained in expressing praise; this is the best fit and correct answer. Tentative means holding back and is not a match, and bombastic means pompous and is also incorrect. Since the crime rate has dropped, you need a word that means appropriate for the second blank. Specious means seeming true but actually false; eliminate this choice. Presumptuous means based on assumption, and is incorrect given the proven drop in crime rate. Apposite means appropriate; this fits the context of the blank and is the correct answer.
The ____(i)____ with which the second-string quarterback managed to turn the tide of the game shocked even those who were familiar with his skills. Previously, he was more infamous for his deceitful ____(ii)____ off the field than for anything he had accomplished with a ball in his hand, but his immediate impact on the decisive game is likely to turn some of his erstwhile doubters into ____(iii)____ fans.
| Blank I | Blank II | Blank III |
| (A) indolence | (D) petulance | (G) recumbent |
| (B) alacrity | (E) chicanery | (H) ardent |
| (C) probity | (F) recidivism | (I) fetid |
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Solution
(B) alacrity , (E) chicanery , (H) ardent
The second-string quarterback doesn’t seem to have played much, but is well known off the field for something infamous or deceitful. For the second blank, chicanery fits the bill nicely.For the first blank, we know he turned the tide of the game and did it in a manner that surprised everyone. Alacrity will work for this blank since we are told that his impact was immediate. And for the third blank, winning a decisive game is likely to win him some passionate fans, so ardent works well.
Although they stood with the congressman in a tenuous display of solidarity, the incensed commissioners could not conceal their _______.
| (A) camaraderie |
| (B) rancor |
| (C) adulation |
| (D) facetiousness |
| (E) hubris |
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Solution
(B) rancor
The opposite-direction trigger although and the clue tenuous display of solidarity indicate that the remainder of the sentence will explain that the solidarity is not heartfelt. Thus, the clue incensed requires that the blank mean something like anger. None of camaraderie, adulation, facetiousness, or hubris means anger, so eliminate choices (A), (C), (D), and (E). Rancor does mean anger, so select choice (B).
During training to handle ____(i)____ arguments, the students on the debate team practiced techniques for quickly coming up with remarks that were ____(ii)____ even when they might know very little about the topic and would have only a few minutes to prepare.
| Blank I | Blank II |
| (A) spurious | (D) sanctimonious |
| (B) extemporaneous | (E) germane |
| (C) contentious | (F) seditious |
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Solution
(B) extemporaneous , (E) germane
The students will have only a few minutes to prepare, so you need a word for the first blank that means improvised. Spurious means inauthentic, and can be eliminated. Contentious means tending to argue and does not address the lack of time to prepare, so eliminate this choice. Extemporaneous means with little or no preparation and is the best fit and correct answer. For the second blank, you need a word that means effectively on topic because their remarks have to be effective though they might know very little about the topic. Sanctimonious means showing moral superiority and seditious means inciting a rebellion, so eliminate these choices. Germane means relevant, and is the best fit for the second blank.
Certainly a roundabout narrative, the book—much like the others in the author’s pseudo autobiographical series—proved to be unpopular among those who preferred ________ to loquaciousness.
| (A) succinctness |
| (B) enlargement |
| (C) garrulousness |
| (D) gregariousness |
| (E) perspicacity |
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Solution
(A) succinctness
The words unpopular and preferred act as opposite-direction triggers. The clues roundabout and loquaciousness require that the blank mean something like briefness. None of enlargement, garrulousness, gregariousness, or perspicacity means brevity, so eliminate choices (B), (C), (D), and (E). Succinctness does mean brevity, so select choice (A).
While she may have answered him truthfully—in the strictest sense of the word—it became clear to Sergei after the incident that Sheryl had actually been trying to _______.
| (A) vituperate |
| (B) obfuscate |
| (C) illuminate |
| (D) covet |
| (E) desiccate |
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Solution
(B) obfuscate
The opposite-direction trigger while and the opposite-direction time trigger after the incident, along with the clue answered him truthfully require that the second blank mean something like mislead. None of vituperate, illuminate, covet, or desiccate mean mislead, so eliminate choices (A), (C), (D), and (E). Obfuscate does mean mislead, so select choice (B)
Some argue that profiting from terrible suffering by publishing photographic books about natural disasters is shameless _____(i)_____, but perhaps the practice has the _____(ii)_____ effect of helping us to appreciate the humanity of people living far way.
| Blank I | Blank II |
| (A) presumptuous | (D) salutary |
| (B) idolatrous | (E) specious |
| (C) profiteering | (F) sedulous |
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Solution
(C) profiteering , (D) salutary
The sentence talks about books that make money from publishing other people’s disasters. This is often what profiteering means. For the second blank, the clue helping us to appreciate the humanity of people requires a word meaning something like helpful. Specious and sedulous do not mean helpful, but salutary does. Thus, select profiteering and salutary.
Ironically, the myth of Martin Van Buren’s _________ was due largely to circumstances that had little to do with Van Buren himself; in reality, of all the U.S. presidents since Andrew Jackson, Van Buren exceeded the average in education, intellect, and experience.
| (A) profundity |
| (B) stoicism |
| (C) mediocrity |
| (D) aptitude |
| (E) malleability |
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Solution
(C) mediocrity
The clue ironically indicates that the blank needs to mean the opposite of exceeded the average in education, intellect, and experience, so your answer could be anything that suggests uneducated, unintelligent, or inexperienced. Of the choices, only mediocrity makes sense.
The ____(i)____ of medieval papal power was the pontificate of Innocent III, whose immense personal prestige cowed monarchs from the powerful Philip II “Augustus” of France to the ____(ii)____ John of England, who earned such derisive epithets as “Lackland” and “Softsword.” Even before Innocent’s tenure, though, the involvement of Pope Henry IV in the Investiture Conflict had begun to hint at the tension between spiritual and ____(iii)____ leadership that would eventually boil over in the Protestant Reformation.
| Blank I | Blank II | Blank III |
| (A) zenith | (D) feckless | (G) archaic |
| (B) perigee | (E) intemperate | (H) temporal |
| (C) antipathy | (F) resplendent | (I) consecrated |
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Solution
(A) zenith , (D) feckless , (H) temporal
The first blank refers to state of papal power under Innocent; since his immense personal prestige cowed even kings, a word that means something like high point or greatest period would make sense in the blank. Of the choices, only zenith works. The second blank refers to John of England. Both the trigger from … to and the epithets given to John indicate that you need a word that contrasts with powerful. Of the answer choices, only feckless, which means ineffective, fits. The third blank needs to contrast with spiritual: Don’t be fooled by the word and, which is part of the change direction trigger tension between … and. Temporal is the only choice that makes sense.
Often considered one of the best films in cinematic history, Breakfast at Tiffany’s faced several ____(i)____ during production. The film’s star, Audrey Hepburn, almost refused the part, afraid it would ____(ii)____ her pristine image; further, the film faced intense scrutiny from censors, and the director had to make several compromises to ____(iii)____ them.
| Blank I | Blank II | Blank III |
| (A) Complications | (D) augment | (G) Assuage |
| (B) augment | (E) Tarnish | (H) Refute |
| (C) Advancements | (F) Peruse | (I) discomfort |
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Solution
(A) Complications , (E) Tarnish , (G) Assuage
For the first blank, you need a word that explains what happened during production. Audrey Hepburn almost refused the part and the director had to make several compromises, so a word like problems would make sense. Of the choices, only complications first. The second blank describes what Hepburn feared would happen to her image; if she nearly turned down the part because her image was pristine, she didn’t want to hurt her image. Of the choices, only tarnish can mean hurt. The last blank describes why the director made compromises for the censors: to make them happy. Of the choices, only assuage makes sense.