Many Major League Baseball relief pitchers choose an electrifying theme song to play as they take the mound; the song _______ their fans and instills fear in their opponents.
(A) eviscerates |
(B) enervates |
(C) assuages |
(D) innervates |
(E) pervades |
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Solution
(D) innervates
Look for the clue in the strong adjective electrifying.The song must pump up the pitchers’ fans.Eviscerates and enervates are the opposite of what you want, so eliminate choices (A) and (B). Pervades is unrelated to the clue, and assuages sounds like a possibility, but has nothing to do with excitement; eliminate choices (C) and (E).You’re left with choice (D), innervates, which means to pump up.
Modern tennis fans have come to realize that, although, quantum technological leaps in racquet technology have lead to _______ increases in the speed and power with which players can hit the ball, this has not necessarily lead to a more entertaining game.
(A) innocuous |
(B) halcyon |
(C) malleable |
(D) commensurate |
(E) tractable |
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Solution
(D) commensurate
The sentence states that increases in technology have led to increases in speed and power. The blank, therefore, requires something along the lines of similar or proportional. Only commensurate fits. The answer is choice (D).
The grave accusations made by the plaintiff were almost entirely _____(i)_____ the testimony of two witnesses. Therefore, when the court _____(ii)_____ the credentials of those witnesses, the plaintiff’s case disintegrated, and the relevant claims were shown to be _____(iii)_____.
Blank I | Blank II | Blank III |
(A) subservient to | (D) vindicated | (G) facetious |
(B) isolated from | (E) repudiated | (H) unerring |
(C) dependent on | (F) debated | (I) specious |
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Solution
(C) dependent on , (E) repudiated , (I) specious
Start with the last blank because it is the easiest. The clue tells you that the plaintiff’s case disintegrated. Therefore, the claims must have been shown to be false. Facetious, though somewhat negative, does not mean false but does not go far enough. Unerring goes in the opposite direction. Specious is the best match. The first blank is the easiest one to attempt next. The case fell apart when something happened to the witnesses’ credentials, so a goodphrase for the first blank—which described the role of the witnesses in the plaintiff’s case—is “based on.” Dependent on is the only match. If the plaintiff’s claims were based on the witnesses, and the case fell apart, logically the witnesses must have been discredited somehow. A good word for the second blank—which describes what the court decided about the witnesses’ credentials—is denied. Vindicated goes in the opposite direction. Repudiated is the best match.
Bentham provided the conceptual model for modern prisons, though not the actual structural model. In Bentham’s ____(i)____, a central watchtower provided a ____(ii)____ view of all subjects under surveillance, theoretically allowing the guard to observe all of their actions; the tower, however, was structured in such a way that the subjects being observed could not see the guard. This meant that the prisoners were forced to assume that they were being ____(iii)___, even when the guard was off-duty, allowing prison administrators to be economical in their employment of guards.
Blank I | Blank II | Blank III |
(A) schematic | (D) constricted | (G) castigated |
(B) epitome | (E) panoramic | (H) scrutinized |
(C) quintessence | (F) salubrious | (I) exonerated |
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Solution
(A) schematic , (E) panoramic , (H) scrutinized
Recycle the phrase conceptual model for the first blank. Of the choices, schematic is the best fit; both epitome and quintessence can mean model, but in the sense of a perfect example of something. The second blank describes the view, which allows the guard to observe all, so you need something that means showing everything; of the choices, only panoramic, which means offering a wide view, makes sense. The third blank describes what’s being done to the prisoners, so recycle the clue observed. Of the choices, only scrutinized means observed.
The new lecture hall’s _______ design reflected the architect’s minimalist influences.
(A) posh |
(B) intricate |
(C) unadorned |
(D) refulgent |
(E) grandiose |
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Solution
(C) unadorned
The hall’s design was likely plain or functional, given the clue minimalist influences.Choices (A), (B), and (E) are easy eliminations, as they are clearly opposite in meaning.You can eliminate choice (D) if you know that refulgent is the opposite of plain. Unadorned is the best match.
Even though legislators claimed the Contagious Diseases Acts strengthened the nation, social purists argued the Acts _______ the nation’s moral growth by encouraging licentious behavior.
(A) advanced |
(B) ameliorated |
(C) hampered |
(D) supplanted |
(E) enhanced |
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Solution
(C) hampered
While the legislators claimed the Contagious Diseases Acts strengthened the nation, the change- direction trigger even though shows that the social purists disagreed. You want a word similar to harm or weaken for the blank. Hampered is similar to harm and provides you with an equivalent sentence; advanced and enhanced go in the opposite direction, so eliminate choices (A) and (E). Ameliorated and supplanted don’t make sense in the context of the sentence, so eliminate choices (B) and (D) and select choice (C).
Wealth and technology wrought by industrialization gave nations in the northern hemisphere strategic ____(i)____. This included sophisticated weaponry that could easily overpower the more ____(ii)____ arms held by the countries of the southern hemisphere.
Blank I | Blank II |
(A) adoration | (D) intricate |
(B) advantage | (E) perilous |
(C) consequence | (F) rudimentary |
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Solution
(B) advantage , (F) rudimentary
The clue to the second blank, sophisticated weaponry that could easily overpower, suggests a word that means less sophisticated. Intricate and perilous do not pertain to being less sophisticated and can be eliminated, leaving rudimentary as the correct answer. The northern nations could easily overpower the southern nations, and so they had an upper hand. Advantage is the only choice that means upper hand and is correct.
Possessing few natural resources upon its newly-granted independence in 1863, Singapore remained economically _______ until an influx of industrialization and foreign investment took hold there.
(A) powerful |
(B) prosperous |
(C) solvent |
(D) fortuitous |
(E) dubious |
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Solution
(E) dubious
From the clues in this sentence, you know that Singapore’s independence was newlygranted and that industrialization and foreign investment had not yet taken root. You need a word that means something like unstable or weak for the blank. Choices (A), (B), and (C) all go in the opposite direction of what you’re looking for, so eliminate them. Fortuitous doesn’t fit in the context of your clues, making dubious the best answer.
Dismissed by the establishment, professing nothing but disdain for the canon, and yet beloved by his followers who trumpet his _______ opinions, the raffish pundit is laughing all the way to the bank.
(A) iconoclast |
(B) blithe |
(C) inveterate |
(D) meretricious |
(E) meritless |
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Solution
(A) iconoclast
Here is a guy who no one in the establishment takes seriously and yet has an exuberant following. His opinions must not match with the mainstream. Iconoclastic is the best fit.
Although his latest project was relatively _______ —little more than a few basic plot points scribbled on a napkin—the veteran screenwriter easily sold the story to a major Hollywood studio.
(A) undeveloped |
(B) polished |
(C) convoluted |
(D) prosaic |
(E) tortuoust |
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Solution
(A) undeveloped
The missing word refers to a project—in this case a screenwriter’s story—which consists of little more than a few basic plot points. Therefore, the missing word might mean something like incomplete, so you can immediately eliminate choice (B). There is not enough information to suggest that the story is convoluted, prosaic, or tortuous, so eliminate choices (C), (D), and (E). Undeveloped means incomplete, so choice (A) is the best answer.