By surrounding himself with __________, the monarch was shielded from any criticism and was thus blind to the shortsightedness of many of his decrees until their effects were manifest.
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Solution
(B. sycophants, C. toadies)
Sycophants (flatterers) and toadies (yes-men) would not criticize a monarch.
Its coffers full with another round of investment funding, the fledgling company was inexperienced enough to adopt __________ spending policy, and it quickly exhausted its erstwhile surplus.
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Solution
(A. a profligate, D. a spendthrift)
If the company exhausted its erstwhile (former) surplus, it must have been either spendthrift (reckless with money) or profligate (wasteful).
Criticism of the direction of his research as __________ failed to perturb the scientist, who knew that his experiments on water molecules, though admittedly quite commonplace and even unoriginal, still would produce helpful results.
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Solution
(A. quotidian, E. pedestrian)
Admittedly, the experiments are “commonplace” and “unoriginal,” so criticism of them could call them quotidian (everyday) or pedestrian (dull; common).
Advice columns written for women in the 1950s seem almost laughable by today’s more equitable standards: housewives were instructed to, among other things, make sure their responses to their husbands were __________ so as to promote a harmonious household.
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Solution
(B. agreeable, E. flirtaceous)
If the advice to the housewives was designed to facilitate “harmonious households,” then it could have instructed them to be agreeable or felicitous (agreeable).
Befitting one of whom gravity and repose was a requirement rather than a desired attribute, the funeral director’s __________ nature helped soothe the mourners, comforting them with silence rather than chatter.
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Solution
(D. taciturn, E. laconic)
If the funeral director had gravity (a solemn presence) and repose (tranquility), and if he “soothed” the mourners with silence, then he could be taciturn (silent) or laconic (using few words).
In its__________ stages, before anyone knew about its imperialist designs, the foreign infrastructure bill won bipartisan approval.
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Solution
(B. embryonic, E. nascent)
The described stages are “before anyone knew,” so embryonic (being of a beginning stage) or nascent (coming into existence).
The football coach’s reputation for__________his players was well-deserved; his halftime speeches were usually filled with scathing rebukes.
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Solution
(E. excoriating, F. upbraiding)
If the coach gave speeches filled with scathing (harshly critical) rebukes (sharp criticisms), then he would be either excoriating (strongly condemning) or upbraiding (scolding) his players.
The tranquility experienced by those who live in a country that enjoys__________over its neighbors often hides the conflicts created by this state of dominance.
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Solution
(A. ascendancy, C. hegemony)
The country has “tranquility” and a “state of dominance”; therefore, it could be enjoying hegemony (dominance) or ascendancy (decisive advantage) over its neighbors.