The doctor’s real mistake, from the perspective of his _______ professional friends who quickly jilted him, was not that his choice of treatment was inappropriate, but rather that it was viscerally objectionable to the medical establishment.
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Solution
( B fickle , D inconstant )
The blank must describe the doctor’s friends not the medical establishment (a trap), so look for the clue that gives information about those friends. The friends quickly jilted him, meaning that they dishonorably abandoned him. Friends who would do that are not very good friends, so you’re looking for a word that means not loyal. Squeamish describes someone who becomes uncomfortable easily. While the friends may be uncomfortable in the doctor’s presence, that’s not why they abandoned him. Orthodox and stodgy describe people who adhere rigidly to convention. These words describe the medical establishment, not the friends. A staunch ally is one who is loyal, so that word means the opposite of the blank. Fickle and inconstant both mean disloyal, and so they are good fits for the blank.
The public’s fascination with celebrities coupled with the innovations of the electronic age may inspire a new cadre of amateur “paparazzi”: there are certainly indications that such a trend is _______.
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Solution
( A. looming , F. impending )
Since the fascination with celebrities and the innovations of the electronic age may inspire something to occur, you need a word that means about to happen. Flagging and attenuating mean weakening, so those words go in the opposite direction from the blank. Calumniating means slandering; while the new paparazzi may indeed be engaging in slander, that’s not what the blank is talking about. Deliquescing means becoming liquid, and a trend can’t do that.Looming and impending both mean about to happen, so those words are good fits for the blank.
The bride was mortified to learn that her dress—which had appeared delicate, even _______, in the artificial light of the boutique—was nearly transparent in the bright sunlight of her outdoor wedding.
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Solution
( B. diaphanous , F. gossamer )
Recycle\ the clue delicate into the blank. Both ponderous and cumbersome are nearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, so eliminate choices (C) and (E). Neither ephemeral, which means short-lived, nor mettlesome, which means courageous, is supported by the sentence, so eliminate choices (A) and (D). Both diaphanous and gossamer can mean delicate, so choices (B) and (F) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences. If you selected choice (A), be sure to distinguish ephemeral from ethereal, which would have been an appropriate answer choice.
A key element of The Smiths’ recognizable sound came from the tension between Morrissey’s _______ lyrics and the cheerful, almost bouncy music composed by Johnny Marr.
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Solution
( D. saturnine , F. lachrymose )
The blank describes the kind of lyrics that would create a tension with cheerful, almost bouncy music, so a word that means something like sad would make sense. Both euphoric and sanguine are nearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, so eliminate choices (B) and (C). Neither lubricious, which means lewd, nor recondite, which means not widely known, is supported by the sentence, so eliminate choices (A) and (E). Both saturnine and lachrymose mean sad, so choices (D) and (F) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.
The feudalism practiced by Carolingian rulers was still in its _______ stage; only later did features such as subinfeudation and the consequent necessity of designating a liege lord lead to the fully-developed system familiar to students of the High Middle Ages.
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Solution
( C. nascent , E. inchoate )
The time trigger only later tells you that the earlier feudal system differed from the fullydeveloped version that came later, so the word for the blank needs to mean not fully developed. Both byzantine and labyrinthine are nearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, so eliminate choices (B) and (D). Neither refractory, which means stubborn, nor perfidious, which means disloyal, is supported by the sentence, so eliminate choices (A) and (F). Both nascent and inchoate can mean not fully formed, so choices (C) and (E) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.
Completely impenetrable to the layperson, the ancient text was _______ even to experts in the field.
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Solution
( A. abstruse , C. opaque )
The structure of the sentence and the use of the word even provide that the ancient text, while not entirely impenetrable to experts, was nonetheless quite unclear. Thus, find two answers that mean quite unclear. Choices (A) and (C) work well. Choices (B), (D), and (E) provide the opposite meaning; while the experts may not be as confused as the laypeople, they do struggle with the meaning. Choice (F), despite its resemblance in sound to choice (A), has a completely different meaning.
Even though the judge personally found the law _______, his moral objection did not provide a legal basis on which to rule the law unconstitutional.
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Solution
( B. abhorrent , E. invidious )
The blank is about the judge’s personal opinion; the passage provides that the judge found the law morally objectionable (even though the judge could not rule the law unconstitutional).Thus, find two answers that mean morally objectionable. Choices (B) and (E) work well. Choices (A), (C), and (F) provide the opposite meaning. Choice (D), while related to the fact that the judge did not rule the law unconstitutional, does not fit with the blank’s description of the judge’s personal opinion.
Further recognition of the destructive effects of targeting fast food advertising at young children may lead to more efforts to _______ such tactics: there is already clear evidence that the necessary prohibitive regulations have widespread support.
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Solution
( B. check , D. curb )
Following the colon, the regulations are described as prohibitive and receiving widespread support, the clues to the meaning of the blank. So the goal must be to prohibit or reduce such tactics. Correct choices (B) and (D) mean to limit and produce equivalent, appropriate sentences. Rally and muster are synonyms that mean to raise support for, and pirate means to use without authorization. None of these means prohibit or reduce, so eliminate choices (A), (E) and (F). Choice (C) can mean adorn or elaborate, neither of which fits the context of the blank.
Discussions about the use of high-fructose corn syrup as a sweetener lead to _______ among nutritionists, and the use of aspartame, which is also common, is just as controversial.
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Solution
( A. discord , D. dissension )
Using the same-direction trigger and … just as, you know that the use of high-fructose corn syrup must also be controversial, the clue to the blank. You want a word that means disagreement or debate. Choices (B) and (F) are synonyms that imply agreement in this context, and should be eliminated. Choice (C) means satisfaction and choice (E) means accuracy; neither choice suggests disagreement or debate and should be eliminated. Choices (A) and (D) both mean disagreement and produce equivalent, appropriate sentences.
The _______ international aid agencies have toward selecting a fresh cause to champion approximately every five years is indicative of their desire to avoid apathy due to overexposure and, instead, continue to stimulate donor interest.
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Solution
( B. predilection , D. propensity )
The sentence tells you that the selection of a fresh cause happens every five years, so the blank must refer to a word such as habit or custom. Ambivalence would indicate that the agencies are not sure about taking this action, and callousness indicate a lack of caring.Wariness would indicate that they are hesitant to change the cause. Affectation is tricky because it sounds similar to affection, which might make it sound like a good choice. However, affectation actually means artificiality, which is not the meaning you need. Choices (B) and (D) are both good substitutes for custom are produce equivalent, appropriate sentences.