Correct Answer: B,D

Explanation:

Since ‘enjoying’ is a positive word it makes most sense to say that the thesis was once in ‘obscurity’ but now it is being looked at favorably again. ‘Renaissance’ has the connotation of something coming back into favor.
(limelight = favorable attention; decimation = destruction; longevity = length of life)

Correct Answer: C,E

Explanation:

The first blank requires something that conveys what man has done to the genetic code – the only suitable word is ‘decipherer’, as the genetic code is a natural phenomenon, not something man-made. Since a microbe is not a rodent, nor is it created by the sewers, we are left with ‘denizen’ for the second blank.
(rodent = animal like a rat or mouse; decipherer = someone who decodes; denizen = inhabitant)

Correct Answer: complaint, deteriorating, awareness

Explanation:

Note that ‘and’ usually joins things of similar meaning or weight. This suggests that since ethics are declining, moral standards are also declining (‘deteriorating’). The word ‘optimism’ is entirely unsuitable for a situation of moral decline, but ‘complaint’ would fit well. Now checking the options for the last blank, ‘awareness’ fits well as there is a general complaint about the situation. ‘Belligerence’ would be too strong as the general feeling will not translate into action.
(cliché = overused expression; resurgent = reviving; belligerence = aggression)

Correct Answer: realistic

Explanation:

Clue : ‘Though’ indicates the need for opposites in the two halves of the sentence. Also, ‘life-like’ indicates ‘realistic’ is the word needed.
The sentence means that, though there are no life-like meanderings, the work is presented as realistic fiction. [Note that to get the meaning out of the sentence it sometimes helps to turn the parts around.

Correct Answer: B,D

Explanation:

Clue: ‘though’ indicates the need for opposites.
Therefore, we say that he was ‘faultless’ (perfect) in his grammar, though his accent was almost ‘unintelligible’ (impossible to understand). [This is the only pair of opposites.] (erratic = unpredictable; germane = relevant; stentorian = loud and powerful in voice)

Correct Answer: C,F

Explanation:

Clue: Since the air is described as ‘pure’ we need a positive word. Also, since doctors recommend it, the air must be good for health.
Therefore, we choose ‘invigorating’ which means energizing.
The second blank must be an opposite and so ‘debilitating’ is the clear choice.
(Note that ‘soporific’ and ‘stimulating’ are opposite in meaning but would not fit the overall logic of the sentence.)
(soporific = sleep-inducing; debilitating = weakening; insalubrious = unhealthy; deracinating = uprooting)

Correct Answer: life-threatening, remission, not recur

Explanation:

The clue to the second blank is that the doctor is ‘thankful’. He would be thankful if the disease had gone into remission. (Note that the words ‘sequestration’ and ‘quarantine’ would make no sense in this context.) It follows from the word ‘remission’ that the disease is no longer active, and hence the symptoms, rather than persisting, would ‘not recur’ for some time. The best answer to the first blank is rather obvious: if the treatment is ‘aggressive’ it would be likely to be ‘life-threatening’ in itself.
(refulgent = shining brightly, sequestration = isolation; quarantine = isolation; remission = temporary improvement in a disease; malinger = try to avoid work)

Correct Answer: hedonistic

Explanation:

Clue: The part after the semicolon explains what kind of age we are talking about. So, since we are told that maximizing pleasure is the point, the word we need is ‘hedonistic’ (pleasure seeking).
(ubiquitous = found everywhere; propitious = favorable; sporadic = intermittent, not continuous)

Correct Answer: plagiarism,vindicate,skepticism

Explanation:

Clue: ‘because’ gives a reason for the word that is needed in the first blank. If the essay is so similar, it will look as though it is copied. To copy without giving acknowledgement is ‘plagiarism’. If the person is able to prove himself or herself not guilty (‘vindicate’) then the other student’s work will be suspected of plagiarism and his or her denials will be viewed with ‘skepticism’ (doubt).
(procrastination = putting off, delaying; decorum = good and correct behavior; reprieve = to let off the hook; credulity = belief; cognizance = awareness)

Correct Answer: pariah

Explanation:

Clue: He was cast out. An outcast is a ‘pariah’. This question is purely a matter of vocabulary.
(ascetic = one who lives a severe existence without indulgences; prodigy = genius, or very talented; prodigal = wasteful person; tyro = novice, beginner)