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Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The cartoon __________ portrays human beings befriending dinosaurs, a historical and scientific implausibility.
A human being befriending a dinosaur is historically and scientifically incorrect, and "anachronistically" is the only answer choice that fits. “Anachronistically” means historically out of place.
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The rain clouds overhead were __________, as all of the crops in Kansas were dry and dying.
The correct answer here is "auspicious" because the rain clouds were a symbol of something good to come, as they would nourish and save the crops. The rain clouds may have been short-lived ("ephemeral"), but that would not benefit the crops; the rain clouds certainly were not thorough and studious ("sedulous"), and they may have appeared "menacing," but again, their menacing appearance would have no impact on the dry nature of the crops.
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Ever since he could utter his first word, Phillip has been a(n) __________ person; he is never short of words.
The key phrase is “never short of words.” The semicolon here links two independent clauses of similar meaning. “Loquacious” means talkative and is therefore the correct answer. "Outgoing" and "extroverted" both mean gregarious or to be fond of social interaction. Though close to the right answer, these are not as good a fit as "loquacious." Also, "outgoing" and "extroverted" have the same meaning and thus both can be eliminated. There cannot be two right answers to a test question.
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Despite all his efforts, Bobby was not able to achieve his personal goals, leaving him __________.
The logic of this sentence requires a word that means “discouraged”. The introductory clause “despite all his efforts” is a key phrase. The word “crestfallen” means dejected or discouraged.
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Having traveled to many nations, the journalist had a(n) __________ writing style.
The key phrase is “having traveled to many nations.” The word “eclectic” means embracing various or different sources.
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Most people were impressed with George’s grasp of __________ trivia, but Susan saw it as a mere parlor trick.
George’s knowledge of trivia is not something that everyone knows, ruling out both "common" and "popular." Susan’s dismissal of George’s knowledge indicates that it is also not "significant" or "useful," so "arcane" is the correct answer.
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The author’s __________ output tended to overshadow the poor quality of the majority of his work.
Here the word “poor” indicates that the author is not very good; therefore, he must have written a good amount of material if it overshadows the quality of the material. Only "prodigious" means in a great amount.
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The ________ manner in which she gave to charity annoyed her more generous friends.
A simple word replacement helps figure out the answer to this question. As the “more generous friends” are annoyed by the subject’s manner, then go through word by word for all the answer choices. "Parsimonious," which means stingy and tight with money, is the only choice that works.
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The politician’s speeches had a(n) __________ quality, which tended to put his audience to sleep.
As the politician’s speeches put his audience to sleep, the correct answer will be the one that is most synonymous with boring, dull, or sleep-inducing. "Rapacious," "salubrious," and "engaging" all have quite positive connotations, while "loquacious," meaning wordy, does not fit well.
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The country club's members considered the club's ability to choose its own members an __________ right, and refused any attempts to have them change its bylaws.
The country club wanted nothing to happen to their bylaws, and wanted to defend them at all costs. "Inconsistent," "unimportant," "appropriate," and "inconsequential" all have too light a meaning.
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For twenty years he lived a _________ existence before finally marrying and settling down.
The key word in this sentence is “settling.” The opening phrase of the sentence stands in contrast to the second clause, and the missing word needs to be the opposite of “settling.” Only “peripatetic” is an antonym of “settling.”
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Historians often struggle with how much __________ evidence to use, as fewer data points can be outweighed by the power of the story being told.
The key word for this sentence is in the last phrase, “story.” Of all the answer choices, only “anecdotal” means from a story.
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The fact he was __________ was a pleasant surprise to her when she asked him to assemble furniture.
The task he needed to accomplish, assembling furniture, indicates he was skillful. “Clumsy,” “oafish,” "bumbling," and “inept” all mean, to some degree, the exact opposite. “Dexterous,” indicating skill with one’s hands, is correct.
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Her speech was often loaded with __________ words such as "like" or "whatever," which were unnecessary for her point to be made.
The structure of the sentence indicates the correct answer is a synonym of “unnecessary.” “Precise” and “subtle” are antonyms, while “automatic” and "mechanical" is not a direct synonym.
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The preacher’s sermons were frequently nothing more than __________ babbling, leaving the parishioners confused.
The correct choice leads to confusion in the parishioners. “Exacting,” “clarifying,” and “factual” all indicate a lack of confusion, while "engaging" means interesting and exciting. Only “incoherent” means anything related to confusion.
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Between her sickness and a month-long recovery out of sunlight, a distinct __________ tone had fallen over her skin.
Both her sickness and her stay out of the sun indicate the subject was left pale and sickly, the very definition of “pallid.” “Cherubic,” "healthful," and “rosy”” are also all synonyms to each other, which is a good way to eliminate answer choices.
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The boss’ employees saw him as __________, because he often spoke on subjects he clearly knew little about in front of experts.
The boss’ discussion in front of experts reveals he is speaking out of arrogance rather than a position of actual knowledge. “Brilliant” and “inquisitive” both indicate actual levels of knowledge, while “incompetent” and "illogical" do not indicate the appropriate arrogance.
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Their mother’s ___________ analysis of their dates made the sisters rarely bring their boyfriends home.
As the sisters are avoiding their morther’s analysis, it is safe to assume the analysis is negative. Of the choices, “scrupulous,” meaning careful and diligent, is the only answer choice that is negative in context.
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The new sergeant was __________ in his demands, providing strict guidelines the troops were sorely lacking before his arrival.
The guidelines the new sergeant’s demands provided are strict, meaning he was forceful and clear in what he asked. “Lackluster” and “uninspiring” do not have enough sense of clarity, while “negotiable” and "flexible" are not strict enough adjectives to fit the sentence.
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The elderly woman’s __________ tone about modern dating habits made the young men hesitant to tell her about their personal lives.
As the young men avoid her, the elderly woman obviously dislikes modern dating habits, which rules out “approving” and “laudatory” as possible correct answers. Similarly, the young men’s unwillingness to talk indicates she was not “inquisitive,” or "curious." “Censorious,” meaning stern and critical, is the only possible correct answer.
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