We can infer that we need to pick out a word that means something like "uncomprehending," because Jenny did not pick up on her sister's hint and spoiled the surprise. "Clever," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "clever" means "quick to understand, learn, and devise or apply ideas; intelligent," and would not make sense in the sentence's context. "Obtuse," however, is an adjective that means "annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand," and because "obtuse" is the answer choice that best describes how Jenny did not pick up on her sister's hint, "obtuse" is the correct answer.

We can infer that because Julie "specifically wanted a mint chocolate chip cookie" and went to three different bakeries in search of it, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "specific." That means that "general" cannot be the correct answer, because "general" is an antonym, not a synonym, of specific. "Particular," however, is an adjective that means "used to single out an individual member of a specified group or class," and because "particular" best fits the context of the sentence, "particular" is the correct answer.

We can infer that because the vaccinations being described "are given to keep recipients from getting sick," that they must be protective. So, we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "protective." "Remedial," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "remedial" means "giving or intended as a remedy or cure," so it would make sense to give someone a remedial vaccine before they got sick, but it would make sense to give them such a vaccine after they got sick. "Preventative" is an adjective that means "designed to keep something undesirable such as illness, harm, or accidents from occurring," and because "preventative" is the answer choice that best describes the nature of the vaccines given to keep recipients from getting sick, "preventative" is the correct answer.

We can infer that because the comic book concerns a mad scientist who wants to take over the world with an army of zombies, that he is probably villainous. So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "villainous." "Kindhearted," then, cannot be the correct answer choice because "kindhearted" means "having a kind and sympathetic nature," and we're not given any information to suggest that this accurately describes the mad scientist. "Nefarious," however, is an adjective that typically refers to an action or activity and means "wicked or criminal," and because "nefarious" best describes the mad scientist in the comic book, "nefarious" is the correct answer.

We can infer that Charlie must have been pretty mad when his friends lied to him about their plans in order to leave him out of them, so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "mad." "Livid" is an adjective that means "furiously angry," and because it best fits the context of the sentence, "livid" is the correct answer.

We're told that the pool's water was "so still that it allowed one to see all the leaves that had settled on the bottom," so we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "still" to describe the water. Neither "energetic" nor "wavy" would make sense as describing the pool's water, then, so neither can be the correct answer. "Placid," however, is an adjective that when used to describe a place or stretch of water means "calm and peaceful, with little movement or activity," and because "placid" best describes the stillness of the pool's water, "placid" is the correct answer.

The blank needs to contain an adverb for this sentence to make sense, and one describing Justin as he asks about his missing candy; "angrily" is therefore the best choice.

Other than "enjoying," all of the options are the proper part of speech, adjectives, and would fit grammatically in the sentence; however, happier is a comparative adjective, and nothing is being compared in this sentence, and nonchalant and bored both have the wrong meaning for the context; therefore, we're left with "ecstatic" as the best answer, which means overjoyed or thrilled.

We are told that the changes the new boss made were "dramatic," so we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "dramatic" to describe the policy changes. "Subtle," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "subtle" is an adjective that is often used to describe changes or distinctions and means "so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyze or describe." "Drastic," however, is an adjective that means "likely to have a strong or far-reaching effect; radical and extreme," and because "drastic" best describes the changes the new boss made to the company, "drastic" is the correct answer.

We can infer that because Jim's new laptop had problems with its power and the technicians at the store exchanged its battery "for a new one that worked correctly," we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "not working properly" to describe the battery the laptop had initially. "Operational," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "operational" is an adjective that means "fit or ready for use or service," which does not accurately describe the battery Jim's laptop initially had that did not work correctly. "Faulty," however, is an adjective that can mean "working badly or unreliably because of imperfections," and because "faulty" best describes how the battery in Jim's new laptop did not work correctly, "faulty" is the correct answer.