The word "subside" comes from roots that literally mean to sit under. Whenever something "subsides," it decreases or lessens. This is not a matter of retreating, however. Instead, think of something like, "The earthquake slowly subsided, the tremors becoming less and less with passing minutes." The essential meaning for "subside" is to decrease in intensity. This is a good synonym for "subside."

For this question, be careful about tempting options. The words "damage" and "mangle" might be tempting. Whenever you "damage" or "mangle" something, you certainly do make it worse. This is not, however, the same as being synonymous with "worsen." Likewise, the same holds for "destroy" and "demolish." Instead, the word "deteriorate" is the best. Whenever something "deteriorates," its condition worsens.

The word "wager" can be used either as a verb or as a noun. The noun merely indicates the outcome of the verb usage. Whenever we wager on something, we make a bet on that thing. Therefore, the noun "wager" just means the bet itself. The options given here all indicate that the question is asking for the verb form. The word "gamble" is the only option that expresses the general idea of betting on something.

The word "exude" comes from roots that literally mean "to sweat out." The general idea of "exuding" is that something "oozes" or steadily releases something into its environment. The word can be used, however, to describe people in a metaphorical manner. Here the "oozing" is more like the idea of beaming or radiating some kind of character trait. For example, you could say, "Thomas was so sure of himself that he exuded confidence."

The word "abet" is likely rarely used by you; however, perhaps you have heard the expression, "aid and abet." For example, in a movie, someone might be accused of "aiding and abetting the enemy." This basically means aiding and encouraging the enemy to do wrong. The only option that expresses this idea of aiding or encouraging is the word "support."

Since Jennifer reads frequently and with enthusiasm, she is best described as an avid or devoted reader.

In this statement, the best answer choice is that the lake water is opaque.  The key to this question is that she cannot see the bottom of the lake.

The key to this question is noting that Joe ran in high heat and was out of shape before undertaking a lengthy run of five miles.  Thus, the run was presumably excruciating or painful.

Since he got a rejection letter from his first-choice college, Tom was presumably miserable and sad.  Thus, another way to express his gloom is to say he was melancholy after receiving the news.

The sentence demonstrates how Rebecca is so gullible, or easily fooled, to the point that she believes even radically incorrect statements.