The author tells you that the refugee camp was "unfit to live in" and "corrupt"; this suggests the conditions were “deplorable,” which means deserving of hatred or disgust. As for the other answer choices, “laudable” means admirable and praiseworthy; “serviceable” means operational; “colossal” means very large; and “compatible” means able to work well or get along well with someone or something else.

A storm would naturally be very worrying to sailors who would risk drowning in the huge waves. Therefore, the sight of storm clouds would be considered “menacing” by sailors. “Menacing” means threatening or suggesting danger. As for the other answer choices, “edifying” means improving the moral character of someone; “relieving” means causing pain or worry to lessen; "hopeful" means optimistic; and “circumstantial” means owed to chance and not proving anything.

Because the author tells you that the extra sleep helps, the correct answer must be “beneficial.” This means helpful. As for the other answer choices, "inadvisable" means not recommended, “haughty” means arrogant; "risky" means taking chances that could easily result in bad consequences; and "unavoidable" means inevitable.

The promises discussed were the opposite of "definite," and this suggests the correct answer is “vague,” which means unclear or uncertain. As for the other answer choices, “slanderous” means false and said to damage someone’s reputation; “accusatory” means speaking in a way that expresses you think someone did something wrong; “zany” means crazy or wacky; and "covert" means hidden or secretive.

The context of the sentence suggests that the answer choice must describe some quality of music that makes it good or enjoyable to listen to, the correct answer is therefore “harmonious.” "Harmonious” means in harmony and not clashing with one another aurally; “discordant” means in disagreement, not in harmony; “bellicose” means aggressive, hostile, or war-like; “haughty” means arrogant; and "shocking" means greatly surprising.

Because the decision made him a star, it is likely that it must have been a smart, perceptive, or clever career move. This means that the answer choice is “shrewd.” As for the other answer choices, “foolhardy” means foolish or stupid due to not thinking through one's options or being prudent enough; “genteel” means polite and respectable; "ironic" means sardonic or funny due to meaning the opposite of what one says or getting the opposite of what is expected; and "flagrant" means overt in misbehaving in some way or breaking some rule.

Of these five answer choices, only “devout” makes sense to describe a man about whom we are only told "pray[s] several times a day to his gods." “Devout” means fully committed, or more specifically, pious and having deep religious commitment. “Unorthodox” means unconventional or going against established religious doctrine; “heretical” means holding prohibited religious beliefs; and “blasphemous” and “sacrilegious” both mean profane and impious.

The fact that the army killed without discrimination and looted randomly suggests that their acts of destruction were “wanton.” The key word in the sentence in picking out the answer is "random," because this is essentially what “wanton” means. “Benevolent” means good-natured and kind; “pompous” means full of self-importance; “sage” means wise; and “defensible” means able to be defended.

Of these answer choices, only one makes sense when used to describe the likely appearance of a monk who is "deep in peaceful contemplation of his surroundings," and that is “serene,” which means quiet and peaceful. “Wrathful” means full of anger; “envious” means jealous; “irate” means furious; and “biased” means prejudiced or already influenced towards one thing over another before evidence has been presented and a decision has been made.

"Indolent" means lazy; “transitory” means fleeting and temporary; “rustic” means old-fashioned and quaint; and "offensive" means causing others to feel slighted and angry. It seems unlikely that an indolent or offensive speech would be fire people up and be well received by critics, and "rustic" and "transitory" don't really relate to speeches. The correct answer must therefore be “eloquent,” which means well-spoken.