The word "pastoral" may remind you of the title "pastor", which is used for various Christian religious leaders. The words are related, both coming from the Latin for "shepherd." Indeed, "pastoral" can even be used as an adjective to describe the particular sorts of duties undertaken by such a minister; however, none of the religion-related options here are appropriate. A better synonym for this religious meaning would be "ministerial." "Pastoral" can also be used to describe land in the country—where a shepherd would be.  Thus, the option "rural" is the correct answer for this question.

The word furious can mean very angry, as when we say, "He was furious that his little sister hit him in the head five times." It can also indicate that someone is acting in a very intense manner. Thus, a person who is working quickly at a task can be said to work at a "furious pace." Do not be tempted by the option "annoyed" because it is related to being angry. The "anger-related" meaning of furious indicates great anger. Thus, you must choose the other meaning, namely, "intense."

The word "brisk" has two main meanings. On the one hand, it can describe something that is cold, but it is not used to describe something that is so cold that it is freezing. Instead, something that is brisk is refreshingly cool. For this reason, eliminate "freezing" as an option. Now, "tepid" and "warm" are trying to tempt you into choosing some temperature-related meaning. Ignore these as well. The other main meaning for brisk is quick or energetic. The option "swift" well matches this meaning and is thus the best choice for this question.

The verb "stifle" has two meanings that are loosely related. On the one hand, it describes the action of making it impossible for someone to breathe. Thus, to "stifle" someone is to suffocate that person. The second meaning for the word is to stop oneself from expressing oneself in a given way or acting in a certain way. Thus, you could stifle laughter in order to prevent yourself from being rude to someone else. The word "suppress" can mean to prevent from happening or merely to restrain. This is an excellent synonym for the second meaning of "stifle" mentioned above.

Likely, you know the definition of "frantic" that means extremely anxious or worried, as when we say, "He was frantic after his son did not show up by ten at night." The word "frantic," however, can also be used to describe the kind of hurried activity that accompanies such a state. Thus, someone can work "frantically," meaning that he or she is working at a fast pace. Thus, the only applicable option is "hurried," which is synonymous to this second meaning. 

The word “merit” is often used as a verb, and it is in this sense that it is implied here. All of the wrong options are tempting because one might think of receiving a “merit badge” or at least a “merit symbol.” These are all unacceptable, because even if the word can be thus applied as an adjective to the given noun, it does not mean the same thing as the noun does. The word “merit,” when used as a verb, means to deserve praise. For instance, it can be used in a sentence like, “After John saved the girl from the freezing water, nobody doubted that he merited the praise of the whole community for his act of bravery.” Given this usage of “merit,” the best option is “deserve.”

Do not be fooled by the plant-related words offered as options. The word “stem” comes from Germanic bases meaning to stop. One could say, “After three months of fighting, the army finally stemmed the advancing foes and began to push them back to their own land.” Among the options provided, “halt” most closely matches this sense.

"Moderate" is a word that as an adjective means "average in amount, intensity, quality, or degree," and as a verb means "make or become less extreme, intense, rigorous, or violent," and as a noun means "one who is moderate." Since all of our answer choices are verbs, we need to pick out one that means something like "make or become less intense." While "enable" may look like a good answer choice, it actually means "give someone the means or authority to do something," so it is not the word we're looking for. "Allay," on the other hand, means "diminish or put at rest fear or suspicion; relieve or alleviate pain or hunger," and since it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "moderate," it is the correct answer.

"Gall" and "brashness" both mean nerve or brazeness. "Benevolence" means charity or compassion. "Timidity" means shyness or reserve. "Connoisseur" means aficionado or expert. "Egress" means exit or departure. 

Be very careful not to be carried away into false synonyms with simple words! “Fashion” can be used in ways other than fashionable clothing and such things. The word can also mean to make, as in, “He fashioned a sword out of molten steel.” Thus, the word “forge,” which deals with just such smith work, is the best option. Do not think that “fashion” is synonymous with “culture” or “refine," though “fashionable things” might be called either cultured or refined.