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Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The __________ season of fall seems to pass so quickly in New England; there is only a short transition between summer and winter.
Since fall is transitory in New England, the best answer choice is ephemeral or short in length.
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Punk music fans seem to enjoy it when their musicians scream __________ at them; they relish being cursed.
"Maledictions" are curses. A punk musician who screams maledictions at his fans is cursing them.
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At the beginning of her lecture, the professor pulled out an old __________ and read several passages in an ancient language.
A "tome" is a large book, something a professor would use to begin a lecture.
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The recent discovery of oil on the property has led analysts to believe that the construction of refineries in the area will soon prove to be a very __________ investment.
Only "lucrative" means prosperous or financially promising.
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Don't __________ yourself with understanding every detail; it is more important to see the big picture.
The answer that makes the most sense is "encumber," to burden.
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The new policeman became ill at the sight of the __________ blood; the victim’s thickened blood put him off pudding for a very long time.
"Coagulated" means thickened or clotted. The victim's thickened blood, resembling pudding, was very off-putting for the new policeman.
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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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Bob's mother furiously __________ him when she saw that he already torn holes in his new jeans.
The answer that makes the most sense is "excoriate," to scold with biting harshness.
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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 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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It was difficult to identify the __________ thief in the line-up; she did not have any distinguishing characteristics.
"Nondescript" means lacking distinguishing characteristics. A thief without traits that set her apart would be difficult to identify in a line-up.
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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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