1.

Understanding the ________ that separate us from each other can also enable us to ________
the complex fabric of our society.
A. differences . . . appreciate
B. truths . . . combat
C. traditions . . . resolve
D. similarities . . . enrich
E. fears . . . complete
View Correct Answer
Answer: A
A. The first noun could be any of the five except “similarities,” although at first glance, A
“differences” looks like the best. The second blank needs a verb that follows from
“understanding,” and A “appreciate” is the closest to the earlier word. Choices B and C make
little sense with the fabric metaphor (how can one “resolve” or “combat” a “fabric”?).
2. What is most needed in a discussion of immigration are solid facts, not wishful thinking;
realities, not ________.
A. explanations
B. reasons
C. ideas
D. fears
E. myths
View Correct Answer
Answer: E
The phrase “facts, not wishful thinking” is parallel to “realities, not _____,” so you need a word
that is opposite to “realities” and similar in effect to “wishful thinking.” Only “myths” describes
something that contrasts with “realities.”
3. South Korea’s industrial production fell 6 percent last year, the largest annual ________ since
1980, fueling fears that the ________ economy is slipping deeper into recession.
A. figure . . . flourishing
B. decrease . . . steady
C. decline . . . sagging
D. change . . . lethargic
E. drop . . . booming
View Correct Answer
Answer: C
The verb “fell” tells you that the first noun must mean “decline” or fall. Choices B “decrease,” C
“decline,” and E “drop” are all possibilities. The adjective describing this economy must also
denote falling, so you can eliminate “steady” B and “booming” E, but C “sagging” is
appropriate.
4. By gradually winning the support of both liberals and conservatives, both rich and poor, the
governor has demonstrated that her remarkable________ skills go side by side with her
willingness to speak openly and ________ on controversial issues.
A. interpersonal . . . equivocally
B. diplomatic . . . frankly
C. organizational . . . covertly
D. personal . . . deceptively
E. intimidating . . . obscurely
View Correct Answer
Answer: B
The first adjective must be consistent with the information that the skills have won over both
liberals and conservatives. Choices A, B, and D would fit, and “organizational” C or
“intimidating” E would not. The second blank requires an adverb that parallels or accords with
“openly.” Both “equivocally” (ambiguously) and “deceptively” are clearly the opposite of what
is needed. The correct choice is B “frankly.” .
5. Slander and libel laws stand as a protection of an individual’s reputation against the ________
dissemination of falsehoods.
A. unintentional
B. inevitable
C. inferential
D. irresponsible
E. incontestable
View Correct Answer
Answer: D
The missing adjective here should describe the actions of a slanderer. The noun “dissemination”
means spreading abroad; the action of spreading a “libel” or “slander” is not well described by
any of these choices except by D “irresponsible.”.
6. Presenting love as foolish, compromised, or dangerous, his love songs are frankly ________.
A. lyrical
B. antiromantic
C. conventional
D. melodic
E. sentimental
View Correct Answer
Answer: B
The final adjective must describe songs that satirize love as “foolish” or “compromised.” The
best choice is “antiromantic.” The four other choices conflict with the assertion of the first half
of the sentence. .
7. By showing that the trainer’s voice ________ gave commands to the horse, he was able to
________ the clever ruse which contended that an animal could add and subtract.
A. ostensibly . . . confirm
B. never . . . debunk
C. covertly . . . unmask
D. unwittingly . . . prove
E. potentially . . . defend
View Correct Answer
Answer: C
If signaling the horse by the voice is part of a “clever ruse,” the missing adverb must be
something signifying “secretly” or “without being observed.” Only C “covertly” has this
meaning. The verb that fills the second blank must mean something like expose, and C “unmask”
fits the requirement..
8. For an actor so changeable and unpredictable, even the word ________ seems inadequate.
A. immutable
B. mercurial
C. stoical
D. placid
E. obstinate
View Correct Answer
Answer: B
The needed word here is a strong way of saying “changeable” or “unpredictable.” Of the five
choices, “mercurial” (volatile, “changeable”) is clearly the best.
9. A ________ is distrustful of human goodness and sincerity, and a ________ has a hatred of
people in general.
A. pessimist . . . ingrate
B. siren . . . tyrant
C. altruist . . . anarchist
D. cynic . . . misanthrope
E. philanthropist . . . misogynist
View Correct Answer
Answer: D
The sentence presents two related definitions and is a straightforward test of vocabulary. A
“cynic” distrusts “human goodness;” a “misanthrope” hates “people in general.” A “pessimist”
looks on the dark side of things and expects the worst; an “ingrate” is an ungrateful person. A
“siren” is a temptress; a “tyrant” is an absolute ruler, usually a cruel or despotic one. An
“altruist” is unselfishly concerned for the welfare of others; an “anarchist” opposes all forms of
government. A “philanthropist” is a generous lover of humankind; a “misogynist” is a person
who hates women. 9. With the benefit of ________, it is easy to see the mistakes we made last
week or last year.
A. hindsight
B. prophecy
C. insight
D. tactfulness
E. nostalgia
View Correct Answer
Answer: A
The informative phrase here is “mistakes we made last week or last year.” These mistakes we
understand by looking back, by “hindsight.” None of the other choices fits the rest of the
sentence so well. .
10. The pamphlet argues that imagination is not a gift ________ to poets, but something
everyone possesses.
A. relevant
B. inimical
C. unique
D. unrestricted
E. conducive
View Correct Answer
Answer: C
The parallel phrases here are “something everyone possesses” and “imagination is not a gift
________ to poets.” The right word must be the opposite of universal, since the word “not”
precedes it. The best choice is “unique,” different from all others. With “not,” this is equivalent
to “something everyone possesses.” .
11. That “less is more” is a(n) ________upon which all of the governor’s conservation program
is based.
A. hope
B. question
C. enigma
D. image
E. paradox
View Correct Answer
Answer: E
The phrase “less is more” is not a “hope,” a “question” (that would be “is less more?”), an
“enigma” (riddle), or an “image.” It is a “paradox,” an apparent self-contradiction, since less
should be less, not more..
12. Though McCarthy tried to provoke a ________, Eisenhower ignored all the senator’s
________ as if he had not heard them.
A. fight . . . avocations
B. compromise . . . overtures
C. confrontation . . . accusations
D. condemnation . . . motives
E. consensus . . . implications
View Correct Answer
Answer: C
Choices A, C, and D would seem to fit the first blank, but the second noun, which describes
something the senator did that the president ignored, could be only B or C, and B has already
been eliminated. Both of the nouns in C make very good sense in this context.
13. Again and again, out of indifference or sheer stupidity, we have ________ our resources,
assuming that there was no end to the earth’s ________ to recover from our mistakes.
A. invested . . . resolve
B. expanded . . . ability
C. wasted . . . failure
D. husbanded . . . inability
E. squandered . . . capacity
View Correct Answer
Answer: E
Since the action is described as stupid and indifferent, it cannot be something that has helped our
resources, so we are left with two possible answers: “wasted” C or “squandered” E. The second
blank must be a word meaning “ability; capacity” E makes good sense, but “failure” C does not.
14. Despite ________ reports of freewheeling spending on political candidates by large
corporations, most business contributions are ________divided between the two major parties.
A. lurid . . . equitably
B. shocking . . . unfairly
C. unfair . . . secretly
D. favorable . . . evenly
E. encouraging . . . carefully
View Correct Answer
Answer: A
. Reports of “freewheeling” corporate spending are unlikely to be “favorable” or “encouraging,”
but choices A and B fit well, and C is a possibility. The “despite” at the beginning of the
sentence tells us that the reports are not true, and the missing adverb should be very different
from “freewheeling.” Both B “unfairly” and C “secretly” contradict the “despite,” but A makes
good sense. The reports must be “lurid,” that is, sensational or startling, and the adverb is
“equitably,” that is, fairly or even-handedly.
15. With characteristic understatement, Webster called his client’s embezzlement of 4 million
dollars a regretted ________.
A. peccadillo
B. crime
C. atrocity
D. theft
E. enormity
View Correct Answer
Answer: A
The first phrase tells us the crime will be described by an “understatement.” Choices B, C, D,
and E all call a crime a crime, but “peccadillo” suggests that stealing four million dollars is
insignificant, a minor fault, a petty crime. This is “understatement.” .
16. Keynes’s theory that unemployment is caused by a(n) ________ disposition to save cannot
explain the high unemployment in ________ countries that have no savings at all.
A. simple . . . wealthy
B. bizarre . . . prosperous
C. orderly . . . rich
D. individualistic . . . successful
E. excessive . . . indigent
View Correct Answer
Answer: E
The second adjective modifies “countries that have no savings at all,” so it cannot be any of the
words meaning rich (A, B, C, and D). The correct choice is “indigent,” that is, poor. Although A,
C, or E might have fit the first blank, choice E also makes the most sense.
17. His biographer believed that Pierce’s ________ was caused by his ________ to travel and his
refusal to read about any position different from his own.
A. parochialism . . . reluctance
B. insularity . . . readiness
C. bigotry . . . zeal
D. narrow-mindedness . . . eagerness
E. magnanimity . . . failure
View Correct Answer
Answer: A
The sentence tells us that Pierce refused to read about positions different from his own. You need
first a noun to describe a quality of a man like this, and all of the answers except E are
possibilities. The second blank calls for a word to go with “to travel” that will also fit this
parochial, insular, bigoted, or narrow-minded man. The right answer must mean something like
“failure” or refusal. Either A or E will do, but only A has the first word right.
18. Though she was ________ by the medical establishment, Dr. Sandstrom bravely continued
her work until other doctors could no longer deny the ________ of her theories.
A. ignored . . . conviction
B. vilified . . . probability
C. encouraged . . . originality
D. supported.. credibility
E. attacked . . . tenets
View Correct Answer
Answer: B
If the doctor must be brave to continue her work, the missing verb must describe something to be
resisted. The best choices are “vilified” B and “attacked” E. The result of the brave work is
acceptance by other doctors of the “probability” or the “tenets” of her theories. “Tenets” usually
refers to doctrines or principles of a school of thought and is not quite right in this context. But
both “vilified” (reviled, defamed) and “probability” fit well.