GRE Vocab & Verbal Reasoning

Laconic

using few words

extant

living (opposite of extinct)

raft

numerous

contentious

quarrelsome

Contrite

remorseful

retiring

shy/modest

moment

significant/important

Arch

teasing

enervate

to sap energy from

Unchecked

unrestrained/uncontrolled

erratic

wild/irregular

Paucity

lacking

neatly

Noted for their economy of style, the short stories of Guy de Maupaussant are ______ resolved. rarely neatly flippantly congenially cheaply

slake allay

Because of the dry and torrid heat, the backpackers soon found themselves with barely enough water to _______ their thirst. slake surfeit steel allay whet glut

checkered

disreputable

neologisms indispensable obstinate

"Blog" is just one of the many (i)_______ that have emerged as computers have become (ii)_______ fixtures of daily life. There are, of course, (iii)_______ linguists who refuse to accept these computer-related terms, even though these same linguists rely just as much on computers as the rest of the population. Blank (i) publications neologisms advances Blank (ii) inchoate indispensable temporary Blank (iii) obstinate well-educated experienced

Prosaic

(adj.) dull, lacking in distinction and originality; matter-of-fact, straightforward; characteristic of prose, not poetic

Fell

(fel) evil

judging by approbatory

(i)_______ the students' (ii)_______ evaluations, the professor's work as an educator was without fault; he was hailed as a competent and inspiring instructor, a scrupulous evaluator, and a likable person. Blank (i) Spurning Judging by In lieu of Blank (ii) approbatory tepid blandishing

pending ratification

(i)_______ their overseer's (ii)_______ of the plan to provide greater workday flexibility, the employees eagerly anticipate possessing greater control over their work hours. Blank (i) Lacking Pending Disregarding Blank (ii) gainsaying contradiction ratification

nonpareil singular

A (i)_______ orator, Margaret earned consistent acclaim and exaltation from critics and attracted an ardent fan base, many of whom particularly enjoyed her (ii)_______ wit, thoroughly dissimilar to that of her peers. Blank (i) plainspoken timorous nonpareil Blank (ii) abrasive pedestrian singular

A person can copy the programming code containing the bug to other files that are purged with less frequency than the temporary files.

A certain computer program creates temporary files on the computer on which it is installed. The files contain a programming error, or "bug", that, in rare cases, may cause the computer to freeze up. The temporary files are purged 90 days after the program is installed. Since no program will copy the bug to any other file, any computer containing the program that freezes more than 90 days after the program has been installed does not freeze because of this bug. Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the conclusion above? A computer that freezes due to the installation of the program in question produces a display that is similar to that which is displayed when computers freeze for many other reasons. The code that causes the freezing will be eliminated in a future release of the program. Other bugs in the programming may reveal themselves more than 90 days after the program is installed. A person can copy the programming code containing the bug to other files that are purged with less frequency than the temporary files. There are some computers on which the program is installed that appear to be unaffected by the programming bug.

The mold found in the building's AC system can survive and breed in many parts of the building, including the carpeting.

A certain type of mold known to cause a skin rash was discovered in the air-conditioning system of an office building where the workers had been complaining of this skin rash. The company hired to eliminate the mold cleaned out the entire air-conditioning system with a spray that was scientifically proven to kill this type of mold within 30 days. Therefore, any worker's skin rash appearing more than 30 days after the air-conditioning system had been cleaned could not have been caused by this particular mold. Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the conclusion above? The skin rash caused by the mold resembles rashes caused by common allergies. Excessive moisture buildup in the AC system, which was the primary cause of the mold, was subsequently eliminated by repairs to the system. The spray used to eliminate the mold is not effective against all types of organisms that may grow in AC systems. The mold found in the building's AC system can survive and breed in many parts of the building, including the carpeting. In buildings whose AC systems are infested with this mold, some individuals do not develop skin rashes.

misconception about establish

A common (i) _________ the Miranda rights is that these rights protect a person from arrest and allow a person to refuse to give any information. In fact, the Miranda rights do not prevent arrests, and arresting officers may ask for information about name, address, and date of birth to (ii)_________ identity even without reading people their rights. Blank (i) legality of application of misconception about Blank (ii) establish defend excuse

Putting the money in regular savings accounts will yield more cash for employees, because the medical accounts have a lower-than-normal interest rate.

A company's medical savings account program allows employees to have a set amount deducted from each paycheck to be applied toward any medical expenses incurred throughout the year. Employees should participate in the program as a means of maximizing their payment potential for medical expenses. Which of the following, if true, is the best reason for employees not to participate in the program? Money left in the medical savings accounts at the end of the year may be rolled over and spent in the next year. Putting the money in regular savings accounts will yield more cash for employees, because the medical accounts have a lower-than-normal interest rate. Medical costs are predicted to increase more quickly than employees' salaries this year. Some employees may be getting large raises halfway through the year. The medical savings accounts can be used to pay for dental or optical services.

The reasons given by Company P's employees for their dissatisfaction varied greatly from employee to employee.

A confidential survey revealed that 75 percent of the employees of Company P are dissatisfied with their jobs. However, an investigation into working conditions at the company showed nothing uncommonly bad. Therefore, Company P's consulting firm concluded that the employees' dissatisfaction must result from an unusually high incidence of psychological problems on their part. Each of the following, if true, casts doubt on the consulting firm's conclusion EXCEPT: In the investigation of working conditions, no account was taken of the fact that for the past year many Company P employees worked on a joint venture with Company O, at Company O's facilities. Most workers in almost all companies are dissatisfied although there are no apparent problems with their working conditions. The consulting firm's conception of what constitutes uncommonly bad working conditions is not identical to that of Company P's employees. The reasons given by Company P's employees for their dissatisfaction varied greatly from employee to employee. A battery of tests performed on Company P's employees one month ago revealed no significant psychological stresses or problems

revered

During their famous clash, Jung was ambivalent about Freud, so he attacked the father of modern psychoanalysis even as he _______ him. enlightened chastened revered despised understood

The advertising agency will now shoot commercials using legitimate celebrities instead of filming without celebrities entirely.

A judge in Hollywood, California recently issued a cease and desist order to an advertising firm after a famous actor sued the firm for using a celebrity impostor to imitate the famous actor in a television commercial. The court order prohibits the agency from using any celebrity imitators in future commercials. This will certainly come as a blow to the advertising agency: their costs will rise since it is expensive to hire the services of legitimate celebrities instead of using celebrity impostors. The conclusion above is based on which of the following assumptions? Most people are able to tell the difference between a real celebrity on television and a celebrity impostor. Television ads that use real celebrities are more effective than ads that use celebrity impostors. Many famous actors are not willing to film television commercials. Other advertising firms have been known to use celebrity impostors as well. The advertising agency will now shoot commercials using legitimate celebrities instead of filming without celebrities entirely. Show/hide explanation

Because of the risk of unknown or unexpected side effects, many customers avoid new pharmaceutical products until they have been proven to be safe over time.

A large pharmaceutical firm recently introduced a newer version of its basic headache remedy. The new product is identical to the basic version except that it includes an ingredient to alleviate nausea, the most common side effect of the basic remedy. However, during the first six months that both products were on the market, the company sold more than six times as much of the basic remedy as it did of the newer version. The pharmaceutical company therefore decided that avoiding side effects was not the primary consideration of customers who bought its headache remedies. Which of the following, if true, would most call into question the pharmaceutical company's conclusion? The pharmaceutical company sells its headache remedies to hospitals and clinics as well as to retail distributors. Customers who buy headache remedies made by this firm also buy other pharmaceutical products that cause minor side effects. The new headache remedy and the basic headache remedy both cause side effects other than nausea in less than 1 percent of all users. Because of the risk of unknown or unexpected side effects, many customers avoid new pharmaceutical products until they have been proven to be safe over time. No significant difference in price exists between the new headache remedy and the basic headache remedy.

A number of horsepower-increasing accessories for the earlier engine sold well during the last year and these products are not yet available for the new engine.

A manufacturer of large truck engines recently developed a new engine with increased horsepower as compared to the earlier engine put out by the company. During the last year, when both engines were sold, the earlier engine outsold the new model by a factor of two to one. The management of the truck engine manufacturer concluded that the company's customers do not care about increased horsepower. Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the conclusion reached by the management of the truck engine manufacturer? Many types of customers buy this company's truck engines, including private truck enthusiasts and commercial truck companies. A number of horsepower-increasing accessories for the earlier engine sold well during the last year and these products are not yet available for the new engine. Many customers of this truck engine manufacturer also purchase truck engines from companies that did not come out with a new, higher horsepower engine in the last year. The newer engine can be used in all the same trucks as the earlier engine. There was not a significant difference in price between the new engine and the earlier version of the engine put out by this manufacturer.

morose

A movie poster typically captures the essence of the film; however, the bright colors and smiling faces of the actors found on this poster belie the feature's _______ tone. pedantic jovial morose caustic derisive

The value of property stolen by adolescents between midnight and 4 a.m. represents the vast majority of the value of all property stolen by adolescents.

A proposed ordinance would impose a 10 p.m. curfew on all city residents under the age of 18 in response to increasing thefts by adolescents. However, a city councilman argued that because the majority of adolescents who steal do so during the day, the curfew would have a negligible impact on the total value of property stolen. Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the argument drawn by the councilman above? Most adolescents who steal do not have the knowledge required to disable alarm systems. Because adolescent offenders commit only a fraction of the city's thefts, the ordinance would have only a minimal effect on the amount of property stolen. The cost to stores of hiring more security guards would be greater than the cost incurred to replace items stolen by adolescents. In the city where the ordinance was proposed, the average time required by the police department to respond to a reported theft was lower than the national average. The value of property stolen by adolescents between midnight and 4 a.m. represents the vast majority of the value of all property stolen by adolescents.

most middle school children believe that those who strive to impress a teacher do not have the goal of achieving popularity.

A recent study by psychologists found that the main goal of most middle school students is to be viewed as popular by their classmates. The psychologists also found that the students who seek to be popular will only take as friends other students who share the goal of achieving popularity. Therefore, the psychologists argued, any middle school students who strive to impress their teachers will not make friends with most of their classmates. The argument put forth by the psychologists assumes that achieving popularity is often not done by a single individual, but rather by a group of children. middle school students do not regard as popular anyone who strives to impress a teacher. a student can impress a teacher by not fraternizing with the popular crowd of students. most middle school children believe that those who strive to impress a teacher do not have the goal of achieving popularity. middle school students are known to be particularly cruel to classmates that are considered different from the norm.

neutrality

Although he was privately sympathetic to the Allied cause, Woodrow Wilson strove, prior to the American entrance into World War I, to maintain _______ in the conflict, warning both sides against encroachments on American interests. interest belligerence versatility magnanimity neutrality

fastidious punctilious

Although her friends dreaded the onset of tax season, Jane's _______ nature forced her to keep carefully organized records throughout the year, and she was able to quickly and easily fill out the complex forms. assiduous mathematical fastidious chary punctilious calculating

Only 11% of people who live within one mile of each other work in the same neighborhood.

A think-tank in Michigan has announced a controversial new finding. It concludes that efforts to combat high emissions from cars by taxing gasoline and SUVs are misplaced; rather, governments should be providing consumers with tax incentives to purchase large cars and carpooling with their neighbors to work. It estimates that such a plan would reduce national gas emissions by 23% over the next decade. Which of the following, if true, casts the greatest doubt on the likely effectiveness of this recommendation? The number of cars on the nation's major highways has increased steadily in all major urban centers. SUVs will be considered "large cars" and will therefore be eligible for the tax reduction. Only 11% of people who live within one mile of each other work in the same neighborhood. Gas prices are projected to reach a thirty-year high over the next twelve months. Car emissions account for fully one-third of all emissions nation-wide.

scourge virulent pandemic

According to the latest statistics, the (i) _______ that swept through the country last year has not diminished; in fact, it has become so (ii) _______ that it now appears to be a (iii) _______, although at this point, medical authorities are using that label with caution. Blank (i) craze insurgence scourge Blank (ii) virulent acrimonious dilatory Blank (iii) panacea pandemic plethora

categorical

According to the popular conception of the scientific process, scientists assemble a complete array of relevant facts, evaluate them according to universal rules of logic, and reach conclusions that are _____. dictatorial invaluable heterodox contested categorical

Ace Automotive would save more than $20 million per year from this move if engine transportation charges from Mexico equaled the old transportation charges from Indiana.

Ace Automotive Group, a publicly held manufacturer of cars and light trucks, plans to move the production of engines for its automobiles to Mexico from plants in Indiana. However, Ace Automotive will still assemble its cars and trucks in the United States. The president of Ace Automotive announced to Wall Street analysts that this move will save the company $20 million per year even after accounting for the increased transportation costs needed to get the Mexican produced engines to Ace's assembly plants versus current engine transportation costs. The statements above, if true, best support which of the following assertions? Ace Automotive Group's stock price will rise. Ace Automotive will have to deal with pickets and protests when it closes its engine production facilities in Indiana. Ace Automotive would save more than $20 million per year from this move if engine transportation charges from Mexico equaled the old transportation charges from Indiana. Ace Automotive Group's assembly plants are, on average, closer to the old Indiana engine plants than they are to the new Mexican engine plants. Ace plans to spend less than $20 million on increased transportation costs.

exonerated exculpated

After being imprisoned under false treason charges, Alfred Dreyfus was justly _______, effectively putting an end to the French political scandal known as the Dreyfus Affair. abrogated exonerated exculpated interred assassinated shunned

diminished

After several hours in the cave, the spelunker had become so adjusted to the dark that her ability to discern objects in the sunlight was severely _______. distended elucidated diminished protracted demurred

bacchanalian caroused

After the (i)_______ gathering spilled into the streets, the tipsy revelers (ii)_______ throughout the sleepy suburban development, shouting and singing, waking neighbors with their clamor. Blank (i) bacchanalian enigmatic desultory Blank (ii) strolled undulated caroused

inhibited impaired

After the accident, the patient initially made rapid progress; unfortunately, his injuries retarded the recovery of his muscular coordination and _______ his ability to speak, frustrating his caregivers. animated dispelled unsettled inhibited impaired augmented

sojourn respite

After the sailors navigated perilous waters and experienced the wrath of the elements, their _______ on the island was a welcome relief from their weary days at sea. sojourn copse respite conspiracy mutiny fashion

acquiescent compliant

After the trial, the defendant appeared uncharacteristically _______, knowing that she had no choice but to accept the verdict delivered by the judge. convalescent oblivious apathetic acquiescent zealous compliant

Since the volume of air traffic has been increasing all the time, an increase in the number of deaths due to collisions does not necessarily mean greater danger.

Air travel is becoming increasingly more dangerous. In the last year there have been seven major collisions resulting in over 700 deaths, more deaths than in any previous year. Which statement, if true, would most weaken the argument above? Since the volume of air traffic has been increasing all the time, an increase in the number of deaths due to collisions does not necessarily mean greater danger. The increase in collisions can be explained by statistical coincidence, hijackings, and unusual weather. Mortality per passenger mile is lower for air travel than for any kind of surface transportation. The increase in deaths due to collision in air travel has proceeded at a rate identical to that for deaths in all other major forms of transportation. Last year the average number of passengers per flown plane was significantly lower than that of previous years.

an exception

Although Erica did not usually buy expensive shoes, she liked this pair so much that she made _______. an exception a dedication an argument an investment a promise

manageable secretions readily

Although eventually fatal, feline leukemia is (i) _____________ in the short term through medication; however, because the causative virus is shed in saliva and nasal (ii) __________ easily and copiously, infected cats transmit the infection (iii) __________, so whether an infected cat appears to be well or ill, it must always be isolated from other felines. Blank (i) fathomable enviable manageable Blank (ii) discretions secretions resignations Blank (iii) arduously readily gingerly

inviolable sacrosanct

Although he insisted upon his own fallibility, the wise man attracted a cult-like following, with his admirers treating his words as absolutely and unquestionably _______. errant aberrant inviolable apocryphal dubious sacrosanct

a fervid exculpate

Although he was (i)_______ defense lawyer, Anthony's impassioned attempts to (ii)_______ his clients often failed in the face of strong forensic evidence. Blank (i) a pandering an imperturbable a fervid Blank (ii) exculpate agitate inundate

originating in sensations

Although long considered a problem rooted in an individual's psychology, phantom limb pain is now understood to be a phenomenon (i)_________ the nervous system. While it is most commonly felt by people who have had an arm or leg amputated, those who have lost other body parts may also experience (ii)_________ of tingling, itching, or aching. Blank (i) impervious to critical for originating in Blank (ii) vibrations sensations pretensions

embraced favored

Although many of the faculty _______ the changes led by the new dean, others were more chary in their acceptance of the radical alterations. enjoyed resisted embraced eschewed favored tolerated

odious revolutionary constitutes

Although many of the spectators considered the exhibit (i) _______, it marked a turning point in the American art world by introducing concepts that were (ii) _______ in that they forced viewers to reconsider the purpose of art as well as, even more basically, what actually (iii) _______ a work of art. Blank (i) nebulous odious paramount Blank (ii) insurgent mutinous revolutionary Blank (iii) constitutes predicates substantiates

disinclined an incipient

Although many young professionals are (i)_______ to settle in the suburbs because they believe doing so will exclude them from opportunities found in urban centers, this is not necessarily true; direct public transportation, although at (ii)_______ stage, will soon allow suburban residents to travel to the city center quickly and efficiently. Blank (i) obligated disinclined liable Blank (ii) a hopeful a transient an incipient

acclaim

Although she earned praise for her striking murals, the artist felt that her sculpture merited greater _______. disdain acclaim deliberation viewing publicity

surmise substantiated

Although supporters of string theory (i)_______ that it may help explain the fundamental behaviors of the universe, the theory cannot yet be (ii)_______ experimentally. Blank (i) surmise catechize impugn Blank (ii) impelled substantiated nullified

soporific somniferous

Although technically _______ drug, alcohol is not recommended as a sleep aid because of its negative effects on sleep patterns, particularly when consumed late in the evening. a soporific a stimulant a somniferous a hallucinogenic an intoxicant an analeptic

secular divorced from an ideal

Although the (i) ______ utopian societies that were established in America in the 18th and 19th centuries had their origin in the communal societies developed by early Christian groups, these later utopian societies were (ii) _______ religious doctrine; in fact, they had a more direct root in the vision of (iii) _______ society as conceived by the Greek philosopher Plato. Blank (i) altruistic secular empirical Blank (ii) derived from captivated by divorced from Blank (iii) an ethereal an ideal a dystopian

contended for

Although the island is of little material or strategic value, Greece and Turkey have _____ it as a matter of national honor. lectured upon sailed around gazed upon contended for embarked from

prosaic vapid

Although the novelist attempted a masterful expression of human emotion, his writing was in fact _______; his grandiose demeanor distracted many from a body of work lacking both depth and aesthetic appeal. trenchant prosaic distinct vapid unequivocal ardent

misapprehension

Although the penal colony of Sydney lay on the edge of a vast and isolated continent, convicts suffered from the _______ that they could walk to China in a few days; they escaped only to perish in the merciless Australian interior. anomaly conclusion misapprehension aberration anxiety

solace

Although visiting her bereaved friend each evening was an exhausting endeavor, Laura summoned the fortitude necessary to provide _______ in her friend's time of need. sojourn quiescence solace conciliation fidelity

novice tyro

Although well-received, the poet's first pieces were noted for their tendency toward awkward language and overly florid descriptions, signaling the _______ writer's efforts to imitate more established and accomplished poets. worldly novice freelance veteran tyro juvenile

accruing entitled disbursement

Americans often assume that their (i) ________ FICA contributions—what they pay into the social security system over their lifetime of employment—will match the amount they are (ii) __________ to withdraw at retirement. However, the Supreme Court confirmed in Flemming v. Nestor (1960) that Congress may change the program's terms of (iii) ___________ whenever it sees fit. Blank (i) hectoring sequestering accruing Blank (ii) debilitated entitled adjured Blank (iii) pronouncement disbursement presentiment

truculent bellicose

Among the many appalling stereotypes propagated during the colonial era, the notion of _______ natives was an exceptionally common one, depicting indigenous peoples as eagerly throwing themselves into physical confrontation. truculent docile bellicose strident indefatigable compliant

elude

Amphibians, a group of animals which includes frogs, developed the ability to walk on land to _____ aquatic competition and predation. consolidate elude allow circumscribe portend

appellation denominated pejorative

Anish Kapoor's massive installation in Chicago's Millennium Park is called Cloud Gate, but Chicagoans affectionately use another (i) _______: "the bean." At the debut of the 110-ton elliptical stainless steel sculpture, a critic dismissively (ii) _______ it "the Electric Kidney Bean," a phrase that Chicagoans embraced, transforming the (iii) _______ into a fond nickname. Blank (i) appellation concurrence avowal Blank (ii) abrogated repudiated denominated Blank (iii) pejorative substantiation connotation

secular temporal

Anne was resolute about following a spiritual path, and consequently, she made a focused effort to divorce herself from _______ concerns. plebeian secular pious nebulous temporal nondescript

anomalous diverges enables

Baseball is (i) _______ among popular Western sports. As in many sports, a ball is integral to the game. Baseball, however, (ii) _______ from the conventional in that the ball is not the agent of scoring. A baseball must be put into the field of play, but the ball only (iii) _______ scoring; players themselves must cross home plate to earn a run. Blank (i) revered antiquated anomalous Blank (ii) diverges converges approaches Blank (iii) aggregates accomplishes enables

Another entrance to the cave remained clear until a second volcanic eruption 1,000 years after the first.

Archaeologists have discovered various paintings on the walls and ceiling of a Chinese cave whose entrance was blocked by a volcanic eruption in the 25th century B.C.E. and only recently cleared by an earthquake. Since the paintings depict warriors using Type C bronze weapons, these archaeologists have concluded that Type C bronze weapons were already widely used in this area by 2500 B.C.E., far earlier than was previously believed. Which of the following pieces of additional evidence would most seriously weaken the archaeologists' conclusion? Another entrance to the cave remained clear until a second volcanic eruption 1,000 years after the first. Archaeologists have evidence that Type C bronze weapons were in wide use in areas of present-day India as early as 2500 B.C.E. Alternative methods of dating place the time of the volcanic eruption somewhat earlier, at around 3000 B.C.E. Most experts believe that Type C bronze weapons were not in use anywhere in present-day China until 2000 B.C.E. The paintings were very faded when the archaeologists found them, making identification of the depicted weapons difficult. Show/hide explanation

chronology validate inconclusive

Archaeologists have struggled to derive a (i) _______ for Petra's tombs, which were carved into rock cliffs by unidentified ancient architects. Scientists have used various methods to date the tombs' facades, which appear to have been influenced by classical architecture; however, thus far the studies attempting to (ii) _______ the link between these influences and the unknown builders have proved to be (iii) _______. Blank (i) justification chronology compendium Blank (ii) rationalize frequent validate Blank (iii) inconclusive inflated consensual

dismissed denounced

Aristotle _______ the popular characterization of outer space as being a void; according to his philosophy, empty space would be an impossibility. dismissed supported accepted denounced contrived abhorred

mitigate laudable

Art restoration is a controversial field; while its efforts to (i)_______ the inevitable damage done by time to famous works are considered (ii)_______, some people question the field's use of invasive techniques on some of history's greatest masterpieces. Blank (i) mitigate nullify prevent Blank (ii) moot laudable effective

consequence frigid hardy

As a (i) _______ of the Antarctic's (ii) _______ climate, the only forms of plant life to be found in the continent's interior are a few (iii) _______ lichens and mosses that thrive in environments of consistent gelidity. Blank (i) precursor rationale consequence Blank (ii) frigid changing temperate Blank (iii) luxuriant complex hardy

remiss negligent

As a highly esteemed lecturer in the field of psychology, Dr. Blackmon would be _______ to discuss only the most recent scholarship on the issue of schizoid personality disorder, given her profound understanding of the crucial importance of the historical treatment of the topic. remiss petulant meticulous circumspect orthodox negligent

raconteur palpable

As the accomplished (i)_______ delved ever more deeply into his suspenseful tale, the rapt listeners fell silent, quivering on the edge of an excitement so expertly and carefully constructed, it was almost (ii)_______. Blank (i) eulogist raconteur thespian Blank (ii) theatrical explicit palpable

misdemeanors deleterious

As the trial dragged on and the defendant's long history of petty crimes and (i)_______ was scrutinized, it became apparent that the sheer number of these past deeds, although minor, was proving (ii)_______ to his defense and would ultimately spell his downfall. Blank (i) apostasies felonies misdemeanors Blank (ii) nefarious deleterious illicit

keenness actions against

Aside from their values and a (i)_______ to contest conventional thinking in their industry, the success of the mavericks is attributed to their elitist human resources strategy: their (ii)_______ hiring the best and motivating them well. Blank (i) keenness reluctance disinclination Blank (ii) actions against practice of praise for

If a store has a reliable security system, it is impossible to pass through the system undetected.

At Food World Supermarket, built in 1975, the number of successful thefts has risen dramatically in the last few months. Food World has a reliable electronic security system at all customer exit doors, and this system is always in operation. Therefore, the thefts must have been committed by people who used exits other than the regular customer exit doors. Which of the following is an assumption that would make the conclusion above logically correct? If a surveillance system is installed in a supermarket, it is always equipped at every possible exit. If an employee so wishes, he is allowed to leave through an exit that is not monitored by surveillance equipment. If a store has a reliable security system, it is impossible to pass through the system undetected. If a supermarket was built before 1980, it often has exits that cannot be equipped with electronic surveillance. If a store has a reliable electronic security system but is still experiencing a rise in theft, it must be the case that the employees are stealing.

Are some undergraduates in favor of maintaining the full-time faculty's interest in their schoolwork?

At a certain college, graduate teaching assistants conduct discussion sections but have no input into grading. It has been suggested that graduate assistants be given some grading responsibility, but many undergraduates oppose that proposal. They argue that if grades are assigned by graduate assistants, regular full-time faculty will devote less time and attention to undergraduate work. The information in the passage above suggests an answer to which one of the following questions? Are grades assigned by graduate teaching assistants inherently as fair as those given by regular faculty? Are some undergraduates in favor of maintaining the full-time faculty's interest in their schoolwork? May regular full-time faculty conduct discussion sections at the college? Does graduate student contact with undergraduates' work make the grades assigned by regular faculty less valid? Are regular faculty members in favor of giving graduate assistants some teaching responsibility?

magnate efficacy

Automotive (i)_______ and entrepreneur Henry Ford proved the financial (ii)_______ of the motor-driven, conveyor-belt assembly line in 1913, when the installation of this technological advancement enhanced the speed of automobile manufacture and made Ford's company the world's biggest car producer. Blank (i) magnate martinet dilettante Blank (ii) catalepsy efficacy cordiality

forgo

Because Tao was still sated from the extravagant brunch buffet, he decided to _______ dinner. delete forgo consume take prepare

invective diatribe

Because she was famed for her objectivity and temperate attitude, the _______ offered by the news anchor at the protest rally seemed especially uncharacteristic. account accolades invective diatribe perspective insinuations

a lassitude

Because she was still weak from the effects of anesthesia two days before, the politician's public update on her health showed _______ she never showed during her fervent campaign. a clemency an obstinacy a reticence a lassitude a verbosity

gourmets epicures

Because the food critic for the Daily Times was one of the most celebrated _______ in the country, we tended to trust her reviews implicitly and eagerly awaited her assessment of the new establishment on Main Street. gourmets epicures pundits aficionados commentators correspondents

Americans' perception of the threat of a third World War depended on the level of hostilities on the Korean peninsula.

Before hostilities began on the Korean peninsula during the 1950s, Americans tended to save more of their paychecks. However, when the hostilities reached their peak, Americans engaged in much more discretionary spending. The perceived threat of a third World War, therefore, decreased the willingness of Americans to forgo spending in favor of saving. The argument above assumes that the perceived threat of a third World War increased after the Korean War. most Americans supported the involvement of American troops in the Korean War. Americans' perception of the threat of a third World War depended on the level of hostilities on the Korean peninsula. the people who saved the most money before the peak in hostilities were opposed to American involvement in the war. there were more varieties of consumer goods available at the peak of hostilities during the Korean War than before the war began. Show/hide explanation

contrarian

Bela, a person with _______ tendencies, eagerly sounds the intentions of others so that he might contravene them. consummate contrarian maniacal importunate meritorious

frugal uncharitable

Benjamin Franklin, who dispensed advice under the pen name Poor Richard, famously extolled the importance of personal thrift, avowing that it is a virtue to be (i) _______. Franklin, who likewise placed high value on benevolence, would likely have considered it a vice to be (ii) _______. Blank (i) wealthy stingy frugal Blank (ii) charitable uncharitable impoverished

The average length of time that a student stayed in the State University system increased between the two time periods.

Between 1960 and 1966, the State University system had 92 percent of its capacity filled by students. During this time the system admitted 31 students each year for every 100 available spots in the system; the remaining 61 spots were filled by upperclassmen. From 1967 to 1975, the State University system filled 99 percent of the same capacity with students; however, the system also lowered its admission rate to 23 students for every 100 available spots each year. If the statements above are true, which of the following conclusions can be most properly drawn? As a university system's admission rate falls, it is generally true that the percent of capacity filled increases. The number of available spots in the State University system declined between the two time periods. The proportion of young people applying to college increased between the two time periods. The number of people dropping out before finishing their degrees declined between the two periods. The average length of time that a student stayed in the State University system increased between the two time periods. Show/hide explanation

A program of regular weight-bearing exercise and intake of dietary calcium allows some individuals to avoid one of the deleterious effects of aging.

Bone depletion—a decrease in the thickness, density, and strength of bones—tends to occur as humans age. The bones of some individuals seem to become thicker, denser, and stronger with regular weight-bearing exercise, such as weight lifting, and with the intake of dietary calcium. Which of the following can be correctly inferred from the statements above? Individuals who eat sufficient calcium run no risk of bone depletion in old age. Individuals who do not undertake weight-bearing exercise have a high risk of experiencing bone depletion late in life. Weight lifting and intake of dietary calcium are the most effective methods of avoiding bone depletion. A program of regular weight-bearing exercise and intake of dietary calcium allows some individuals to avoid one of the deleterious effects of aging. Only weight-bearing exercise is necessary to build bone thickness, density, and strength.

fundamental simultaneously eloquen

Both the relationship with and penetration of space are of (i)_______ importance in dance, as the dancer has the same rapport with space as the sculptor has with clay or marble. The body sculpts the air, forming a place for itself, (ii)_______ creating a negative space, that which is unoccupied. A reviewer, writing about the (iii)_______ dancer Hoyer, said that Hoyer could express what could not be borne in film or photography; she could capture a space as her own. Blank (i) consequent fundamental malleable Blank (ii) caustically deferentially simultaneously Blank (iii) eloquent haughty obliging

manifest sequester

By the time distinctive and unambiguous symptoms began to (i)_______, the modified virus had already been communicated on an epidemic scale, rendering the previously optimistic plans to (ii)_______ infected individuals beside the point. Blank (i) fulminate equivocate manifest Blank (ii) sequester assimilate exonerate

subterranean

City life becomes almost _______ during winter, as pedestrians are driven off the streets into the underground tunnels that link many buildings. unflappable cozy subterranean immobile frozen

epitomized

Clyde _______ the disastrous consequences of self-pity: he completely shut himself off from the world and refused to think about anything but his own miserable existence. rarefied qualified epitomized demonized abrogated

vary

Conflict between generations may be a problem that has persisted for centuries, but the nature and intensity of the conflict obviously _______ in response to changes in social and economic conditions increase disappear decline vary wane

adages aphorisms

Confucian _______ are the extent of many Americans' understanding of Chinese philosophy; these sayings, though important, are only one aspect of a highly developed philosophical system. reliquaries adages aphorisms phylacteries adumbrations malapropisms

copious

Connoisseurs gather _______ knowledge on a single subject. scant copious spurious peculiar arcane

staid

Considered by her family to be prim and reserved, Mary shocked her relatives with her sudden outburst, which was a complete departure from her normally _______ disposition. wanton morbid puerile staid archaic

laudable derogatory

Considering everything Clara had been through, her reaction was quite normal and even (i)_______; I was therefore surprised at the number of (ii)_______ comments and raised eyebrows that her response elicited. Blank (i) laudable inaudible histrionic Blank (ii) extemporaneous conciliatory derogatory

Research indicates that the new brand will attract more buyers of competitors' cereals than buyers of other Coolidge brands.

Considering the current economy, the introduction of a new brand of cereal is unlikely to expand total sales of cereal, but rather will just cause some existing buyers of cereal to switch brands. So it makes no sense for the Coolidge Corporation to introduce another brand of cereal, since they will only hurt sales of the brands of cereal they already produce. Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the argument above? Total sales of cereal will increase as the total population increases. Many new brands of cereal sell extremely well for the first year of their existence. Coolidge Corporation currently produces fewer brands of cereal than do its competitors. Some cereal buyers regularly switch from brand to brand, even when no new brands have been introduced. Research indicates that the new brand will attract more buyers of competitors' cereals than buyers of other Coolidge brands. Show/hide explanation

alacrity swiftness

Considering the difficulty of the terrain and the great distance over which the expedition traveled, the journey was completed with very little incident and with noteworthy _______. success renown results accolades alacrity swiftness

tenuous nebulous

Convinced that they were on the right track, the scientists decided to pursue their research, despite the fact that the link between music and plant growth seemed _______ at best. tenuous contentious notorious discerning nebulous inveterate

The cookies produced by the new machine have a different taste than those produced beforehand by workers.

Corporation Y is famous for its chocolate cookies. Historically, Corp Y has required that the chocolate chips in each cookie be counted by hand to ensure that the required number of 15 chocolate chips per cookie was met. Recently, Corp Y has begun using a new machine that saves the company money and can guarantee 15 or more chocolate chips will be in each cookie through an intricate production process. While Corp Y has produced more cookies as a result of the new machine and has not changed the price of its cookies, its sales have actually decreased since it began using the machine. Which of the following statements, if true, best explains why Corp Y sales of cookies have decreased? The new machine cost the company $500,000 to purchase and $20,000/month to upkeep. A recent poll shows that consumers are willing to pay more for cookies that have a lot of chocolate chips than those that have less chocolate chips. Prior to buying the machine, Corp Y hired a new CEO who does not like chocolate chip cookies but instead likes peanut butter cookies. The cookies produced by the new machine have a different taste than those produced beforehand by workers. Corp Y's electricity costs have tripled since it began using the new machine.

Most workers who have lost their jobs to outsourcing have been unable to find new jobs.

Corporations in the United States have fired thousands of workers while outsourcing certain manufacturing processes to countries where labor costs are lower than they are domestically. However, unemployed people are not able to buy as many goods as employed people, so these corporations will see lower revenues in the future as a result of the outsourcing. Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the author's argument? Most workers who have lost their jobs to outsourcing have been unable to find new jobs. Many corporations that have failed to outsource manufacturing processes have seen their profits decline in the last few years. When a company fires an employee due to a plant closure, that company must pay unemployment benefits if the former employee cannot find work. Proponents of outsourcing note that closing manufacturing plants allows the United States to focus on creating higher technology jobs. The initial investment in setting up a plant in a low cost labor foreign country is generally low enough that it is outweighed by the short term savings in labor costs for many corporations.

feisty pugnacious

Critics felt that the candidate was far too _______; he did not easily concede a point and relished the chance to be drawn into confrontation. temperate feisty meek pugnacious stalwart doughty

The new theory will make consumers aware of how product displays influence their purchasing decisions

Cultural anthropologists who have been observing and interviewing customers in retail stores have announced a definitive theory of consumer purchasing behavior. Which of the following, if true, would be least likely to represent a benefit of the theory to retailers? Retailers will be able to eliminate costly product displays that fail to increase sales. Retailers will gain insight into how consumers determine whether or not to buy a particular product. The new theory will make consumers aware of how product displays influence their purchasing decisions. The new theory will determine what types of retail display gimmicks produce a negative reaction in consumers. The new theory will explain why consumers often purchase at different stores goods that could be bought at just one store.

exculpated exonerated

Defense attorneys contend that advances in DNA testing must be applied retroactively in cases where a guilty verdict was decided using non-DNA evidence; there is the possibility that when these advances are applied to the case, potentially innocent people could be ________ and their verdicts reversed. incriminated exculpated disciplined castigated inculpated exonerated

cordial

Demonstrating the contradictory relationship between the demeanors of the artists and their reception by the media, the artist who was the least _______ in interviews was also the most sought after. curt specific cordial peremptory evasive

perfectionist underwhelming

Despite accumulating an overall grade that ranked among the top 10 percent of his class, the (i)_______ student continued to feel that his academic accomplishments were (ii)_______. Blank (i) ambivalent perfectionist perfunctory Blank (ii) superlative adequate underwhelming

succinct

Despite entirely opposite selling styles- he was sly while she was forthright, and he was loquacious while she was _______- they were both very successful. prolix succinct vociferous surreptitious mendacious

supernal overweening

Despite having turned in a (i)_______ skating performance marked by beauty and grace, the gold medalist displayed not (ii)_______ pride but rather profound humility, crediting his coach, team, family, and global fan base with the victory. Blank (i) maladroit supernal avaricious Blank (ii) wizened taciturn overweening

cerebral articulated

Despite its absurdity, her lengthy manifesto expressed many (i)_______ arguments, and many of her grievances were subsequently (ii)_______ by the women's movement, which gained force a year or so later. Blank (i) cerebral inaudible banal Blank (ii) expelled decorated articulated

dual metaphorical renewal

Despite the (i) _______ nature of many animals in myths as both creator and destroyer, bears were almost always connected with the feminine creative force because their (ii) _______ death each winter during hibernation, followed by their awakening in the spring, makes them symbols of nature's capacity for annual (iii) _______. Blank (i) dual antagonistic inchoate Blank (ii) personified legendary metaphorical Blank (iii) extinction renewal transformation Show/hide explanation

spurious progeny

Despite the (i) _______ nature of the claim perpetuated on the Internet that the black spots in bananas are tarantula eggs, many would-be banana eaters are so distraught by the possibility of ingesting the (ii) _______ of giant spiders that they steer clear of the innocuous fruit. Blank (i) salutary esoteric spurious Blank (ii) progeny wraith distaff

qualms disquietude

Despite the dogged determination of our leader, who seemed to have every confidence that our perseverance would pay off, I was plagued with _______ about surviving this treacherous journey across the polar ice cap. omens delusions qualms disquietude inadequacies connivances

lackluster predictions of premature

Despite the fact that the racehorse's performance in recent competitions had been (i) _______, Jeremy was convinced that the oddsmakers' (ii) _______ a disappointment at the Kentucky Derby were (iii) _______. Blank (i) improving encouraging lackluster Blank (ii) predictions of defenses of misgivings about Blank (iii) avuncular premature soporific

prejudice

Despite the gruesomeness of the crime, the reporter did not permit his revulsion to _______ the objectivity his readers had come to expect from him. typify validate prejudice convey evaluate

taciturn reticent

Despite the sparse and circumstantial evidence presented against him during the trial, the defendant's _______ behavior reinforced suspicions of his guilt; many people believed that he refused to speak to avoid incriminating himself. gregarious affable taciturn loquacious reticent somber

cursory specious

Despite the study's indisputable theoretical importance, the research conducted was (i)_______ at best, and it is thus important to keep in mind that the results obtained are quite likely to be unsubstantiated, if not downright (ii)_______. Blank (i) cursory frivolous bogus Blank (ii) redacted specious disingenuous

qualms

Despite their initial ________ about her inexperience, the account executives soon found themselves impressed by the young marketing coordinator. certitude qualms impetus kudos fervor

irritable

Despite their strong resemblance to winsome, cuddly teddy bears, the koalas of eastern Australia are remarkably _______ in character. pungent charming insouciant irritable sluggish

The Abaco site is in an inaccessible area, requiring the building of new roads and the importation of laborers.

Director: Our engineers are considering two different sites — one on the Abaco River and one on the Bornos River — for a hydroelectric plant. Although we have the technical expertise to build roughly the same plant in either place, producing roughly the same amount of electricity per hour, building the plant on the Abaco site will cost over twice as much money. With our budget currently in deficit, we should build the dam at the Bornos site. Which of the following, if true, best explains the difference in building costs for the two proposed dam sites? Many farms along the lower Bornos River valley would benefit from the controlled flow of water a dam would make possible. The Abaco site is in an inaccessible area, requiring the building of new roads and the importation of laborers. The Bornos site is near a large city whose residents could use the resulting lake for inexpensive recreation. The Abaco site is in an area that contains many endangered species that would be threatened by the new dam. The Abaco River has a relatively low volume of flow, making it impossible to expand an Abaco plant to meet future electricity needs.

apace favored

Dr. Stewart was well-regarded in the medical community and known for his skill in moving (i)_______ during the diagnosis stage. He (ii)_______ decisiveness when determining a plan for treatment and considered the lengthy deliberation favored by some of his colleagues unnecessary. Blank (i) sedulously apace maladroitly Blank (ii) eschewed favored assessed

staunchly arresting opportunistic

Due to his lengthy industry-friendly record, the governor was thought to be (i) _______ pro-business. So it was (ii) _______ when he announced the creation of a large environmental preserve at the expense of industry interests. However, his decision was not met with unqualified enthusiasm. Many astute observers noted the politically (iii) _______ motive of using the decision to court independent voters. Blank (i) desultorily unsustainably staunchly Blank (ii) debilitating arresting vitiating Blank (iii) ingenuous uncouth opportunistic

harmful deleterious

Due to the low voter turnout, reporters described the storm's effect as _______ to the candidate's campaign for mayor, which depended on a grassroots voter registration drive. harmful benign inconsequential calamitous deleterious beneficial

distinguished bastion

During the Dark Ages, Ireland (i)_______ itself as an intellectual locus; monastic scholars gathered, translated, and studied the philosophical and literary works of the classical civilizations, thereby creating a (ii)_______ of classical knowledge in the West. Blank (i) appropriated distinguished husbanded Blank (ii) bastion collusion semblance

prevaricator Machiavellian surreptitiously

During the trial, the plaintiff proved to be a (i) _______, as he perjured himself numerous times. He further exposed his (ii) _______ character by (iii) _______ attempting to intimidate the defendant and his attorney. Blank (i) prevaricator philanderer remonstrator Blank (ii) Faustian Herculean Machiavellian Blank (iii) altruistically surreptitiously profligately

prosaic unsuitable

Dwight's writing was considered (i)______ by the editors. While his bland style might not have been a problem for someone writing encyclopedia entries, it was (ii)______ for the work of a tabloid journalist, whose writing required sensationalism. Blank (i) provocative incendiary prosaic Blank (ii) indispensable unsuitable advantageous

characteristically

Emily Dickinson is noted for the unique, readily recognizable style of her poems, and the use of language in her letters is also _____ idiosyncratic. characteristically tritely patently drearily disconcertingly

laceration

Even a minor wound caused by an animal attack must be carefully treated as soon as possible; claws and teeth are riddled with bacteria, increasing the possibility that the _______ will become infected. schism laceration cicatrix snippet blister

cyclical

Even during economic booms, one must always keep in mind the ______ nature of national economic health: periods of substantial growth are typically followed by periods of recession. unpredictable progressive cyclical sluggish positive

implement cohorts cognizant

Even in early education (K-3) , teachers can (i) __________ classroom management strategies that rely heavily on peer monitoring. In fact, recent studies suggest that young students respond more cooperatively to positive pressure from (ii) __________ than to teacher intervention. Peers are present and (iii) __________ in settings where teachers' attention may be too divided to discipline fairly. Blank (i) adjudicate implement retrogress Blank (ii) precursors suborners cohorts Blank (iii) myopic halcyon cognizant

fault

Even rigidly traditional instructors are finding the new method difficult to _______; its implementation reinforces basics while preparing trainees for more difficult tasks with considerable efficiency. endorse hinder fault engender propose

toadies sycophants

Even the wisest of leaders will come to need counsel, so it is important to ensure that one is surrounded by honest and candid advisers rather than by mere _______ seeking to please and flatter for their own advancement. toadies compatriots supporters heralds sycophants associates

meticulous

Even though he had studied for several hours, the student was still displeased with his exam score; therefore, he knew that he would have to be more _______ about compiling study resources in the future. ambiguous meticulous callous advantageous oblivious

The percentage of applicants who are accepted to four-year colleges is higher among students guided by Mr. Land than it is among students guided by Ms. Hanner.

Every student at Overland High School receives guidance counseling from either Ms. Hanner or Mr. Land. A review of college admissions data for students graduating from Overland during the last five years shows that, on average, Ms. Hanner was the guidance counselor for fifty-five percent of the students who applied to four-year colleges and forty percent of the students who were accepted at four-year colleges. These figures were quite consistent from year to year over the last five years. Which of the following can be logically inferred about the past five years from the statements above? The total number of students graduating from Overland each year has remained roughly constant. Mr. Land has been assigned the majority of students with poor study skills. The percentage of applicants who are accepted to four-year colleges is higher among students guided by Mr. Land than it is among students guided by Ms. Hanner. The career goals of the students under the guidance of Ms. Hanner and Mr. Land have remained largely unchanged. The overall grade point average of students under Mr. Land's guidance has been higher than the average of students under Ms. Hanner's guidance.

archaic apotheosis

Examining the (i)_______ inscription carved into the basalt monument, antiquarians concluded that the ritual described was intended to induce a common jackal's (ii)_______ into Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god of the dead. Blank (i) monolithic archaic exorbitant Blank (ii) demise discomfiture apotheosis

commodious

Facing far larger crowds than anticipated, the event staff reneged on their agreement with the original locale and moved the concert to a more _______ venue. commodious austere grandiloquent sanctioned egregious

ignored

Films that celebrate the state of youth sentimentally are normally _______ by the young; it seems that only those who are aged are attracted and moved by this message. embraced created explicated clarified ignored

inductive hypothesis irrefutable

Finding proof of Norse habitation in North America was the result of (i)_______ reasoning. The translation of Icelandic sagas in the 1840s suggested the existence of an early Viking site in what is now Canada; this (ii)_______ was verified in 1960 when archaeologist Anne Stine was led by a local to a site in Newfoundland where her team uncovered (iii)_______ archaeological evidence of European occupation. Blank (i) sebaceous incipient inductive Blank (ii) hypothesis insinuation conundrum Blank (iii) irrefutable inexplicable imperturbable

confidence poise

First-year college students may feel apprehensive about their prospects for success in a rigorous academic program; however, most new students achieve a sense of _______ by the end of their first semester. complacency conflation consternation confidence poise calumny

indicative of

Folklore is rarely _______ the time of its origination, as each generation alters the stories, making them more pertinent to the present. indicative of reminiscent of complementary with critical to judgmental of

subsided

Following the dynamic explosion of new political and civil liberties, the public presence of the Church _______ after peaking in 1989. changed subsided rose began burgeoned

hyperbole intransigence

For all his grandiloquent speeches and flattering (i)_______, the count could not impress the maid sufficiently to overcome her (ii)_______; the girl refused to trade the cottage of her ailing mother and younger sister for a life in the palace. Blank (i) chauvinism hauteur hyperbole Blank (ii) cynosure intransigence insouciance

light artless

In (i)_______ of his (ii)_______ personality, we knew we could trust him; regardless of his daunting appearance and checkered past, deceit was simply not a part of his character. Blank (i) defense light lieu Blank (ii) artless affected guileful

lethal controverts thrives

For centuries, scientists regarded certain conditions, such as extreme temperatures and excessive acidity, to be (i) ________ to all living organisms. The giant tubeworm is one creature that (ii) _______ these outdated beliefs. Found in close proximity to hydrothermal vents deep beneath the sea, this tubeworm (iii) _________ in temperatures once thought too extreme to support living things. Blank (i) lethal advantageous auspicious Blank (ii) assuages misrepresents controverts Blank (iii) deteriorates admonishes thrives

evident discernible

For months, the party leaders had succeeded in concealing their ulterior motives, which nevertheless became _______ to everyone after the coup they attempted last week. illicit evident substantial discernible ambiguous plausible

underclass indolent plebians

For much of the Early Middle Ages, there was, among the nobility, a misperception of the (i) _______ as (ii) _______. However, this misapprehension began to be corrected during the reign of Frederick Barbarossa, when the (iii) _______ were widely credited with doing the work of building Frederick's empire. Blank (i) esurient philanthropic underclass Blank (ii) insolent indolent indigent Blank (iii) patricians paeans plebeians

fitfully intermittently

For some, creative expression is an organized development, building steadily toward a goal, but creativity comes to other people more _______, and they may face long periods without inspiration interspersed with unexpected bursts of progress. fleetly incessantly fitfully substantially intermittently ceaselessly

Harold has greater lung capacity than George.

Fred has greater lung capacity than George. Since Harold has greater lung capacity than Joe, it follows that Fred must have greater lung capacity than Joe. Any of the following, if introduced into the argument as an additional premise, makes the argument logically correct EXCEPT: Fred has greater lung capacity than Harold. George has greater lung capacity than Harold. Fred and Harold have the same lung capacity. Harold has greater lung capacity than George. George and Harold have the same lung capacity.

prodigies assimilated

From a young age, Saul Kripke proved himself one of the more remarkable (i)_______ of our era; through independent study, he had already (ii)_______ studies of language, literature, and advanced mathematics before the age of ten. Blank (i) progeny prodigies profligates Blank (ii) ensconced attenuated assimilated

plagued by

From the air, the land looks verdant, but in reality, it is _______ pollution and sterility. void of plagued by consonant with compounded by lacking in

chimerical invalidate ineptitude

Given that a child's fantasy play so often includes (i) _______ playmates, it is tempting to call upon the positive relationship between social competence and fantasy play to (ii) _______ theories suggesting that the creation of imaginary friends may be linked to social (iii) _______. Blank (i) affable chimerical languid Blank (ii) recognize invalidate corroborate Blank (iii) ineptitude compunction septicemia

designation implies extant

Hammurabi's Code, inscribed on a stone stele, is a set of judgments commonly recognized as the earliest set of written laws, although the (i) _______ is fallacious, given that the code itself clearly (ii) _______ that it is based on an earlier written legal system of which there are simply no (iii) _______ records. Blank (i) denigration approbation designation Blank (ii) implies exults disavows Blank (iii) extant transient integral

penchant procilivity

Hannah and Louise appear to refute the hypothesis that the shared genetic code of identical twins creates duplicate personalities. Hannah has never been inclined to stray far from her small farming town in Nebraska, while Louise has a _______ for travel and often derides her sister's provincialism. premonition penance precedent prerogative penchant proclivity

delicate euphemistic

Having been chastised once for impropriety, the professor — now more cognizant of the sensibilities of her students — tried to refrain from mentioning topics that might be upsetting and used _______ language when those topics could not be avoided. delicate callous prolix verbose euphemistic elucidatory

consistent

Having hired a new master chef, the restaurant manager was surprised when regular patrons commended the _______ quality of their favorite dishes. innovative consistent slipshod decadent protean

ambivalent

Having mixed feelings

tedious ponderous

Having spent months on the same project, the team began to find the repetitive work _______ and wished for more varied tasks. exhausting tedious engrossing galvanizing infuriating ponderous

ploddingly an understanding of

Hers was not a quick but a penetrating intellect; however (i)_______, she would inevitably come to (ii)_______ any subject, regardless of its complications or paradoxes, provided it touched her life. Blank (i) unmindfully ploddingly desperately Blank (ii) an understanding of a gathering of an agreement with

onerous adept

Hiking the approximately 2,181 miles that comprise the Appalachian Trail may seem like a long and (i)_______ task, yet the actual deed is far less daunting. Many novice hikers are surprisingly (ii)_______ when presented with the challenges the trail offers and can complete the sojourn. Blank (i) facile splenetic onerous Blank (ii) insipid adept exigent

belied

His calm exterior ______ the militant fervor with which he threw himself into the campaign. delineated reviled falsified ridiculed belied

Some drugs can actually have effects roughly the opposite of their usual, expected effects.

Hypnotic drugs, which are meant to restore normal sleep patterns, sometimes accumulate in the blood and lead to insomnia. Opioid drugs, which are used to blunt sensory awareness, occasionally result in heightened tactile sensations. Stimulants designed to decrease appetite and combat fatigue can cause both fatigue and ravenous hunger. Which one of the following conclusions can be most reasonably drawn from the passage above? The three major categories of drugs are hypnotics, opioids, and stimulants. Regardless of their stated purpose, very few drugs have a single, easily-defined effect. Hypnotic and opioid drugs tend to have effects which are the opposite of those of stimulants. Some drugs can actually have effects roughly the opposite of their usual, expected effects. Drugs that can produce both their intended effect, and its opposite, should be taken in combination with other drugs. Show/hide explanation

Most of the deaths that result from a child falling into a pool occur when parents are home with their child but not supervising the child's activities.

In Clark County, recent legislation requires that all new homes built with a pool be equipped with door alarms that sound when any door leading to the pool area is opened. The state legislature claims that this will save lives because parents will be alerted when their children enter the pool area. However, many homeowner's associations have protested the new law. The homeowner's associations conclude that few lives will be saved because children are supervised in pool areas over ninety-five percent of the time by their parents. Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the homeowner's associations' argument? Many parents have formal training in CPR to resuscitate children that have fallen into a pool and drowned. Since new homes with pools represent a small fraction of the homes in Clark County, the law will be rather narrow in scope. The cost of the new door alarms is not prohibitive for most new home buyers. Clark County has an excellent system of emergency medical technicians, all of whom are trained to resuscitate children that have fallen into pools and drowned. Most of the deaths that result from a child falling into a pool occur when parents are home with their child but not supervising the child's activities.

As a condition to receive government support payments, farmers were prohibited from using the old cotton acreage for other agricultural purposes.

In Country K in the year 2000, farmers produced so much cotton that the market could not absorb all of it and the price of cotton fell precipitously. In the next year, the government of Country K introduced direct support payments to any cotton producers that would take 25 or more percent of their cotton acreage out of production. By mid-year 2002, cotton prices in Country K were back to the levels seen in 1999. The government claimed that its direct support payments were responsible for the rebound in prices. Each of the following, if true, would weaken the government's claim, EXCEPT: Between 1999 and mid-year 2002, Country K experienced rapid inflation. In the beginning of 2001, a large textile plant opened in Country K to take advantage of the country's low cotton prices. Almost all farmers refused to take any of their cotton acreage out of production. As a condition to receive government support payments, farmers were prohibited from using the old cotton acreage for other agricultural purposes. A large drought hit in Country J, next to Country K, wiping out that nation's cotton crops and causing a need to import cotton.

immures

In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado," the vengeful Montresor _______ his friend Fortunato by sealing him up inside a wall. quaffs preserves taunts condones immures

Rapid increases in productivity tend to deprive trees of nutrients needed for the development of the fruit-producing flowers.

In South America, where pomegranate trees are not native plants, the trees' flowers have, in the past, been pollinated manually by laborers. This manual process has kept the production of pomegranate fruit unnaturally low. When a variety of snout beetle known to be effective pollinators were introduced into South America five years ago, pomegranate fruit productivity increased by nearly 40 percent, but then decreased sharply last year. Which of the following statements would best explain last year's decrease in production? The price of pomegranate fruit fell over the past five years fell, following the rise in production and coinciding fall in demand. Non-native trees often produce more than native trees because the non-native ones have left behind their pests and diseases in their native lands. Rapid increases in productivity tend to deprive trees of nutrients needed for the development of the fruit-producing flowers. The snout beetle population in South America has remained at about the same level over the past five years. Before the snout beetle was introduced, another species of insect pollinated the pomegranate trees, but not as effectively as the snout beetle.

The salary increases for teachers in State X have been roughly in line with salary increases in the two states that border State X

In State X, the average salary paid to teachers in the state's public school system has increased by five percent in each of the last three years. However, over the same period of time the number of teachers in the public school system has declined. Each of the following statements, if true, could help to explain the decline in the number of teachers in State X's public school system EXCEPT: The state has toughened its hiring standards and only now accepts applications from prospective teachers with Master's degrees in education. In State X, many non-teaching jobs that are suitable for a teacher's skills, such as research positions, have had annual salary increases of over ten percent each of the last three years. The salary increases for teachers in State X have been roughly in line with salary increases in the two states that border State X. When the teacher's union demanded five percent annual salary increases three years ago, the state instituted a hiring freeze on teachers. A new law in State X has driven away many teachers because the law makes it easier for parents to sue teachers if the parents feel their child has been neglected educationally in any way.

Most private schools have some religious affiliation.

In State Y, public funding for education is currently restricted to public schools. New legislation has been proposed in State Y's senate that would expand public funding to private schools that do not have a religious affiliation. If state funding for education were to be provided to private schools that have no religious affiliation, most private schools would still be forced to rely on tuition and private donations for support. The conclusion that most private schools would still rely on tuition and private donors under the new legislation depends on which of the following assumptions? Schools would be able to raise as much money through tuition and donations as they would receive from state funding. Most donors prefer to give money to schools that do not already receive state funding. Most private schools have some religious affiliation. Public schools generally have more money per student than private schools have. A reduction in the amount of money per student in public schools would eventually reduce the proportion of students enrolled in public schools.

unlikely

Jan dreamed of living in a better apartment, but because she did not have the money to do so, she knew that a change in residence was _________. delayed unnecessary unlikely financial captured

intractable recalcitrant

Jane's behavior was, paradoxically, both _______ and commendable, as we could not help but admire her steadfast determination to defy a system that so clearly impeded her personal goals. intractable salubrious recalcitrant conniving calculating unanticipated

an epicenter

Known today for its radical spirit, San Francisco became ______ of counterculture in the 1950s. a carapace an assailant an epicenter a repast an antagonist

Referenda requiring constitutional amendments are both frequent and popular with Swiss voters.

In Switzerland, one of Europe's smallest nations, amendments to the constitution can only be initiated after a successful vote on a national referendum. In order to initiate a referendum, a citizen must merely collect 100,000 voters' signatures, in support of a given issue, over a period of 18 months. Clearly, the Swiss government must be spending a lot of time amending the country's constitution. Which of the following premises, if true, best supports the conclusion above? Swiss citizens initiate many referenda every year. It is easy for a citizen to collect 100,000 signatures for a constitutional amendment within 18 months. The Swiss government spends much more time on constitutional amendments than governments of other countries do. All referenda must be initiated by Swiss citizens over 18 years old. Referenda requiring constitutional amendments are both frequent and popular with Swiss voters.

The two groups of subjects were evenly matched with regard to physical ability prior to the experiment.

In a certain experiment, half the subjects - the experimental group - engaged in strenuous physical tests on day one, followed the activity with a protein and carbohydrate supplement, and then engaged in strenuous physical tests again on day two. The experimental group performed much better on the second day than did the other half of the subjects - the control group - who engaged in the same physical activity but received a placebo instead of the nutritional supplement. This beneficial result was attributed to the supplemental nutrients, which are required by the body to rebuild muscle after strenuous exercise. Which of the following, if true, would best support the conclusion that the supplemental nutrients were responsible for the experimental results? Most consumers who regularly take protein and carbohydrate supplements after exercise do not take doses as large as those given in the experiment. Many people eat after strenuous exercise and consume protein and carbohydrates. The amount of protein and carbohydrate in the supplement is considered safe by federal food regulators. The two groups of subjects were evenly matched with regard to physical ability prior to the experiment. The experimental group not only performed better on the second day, but also reported fewer injuries and less soreness than the control group did.

The product for which the students viewed the advertisements is used almost exclusively by men.

In a study, a group of college students was asked to view different advertisements for a certain product. After having seen the ads, the men in the group said that they were more likely to buy the product than they were before they saw the ads, and the women said that they were not more or less likely to buy the product than before they saw the ads. Women, then, are less easily influenced by advertisements than are men. Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the conclusion above? The average woman shops more frequently than does the average man. When the study was repeated using a different group of students, only half of the men said that they were more likely to buy the product after having seen the ads. Studies have shown that older men respond more positively to advertisements than do younger men. The creators of the advertisements shown to the students were all women. The product for which the students viewed the advertisements is used almost exclusively by men.

some high school students who smoke may have claimed on the survey not to smoke

In a survey of high school students, twenty-two percent of the students admitted to smoking cigarettes at least occasionally. However, the survey may underestimate the percentage of high school students who smoke, because ___________. Which of the following best completes the passage above? some high school students who smoke may have claimed on the survey not to smoke some teenagers who no longer attend high school probably smoke at least occasionally some high school students who claimed on the survey to smoke at least once in a while may actually smoke heavily some high school students who claimed on the survey to be smokers may have been answering honestly some high school students who do not smoke may have claimed on the survey to be smokers

In order to occupy unused city-owned property, the drop-off centers will be such a great distance from the town's population centers as to discourage use.

In an attempt to encourage residents to recycle glass, aluminum, and paper waste, the mayor of Townsville plans to establish specially designated drop-off centers to which residents can bring these materials for recycling. The mayor argues that the increased recycling will significantly reduce the town's ecological impact on natural resources. Which of the following, if true, indicates that the plan to establish specially designated recycling centers will not have the effect that the mayor intends? The delivery of the materials from the drop-off centers to the appropriate recycling plants will involve considerable expense for the town. In order to occupy unused city-owned property, the drop-off centers will be such a great distance from the town's population centers as to discourage use. Similar centers established in other towns have been ineffective in reducing the amount of waste produced by the towns. Recent technological advances have provided many new uses for recycled aluminum and glass. Many of the proposed centers will be open only at those times calculated to be the most popular with town residents.

a veneer

In an attempt to win his father's favor and regard, Ray covered his sensitivity with _______ of arrogance. a mastery a reserve a neurosis a veneer an abhorrence

a meandering a ciruitious

In an effort to avoid revealing their culpability, the boys responded with _______ tale, hoping the lengthy, pointless story would convince their parents that they had been engaged in lawful activities. a poignant a candid an opaque a parochial a meandering a circuitous

banal trite

In an effort to simultaneously pander to opposing demographics, the politician's speeches became _______, repeating inoffensive and unoriginal slogans. banal truncated blithe trite poignant trenchant

piquant

In contrast to foods in which size is commensurate with maturity and thus potency of flavor, smaller peppers tend to be far more _______ than larger peppers. banal piquant aromatic caustic diverse

convoluted tortuous

In his daily life, Peter was a direct man of few words, but the twisting and complex writings in his diaries revealed a _______ mind. taciturn convoluted tremulous transcendent timorous tortuous

admonishes abstemiously

In one of the most famous of his Odes, the Roman poet Horace (i)_______ the reader to neither despair during difficult times nor indulge during good times, but rather to act (ii)_______ in the good times and remain serene in the bad; in his poem he calls this the aurea mediocritas, or "golden mean." Blank (i) deplores suffers admonishes Blank (ii) abstemiously parsimoniously sagely

The new service fee will not cause customers of Davis to take their business to other banks in large enough numbers to reduce Davis's revenue significantly.

In response to large increases in the usage of automated banking machines, Davis National Bank has decided to begin charging a small fee for transactions made on these machines starting January 1. The service fee is designed to offset the cost of operating the machines. The CEO of Davis National Bank has predicted that the new service fee will increase the bank's profits in the next calendar year. Which of the following, if true, presents information that would best support the prediction made by the CEO of Davis National Bank? The operating cost for an automated banking machine does not depend on the number of transactions made at the machine. The new service fee will not cause customers of Davis to take their business to other banks in large enough numbers to reduce Davis's revenue significantly. The annual cost to operate an automated banking machine is less than the annual salary of a bank teller. If demand for the machines continues to increase, Davis will be forced to purchase many additional automated banking machines in the next several years. The exact amount of the fee is virtually identical to the operating cost per transaction.

lax

In some countries, government restrictions are so _______ that businesses operate with nearly complete impunity. traditional judicious ambiguous exacting lax

American cars enjoyed a resurgence in sales during the late 1980s.

In the United States during the oil embargo of the late 1970s, the sales of cars manufactured in the United States fell considerably. At the same time, sales of cars built in Japan rose during this time when gasoline was scarce and the economy slowed down in the United States. Each of the following, if true, helps to explain the drop in sales of American cars concurrently with the increase in sales of Japanese cars EXCEPT: Japanese cars were cheaper than comparable American models. American cars enjoyed a resurgence in sales during the late 1980s. American cars required more gas per mile to operate than comparable Japanese models. Japanese cars were cheaper to insure in the late 1970s. Japanese car companies devoted more resources to advertising their cars during this period.

Each state that has enacted the death penalty in murder cases over the last twenty years has seen a decline in the murder rate since the passage of those laws.

In the United States, certain states use the death penalty to punish those who commit murder. Other states do not use the death penalty in such cases, but sentence murderers to life in prison instead. In the states that do use the death penalty, the murder rate per 100,000 persons is higher than the rate in the states that do not use the death penalty. Thus, the death penalty only causes more murders and should be repealed in all states to reduce the murder rate. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument above? Each state that has enacted the death penalty in murder cases over the last twenty years has seen a decline in the murder rate since the passage of those laws. Many consider the death penalty to be morally wrong in all cases and oppose it regardless of the potential deterrent to murder. In states that use the death penalty, some murderers are still only sentenced to life in prison. The annual rate of non-violent crime is lower in states with the death penalty than it is in states without the death penalty. In each state that uses the death penalty, over 60 percent of the state's citizens support the death penalty and believe that it is an effective deterrent to murder.

pusillanimous

In the late 1930s, Neville Chamberlain, then prime minister of Great Britain, was widely praised as a skilled negotiator and wise tactician for acquiescing to Hitler's demands; however, with the benefit of hindsight, most historians regard Chamberlain's actions as the _______ attempts of a man determined to avoid conflict no matter the cost. sincere plaintive admirable touching pusillanimous

archrival fabricated

In the play Amadeus, the Italian composer Salieri is portrayed as the bitter (i)_______ of his more famous Austrian contemporary Mozart. Scholarship suggests, however, that the envious dynamic depicted in the play is (ii)_______ and that the two men actually respected one another. Blank (i) luminary confidant archrival Blank (ii) fabricated sincere punitive

depose intrepid eloquent

In their fight to (i) _______ their illegitimately elected leadership, the insurgents chose a battle-tested and (ii) _______ soldier to lead the dangerous rebellion. Despite his fervor to inspire his fellow citizens, the normally (iii) _______ man struggled to compose a speech that would give voice to his people's demands and rally others to the cause. Blank (i) isolate depose exacerbate Blank (ii) pusillanimous intrepid portentous Blank (iii) eloquent ambivalent intricate

A program of stretching and drinking at least 64 ounces of water can improve the performance of some individuals during physical activity.

Increases in the length of a person's muscles have been shown to improve performance during physical activity and to reduce the risk of injury from such activity. Muscles can be lengthened in some individuals if those individuals stretch and drink at least 64 ounces of water everyday. Which of the following can be correctly inferred from the statements above? Individuals who stretch and drink 64 ounces of water each day do not run any risk of injury from physical activity. Individuals who do not stretch regularly or drink enough water have a high risk of injury from physical activity. A regimen of stretching and drinking at least 64 ounces of water is the best way to improve performance during physical activity and to reduce the risk of injury from such activity. A program of stretching and drinking at least 64 ounces of water can improve the performance of some individuals during physical activity. Only stretching is required to lengthen a person's muscles.

incisive

Ingenuously, the young child made _______ statements, startling the adults with her unwitting insights. hapless farcical whimsical incisive irascible

riveting

John's extraordinarily _______ performance not only captured wonderfully the egomaniacal spirit of Napoleon, but also made the French Emperor appear vulnerable, haunted, and uncannily human. elusive riveting scattered neurotic challenging

hypocrisy

Julia's _______ shocked us all: she berated her sister for buying a moderately priced stereo, when she had just spent a long weekend on a cruise. honesty integrity panegyric propriety hypocrisy

vivacious

Katie was known for her lively behavior and excitable moods, but the illness left her bedridden for months; when she at last began to convalesce, it was a great relief to see her _______ spirit return. vivacious provocative pensive restless wistful

Toy Supply Company's goal is possible to meet only if the company can continually cut the wholesale price of their products.

Internal Memorandum from Toy Supply Company: Keeping our large retail customers happy requires that toy manufacturers such as our company find ways to continually deliver products on time and at ever lower wholesale prices. Toy manufacturing companies that do not find ways to cut the prices of their products will find that large retail customers will become unhappy and look for other toy suppliers. At Toy Supply Company our goal is to keep our large retail customers happy. Which of the following must be true on the basis of the statements in the memorandum above? Toy Supply Company's competitors will succeed in winning large retail customers only if the competitors adopt the same goal that Toy Supply Company has stated. Toy Supply Company's goal is possible to meet only if the company can continually cut the wholesale price of their products. Any toy manufacturer that does not keep its customers happy is sure to go out of business. Most retailers are looking for new toy suppliers. Toy Supply Company's customers are currently happy with the prices that Toy Supply Company charges for its products. Show/hide explanation

disoriented

Inured to the intense work engendered by the deadlines they normally faced, the production managers felt somewhat _______ by the temporary hiatus in orders. constrained disoriented wizened overworked dehumanized

hopeless comprehensive criticized

It is (i)_______ to describe what precisely defines the literary quality of any written work during its time. Although many attempts have been made, any definition that is both contemporary and (ii)_______ is ultimately impossible, because one cannot foresee the scope of a work's influence on subsequent literature. Indeed, many works that are now considered "classics" were widely (iii)_______ or simply ignored in their time. Blank (i) inane feasible hopeless Blank (ii) comprehensive analytical subjective Blank (iii) extolled acclaimed criticized

decorum

It is clearly _______ that keeps the author's critique from becoming a polemic; if he were less concerned with propriety his article would be worded far less politely. indulgence verisimilitude decorum reverence vulnerability

The possession of two contradictory meanings is equivalent to an absence of meaning.

It is common knowledge that a given word can have various shades of meaning, but how many people are aware that a single word can sometimes be used in completely contradictory ways? For example, the word "cleave" can mean "to adhere" or "to stick together." But just as easily the word "cleave" can mean "to split apart" or "to divide." This proves that words are fundamentally meaningless until they are placed in a sentence. Which one of the following is an assumption necessary to the author's argument? Every sentence is meaningful. Common knowledge is usually wrong. The possession of two contradictory meanings is equivalent to an absence of meaning. The word "cleave" is unique in that it can be used in completely contradictory ways. A word that possesses two shades of meaning is a word that possesses two contradictory meanings.

incontrovertible secular polyphonic

It is difficult to make (i) _______ statements about the distinctions between motets and madrigals. The common perception that motets employ sacred texts while madrigals employ (ii) _______ texts does not bear scrutiny. Nor does the idea that madrigals are more (iii) _______ hold, since motets quickly diverged from plainchant to feature complicated, interwoven vocal lines. Blank (i) lackadaisical nullifying incontrovertible Blank (ii) secular fatuous classical Blank (iii) polyphonic aphonic monophonic

winsome alluring

It is important not to be swayed by _______ speech but to carefully scrutinize its content. weighty winsome prevailing alluring candid cagey

chimerical bizarre

It is important to nurture a child's imagination, no matter how (i)_______; these same wild fantasies, while seemingly fanciful or even (ii)_______, can help to develop the child's creativity and reasoning abilities better than standard pedagogy can. Blank (i) inappropriate chimerical indulgent Blank (ii) finicky obscure bizarre

Manual dexterity and mental alertness tend to decline as the temperature rises above 21 C and more significantly so at temperatures above 24 C.

It is well established that surgical patients whose core body temperatures fall below 36 C (around 96.8 F) during surgery have much higher mortality rates than surgical patients whose core body temperatures remain above 36 C. Consequently, mortality rates could be significantly reduced during surgery if operating rooms were kept significantly warmer than they are presently kept under standard hospital guidelines, which call for temperatures of 21 C (around 69.8 F). Which of the following, if true, most strongly counters the view that surgical mortality rates could be reduced by raising operating room temperatures? Surgical mortality rates are slightly higher during summer months than during winter months. Delivery rooms tend to be kept at slightly higher temperatures than other operating rooms (around 24 C or 75.2 F) because premature babies are especially vulnerable to hypothermia. It is more costly to maintain surgical equipment at temperatures above 21 C. Nurses and medical technicians prefer working in room temperatures less than 24 C. Manual dexterity and mental alertness tend to decline as the temperature rises above 21 C and more significantly so at temperatures above 24 C.

boisterous

It seemed they were never in similar moods; when she was content, he was dissatisfied, and when she was sullen, he was _________. spiteful boisterous dour inquisitive ponderous

irascible confounded

It was an anomaly for the (i)_______ grocer to mumble even a halfhearted greeting to his customers, let alone ever to assist them in any way, so the townspeople were (ii)_______ to see him so amiable toward the town's newest resident. Blank (i) irascible maudlin convivial Blank (ii) assuaged confounded galled

cosseted dandled

It was easy to explain the haughty teenager's impertinent behavior and limitless desires; she was _______ throughout her childhood, and no whim was ever denied her. tolerated cosseted borne exculpated dandled moderated

meticulous

It was nearly impossible for Timothy to make an accounting error; he used a _______ system that guaranteed all of the relevant figures were checked on three separate occasions. meticulous superficial credulous pedantic perfunctory

sullied marred

It was the CEO's view that her corporation's reputation would be _______ by the proposed ad campaign, so she elected to fire the current advertising company and contract with a new one. sullied augmented enhanced transformed altered marred

dogma

Lacking sacred scriptures or _______, Shinto is more properly regarded as a legacy of traditional religious practices and basic values than as a formal system of belief. followers customs dogma relics faith

stirred descry

Legends of the kingdom of the priest-king Prester John (i)_______ the imagination of Europe for the second half of the Middle Ages (and beyond), when countless explorers and cartographers traveled to the East, hoping to (ii)_______ the kingdom's true location and learn more about its magnanimous leader. Blank (i) embittered canonized stirred Blank (ii) contravene descry debunk

vicissitudes onerous

Like any public art form, architecture is subject to the (i)_______ of public opinion and the dictates of fashion. While some architects find these ever-changing strictures to be (ii)_______, others think that the circumscribed conditions provide a provocative playground for their imaginations. Blank (i) paroxysms travails vicissitudes Blank (ii) untrammeled recondite onerous

Illegal photocopying does not depress magazine sales as significantly as publishers believe.

Magazine publishers claim that illegal photocopying of articles from their magazines costs them vast amounts of revenue every year. But most people who photocopy magazine articles are teachers using them in class. Given the economics of education, these teachers could not procure an original copy of the magazine for each student. Which of the following is most probably the point toward which the author of the above passage is moving? Magazine publishers should provide free copies of their magazines to schools. Preventing illegal photocopying would have no effect on magazine sales. Teachers should be prevented from photocopying magazine articles for their students. Eliminating illegal photocopying would prevent the magazine publishers' loss of revenues. Illegal photocopying does not depress magazine sales as significantly as publishers believe.

Consumers showed a strong preference for PRQ's newly designed printer in several test markets.

Manufacturers of inkjet printers earn most of their profits from the sale of ink cartridges rather than from the sale of the printers. The PRQ Company's profits have declined in recent years because other manufacturers are selling ink cartridges compatible with PRQ printers at a lower price than PRQ can match. PRQ is responding by designing a printer that will only accept a new specially designed PRQ cartridge, which will sell for the same price as its current ink cartridges. The company projects that the new printer will create a surge in sales of the new compatible cartridges. Which of the following, if true, would strengthen the projection that PRQ's plan will result in an increase in its cartridge sales? Sales of printers are expected to drop within the next year, but then increase over five years. Another printer manufacturer recently announced a plan to manufacture a printer that is only compatible with its own cartridges. First time buyers of printers will generally buy the least expensive model. Consumers showed a strong preference for PRQ's newly designed printer in several test markets. PRQ's engineering and design division is studying methods of manufacturing printer cartridges at a lower cost.

Employees with low self-confidence are less likely to request employee benefits such as tuition assistance

Many companies offer their employees tuition reimbursement for college courses that are relevant to the employees' work for the company. Self-help classes have been proven to raise the self-confidence of attendees, and self-confidence is very important to the performance of many employees, especially sales representatives. Thus, companies that have sales representatives who suffer from low self-confidence would improve the job performance of these employees by making tuition assistance for self-help classes available to any sales representative that requests it. Which of the following, if true, would undermine the effectiveness of the proposal above? Self-help classes are often less expensive than college courses. Employees with low self-confidence are less likely to request employee benefits such as tuition assistance. Many jobs do not require a high level of self-confidence. Job satisfaction is higher among those employees who have high levels of self-confidence. College courses are not as important in business as practical knowledge gained through experience.

Inconclusive drug test results may lead to inequitable employment decisions against an employee.

Many companies require drug tests for their employees as a condition of employment. An inconclusive result does not imply that the employee has used illegal drugs, but merely that the test was not able to determine if such drugs were present. This is one of the reasons such testing is regulated by many states. Which of the following conclusions can most properly be drawn from the information above? Most employees with inconclusive drug test results have actually used illegal drugs. Companies should not be allowed to drug test employees. Inconclusive drug test results may lead to inequitable employment decisions against an employee. A drug test indicating that an employee has not used drugs might be mistaken. Some states have banned the practice of testing employees for drugs.

sallow jaundiced

Many conditions that affect the liver are signaled by _______ skin, which turns a sickly yellow due to increased levels of bilirubin in the blood. sallow rubicund jaundiced flushed ruddy bronzed

A new report came out this morning that shows harvests of California oranges will be more than double normal levels due to above average rainfall in that state.

Many crops can be traded on futures markets before they are ever harvested. If a poor harvest of oranges is expected, the prices of orange juice futures rise. If a bountiful orange harvest is expected, then the prices of orange juice futures fall. Over the last month, two hurricanes have ravaged the orange growing region of Florida, destroying thousands of acres of orange trees. Despite this fact, experts indicate that the prices of orange juice futures will fall in the coming weeks. Which of the following, if true, explains why the experts mentioned above are correct? The two hurricanes took different paths across Florida, affecting separate orange growing regions. Futures for orange juice are priced higher this year than they were last year. The second hurricane that affected Florida also hit parts of Louisiana. A new report came out this morning that shows harvests of California oranges will be more than double normal levels due to above average rainfall in that state. Most people who trade orange juice futures do not ever take possession of the orange juice.

impart

Many of the most recognizable soliloquies in Western theater may be found in Shakespeare's works, including Juliet's "Wherefore art thou Romeo?" Macbeth's "Tomorrow and tomorrow," and other notable speeches by characters who _______ their feelings and intentions directly to the audience. telegraph pantomime promise misconstrue impart

apocryphal

Many stories about George Washington have been passed down through the generations, but a significant number of them lack the ring of truth and are _______. anachronistic illogical unabridged apocryphal authentic

licentious

Marcus' poems, while ostensibly innocent, also contain _______ undertones, which have led some critics to censure him over the centuries. erroneous immature credulous mercurial licentious

chaotic disjointed

Maria had successfully navigated complex literary tomes that would have intimidated some scholars, yet she had difficulty following the incoherent plot of this particular book, as, in her opinion, it was far too _______ to be readable. monotonous fallacious chaotic disjointed erroneous complicated

apotheosis

Michalewski's text indubitably serves as the _______ of his discipline; surpassing all previous models of excellence, it has replaced them with the rigor of heretofore unmatched academic standards. validation vainglory apotheosis munificence beneficence

dither

Milton always frustrated his dining companions and aggravated the servers when he would not only _______ longer than anyone else before finally ordering his meal, but would also change his order twenty minutes later. waive excoriate objurgate dither irritate

peril

Most people feel that they can determine the safety of a neighborhood from its appearance; in accordance, they conclude that the pristine streets of this area signify little _______ to its occupants. peril security affluence consolation refuge

veil obscure

Museum directors understand the need to establish the provenance of every work of art they acquire, from its creation to its most recent owner; such establishment can be hindered, however, by a number of obstacles, including disingenuous dealers who attempt to _______ the truth. potentiate reveal overshadow veil obscure vaunt

Whether or not a child develops asthma depends on genetic factors.

Nearly 5 million children in the United States have asthma, the most common chronic illness of childhood. In the state of Arizona, one in twenty children has asthma, whereas in New York, one in ten children has asthma. If a couple from New York should begin their family in Arizona, their children would be less likely to develop asthma than if the family should remain in New York. Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the conclusion drawn in the passage? Many asthmatics do not believe that moving to Arizona will significantly decrease the risk of developing asthma. The governor of New York's claims that statistics for her state are inaccurate has been proven false. Whether or not a child develops asthma depends on genetic factors. Developing asthma is usually a result of environmental factors. The average child from New York has better lung capacity than the average child from Arizona.

complicity collusion

Neither Mason nor Lorraine was on time for the party that night, and when the two did arrive, they made an obvious attempt to avoid each other, as if to divert suspicion away from their all-too-obvious _______. complicity contingency complacency collusion compliance corroboration

vitriolic rancorous

No matter how justified the outburst of the usually temperate Ms. Branson given the committee's incompetence, her _______ remarks rightfully subjected her to censure. bemused discerning portentous vitriolic discriminating rancorous

beleaguered innovation ancient

No one can argue that the Roman arch did not solve the architectural problems that (i) _______ traditional post and beam construction. However, what can be debated is whether this architectural (ii) _______ was Roman in origin; archaeological findings show that it dated back to the Greeks and possibly to even more (iii) _______ cultures. Blank (i) galvanized succored beleaguered Blank (ii) sepulcher ossuary innovation Blank (iii) superannuated ancient obsolete

Unless No-Name-Brand departs from its present marketing strategy, consumers will not have a way to assess the effectiveness of No-Name-Brand's new products.

No-Name-Brand is a company that specializes in producing sun-block products of various sun protection factors (SPFs) and markets its products without any advertising. Despite its lack of advertising, the company has garnered an impressive share of the sun-block market. The company is now planning to expand its product line to include anti-wrinkle crèmes and anti-aging skin products. Yet these products, unlike sun-block formulas, are based on proprietary formulas and are not assigned numbers, like an SPF, to vouchsafe their effectiveness. Consumers have no way of assessing the effectiveness of these products without relying on the manufacturers' advertised claims. The statements above, if true, most strongly support which of the following? Unless No-Name-Brand departs from its present marketing strategy, consumers will not have a way to assess the effectiveness of No-Name-Brand's new products. No-Name-Brand achieves large annual profits, despite small profits per unit sold, by means of a high volume of sales. No-Name-Brand's new anti-wrinkle products are not as effective as other anti-wrinkle products presently on the market. No-Name-Brand will quickly be able to achieve a strong market share of its new products line by using the money saved on advertising to charge less for its products than its competitors do. No-Name-Brand should develop a numerical system similar to the SPF, such as a WRF (wrinkle reduction factor), that it can assign to its new products.

spurious bogus

Not only was his braggadocio boring, but his claims were_____; he obviously lacked the intellectual savvy to serve on the judiciary committee, and I suspected that he lacked the credentials as well. incoherent spurious flippant conversant bogus blasphemous

pliant malleable

Not tethered to an inflexible theological approach, the Unitarian Church is _______ with respect to doctrine, a trait that mirrors the plurality of views its followers hold. dismissed pliant accepted intransigent malleable myopic

pusillanimous terpsichorean

Not wanting to appear (i)_______ to the woman whose heart he desired to win, Trevor accepted her extended hand and entered into the minuet, despite the fact that anything even remotely (ii)_______ set his timid heart pounding with fear. Blank (i) pusillanimous vindictive reprehensible Blank (ii) rapacious figurative terpsichorean

misanthropic

Omar was a difficult person to understand; he always discussed his appreciation of friends and family, yet his everyday actions were those of a _______ loner convinced that he did not really need anyone else in life. heterodox mawkish maladroit macabre misanthropic

submerged in an asounding buoyancy

On January 23, 1960, the bathyscaphe Trieste was (i)_______ the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean and achieved the greatest depth ever recorded, (ii)_______ 35,797 feet below sea level. Conceived as a sort of floating underwater balloon, the Trieste used thousands of gallons of gasoline, which is less dense than water, for (iii)_______. Blank (i) submerged in sublimated into subsumed into Blank (ii) a submersible a paltry an astounding Blank (iii) anchorage buoyancy acceleration

spendthrift

One business partner was parsimonious and hesitated to invest in even critical equipment, while the other was _______, but they worked successfully together. prolix obstreperous spendthrift dictatorial energetic

enigmas prosperity

One of the great (i)_______ faced by philosophers who hail from democratic nations has been how to resolve the conflict between democratic ideals and the quest for personal gain or, in other words, how one can seek personal (ii)_______ while praising sacrifice for the common good. Blank (i) resolutions propositions enigmas Blank (ii) frugality prosperity profligacy

People who have worked in a given industry can understand the concerns of workers in that industry

One problem with labor unions today is that their top staffs consist of college-trained lawyers, economists, and labor relations experts who cannot understand the concerns of real workers. One goal of union reform movements should be to build staffs out of workers who have come up from the ranks of the industry involved. The argument above depends primarily on which of the following assumptions? Higher education lessens people's identification with their class background. Union staffs should include more people with first-hand industrial supervisory experience. People who have worked in a given industry can understand the concerns of workers in that industry. Most labor unions today do not fairly represent workers' interests. A goal of union reform movements should be to make unions more democratic.

hinder impede

Only one thing could _______ Dan's ability to get to the meeting on time — the terrible traffic on the freeway. augment antecede augur venerate hinder impede

the personification the epitome

Our gracious host was _______ of hospitality, even though she had been raised by notoriously asocial parents who were far more likely to retreat to the privacy of their home than to entertain their neighbors with kindness and home-cooked meals. the antithesis the personification a champion a maverick the bane the epitome

Nearly all local fans who go to baseball games read the sports coverage only in the local paper Sport City, which has not changed its coverage of baseball.

Our local baseball team needs our support. Ever since the new soccer franchise was established in our city, our local newspaper, the Constitution-Herald, has reduced its coverage of baseball. Clearly, the presence of the new soccer franchise is hurting the attendance at local baseball games. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument above? The publisher of the Constitution-Herald is an avid baseball fan. All baseball teams in the country are showing reduced attendance due to the growing popularity of soccer. The owner of the local baseball franchise also owns the soccer franchise. Nearly all local fans who go to baseball games read the sports coverage only in the local paper Sport City, which has not changed its coverage of baseball. In general, newspaper readers prefer to watch basketball.

The city council has proposed a moratorium on the construction of high-water-consuming golf courses starting in two years.

Over the last three years, the city of Las Vegas has grown in population at a rate of 6 percent per year. Over the same period of time, however, water usage inside the city of Las Vegas is down almost 15 percent. Each of the following, if true, could help to explain the simultaneous decline in water usage and increase in population in Las Vegas EXCEPT: Due to drought awareness campaigns, the average citizen in Las Vegas now uses almost 30 percent less water now than he or she did three years ago. Two years ago, the city instituted a popular new incentive program for citizens to tear out high-water-consuming lawns and replace them with low-water-consuming cactus gardens. The city council has proposed a moratorium on the construction of high-water-consuming golf courses starting in two years. Three years ago a mining company that consumed vast amounts of water operated within the city limits; now that company is out of business. The mayor ordered that all of the city's hundreds of fountains be shut off, considerably reducing water use due to evaporation.

a metonym

Owing to its prominent and distinctive presence at the bottom of the Declaration of Independence, John Hancock's name has become _______ for one's signature. a homonym a metonym an antonym a euphemism a syllogism

abandoned

Owing to the renewed popularity of Victorian style, the derelict houses, _______ decades earlier, metamorphosed from eyesores to cultural landmarks. preserved abandoned burned destroyed founded

aberration impugned

Paradigmatic upheavals often occur after a period of increasing (i)_______, which creates quandaries for a scientific or cultural status quo. As the dominant theoretical models are questioned and (ii)_______, new models are proposed that may ultimately alter the perceptions of the entire population. Blank (i) concatenation aberration inculcation Blank (ii) impugned emblematized approbated

rapprochement

Paradoxically, the escalating tensions between the two powers and the concomitant arms buildup provided the backdrop for _______. proliferation ratiocination sobriquet rapprochement detonation

an ambiguous an investigation prominence

Pataphysics, the science of imaginary solutions, was developed by the playwright Alfred Jarry and incorporated into his plays. Although the idea is (i) _______ one, a clearer description can supposedly be found through (iI) _______ of Jarry's works. Pataphysics, embraced by a number of well-known artists, may have reached the height of its (iii) _______ when it was mentioned in the Beatles' song "Maxwell's Silver Hammer." Blank (i) a hazardous an ambiguous a lucid Blank (ii) an adumbration an obscuration an investigation Blank (iii) infamy prominence obscurity

disinterested

People expect that their elected officials will not be _______ representatives; it is common knowledge that politicians always have their own interests at heart. rational competent flexible disinterested diligent Show/hide explanation

tepid

Van Gogh's works, which would become renowned throughout the world, garnered _______ opinions from his contemporaries, who showed little interest in his pieces. tepid blunt petulant derisive laudatory

Practicing the basics of chess is the best way to become a quality chess player.

People who play chess as a hobby should not be discouraged by the recent record-breaking season of Anatoly Krupnik, the great Russian master. By far the most important factor in determining the quality of one's game is the amount of time one puts into practicing the basics. Even Anatoly Krupnik was once an uninitiated beginner. Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above? Even chess masters begin by playing the game as a hobby. Although time and effort spent mastering the fundamentals is of some importance, it will not train one to play as well as Anatoly Krupnik. If one puts in enough time practicing the basics of chess, one will eventually play the game as well as Anatoly Krupnik. Regardless of how much time and effort one has put into practicing the game of chess, luck is the most important factor in determining one's eventual success. Practicing the basics of chess is the best way to become a quality chess player.

a docile spurious

Photographs and toys lend credence to a widespread belief that the panda bear is (i)_______ animal; however, this (ii)_______ belief has led to numerous attacks on people attempting to approach pandas in zoos. Blank (i) an endangered a docile an elusive Blank (ii) pessimistic comical spurious

insurrection against revenge against

Pier Gerlofs Donia was a Frisian noble whose part in the (i)_______ the dominant Vetkoper party and its Hapsburg allies elevated him to the status of folk hero; he is known as Grutte Pier, a fierce rebel on a quest for (ii)_______ his family's murderers. Blank (i) insurrection against collusion with celebration of Blank (ii) an apperception of a hiatus from revenge against

Plant Y cannot survive in temperatures as high as those normally found in Desert X.

Plant Y thrives in environments of great sunlight and very little moisture. Desert X is an environment with constant, powerful sunlight and almost no moisture. Although Plant Y thrives in the areas surrounding Desert X, it does not exist naturally in the desert, nor does it survive long when introduced there. Which of the following, if true, would be most useful in explaining the apparent discrepancy above? Desert X's climate is far too harsh for the animals that normally feed on Plant Y. For one week in the fall, Desert X gets consistent rainfall. The environment around Desert X is ideally suited to the needs of Plant Y. Due to the lack of sufficient moisture, Desert X can support very little plant life. Plant Y cannot survive in temperatures as high as those normally found in Desert X.

abbreviates

Popular history frequently _______ important events; a method in which all sides are fully but economically explained has yet to be found. ignores disputes exacerbates abbreviates defiles

Four years ago a temporary rise in the price of oil, Country X's main export, resulted in a short-lived boost to Country X's economy, placing most citizens that year in a higher than normal tax bracket.

President of Country X: Four years ago, the average income tax paid by our citizens was 33% of the average income. This year, that figure has dropped to 28%. We can conclude that my administration's efforts to lower taxes have been effective, and therefore, the average income tax next year will be still lower. Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the president 's argument? Next year Country X will introduce a new tax credit for those citizens who earn at least $100,000 a year. The president's administration does not have complete control over income taxes, since they are officially regulated by Country X's legislative body. The income tax rates four years ago were the highest they have been in 10 years. Four years ago a temporary rise in the price of oil, Country X's main export, resulted in a short-lived boost to Country X's economy, placing most citizens that year in a higher than normal tax bracket. The income tax figures were not based on the entire population, but on a representative sample of 2,000 people.

culprits diffidently

Psychologists now believe that the likeliest sources of procrastination are not intractable character flaws such as laziness and lack of willpower, but rather (i)_______ such as unclear goals, fear of failure, fatigue, and distractions—all problems that students and workers (ii)_______ facing a daunting task can target and solve. Blank (i) hedges fixtures culprits Blank (ii) adeptly diffidently collaboratively

craven timid

Pundits were quick to say that the mayor's stance on environmental reform was far too _______; she easily relinquished her already minimal resolve to avoid confrontation. temperate craven timid moderate self-serving radical

Movie theaters almost never fail to bar children under 18 from admittance to motion pictures of an adult nature.

Rating music albums to reflect the amount of frank language and violence each one contains, in the way that motion pictures are rated, will not serve to reduce the likelihood that younger children will be exposed to that kind of music. Each of the following, if true, could be logically cited in support of the opinion above EXCEPT: Most record albums are bought by older children who generally do not limit their younger siblings' access to their albums. It would not be feasible to use the rating system to restrict the range of music that radio stations may play. Movie theaters almost never fail to bar children under 18 from admittance to motion pictures of an adult nature. Record stores could not be relied upon to monitor the age of customers seeking to purchase a particular album. Younger children who would ordinarily not be interested in music with mature content might be drawn to it if that content were indicated by a particular rating.

advisory

Recent calls for the political role of clerics to be more _______ than participatory were opposed by the activist members of the clergy. voluble advisory intrusive religious measured

encourage

Recent research into commendatory pedagogical methods indicates that parents' use of positive comments may _______ their child to learn math. compel entertain enjoin encourage challenge

slipshod slovenly

Regrettably, my escort to the banquet proved to be an embarrassment to the host, as his _______ appearance was inappropriate, given the formality of the occasion. genteel slipshod atypical urbane slovenly anomalous

inextricably

Some are concerned about the extent to which technology dominates our everyday lives, and believe it forebodes a future _______ driven by mankind's dependence on computers and electronic devices. insubstantially indigently interstitially inextricably indigenously

speak

Verena did not want to _______, but Ms. Chancellor insisted that she say something at the event. speak attend orate decline enunciate

The increased levels of harmful metals were insufficient to result in significant health effects.

Researchers recently discovered an unusually high concentration of harmful metals in the water supply of Dunbarton County. They further found that, with a costly new water filter system installed in their homes, residents were able to filter out almost all of the harmful metals in the water supply. For this reason, all the residents of Dunbarton County should have the filter system installed in their homes, regardless of expense. If true, which of the following would most weaken the above conclusion? Researchers could not discover how the harmful metals were entering the water supply. The increased levels of harmful metals were insufficient to result in significant health effects. The researchers failed to investigate the possibility of harmful microorganisms and other contamination in the county's water supply. The researchers found that people who tried to purify their water by boiling it were just as likely to ingest increased levels of harmful metals as people who drank straight from the tap. Researchers found that, over time, the levels of harmful metals in the water supply did not vary significantly and remained consistently high.

formulated informed ergonomics

Rudolf Laban, a brilliant dance theorist who (i) _______ a method for analyzing human movement, studied the movement of individuals in relation to the space through which they move. Laban's ideas not only (ii) _______ much of modern European dance but also influenced early (iii) _______ studies, as he later turned his interest to reducing movement-induced fatigue in the workplace. Blank (i) obviated formulated coruscated Blank (ii) countered preempted informed Blank (iii) agronomics ergonomics econometrics

diffidence

Ryan is paralyzed by his own _______: he imagines having elaborate conversations with various people, but he fails to engage in discourse with them when opportunities to do so arise. diffidence sycophancy asphyxiation convalescence rectitude

inscrutable

Ryan was very different from Thomas; while the former habitually launched into _______ tirades, the latter spoke less often and more cogently. ingenuous perspicacious pellucid inscrutable salacious

Though Hitek Appliances' microwave ovens are priced comparably to those of its competition, sales of Hitek Appliances' microwave ovens have fallen in the last year.

Sales of microwave ovens have increased considerably over the last year. In order to take advantage of this market trend, Hitek Appliances plans to increase production of its own model of microwave oven, while continuing its already extensive advertising of this product. Which of the following, if true, provides most support for the view that Hitek Appliances cannot increase its sales of microwave ovens by adopting the plan outlined above? Hitek Appliances' average inventory of microwave ovens awaiting shipment to retailers has dropped from 1,000 to 750 over the last year. Market research shows that potential customers regard Hitek Appliances' microwave ovens to be high in quality. Though Hitek Appliances' microwave ovens are priced comparably to those of its competition, sales of Hitek Appliances' microwave ovens have fallen in the last year. Hitek Appliances' microwave oven is one of four brands of microwave oven that have together accounted for the majority of the last year's increase in sales. Although it sells 95% of the microwave ovens that it produces, Hitek Appliances ' share of all microwave oven sales has declined over the last year.

enticed by piquancy

Sarah was (i)_______ the proposal to run for office; normally she was disinclined to take an interest in local politics, but the notion of serving on the city council herself offered a certain (ii)_______ that would keep her attention engaged. Blank (i) impassive about enticed by perplexed by Blank (ii) mendacity piquancy vapidity

singularity heterodoxy

Sasha was perturbed when her classmates began emulating her clothing style; her ______ was part and parcel of her identity. immutability incorruptibility singularity heterodoxy homogeneity fashion

remonstrances expostualtions

Several of the students assigned to the project were inexperienced in field research, so despite their ________, they were relegated to working on administrative tasks. remonstrances hubris acquiescence expostulations accession dissipation

ascertain a rapscallion

Sherri could not (i)_______ the reason for her son's suddenly mediocre report cards because he had always scored well on tests. It was only after she met with his teacher that Sherri learned that the cause was behavioral; he had become (ii)_______ in class. Blank (i) deny emulate ascertain Blank (ii) a barbarian an overachiever a rapscallion

disliked

Since Porter _______ cats, he did not want to visit Flynn's house, which had three cats. petted understood disliked advanced sold

The existence of so many uniquely linked characteristics cannot be explained by convergent evolution, the development of similarities in separate lineages through the operation of similar selective factors on both lines.

Since at least 1868, paleontologists have been arguing over whether or not birds evolved from dinosaurs. In the late 1960s, a scientist from Yale University named John Ostrom declared there were 22 features in the skeletons of meat-eating dinosaurs that were also seen in birds but not in any other animals. By the year 2000, 85 such characteristics unique to dinosaurs and birds had been discovered. Some very vocal critics continue to oppose the theory, but this skeletal evidence strongly supports the idea that dinosaurs are the direct ancestors of modern birds. Which of the following, if true, would allow the conclusion of the argument to be more properly drawn? It is impossible to tell for certain by examining the fossil record whether dinosaurs were warm-blooded like birds or cold-blooded like reptiles. Therapod dinosaurs evolved feathers in place of scales because feathers conferred greater protection against the cold. The existence of so many uniquely linked characteristics cannot be explained by convergent evolution, the development of similarities in separate lineages through the operation of similar selective factors on both lines. Several of the supporters of the theory that birds evolved from dinosaurs are paleontologists who are highly regarded in their field. The earliest "feathered dinosaur" fossil found has been dated at 129 million years old, while the earliest "true bird" fossil has been dated at 150 million years old.

congested

Since the rural community's infrastructure was not able to keep up with the rapid influx of new housing developments, roads that were previously adequate for lower traffic volumes are now _______ during peak travel times. sufficient improved congested tested censored

Alacrity

eager/willingness to do something

capricious mercurial

Some experts argue that the diagnostic criteria used by psychiatrists and psychologists to identify borderline personality disorder do not sufficiently describe the pathological moods that accompany the condition, which can range from misery to ecstasy; these critics claim that because the sufferer's erratic emotions could be underestimated and mistaken for merely a _______ spirit, misdiagnosis is common. pompous capricious perplexing evident mercurial depressive

Fast food chains have found that they can charge significantly higher prices for menu offerings that are perceived to be healthful and nutritious.

Some fast food chains have responded to concerns that their products are contributing to a perceived obesity crisis by offering customers a wide assortment of new "low carbohydrate" and "low fat" menu offerings. Clearly, the reason for these menu changes is a desire on the part of these chains to prove that fast food does not necessarily have to be unhealthful junk food. Which of the following most seriously undermines the explanation offered above for the behavior of the fast food chains? Nutritionists are still strongly divided over whether a low carbohydrate diet or a low fat diet is better for helping people to lose weight. Many items that are neither low fat nor low carbohydrate remain highly popular at the fast food chains that have begun to offer more healthful options. Those who tend to be the most concerned about the harmful effects of fast food on Americans' health would be unlikely to eat at these chains even if the chains provided low fat and low carbohydrate menu options. Fast food chains have found that they can charge significantly higher prices for menu offerings that are perceived to be healthful and nutritious. Consumer pressure has led several fast food chains to eliminate "jumbo-sized" menu offerings because of the perception that these offerings promote poor health and obesity.

triumph

Some people's dreams are strengthened by cycles of adversity and _______, proving that very different experiences can contribute to a common end. hardship malaise fortification stress triumph

Most seniors depend on the politically motivated senior-citizen discount fares offered by the government, which private companies would discontinue as unprofitable.

Some who favor privatization of governmental functions believe that if private companies were permitted to manage public transportation systems, those companies could operate the systems more efficiently without inconveniencing customers or reducing service quality. Which of the following, if true, most weakens the suggestion that public transportation systems should be privatized? Most seniors depend on the politically motivated senior-citizen discount fares offered by the government, which private companies would discontinue as unprofitable. Directors of a private transportation company might not reach agreement on ways to achieve their objectives. If they wished to expand public transportation service, the private companies might be forced to solicit contributions from major donors and the public. There might be competition among private companies for control of certain transportation routes. Some public transportation routes might be economically infeasible despite the efforts of the company.

Glen Isle incumbents have access to financial support in excess of that available to challengers.

Studies of voting patterns in the town of Glen Isle have shown that the single most effective way for politicians to win votes is to purchase expensive television advertising. A candidate challenging the incumbent for a seat on the town council has argued that the importance of television advertising inherently favors incumbents and therefore that political television advertising should be banned in Glen Isle. The challenger's conclusion logically depends on which of the following assumptions? Incumbents have won eighty percent of the elections in Glen Isle in the last 10 years. Some incumbent candidates in Glen Isle have been able to win votes by organizing frequent political rallies. Not all challengers in Glen Isle are skilled political fundraisers. Glen Isle incumbents have access to financial support in excess of that available to challengers. Banning political television advertising is not unconstitutional.

acrid pungent

Tannin possesses a _______ flavor and is found in a variety of drinks, most notably red wine and tea, causing these beverages to leave a dry, bitter aftertaste in the drinker's mouth. ambrosial vapid acrid saccharine tumid pungent

quite hyperbole somewhat overstated pecuniary

That teachers are grossly underpaid, while not (i)_______, may nevertheless still be (ii)_______. While their (iii)_______ compensation is rather low, they do receive excellent fringe benefits that more than make up for this deficiency. Blank (i) completely palpable quite hyperbole entirely salacious Blank (ii) rather adulterated utterly spurious somewhat overstated Blank (iii) pecuniary pellucid pulverous

burgeoning disparate an intricate

The "lost wax" technique employed in bronze casting, still popular today, was already (i) _______ by the third millennium BCE and utilized in areas as (ii) _______ as China, India, and Egypt. The technique involves painstakingly crafting an ornate wax figure, which is then covered in clay and placed in a kiln to melt the wax, leaving (iii) _______ mold. Blank (i) burgeoning recumbent repudiated Blank (ii) disparate occidental plenary Blank (iii) a circuitous a jejune an intricate

rococo ornamentation garish

The (i) _______ design of the palace is remarkable for its exceptional (ii) _______, although some criticize the interior as (iii) _______, filled with vivid and contrasting colors and patterns considered unbefitting by more conservative experts. Blank (i) voguish austere rococo Blank (ii) ornamentation ostentation overlay Blank (iii) utilitarian exquisite garish

doughty audacity parlous

The (i) _______ explorers persevered through the adverse conditions, but despite their (ii) _______, they hesitated when they neared the swamp—unsure how to traverse the particularly (iii) _______ area, which they suspected consisted mostly of quicksand. Blank (i) pusillanimous poltroon doughty Blank (ii) audacity impassiveness timorousness Blank (iii) anodyne parlous pertinacious

latent flourish quest for

The (i) _______ potential of a new company to (ii) _______ in an emerging and as yet unstructured market is often difficult for investors to discern as they (iii) _______ clues to its resilience and vitality. Blank (i) evident mature latent Blank (ii) flourish succumb equilibrate Blank (iii) circumvent capitulate to quest for

taciturn garrulous

The (i)_______ millionaire was well known among interviewers as a difficult man to draw out; nonetheless, when a young news reporter asked about his collection of World War II memorabilia, he became positively (ii)_______, talking for almost two hours about the posters alone. Blank (i) sagacious taciturn incorrigible Blank (ii) dispassionate intransigent garrulous

austerity jejune

The (i)_______ of the old man's garb and home belied a (ii)_______ nature, and many people lamented his tendency to be outright juvenile in somber circumstances. Blank (i) austerity obsolescence poverty Blank (ii) doughty jejune inquisitive

inexorable trauma

The (i)_______ quality of the prose of Edward Campion Vaughan's World War I trench diary Some Desperate Glory mimics the insidious nature of the conflict itself, as events draw the writer ever closer to the interminable and bloody (ii)_______ of combat fought with barbaric weaponry. Blank (i) abominable inexorable capricious Blank (ii) trauma enigma machination

quest celestial astronomical

The 25-year (i)_______ to discover a ninth planet began as the brainchild of Perceval Lowell, who was the first to identify the possibility of such a (ii)_______ body's existence. Lowell began the hunt in 1905 at an observatory in Arizona. He had computers to assist him, but they were not of the electronic variety. To make his complex (iii)_______ calculations, Lowell depended on a team of women known as "computers." Blank (i) liaison sabbatical quest Blank (ii) turgid celestial multanimous Blank (iii) autonomic terrestrial astronomical

interaction

The Austrian ethologist Konrad Lorenz applied his studies of the instinctive behavior of fish in schools to the social dynamics of human _______ in groups. fallibility interaction physiology corruption education

Research has demonstrated that most consumers purchase rain suits for their comfort and not because of the rain.

The Farmer's Almanac is predicting that the next two years will yield 20 percent less rain in the Pacific Northwest. As a result, local merchants are lowering their sales expectations for rain suits by the same percentage. Which of the following, if true, casts the greatest doubt on the reasoning used by the merchants? Sales of all rainwear have been steadily increasing for the last decade. The forecast for lower rainfall is not limited to the Pacific Northwest but is consistent with predictions nationwide. On average, consumers who purchase rain suits keep them for three years. The Farmer's Almanac has correctly predicted the climate in the Pacific Northwest for the past fifteen years. Research has demonstrated that most consumers purchase rain suits for their comfort and not because of the rain. Show/hide explanation

mythical aegis itneractions

The Greek gods were said to live on Mount Olympus, their (i) _______ home in the celestial sphere, where their security was maintained under the (ii) _______ of Zeus, the supreme sky god who controlled the natural forces. Zeus and his subordinates occasionally descended from Olympus to meddle in human lives, and their (iii) _______ with mortals were often the subject of myth. Blank (i) ephemeral mythical evanescent Blank (ii) aegis supposition disguise Blank (iii) parallels remediations interactions

coerced salient malfeasance

The Magna Carta, which King John was (i) _______ to sign under duress from his antagonistic barons in 1215, is historically significant because it made the king subject to the laws of the land. A (ii) _______ clause of the document, which is still relevant today, references constitutional liberty; it was one of many passages in the document that guarded against (iii) _______ on the king's part. Blank (i) abrogated coerced importuned Blank (ii) plangent benevolent salient Blank (iii) malfeasance misanthropy defection

Most of those living in the eastern portion of Country X belong to a unique ethnic group that is genetically resistant to malaria.

The National Disease Control agency of Country X found in a recent review of statistics that the prevalence of malaria is twice as high in the western portion of the country as it is in the eastern portion of the country. If a newlywed couple from the high-malaria western portion of the country, therefore, were to move to the eastern portion in order to start their family, they could expect a lower likelihood that their children would contract malaria. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the conclusion drawn in the passage? People who move from the western portion of Country X to the eastern portion are less likely to contract malaria than if they stayed in the western portion of Country X. The head magistrate of the western portion of Country X has declared a state of emergency due to the high number of malaria cases in that area. Most of those living in the eastern portion of Country X belong to a unique ethnic group that is genetically resistant to malaria. Sixty percent of those living in the western portion of Country X will never contract malaria in their lives. The western portion of Country X experiences more rain during the year; this in turn provides the standing water necessary for the hatching of malaria-causing mosquitoes.

tenacity steadfastness

The Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom distinguished itself in its defense of Britain against the Luftwaffe, earning a reputation for bravery in battle and _______ in the face of overwhelming odds. pliability bravado tenacity bravura steadfastness capriciousness

array spate

The Synoptic (taken from the Greek syn-, "together," and -optic, "seeing") Gospels derive their categorical name from the _______ of similarities in content and composition. scarcity array paucity dearth spate population

consolidated reactivated an assortment

The USO (United Service Organizations) was founded in 1941, when it (i) ____________ the work of various social organizations. The USO was kept in operation during World War II. Disbanded in 1947, the USO was (ii) ___________ during the Korean War. Today, the USO provides (iii) _________ of services—from staging entertainments to supporting wounded personnel. Blank (i) absolved ascertained consolidated Blank (ii) chastised established reactivated Blank (iii) an assortment a paucity an effigy

substantially reduced abandoned preoccupation with

The Wankel rotary engine was an engineering marvel that (i) _______ automobile exhaust emissions, but because it was less fuel-efficient than the standard piston-cylinder engine, it was (ii) _______ in the early 1970s when (iii) _______ pollution gave way to panic over fuel shortages. Blank (i) depended totally on preceded the problems with substantially reduced Blank (ii) necessitated conceived abandoned Blank (iii) ignorance of espousal of preoccupation with

partisan

The championship game was played on anything but a neutral site; despite the fact that neither team played its home games there, the spectators were clearly _______ toward the underdog. unbiased lugubrious languid indigent partisan

expansive

extensive/communicative

auspicious

favorable

candid

honest

Some countries contain hundreds of thousands of miles of road while other countries contain relatively few miles of road.

The World Automobile Association (WAA) publishes a list of the "Best and Worst Drivers of the World," ranking the drivers of every nation according to the number of traffic deaths per mile driven in that country. Each of the following, if true, would by itself provide a logical objection to using the WAA's ranking as a representation of the quality of drivers in each nation EXCEPT: The roads in some countries are in bad repair and are therefore more dangerous than roads in other countries. The average driver in industrialized countries can afford to maintain his or her car in better condition than can the average driver in less developed countries. Some countries contain hundreds of thousands of miles of road while other countries contain relatively few miles of road. Minor accidents that would cause little injury in many countries are often fatal when they occur in extremely mountainous countries. Because of differences in national economies, the average car in some countries contains many more passengers than does the average car in other countries.

inverse relationshipo

The _______ between fertility and standard of living is undeniable: studies have revealed a strong correlation between low birth rates and high standard of living worldwide. necessary connection inverse relationship surprising interplay unfortunate breakdown beneficial link

pulchritude comeliness

The _______ of Helen of Troy has become immortalized in many works beyond the Epic Cycle of Ancient Greek literature, including Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, in which the title character describes her exceptional beauty as "the face that launch'd a thousand ships." pulchritude psyche comeliness acclamation homeliness charisma

frequency

The _______ of shark attacks is on the rise due in part to overfishing, which is forcing sharks to search out new types of food. consideration ferocity dread horror frequency

flippancy impertinence

The _______ of the students during the principal's speech enraged and disheartened the new teacher, and she was distraught at her inability to take control of a group that appeared to have such a blatant disrespect for authority. contrition apathy flippancy simplicity impertinence indolence

garish robustious

The _______ preconcert celebrations did not seem to suit what followed; the concert itself was low key and acoustic, and it featured only one performer. ersatz corrosive garish exquisite robustious resplendent

infer

The academic paper was the culmination of years studying the books of Tolkien; by carefully reading only his finished novels, the researchers were able to _______ the rigid, but unwritten, rules for character development in his stories. design update attack homogenize infer

stimulated effectuated

The advent of humanistic thought _______ a number of changes in art and philosophy, causing an increased interest in and focus on secular ideologies. abrogated obviated stimulated effectuated foreshadowed extolled

recriminations incompetence equipped

The aftermath of the explosion aboard the submarine produced mutual (i) _______; the navy blamed the (ii) _______ of the crew, while the sailors' families alleged that the vessel had been inadequately (iii) _______. Blank (i) accolades reparations recriminations Blank (ii) diligence incompetence acrimony Blank (iii) equipped exonerated emended

ascetic austere

The apartment was furnished in a rather _______ style; in fact, "furnished" might be too strong a word, since the only object available to sit on was a straw mat in the middle of the room. disingenuous iconoclastic contemptible ascetic macabre austere

revolutionary

The architecture in the town is anything but _______; it draws its banal style from models already in use. trite revolutionary symmetrical uniform appropriate

righteous

The astonishingly arrogant astrophysicist was not only dismissive and rude to his colleagues, but he also believed that there was no more _______ path in life than the commitment to pure thought that he had himself made. righteous protean sectarian prurient providential

recondite

The astrophysicist's solution to the problem of long-range space flight was based on such _______ mathematical principles that even her astute colleagues required further explication before they could appreciate the brilliance of her proposal. elementary antediluvian inconsistent erroneous recondite

affronted glowering

The audience member claimed not to have been (i)_______ by the comedian's inappropriate remarks, but her ramrod posture and (ii)_______ eyes, captured on multiple cameras, hinted at her barely suppressed displeasure. Blank (i) charmed affronted castigated Blank (ii) glowering demure sentimental

emblematic of

The barred shadows on the actor's otherwise brightly lit face, cast by Venetian blinds, created an effect _______ film noir, a style of filmmaking marked by high-contrast visuals. antithetical to emblematic of incompatible with boycotted by dramatized by

intrepidity

The captain inspired his soldiers with his _______ on the battlefield, taking the lead on even the most harrowing missions and thereby embodying the proverb he often cited to his unit: "Fortune favors the bold." vigilance intrepidity sagacity decorum prudence

A columnar juniper growing in an atmosphere of intense heat and an absence of carbon monoxide

The cause of the peculiar columnar growth pattern displayed by junipers growing near burning underground veins of lignite coal has never been convincingly explained. Until recently, the accepted theory posited that the abundance of carbon monoxide in the local atmosphere caused the columnar growth. However, a new theory holds that the cause is the persistent heat present near these underground fires which, while not intense enough to inflame the trees, can nonetheless change their normal growth pattern. The existence of which of the following would provide the strongest support for the new theory? A columnar juniper growing in an atmosphere of intense heat and an absence of carbon monoxide A normal juniper growing in an atmosphere of intense heat and an absence of carbon monoxide A columnar juniper growing in an atmosphere of normal heat and a high concentration of carbon monoxide A normal juniper growing in an atmosphere of intense heat and a high concentration of carbon monoxide A columnar juniper growing in an atmosphere of intense heat and a high concentration of carbon monoxide

Benighted

ignorant; unenlightened

innocuous irate

The comedian's joke about redheads, which he thought was (i)_______, got a big laugh in the theater. When he went backstage after the show, however, he was shocked to find his redheaded manager seething with anger. Indeed, the manager was so (ii)_______ that she quit on the spot. Blank (i) banal insolent innocuous Blank (ii) irate tractable phlegmatic

disparage castigate

The commitment of the United States to democracy encourages many of the country's leaders to _______ despotic regimes in public pronouncements; however, some of these same regimes have privately received aid from the American government in the interest of national security. disparage castigate obviate eulogize espouse ameliorate

achievement progress in thereby fulfilling

The company, which introduced its website in August, can already exhibit a rapidly increasing core of customers and merchant partners as evidence of its (i) _______. The company's quick success accentuates the industry's slow but stable (ii) _______ personalization—finding ways to pair customers with their product preferences, (iii) ________ what analysts describe as a primary consumer need. Blank (i) achievement presentation obedience Blank (ii) investigation of progress in goals surrounding Blank (iii) thus alienating thereby fulfilling intentionally disuniting

disposition marvel at fiery

The composer was remembered as much for his choleric (i) _______ as his elegant compositions. Centuries after his death, musicians and music lovers alike (ii) _______the incredible fact that a man known for his ferocious outbursts of anger could produce pieces of such beauty. The adagios of his symphonies and concertos seem especially at odds with his (iii) _______ personality. Blank (i) disposition refinement appearance Blank (ii) insinuate marvel at belittle Blank (iii) jocular fiery profligate

prohibitive

The costs of building, manning and maintaining the giant oil rigs of the Canning Basin are so prodigious that they would be _______ were there not such a bounty of oil to be extracted. stupendous profitable prohibitive immeasurable commensurate

permutation esoteric

The cryptographer tried in vain to decipher the message, trying every conceivable (i)_______ of encoded numbers and possible translations, but the highly complex code would not divulge its (ii)______ rules. Blank (i) numerology inclination permutation Blank (ii) esoteric ambient luminary

belied

The deer had an elegant tan coat and a pristine white tail, but its appearance _______ a petulant, irascible temper that was especially noticeable during the spring. lionized preempted embodied belied exacerbated

assiduously appraise cerebral

The determined bicyclist practiced (i) _______ in preparation for the race, relying on her coach to (ii) _______ her level of performance and offer constructive criticism of her technique and her strategy. She realized that one's overall skill level is determined not only by physical prowess but also by the (iii) _______ aspect of racing. Blank (i) assiduously perspicaciously vicariously Blank (ii) excoriate appraise requite Blank (iii) somatic cerebral corporeal

observable perceptible manifested

The difference between genotype and phenotype are often confused. Phenotype refers to an organism's outward, (i) __________ structures and functions, whereas genotype refers to innate, genetically coded information not (ii) _________ to the unaided eye. Genotypic information is present at a cellular level; phenotypic information is physically (iii) __________. Blank (i) observable futile irreplaceable Blank (ii) implacable terrestrial perceptible Blank (iii) surfeited coveted manifested

explicit categorical

The diplomat's denial that his country was developing nuclear weapons was _______; it left no room for misunderstanding. explicit pragmatic verbose categorical objective dispassionate

infer

The doctor had an indirect way of teaching such that she would list all the patient's symptoms, and, based on this evidence, her student-interns were supposed to _______ the diagnosis. deny accept infer revise imply

an inchoate coalesced

The early universe was (i)_______ mass of subatomic particles with energies so high they cannot be replicated using current methods; as the mass began to cool, the particles (ii)_______ into distinct objects and eventually condensed into our current system of nebulae. Blank (i) an inchoate a desiccated a noisome Blank (ii) rarefied coalesced precipitated

ornery antipathy aversion to

The event organizers found it almost impossible to plan the museum fundraiser, as the host, formerly genial and tractable, had suddenly become curiously (i)_______, asserting her (ii)_______ toward any course of action that was proposed and expressing (iii)_______ all the previously agreed-upon activities. Blank (i) precocious ornery reticent Blank (ii) antipathy amity apathy Blank (iii) aversion to acceptance of acknowledgment of

blandishments palaver

The executive claimed to surround himself with only the most candid advisers, yet his newest consultants proved themselves to be no more than sycophants; they refused to disagree with their employer and instead offered him constant, yet feckless _______. blandishments approbation palaver obloquies guidance prolixity

august

The facade of the house was _______, making the interior even more disappointing to prospective buyers. ramshackle dilapidated august diminutive gloomy

conscientiousness precision

The fact that the Luo potters of Kenya devote long hours to their craft, honoring ancient cultural traditions by producing their images with punctilious artistry, demonstrates the value placed on _______ in Luo culture. concupiscence conscientiousness precision celerity avarice beauty

mawkish

The family abjured store-bought cards, deeming the cloying quips to be too _______ to express proper sentiment in a tasteful manner. rancorous brusque candid mawkish sanguine

vitriol

The fans did not understand why the opponents embraced after the final whistle; they had hoped that the players would show the same _______ off the field as during the game. strength sincerity vitriol mendacity agape

ascetic abjuring a distraction

The order was best known for its (i) _______ living and (ii) _______ all physical indulgences, as the leader had decreed that any profligacy represented (iii) _______ its search for understanding. Blank (i) discreet ascetic impoverished Blank (ii) abjuring wanting espousing Blank (iii) a key to a distortion of a distraction from

It is in the economic interest of the plumber to use expensive items, even if their use is not warranted by the circumstances.

The fee a certain plumber charges for service is based on a "cost-plus" pricing method. The plumber charges for all items used in the work, and adds a set percentage. Which of the following statements, if true, would be the best basis for a criticism of "cost-plus" pricing as an economically advantageous method for customers of the plumber's service? It is in the economic interest of the plumber to use expensive items, even if their use is not warranted by the circumstances. The percentage added to the cost of an item has decreased over the past several years. The plumber does not charge for labor costs, despite the extensive time requirements of some repair jobs. Some past clients have criticized the quality of the plumber's work. The "cost-plus" pricing method has been used by other plumbers in the region.

amass notable

The folk artist started to (i)_______ items for his "street books," creating patchworks of tickets, photos, tags, money, newspaper, and various other mass-produced artifacts. After several exhibitions, these extraordinary books became (ii)_______ for the way they enhance the debris of the everyday. Blank (i) compute amass forgo Blank (ii) notable piecemeal infamous

Within the region, unenriched sand cannot sustain trees like beeches and maples.

The forest ranger explained to the group on the ecology walk that the woods around them, dominated by beech and maple trees, were representative within that region of an ecological climax community. Before climax, an area is in constant change as the initial simple vegetation, through the natural process of decay, enriches the soil, enabling it to sustain more complex plant and animal life. The sequence of development leading up to the climax community of beeches and maples starts with sand on which grasses grow, causing stability and eventual enrichment of the soil until conifers and then oaks grow, resulting finally in the ascendance of the present beeches and maples. The forest ranger is assuming which one of the following? No conifers or oaks are present in this particular climax community. The evolution of a forest does not conform to typical growth patterns. The animal life of an ecological community has no effect on soil enrichment. Within the region, unenriched sand cannot sustain trees like beeches and maples. After the climax of an ecological community, no further ecological change takes place

reserved decorous

The girl's composure was astounding given her youthfulness; _______ and self-possessed, she clearly had no predilection for confusing exhilaration with contentment. nonplussed reserved contrite decorous lethargic apathetic Show/hide explanation

strengthening

The government has taken exclusively perfunctory steps to alleviate illiteracy, poverty, and disease in the countryside, _______ the assumptions that the leadership only cares about its wealthy urban population. disproving divulging disabusing discrediting strengthening

States spending the largest amount per airport on improvements are those with airports that typically cannot be made adequate.

The governor of state X in a speech to the Chamber of Commerce in state Y: Many businesspeople in state Y who have never traveled to state X believe that we have inadequate airports. However, these people are mistaken. State X has spent more money per airport on improvements than has any other state in the country over the last five years. Because of this, our on-time flight percentage has risen 5 points in the last five years, and passenger complaints are down 10 percent over the same time period. Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the reasoning in the governor's argument? In the governor's state, spending on airport improvements has been growing more slowly over the last five years than in several other states, including state Y. Businesspeople care more about the quality of hotels in the locations they visit than about the quality of the airports. Over the last five years, many businesses have relocated out of state X, but a similar number have relocated into state X. The business taxes in state X are higher than they are in state Y. States spending the largest amount per airport on improvements are those with airports that typically cannot be made adequate.

nuance

The gray-green foliage of the eucalyptus provides the soft, spatially deceptive background color of the Australian bush, monotonous at first but rippling with _____ to the acclimatized eye. nuance intrigue vegetation zephyrs gesticulation

verisimilitude

The great discovery of the turn-of-the-century period was that a work of art can be virtually divorced from representation of the physical world; it can convey sensations of, or feelings about, life without requiring _______. extemporaneousness harmony permanence independence verisimilitude

finicky

The guest was so _______ while dining that the host deemed her fastidious rather than merely discriminating. finicky boorish loquacious stolid curt

a minatory precipitated

The headmaster's frightening, almost violent lectures had (i)_______ effect on most of the students. On Noland Bevary, however, the strong words backfired, as each stern sermon (ii)_______ another act of rebellion from the volatile young man. Blank (i) a minatory a palliative an evanescent Blank (ii) deterred cajoled precipitated

sated carping capitulated

The immense quantity notwithstanding, Carl did not feel (i) _______ by the meal. He persisted with (ii) _______ and whining until the waitstaff (iii) _______ and brought him a second meal. Blank (i) sated famished perplexed Blank (ii) indulging abstaining carping Blank (iii) capitulated seethed quit

disinterested mistrust of

The increasing acceptance of the notion that the news media is not a (i)_______ commentator on events, but rather a mouthpiece for the vested interests of its powerful owners, demonstrates the public's growing (ii)_______ large corporations. Blank (i) disinterested meddlesome manipulative Blank (ii) mistrust of satisfaction with affection for

cursory perfunctory

The inspection was _______ at best; the person they hired to do the job breezed through the house in less than an hour and failed to detect structural damage that later caused problems for the homeowners. formulaic ludicrous inclement cursory perfunctory compliant

lenient clemency

The ordinarily (i)_______ judge acted counter to his reputation when he made the controversial decision to give the convicted defendant the maximum prison sentence. Many believed the judge had been influenced by the prosecutor's impassioned argument against (ii)_______ for the defendant. Blank (i) obdurate lenient apathetic Blank (ii) severity clemency impartiality

seize thwarted reforms

The insurgents' bid to (i)_______ the citadel and the power it symbolized was eventually (ii)_______; consequently, the popular movement lost its momentum, and its leaders entered into a fitful but unavoidable treaty with the despised government. Nevertheless, over the years that followed, certain (iii)_______ were introduced that made the revolution's expenditure of blood and effort worthwhile. Blank (i) probe seize sanction Blank (ii) conclusive thwarted vigorous Blank (iii) consequences predicaments reforms

somnolence admonitions

The intolerable heat of the fierce tropical sun, seeping through the heavy, damp air, rapidly reduced even the most industrious and diligent of the work crews to a state of stupefied (i)_______ and rendered the project manager's (ii)_______ futile, despite the imminent deadline. Blank (i) somnolence invective alacrity Blank (ii) verbosity admonitions puerility

opprobrious ignominious

The intractability of the team's general manager was _______ to many in the organization; it impeded the process of building a quality franchise. cloying latent apparent opprobrious ignominious beguiling

a cerebral perfidious

The intricately plotted action of Charles Palliser's clever novel The Quincunx takes the reader on (i)_______ journey through the complex nuances of Regency England's legal system, in which unscrupulous and (ii)_______ lawyers do battle with a young and innocent protagonist over the fate of an entailed estate. Blank (i) an implacable a deleterious a cerebral Blank (ii) perfidious dolorous aggrieved

expurgating disposition

The issue of censorship on television is long running; those few responsible for (i)_______ content have an often-misguided sense of their ability to predict the (ii)_______ of the public. Some of their decisions are applauded, but they are also often excoriated for censoring material that is ultimately considered inoffensive. Blank (i) creating expurgating edifying Blank (ii) disposition displacement apathy

assuage austere

The jocular medical assistant sought to (i)_______ the patient's trepidation by telling a rather bawdy anecdote. Subsequently, it was difficult to ascertain whether the doctor's (ii)_______ manner reflected his aggravation with the medical assistant's informality or his concern about the patient's health. Blank (i) cajole harangue assuage Blank (ii) jocund mellifluous austere

invectives diatribes

The journal's reviews expose the critics' incompetence more than that of the author, as most of the reviews provide no constructive criticism and amount to nothing more than tiresome and insulting _______ aimed at deflating the author's ego. articulations invectives elocutions surmises diatribes speculations

colloquial idiomatic

The main characters in the novel are not only compelling but true-to-life, as the author, who was born and raised in the heart of Mississippi, lends an authenticity to her work through the use of _______ language; many of the dialects utilized are still spoken throughout the South today. urbane colloquial idiomatic paradigmatic figurative allegorical

cerebral intellectual

The majority of the presentation by the prestigious guest lecturer was predictably _______, although the audience was surprised by how effortlessly the expert speaker interjected her own charm and wit into an erudite speech that encompassed several complex and, at times, tedious topics. cerebral lackluster scatological intellectual intuitive anecdotal

amendments rectifications

The manuscript submitted for editorial review contained a number of factual errors in the first few pages alone, and ________ will therefore have to be made before it can be considered for publication. accolades retributions supplications amendments rectifications gaffes

acceding

The members of the writing room have little interest in _______; they find argument far more stimulating. bickering acceding dispute acuity accuracy

tractable recalcitrant

The miners found the mule perfectly (i)_______ when descending through the galleries, but upon returning to the face, it became (ii)_______ to the point where two men could not shift it. Blank (i) tractable affable inscrutable Blank (ii) amenable recalcitrant intrusive

diminish

The mixed reviews and modest sales did not _______ the author's belief in her own novel; she asserted that those without a positive reaction were unable to grasp the nuances of her work. strengthen diminish propel eschew deride

evolved from rational mysterious

The modern detective novel (i) _______ earlier Gothic fiction, which emphasized the uncanny, when nineteenth-century authors began to propose (ii) _______ rather than supernatural explanations for seemingly (iii) _______ occurrences. Blank (i) became more popular than lost readers to evolved from Blank (ii) complex literary rational Blank (iii) everyday mundane mysterious

ideology dogma

The nation's people were so hungry for a politician who would tell them the truth, no matter how abhorrent it was, that they received the candidate enthusiastically, despite the fact that his _______ was so different from theirs. ideology candor deportment dogma credence vehemence

Ford City already had tough laws to punish operators of "puppy farms" long before the most recent year.

The number of stray dogs picked up in Ford City last year by the city's dog catchers was fifty percent lower than the previous year's figure. The mayor of Ford City attributed this decline to the city's recent crackdown on unlicensed breeders that breed dogs dangerously fast and release any unwanted puppies on the streets. Over a dozen operators of these so called "puppy farms" have been incarcerated over the last year in Ford City. Each of the following, if true, could weaken the mayor's conclusion that the decline in the number of stray dogs picked up by the city's dog catchers is due to the crackdown on "puppy farms" EXCEPT: Agange City, located right next to Ford City, also experienced a fifty percent decline in the number of stray dogs caught on its streets by its dog catchers, but did not engage in a crackdown on puppy farms in that city. Ford City cut the budget for dog catching one year ago, forcing the firing of over half of the Dog Catching Department's staff. The past winter was bitterly cold in Ford City, causing many unprotected stray animals to perish. One year ago, a privately funded organization began rounding up stray dogs in Ford City and putting them up for adoption on the internet. Ford City already had tough laws to punish operators of "puppy farms" long before the most recent year.

Innocuous

innoffensive/harmless

stem

limit/stymie

averred enervated postulate

The packaging of the revitalization supplement (i)_______ that users typically experienced an increase in energy within a week of taking it, but the bodybuilder actually felt more (ii)_______ than usual. After he stopped taking the supplement, he felt normal again, leading him to (iii)_______ that he was allergic to something in the vitamins. Blank (i) misstated adumbrated averred Blank (ii) innervated enervated quickened Blank (iii) postulate contravene exult

inflamed inevitable

The palpable tension between the classes was further (i)_______ when members of the ruling class began to flaunt their wealth more openly; many began to fear that the time for peaceful resolution had passed and that revolution was (ii)_______. Blank (i) quashed inflamed avoided Blank (ii) dubious profitable inevitable

subtle understated

The paper recently promoted the reporter; she is known for her _______ style, which elicits information better than the more aggressive approach taken by her colleagues. subtle affable languid lethargic understated meticulous

wasteful

The perception that cut flowers are an acceptable way of expressing delight in beauty is sanctioned only insofar as they are not perceived as conspicuously _______. embellished elegant tasteful uncivil wasteful

abstruse esoteric

The philosopher's latest tome must have soared to the top of the best-sellers list based more on his prominence than the book's merit, because in my estimation his _______ arguments and obscure references could do nothing but confound his readers. rudimentary nascent abstruse fanatical pedagogical esoteric

elucidation

The philosophical work was both extensive and complex, so the professor's _______ was instrumental in the students' comprehension of the more circuitous passages. obfuscation inscrutability prescience emendation elucidation

oviparous

The platypus is one of the very few _______ mammals; it lays eggs instead of bearing live young. duck-billed oviparous venomous aquatic web-footed

coterie sycophants

The play's protagonist is a young prince regent whose capacity to govern his realm justly and competently is hindered by a (i)_______ of self-serving (ii)_______ who act in concert, praising him to his face but all the while undercutting his edicts and maligning his intentions in clandestine meetings with other members of his court. Blank (i) coterie largesse celerity Blank (ii) philanthropists sycophants recidivists

untenable aggregate revelatory

The predominant opinion among those in the scientific community was that the researchers' article was (i) _______. The report, which failed to support its authors' claims of decisive results, proved to be merely an (ii) _______ of data gleaned from unrelated studies. Far from being (iii) _________ of new information, the analysis simply recapitulated earlier findings. Blank (i) untenable insuperable mellifluous Blank (ii) aggregate anathema infringement Blank (iii) revelatory summative vociferous

students' perceptions of themselves affect their ability to learn

The principal's recent proposal to separate math classes into fast and slow sections is intended to help the slow students, but instead will only hurt them. The principal feels that if the less adept students are put in a special section, they will be able to proceed at a slower pace, which will enable them to absorb their lessons more properly. On the contrary, these students will perceive themselves as slow and act accordingly, lowering their own standards as their teachers lower their expectations of them. Students who had struggled in class to avoid the label "slow" will stop struggling, and thus learn that much more slowly. The author of the passage above assumes that "slow" students do not need special attention in class students' perceptions of themselves affect their ability to learn slow students can learn from faster ones in the same class faster students are not as motivated by self-esteem as are slower students teachers generally expect too little from their slower students

condign meet

The prison sentence was _______ in the eyes of the jury, perfectly justified by the seriousness of the crime. The appeals court, however, felt differently, deeming it excessive. recondite jocund condign meet clement ludicrous

surreptitious furtive

The prisoner was noticeably agitated on the morning of his escape, and, in retrospect, his fidgety movements and _______ glances should have alerted the guards to the impending foul play. accusatory dubious surreptitious objectionable unsavory furtive

atrophied

The prisoners were treated harshly, confined to small spaces and fed poorly, so that, by the time of their release, their muscles had _______ to the point that some were too weak to support their own weight. consummated jounced billowed condensed atrophied

an outmoded

The professor's reputation as _______ fixture did not apply to him when he began at the university; then, he was regarded as an innovator who was more familiar with modern developments than were his students. an irksome an outmoded a genial a curmudgeonly a munificent

corroborating sleuthing

The proliferation of Web sites on every conceivable topic complicates the job of researchers verifying data; (i)_______ a single claim may require hours of online (ii)_______, time that otherwise might have been spent on other projects. Blank (i) corroborating anathematizing illustrating Blank (ii) extricating sleuthing flustering

debacle fiasco

The protest at the capital yesterday was an absolute _______; while the activists had the best of intentions, the demonstration showed a complete lack of organization and was actually counterproductive to their cause. stalemate debacle impasse fiasco obstacle enigma

prophetic oracular

The psychic came by her profession somewhat naturally, having grown up in a small, isolated community where everyone happily relied on the _______ advice of shamans to answer questions about their lives and their futures. enigmatic prophetic onerous specious erroneous oracular

suspect dubious

The two scientists may have reached a logical conclusion, but many in the scientific community have insinuated that the methods the two used were _______, as they were incongruous with those that produced the desired results in similar experiments. suspect arduous dubious meticulous orthodox sagacious

Blinkered

limited outlook/understanding

Galvanize

strengthen/motivate

one must expect tomatoes to grow, not cucumbers or daffodils

The question of whether a child's personality is the result of genetic material inherited from the parents or the nurturing and environment provided by the parents is a perennial subject of debate. While no one would deny that environment and upbringing play some limited, superficial role, the genetic traits the child inherits provide the basic blueprint for who, and what, the child becomes. After all, if one plants tomatoes, _______. Which of the following best completes the passage above? one must tend them carefully, in order to gather good vegetables one had better choose the variety and location with equal care one will eventually get tomatoes, but not necessarily good tomatoes one must expect tomatoes to grow, not cucumbers or daffodils one must be sure to tend them well, regardless of the quality of the seeds used

controversial conventions

The recent Oxford edition of the works of Shakespeare is (i)_______ because it not only departs frequently from the readings of most other modern editions but also challenges many of the basic (ii)_______ of textual criticism. Blank (i) hackneyed controversial quotidian Blank (ii) conventions innovations vagaries

macabre ornate

The reclusive author lived in a (i)_______ atmosphere; her house was ornamented with black lace curtains on every window and (ii)_______ antique coffins in place of beds. Blank (i) dilettantish garrulous macabre Blank (ii) ornate amiable innocuous

fundamental synchronously adroit

The relationship with space is of (i) _______ importance in dance. The dancer's body sculpts the space, forming a place for itself, while (ii) _______ creating a negative space, which is unoccupied. A reviewer, writing about the (iii) _______ dancer Hoyer, said that Hoyer could express what could not be communicated in film or photography; she could capture the space as her own. Blank (i) consequent fundamental malleable Blank (ii) caustically deferentially synchronously Blank (iii) adroit haughty munificent

obsolescent antiquated

The results of the study indicated that octogenarians who remain intellectually astute tend to be more progressive than their contemporaries; in general, those who best retain their mental acuity have made a conscious effort to abandon any ________ notions that might have otherwise hindered their personal growth. byzantine neoteric obsolescent diffident antiquated novel

antipathy amalgamate

The rival labor unions had a long history of mutual (i)_______; however, after long discussions, their leaders came to the conclusion that they must (ii)_______, since neither union had any chance of protecting their members from the forces of globalization on its own. Blank (i) deference magnanimity antipathy Blank (ii) amalgamate prevaricate disintegrate

censorious disquieting

The rowdy brood anticipated a loud and (i)_______ lecture from their usually vociferous mother, but she responded to their inappropriate behavior by wordlessly giving each of them a look of profound disappointment. Ultimately, their mother's silence was more (ii)_______ than an overt reprimand, and it left the children dumbfounded. Blank (i) temperate censorious innocuous Blank (ii) guileless disquieting insensible

abrasive

The school board was baffled by the results; the teacher with the most _______ classroom manner was the most popular in a poll given to students. nurturing tortuous obsequious abrasive lighthearted

propinquity to malevolent

The social reformer proposed locating juvenile detention facilities close to parks, playing fields, and greenbelts, theorizing that (i)_______ such sites could have a favorable effect on the troubled youths, as opposed to the (ii)_______ influence associated with locations in the heart of high-crime slums. Blank (i) ubiquity of diversity of propinquity to Blank (ii) timorous malevolent propitious

calming

The soothing music had a _______ effect on the beast. calming possible detrimental worldly missing

blanketed kaleidoscopic

The spring landscape was completely (i)_______ with a variegated assortment of multicolored tree blossoms, shrubs, and flowers, creating an uninterrupted, (ii)_______ cloak over the earth. Blank (i) dappled marred blanketed Blank (ii) kaleidoscopic pallid monochrome

succinct concise

The storied anthropologist hadn't written a single book that contained fewer than 800 pages, but he proved to be surprisingly _______ when it came to public speaking. succinct eloquent obsequious concise melodramatic appreciative

incendiary

The subject matter of Henrik Ibsen's plays seems mundane when compared to present day plays, but when first performed, Ibsen's work was considered _______, and caused a palpable commotion in his native Norway. banal incendiary bombastic taciturn luminous

audacious anemic annals

The success of Louis Bleriot's (i)______ flight across the English channel was anything but a given. His engine was so (ii)______ that the plane needed all its power just to clear telegraph lines upon takeoff, and then a sudden surge of wind made for a perilous landing. Despite some damage to the plane, the landing was deemed a success, and Bleriot won his place in the (iii)_______ of aviation. Blank (i) aborted audacious gauche Blank (ii) anemic efficient calescent Blank (iii) abrogation vexation annals

extripate concomitant

The team of neurosurgeons carried out the lengthy procedure in meticulously orchestrated stages, using laser scalpels to (i)_______ the patient's perilously situated tumor while trying to avoid (ii)_______ damage to the adjoining tissue. Blank (i) extirpate exculpate precipitate Blank (ii) obstreperous concomitant chimerical

all three reasonable appeal

The tone of the passsage could be descirbed as: an impassioned polemic an indignant protest a reasoned appeal a detached summary a biased speculation

obloquy

The town council preferred the mayor to be modest about his exploits, so his fits of hubris were met with resounding _______. encomium perspicacity obloquy pastiche panegyric

fortuitous a secluded prominence

The two explorers could scarcely believe the (i)_______ outcome of their expedition; they had gone deep into the rainforest in search of medicinal plants and found not only healing herbs but also the ruins of (ii)_______ city. Consequent to their incredible discovery, both previously unknown men went on to enjoy great (iii)_______. Blank (i) adverse calamitous fortuitous Blank (ii) an unexceptional a secluded an undistinguished Blank (iii) rejection prominence affluence

ubiquitous vitriol

The use of mean-spirited, often deceitful attacks has become (i)_______ in the political arena, as evidenced by the fact that politicians from both parties have complained that (ii)_______ and deception are no longer relegated to the realm of campaigning but rather permeate all aspects of political discourse. Blank (i) ubiquitous querulous anomalous Blank (ii) usury vitriol candor

deceptive misleading

The use of the word "chaos" in chaos theory is somewhat _______ because, despite what its name might imply, chaos theory is actually about identifying hidden order in seemingly random data. straightforward deceptive impecunious misleading obvious insolvent

culpable exonerate

The usually scrupulous scientist initially acquiesced when the committee ruled that she was (i)_______ for her novice team's botched experiment. Weeks later, however, she attempted to (ii)_______ herself from having any responsibility for the egregious errors of the first-year students whose work she had forgotten to check. Blank (i) culpable obdurate abstruse Blank (ii) exonerate impugn extradite

ineptitiude

The utter debacle in which the project ended is evidence of the _____ of the people who planned it. candor objectivity diversity hauteur ineptitude

doctored

There is a prevailing attitude in this country that scientific disciplines have more legitimate methodologies than the humanities and social sciences do, but this sentiment routinely ignores the fact that so much scientific data is _______. quantum unknown doctored irrefutable irreducible

insidious

There is something lurid and _______ about a system that subtly tempts people into criminal activities that they would never be interested in otherwise. palliative lascivious picayune insidious pervasive

insolence

There were streaks of both arrogance and _______ in the artist's manner toward her peers. Not only did she believe that she was by far the best contemporary painter working in oils, but she also publicly decried artists who took more conventional approaches to the medium. insolence esuriency meekness narcissism peremptoriness

adage fathomed

They had heard the (i)_______ "truth is stranger than fiction" before but never truly (ii)_______ it until they struggled to explain the bizarre events they witnessed that day. Blank (i) adage opprobrium paradox Blank (ii) pursued fathomed impugned

illustrious

This hotel chain has a reputation for luxury, but despite its _______ name, it offers fewer amenities than hotels that charge half as much. dubious ambiguous questionable illustrious notorious

enthusiastically

This passage is _____ cited by advocates of the right to bear arms, because it supports their notion of militia as a body of privately armed citizens. rarely ironically fortunately disparagingly enthusiastically

gifted

Thomas was a _______ child; at the age of eight, he had already begun reciting scenes from Shakespearean dramas. impetuous gifted inchoate experienced artless

restive

Those close to the chairperson knew not to take her emotions at face value; they were aware that she was dour when she seemed joyous and _______ when she seemed comfortable. restive nonchalant thorough dormant insouciant

scrutiny

Those wary of insincerity will subject an overblown compliment to great _______. scrutiny obstruction malice acclaim repetition

acerbic magnanimous

Though Carlos feared he would be fired when his boss overheard his (i)_______ comments regarding her leadership ability, he was pleasantly surprised at her (ii)_______ reaction and thankful it was not worse. Blank (i) acerbic elegant hackneyed Blank (ii) impeccable eclectic magnanimous

insolent smug

Though rumors suggested that his fans could expect a display of contrition, the actor, who had recently been the subject of much criticism for his previous transgressions, was unexpectedly _______ in his interviews. debonair insolent disconsolate smug lachrymose nonplussed

innocuous deleterious platform

Though the candidate insisted that his comments were (i) _______, many of his supporters were offended by his attitude, which they considered not only demeaning but also (ii) _______ to their party's political (iii) _______, and called for him to step down as the party's nominee. Blank (i) newsworthy innocuous pernicious Blank (ii) complementary immaterial deleterious Blank (iii) platform stereotype label

Increasing the number of scholarships and loans will not by itself improve the hospitals' situation.

Though the number of nurses employed in the United States has risen over the last ten years, 15 percent of nursing positions in hospitals are vacant today. The situation will worsen unless hospitals improve working conditions and nursing schools attract students who have not traditionally been drawn to the profession. More scholarships and loans may make nursing education more affordable, and alternative routes to nursing may prompt adults interested in nursing to go back to studying in an undergraduate program. Which of the following can be logically inferred from the paragraph above? Nursing school recruitments are now at their lowest level in a decade. In the past ten years, the number of practicing hospital nurses has fallen. Financial considerations are the principal reason for the current nursing shortage. Increasing the number of scholarships and loans will not by itself improve the hospitals' situation. Working conditions in hospitals have become significantly worse in the last decade.

quotidian understand

Though the style of the two tennis players could not have been more dissimilar—she employed technique while he relied on instinct, she played an intellectual game while his was pragmatic, her movements had an element of drama while his were _______—they both were champions. graceful quotidian understated poetic floundering bungling

arresting intriguing

Though there was nothing particularly _______ about Melvin, he was capable of not only holding an audience's attention but also engaging his listeners' interest in the topic. arresting plaintive rankling poignant intriguing vexing

augmenting aggrandizing

Though unemployment was at an all-time high, the senator's position as a small-business owner allowed her to create several new jobs, _______ her image as a politician willing to help the average citizen. castigating ameliorating augmenting mitigating commingling aggrandizing

The interests of pharmaceutical companies and human welfare are usually incompatible in research.

Through their selective funding of research projects, pharmaceutical companies exert too much influence upon medical research in universities. Only research proposals promising lucrative results are given serious consideration, and funding is usually awarded to scientists at large institutions who already have vast research experience. As a result, only larger universities will be able to continue developing adequate research facilities, and graduate students will learn that their future research must conform to the expectations of the corporation. Research will continue to be conducted at the expense of human welfare. The reasoning of the argument above depends upon which of the following assumptions? As universities become primarily research institutions, teaching will be neglected. Graduate students are not motivated by humane interests. Smaller universities would be better suited to serve as product development laboratories for pharmaceutical companies. Medical research should be funded by government-regulated foundations. The interests of pharmaceutical companies and human welfare are usually incompatible in research.

If it were not for the funds which pharmaceutical companies provide, very little medical research could be conducted at all.

Through their selective funding of research projects, pharmaceutical companies exert too much influence upon medical research in universities. Only research proposals promising lucrative results are given serious consideration, and funding is usually awarded to scientists at large institutions who already have vast research experience. As a result, only larger universities will be able to continue developing adequate research facilities, and graduate students will learn that their future research must conform to the expectations of the corporation. Research will continue to be conducted at the expense of human welfare. Which of the following reactions of a pharmaceutical company representative would provide the strongest rebuttal to the comments above? Many of the research projects funded by pharmaceutical companies do not end up being lucrative. Much of the funding provided by pharmaceutical companies goes to fellowships that help pay for the education of graduate students. If it were not for the funds which pharmaceutical companies provide, very little medical research could be conducted at all. The committee members fail to discuss other methods of funding research projects. Larger universities are the only ones equipped to conduct the kind of research sponsored by pharmaceutical companies.

A thing is not a piece of art if its designer pays attention to the thing's practical utility.

Throughout the last century, many car designers have received accolades for being great artists. However, because cars need to be useful methods of transport, car designers must keep an eye on the practical utility of their product. For this reason, car design is not art. Which of the following is an assumption that supports drawing the conclusion above from the reason given for that conclusion? Some cars are made to be placed on display and never driven by anyone. Some car designers are more concerned than others about the practical utility of the cars they design. Car designers should be more concerned with the practical utility of their cars than they currently are. A thing is not a piece of art if its designer pays attention to the thing's practical utility. Many artists own cars.

partisan

To the delight of the _______ crowd, the pundit skewered the pretensions of those with an opposing ideology. partisan ebullient rattled raucous vicious

Top governmental policy makers are more effective at decision making than are low-level governmental policy makers.

Traditionally, decision making by governmental policy makers that is based on solid statistical evidence has been considered preferable to more seat-of-the-pants, intuitive decision making. However, a recent study found that top governmental policy makers use intuition far more often than low-level governmental policy makers. This strongly supports the opposite view that decision making using intuition is more effective than decision making based on statistical evidence. The conclusion above is based on which of the following assumptions? The use of statistics is often inappropriate for making fast decisions in real life. Top governmental policy makers have the ability to make decisions based on statistical evidence or intuition. Low-level governmental policy makers make decisions based on intuition some of the time. Top governmental policy makers use intuitive reasoning in the majority of their important decisions. Top governmental policy makers are more effective at decision making than are low-level governmental policy makers.

contemporaries emigrated

Two of the most illustrious composers of the Baroque period—Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel—were close (i)_______. Both were born in Germany in 1685; Bach died in 1750, still in Germany, while Handel died in 1759 in England, having (ii)_______ from Germany after spending time in Italy mastering the operatic form. Blank (i) competitors contemporaries contestants Blank (ii) disaffected absconded emigrated

gratifying emotion a liability

Typically, affection is a (i)_______ for people, but it can be (ii)_______ to physicians, who must be dispassionate in order to properly treat their patients and who therefore often decline to treat their own family members. Blank (i) gratifying emotion disquieting event standard concession Blank (ii) a liability a catalyst an anachronism

spurious apocryphal

Unable to reconcile the _______ stories about the king with authentic, verified facts, the royal biographer was at a loss as to how he should approach his subject without encouraging further errors. mundane droll spurious apocryphal salacious lecherous

vertiginous nauseating

Unaccustomed to the _______ conditions near the top of the peak, John felt unwell and was forced to take a break. vertiginous soporific exacting placid excruciating nauseating

montage tableau

Under the guidance of the new director, a formally trained painter, the stage became a visual masterpiece: the elaborate costumes and set created a colorful _______, and the seemingly effortless movements of the dancers gave them the appearance of being part of the scenery. loquacity melee portiere montage paladin tableau

accounted for

Unlike romantic literature, which emphasized the individual inner life, realism _______ the social context in which the characters lived. rescued vindicated disagreed with accounted for plotted against

collaborative

Until recently, modern historians have tended to attribute great influence to individual heroes, whereas now many historians recognize the importance of social climate and _______ action. collaborative geographic deliberate subjective ulterior

imbibe

take in/drink

empirical anomalous seriously jeopardize

Wanting to rely entirely on (i) _______ evidence to ensure accurate results, the scientists drafted strict guidelines for observing the progress of the experiment. Any (ii) _______ practices in data collection could (iii) _______ the precision of the outcome, rendering the experiment useless. Blank (i) empirical historic dilatory Blank (ii) stringent outlandish anomalous Blank (iii) adversely promote seriously jeopardize positively impact

legacy mythology

Washington Irving is widely credited with penning some of the most enduring of American stories and the most famous of characters, such as Ichabod Crane and Rip Van Winkle. Some scholars go further, arguing that Irving's (i)_______ is larger than these stories and characters; he created, they claim, an American (ii)_______, shaping how the citizens of the young nation perceived themselves. Blank (i) infamy legacy empathy Blank (ii) contradiction mythology superstition

fallacious erroneous

We were cautioned not to accept the scientist's theory unreservedly and to consider the possibility that her assessment might be unintentionally _______, despite the fact that she has a proven track record of conducting groundbreaking research and reaching sound conclusions. deceptive fallacious quotidian erroneous insuperable ambiguous

incessant unremitting

We would have reached our destination earlier were it not for the _______ rain; it seemed to act on its own volition, pursuing us every step of the way, albeit more relentlessly during some portions of our journey than others. invincible incessant irrevocable assiduous unremitting impregnable

laconic taciturn

Well-accustomed to the _______ disposition of their superior, the otherwise garrulous employees made no effort to engage her in conversation. laconic frolicsome indolent taciturn beaming desultory

cryptic

When discussing regions wrought with turmoil, political literature is usually _______; any issue is disguised to the point that a reader would have difficulty apprehending it. cryptic prevalent brash pertinent anarchic

vilipended denigrated

When he saw his soldiers daunted by the overwhelming size of the enemy's army, the king _______ them, decrying their hesitation as cowardice. galvanized impressed vilipended repudiated denigrated inveigled

salient ruminate over

When many of Dr. Snyder's peers were quick to point out a rather (i)_______ error in her calculations, she retreated into the solitude of the lab to (ii)_______ amending her theory. Blank (i) salient nugatory equivocal Blank (ii) eschew ruminate over defer

malaise

When the Second World War ended, the American economy did not return to the _______ of the 1930s but rather sped up as if driven by an ever-accelerating metronome. proficiency inflation malaise surfeit cynicism

irresponsible

When the mayor banned skateboarding after one group of teens destroyed some flower beds in City Park, Joe wrote a letter of protest to the local paper, insisting that the city should not punish the majority of conscientious skateboarders for the _______ actions of a few. irresponsible playful irrelevant well-intentioned helpful

The fact that Country A's filmmakers were able to continue working while in exile may be the reason that their films are of high quality today.

When the military overthrew the government of Country A, most of the country's renowned filmmakers were forced into exile. Many plied their trade in Western European countries well known for good film production. They later returned to Country A after the military government stepped down and have since been active filmmakers; the films they produce are of exceptionally high quality. Which one of the following can be most reasonably inferred from the statements above? The quality of Country A's films vastly improved only because its exiled filmmakers studied under the great Western European masters of film. The military allowed the exiled filmmakers to return because they recognized the high quality of the work they had done. The fact that Country A's filmmakers were able to continue working while in exile may be the reason that their films are of high quality today. The filmmakers in Country A who were not forced into exile collaborated with the military government in order to avoid leaving. Although the filmmakers who remained after the military took power were inferior artists, military rule had no real effect on the quality of Country A's film production.

patriarchal

When you consider that the males of the species possess greater strength, larger canine teeth, and a more complex network of alliances than the females, it is unsurprising that communities of hamadryas baboons are _______ in nature. convivial violent enigmatic heterogeneous patriarchal

a bipedal

Whereas most modern terrestrial predators, such as lions or bears, are quadrupeds, the predatory dinosaurs of Cretaceous times adopted _______ stance. an aboriginal a carnivorous a bipedal an intermediary an oceanic

transient peruse commemorative

Whether as permanent fixtures in cathedrals or as (i) _______ shrines, reliquaries were objects of devotion, not because of their beautiful exteriors but because of what they held: a relic of a saint. These memorial objects often pose mysteries for historians, who (ii) _______ their external images to ascertain for which saint's relics the (iii) _______ container was created. Blank (i) personal perennial transient Blank (ii) peruse reify exculpate Blank (iii) utilitarian immense commemorative

malign abase

While European historians once believed Saladin to have possessed (i)_______ motives, the findings of many modern archaeologists have since proven otherwise. Though he was a military genius who triumphed over many a foe, never once did Saladin (ii)_______ those he vanquished in battle. Blank (i) malign erudite frivolous Blank (ii) abase venerate expatiate

novel

While George Balanchine's choreography stayed within a classical context, he challenged convention by recombining ballet idioms in _____ ways. novel familiar redundant naive awkward

altruistic philanthropic

While Mr. Hamilton's extensive support for the victims of the flood seemed _______, his motives were likely rooted in his need for publicity, since he is a candidate for mayor. miserly abashed altruistic solemn outlandish philanthropic

Hedge

to avoid/limit

Tender

to offer formally

Veracity

truthful

indefatigable repudiated

While acknowledging that the celebrity was (i)_______ in her endeavors to raise funds for a number of causes, detractors accused her of secretly treating her employees callously. However, her manager (ii)_______ rumors of her misanthropy when, years after her death, he revealed that she had privately bequeathed much of her fortune to her loyal staff. Blank (i) cursory niggardly indefatigable Blank (ii) substantiated repudiated construed

a panacea

While consumers have become increasingly wary of possible health issues caused by electromagnetic radiation emitted by mobile devices, electrical energy was once considered _______, purported to cure everything from acne to mental illness. a panacea a compromise quackery a curiosity a danger

specific

While debris of all types can be found almost anywhere in space, working satellites tend to be found in _______ orbital locations that allow them to function properly. haphazard arbitrary erratic specific loftier

venerate an autonomous exhibit

While many psychoanalysts tend to (i) _______ Sigmund Freud and adhere to his ideas regarding the ego, id, and superego in behavioral analysis, only Carl Jung's idea of the collective consciousness, which expands upon the ideas of Freud, can explain how (ii) _______ individual can identify with a group and (iii) _______ group awareness. Blank (i) deliberate venerate impugn Blank (ii) a redoubtable an autonomous an amorphous Blank (iii) exhibit interpolate dispute

recondite abstruse

While modern works of philosophy are generally oriented toward a small audience of experts in the field, resulting in a profusion of _______ texts, some philosophers have made concerted efforts to write in a way that is understandable to a layperson. recondite protracted pellucid abstruse reviled licentious

giddy vertiginous

While most experience visceral reactions when exposed to heights, the performers walking the tightrope just below the top of the circus tent were completely unaffected by the _______ distance from the ground necessitated by their occupation. inconsiderable wearying soporific giddy anodyne vertiginous

indigenous

While most people associate tomatoes with Italian cuisine, this food was actually _______ to the Americas and was brought back to Europe by Spanish colonizers in the early 16th century. suitable scarce plentiful indigenous unknown

prodigies geniuses

While some adults whom we consider marvels undoubtedly gained their intellectual prowess through intensive study or practice, child _______ appear to be born already possessing aptitude, which blossoms exponentially when they come under the tutelage of accomplished mentors. celebrities prodigies icons idols geniuses protégés

prudence

While the idea of retirement may cause trepidation, it can actually be a joyous and rewarding time of life with proper financial planning and _______. impetuousness prudence iniquity honor deference

tedious

While the student considered biology an exciting subject, he found the lectures in his classes to be _______. tedious exhilarating impassive erudite menacing

nascent

While they were aware that their daughter's novel interest in performance arts might not develop into a career, the parents did everything they could to encourage their child's _______ passion for music, including buying her a piano. tentative nascent faltering juvenile prescient

preponderance surpassed

With a (i)_______ of experience to draw upon, Adelaide was more than equal to the job. In fact, her credentials (ii)_______ the qualifications of any other applicant. Blank (i) preponderance dearth deficiency Blank (ii) followed surpassed repudiated

charismatic seditious

With his ship trapped for months in the Antarctic ice, the (i)_______ captain used his magnetic personality to hold his exhausted crew together. Even those members who at first were angry and (ii)_______ eventually lost their bitterness and began to follow the captain's orders. Blank (i) laconic charismatic phlegmatic Blank (ii) itinerant indolent seditious

culled imbue

With over eighty minutes of wordless cinematography, painstakingly (i)_______ from many hours of film and accompanied by an evocative score, director Godfrey Reggio's debut film Koyaanisqatsi has no plot, yet viewers often feel compelled to (ii)_______ the film with stories of their own making. The result is an animated artwork with no intrinsic interpretation that requires viewers to generate their own meanings from the montage of images. Blank (i) culled absolved venerated Blank (ii) consort attenuate imbue

obsolete proliferated

With the development of the Internet into a multiaccess point news source for a wide variety of voices and data sources, it seems that newspapers have become nearly (i)_________. It is surprising that, nonetheless, subscriptions to certain major flagship papers, and even some hometown journals, have (ii)_______ in the last few years. Blank (i) bombastic capricious obsolete Blank (ii) proliferated metamorphosed reeled

autocratic despotic

_______ regimes were commonplace in the ancient world; even the philosophies of Plato, which inspired many aspects of the United States Constitution, espoused the idea of a dictatorship, albeit benign, as the ideal form of government. Institutional Autocratic Oligarchic Despotic Anarchist Celestial

profuse

abundant

flush

abundant/blush

Pugnacious

aggressive/quarrelsome

equivocate

ambiguous

Maintain

assert/ to keep

Egregious

bad

scintillating

brilliant/lively/igniting sparks

involved

complicated

base

contemptible/ignoble

inundate

deluge/flood/overwhelm

Disparate

different/separate

sedulous

diligent

bleak

dismal