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Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Before you drink the water from that dirty river, you need to filter it and treat it with certain chemicals; only then will it be __________.
"Potable" means suitable for drinking.
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“Don’t you think that assigning five hours of homework a night is a bit too __________?” the concerned parent asked the teacher.
"Onerous" means burdensome.
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“It wasn’t very nice or __________ to tell that other little girl that you thought she was boring,” Ann said to her daughter.
"Tactful" means skillful at not offending others.
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Ever since Jean Paul and I broke up, everyone tells me the same __________ phrase: there are always more fish in the sea.
"Hackneyed" means clichéd, or worn out by overuse.
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Marisol had only a(n) __________ understanding of how to fix and maintain her car, and so she took an automobile repair class.
"Superficial" means shallow, or lacking depth.
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The __________ fishermen pressed on for port despite the treacherous conditions of the sea that night.
These fisherman were pressing on despite difficult circumstances. This description matches well with the meaning of "intrepid," an adjective that means fearless or bold.
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Because Louisa had just jogged three miles in the sun, her face looked __________.
"Florid" means having a red or flushed complexion. It also can mean flowery or ornate.
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The ________ manner in which she gave to charity annoyed her more generous friends.
A simple word replacement helps figure out the answer to this question. As the “more generous friends” are annoyed by the subject’s manner, then go through word by word for all the answer choices. "Parsimonious," which means stingy and tight with money, is the only choice that works.
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The cartoon __________ portrays human beings befriending dinosaurs, a historical and scientific implausibility.
A human being befriending a dinosaur is historically and scientifically incorrect, and "anachronistically" is the only answer choice that fits. “Anachronistically” means historically out of place.
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The rain clouds overhead were __________, as all of the crops in Kansas were dry and dying.
The correct answer here is "auspicious" because the rain clouds were a symbol of something good to come, as they would nourish and save the crops. The rain clouds may have been short-lived ("ephemeral"), but that would not benefit the crops; the rain clouds certainly were not thorough and studious ("sedulous"), and they may have appeared "menacing," but again, their menacing appearance would have no impact on the dry nature of the crops.
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Ever since he could utter his first word, Phillip has been a(n) __________ person; he is never short of words.
The key phrase is “never short of words.” The semicolon here links two independent clauses of similar meaning. “Loquacious” means talkative and is therefore the correct answer. "Outgoing" and "extroverted" both mean gregarious or to be fond of social interaction. Though close to the right answer, these are not as good a fit as "loquacious." Also, "outgoing" and "extroverted" have the same meaning and thus both can be eliminated. There cannot be two right answers to a test question.
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Despite all his efforts, Bobby was not able to achieve his personal goals, leaving him __________.
The logic of this sentence requires a word that means “discouraged”. The introductory clause “despite all his efforts” is a key phrase. The word “crestfallen” means dejected or discouraged.
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Having traveled to many nations, the journalist had a(n) __________ writing style.
The key phrase is “having traveled to many nations.” The word “eclectic” means embracing various or different sources.
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Most people were impressed with George’s grasp of __________ trivia, but Susan saw it as a mere parlor trick.
George’s knowledge of trivia is not something that everyone knows, ruling out both "common" and "popular." Susan’s dismissal of George’s knowledge indicates that it is also not "significant" or "useful," so "arcane" is the correct answer.
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The author’s __________ output tended to overshadow the poor quality of the majority of his work.
Here the word “poor” indicates that the author is not very good; therefore, he must have written a good amount of material if it overshadows the quality of the material. Only "prodigious" means in a great amount.
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The politician’s speeches had a(n) __________ quality, which tended to put his audience to sleep.
As the politician’s speeches put his audience to sleep, the correct answer will be the one that is most synonymous with boring, dull, or sleep-inducing. "Rapacious," "salubrious," and "engaging" all have quite positive connotations, while "loquacious," meaning wordy, does not fit well.
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The country club's members considered the club's ability to choose its own members an __________ right, and refused any attempts to have them change its bylaws.
The country club wanted nothing to happen to their bylaws, and wanted to defend them at all costs. "Inconsistent," "unimportant," "appropriate," and "inconsequential" all have too light a meaning.
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For twenty years he lived a _________ existence before finally marrying and settling down.
The key word in this sentence is “settling.” The opening phrase of the sentence stands in contrast to the second clause, and the missing word needs to be the opposite of “settling.” Only “peripatetic” is an antonym of “settling.”
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Historians often struggle with how much __________ evidence to use, as fewer data points can be outweighed by the power of the story being told.
The key word for this sentence is in the last phrase, “story.” Of all the answer choices, only “anecdotal” means from a story.
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The fact he was __________ was a pleasant surprise to her when she asked him to assemble furniture.
The task he needed to accomplish, assembling furniture, indicates he was skillful. “Clumsy,” “oafish,” "bumbling," and “inept” all mean, to some degree, the exact opposite. “Dexterous,” indicating skill with one’s hands, is correct.
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