- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
Because the two negotiators had a history of mutual (i) ______, dating back to a bitter dispute years earlier, their eventual agreement on the trade terms struck colleagues as nothing short of (ii) ______.
Answer: (ii) remarkable
'a bitter dispute years earlier' fixes the prior feeling; 'struck colleagues as' frames the reaction to the surprising agreement. Blank (i): (A) distrust matches 'bitter dispute.' (C) admiration and (B) curiosity do not follow from bitterness. Blank (ii): (E) remarkable fits an outcome surprising given hostility. (D) predictable contradicts the surprise signaled by 'nothing short of'; (F) cordial describes the negotiators' relationship, not the colleagues' reaction, and grammatically 'nothing short of cordial' misfits the intended astonishment. The blanks interact because prior hostility (i) is precisely what makes the agreement astonishing (ii); only distrust/remarkable matches.
- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
Because the new employee had studied the manual so (i) ______, she was able to answer every technical question during her interview with a (ii) ______ that impressed even the senior engineers.
Answer: (ii) precision
'Because' links preparation to performance. Blank (i) must explain why she answered every question well: (B) meticulously ('with great care') supplies the cause. (A) hastily and (C) reluctantly both imply weak preparation, contradicting the strong outcome. Blank (ii) names the quality of her impressive answers: (E) precision matches exact, technically correct responses. (F) vagueness contradicts the impression made; (D) humility describes attitude, not accuracy, and would not specifically impress engineers evaluating technical answers. The blanks interact because thorough study (i) must yield an accuracy-based virtue (ii); only meticulously/precision keeps the cause-effect chain intact.
- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
The editor's reputation for (i) ______ prose made the uncharacteristically wordy final chapter all the more jarring, leading readers to wonder whether the author had overruled her usual insistence on (ii) ______.
Answer: (ii) embellishment
'uncharacteristically wordy...all the more jarring' shows the chapter clashed with the editor's known style. Blank (i): (B) spare (lean, concise) explains why wordiness is jarring. (A) verbose would make a wordy chapter unremarkable; (C) accessible concerns readability, not concision. Blank (ii) restates her usual insistence: (D) economy (of words) matches 'spare.' (E) embellishment contradicts a reputation for restraint; (F) accuracy is unrelated to word count. The blanks interact because the editor's leanness (i) and her insistence on concision (ii) must align, making the wordy chapter anomalous; only spare/economy is internally consistent.
- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
Because the newly developed alloy proved remarkably (i), resisting even repeated hammer blows without cracking or deforming, engineers at the firm deemed it (ii) for use in heavy machinery subjected to constant mechanical impact.
Answer: (ii) ideal
The cause (resisting blows without cracking) determines the effect (suitability for impact machinery). (i) resilient matches 'resisting...without cracking or deforming' directly. brittle is the opposite direction, contradicting resistance to cracking. malleable concerns softness/shapeability, not resistance to blows, so it's the wrong dimension even though alloys can be malleable. (ii) ideal follows logically from proven resilience. impractical contradicts the positive evidence given. hazardous is an unrelated dimension (safety, not suitability). Only resilient/ideal keeps cause and effect aligned.
- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
Although the professor's lectures were once famous for their (i) ______, drawing crowds of eager listeners, they have since become so (ii) ______ that only a handful of students still attend.
Answer: (ii) tedious
'Although...have since become' signals a positive-past-to-negative-present reversal. Blank (i) explains why crowds of eager listeners came: (A) clarity attracts listeners. (B) obscurity would repel them; (C) brevity is unconnected to the later low-attendance explanation. Blank (ii) explains why attendance collapsed: (D) tedious ('boring') drives students away. (F) engaging contradicts declining numbers; (E) brief would not explain abandonment. The blanks interact because the attracting virtue (i) and the repelling vice (ii) must sit on the same appeal axis; only clarity/tedious fits the before-and-after logic.
- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
That the two economists reached identical conclusions despite starting from (i) ______ premises should not be mistaken for genuine agreement, since their shared endpoint masks a deeper, more (ii) ______ dispute over the underlying assumptions that produced it.
Answer: (ii) intractable
'despite starting from...premises' and 'masks a deeper...dispute' both demand contrast between shared conclusions and underlying disagreement. Blank (i): (C) divergent explains why reaching identical conclusions is surprising. (A) identical would eliminate the 'despite'; (B) simplistic does not address whether premises differed. Blank (ii): (F) intractable matches a 'deeper' dispute that persists beneath apparent agreement. (D) superficial contradicts 'deeper'; (E) transparent contradicts 'masks.' The blanks interact because differing premises (i) are what sustain the hidden, unresolvable dispute (ii); only divergent/intractable preserves the masked-disagreement logic.
- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
Although the committee had promised a (i) ______ review of the proposal, its members spent barely ten minutes discussing it before voting, leaving many observers to conclude that the process had been merely (ii) ______.
Answer: (ii) perfunctory
The sentence contrasts a promise with reality via 'Although.' Blank (i) describes what was promised: a committee promises depth, so (B) thorough is correct. (A) cursory and (C) biased describe negative qualities no committee would promise, and cursory in fact matches the rushed reality, making it a trap for the wrong slot. Blank (ii) characterizes the rushed ten-minute process: (E) perfunctory ('done superficially as a routine') captures that the review was merely for show. (F) exhaustive matches the broken promise, not the outcome, reversing direction; (D) impartial addresses fairness, an untouched dimension. The blanks interact because (i) must name the promised ideal and (ii) must name its hollow execution; only thorough/perfunctory preserves the promise-versus-reality contrast.
- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
The senator's speech, though undeniably (i) ______ in its rhetoric, replete with soaring metaphors and dramatic pauses, was ultimately so devoid of concrete policy proposals that critics dismissed it as (ii) ______.
Answer: (ii) hollow
'though...ultimately' opposes ornate style to empty substance. Blank (i) describes the rhetoric of 'soaring metaphors and dramatic pauses': (A) florid ('elaborately ornate') fits. (C) terse contradicts the ornamentation; (B) inaccurate concerns truth, not style. Blank (ii) names the verdict driven by 'devoid of concrete policy proposals': (F) hollow ('empty of substance') fits. (E) substantive contradicts that phrase; (D) incendiary describes tone, not emptiness. The blanks interact because (i) is the impressive surface and (ii) is the missing core; only florid/hollow satisfies the style-versus-substance contrast.
- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
Despite her reputation for being remarkably (i) ______ with journalists, the diplomat's terse refusal to answer even the simplest questions at the press conference struck reporters as uncharacteristically (ii) ______, a stark departure from her usual openness.
Answer: (ii) reticent
'Despite' plus 'usual openness' establishes a reputation for sharing information, contradicted by terse refusals. Blank (i) names that reputation: (C) forthcoming ('willing to share information') matches 'openness.' (B) reserved contradicts openness; (A) eloquent concerns fluency, not willingness to disclose, so it is tempting but off-dimension. Blank (ii) names the surprising behavior: (D) reticent ('unwilling to speak') matches the terse refusal. (F) candid matches the reputation, reversing direction; (E) articulate again addresses fluency. The blanks interact because the reputation in (i) and the departure in (ii) must be opposites on the willingness-to-share axis; only forthcoming/reticent achieves this.
- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
Despite her reputation as an unflinching critic, the reviewer's assessment of the debut novel was surprisingly (i), for she praised its prose while gently noting that the plot, though promising, remained (ii).
Answer: (ii) underdeveloped
The word 'surprisingly' signals a reversal of expectation set by 'unflinching critic,' and the 'gently noting' clause restates the tone of blank (i) in blank (ii). (i) magnanimous captures the unexpectedly generous review. scathing would match the critic's reputation but contradicts 'surprisingly,' which demands a reversal. indifferent describes apathy, not generosity, and doesn't fit 'praised its prose.' (ii) underdeveloped matches 'though promising,' which implies the plot has potential but isn't fully realized, consistent with a gentle critique. polished contradicts 'though promising' (something polished needs no further development). riveting concerns excitement, not the developmental critique implied by 'though promising.' No other combination sustains the gentle-critique logic.
- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
The board's decision to approve the merger, seemingly (i) ______ given weeks of public assurances that no such deal was imminent, appeared less surprising once analysts noted that the assurances themselves had likely been a (ii) ______ to avoid spooking investors.
Answer: (ii) ruse
'appeared less surprising once analysts noted' resolves an apparent shock via a hidden strategic motive. Blank (i): (C) abrupt matches a merger approved despite 'weeks of public assurances that no such deal was imminent.' (A) anticipated contradicts the surprise; (B) unanimous concerns consensus, not timing. Blank (ii): (E) ruse explains the assurances as deliberately false yet strategic 'to avoid spooking investors,' dissolving the surprise. (F) formality implies sincere routine, not deception; (D) confession contradicts a cover story. The blanks interact because the surprise in (i) is explained only if the assurances were a deception (ii); only abrupt/ruse fits.
- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
Critics initially deemed the startup's growth (i), assuming its early success stemmed from mere market novelty, but when revenue continued to climb long after competitors had entered the field, that early skepticism proved (ii).
Answer: (ii) unfounded
The passage traces critics' initial judgment (i) and how later events proved that judgment right or wrong (ii), linked by 'but' and the fact that growth persisted 'long after competitors had entered.' (i) ephemeral matches the assumption that success was due to fleeting novelty. inevitable doesn't connect logically to 'mere market novelty.' staggering describes magnitude, not durability, and doesn't explain the skepticism about longevity. (ii) unfounded fits because continued growth disproved the original doubt. prescient and warranted both wrongly imply the skepticism was correct, contradicting the fact that revenue kept climbing despite competition. Only ephemeral/unfounded captures the setup-and-refutation structure.
- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
The startup's founders, who had once been (i) ______ about competitors' chances of survival, were forced to adopt a more (ii) ______ tone after two rivals secured record funding within a single month.
Answer: (ii) cautious
'forced to adopt a more X tone after' rivals' success signals a compelled shift from prior complacency. Blank (i) names the earlier attitude toward competitors' survival: (A) dismissive (unconcerned). (C) anxious already anticipates rivals' success, removing the need for a forced change; (B) curious is not an attitude toward 'chances of survival.' Blank (ii) names the new, chastened tone: (E) cautious. (F) arrogant contradicts being 'forced' to change; (D) cheerful does not fit a response to a threat. The blanks interact because the earlier dismissiveness (i) must be overturned into wariness (ii) by the rivals' funding; only dismissive/cautious fits.
- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
Although the committee had praised the intern's (i) work throughout the summer, her final report was riddled with errors, a lapse so uncharacteristic that her supervisor wondered whether exhaustion had made her uncharacteristically (ii).
Answer: (ii) careless
The passage sets up a contrast: praised work earlier versus an 'uncharacteristic' error-filled report later. Blank (i) must describe the earlier praised quality, and blank (ii) must describe the surprising new behavior that contrasts with it. (i) meticulous fits because it explains why errors would be so uncharacteristic. sporadic is wrong dimension (frequency, not care) and doesn't justify consistent praise 'throughout the summer'; prolific describes quantity, not the quality being praised, and doesn't set up the contrast with error-riddled work. (ii) careless directly contrasts with meticulous and explains the errors. diligent contradicts the error-filled report; reticent is off-topic (about talkativeness, not carefulness). No other pairing preserves the contrast, so meticulous/careless is the only coherent combination.
- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
The city council's new policy was intended to be (i), reducing traffic congestion without burdening commuters with additional fees, but residents quickly found the maze of new regulations utterly (ii).
Answer: (ii) baffling
The intended quality (i) is defined by 'without burdening commuters with additional fees,' while 'but' introduces the actual outcome (ii). (i) unobtrusive matches the description of an easy, fee-free policy. costly directly contradicts 'without...additional fees.' draconian implies harshness, which also contradicts the intent to avoid burdening commuters. (ii) baffling matches 'maze of new regulations,' explaining residents' negative surprise. welcome contradicts the 'but' signal, which announces a problem, not approval. negligible concerns magnitude, not clarity, and doesn't match 'maze,' which implies confusion rather than insignificance. Only unobtrusive/baffling preserves the intended-versus-actual contrast.
- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
The negotiations, initially expected to be brief, dragged on for months as each side proved (i) to compromise, yet the eventual settlement was so (ii) that observers wondered why it had taken so long to reach.
Answer: (ii) unremarkable
The first clause explains the delay (blank i), while 'yet' introduces a contrast with the anticlimactic result (blank ii). (i) reluctant explains why talks dragged on. eager is the opposite direction, contradicting months of delay. indifferent suggests apathy rather than active resistance and doesn't pair naturally with 'to compromise.' (ii) unremarkable captures observers' surprise that so much time produced so little. contentious would match a long fight but not the surprise that observers express, since a contentious outcome wouldn't prompt wondering why it took so long—it would justify the delay. elaborate concerns complexity, not the letdown implied by the rhetorical question. Only reluctant/unremarkable satisfies both the cause of delay and the ironic anticlimax.
- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
The witness's testimony, praised by the prosecution as remarkably (i) ______, unraveled under cross-examination when it emerged that several key details had shifted with each retelling, exposing an account that was, in truth, thoroughly (ii) ______.
Answer: (ii) unreliable
'unraveled...in truth' reverses the prosecution's praise. Blank (i) restates the praise later disproven: (B) consistent. (A) inconsistent already matches the later revelation, eliminating the reversal; (C) vivid concerns vividness, not reliability. Blank (ii) names the exposed reality that details 'shifted with each retelling': (D) unreliable. (E) credible contradicts the shifting details; (F) concise is unrelated to accuracy. The blanks interact because the praised consistency (i) must be overturned into demonstrated unreliability (ii); only consistent/unreliable captures the reversal.
- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
Reviewers initially dismissed the memoir as (i) ______, assuming its unadorned prose signaled a lack of craft, until closer analysis revealed that the author's apparent simplicity was in fact a (ii) ______ achieved only through relentless revision.
Answer: (ii) sophistication
'until closer analysis revealed' reverses the initial misjudgment. Blank (i) restates the dismissal tied to 'unadorned prose' and 'lack of craft': (C) artless. (B) ornate contradicts 'unadorned'; (A) dishonest concerns truthfulness, not craft. Blank (ii) names the corrected verdict, 'achieved only through relentless revision': (F) sophistication. (E) carelessness agrees with the mistaken first impression rather than correcting it; (D) digression is unrelated to simplicity. The blanks interact because the initial artless judgment (i) must be overturned into recognized skill (ii); only artless/sophistication tracks the reveal.
- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
The philanthropist's donations, though publicized as acts of pure (i) ______, were structured with tax advantages so precise that skeptics suspected the gestures were, at bottom, exercises in calculated (ii) ______.
Answer: (ii) self-interest
'though publicized as...suspected...at bottom' opposes an advertised selfless motive to a suspected selfish one. Blank (i): (A) altruism is the precise antonym of self-interest, matching the sharp motive-opposition. (B) generosity is a near-synonym but is not directly negated by 'self-interest' and is less exactly opposed; (C) negligence concerns carelessness, not motive. Blank (ii): (E) self-interest is the calculated motive the 'precise' tax structuring implies. (D) incompetence contradicts 'precise'; (F) transparency is unrelated to a hidden motive. The blanks interact because (i) and (ii) must be motive-opposites; only altruism/self-interest forms the intended clean opposition, and 'calculated self-interest' fits idiomatically.
- For each blank, choose the word or phrase that best contributes to a clear, logical sentence. Choose one answer for each blank: the choices for the first blank are labeled A–C; the choices for the second blank are labeled D–F.
The auditor's report was praised for being (i), since it neither exaggerated the firm's losses nor downplayed them, but some board members, hoping for reassurance, found its unflinching accuracy (ii).
Answer: (ii) unsettling
The 'since' clause defines blank (i) directly, and 'but' introduces a contrasting reaction that defines blank (ii). (i) evenhanded is restated exactly by 'neither exaggerated...nor downplayed.' exaggerated directly contradicts that clause. sympathetic concerns kindness, not balance, and doesn't match the neither/nor definition. (ii) unsettling fits because board members wanted reassurance but instead got blunt, 'unflinching' truth. comforting contradicts 'unflinching' and the members' unmet hope for reassurance. irrelevant is off-topic, since the report clearly mattered to them. The only logically consistent pairing is evenhanded/unsettling, since the report's very accuracy is what disturbs members hoping for good news.
