For the first blank, we need a verb that means something like serious to describe the threat the villagers face. Either "grave" or "significant" could work, which leaves us to choose between "hysterical" (uncontrollably emotional) and "tender" (gentle and sympathetic) for the second blank. For this latter blank, "hysterical" is the better choice to describe the emotional villagers that needed soothing, making the right answer "grave . . . hysterical."

It is clear that Sally and Margaret have opposite natures. Whereas Sally is "shy" and "struggles to make friends," Margaret is "loud and affable." Sally is an “introvert” and Margaret is an “extrovert.” You will notice that the prefixes "in_-" and "ex-_" usually mean the opposite of one another, when placed in front of the same root word. To provide further help, “introspective” means internally thoughtful; “external” means on the outside; “intrepid” means adventurous and “explicit” means directly stated or rude; “intrinsic” means innate and “extraneous” means not needed; “innocuous” means harmless and “extrajudicial” means beyond the law.

"Grandiose" means extravagant or ambitious. "Burgeoning" means prospering or expanding. "Nonchalant" means easygoing or laid back. "Mellifluous" means smooth and sweet-sounding. "Haughty" means arrogant or snobbish. "Germane" means appropriate or applicable. "Listless" means spiritless or without energy. "Inchoate" means undeveloped or beginning. "Perfunctory" means automatic or unthinking. "Obscure" means not easily understood or ambiguous.

"Unpredictable" means difficult to foretell or foresee, while "frenetic" means hectic or frantic. It is very reasonable to conclude that a young nephew running at a hectic pace would have a bedtime which is difficult to anticipate, dependent upon his pace subsiding.

For the first blank, we can infer that because Sally's dress "involved feathers, fringe, sequins and a long train," we need to pick out a word that means something like "complex" or "conspicuous." Neither "simple" or "demure" can be correct, because they are antonyms of "complex" and "conspicuous," but either "flamboyant" (when describing clothing, "noticeable because brightly colored, highly patterned, or unusual in style") or "ostentatious" ("characterized by vulgar or pretentious display; designed to impress or attract notice") could be potentially correct. For the second blank, we can infer that we need to pick out a word that means something like "eventually agreed"; either "admitted" or "conceded" ("admitted that something is true or valid after first denying or resisting it") could be potentially correct. Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "flamboyant" and "conceded" appear in the same answer choice, so the correct answer is "flamboyant . . . conceded."

Again, we are looking for antonyms here. The clue word is "hesitantly," which means cautiously or with hesitation. The girl is scared, but she is trying to look brave in front of her friends. "Courageous" (brave) and "reluctantly" (unwillingly) are the only two words that fit.

Since Peter asks questions without much hesitation or care, he likely is very direct. To be "blunt" is to be direct and, often, outspoken. Such a person is like a "blunt" piece of wood—lacking any sharp points or subtlety. He is like a flat, straight board—everything is exposed and direct. Thus, "bluntly" is an excellent choice for the second blank. The first blank is contrasted to this. If someone is blunt, he or she will likely not be known for being "subtle," which is to be delicate and elaborate, often making many distinctions.

The key expression is "instead of strictly factual statements." These are contrasted to the second blank and implied as a synonym of the first blank. "Figurative" language is non-literal language. It is like making a "figure" or "picture" in words instead of employing strict meaning. For example, when we say that a storm is "raging," we are using the word "raging" in a non-literal sense, since this strictly applies to human emotions. The word "literal" means involving a word's primary meaning and not any form of extended meaning, such as metaphor. Indeed, "literal" means, "by the letter itself"—sort of like the "letter of the law," as we often say.

"Inconceivable" means impossible to comprehend or grasp fully, while "mundane" means concerned with the world rather than with spiritual things or commonplace. Evidently, for many, Robert's concern with the world makes his life incomprehensibly commonplace, so "inconceivably . . . mundane" is the correct answer.

The correct answer points to the complex nature of the writing that the author usually uses in his academic writing ("highfalutin") and how it made it overly difficult for an average person to understand ("arcane"). The incorrect answers fail to work in both categories; either they assert that the writing is not highbrow ("prosaic" and "unadorned") or that the audience believes that the book is too simple ("unembellished" and "facile").