Chapter 2

Text Completion

Text Completion questions on the GRE are sentences or paragraphs with one, two, or three blanks for which you must select the appropriate word or words.

Here's an example of the simplest variety of Text Completion, one with a single blank:

Despite his intense _________, he failed to secure the prestigious university's coveted diploma.

	imbibition
	lugubriousness
	lucubration
	magnanimity
	character

All single-blank Text Completions have exactly five answer choices, of which exactly one is correct. The answer choices for a given blank will always be the same part of speech.

These questions are very much like some of the questions you probably saw on the SAT.

Your task is to find the choice that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

The best approach will be to anticipate an answer before looking at the choices. Many people don't do this. Rather, they just plug in the choices one-by-one, rereading the sentence and stopping when it “sounds good.”

Here's how you can tell that many people don't anticipate answers: based on empirical data about the GRE, you know that problems of this type with right answer (A) are, on average, significantly easier than problems with right answer (E). 27% of test-takers got “(A)-problems” wrong, whereas 46% of test-takers got “(E)-problems” wrong—almost twice as many!

Do you think the GRE deliberately creates (E)-problems that are so much harder than (A)-problems? That's very unlikely. What's probably happening is that people are lazy. If you don't predict the answer and just plug in the choices instead—and the correct answer is (A)—then you get lucky. The sentence probably makes sense, and you pick (A). On the other hand, if the right answer is (E), then your lack of good process punishes you. You waste a lot of time plugging in all five choices, then get confused and end up picking the wrong one.

By the way, the GRE doesn't actually label the choices (A), (B), (C), (D), and (E) anymore (as in the example problem above—the choices appear in boxes). To answer a question, you simply click on your choice, and the entire box is highlighted. You get a chance to confirm before submitting that answer. (Also, you're allowed to go back and change answers anytime before the clock runs out.)

Although the real problems don't label the answers with letters, this book still uses that nomenclature, because it is easy to understand what is meant by “answer choice (D),” and because saying “the choice second from the bottom” sounds pretty silly. Try to write “A B C D E” on your paper for each question so that you have somewhere to keep track of which answers you think are wrong, which you think might be right, and which feature words you don't know. (We will revisit the above example shortly.)

Three-Step Process for Text Completions

Take a look at the following example:

If the student had been less ________, he would not have been expelled from his grade school.

	indefatigable
	perseverant
	refractory
	playful
	indigent

1. Read only the sentence.

The answer choices will distract you if you read them before you've made sense of the sentence.

2. Find the target, clue, and the pivot, and write down your own fill-in.

The clue and the pivot are the two most important parts of the sentence. The target is the thing in the sentence that the blank is describing. Stating the target explicitly can help to locate the clue. Here, the target is simply the student.

Note: If the blank represents a missing noun, the idea of a “target” may not apply. That's okay. Targets are very helpful when the blank represents a missing adjective, and can also be useful when the blank represents a missing verb.

The clue is what forces the contents of the blank to be perfectly predictable. In other words, the clue solves the mystery of the blank. Look for dramatic action or emotion. The clue should tell you more about the target (the student).

In this case, the clue is expelled.

The pivot is what determines the relationship between the blank and the clue. Will the blank agree with the clue? Or will the blank actually disagree with the clue? It depends on the pivot.

The sentence reads “less _______…not expelled.” So the pivot is less…not.

Think about what this means. If the student were less such-and-such, then he would not have been expelled.

So such-and-such got him expelled. In other words, the blank agrees with expelled. Less and not cancel each other out as negatives.

Finally, the fill-in is what you predict the answer to be. At this point, how would you use this blank to describe this student? Write down this adjective or phrase, as well as your (A) through (E).

badly behaved

A
B
C
D
E

3. Compare to each answer choice.

Here are the choices again. One at a time, simplify the choices, then see how well your fill-in matches up. Mark down one of the following next to your “A B C D E”: Good (), Bad (), Sort Of (~), or Unknown (?).

indefatigable = tireless

perseverant = determined

refractory = ??

playful

indigent = poor

So now your paper might look like this:

badly behaved

A
B
C ?
D ~
E ~

The correct answer is in fact (C), since refractory means “rebellious.” But even if you didn't know what refractory means, you would have a good shot at getting this problem right through process of elimination. Also, notice that you can write a plausible story around some of the wrong answer choices. For example, “If the student had been less playful, he wouldn't have been expelled.” This could make sense if the student was playing games during a serious lesson. Or maybe, “If the student had been less indigent, he wouldn't have been expelled.” What an indictment of the school's administration!

You should avoid writing stories when doing Text Completions. What you want for your fill-in is complete predictability and redundancy. There should be no surprises in the blank. Remember, there is only one right answer. No interesting stories!

Try it again with the example from earlier in the chapter:

Despite his intense _________ , he failed to secure the prestigious university's coveted diploma.

	imbibition
	lugubriousness
	lucubration
	magnanimity
	character

First, read only the sentence. Find the clue (failed to secure the prestigious university's coveted diploma) and the pivot (despite). Write your own fill-in—here, studying would be a good choice. Now compare studying with every answer choice:

studying

A
B
C
D
E ~

The answer is (C). Lucubration means “intense study.”

Of course, you may have some question marks due to a lack of vocabulary knowledge, in which case you should make your best guess without delay—you have limited time to complete the section, and staring at the words for longer will not suddenly make up for a lack of vocabulary. Your mastery of a large number of GRE-appropriate words is the biggest single factor that will determine your success on the problem.

Don't worry—there's a prodigious section on learning vocabulary coming up later in this book!

How to Write Good Fill-ins

As you try to write good fill-ins, keep in mind the following simple equation:

Fill-in = Clue + Pivot

The fill-in is nothing more interesting than a simple sum, so to speak, of the clue and the pivot. The clue and the pivot tell you something about the target.

Take a look at an example:

In the past decade, the coffee chain has dramatically expanded all across the country, leading one commentator to describe the franchise as _______.

First, find the target. Since the blank comes right after “describe the franchise as,” it's pretty clear that the target is the franchise.

Next, find the clue. There could be more than one. The clue will tell you something about the franchise. The clue is often the most descriptive part of the sentence (e.g., expelled). Typically, clues will be the most descriptive or opinionated elements of the sentence.

In the sentence above, dramatically expanded is the clue.

Then, find the pivot. Again, the pivot determines the relationship between the clue and the fill-in. The two most common possibilities are these:

1. The fill-in agrees with the clue.
2. The fill-in opposes the clue. The pivot will express negation or opposition.

The pivot could also indicate a causal relation or some other type, but even then, you can often get away with simply determining whether the fill-in and the clue agree or disagree.

In the sentence above, the words leading and describe tell you that the fill-in and the clue are in agreement.

So you need a blank that expresses agreement with dramatically expanded.

Finally, construct the fill-in out of the clue and the pivot. Recycle words if possible. This instinct will keep you from straying too far from the given meaning of the sentence. Feel free to use a phrase.

Your fill-in might be this: having dramatically expanded

Be ready to change the part of speech, if necessary.

Or you might have gone just a little further: everywhere

Notice how uninteresting this fill-in makes the sentence. Don't overthink. In real life, you could easily imagine the fill-in taking you substantially further than having dramatically expanded. For instance, the commentator may add a negative spin (overreached), but the GRE will make the fill-in much more boring in meaning. Assume as little as possible.

A likely answer would be something like ubiquitous, a GRE favorite.

Pivot Words

Fill in your own word in this sentence:

Despite his reputation for _______, the politician decided that in a time of crisis it was important to speak honestly and forthrightly.

Did you say something like “not being direct”? The target is the politician. The pivot word despite indicates an opposite direction. Honestly and forthrightly was the clue describing the politician. Since the pivot was negative, the correct answer will need to pivot away from honestly and forthrightly.

For all her studying, her performance on the test was _______.

This one relies on an idiom. Did you say something like “mediocre” or “bad”? The expression for all X, Y is in play here. For all here means “despite.” Thus, despite her studying, her performance was not good.

Although he has a reputation for volubility, others at the party didn't find him to be especially _______.

Did you say something like “talkative”? Or did you go for “not talkative”? Notice you have a clue (volubility, which means “talkativeness”) and a pivot word, although. But you also have another pivot—the not in didn't. Pivoting twice (much like turning 180 degrees twice) is like not pivoting at all. In your blank, you just want another word for talkative.

Here are some common pivot words, phrases, and structures:

SAME DIRECTION	OPPOSITE DIRECTION	CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP
; (semicolon) : (colon) Also And Besides Furthermore In addition In fact Just as…as Moreover Not only…but also So…as to be X, Y, and Z (items in a list)	Although Belied But Despite In spite of Nevertheless On the contrary On the other hand Rather than Still Though Whether X or Y Yet	As a result Because Consequently Hence So Therefore Thus

 

Drill: Sentence Analysis

Analyze each sentence for Target, Clue, and Pivot, then fill in the blank in your own words.

1.   The camp established by the aid workers provided a ___________ for the refugees, many of whom had traveled for weeks to get there.

2.   While others had given only accolades, the iconoclastic critic greeted the book's publication with a lengthy ____________.

3.   Though many have impugned her conclusions, the studies on which she based her analysis are beyond ___________.

4.   The ancient poem's value was more __________ than literary; the highly literal work made no attempt at lyricism, and ended by warning the reader never to lie.

5.   French food could be said to be the most _________ of all cuisines, considering the high saturated fat content of the otherwise delectable bechamels and remoulades.

6.   It is unfair and incorrect to __________ about an entire minority group based on the actions of a few people, whether those people are reprobates or model citizens.

7.   For all the clamor about bipartisanship, in the end, voting __________ to factional loyalties.

8.   While digital media should theoretically last forever, in actuality, there are warehouses full of abandoned computer tape drives and other media that have since been __________ by newer technologies.

9.   Chad was the most mercurial of young people, but as an adult was able to __________ his wild fluctuations in personality.

10. The __________ position he adopted on the issue belied his reputation for equivocation.

 

Answers: Sentence Analysis

1. This sentence is pretty straightforward—you have the clues that aid workers are providing something for refugees, who have traveled for a long time to get there. A good fill-in would be haven or sanctuary.

2. This sentence has an opposite-direction pivot: While. You also have the clue that the critic is iconoclastic. Since most critics gave the book accolades—and an iconoclastic critic would do the opposite—a good fill-in would be something like condemnation.

3. The target is the studies. This sentence also has an opposite-direction pivot: Though. It seems that this person's conclusions aren't so great. The studies she used, though, are pretty great. You want to say something good about the studies, but you have another opposite-direction pivot, beyond. You want to say that the studies are so good that they are beyond something bad. This sentence would almost certainly be completed with the expression beyond reproach.

4. The target is the poem. You know that it is more ________ than literary—so it's not very literary. You then find out that it's highly literal and not even trying to be lyrical—sounds like a really bad poem! It ended by warning the reader never to lie. Whoa—that sounds like a terrible poem! Maybe the kind that would appear in a children's book. A good fill-in would be moralistic or didactic.

5. The target is French food. You might be tempted to put delicious in the blank, but that would be incorrectly inserting an opinion. The clue clearly says that the French food is full of fat. A good fill-in would be unhealthy.

6. The target is the entire minority group. What should you not _______ about them? The clue is “based on the actions of a few people.” A good fill-in might be make stereotypes or generalize.

7. The target is voting. This sentence depends on an idiom. For all here means “despite.” The clue is clamor about bipartisanship and the pivot is for all (meaning despite). Thus, the second part of the sentence should indicate that the voting was the opposite of bipartisan—that is, partisan. Since factional loyalties describe a partisan environment, a good fill-in would be conformed or adhered.

8. The target is abandoned computer tape drives and other media. You have the clue digital media should theoretically last forever and the pivot while. Thus, the meaning is that digital media does not last forever. This tracks with the idea of the computer tape drives being abandoned. A good fill-in would be replaced. GRE-type words that might appear here would be supplanted or superseded.

9. The target is Chad, or whatever Chad was able to do to his personality fluctuations. You have a clue about Chad—he was mercurial, which matches the idea of wild fluctuations in personality. You have a pivot, but, indicating that you need to go in the opposite direction. Thus, Chad was able to hold back or moderate his wild fluctuations. GRE-type words that might appear here would be temper or damp.

10. The target is the position. You know that the person in question has a reputation for equivocation. Your pivot is belied. Thus, a good fill-in would relate to the opposite of equivocation—something like firm or resolute.

Double-Blank and Triple-Blank Text Completions

Most Text Completion questions have more than one blank. Consider the following example:

Twentieth-century America witnessed a nearly (i) _________ ascent to ever greater wealth, leaving its leaders (ii) _________ of publicly acknowledging budgetary limitations.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
portentous	chary
pertinacious	opprobrious
unremitting	implicate

In the sentence, the blanks are labeled with lowercase Roman numerals.

Below the sentence, the first column contains the choices—portentous, pertinacious, and unremitting—for the first blank. The second column contains the choices—chary, opprobrious, and implicate—for the second blank.

If you took the SAT, or remember the “old” GRE, you'll notice something very different here—your choice for the first blank is independent of your choice for the second blank. That is, if you choose unremitting for the first blank, that does not mean that you have therefore chosen implicate for the second blank—you must instead make a separate decision for the second blank.

This means that you cannot “cheat” off one column to make your decision for the other. More importantly: there is no partial credit. You must get both words right or you receive no credit for your response. Thus, your chance of randomly guessing the correct answer is quite low (1 in 9).

It is very difficult to get these questions right based on incomplete information—you must understand the sentences and you must know all or most of the words. This is why such a large portion of this book is dedicated to vocabulary acquisition.

Fortunately, the fact that you must choose each word independently is somewhat compensated for by the fact that, for each blank, there are only three options, not five (as in single-blank Text Completions),

One more pleasant feature of double-blank and triple-blank problems is that, while they may seem harder because they are generally longer, there are also more clues for you to find. Also, having multiple blanks means you get to choose which blank to tackle first…and some blanks are easier to solve than others!

Start with the Easier (or Easiest) Blank

Don't just try to fill in the first blank automatically. Look at all of the blanks and figure out which one has the easiest clue. Then create a fill-in and use that fill-in as an extra clue for the harder blank(s).

Take a look at this example:

Even seasoned opera singers, who otherwise affect an unflappable air, can be (i) ________ performing in Rome, where audiences traditionally view (ii) ________ performers as a birthright, passed down from heckler to heckler over generations.

Blank #2 is easier. Why? Compare the clues and pivots:

Your fill-in for #2 should probably be heckling. Remember to reuse the given language in the fill-in when you can.

Now you can use that fill-in as another clue. There is no pivot between the two blanks, meaning that the two fill-ins agree in some way. The relationship seems to be causal: the opera performers are going to react to that heckling. A likely fill-in would be upset by or afraid of.

Your paper might now look like this: afraid of…heckling

Also on your paper, draw a grid so that you can do process of elimination:

Or, if you prefer, write:

   A           A

   B           B

   C           C

Now compare to the answer choices and mark your paper:

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
intrepid about	extolling
daunted by	lionizing
tempered by	badgering

Here is an example of what a student might have written down for this question. This student wasn't sure about tempered by, and didn't know exactly about lionizing but felt that it wasn't quite right.

afraid of…heckling

Nevertheless, this student picked daunted by and badgering, which are the correct responses.

Remember, the only way to get credit for the question is to pick BOTH daunted by and badgering.

Now here's an example with three blanks:

Perceptions of the (i) ________ role of intellectual practices within modern life underlie the familiar stereotypes of the educated as eggheads, ideologues, or worse. These negative characterizations may be rooted in a (ii) ________ of the aims of academia, but they are unlikely to be (iii) _________ unless teachers take efforts to address them directly.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
incongruous	dissemination	espoused
refractory	confounding	dispelled
salubrious	corroboration	promulgated

While this sentence has three blanks instead of two, and is made up of more than one sentence, your method is the same—start with the easiest blank. The easiest blank is often the one surrounded by the most text—that is, the one that is furthest from the other two blanks and thus has the most potential clues located near it. Here, the first blank seems promising:

Perceptions of the (i) ________ role of intellectual practices within modern life underlie the familiar stereotypes of the educated as eggheads, ideologues, or worse.

The target is the role, and the role underlies stereotypes about eggheads “or worse.” So the word describing the role should be related to the idea of intellectual = egghead (a mild slang term roughly equivalent to “nerd”). Don't ignore the phrase within modern life. A good fill-in would be irrelevant. The sentence seems to be saying that people think intellectuals are eggheads because intellectual practices are not a helpful or important part of modern life.

The second sentence mirrors that idea (These negative characterizations ...). It seems clear that the speaker is trying to defend academia. A good fill-in for the second blank would be misunderstanding or twisting (you can't really be sure if the people who think intellectuals are “eggheads” are getting it wrong deliberately or not).

Finally, you have a negative pivot: unlikely (and another one, unless). Work backwards on this sentence:

If teachers DON'T address negative stereotypes directly…

the stereotypes will continue

so, the stereotypes are unlikely to be eliminated or corrected

On your paper, you might have:

irrelevant	misunderstanding	eliminated

Or, if you prefer:

irrelevant	misunderstanding	eliminated
A	A	A
B	B	B
C	C	C

Consider your choices and mark your paper appropriately:

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
incongruous	dissemination	espoused
refractory	confounding	dispelled
salubrious	corroboration	promulgated

Your notes for this question might look like this:

The correct answer is incongruous, confounding, and dispelled.

Finally, double-blank and triple-blank questions can sometimes have choices that are phrases rather than single words. These questions tend to be less about knowing difficult vocabulary words than about being able to work out the meaning of the sentence(s).

Try this question:

(i) ___________ subject of the sermon, his words possessed a (ii) _________ quality few could fail to find utterly enchanting. It was only when his conclusion devolved into a (iii) _________ that the congregation began to fantasize about returning to the comfort of home.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
In spite of the insipid	euphonious	thoroughly fallacious slew of prevarications
Notwithstanding the salubrious	euphemistic	seemingly unending string of divagations
Because of the inauspicious	eulogistic	dubiously sanctified series of assignations

Attack the easiest blank first. That might be the last one, since you have the clues that the sermon's conclusion devolved into whatever goes in the blank, and that the congregation began to fantasize about returning to the comfort of home. Both clues tell you that you want a fill-in that means something like bunch of stupid or boring stuff.

Now that you have mentally completed the last sentence, it might help to paraphrase it before using the information to work backwards and analyze the rest of the sentence. Paraphrase: It was only when the conclusion became stupid or boring that the people got bored. The phrase It was only when serves as a pivot: before things got stupid or boring, they must have been pretty good, as you can verify from the clue utterly enchanting.

The second blank is pretty easy:…his words possessed a _______ quality few could fail to find utterly enchanting. That means that nearly everyone finds his words enchanting. In fact, you could recycle that word and put it in the blank—a good fill-in here would be enchanting.

Finally, the first blank. It's pretty hard to fill in this one without glancing at the answer choices, but at least try to figure out a general category of what you'll be looking for. There is a blank about the subject of the sermon, and then something nice about the words used in the sermon. Either these two things will go in the same direction or in an opposite direction.

You might have something like this on our paper:

something comparing subject w/ words      enchanting       stupid/boring stuff

Now try the choices (in any order you prefer).

In the first blank, In spite of the insipid makes sense—the meaning is In spite of the bad quality of the topic, the words of the sermon were enchanting. In the second option, notwithstanding is similar to in spite of, so you would expect something bad to come after, but salubrious means healthy. Since the third choice begins with because, you would expect something positive to come after it (Because of some good quality of the sermon, the words were enchanting). But inauspicious means likely to be unsuccessful. Only In spite of the insipid works.

In the second blank, only euphonious works. The root eu means good, but that's not too helpful here, since all three words use that root. However, euphemistic (substituting inoffensive words in for more explicit or hurtful ones) doesn't make sense, and eulogistic (full of praise, especially for a deceased person) also doesn't match the idea of enchanting.

Finally, the only phrase that means anything like stupid/boring stuff is seemingly unending string of divagations (divagations are tangents, or instances of going off-topic). Prevarications are falsehoods, and assignations are romantic meetups.

The answer is In spite of the insipid, euphonious, and seemingly unending string of divagations.

Tricky Aspects of Text Completion Sentences

Take a look at this example:

Although Paula claimed not to be ________ that she was not selected for the scholarship, we nevertheless worried that our typically sanguine friend was not entirely ________ by the decision.

This sentence is just chock-full of switchbacks. Count the oppositional pivots: Although…not…nevertheless…typically…not entirely….

It's easy to lose your way in a thicket of double-negative pivots, especially under exam pressure. How many wrongs make a right?

When you face a situation such as this…

Break It Down

Chop up the sentence and process it in small chunks. Start with the earliest or the most concrete part of the story. Then add one chunk at a time. Change complicated pivots to simple words, such as but and so.

As you go, emotionally punctuate each part of the story. Exaggerate the switchbacks in your mental voice, as if you were telling a story you really cared about. Finally, as you think about the whole, discard unnecessary elements, so that you don't have to hold everything in your head at once.

For the sentence above, the breakd own might go like this:

Our friend Paula is typically sanguine = optimistic

She was not selected for a scholarship

She claimed NOT to be ________

BUT

We still worried

that she was NOT entirely ________ by the decision.

The fill-ins should be pretty easy to generate now: upset/saddened for the first blank, and unaffected for the second.

It looks like a lot of work, but your brain can generate this train of thought in seconds. Give it a try.

Other tricky aspects of the sentence yield to the same basic medicine: Break it down.

Now break down a few more challenging sentence types.

Unfamiliar Style or Content

That such a _______ of precedent would be countenanced was itself unprecedented in the court, a bastion of traditionalism.

The sentence starts with a that clause, a hallmark of a very academic writing style. Moreover, the content is about a legal matter. These two factors combine with difficult vocabulary (precedent, countenanced, bastion) to make the sentence forbidding.

The meaning of the sentence is something like, “That such a ________ of previously established examples would be tolerated was a surprising instance of a very traditional court going against tradition.”

A good fill-in here would be something like rejection.

Red Herring Clues

A “red herring” is something that seems to be a clue, but is actually only there to confuse you. Such traps occasionally appear on Text Ccompletion questions, so be careful that all the clues you're using are actually clues.

By rigorously observing social behavior, anthropologists ________ strict, though implicit, codes of conduct.

A few “clues” might not really be clues. (“Red herring” is an expression for something that seems like it's going to be important, but turns out to be just a distraction. The expression arose when criminals started rubbing herring—a type of fish—on trails to distract the hunting dogs chasing after them.)

Here, the word strict turns out to be less important to the answer than implicit. Decoy answers might be undermine or challenge (somehow dealing with the strict element, but introducing too much new information in the fill-in). The real meaning of the sentence is based on the idea that, because the behavior is implicit (hinted at or unspoken), anthropologists have to be rigorous in their observations in order to detect or decode it. A good fill-in would be something like reveal or make explicit.

Blanks in Tough Spots

If these managers (i) _________ the purported advantages of the new deep-sea recovery methodology to be (ii) ________ , then it will rapidly be judged less useful than current alternatives by the broader business community.

Some blanks are positioned in such a way that it's hard to hold the sentence in your head. The gaps occur early or in strategic places. For instance, in the sentence above, the verb of the first clause is missing.

A completed version of this sentence would read something like, “If these managers find the purported advantages…to be lacking, then…”

The main thing to remember is that, no matter how complex or awkward the sentence, you have to make sense of it. The best way to do that is to break it down into pieces. Start at the easiest-to-understand chunk and work outwards from there.

Drill: Sentence Analysis with Multiple Blanks

Analyze each sentence for Target, Clue, and Pivot, then fill in the blanks in your own words. Here, you're just practicing the first two steps of the strategy. You'll practice complete problems soon.

1.   The radio host claimed to have preternatural powers that allowed her to (i) ________ future events, from cataclysms and illnesses to global booms and personal (ii) ________.

2.   After Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, he was greeted not with (i) ________ but with a barrage of ridicule. The London Times called the invention the latest American “humbug,” disbelieving electricians declared the machine a (ii) ________, and prominent capitalists—always with an eye out to make a profit—all (iii) ________ to buy Graham's patent.

3.   Louis Armstrong rose to (i) ________ in the 1920s as an innovative cornet and trumpet player. A(n) (ii) ________ influence in jazz, he is largely credited for shifting focus from a style based on group improvisation to one based on solo performance—such as his own distinctive, even (iii) ________, solos.

4.   For years, the idea that blind people can hear better than sighted people was considered something of an old (i) ________. However, functional brain imaging has recently uncovered the fact that a brain region called V1, which (ii) ________ at the back of the skull and which normally responds only to light, has been rewired in the brains of blind people and now processes auditory information in what could be termed a stunning example of the brain's (iii) ________.

5.   Throughout the history of human thought, virtually every thinker has (i) ________ of the mind as a unitary entity. (ii) ________, in the 1960s, Roger Sperry conducted his famous studies working with epileptics who had been treated via the cutting of the corpus callosum, or division between the two hemispheres. During the studies, Perry was able to observe that each half of the brain could gain new information independently, and that one hemisphere could be entirely unaware of what the other had learned or experienced. Truly, our brains are not unitary, but (iii) ________.

6.   The company president was not just (i) ________ but positively (ii) ________; his subordinates lived in perpetual fear of his reproof.

7.   Marissa's date was neither (i) _________ nor (ii) _________; he was surly to the waiter and expatiated at great length about mechanical engineering, a topic Marissa finds quite tedious.

8.   While many people think of migraines simply as bad headaches, migranes are actually neurological events that can include numbness, slurred speech, and ringing in the ears, with or without headache. Even doctors are (i) ________ to this mischaracterization, thus leading to frequent (ii) ________; these mistakes can lead to instances where both patients with migraines and patients whose disorders are confused with migraines end up getting treatment that may be ineffective or even (iii)________.

9.   We ought not (i) ________ our leaders; it is our (ii) ________ and foibles that make us human, and only by humanizing the greatest among us can we fully understand those whose achievements we admire.

10. In her later years, the artist (i) _________ the wild, chaotic imagery of her early work and instead embraced a prim, highly (ii) _________ formalism.

 

Answers: Sentence Analysis with Multiple Blanks

1. The clue for the first blank is preternatural powers. A good fill-in is predict. The clue for the second blank is from cataclysms and illnesses to global booms. A from…to…structure will have to set up opposites. Furthermore, you can expect that the comparison will fit a predictable pattern (otherwise, how could the GRE expect you to know what to put in the blanks?). A cataclysm is a big, bad thing, and illnesses is a smaller, bad thing. Global booms are a big, good thing, so you're looking for a smaller, good thing. A good fill-in might be windfalls or strokes of luck.

2. For the first blank, you have an opposite-direction pivot (not with _____ but with ridicule). Thus, praise would be a good fill-in for the first blank. The clue about the electricians is disbelieving, so a good fill-in for the second blank would be hoax. The third sentence is perhaps the trickiest. If read in isolation, the sentence would seem to indicate that capitalists always with an eye out to make a profit would want to buy the patent. However, this item is part of a list of ways in which Graham was ridiculed. Thus, a correct fill-in for the third blank would indicate that the capitalists did NOT want to buy the patent. A word like declined would fit nicely.

3. If Armstrong rose, then you're looking for a word describing a high position—something like prominence would be a good fill-in for the first blank. For the second blank, simply recycle influence and fill in something like influential (a nice GRE word might be foundational). For the third blank, you want something even more distinctive than distinctive—something like showy, flashy, or ostentatious.

4. The opposite-direction pivot in the second sentence (However), followed by news of a recent discovery, indicates that whatever was thought for years has turned out to be incorrect. Thus, a good fill-in for the first blank would be folk tale or urban legend. A more GRE-type word would be canard. The second blank should simply say something like located. The third blank needs to sum up the idea that part of the brain that normally only responds to light has actually been repurposed to do something else. Thus, a good fill-in would be something like versatility or plasticity.

5. The first blank should simply be a verb like thought or conceived (both words that can be followed by of). You learn from the first sentence that the traditional way to think of the mind is as a unitary entity. The next sentence describes the mind acting in a very non-unitary way (a binary way, actually). So, the word in the second blank should be something like however. Finally, the third blank simply needs to be the opposite of unitary—perhaps modular or decentralized.

6. The clue is that the subordinates lived in fear. You also have an important sentence pattern: not just _____ but positively ______. This pattern indicates that the second thing should be a more extreme version of the first. Good fill-ins might be bossy and domineering or even bossy and terrifying.

7. Notice again the structure: two things are compared to two things. There must be a logical pattern. In this case, the first blank is the opposite of surly, so nice would be a good fill-in. The second blank is the opposite of expatiating on a tedious subject, so you could go with something like interesting.

8. Most people make mistakes in how they think of migraines—even doctors. From that clue, a good fill-in for the first blank would be prone (or something else indicating that the doctors also make this mistake). Following this idea, the second blank should say something like misdiagnoses (this idea is supported by the phrase “whose disorders are confused with migraines”). Finally, there is an important pattern in the final sentence: that may be ineffective or even ___________. The even indicates that you want something even worse than ineffective. A good fill-in would be harmful.

9. The phrase only by humanizing the greatest among us can we fully understand those whose achievements we admire is a big clue—that's a strong statement that gives you a very good idea of the point of the sentence. You have an opposite-direction pivot (not), so a good fill-in for the first blank would be idealize. The second blank is matched up with foibles, so it will probably mean something very similar, perhaps flaws.

10. Since the later years are being contrasted with the early years, the first blank should contain something like cast off or eschewed. In the second blank, you can simply recycle prim or formal—she cast off her old, wild style to pursue a prim, highly formal formalism.

 

Traps to Avoid During Elimination

In this section, you're going to learn about some traps that you might see in harder Text Completion questions.

Theme Trap

Give the following problem a try:

The event horizon (or boundary) of a black hole represents both (i)_______ and intangibility; space travelers would pass through this literal “point of no return” so (ii)_______ that the precise moment at which their fate was sealed would almost certainly not be registered.

	Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
	constellation	indiscernibly
	irrevocability	universally
	infallibility	cosmically

Which is the easier blank?

Most would agree that the second blank is easier. The clue is the precise moment…certainly not be registered, and the lack of a pivot tells you that the fill-in agrees with the clue. So you might fill in something like without registering (again, recycling language from the sentence itself).

Turning to the first blank, you can see that the without registering fill-in lines up with intangibility, while the first blank lines up with “point of no return.” So you might fill in no return for the first blank.

Now you match to the answer choices. Only indiscernibly fits without registering. Only irrevocability fits no return. Irrevocability and indiscernibly are the correct responses.

A theme trap in a wrong answer choice shares a theme or field (such as medicine, sports, etc.) with the sentence. As a result, the choice sounds okay on its own and somehow “together” with the sentence, even though it doesn't really fit the blanks.

Notice the trap language in the choices: constellation, universally, cosmically. These words all relate to space, but they have no actual relation to the meanings you want for your blanks. Have the mental discipline to follow the strategy every time, and you won't fall for traps like this!

Close But Not Close Enough Trap

Now try this problem:

Marie was nettled by her sister's constant jocularity and preferred a _______ approach to life.

	miserable
	indignant
	waggish
	staid
	sycophantic

It was probably pretty easy for you to identify the clues (nettled, jocularity, preferred) and to see that Marie is against jocularity, or joking behavior. A fill-in might be serious.

Now, imagine that you go through the answer choices. Miserable and indignant both “sort of” match, but they both seem a little off, too. Just because Marie doesn't like her sister's constant joking, that doesn't mean she's miserable or indignant in her outlook on life. Perhaps you don't remember what waggish or staid mean, and you don't totally remember sycophantic either, but you're sure it doesn't mean serious.

So your paper might look like this:

serious

A ~

B ~

C ?

D ?

E

You can now identify another trap. You don't like miserable or indignant, but you don't know the other words, so you find yourself reluctant to choose (C) or (D). Unfortunately, you're falling into a trap…

The Close But Not Close Enough Trap occurs when a wrong answer choice is “in the ballpark” but something is off in the meaning—however, the word is familiar, so it's attractive.

You might be afraid to pick a word you don't know. Overcome this fear. As it turns out, the correct answer is staid, which means “serious, sedate by temperament or habits.”

You will also see reversal traps (you miss a pivot or mix up a negative). This is a matter of attention to detail in the moment.

Finally, there are vocab traps. Conversant doesn't mean talkative (it means knowledgeable), factitious does not mean factual (it means the opposite!), and ingenuous can look a lot like ingenious if you're not reading carefully. To avoid these traps, you're going to need to really know your vocab!

Text Completion Recap

Three-Step Process

1.      Read only the sentence. 2.      Find the clue and pivot, and write down your own fill-in. 3.      Compare to each answer choice.

Principle for Writing Fill-Ins

Fill-in = Clue + Pivot

The clue describes the target. Reuse material from the sentence when writing a fill-in.

Principle for Two or Three Blanks

Start with the easier/easiest blank. Work outwards from the part of the sentence that is easiest to understand.

Things to Watch Out For

• Double Negative Pivots, which create Reversal Traps
• Unfamiliar Style/Content, which can confuse you and cause you to abandon your process
• Red Herring Clues
• Blanks in Tough Spots
• Theme Traps, where wrong answers are thematically related to the stem
• Close But Not Close Enough Traps, where wrong answers have the right spin (positive or negative), but are incorrect in degree or detail
• Vocab Traps, where the GRE takes advantage of visual similarities between words to trick you into thinking one word has a similar meaning to some other word it happens to look like

Drill: Easy Questions

Here is the first of three 20-question Text Completion drills. Remember to follow the strategy! Look for clues and pivots, write down your own fill-in on separate paper, write A B C D E or make a grid, and use process of elimination.

You won't get any more reminders after this, so it's important that you make a vow to yourself to maintain the mental discipline to use this strategy and not simply revert back to what most people do (look at the question and pick the choices that “seem best”).

You will also want to make a list of vocabulary words to look up later (if you haven't been making such a list already). Even after you've done these drills, you could still spend quite a long time just learning the words in these 60 problems (and then going over the problems again—another reason to work on separate paper and not in the book).

If your current vocabulary is extremely limited, here's another idea: go through the following 20 questions looking at the answer choices only, without reading the sentences. Make flashcards for all new words (look words up on dictionary.com, m-w.com, thefreedictionary.com, etc.). Learn all of the words, then come back and attack these questions.

1.   Although it appeared to be _________ after its stagnation and eventual cancellation in 1989, Doctor Who returned to the BBC in 2005, becoming the longest-running science-fiction show in history.

	lackluster
	ascendant
	unflagging
	defunct
	sated

2.   _________ against China's record on environmental protection has become a ubiquitous pastime at energy summits, especially among those already inclined to invective on such topics.

	Inveigling
	Speculating
	Needling
	Ranting
	Lauding

3.   In 1345, the brothers of Queen Blanche of Namur, Louis and Robert, were appointed _______ to her spouse, conveying upon them the protection of King Magnus Eriksson in exchange for their homage and fealty.

	protégés
	vassals
	vanguards
	precursors
	partisans

4.   Social critic Neil Postman identified what he saw as a sort of intellectual _________ when he wrote, “What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

	pondering
	mulishness
	degeneration
	cerebration
	banishment

5.   The doctor's presentation went into great detail about the supposed __________ of the treatment, but failed to discuss any way of obviating damage to auxiliary structures.

	diagnosis
	mien
	prognosis
	costs
	benefits

6.   Richardson's (i) _________ handling of the (ii) _________ scandal successfully prevented what seemed poised to become the spectacular devastation or ruination of his coalition.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
penitent	fretful
adroit	looming
heterogeneous	ecumenical

7.   The (i) ___________ forces were just barely held at bay by a loyalist battalion (ii) _______ by its allies’ reinforcements.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
revolting	obviated
outclassed	bolstered
fascistic	sapped

8.   While it would be lovely if what he said were true, many of the shareholders are afraid he is _________ liar, based on observations made during his long tenure at the company.

	a libelous
	an inveterate
	a nullified
	an unverified
	a forfeited

9.   In determining the defendant's sentencing, the jury will take into account whether he acted on ________ motives, or, as he claims, acted primarily to shield himself and others in the restaurant from harm.

	ulterior
	resolute
	pathological
	lucrative
	violent

10. During years of mismanagement by the Socialist Party, Burma drifted into economic _________ and isolation, a far cry from the power and influence exerted by the country at the peak of the Toungoo Dynasty in the 16^th century.

	monotony
	opulence
	nonchalance
	feebleness
	recriminations

11. As the new government revealed itself to be far more authoritarian than the people ever could have guessed, and curfews and roadblocks threatened the _________ of citizens, the public houses began to fill with whispers of a possible coup d’état.

	insolence
	epitome
	belligerence
	recidivism
	autonomy

12. He is the most hubristic individual his colleagues have ever met, and never passes up an opportunity for ___________.

	hedonism
	augmentation
	profit
	jubilation
	bombast

13. (i)__________ by circumstance, the entrepreneur once known for his overweening (ii) _________ was now seen by others as the possessor of a broken spirit and timid demeanor.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
Unaffected	pretension
Humbled	liberality
Exalted	wealth

14. Though she had made attempts to adopt a more (i)_________ lifestyle, she was not above indulging her proclivities towards fattening, (ii) _________ dishes.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
truculent	odious
salutary	edible
frugal	unwholesome

15. The discovery that exposure to allergens through the mother's diet during the last trimester could lead to complications during the first year after birth (i) _________ the U.K. Department of Health to (ii) __________ dietary recommendations for expecting mothers.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
prompted	intuit
instigated	codify
lulled	officiate

16. Fearful of being seen as (i)_________ , the Bieber Appreciation Society took pains to include (ii) _________ voices in its monthly newsletter.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
enthusiasts	conciliatory
detractors	critical
toadies	tantamount

17. The fact that bringing together criminals and their victims for a moderated conversation has been shown to vastly reduce rates of (i)__________ might be explained by the fact that those who commit crimes can only do so by convincing themselves their actions have no (ii) ___________ .

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
violence	inconsistencies
recidivism	aberrations
malfeasance	ramifications

18. The (i) _________ of monks and abbots in Eastern Christianity were typically of plain black modest cloth, indicating their spiritual indifference to matters of this world in favor of a commitment to a (ii) _________ mindset. In this regard, the contrast with the (iii) _________ garments of Buddhist monks is striking.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
vestiges	mundane	iridescent
habiliments	dogmatic	drab
paragons	transcendent	flowing

19. In many criminal trials, it emerges that the defendant (i) ________ some kind of abuse as a child. However, these biographical revelations should not have any effect on how the jury apportions (ii) ___________. An excuse is not a justification, and the criminal justice system wasn't constructed to help balance the (iii) _________ of someone's life.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
appreciated	culpability	ledger
exploited	history	imprisonment
suffered	insanity	verdict

20. The university president argued that top universities should not (i) ___________ education as an academic (ii) ___________; discouraging our brightest students from pursuing teaching careers does a disservice to the next generation of students by (iii) ________ them of the opportunity to learn from the cream of the crop.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
disdain	recommendation	denigrating
proscribe	tome	degenerating
circumvent	discipline	divesting

Drill: Medium Questions

1.   O'Neill's Irish _________ was so incomprehensible to the Royal visitors, accustomed to speaking in formal Queen's English, that they struggled to complete the negotiation.

	fortitude
	patois
	equanimity
	diffidence
	consternation

2.   Traditional upper class _________ such as fox hunting and cricket have largely given way to more egalitarian amusements over the course of the last century.

	stereotypes
	disportments
	vocations
	canards
	professions

3.   Professor Honeycutt was known as a probing questioner of her students; she always wanted to get to the _________ of any intellectual matter.

	emotions
	academics
	pith
	periphery
	examination

4.   Seeing its only alternative to be a (i) _________ diplomacy unbecoming of political visionaries—as members of the so-called National Liberation Organization saw themselves in those days—the militant branch veered toward a policy of (ii) _________ aggression against its perceived ethnic rivals.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
wheedling	supine
freewheeling	unremitting
verdant	superfluous

5.   A (i)_________ ran through the crowd of protesters chanting slogans and threats when the queen made the sudden announcement—only a fortnight after vowing not to give in to the popular demands for her departure—that she would abdicate the throne, (ii) _________ a period of disorder and confusion.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
frisson	marring
murmur	precipitating
panegyric	diluting

6.   After Bismarck's cunning leadership helped the Prussians overcome years of infighting, they were able to turn the aggression outwards, becoming known and feared across Europe for their (i)_________ .

	ennui
	extravagance
	opulence
	covetousness
	truculence

7.   A perfectionist in all things, Joseph expected to immediately become a (i)__________ and was downtrodden indeed when he remained (ii) ______ despite his best efforts.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
hack	novel
musician	inane
virtuoso	inept

8.   (i) _________ is unlikely to serve someone (ii) _________ by liars and fabulists.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
Credulity	foresaken
Duplicity	brooked
Ingenuity	beset

9.   The idea, espoused by such heavyweights as Peter Singer, that each sentient being deserves fair treatment on a par with human beings clashes with the ecological insight that _________ some members of a species is occasionally necessary to prevent the devastating effects of overpopulation.

	protecting
	culling
	murdering
	reintroducing
	depleting

10. While she was known to all her friends as quite the (i) _________ , legendary for humorous stories from her years spent driving a taxi, her private behavior belied this (ii) ________ image.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
sage	belligerent
prevaricator	pedantic
raconteur	genial

11. The common opinion at the court had it that her droll utterances as often as not (i) _________ attitudes unbecoming of a lady. This reputation cost her the attentions of some gentlemen, above all thanks to their fear of being bested by her (ii) _________ .

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
eluded	subtlety
derided	doggerel
evinced	repartee

12. While courage is an important virtue to teach—and his character is indeed (i) _________—a cartoon mouse with a (ii) _________ for excessive violence is hardly an appropriate mascot for a children's charity.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
mettlesome	penchant
impetuous	kinship
heady	largess

13. The double-dealing ambassador's political (i) _________ and backpedaling looked all the worse when compared to the (ii) _________ straightforwardness of his Australian counterpart.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
plutocracy	occlusive
bugaboo	ostensible
sleight of hand	intransigent

14. The most (i)________ puzzle was in determining how to deliver the antisense strand to the right place at the right moment, after the virus had penetrated the cell, but before it had replicated and escaped to infect other cells. To accomplish this, the synthetic strand had to be potent enough to be effective and to resist rapid (ii)_________ inside the body, allowing it time to accomplish its task.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
recalcitrant	desiccation
pedestrian	degradation
monolithic	compunction

15. It takes only a (i) _________ of dry shrub for an errant spark to turn into a destructive (ii) _________.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
surfeit	conflagration
scintilla	incendiary
pallet	havoc

16. The Russo-Turkish war (i) _________ Albanians, placing before them the (ii) _________ prospect of a division of their lands among competing powers. This, above all, served to bring Albanian nationalism surging out of its former (iii) _________ , culminating in a successful bid for independence only a few decades later.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
rankled	evanescent	latency
enervated	pernicious	insularity
debased	transient	lucidity

17. Though she acknowledges that modern farming practices are more (i)______ than traditional agriculture, she nonetheless argues that this difference represents no real (ii) ______. Perhaps more worrying, however, is her insistence that similar claims can be advanced regarding the treatment of farmers by an often (iii) ________ social hierarchy.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
expensive	progress	iniquitous
efficient	disincentive	halcyon
polluting	countermand	stratified

18. The (i)______ of the word assassin is (ii) ______ in philological circles, as the word comes from a sect of brutal killers believed to have smoked the drug hashish before going on a mission. The topic is equally attractive to historians, as the (iii) _______ of the sect, which dates to before the First Crusade in the 11^th century, remains a mystery.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
introduction	notorious	provenance
derivation	unheralded	legend
circumlocution	enigmatic	bane

19. Statistics often need to be (i)________ for their real meaning: in the last decade, while both the population and the amount of meat eaten annually in the nation remained (ii) ________, the growing gap between rich and poor meant that the wealthy few were eating more meat than ever, while the masses suffered from a (iii) _______ of foodstuffs of all kinds.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
plumbed	plastic	deceleration
calculated	static	dearth
designed	demographic	glut

20. Although Cage supported the expanded reliance on electronically produced (i) ________ , most of his early music is surprisingly (ii) ________ . His “Music for Marcel Duchamp,” a prepared-piano work from 1947, never rises above mezzo-piano, offering instead (iii) __________ melody that maintains its softness throughout.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
timbre	deleterious	a noisome
murmur	auspicious	an undulating
clangor	subdued	an erstwhile

Drill: Hard Questions

1.   After renouncing the significant advantages of his noble birth, he wandered from village to village as a lowly _________ ; this reliance on alms, he maintained along with other members of his religious order, was the life best suited to one who wished to see both the miserliness and the generosity of humanity.

	abettor
	mendicant
	rube
	anachronism
	malefactor

2.   The serial comma is _______ of many grammarians, who consider it an unnecessary addendum to a perfectly clear sentence structure; obviously, they're wrong, because the serial comma is critical to conveying the correct meaning.

	a crotchet
	an awl
	an apogee
	a nadir
	an opus

3.   In contrast to American social conventions regarding neighborly relations, in which families or individuals residing in close proximity often interact on a familiar basis, residential _______ does not necessarily imply intimacy (or even amity) among the English.

	commodiousness
	amiability
	reciprocity
	propinquity
	cordiality

4.   It is quite dangerous to _________ unnecessarily through the city these days, when explosions shake the buildings to their foundations without letup; it is best to conduct only essential errands, and to do so with haste.

	bop
	traipse
	circumambulate
	sidle
	reconnoiter

5.   The tokens given by the aristocrat, while (i) __________ , still served as a reminder that the power of the Crown continued to be held in some esteem even in such (ii) _________ political times.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
sardonic	mercurial
nugatory	jocund
sumptuous	magisterial

6.   Having built up to a (i)_________ , the shelling stopped as suddenly as it had begun; gazing at the drooping barrels, one might be forgiven for thinking they were rendered (ii) _________ by the pathetic sight of their (iii) _________ targets.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
pique	sidereal	ethereal
crescendo	woebegone	effulgent
euphony	erroneous	haggard

7.   Despite having engineered and overseen the return of several stray dioceses that had broken away under his predecessor's (i) _________ , the bishop had a modest and open quality that (ii) _________ the (iii) _________ of his position.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
diligence	construed	tenuousness
epaulet	belied	audacity
laxity	derided	eminence

8.   The (i) _________ of “surds”—irrational roots—with the Pythagoreans’ faith that all phenomena in the universe could be expressed through harmonious ratios of whole numbers led the cult to (ii) _________ any mention of their existence to the uninitiated.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
absurdity	condone
incongruity	proscribe
imperilment	palliate

9.   Architectural (i) _________ such as Koolhaas recognized Hadid's talents early and encouraged their development. By 1977, only a few years after their initial encounter, she had perfected her (ii) _________ style, inspired equally by such disparate styles as Malevich's sparse constructivism and the flowing calligraphy of her native Arabic.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
cognoscenti	fungible
fledglings	malleable
neophytes	heteromorphic

10. Aleister Crowley, despite being given to wildly fantastic claims—he insisted, for instance, that the founding book of his religion was dictated to him by a divine being who visited his hotel room wearing sunglasses and a trench coat—had his share of (i) _________ followers. These were likely spurred on more than dissuaded by the (ii) _________ cast on him by the popular press, whose dubbing him “the wickedest man in the world” was, to be fair, hardly (iii) _________ given the relative harmlessness of his eccentricities.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
sycophantic	disadvantages	glib
sordid	gauntlets	peevish
skeptical	animadversions	condign

11. The Biblical portrayal of (i)_________ times preceding the great deluge stands in stark contrast to the ancient Greek representation of the (ii) _________ past as a Golden Age from which humanity has slowly descended into godless chaos. Such observations can easily give rise to the notion that stories about the past are less faithful attempts at reconstruction than (iii) _________ , expressing both our cultural fears and hopes.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
flagitious	proximate	allegories
dubious	antediluvian	equivocations
rustic	obscure	platitudes

12. Seeing (i) _________ as perhaps the most significant cause of preventable illness, such twelfth-century physicians as Moses Maimonides aimed the bulk of their (ii) _________ pamphlets at the prescription of medieval dietary regimens, offering advice that often appears (iii) _________ to modern sensibilities.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
costiveness	didactic	disingenuous
bathos	maleficent	risible
convalescence	tenable	burgeoning

13. Uncertain whether his (i) ________ attire could impress the suave, nattily-dressed executive—despite her frequent affirmations of a fondness for rural life—Francis reduced himself to near (ii) _______ through new wardrobe acquisitions. If only he had known that the executive was secretly ashamed of her (iii) ________ showboating, which she only indulged to conceal her financial ruin.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
georgic	penury	bombastic
natty	malaise	runic
exclusive	lethargy	sartorial

14. (i) ___________ is unlikely to gain a reputation for reliability; Garth's poorly disguised excuses, however, were improbably interpreted by his (ii) _________ , hypochondriac employer as a sign of great foresight and (iii) _________ .

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
An embezzler	casuistic	insipidity
A malingerer	imposing	sagacity
A pilferer	trepidatious	temerity

15. History has (i)_________ the movement's leader to the extent that his quite considerable moral shortcomings—his (ii) _________ misogyny, for example—are rarely discussed and, if mentioned at all, are seen as no more than (iii) _________ .

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
lionized	risqué	malefactions
narrativized	incorrigible	peccadilloes
impugned	waggish	trespasses

16. The new film, though a chronicle of exploitation and iniquity, nevertheless is deeply concerned with notions of (i) ________ , eventually showcasing the elimination of all the protagonist's abusers, granting the audience the (ii) _________ they've been awaiting for two hours. Despite the satisfying upheaval, however, the plodding plot en route to this (iii) ___________ leaves much to be desired.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
fairness	catharsis	embellishment
slavery	relief	denouement
injustice	inconclusiveness	platitude

17. Although (i) _________ is frequently used to give otherwise insubstantial work (ii) _________ of profundity, even Wallgot's most charitable readers were known to sneer at the breadth of his references.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
stringency	an iota
insularity	a veneer
eclecticism	a medley

18. He rarely bothered to (i) _________ his lengthy tomes, but their surprising popularity with the public empowered him to avoid editorial complaints through (ii) _________ threats to sign a contract with a different publisher.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
emend	impuissant
allay	peremptory
edify	toothsome

19. In future discounting, subjects place a lower value on events in the distant future than on (i) _________ ones, explaining the common tendency to (ii) _________ present pleasures even at the expense of a likely (iii) _________ of future detriments.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)	Blank (iii)
atavistic	avert	malady
remote	rescind	proliferation
proximate	protract	buttressing

20. She claims it is possible to deduce matters of fact from logic and, with just as little (i) _________ , aims to derive ethical and economic truths as well. The laws of logic, in her opinion, (ii) __________ her proclamation that “existence exists,” which is very much like saying that the law of thermodynamics is hot.

Blank (i)	Blank (ii)
epigram	license
warrant	occlude
fallacy	galvanize

 

Solutions: 20 Easy Questions

1. Defunct. The show stagnated and was canceled, so afterward it might appear to be “dead” or “gone.” Defunct (no longer existing) is a good match. A lackluster (dull) show might be cancelled, but it doesn't make sense that Doctor Who appeared to be dull after it was cancelled, and this would clash with the fact that the show returned in 2005 and had success. A canceled show is unlikely to appear in a positive light, such as ascendant (upwardly moving) or unflagging (not tiring; steady and unrelenting). Sated (fully satisfied, maybe too much) doesn't make sense in this context.

2. Ranting. “Inveighing” (expressing disapproval; railing against) would fit, but inveigling (winning over by flattery) is a trap. The clues are that this is an action done “against” China's record and “already inclined to invective (insulting or harsh language).” Speculating is too neutral, and lauding (praising) is too positive. Needling (teasing or provoking) can be negative, but would be done to someone or to some group, not something that could be done “against China's record.”

3. Vassals. The queen's brothers became something to her spouse, the king. This gave “them the protection of King Magnus Eriksson in exchange for their homage (publicly expressed respect) and fealty (loyalty)”. By definition, a vassal is a person loyal or in service to a feudal lord. Proteges, vanguards, precursors, and partisans are all roles that people could serve on a king's behalf, but the sentence does not provide clues that indicate any of these meanings.

4. Degeneration. Postman's quote talks about a society in which no one wants to read books anymore. This suggests an intellectual weakening or decline (these are good suggestions for filling in the blank). Degeneration is a good match; its primary definition is “a decline.” Pondering (thoughtful consideration) and cerebration (thinking about something) are near-synonyms that are too positively intellectual, and thus the opposite of what the blank requires. Mulishness (unreasonable stubbornness) and banishment (condemnation to exile) are unrelated to the clues in the sentence.

5. Benefits. The pivot here is “but,” and the clue is that the doctor “failed to discuss any way of obviating (anticipating and preventing) damage.” Thus, the doctor went into great detail about only “supposed” good things about the treatment, and only benefits works. Diagnosis (determination of disease) and prognosis (forecast of medical outcome, chances of recovery) both relate to the medical theme, but neither fits in the blank. Mien (appearance, bearing) is unrelated.

6. Adroit, looming. His handling of the scandal was “successful” or “skillful,” so adroit (skilled, adept) fits best. Neither a penitent (sorry for sin) nor heterogeneous (mixed; composed of differing parts) “handling of the…scandal” is supported by clues in the sentence. The scandal seemed poised to ruin things—that is, it hadn't done so already. What makes the most sense here is that the scandal itself hadn't quite broken yet—it was only looming (taking shape as an impending event). Someone might be fretful (worried) over a scandal, but fretful doesn't make sense as a description of the scandal itself. There are no indications in the sentence that the scandal was ecumenical (worldwide in scope).

7. Revolting, bolstered. One good clue to the first blank is the word “loyalist.” Those fighting the loyalists would likely be the rebels. You don't have any indication that the forces were fascistic (totalitarian, led by dictator). Outclassed (surpassed in quality) is irrelevant here, so revolting fits best. Don't be thrown off by the dual meaning of revolting—certainly revolting can mean disgusting, but it can also mean engaging in a revolt, such as against a government. The loyalist battalion was helped or strengthened by “its allies’ reinforcements,” so only bolstered (supported) makes sense. Obviated (anticipated and made unnecessary) isn't indicated by any clue in the sentence. Sapped (weakened, especially of energy) conflicts with the idea that allies would help the loyalists.

8. Inveterate. The “while” and the hypothetical “if what he said were true” in the first part of the sentence indicate that he is actually a liar. This is based on his long track record, so a good fill-in might be “an established” liar. Libelous is a trap answer—libel is lying in print for the purpose of damaging someone's reputation. Libelous liar would actually be redundant—and, of course, you have no indication that the lying was done in print. Nullified (invalidated, voided), unverified (unconfirmed), and forfeited (lost as a result of crime or fault) all don't quite work as a description of a liar; to the extent that they do, they cast doubt on his ability to lie, a doubt this sentence doesn't support. Inveterate (long-established and unlikely to change) is the correct answer.

9. Ulterior. The pivot here is “whether…or”—you are looking for a characterization of “motives” that would make them negative, namely the opposite of “primarily to shield himself and others in the restaurant from harm.” If he truly was acting in defense of himself and others, he would likely get a lighter sentence than if he had ulterior, or hidden, (generally selfish) motives. Resolute (determined; steady) is unrelated. Pathological (related or due to physical or mental disease; compulsive) and lucrative (producing large profit) introduce themes of illness and money, respectively, that are not indicated by any clues in the sentence. Violent is a theme trap.

10. Feebleness. You know that Burma was being mismanaged, so you want something bad (and appropriate to describe an economy). The blank and “isolation” are contrasted with “power and influence.” Just as isolation and influence are (somewhat) opposite ideas, you can expect the blank to oppose power: something like “not powerful” or “not strong.” Feebleness (weakness) is a good match. Monotony (lack of variety, tedious repetition) is negative, but no clues in the sentence indicate this meaning. Opulence (wealth, abundance) is opposite of the desired meaning. Both nonchalance (casual lack of concern) and recriminations (counteraccusations) don't make sense following “economic.”

11. Autonomy. What would an authoritarian government threaten with roadblocks and curfews? Most likely, something like “independence.” Autonomy is more or less a synonym of independence. Though citizens might need to be belligerent to stage a coup, the blank describes what the citizens would lose that would initially cause people to just begin to utter “whispers” of a “possible” coup. Belligerence (aggressively hostile attitude) doesn't work in this context. Likewise, insolence (rude and disrespectful behavior) does not work in the blank. The remaining choices, epitome (a perfect example of something) and recidivism (tendency to relapse to previous behavior, often criminal), are not indicated by clues in the sentence.

12. Bombast. “Hubristic” means arrogant—a “hubristic” person would never decline an opportunity for bragging, or bombast. Augmentation (the action of making or becoming greater in size or amount) is not quite right; greater “size or amount” is not exactly indicated by the “hubristic” clue. Hedonism (the devotion to sensual pleasures and their pursuit) and jubilation (the state of rejoicing) are off-topic. Finally, while an arrogant person might desire profit, so might anyone else. The sentence would need to include a clue more specifically about money for profit to be the right answer.

13. Humbled, pretension. The clue is that the entrepreneur is now “the possessor of a broken spirit and timid demeanor”—thus, he must have been the opposite of that before the change. A good fill-in for the second blank might be “confidence.” The accompanying adjective “overweening” means conceited, or just excessive, so the entrepreneur was previously known for his “confidence, to an extreme degree,” so look for a negative choice for the blank. Pretension fits best; liberality (giving or spending freely; open-mindedness) is positive and not overweening, and wealth adds an idea that is not indicated in the sentence. Moving on to the first blank—a good fill-in might be “brought down.” The only answer that is a match is humbled. Exalted (held in high regard; in a state of extreme happiness) is the opposite of what the blank requires, and unaffected is too neutral to explain the change in how the entrepreneur is seen by others.

14. Salutary, unwholesome. Start with the second blank. Most people would not indulge in a “proclivity” (inclination or predisposition) toward dishes that are odious (extremely unpleasant) or sodden (soaked); the correct word must be unwholesome (not conducive to health), which also agrees with the clue “fattening.” The first word should contrast with this because of the pivot “though.” The best bet is salutary (conducive to health). Truculent (ferocious, cruel, or savage) and frugal (economical in the spending of money or resources) do not work.

15. Prompted, codify. A discovery that pregnancy complications are being caused and can be avoided would prompt action—specifically, codifying, or “systematizing,” the recommendations. For the first blank, instigated (urged, goaded, provoked, or incited) has a somewhat negative spin, and instigating is generally something that people do; it is odd to say that a “discovery” instigated a group of people to do something. Lulled (deceptively caused to feel safe) is the opposite of what the discovery of the allergen/complications link would do to the Department of Health. For the second blank, intuit (understand or solve by instinct) and officiate (act as an official in charge) are not right, though the latter represents a bit of a theme trap related to a government agency.

16. Toadies, critical. The Bieber Appreciation Society clearly exists to appreciate all things Bieber, but it seems that the society has become “fearful” of being seen in a certain way. What way? Keep reading—they “took pains” to include a certain kind of voice. Tantamount (equivalent) doesn't make sense in the second blank, and conciliatory would be positive towards Bieber (so why would the Bieber Appreciation Society have trouble finding such voices?). Only critical, which in this context means “involving careful evaluation and judgment,” works. If the societies is struggling to include critical voices, it seems that they fear being seen as not having balanced views—that is, they fear being seen as toadies; making them nothing but a group of servile flatterers. There is very little danger of an appreciation society (or fan club, booster organization, or any similar group) being seen as detractors of their namesake. Enthusiasts and “Appreciation” agree in degree of positivity, so that's not something the group would fear, either.

17. Recidivism, ramifications. The people in question are already criminals, so the issue isn't one of bringing down crime or violence in general, but of repeat offenses, that is, recidivism. What meeting victims must convince the criminals of is that their actions have consequences—or ramifications.

18. Habiliments, transcendent, iridescent. The first blank is referring to something made of cloth, which is contrasted with the garments of Buddhist monks. You are looking for something that means garments or clothes; habiliments (clothes associated with a particular profession or occasion) is the only choice that fits. The second blank is looking for a description of a spiritual reality beyond this one; only transcendent (above and beyond the limits of material existence) fits. Mundane (earthly, rather than heavenly or spiritual) agrees rather than contrasts with “matters of this world.” Dogmatic (inclined to present opinion as unassailable truth) is unrelated. The third blank is looking for a contrast with the “plain black modest cloth” outfits of the first sentence segment; iridescent (colorful, lustrous, or brilliant) is the only option that directly contrasts. Drab actually agrees with “plain black modest cloth.” Flowing is not necessarily the opposite of garments “of plain black modest cloth,” which may or may not be flowing.

19. Suffered, culpability, ledger. The first blank is a good place to start. Obviously, no one appreciates abuse. Exploited is trickier, but the text never implies that the abuse is being used to exploit the system. The best choice is suffered. For the second blank, you only need to know what a jury does: they apportion blame, which is a synonym of culpability. Finally, the third blank only makes sense with ledger (you can't balance imprisonment or a verdict).

20. Disdain, discipline, divesting. The semicolon in this sentence is a clue that the two parts of the sentence agree—the first part should mirror the meaning that “the brightest students…pursuing teaching” would be a good thing. For the first and second blanks, universities should therefore not “put down” education as an academic “area” or “pursuit.” Don't fall for trap answers; proscribe (ban) and circumvent (avoid via circuitous means) add extra meaning to the idea of “put down.” Only disdain fits the first blank. Discipline is the closest match for the second blank (tome means “book, especially a large, academic book”). The third blank needs something that explains the “disservice” done to future students, namely, something like “depriving” them of the chance to learn from the best. The best choice is the synonym divesting; don't fall for the traps of denigrating (defaming; belittling) and degenerating (deteriorating; declining). Both trap choices work with the theme, but don't fit into the blank.

Solutions: 20 Medium Questions

1. Patois. Since the negotiators find O'Neill “incomprehensible,” there must be something in his speech, not the tone or content of that speech, that is confusing them. Patois is a regional dialect, in contrast to the official language spoken by the negotiators (Queen's English). The Royal visitors would not find any of the other characteristics—fortitude (courage, resilience), equanimity (composure, mental calmness), diffidence (hesitance or resistance to speak), consternation (amazement or dismay that leads to confusion)—“incomprehensible,” nor do any of these relate to the clue about speech.

2. Disportments. Fox hunting and cricket are not professional activities for the upper class (the clue is “amusements”); they are hobbies, amusements, or diversions, that is, disportments. Vocations and professions both contradict the idea of these activities as “amusements.” Fox hunting and cricket are not examples of canards, which are unfounded rumors or stories, so that choice does not fit. Stereotypes is a trap, since stereotypes of the upper class might have them constantly engaging in such disportments.

3. Pith. A “probing questioner” is looking for the central point of a matter. That it is an “intellectual matter” suggests a word other than emotions for the blank, as does that choice's failure to relate to the “probing questioner” clue. Periphery is the opposite of central. Examination doesn't fit at all. Academics is a theme trap. The only answer that means “core or central point” is pith.

4. Wheedling, unremitting. What would seem to be unbecoming of political visionaries is to attempt to convince someone (rather than, say, commanding or dictating terms), especially in a flattering way. That's exactly what wheedling means. Freewheeling (acting without concern for rules or consequences) is not indicated by any clues in the sentence, and verdant (green, covered in vegetation) is totally unrelated to diplomacy. You have no indication that the aggression undertaken was superfluous (unnecessary); if so, why would they undertake it? A “policy of supine (passive; apathetic) aggression” would be contradictory. Rather, it was persistent or relentless (unremitting).

5. Frisson, precipitating. The protesters are getting what they want: the queen is suddenly abdicating (giving up) the throne. “Thrill” or “excitement” may work well for the first blank, and frisson fits. Murmur, while possible, doesn't capture the sense of excitement one would expect. A panegyric (formal speech or composition in praise of someone or something) is not something that would “run through the crowd,” certainly not in praise of the very queen the crowd wishes to depose. For the second blank, one might expect a period of disorder to begin following a political upheaval; precipitating is the only possibility. Marring (damaging, disfiguring) and diluting (making weaker by adding other elements to it) aren't really things that could be done to “a period” of time.

6. Truculence. The blank is referring to something that makes the Prussians feared, and something that has led to internal fighting. Truculence—aggression or belligerence—is the best fit here. Neither ennui (listlessness arising from boredom) nor covetousness (envious desire to possess something) are indicated by any clues in the sentence, and neither would really inspire fear. Extravagance and opulence (both mean lavishness aren't especially threatening.

7. Virtuoso, inept. Since Joseph is a perfectionist, he probably expected to become “perfect,” or at least “good,” and was disappointed when he remained something like “unskilled” or “bad.” Virtuoso (highly skilled, especially in music or art) and inept match the fill-ins well. Beware of choosing answers by comparing the options for each blank. Someone who is inept, particularly a writer who is inept, could be called a hack (a dull, unoriginal writer), but this is the opposite of what is called for in the first blank. In turn, hack might present a theme trap to someone mistakenly thinking of the noun definition of novel (book) in the second blank. For the second blank, all the options are adjectives, and novel (new) and inane (silly) don't work as contrasts to “perfectionist.”

8. Credulity, beset. For the first blank, you are looking for a trait that is unhelpful in dealing with “liars and fabulists” (fabulists are just very creative liars). Duplicity and ingenuity would be actively helpful, so the answer must be credulity (a tendence to believe people too easily). For the second blank, you are looking for a participle describing “someone,” that is, you can read it as “someone (who is) foresaken/brooked/beset by liars and fabulists.” It wouldn't be that bad to be forsaken (abandoned) by liars—at least they would leave you alone. Brooked (tolerated) by liars doesn't make as much sense; it is the liars that would need to be tolerated by others. But someone who is beset (surrounded) by liars would have a problem, and would not be well served by credulity.

9. Culling. The discussion is about doing something to “some members of a species…to prevent the devastating effects of overpopulation.” Something like “removing” or “getting rid of” would work in the blank. Protecting and reintroducing don't make sense; they are theme traps. Depleting can apply to a resource, but not to individuals. Murdering and culling are both types of killing, but culling is the better option since it is a technical term for killing individual members to avoid overpopulation. (Bonus: if you understand this sentence, you've got a handle on one of the key debates among environmentalists.)

10. Raconteur, genial. The sentence indicates that she was “legendary for humorous stories” from a certain set of life experiences. A raconteur is someone who tells amusing stories, but she wouldn't be “known to all her friends” as a sage (wise or learned person) or a prevaricator (someone who tells false stories) just based on that clue. In the last part of her sentence, “belied” indicates that “her private behavior” is at odds with her public reputation, but the blank refers to her image, so it agrees with the first blank. Someone who tells amusing stories would be considered genial (friendly and cheerful), but not belligerent (hostile and aggressive) or pedantic (overly concerned with small details or rules).

11. Evinced, repartee. The opinion about her is clearly negative, so her utterances don't deride (ridicule) negative utterances or elude (avoid) them, but rather demonstrate (evince) them. One isn't likely to fear being bested by doggerel (triviality) or—usually—subtlety (if you're bested by subtlety, you're likely not the sort of person who notices), but clever, quick, and witty replies (repartee) are threatening indeed!

12. Mettlesome, penchant. You are looking for another word for “courageous,” but one that doesn't carry negative connotations (the “indeed” in front of the blank indicates that the spin will be the same as the spin of “virtue”). Mettlesome means spirited or courageous, but impetuous (impulsive) and heady (intoxicating; exhilarating) do not match the fill-in. But the cartoon mouse seemingly engages in excessive violence, so it has a tendency toward, or a penchant for, violence, not a kinship (blood relationship) or largess (generosity) for violence.

13. Sleight of hand, ostensible. The ambassador is “double-dealing” (duplicitous) and “backpedaling” (retreating from a position). A good fit in the first blank would be something like “deceitfulness,” so sleight of hand (skillful deception) works. There is no indication that the ambassador had political plutocracy (government by the wealthy) or political bugaboo (something causing fear). The Australian counterpart is straightforward, and compares favorably with the ambassador mentioned first, so expect a positive adjective that can describe “straightforwardness” for the second blank. Occlusive (tending to close off) would conflict with being straightforward, and intransigent (uncompromising, obstinate) is too negative. Only ostensible (supposedly true, but not necessarily true) is neither too negative nor at odds with any clue, and works in a sentence about how politicians “looked,” not necessarily about how they really were.

14. Recalcitrant, degradation. The puzzle sounds quite complicated—delivering an antisense strand to the right place at just the right moment. Only recalcitrant (stubborn) is appropriate to describe a complicated puzzle; pedestrian (commonplace, uninspired) conflicts with the clue and monolithic (inflexible, unchanging) is not indicated by any clue. The strand must be strong enough to resist rapid (something), “allowing it time to accomplish its task.” The clue is that the strand needs time to work, so it needs to resist something like “not being able to work.” Dessication (drying out) is probably bad, but there is no indication in the sentence that drying out would prevent the strand from working, and compunction (uneasiness due to guilt) doesn't apply to strands. However, degradation (deterioration; breakdown) is something the strand would have to resist in order to work on the virus.

15. Scintilla, conflagration. The clue “only” indicates that you are looking for something that means “small amount” in the first blank. Surfeit (excessive amount) is an antonym, but scintilla (minute quantity, trace, or bit) is a perfect fit. Pallet, which means either “straw mattress” or “platform for storage, stacking, and moving of goods” (such as those often lifted by forklifts), doesn't follow the “only” clue, so beware of the possible straw/dry shrub theme trap. A havoc is destructive, but has nothing to do with fire (which is what “spark” would lead you to expect). An incendiary does, but it is not quite appropriate in this spot—an incendiary is more of a fire-starter, like dynamite. A conflagration is specifically a destructive fire.

16. Rankled, pernicious, latency. The war clearly didn't weaken (enervate) Albanians, since it encourages them to strive for independence. And while some features of the war might have debased them, the prospect of division of their lands didn't do this. However, it might have angered, vexed, or caused bitterness for them, that is, rankled them. The “prospect of a division of their lands” would not be a good thing for the Albanians, so expect a negative word in the second blank. Also, the sentence indicates that “a successful bid for independence” happened a few decades later. Pernicious (greatly destructive, deadly, injurious, or harmful) works well, but evanescent (fleeting; tending to vanish like vapor) and transient (quickly coming into and passing out of existence; transitory) aren't negative enough and both have short-term meanings that conflict with the long time frame indicated by the clue. The Albanian's nationalism surged out—it wasn't already clear (lucid), and whether it was insular before or after doesn't seem to make much of a difference; but if it emerged out of latency, that would explain why it suddenly became a force that could lead to independence.

17. Efficient, progress, iniquitous. There is a difference between modern farming practices and traditional agriculture. “She nonetheless argues that this difference represents no real” progress, the only choice for the second blank that makes sense. Disincentive means “deterrent” and countermand as a noun means “order that revokes a previous order.” Progress in turn provides an additional clue for the first blank: she is arguing that the difference is not really progress, even though modern farming is more (something) than traditional farming, so the blank must be something positive like “advanced.” While more advanced practices could be expensive, more expensive practices would not be thought of as progress, so expensive doesn't fit in this context. Polluting is negative, so efficient must be the answer in blank (i). The last blank is referring to something bad about the social hierarchy and how it treats farmers. Stratified describes the hierarchy, but doesn't say anything negative about it (aside from the fact that it is a hierarchy!). Since halcyon (calm, peaceful, or tranquil) is positive, iniquitous or unjust is the only fit.

18. Derivation, notorious, opacity. The first sentence links the word assassin with “hashish,” so the first blank is addressing the derivation of the term. It says nothing about its introduction, since you are only told where the word originates, not how it was introduced. Circumlocution (roundabout or evasive speech; use of more words than necessary) represents a theme trap. Since the derivation is known, it follows that it isn't enigmatic; but it is notorious given the shadiness involved in the derivation. Nothing in the sentence indicates that the derivation is unheralded (unannounced, unsung). Something about the sect presents a mystery, and because the sentence discusses how it “dates to before the First Crusade in the 11th century,” you can expect a word that means something like “origin” (provenance is a synonym). The legend of the sect must not be much of a mystery, given that it is summarized in this sentence. The sentence indicates nothing about the bane (curse; affliction) of the sect being a mystery, or even whether such a problem existed for the sect.

19. Plumbed, static, dearth. The “growing gap between rich and poor” and the second “while” indicate a contrast in how much meat is consumed by different groups. The “wealthy few were eating more meat than ever,” so the masses must have suffered from a “lack,” or dearth, of foodstuffs. Glut (excessive supply) is the opposite, and deceleration (slowing down) could happen to the production/harvest of foodstuffs, but not to foodstuffs themselves.

The second blank is a bit trickier: the truth is that the rich are eating more meat and the poor less, but the statistics, on their face, don't make that clear. Thus, the statistics indicate that the amount of meat eaten “remained the same,” or was static. Plastic (artificial; flexible) has some definitions that are unrelated and others that are somewhat opposite the fill-in. Demographic (related to structure of a population) is a theme trap.

Finally, consider the surprising “growing gap” and the initial clue that “statistics…need to be _________ for their real meaning” (emphasis added). Only plumbed, or “examined closely,” works in the first blank.

20. Clangor, subdued, an undulating. Cage's early music is “surprisingly” (something), in contrast to something “electronically produced.” Music is the main clue that the first blank is something like “music” or “sound.” Clangor (loud racket or sustained noise) is a type of noise that could be electronically produced, and contrasts nicely with the later clues about the earlier works having “melody” and “softness.” Timbre (unique combination of qualities distinguishing a sound from others) is a quality of a sound, not a sound itself; this is a theme trap. Murmur (soft, indistinct sound) typically refers to human-generated sound, not “electronically produced,” and also fails to contrast with “softness” as it should. Clangor serves as additional clue for the second blank: Cage's early music is surprisingly “not clangorous” or “soft.” Subdued (quiet, soft) works perfectly, while deleterious (harmful; unhealthy) and auspicious (promising or propitious) are unrelated to the sentence. If “‘Music for Marcel Duchamp’…never rises above” some level of volume, only undulating (rising or falling in pitch, volume, or cadence) works in the last blank. Noisome (noxious, harmful, or dangerous) and erstwhile (former, in the past, previous) are unrelated to the sentence. Don't be distracted by the superficial similarity between noisome and “noise.”

Solutions: 20 Hard Questions

1. Mendicant. The clues are that he “wandered” and was “lowly” and lived by a “reliance on alms,” which is a reliance on charity, as did the “other members of his religious order.” A mendicant is sometimes just a “beggar,” but it can have a specifically religious connotation. The other choices all introduce meanings that the rest of the sentence doesn't suggest. Both abettor (a person who supports an action, typically wrongdoing) and malefactor (evildoer) introduce the unsupported idea that he was bad. Rube (unsophisticated or naive person) and anachronism (person or object out of its proper time) do not follow from the clues either.

2. Crotchet. These answer choices are killer nouns! The fill-in shouldn't be too hard: something like “peeve” or “concern.” A crotchet is a perverse or unfounded belief. The others are all nonsensical: an awl is a hole-punching tool, an apogee is a climax or high point, a nadir is a low point, and an opus is a musical or literary composition.

3. Propinquity. You are told that, for Americans, familiarity follows from close proximity. The blank should be a synonym for proximity, and propinquity is. The other answer choices all deal with comfort or friendliness, and thus are theme traps drawing on associations with “neighborly”: commodiousness (spaciousness), amiability (friendliness), reciprocity (relationship with mutual exchange of favors or benefits), and cordiality (amity).

4. Traipse. The answer choices are all difficult; all of them mean “walk” or “travel” in some way, so nuance is key. Both bop (move or travel energetically) and sidle (walk timidy) carry strange spin. Circumambulate means “walk all the way around,” which would avoid the city, the explosions, and, presumably, the danger. Circumambulate also conflicts with “through.” Reconnoiter (make a military observation of a place) carries an unhelpful militaristic spin. Traipse (walk casually or needlessly) agrees with the clue “unnecessarily” and properly contrasts with “conduct only essential errands.”

5. Nugatory, mercurial. The “while” in front of the first blank suggests that the items given by the aristocrat are valuable only as reminders: that is, they have no real value in themselves. Nugatory means “of no value,” while sumptuous (very costly, luxurious, or lavish) implies real value, and also conflicts with the “tokens” clue. Sardonic (scornfully or derisively mocking) is unrelated. The “power of the Crown continued to be held in esteem”—you are looking not just for political conditions that are bad or dangerous, but conditions that are changeable. Mercurial means “frequently changeable or changing.” Jocund (cheerful, merry) political times are not indicated by any clues. Magisterial (having great authority; dictatorial) is a theme trap, and doesn't follow the pivot “even.” The Crown “still…continued to be held in some esteem” even in political times when the esteem attributed to the Crown must have decreased.

6. Crescendo, woebegone, haggard. The shelling is building up to something like a “peak,” or crescendo (climax; loudest point). Pique (passing feeling of irritation at a perceived slight) sounds the same as “peak,” but is unrelated to the shelling. Euphony (pleasing sound) is positive, a meaning not indicated by this sentence. The pieces of artillery seem like they are “sad,” since that would be an apt response to a pathetic sight. Only woebegone—extremely sad or full of woe—fits; sidereal (relating to the stars or constellations) and erroneous (wrong) are unrelated. Their targets aren't likely to be effulgent (radiant, brilliantly shining, or splendid) or ethereal (light, airy; heavenly, celestial) since neither of these is “pathetic.” The targets are most likely haggard—worn out.

7. Laxity, belied, eminence. The predecessor had some quality that allowed “several stray dioceses” to break away. Laxity (looseness; leniency) is the only choice that works; diligence (perseverance; attentiveness) is the opposite of what is needed. Epaulet (shoulder ornament, typically worn on military uniforms) would only make sense—if at all—in an extremely metaphorical sense. The third blank refers to the (something) of the bishop's position. There is no indication of tenuousness (uncertainty) or audacity (recklessness, daring), but eminence (high rank, station, or status) would apply to a leader's position. You can now turn to the second blank: you don't expect someone with a position of eminence to be “modest and open,” so his openness seems to misrepresent (belie) that eminence. Construed (deduced; explained) and derided (mocked, ridiculed) don't work.

8. Incongruity, proscribe. For the first blank, “with” is important: absurdity (ridiculousness) and imperilment (endangerment) are not things that would happen “with the Pythagoreans’ faith,” but surds do seem to have an incongruity (lack of agreement) with their faith in “harmonious ratios of whole numbers.” For the second blank, the seriousness of the problem would seem to suggest that the Pythagoreans wouldn't want to condone (accept, allow) the spreading of this information; they might want to palliate (alleviate, diminish) the impact of the information, but forbidding, or proscribing, any mention of it outright fits better.

9. Cognoscenti, heteromorphic. People such as Koolhaas “recognized…and encouraged” Hadid's talents, which sounds like the work of a mentor. For the first blank, look for “someone in the know,” or cognoscenti (people well informed about a subject). Fledglings (young, immature, or inexperienced people) and neophytes (beginners) are the opposite. Hadid's style mixes at least two diverse inspirations, so you would not expect it to be replaceable by something else (fungible) or easily changeable (malleable), but simply to exhibit a plurality of forms: heteromorphic.

10. Sycophantic, animadversions, condign. Followers are rarely skeptical and you have no reason to think they were particularly sordid (morally degraded, base, or vile), since you don't know what sorts of activities Crowley engaged in, short of making “wildly fantastic claims.” But followers, especially those of clearly eccentric figures, do tend to be sycophantic (fawning, obsequious, or servile). The press is saying something bad about him, not casting disadvantages or gauntlets (open challenges) on him, so animadversions (strong criticisms) fits best. The criticism seems excessive or undeserved in light of his “relative harmlessness,” so the criticism was hardly condign (appropriate, deserved). Neither glib (fluent to the point of insincerity) nor peevish (discontented; ill-tempered) works in this context.

11. Flagitious, antediluvian, allegories. The first blank gives you a “stark contrast” with the Greek representation of these times as a Golden Age, so it should be something bad, even starkly bad. Dubious (warranting uncertainty or doubt) doesn't necessarily mean bad, and rustic (rural; lacking refinement) isn't anywhere near as negative as flagitious, which means “marked by vice.” The ancient Greek myths are about the “distant” or “remote” past. Antediluvian is the correct fit (don't be misled into thinking of antediluvian as a trap—it does literally mean “before the flood,” and thus doesn't apply to the Greek myths, but it also means “extremely ancient,” which is what you're looking for). The stories about the past—in the third blank—would be equivocations if each of them contained a mixed message; but instead it looks like the mix comes only if you are comparing Biblical with Greek stories. Allegories, or stories with a moral or political meaning, are the right contrast for “faithful attempts at reconstruction” and correctly match “expressing…fears and hopes.” Platitudes (dull, banal, trite statements or remarks) introduces a connotation of banality not indicated by the text.

12. Costiveness, didactic, risible. Convalescence (a period of recovery from illness; recuperation) might seem reasonable, but it is a theme trap. Convalescence would follow an illness, not cause it. The topic is medieval medicine, with an emphasis on diet, so the correct choice is costiveness, which is a fancy way of describing constipation. Bathos (anticlimax) does not fit. The pamphlets are seemingly designed to tell people what to eat; they are educational, or didactic. There is no indication that the pamphlets are maleficent (malicious; intending or producing harm or evil) or tenable (able to be maintained; credible). The dietary regimens might have been tenable, but there is no indication that the pamphlets were, and it's worth checking the second blank against the third blank and sentence ending. Since dietary and health views are quite different today from those held by medieval doctors, “modern sensibilities” are likely to find their advice funny, or risible. Both disingenuous (insincere; hypocritical) and burgeoning (growing rapidly; flourishing) add meaning that isn't supported by any clues in the sentence.

13. Georgic, penury, sartorial. His attire has something to do with “rural life”; georgic means “agricultural or related to rural life.” Natty means sharp or stylish and is the opposite of what is required in the first blank; Francis was uncertain about whether he could impress a “nattily-dressed” person, or a person dressed in natty clothes. When exclusive is used to describe a commodity, it means “not obtainable elsewhere,” and is generally used in a positive sense. Out of concern, Francis “reduced himself…through new wardrobe acquisitions.” It sounds like Francis spent a lot of money on clothes—spending a lot of money could reduce someone—especially someone with georgic means—to near poverty (penury). Malaise (vague, general sense of unease or mental discomfort ) and lethargy (state of sluggishness, inactivity, laziness, or indifference ) are near-synonyms, and neither follows from the clues. The executive to whom he devoted his attentions, on the other hand, was concealing “her financial ruin.” But how did she ruin herself? Given that she was nattily-dressed, she probably also spent her money on clothes. Sartorial means “relating to clothes or style,” so fits the third blank perfectly. Bombastic (pompous, pretentious) and runic (mysterious) both add meaning that isn't indicated by any clues.

14. A malingerer, trepidatious, sagacity. The first blank options all involve some sort of unreliability, but the clues is that Garth's behavior was “improbably” well-received by his boss, who is a hypochondriac. Since stealing (embezzler or pilferer) has nothing to do with health, malingerer (someone who fakes illness) fits best.

The second blank asks for something similar to “hypochondriac.” The boss may be casuistic (practicing clever but unsound reasoning) or imposing (grand and impressive in appearance), but it's only his trepidatious, or “in a state of fear that something may happen,” character that ties well with hypochondria. The last blank is a word similar to “foresight”; only sagacity fits. Insipidity (boringness; dullness) and temerity (excessive confidence; audacity) don't agree with “foresight.”

15. Lionized, incorrigible, peccadilloes. The leader's “moral shortcomings” are overlooked or ignored. This isn't because he was impugned (disputed; called into question), but quite the opposite: he has been lionized (given public attention and approval). Narrativized (presented in a story) is too neutral; it doesn't address the second part of the sentence. His misogyny, if it is a “considerable moral shortcoming,” can't be waggish (humorous; mischevious) or risqué (indecent; sexually suggestive). Only incorrigible (inveterate; irredeemable) fits. Finally, his moral failures are “seen as no more than” small or insignificant sins, or peccadilloes, not as such larger failures as malefactions (crimes) or trespasses (sins).

16. Fairness, catharsis, denouement. There is a contrast between “exploitation and iniquity” and what the film is actually concerned with: the first blank must be the opposite of exploitation or iniquity, that is, fairness. Slavery and injustice are theme traps in agreement with “exploitation and iniquity”; both don't fit considering the pivots “though” and “nevertheless.” The film showcases “the elimination of all the protagonist's abusers,” which grants the audience something like “closure.” The audience hasn't been waiting for inconclusiveness. Maybe it has been waiting for relief, but catharsis is a better fit, since it refers specifically to purging of built-up emotions. Finally, the plot is building up to a resolution, or denouement. A platitude (trite saying) might leave “much to be desired,” but wouldn't provide a “satisfying upheaval.” There is no indication that the conclusion of the film was an embellishment (an untrue detail added to a story to make it more interesting).

17. Eclecticism, a veneer. You are looking for something that could make a work look less “insubstantial” and that has to do with “breadth”; insularity (the narrow point of view resulting from life in a closed, isolated community) and stringency (tightness or strictness) imply the opposite of breadth, but eclecticism (drawing on a wide variety of sources) fits. Eclecticism doesn't give a work a little bit (iota) or a mixture (medley) of profundity, which means “deep insight”; eclecticism gives a work a surface appearance (veneer) of profundity.

18. Emend, peremptory. For the first blank, you are looking for something the writer could do to his lengthy tomes that would appease editors; something like “edit,” “redact,” or “change” seems to fit, and emend is a synonymous verb that often has a text as its object (as it does here). He avoids editorial complaints through threats, which are certainly not delicious (toothsome) and don't seem to be powerless (impuissant)—rather, they prevent complaints from publishers in advance; peremptory fits this role.

19. Proximate, protract, proliferation. The first blank asks for a contrast with “distant future”; remote is a synonym trap, and proximate fits. Atavistic (manifesting or reverting to ancestral characteristics) events don't make sense in context. Future discounting involves placing more of a premium on present than on future events, and pleasures are desirable while detriments are not. It follows that subjects will tend to want to promote or prolong (protract) present pleasures, not avert (avoid by turning away or aside) or rescind (revoke) them. This is the common tendency “even at the expense of” a rapid increase in or a large number of (proliferation) “future detriments.” Neither malady (illness) nor buttressing (reinforcing) fits in this context.

20. Warrant, license. It is clear from “claims” and the generally derisive tone of the sentence that the author does not think it is possible to deduce matters of fact from logic (that would be pretty silly, come to think about it). Thus, the “she” who is the subject of the text has little warrant (justification) for doing this, and just as little warrant for using logic to inappropriately derive other “truths.” A fallacy is a “mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound argument”—she has lots of fallacies, not the dearth of fallacy indicated by “just as little.” An epigram is a “witticism” or “quip,” an extra meaning not indicated by any clues. License is similar to warrant and serves the same function in the second sentence. The “laws of logic” do not occlude (close, cover, or obstruct) or galvanize (spur to action) “her proclamation.”