The contrast here is between a building that is "stark," meaning very brutal (and, by implication, plain), and one that is "florid," meaning very complex. Thus, the first building likely has a stark "simplicity" that is contrasted to the florid "ornateness" of the other building. Such a building has "ornaments" throughout it, meaning that it has many extra embellishments—quite in contrast to something that is stark and simple.

This sentence clearly has a contrast, as is indicated by the form "although." The clue in the main clause is that Paul could purchase anything. This seems to indicate that he was initially poor. To be in "penury" is to be in extreme poverty. This is much better than "obscurity" or "secrecy," which might be tempting, given their pairings with "repute" and "prestige." To be "affluent" is to be wealthy; hence, "affluence" is the state of being wealthy.

The best clue for this sentence is "such acts of beneficence." Clearly, this is referring back to the first blank. "Gregariousness" is friendliness, which is not necessarily being beneficent (i.e. very giving, generally with money). Merely being known for wealth does not necessarily imply that one gives it away. Therefore, "philanthropy" is the best option, for it means generosity in charitable causes.  It comes from roots meaning love of humans. "Anthropology" is the study of human beings and their culture. The city of Philadelphia (read as: phil-adelphia) is the "city of brotherly love"; the "phil-" prefix means love. Hence, "phil-anthropy" is the love of human beings. The second choice of "secrecy" pairs well with the context clues in the sentence. Scott was well known for the philanthropy, though he did try to keep it secret.

The sentence really does not indicate much more than the person in question is speaking and that the speaking is inspiring. Thus, it is unlikely that it is made up of ramblings or mere musings. Thus, "discourse" is a sufficient word, for it does at least indicate any general topic that might be discussed at a given occasion. (It also has a bit of implied gravity or importance.) The second blank indicates that his oratory inspires the hope for things that pass beyond our mortal and physical life. This indicates a kind of "transcendence"—that things go over ("trans+scend") the world of physical reality. The "trans-" prefix means across but also beyond. The second half of the word is found in words like "descend" and "ascend."

By filling in the blanks for this sentence, you can rather quickly come to the correct answer. The investigator was uncertain about the "blaming of the explosion", for there were no flames "within the area" of the building. The second blank would fit well with the word "vicinity," though this is not an option. The word "precincts" works well too. It means the area within a particular set of boundaries. Sometimes, this term is used for areas larger than a house, but that is okay for this question, as it can also apply to a building. The word "ascription" is good for the first blank. You likely know the related word "ascribe." When we ascribe one thing to something else, we attribute that first thing to the second.  

The sentence is only speaking of the teacher's opinion of the student. We really have no reason to interpret this as a condemnation of the student. Therefore, the word "estimation" is the best among those provided. An "estimation" is a guess, but it is also the opinion that is arrived at by means of such guessing. For the second blank, you are looking for an antonym to "intelligent." Only "dolt" expresses the idea of being unintelligent and, hence, is the correct answer for the second blank.

Probably the easier of the two blanks is the second one. Since Matthew apparently finds Mozart's music to be unimpressive, we should look for a noun that expresses this general idea of being unimpressive or unimportant. The word "ditty" is generally used to describe songs that are mere "playing around" and not really serious music. This works well to express someone's idea of finding something to be unimpressive! Now, Matthew's feeling is not likely irritation. Instead, contempt is a much better word, for it indicates looking down at something or holding it in disdain.

The sentence is straightforward. We are looking for two words that directly contrast with “fortitude” and “responsibility.” While some of the answers seem close, one answer combination fits best. “Capitulation . . . abdication” is the correct choice.

The second sentence is an explanation of the first. For the first blank, we are looking for a word that describes the process of “being knocked and scraped against other rocks, gradually rubbing off the sharp edges.” “Fruition” means an idea that has been made real or the state of bearing fruit. It is not the word we want. “Abrasion . . . product” is the correct answer.

“Guile” means cunning. You might reason that perhaps she needed to be cunning to overcome temptation, but know that “guile” has a negative connotation. Keeping to her diet would not qualify as “guile.” “Perfidy” similarly does not fit given the context. “Abstinence” is staying away from an indulgence. “Restraint . . . abstinence” is the correct answer.