“Influx” refers to a large quantity or size coming inward. “Amnesty” refers to being pardoned or having an authoritative party completely overlook your actions. In this case, it refers to the government overlooking that the immigrants were not legally admitted. Since whatever is going on with these immigrants is “overwhelming,” this pair of words would be a logical solution. “Influx . . . amnesty” is the correct answer.

“Anachronism” refers to something that is out of place in historical or chronological time. A good way to remember that the word refers to time is to relate the root “chron” with “chronological.” “Audacity” refers to boldness to the point of recklessness. “Anachronisms . . . audacity” is the correct answer.

The main clue is that Ava's choice "went against all conventions and expectations." Therefore, her doctor branded her as someone who majorly goes against the grain (an "iconoclast"). To the medical establishment, her decision went against the expected norm; it was "heresy."

Officials are worried about a flood, so we know that what they welcomed was a pause or break in the rain. "Cessation" is a good fit here. A break (or "breach") in the levee could cause flooding.

To “degenerate” means to get worse. This being the case, the answer to the second blank must be worse than annoying, which eliminates “idolatry” and “adulation.” “Shenanigans” are devious tricks or pranks. “Animosity” is feeling strong hostility or hatred towards someone or something. “Shenanigans . . . animosity” is the best answer.

In the context of the sentence, the first blank should reflect a word closely meaning "group." Of the answer choices, only "entourage" and "coterie" match this description. To decide between these two choices, we must next look at the second blank. In the sentence, the word "exacerbated" points to the fact that the star has some sort of habit being made worse by this group. "Travesty" does not apply here, but "proclivity" is a near-perfect mirror for "habit" in this context.

For the first blank, we are looking for something like "doubts." "Qualms" is the best fit here. The clue for the second blank is "anticipate," so we're looking for something like foreknowledge or "prescience."

The sentence refers to a "soldier" and "invaders," giving a military theme to the sentence. The first blank must mean some kind of weapon, while the second blank indicates harming the "armor." "Lance," a spear or long spike, and "breach," meaning to penetrate, together make up the correct answer. 

The sentence discusses the "correspondents" being late with replies. This indicates a back and forth in communication, and an "epistle" is a letter. Since the recipients are being criticized, or "lambasted," both words fit the sentence.

For the first blank, we need a verb that means something like stopped. Either "impeded" (delayed; prevented; hindered) or "obstructed" (blocked) could work. For the second blank, we need a noun that describes a person who does something different from the rest of a group. Between "maverick" (an independent individual who does follow the rest of a group) and "zealot" (fanatic or radical), "maverick" is the better choice, so the answer is "impeded . . . maverick."