Since we can infer that the little girl did take cookies out of the cookie jar but insists that she didn't, we're looking for an adjective for the first blank that has something to do with lying. "Disingenuous" (not candid or sincere) and "mendacious" (not telling the truth) could each work. For the second blank, we need to pick between "contrite" (penitent and guilty) and "stolid" (showing little emotion). "Contrite" makes the most sense as an adjective describing the little girl's expression, since if she had a stolid expression, her parents might not have figured out she took cookies from the jar; so, the answer is "mendacious . . . contrite."

We can tell that the twins have very different personalities, so for the first blank, we are looking for an adjective that means distinct or different. "Discordant" and "disparate" are each possible choices. For the second blank, we need a word that means something like "eager." Choosing between "exigent" (demanding) and "voracious" (very hungry or eager to do something), we can pick "disparate . . . voracious" as the correct answer.

Because of the phrase "on the contrary" in the sentence and the information that follows it, the first blank needs to reflect the opposite idea of Harold leaving on time and running the entire way to the party. "Dilatory" (delaying), "tarrying" (delaying leaving somewhere), and "enervated" (drained of energy) all seem like possible options. This leaves us to choose from "sinuous," "garrulous," and "spurious" for the second blank, which needs to describe the path's zigzagging and indirect nature. Since "sinuous" means curvy or meandering, "dilatory . . . sinuous" is the correct answer.

For the first blank, we need a word that reflects how much money the young movie star is spending. "Prodigal" (spending money wastefully) and "pecunious" (wealthy) both work. To pick between "indigent" (poor) and "vituperated" (blamed using intense language) for the second blank, we need to consider how the young movie star's fortunes change as he becomes indebted. "Indigent" is the better choice, so "prodigal . . . indigent" is the correct answer.

Do not be tricked by "desire" into thinking that "avaricous" is an acceptable value for the first blank. Many of the other answers are far from the mark. The clear sense of the sentence indicates that the first blank addresses the prosecutor's zeal and devotion to the case. (This could make some answers tempting, such as "untiring" or "devoted"); however, the case for "zealous" is strengthened by the meaning of "exculpatory," namely, removing the guilt from one, which fulfills the sense of the second blank describing the evidence that led to proof of the young man's innocence.

For the first blank, we need a word that describes the sister who "chose to nap on the couch all day." Either "torpid" (which means lethargic) or "languid" (opposed to physical exertion) could work. This leaves us with two options for the second blank—"intransigent" and "ebullient." We need a word that describes Melanie's excitement about the trip to the park; since "intransigent" means stubbornly clinging to one's views and "ebullient" means happy and energetic, the correct answer is "torpid . . . ebullient."

We can tell from the sentence's structure that the two words are likely to be a pair of antonyms, since the first blank has to do with "Elaborate weddings" and the second clause tells us that "modern couples simply do not prioritize . . . glamorous ceremoies." Of the provided answer choices, only "obsolete . . . commonplace" makes sense in the sentence, so it is the correct answer.

The first blank emphasizes the oldness of the method, so the only answer that makes sense is "obsolete." The second blank implies that the effects are bad in some way, which is described by "deleterious." "Boorish" would be used to describe a person, not “effects."

The sentence clearly is trying to contrast Sam and Isidore ("On the contrary . . ."). The sense of the sentence is that Sam is upbeat in the worst of situations, while Isidore is never able to suffer such light-hearteness in the best of times.

This immediately eliminates "amorous . . . dolorous," because "dolorous" does not fit. It really is not a matter of "maturity," so "immature . . . convivial" isn't directly spot on. "Disconsolate" means hopelessly sad, so "disconsolate . . . jovial" is out. The last two choices are the toughest: "joyful . . . uplifiting" and "jocular . . . festive." The latter is correct, because "jocular" captures the sense of joking that is indicated in the sentence about Isidore. "Joyful" is related but just a bit shy.

For the first blank, we need an adverb that describes the author's strong work ethic. Possible choices include "solicitously" (eagerly) and "seduously" (diligently). This leaves us to decide whether "meticulously" or "intransigently" is the better option for the second blank, which needs an adverb that describes how carefully the author works. "Meticulously" (extremely carefully) is the better choice, so the answer is "sedulously . . . meticulously."