There is a sentence shift after the comma, foreshadowed by the word “despite.” In other words, it is uncommon for the critic to give praise. Thus, “buoyant” and “sanguine” can be eliminated. An “acidulous” review is sharp or sour, and “unremitting” means ceaseless. Together, these form the correct answer.

Whatever word goes in the second blank must involve outlasting. You do not “outlast” a wind that is “amicable” or “tranquil” or “mellow” or “placid.” If something is “tempestuous,” then it is violent like a tempest. “Adverse” means opposing. “Tempestuous . . . adverse” is the right answer.

"Inimical" works as the answer because it describes the harm arising from their social practices; "obligated" also works because it makes sense in the context of the pressure from their parents. In this case "obligated" is working as an adjective to describe the feeling brought on by the pressure created by the parents.

"Frightened" makes the most sense because it describes the housewife's reaction to a robber. "Drowsy" makes sense because it describes the half-dazed son, and explains why he was stumbling in the dark. None of the other answer options make contextual sense for the situation described.

"Anxious" makes most sense because it describes the natural state of the cop during his first standoff; "cruel" also makes most sense because it describes the traits of the suspect, who is a murderer, and likely is cruel.

"Wryly" makes sense because it matches the manner in which one would expect a comedian to act; "outmoded" also perfectly describes the outfit that looks like it was from a long time ago. The second blank is the one that could not reasonably be filled by any other of the provided options.

"Peripatetic" works because it describe the lifestyle of the nomads in the sentence; "unwitting" makes sense because it describes the state of unknowingness that the people are in regarding their situation.

"Sheepish" describes the little girl and the quietness that seems attached to her persona, given that she hasn't found her voice; "Meek" also works, as it describes a boyfriend who is quite similar to the girl. This option was the only one where the descriptive adjectives were appropriately matched in connotation and tone.

"Pragmatic" means practical and not idealistic. "Credulous" means naive and trusting. It would no doubt annoy Shania that her brother was so willing to believe their parents about Santa.

This question can be a little tricky. “Amiable” and “affable” refer to being friendly and easy to approach, and either one of them would be a great candidate for the first blank. You might think that “brusque” and “terse” are the same, but they have a subtle difference that makes one a better choice than the other. “Brusque” means rude and brief. “Terse” also means brief, except it contains the meaning of concise, to the point. The word isn’t always synonymous with "rude," because its connotations are less direct than with "brusque," which always means rude. Therefore, “affable . . . brusque” is the best answer.