It makes sense that even though Paul was not an expert in finance, he could still manage his resources. Many of your other options are scientific, or medical, and do not make as much sense as the financial option in this instance.

The answer here is one of degree. Although Diane's work of art was fine, the competitors were superior, and thus she did not win. From the logic of the sentence, we know that the first statement will be positive, and the second will reflect on the reasons for her failure, which in this case was the superior competition. It would not make sense, for instance, for an exceptionally "creative" work of art to lose out to "lackluster" competition.

The end of the second sentence can actually help us with the first blank. Apparently, Gerard cannot understand the horror of this crime. (This will become even more clear as we consider the blanks all together.) It seems that even the most horrible of crimes did not shock him. (To be called "pedestrian" means more than walking on the street! It means also to be ordinary.) Something "heinous" is extremely wicked-seeming. That is the best option for the first blank. Options like "baffling" and "vindictive" just do not capture this great wickedness or horror. The murder was one that was apparently quite bad, so "brutal" works well for such a killing. The final blank is perhaps the weakest of them all, but the general idea is that Gerard could not process the idea or reality of its horror.

The best clue for this sentence is the general fact stated at the very end of the sentence, namely that Judy apparently complained about the difficulties of life. This is a very general point and does not allow us to guess if her difficulties were from illness, angering situations, or anything else specific like that. Therefore, the general term "adversity" (meaning difficulties) is the best option for the first blank. The word "lachrymose" is related to the "lachrymal" glands, that is, the tear ducts. To be "lachrymose" is to be "weepy" in temperament—something indicated by the regular occurrence of tears mentioned in the sentence. Finally, "lamentations" are expressions of sadness, something that likely would accompany tears.

The implication of this sentence clearly is that Timothy had worked at his trade for some time. It is a stock expression to speak of "plying one's trade," meaning diligently working at one's trade. He has mastered it, but he is not a journeyman, which is a type of trainee. Likewise, he is implied to be a master (of sorts), but the new men are not "maestros"!  So, after plying his trade, Timothy had become "adept," meaning "very able." To be a "novice" is to be someone new to something. The prefix "nov-" can often mean new, coming from the Latin "novus,"meaning new.

The best first clue to note is the fact that the lot was becoming filled. This implies that it had been empty heretofore. Thus, the last blank is best filled with "vacant" which means empty. It is related to words like "vacuum" and "vacation" (an "emptying" of time from work). A "maelstrom" is a kind of whirlpool, but it can also mean a very vigorous kind of activity that is like such a formation in the water. It seems the crowds are gathering in the once-empty lot. Therefore, they are "coalescing" there. This means coming together into one group.

This sentence expresses an intensification from the first blank to the second one. To find the appropriate meaning, we can begin by looking at the description given of Dorothy's sister. Her sister was harsher in some way. This means that Dorothy must have been kinder or, at least, less harsh. "Caring . . . loving" is the most tempting wrong pair. This is a kind of intensification. However, it is not as good as "sentimental . . . maudlin".  Maudlin means excessively sentimental. This works well. Furthermore, it is more likely that we are talking about her sister's personality than her sister's "outlook." Therefore, "temperament" is a better choice for the last blank than is "outlook."

Several initial clues help to interpret this sentence. Of course, it is important to notice that Ronald is "jittery", implying that he has a nervous temperament. Now, his reaction to the tuba music is to jump up and hit his head. Thus, we have a pair here between the first blank and this action. Almost all of the options for the third blank are tempting, so it is necessary to read them in conjunction with options for the first blank. (On some tests the answers might be independent; however, this kind of "parallel reading of options" is an important skill to have for unraveling the options provided on test day as well.)

The tuba clearly makes a loud sound and elicits a large reaction. We can be almost totally sure that the second blank will be "sounds," so long as the other two words match well. At the smallest sound, Ronald would react as well. We only know that he would jump, so our first blank should be as close to that as possible. When someone "starts," he or she jumps with a sudden, small movement in surprise. This is much better than the other options provided for the first blank. Clearly, the tuba is eliciting an strong reaction, so the sound must have been rather loud. Therefore, "resonated" does well describe the sound the tuba made as its sound filled the hall. Certainly, "blasted" and "boomed" could work, but they are not paired well with the options for the first blank. 

The easiest pair of blanks in this question are the last two. They represent an intensification. We can tell this by the word "utterly," which signals completeness. The only pair that might be tempting in this regard is "fierce . . . tenacious," for the latter means persisting with vigor or (more literally) holding on to something fiercely. (The word comes from the Latin "teneo," meaning to hold or keep.) That does not make much sense with the hint phrase "refusing to question any orders whatsoever."

Thus, the best pair is "obedient . . . obsequious." To be "obsequious" is to be excessively obedient—like someone who cringes and follows every order given to him or her. The relationship that helps us choose the first blank is one between a superior and someone "under" the superior. A "subordinate" is such a person. The word literally means placed ("-ordinate") under ("sub-").

Clearly, Ronald is filled with fear at his wound—as is indicated by the second independent clause in this sentence. However, we should not say that he was filled with fear at the thought of how he could become maimed (or any other form of extreme injury). He was merely wounded by a small skin abrasion (i.e. a scrape). The sentence hints that he was filled with more fear than necessary. If the abrasion filled Ronald with such fear, it likely made him think of the fact that he could die—i.e. the fact that he is mortal. Though perhaps an overreaction, the sentence hints that he was reminded of his mortality. Hence, "hint at . . . mortality" is the best pairing for the first two blanks.