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."

The sense of the blanks implies that the tasks were difficult or tiring (or something of the like). The second blank implies that such energy was not well spent (particularly because of the key word "however").

The most tempting answers are "gargantuan . . . stunning", "heroic . . . significant," and "multitude . . . surprising"; however, in both cases, the second word does not match the negative sense implied by the "however."  

"Strenuous, frivolous" best captures the sense of these two blanks.

For the first blank, it is key to note the intensification implied from the first clause to the second one. The second blank aims to describe the style of politics. If you note both of these clues, you might be tempted to choose "extravagant . . . sacrosanct"; however, "sacrosanct" really indicates holiness. Don't be tricked by this kind of surface-level proximity to "churchmen." Also, "extravagant" is a bit weak for the purpose of intensifying the notion of complexity (though it could work if no better options were available). There is a better option, however: "labyrinthine . . . ecclesiastical."