Compared to a wedding, it would make sense for a funeral to be a lot sadder and more serious. This should lead you to the correct answer choice “somber,” which means serious and sad, or grave. To help you, "valiant" means brave, "fortunate" means lucky, "vacant" means empty, and "frantic" means fast-paced or anxious.

The key words "wished it was less" give us an immediate hint about our answer: it is probably a negative trait, since Jenny would rather it be different. We also know that the reality show doesn't have complicated characters or thoughtful plotlines, so it must be "shallow," a word that indicates a lack of depth. Something that is shallow generally takes a surface-level view of its subject matter instead of introducing serious topics or discussion.

Melissa second-guessed herself specifically because she thought the answer was too obvious or readily apparent.

In this sentence, the conjunction "and" suggests that the word following "and" should be similar to the word preceding it, "kind." The most similar and appropriate word to "kind," given the context of this sentence (that Lisa always does favors for other people), is "generous." This is because "generous" people are selfless and put others before themselves. It is therefore an appropriate word to complete the sentence. 

The most important hint in this sentence is the very first word, "unfortunately." Like most words with the "-ly" ending, "unfortunately" is an adverb; it describes an act that is sad or regrettable. With this in mind, we can eliminate both "overjoyed" and "calm," since both words have a positive connotation. Next, the word "while" tells us that Jonathan's situation must differ from that of the other students, who were all in attendance at the annual field trip. The most sensible choice is "absent," which describes someone who was not able to attend some event, and would most likely be sad for Jonathan, at the very least.

We can infer that it became clear that Sam was not planning on doing his homework when he invited his friends over to play video games, so we need to pick out an adjective for the blank that means something like "clear" or "obvious." So, "secret" cannot be the correct answer because "secret" is an antonym of "clear" and "obvious." "Apparent," however, is an adjective that means "clearly visible or understood; obvious." Because "apparent" best fits the context of the sentence, it is the correct answer.

We can infer that because the professional fencer "had practiced to make her movements as neat and efficient as possible," we need to pick out an adjective to describe her movements that means something similar to "neat" and "efficient" and can describe movement. So, neither "uncontrolled" nor "random" can be the correct answer because each of those words is an antonym of "neat" and "efficient." "Deft," however, is an adjective that can mean either "demonstrating still and cleverness" or "neatly skillful and quick in one's movements." Because "deft" is the answer choice that best describes the professional fencer's movements and fits the context of the sentence, "deft" is the correct answer.

We can infer that because the artist created sketches before picking one to use "as the model for the final work," the artist must have created the sketches before the final work. So, we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "occurring before something else." So, "subsequent" cannot be the correct answer because "subsequent" means "coming after something in time; following," and is an antonym of a word meaning "occurring before something else." "Preliminary," however, is an adjective that means "denoting an action or event preceding or done in preparation for something fuller or more important." Because "preliminary" is the answer choice which best describes the artist's sketches and best fits the context of the sentence, it is the correct answer.

We know that "no one could tell what sort of animal [the dog's chew toy] was supposed to represent," so we can assume that the dog had chewed it up to the point that it was unrecognizable. So, we need to pick out an adjective to describe the chew toy that means something like "chewed up." "Pristine," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "pristine" means "in its original condition; unspoiled" or " clean and fresh as if new; spotless," so it wouldn't make any sense to described a chewed-up dog toy as "pristine." "Mangled," however, when used as an adjective, means "severely mutilated, disfigured, or damaged by cutting, tearing, or crushing," and because "mangled" best describes the dog's chewed-up toy, "mangled" is the correct answer.

We can infer that because Joanna felt that the novel that she was reading "deserved her complete attention," it must have been pretty interesting. So, we need to pick out an adjective to describe it that means something like "interesting." "Tedious" cannot be the correct answer, then, because "tedious" means "too long, slow, or dull: tiresome or monotonous," making it an antonym of the word we're looking for. "Gripping," however, when used as an adjective, means "firmly holding the attention or interest; exciting," and because "gripping" best describes a novel that to which one would want to devote all of one's attention, "gripping" is the correct answer.