“Fluctuate” means vary, particularly by moving up and down, so "vary" is the correct answer. None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "fluctuate": “rigid” means unbending or fixed; “malefactor” means troublemaker; a “despot” is someone who rules through fear and oppression; and “consider” means think about. 

"Yearning" is defined as having an intense feeling or longing for something. Since "desire" is defined as a strong feeling or wanting for something to happen, "desire" is the best answer choice.

"Correct" is an adjective that means true or not containing any errors. So, the answer choice closest in meaning to "correct" is "accurate," an adjective that means correct, especially as concerns specific details. None of the other answers are close in meaning to "correct": "wrong" is an antonym of "correct" and means incorrect; "lame" means not able to walk due to an injury; and "intelligent" means smart.

One definition of "restore" is repair or renovate to return something to its original condition. The only answer choice with a similar meaning is "mend," which means repair or fix. The other answer choices do not have similar meanings: "prepare" means to make something in advance or get oneself ready for something; "simplify" means make something easier to do or understand; and "reject" means dismiss or refuse.

"Conquer" is a verb meaning overcome. The only word with a similar enough meaning to be the correct answer is "defeat," meaning overcome or beat. "Forgive" means pardon or exonerate, whereas "contaminate" means pollute or adulterate. Finally, "befriend" means help out or behave as a friend behaves toward.

The word "deftly" means nimbly, dexterously, or with great skill; therefore, the word "skillfully" most closely matches the definition of "deftly." "Clumsily" is incorrect because it means with little skill or in an awkward manner, making it an opposite of "deftly." "Maliciously," which means with the intention of causing harm, and "aggressively," which means in a hostile or confrontational manner, are unrelated to the definition of "deftly." 

If people "partake" of something such as cake at a birthday party, it means they consume it or share in it; if they partake in some activity, they participate in it or take part in it; so, "participate" is the correct answer. None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "partake": "grant" means allow when used as a verb; "convey" means transport when referring to physical objects or people and suggest when referring to ideas; and "transfer" means convey from one location to another or convey from the ownership of one person or group to the ownership of another person or group.

"Abstain" means to go without. For example, one might write, “Having gotten so unhealthy eating nothing but burgers, I have decided to abstain from fast food for the whole year.”

"Exact" is a word that can be used as an adjective or a verb, but because all of the possible answer choices are verbs, we will need to consider "exact" as a verb. As a verb, "exact" means either "demand and obtain (something, especially a payment) from someone" or "inflict (revenge) on someone." So, we need to pick out a verb that means something like "demand and obtain" or "inflict revenge on." So, "donate" cannot be the correct answer, because "donate" is an antonym, not a synonym, of "demand and obtain." "Extract," however, is a verb that means "obtain (something such as money or an admission) from someone in the face of initial unwillingness," and because "extract" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "exact," "extract" is the correct answer.

To "thrive" is to succeed or do extremely well in some aspect of life; it sometimes refers specifically to physical growth. In general, however, "prosper" is the correct synonym, since this verb also describes the act of flourishing and succeeding. To "falter" is to hesitate and to "recede" is to retreat or travel backwards (as in a balding man's "receding hairline"). Finally, to "anticipate" something is to look forward to or become excited about it before it has happened.