We know that the bank of storm clouds "does not bode well" for the people visiting the beach, so we need to pick out a word that means something like "menacing" or "threatening." Neither "friendly" nor"optimistic" can be the correct answer because they are both words with positive connotations and neither are similar in meaning to "menacing." "Ominous," however, means "giving the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen; threatening." Because "ominous" is the answer choice that best fits the context of the sentence, it is the correct answer.

Since the world of technology is not dependent upon in-person interactions, this indicates that it is virtual.

Even though she appears to be asleep, her subtle or slight movements show that she is awake.

By consuming vitamins along with her meals, she supplements the meals she makes.

Since the competitors' looks were prideful, it indicates that their expressions were smug.

Since Vanessa was not on a diet, it means that she presumably put an excessive or liberal amount of salad dressing on her salad.

We can infer that a bear would be well-suited to the habitat described, so we need to pick out an adjective for the blank that means something like "suitable" or "perfect." So, "worst" cannot be the correct answer because "worst" is an antonym of "perfect." "Ideal," however, is an adjective that can mean "satisfying one's conception of what is perfect; most suitable," and because "ideal" best fits the context of the sentence, it is the correct answer.

We can infer that the salesman expected the homeowners to be "friendly and personable," but was surprised because they were not. So, we need to pick out an adjective to describe the homeowners that means something like "not friendly" or "not personable." "Amiable" cannot be the correct answer, then, because "amiable" is a synonym of "friendly." "Hostile," however, is an adjective that means "unfriendly; antagonistic," and it is the correct answer because it best describes the reception that the salesman received and best fits the context of the sentence.

We can infer from the sentence's structure that we need to pick out an adverb that means something like "in a way where words mean exactly what they say." While "symbolically" might look like a potentially correct answer, we can tell that because "metaphorically" interpreting poetry "considers…symbolism," the missing adverb is not likely to consider symbolism as well, so "symbolically" cannot be the correct answer. "Literally," however, is an adverb that means "in a manner in which one takes words in their usual or most basic sense without metaphor or allegory," and because it best describes a way of interpreting poetry that in which "words mean exactly what they say" and best fits the sentence's context, "literally" is the correct answer.

We can infer that the duchess's ordeal was not pleasant and probably scary, so we need to pick out an adjective to describe it that means something like "unpleasant" or "scary." So, "pleasant" cannot be the correct answer because it is an antonym of "unpleasant." "Harrowing," however, is an adjective that means "acutely distressing," and because it is the answer choice that best describes the duchess's experience and best fits the context of the sentence, "harrowing" is the correct answer.