The young man's appetite must be very "big" after the three days without food. Indeed, the sentence does hint at this by saying that he was ready to eat almost anything put in front of him. This kind of increased appetite is really more than a mere manner of being "increased." It was really big. The word "voracious" describes a kind of hunger or desire that is extreme. This matches the strength of the sentence's claim about his hunger and therefore is the best option provided.

Due to her quirky way of dressing and the fact that she dances around the classroom, the English teacher is best described as eccentric or unconventional.

“Assemble” can mean put together from parts or come together as a group, so "make" is the correct answer. “Benefit” means provide help to; “vend” means sell; and “compute” means calculate.

The word "elevated" means, most generally, "higher than other things." Now, this most often is used to describe physical elevation—as in the elevated mountains in contrast to valleys and hills. However, it can also be applied to things that are elevated in the sense of being more noble or important. Thus, elevated discussion is discussion of important and noble things. Thus, among the words provided, the only option that directly recognizes such "heights" is "noble." Remember, "noble" not only refers to the person such as a prince or king. It also is an adjective meaning "excellent."

You most likely use "base" in the physical sense, describing something that is at the bottom of another thing—as in the base of a statue or some other thing. However, the meaning can be extended to mean anything that is low. This often is used to describe low morals or bad moral standards. Thus, to call something "base" is to say that the thing is immoral or very unacceptable. Thus, the best option here is "immoral."

Several of the other options try to trick you. A footstool seems low, but it is not synonymous with "base" even in the first sense discussed above. Also, we do often think of "military bases." However, these "bases" are the actual physical locations for the soldiers. The word is not synonymous with "militant" or "infantry".

We generally think of "hazy" in terms of the weather. On a hazy day, it is hard to see because the air is full of some sort of material, usually water vapor though it could also be something like smoke or any other material that creates some kind of cloudiness. Among the answers, the only wrong one that should be tempting is "thick," for haze can be thick. Perhaps also "rainy" is tempting, but to be "hazy" means something other than to be wet and rainy. (It is about making it difficult to see—as said earlier.) We also use the word to mean vague. A "hazy idea" is one that is not very clear. Another example is "hazy memories," meaning that something is hard to remember in its details—it is not a "clear" memory.

The word "vocal" has several meanings, though all deal with the voice. They come from similar Latin roots, ultimately derived from "vox" or "vocis," meaning voice. A vocal person is "outspoken," not hiding his or her ideas or feelings. Such a person rarely speaks in an indirect manner. Instead, he or she is very direct in expressing these ideas. When something is "blunt" it is neither sharp nor pointed; however it can be very flat—like a wooden board. A blunt person's opinion will be expressed like a large flat board of wood—openly and without any kind of covering up! Thus, a vocal person is "blunt" in this sense—stating things directly.

The word "dull" has many meanings, though they do have some relationship to each other. We often think of a "dull knife" (or something of that sort). This means that such an instrument is no longer sharp. Dull colors are sort of like this. They are not bright or "sharp to the eye." Think of a dreary day—it is dull. Likewise, we say that someone is "dull" when he or she is not very intelligent or interesting. This is so because he or she does not have a "piercing" intellect that can handle intricate problems. Thus, of the options provided, the only option that directly defines a possible synonym is "blunt."

The word "bright" is a great example of how we metaphorically use language in everyday speech. We will sometimes say that someone is "bright" or that an idea is "bright," meaning that it is intelligent. Such "brightness" is like an "intellectual light bulb," helping to illuminate some topic with insight. Hence also, we will call someone "dim" when he or she is not very intelligent.

The word "critic" comes from Greek and Latin words that mean to judge. When we "critique" someone or something, we give an opinion about that person or thing. Likewise, a "critical remark" is one that judges something, generally negatively. The word can also mean important when used as the adjective "critical." For example, at a "critical time," it is necessary to judge something one way or the other. This actually comes from the idea of judgment mentioned earlier. Something is "critical" because it requires a judgment—right now. By extension, we say something is "critical" when it is "important."