In this sentence you are told that the explorers "trekked all over" an entire continent looking for the source of the Nile River. Because the explorers had to search for so long, the source of the river must have been hard to find, or "elusive." "Elusive" means hard to find, hard to reach or understand. To provide further help, "lustrous" means shiny; "gratifying" means fulfilling, rewarding; "disorderly" means not in order, chaotic, unruly; "chastened" means humbled, subdued, restrained. 

In a storm it is logical that people onboard a boat would be worried about the boat turning over in the water and possibly sinking. The correct answer then is "capsize" which means (of a ship) to turn over in the water. To provide further help, "smitten" means in love with; "economize" means make a decision that will save money; "aggrandize" means increase power, wealth, or status; "elevate" means rise up. 

The author of this sentence uses an adjective to describe how the lady defended herself and notes later in the sentence that "no matter how forceful she was . . . " therefore the correct answer must be a synonym of "forcefully." The correct answer then is "emphatically" which means forcefully, firmly. To provide further help, "ludicrously" done in a ridiculous fashion; "impeccably" means done perfectly, flawlessly; "notoriously" means infamously. 

The Great Depression was a very difficult time when many people suffered a great deal. To solve this problem you are looking for an answer choice that reflects this meaning. The correct answer is therefore "hardship," which means great suffering, poverty or pain. To provide further help, "jubilation" means happy celebration; "opulence" means great wealth; "splendor" means magnificence; "prosperity" means wealth and success.

The girl is described as "beautiful" and the boy decides to ask her out on a date. It makes sense then that the boy was strongly attracted to and/or in love with the girl. The correct answer then is "smitten." To be "smitten" means to be deeply attracted to or in love with. To provide further help, "anxious" means worried; "timid" means shy; "docile" means harmless and obedient; "passive" means not aggressive, accepting and submissive. 

First of all "autocratic" means tyrannical, despotic, relating to a system of government in which one man or one agency has absolute power. Now, an autocratic government would be likely to put down a "rebellion" or a "revolution" in a brutal fashion, so the correct answer must mean something like this. The correct answer therefore is "insurrection," which means a rebellion, a violent uprising against the existing government. To provide further help, a "competitor" is someone participating in a competition; the "victor" is the winner; a "community" is a social group, a group of people; an "antique" is an old, valuable item. 

The speaker is telling someone else to "cheer up" so it makes sense that the situation is not as bad as the other person thinks. The correct answer must therefore reflect a situation that is desperate, dreadful and alarming. So, the correct answer is "dire." To provide further help, "obscene" means vulgar, rude; "uptight" means overly anxious, someone who is "uptight" is someone who rigidly follows the rules and cannot relax; "garrulous" means talkative; "tender" means kind, soothing, and delicate. 

If the speaker struggled not to be sick than it is likely he found his dinner sickening and disgusting. So, the correct answer is "nauseating" which means causing sickness, likely to make someone sick, disgusting. To provide further help, "petite" means very small; "discreet" means careful not to cause offense, secretive and cautious; "vigorous" means strong, forceful; "unruly" means chaotic, unable to be controlled. 

It makes sense that one would feel "intimidated" upon meeting one's hero. Therefore the correct answer is "daunted." "Daunted" means intimidated, frightened of and anxious. To provide further help, "deranged" and "psychotic" both mean crazy, insane; "untidy" means not tidy, messy; "cagey" means shrewd, secretive, cautious, and wary. 

The use of the words "critical" and "scathing" (harsh, critical, attacking) provide you with the necessary information to solve this problem. Newspaper articles usually should contain no bias or strong judgment, except in "editorials" in which a newspaper's editor is free to express subjectivity and opinion. If the article was "critical" and "scathing" it must have been an editorial.