Here, the sentence is making clear that palm trees do not naturally grow in California. Therefore, they are not "indigenous," which means native to or originating from a place. A tempting wrong answer choice is "common"; this is not correct because it does not fit the context of the sentence, and the sentence tells us nothing about how common palm trees are in California, just that they were "imported from the tropics."

If someone does not like horror movies, the most logical reason would be that those types of movies have an effect that makes him feel "anxious," or worried. Therefore, "anxious" is the correct answer. While scary movies may make someone feel "excited" or "enthralled," those are generally positive characteristics that would cause someone to like a movie, rather than dislike it. Scary movies are not generally characterized as making people "bored" or "sad," so those answer choices are incorrect. 

If there is a threat of rain, then the clouds that are present would best be described as "foreboding," which means threatening or imposing. This word fits well, as the sentence implies that the clouds threatened rain. A tempting wrong answer is "nebulous," which means lacking a particular shape. While clouds may lack a particular shape, that characteristic does not make them threaten rain.

Someone who tries to take advantage of special deals and discounts is mindful of his or her money. "Thrifty" means mindful and conservative with one's money. Therefore, "thrifty" is the best answer, as the blank solicits an adjective that describes Jeremy's behavior.

Here, the man is not revealing what emotion he is experiencing. "Indecipherable" is the quality of not showing one's qualities or emotions. Therefore, "indecipherable" is the best word to fit this sentence. "Coy" means flirtatiously shy or evasive. The man does not appear to be shy, just difficult to read.

The love of English culture makes someone “Anglophile.” "Anglo-" means English, and "-phile" means lover of. “Philosophical” means lover of wisdom and deep thinking or having to do with figuring out large truths about the world, often by deduction; “whimsical” means quirky, silly, and unusual; “irrational” means not rational, or in other words, based on illogical beliefs; and “jovial” means cheerful and merry.

Someone who is inconsistent and always changing his or her mind is called “fickle.” “Reckless” means behaving and acting without caution or dangerous; “constant” means not changing; “persistent” means dedicated or willing to keep trying to make something work; and “sustained” means long-lasting.

The answer choice here must describe a rude and grumpy old man who is unkind to children. The correct answer is therefore “cantankerous,” which means grumpy. “Gregarious” means sociable and friendly; “garrulous” means talkative; “monotonous” means boring and repetitive; and “banal” means dull.

While this lake was likely "frigid" (extremely cold), that in itself would not eliminate the need to purify its water. Both "adulterated" and "opaque" water would suggest water that was in desperate need of purification. "Pristine" comes from a Latin word that refers to something's earlier state, before it has been contaminated. Thus, this word that means clean and pure is the best fit here.

Someone who is motionless could be described as “inert.” Because the old woman has not moved for several days, she could be called “inert.” “Dynamic” means the opposite of “inert”; it means full of energy and active; “literate” means able to read; “rakish” means charming, dashing, and handsome; “presumptuous” means overconfident and making arrogant assumptions.