"Petty" means of lesser or secondary importance. Since the thief stole small things that were not very important, he was a petty thief. 

It would be nearly impossible for one to see a liger strolling down the streets in New York City, so it is "improbable," a word which means not very likely to occur.

"Vernacular" is defined as native and is used to refer specifically to language. (When used as a noun, "vernacular" means native language spoken by ordinary people in a specific place. So, when held in Russia, the Olympics were announced in the country's native language, Russian, and "native" is the correct answer.

"Tumultuous" means highly agitated and loud, and a riot full of angry people could be accurately described as "tumultuous."

The sentence tells you that the blank word must describe how flexible the ballerina is. This should lead you to the correct answer, which is “limber.” "Limber" means agile and flexible. To help you, "sturdy" means strong and reliable, "haggard" means looking like one is exhausted, "comely" means cute and attractive, and "stiff" means not flexible or not easily bent. 

The sentence suggests that the team must have felt something positive after their season of triumph. Additionally, the word “serenity” means peace and happiness, so the answer choice must be close in meaning to happiness. "Melancholic" means miserable or depressed, and "enigmatic" means mysterious. These are both incorrect answer choices. The best answer is “blissful,” which means heavenly, wonderful, or very happy.

The correct answer here is “dazed” because it appropriately describes a reaction one might have to being punched in the face. "Dazed" means stunned or confused due to a blow. To help you, "ecstatic" means very happy, "deplorable" means terrible or deserving of hatred, and "demonstrative" means demonstrating emotions overtly, especially emotions related to fondness.

The sentence suggests that the warden has tasted some perfect pudding. The answer choice is therefore likely to mean delicious. The correct answer is “scrumptious,” which means tasty or delicious. To help you, "punctual" means on time, "abhorrent" means gross and unnatural, "miserly" means tight with money, "gregarious" means outgoing and sociable.

Among the wrong options, you might be tempted to think that Robert lives either a depressing or a moping life. However, there is nothing in the sentence to indicate this. You must not consider what you think life would be like if lived alone in shyness. Instead, all we can say is that Robert's life is rather isolated from others. This is best expressed by the word "secluded" which means private and (often) without social contact. The word is actually related to many other words like "closet" (a closed room) and "exclude" (meaning to close out in the sense of leaving someone out of a given thing or group).

The only thing that is said in this sentence is that sweets at first give people a "burst of energy." This implies that the eating of sweets increases the energy levels of people, even though they ultimately end in a period of sluggishness. Therefore, they likely make people "very active" or—as fits our options—"hyperactive." (The prefix "hyper-" means above or over. A "hyperactive" person is someone who is overactive or overly active. Another way you can think of it is very active.)