At the end of this sentence, it is said that Peter's parents just were not worried about his performance. They just expected him to do well—or at least it seems so. His excellent work has created a particular expectation on their part. We really can't say that it was a deception or an image. He had done well, and nothing in the sentence indicates that this would not continue. Thus, it is best for us just to say that he created a situation that led them to think he would always do so well. To do this is to create an "expectation."

The main thing that we know about Peter is that he is described as being independent from the arguing parties. This hints that he does not have a particular opinion about the topic. Another word that is a fine synonym for "opinion" is "stance." Perhaps you have heard someone ask, "Where do you stand on this question?" This means, "What is your opinion?" A "stance" is such a "standing"—i.e. such a holding of an opinion.

"Rage" is defined as violent, uncontrollable anger.  The sentence mentions the girl's anger, and therefore "rage" is the correct answer choice.

We know that our subject plays chess and draws in his free time, so we should pick out an answer choice that describes the nature of these activities. Since "recreation" means "activity done for enjoyment when one is not working," "recreation" best fits the context of the sentence and is the correct answer.

Since Heidi was parched at the end of the hike, this indicates that she drank too little on the hike.  During the hike, she tried to quench or satisfy her thirst, but she could not with the amount of water she brought with her.

Be careful with that, do not mar the surface! Whenever something is marred, it is scratched up or broken.

She is strong, she will not falter. Faltering refers to failing or becoming unsteady. Someone who is strong, is unlikely to falter (at least at most physical tasks).

Though the other choices do make sense, they would only be found in very specific contexts. While the use of "falter" would be the most common choice to fill in the blank.

I hope this heavy pack doesn't encumber you too much. Encumber most nearly means burden or weigh-down. A heavy pack is very likely to encumber someone.

We know from the sentence's context that George did not expect any rain because of the incorrect weather report, so we need to pick out a verb that means something like "expect." While "see" might look like a correct answer, a sudden downpour occurred and George was drenched, so we can reasonably conclude that George saw rain. "Anticipate," however, is a verb that can mean "regard as probable; expect or predict" or "guess or be aware of what will happen and take action in order to be prepared." Since "anticipate" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "expect" and best fits the sentence, "anticipate" is the correct answer.

The dragons "want nothing more than to . . . collect [treasure] into huge piles in secret caves" and protect that treasure, so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "gather up a large amount of to keep and protect." Neither "spend" nor "donate" can be the correct answer, then, because both "spend" and "donate" are antonyms of "gather up to keep," and neither would make sense in the context of the sentence, as the dragons are clearly not spending or donating their treasure. "Hoard," however, when used as a verb, can mean "amass (money or valued objects) and hide or store away," and because "hoard" best describes the dragons' collecting and guarding of treasure, "hoard" is the correct answer.