From the context of the sentence you know that the blank word must be a positive attribute for someone who wants to give political speeches. Of the five answer choices, "articulate" is by far the best option. Someone who is "articulate" is a good speaker, eloquent. If we look quickly at the definitions of the other words, it will become obvious why "articulate" was the only option. "Morose" means very sad and despondent; "obscure" means hidden or not known by many people; "banal" means boring, uninspiring; "foolish" means not wise, stupid.

The author tells us that Jenny struggles with talking to people and is not extroverted, so we know that the answer choice must describe someone who is shy and quiet. This information tells us that the correct answer is "taciturn" which means quiet, timid, introverted. To provide further help, an "extrovert" is someone who is confident with people and affable; "affable" means friendly, sociable; "tenacious" means determined; "gregarious" means friendly; "laborious" means hard-work, tasking.

Because the author needed a great deal of medication to cope with the pain, we can assume that the car crash was very, intensely,or “excruciatingly” painful. To provide further help, “eager” means willing or keen; “morose” means sad, serious, sulking; “suspicious” means thinking something is up, thinking someone is guilty; “beneficial” means helpful.

Because of the second clause, which tells us that Alice had been waiting all her life to have children, and the information in the first clause that tells us Alice was devastated (very upset), we can infer that Alice must have learned she could not have children, or that she was “infertile.” To provide further help, “fecund” means the same thing as fertile; “vulnerable” and “susceptible” both mean in danger from something specific; “deleterious” means harmful.

The best way to approach this sentence is to notice the contrast between the remote towns and the cities. The latter are said to be complex and urban. "Urban" merely means "related to the city." Thus, the best example of a word that contrasts with this is something that indicates being "not related to the city." Among the options provided, "rural" is the best to this end, for it means "related to the countryside." The isolated farms are quite likely to be in the countryside.

Since the main clause begins with, "even the most experienced," the implication of this sentence is that the scene had horrors unseen by even by these experienced people. This likely means that they were not merely surprised or intrigued. Instead, a much stronger word is needed. The sense is that they were "horrified," and this is what is meant by "aghast." This option alone expresses the strong sense of horror that such people likely felt upon seeing the scene. The word is related to "ghost," as can be seen in "ghast." (Think of the word "ghastly", which means causing terror or fright.)

We are not told in the sentence how horrible was the gang's activity. While it does state that the community was "terrorized," this could even occur by petty acts of vandalism (like the egging of houses) as much as by very dangerous gang violence. We just do not have enough information to make a judgment in this regard. However, what we do know—and this is important—is that the violence was "without provocation." When something is provoked, it is caused by something else. For example, consider the sentence: "Benjamin's nasty remark provoked an equally nasty response from Patty." The idea is that Benjamin's remark caused a nasty reaction from Patty. A "provocation" is some kind of action that functions to provoke. To be "without provocation" roughly means to have been done without any known reason. Thus, the best option is "wanton," which means unprovoked.

The second clause reveals how the neighbor being described dislikes everyone. Someone who dislikes or hates all people is called “misanthropic.” To provide further help, “benevolent” means kind and generous; “gregarious” means sociable and outgoing; “amiable” means friendly and well-liked; “profound” means deep and meaningful. 

The sentence tells you that Hugo is committed, dedicated and careful. This is most similar in definition to “meticulous.” To provide further help, “apathetic” and “nonchalant” mean not caring; “garrulous” means talkative; “foolish” means stupid.

Because the person described in the sentence was scared of blood and needles and then almost fainted when she heard about how the medicine would be administered, we can assume that the doctor told her he had to inject the medicine using a needle. This is called an “intravenous” injection, where the suffix "-venous" tells us it has to do with blood and veins, and the prefix "intra-" suggest under, beneath, or into. The term "IV" is actually derived from an abbreviated form of "intravenous." To provide further help, “jointly” means together, “approximately” means roughly or as an estimation, and “scholarly” means like a scholar.