Two key phrases help us interpret this sentence: (1) "from his homeland" and (2) "welcomed back." These both imply that Athanasius was sent away from his homeland and then was able to return. It seems that the corrupt political party was involved, so his being sent away was likely by force, not choice.  Although he might have longed for (that is, desired) his homeland, the best answer would be one that merely describes the state of being "sent away." To be "exiled" is to be banished from one's homeland, often for political reasons.

From what the sentence states, we know that Renaldo is sending a representative on his behalf. Beyond this, we do not know any details regarding the nature of this person (other than that he or she is trusted). Therefore, we do not know if it is a "civilian" (i.e. someone who is not in the military) or a "knight." Likewise, a "courtier" is an advisor to a royal person but not necessarily a representative on his or her behalf. Finally, an "inquisitor" is someone who investigates a matter. It is related to the words "inquire" and "inquisition," both of which pertain to "questioning." This is the task of an inquisitor, not representing. A "delegate" is a person who is sent on behalf of another as a representative. Often, we think of "delegates to a convention" (as in the United States primary elections), but a prince could likewise send a delegate to represent him. This is the basic meaning of "delegate," which works well in our sentence.

Based on the context of the second clause, the blank word must mean something like house or home. The correct answer is therefore, “abode,” which is a synonym for home. To provide further help, “feud” is a long-standing disagreement between two or more people; a “flaw” is something wrong with something; a “champion” is the winner.

Based on the use of the words “around” and “whole,” you can infer that the correct answer is likely the “perimeter.” The prefix "peri-" means around and the word “perimeter” means the area around something. None of the other answer choices make sense in the blank: a “prelude” is something that comes before the main event; “index” means directory or guide to where various information is located in a book; a “glossary” is a collection of terms used in a book and their definitions; and the “diameter” is the distance of something from one side to the other. While "diameter" may sound like a potentially correct answer, it's important to realize that one doesn't run "around" a diameter!

Because the jury rejects the defendants argument of insanity, we can assume that they must have found that he acted of his own free and sane will. The answer choice that is closest in meaning to "will" is “volition.” The word fragment "vol" means will, or acting by choice, such as in the words “volunteer,” “volition,” and “benevolent.” None of the other answer choices make sense in the blank: “recreation” means play time or hobby; “consensus” means agreement; “allegation” means a claim that someone has done something wrong; and a “rendezvous” is a secret meeting. 

The writer is a teacher; this suggests that his or her career education. "Vocation" means career, so "vocation" is the correct answer. The root "voc-" means call, so if someone says their “vocation” is education, they are saying their calling is to educate others. None of the other answer choices make sense in the blank: “volition” means will; “violation” means an instance of breaking some particular rule; “vilification” means the process of turning someone into a villain in the minds of others; and "evaporation" means the process by which liquid water turns into water vapor.

Because the second clause describes how the two sides of the country being discussed are moving away from one another, we can assume that there has recently been a political break in the specified country, or a “rupture.” None of the other answer choices make sense in the blank: “amalgamation” means the act of putting two things together; to “assimilate” is to adjust to new surroundings and people; “obsession” means fixation, passion, or something you cannot stop thinking about; and “prerogative” means right, privilege, or responsibility.

Reading the sentence provides us the information that the athlete's injury and recovery prevented him from returning to practice, and that the condition of his muscles had something to do with this. Thus, we can assume that a word like "damage" would fit in the blank. The closest word to this is "atrophy," which means weaken or degenerate due to not having been used and often specifically refers to muscles. The other words do not fit: "euphony" is the quality of sounding pleasant; "brawn" means muscular strength; and "grit" can mean courage.

From reading the sentence, we get the impression that the writer has worked hard to fulfill his or her intention to become a doctor. Thus, we are looking for a noun like "goal" to fill in the blank. "Aspiration" means a hope or a goal, and is the best choice. The other choices are also nouns but do not work in the context of the sentence: a "mandate" is a command issued from authority; a "cataclysm" is a violent event; and "subordination" is submission or servitude.

Since the sentence mentions that this "only dedicated athletes can accomplish" the task of "finishing a marathon," it indicates that running a marathon is quite a challenge. The closest word in meaning is "feat," since it means a challenge that, when surmounted, demonstrates one's high level of skill. None of the other answer choices make sense in the blank: an "anomaly" is a thing that is unusual in some way; an "occasion" is a specific time or event or a reason for having a celebration; a "gala" is a fancy gathering; and "reveling" is being loud in a celebratory way.