Since Matthew and David cannot stop the water, we can assume that it is flowing from somewhere. We do not know if it is from a pipe, a leak in the foundation, or any other cause. Indeed, options like "pipe" and "spring" are rather awkward anyway. (Read the sentence aloud with those words in it.) They need to find the source, whatever that might be. The best option for "source" given is "cause." The "cause" is the source of the effect—the flooding water. They need to find this to stop the effect—that is, to stop the flooding.

When something is "elusive", it is difficult to catch or even to find. If you spend a long time looking for a "snipe" in the forest and never see it, you will likely think that it does not exist at all. Therefore, you will doubt its very existence—not merely its lack of speed or its "idiocy". (A snipe is, in fact, a real creature—a type of bird. However, many people trick friends into going "snipe hunting" by trying to do something that can't be done, such as look in the forest for a snipe where one won't find one.)

The most tempting wrong answer to this question is likely "descendent." The sentence does imply that every descendent critiques his or her ancestors. However, we must be careful. It says that something critiques the "one living before it." What is the "one" that is related to our blank? It is not the descendent—we don't talk about the "descendent living before" someone (at least not if we are speaking well). We do, however, talk about generations. Roughly speaking, a generation is a group of people born at the same time. In a family, each generation is based on the order of birth. Grandparents are one generation, parents another, and the grandchildren yet another. This is the best answer to this question.

In this sentence, the word we're looking for is going to be a noun that has to do with the embarassment one feels when tripping in public. Reputable is not a noun, so we can discount it. Although the boy's heart or beliefs could be damaged, they would not be in this context. Ignominy means the shame of public disgrace, but in the sentence we are looking for something that is wounded and therefore causes embarassment, so ignominy does not work, and dignity is the best answer.

Clearly, the sentence wants to say that traveling on the mount provides a great challenge. Therefore, it might be tempting to think of this in a general sense as "overcoming the mountain." In some cases, this would perhaps be an okay answer. However, we do know that the sentence is talking about how difficult it is to go up the mountain. (It could be hard even to come down.) We know this because of the second half of the sentence, "but once you reach the top, the view is spectacular." The word "ascent" can be used to mean the process of going up. It describes the act of climbing upward. (To "descend", on the contrary, is to go down.) Among the options, this best fits our sentence clues and should therefore be chosen.

From the context of the sentence and the use of the word "inspire," it is clear that the correct answer choice is “awe,” which means a feeling of wonder and appreciation for something magnificent. The other answer choices are all possible reactions to the Grand Canyon, but all are less logical than “awe” and don't match up with the context of the whole sentence as neatly. To further help you, "dread" means fear; "desire" means want; "despair" means misery.

Pay attention to all details that describe the city before choosing a word. The sentence states that almost every major building was a pile of "rubble", meaning that almost every major building was reduced to fragments or "bits and pieces." The only word that so describes such a situation is "ruin." So much destruction could cause any of the other conditions—(1) types of emotional distress in the cases of "depression," "agony," and "agitation"; (2) extreme poverty in the case of "destitution."Nevertheless, the sentence directly describes the state of destruction itself. Thus "ruin" is the most direct (that is, best) answer.

When something is said or announced to a large group of people it is “proclaimed.” To provide further help, “endorsement” means giving official support; a “warrant” is a legal document that allows the police to do something; an “armada” is a large fleet of warships; a “poll” is a study of various people’s reactions to a question. 

The information in the second clause suggests that the subject of this sentence felt a “nonchalance” towards her studies, so you need to determine which of the answer choices is a synonym for “nonchalance.” “Nonchalance” means not caring, so the correct synonym is “apathy.” To provide further help, “miserly” means not generous with money; “telepathy” is mind-reading; “altruism” and “philanthropy” are synonyms and both mean charity or charitable impulses. 

The information tells you that the boy was “inexperienced.” This suggests that he was a “novice.” A “novice” is someone who is a beginner, someone who has not done something before. To provide further help, an “expert” is the opposite of a “novice;” a “pacifist” is someone who avoids fighting; an “aggressor” is someone who starts a fight.