The Latin prefix grat- means please, pleasing. So, "gratifying" means pleasing, pleasurable, something that makes someone feel good about themselves or happy. To provide additional help, "deceiving" means tricking; "maddening" means something that makes someone angry, frustrating and annoying.

The Latin prefix per- means through, throughout, so "permeate" means to spread throughout something. Other examples of per- words are "pervade" which also means to spread throughout and "permanent," which means lasting throughout all time.

"Inconsequential" means not important, therefore "unimportant" is closest in meaning to "inconsequential."

The prefix of the word "converge" is "con-", which is a form of the general prefix for "with" or "together," namely "con- / cum- / com- / etc."  Whenever things "converge," they come together into a group. For example, you could say, "The people converged on the small town, overwhelming it with their great numbers." This means that the people all came together in the small town.

Only the option "unite" expresses the idea of coming together or of being one group.

The word "commemorate" comes from Latin roots meaning roughly to remember together. The "com-" prefix is a form of "cum-" or "con-" that we find in words like "community," "cumulative," and "congregation." It means together or with. When we commemorate something or someone, we remember that person or thing together as a group. In doing this, we honor that which we commemorate. Think of annual ceremonies that commemorate events like September 11, 2001 (to honor its victims) or the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

Whenever we "intend" something, we actively will to do that thing. An intentional action is one that doesn't "just happen", as when we accidentally have our hands slip from a surface because it is slippery. In contrast, an intentional action is something chosen. Thus, when something is "intended," it was "meant"; that is, you can say either, "I intended to do that," or, "I meant to do that."

Among the options provided, only "premeditated" expresses this idea of meaning to do an action. The word "pre-meditated" contains hints regarding its meaning. The suffix "pre-" almost always means before. The idea of "meditation" in this word is not about the practice of religious or non-religious meditation but, instead, about thinking in general. A premeditated action is one that we planned ahead of time. We think about these things before we do them; we "pre-meditate" about them. This is close to "intending," at least for the purposes of this question.

The word "antecedent" may be a bit difficult; however, let's use some roots to help understand it. The prefix "ante-" means before. In certain card games, people will place a bet before they even receive any cards and know what their hand is or will be. This kind of bet is called "ante." Similarly, when we talk about the southern states of the United States from before the U.S. Civil War, we refer to the "antebellum" South. The "bellum" portion means war. Therefore, "antebellum" means before the war.

Now, the second half of "antecedent" comes from Latin roots meaning to fall. It is related to the word "cadence," which refers to the beat in music or the pitch of someone's voice (how it rises and falls, so to speak).

Thus, after a long digression, we have the meaning of "antecedent": it means to fall before. Hence, "prior" is an excellent option!

Whenever something subsides, it lessens in its strength or force. The prefix "sub-" means "under." The "-side" portion of the word comes from the Latin root for "to sit." This same root is found in words like "sedentary" and "sedate." Something that "subsides" starts to "sit under"—not in a literal sense, of course! It just means that the thing in question lessens. The only option among those provided that expresses the idea of lessening is "slacken." When a rope slackens, it becomes less tight. The general idea of slackening is that of becoming less or looser. Hence, this is an acceptable synonym for "subside," at least among the options provided.

Whenever something is "excessive," it is too much. Thus, whenever someone is fined for "excessive speed," this means that the person was driving far too quickly. Thus, in general, to "exceed" means to go over or to be bigger. Whenever one thing surpasses another, it "goes over" it (or becomes "more" than it). The prefix "sur-" means over. Thus, the word really could mean "to pass over"!

An "autobiography" is a written, first person account of someone's life written by that person, so "memoir," which means a written, first person account of some event, is the correct answer, because both an "autobiography" and a "memoir" are written, first person accounts of real events. As for the other answer choices, a "documentary" is a film exploring a factual issue, a "recital" is a musical performance, and "fiction" can mean the genre of written works that concern events that have not actually happened.