Because the subject was unable to focus and you are told that he had a big test, the answer must be “overwrought,” which means anxious and full of tension. As for the other answer choices, “compassionate” means kind and generous; “emaciated” means malnourished and skinny to an unhealthy degree; “impartial” means not biased; “impervious” means not allowing something to pass through or unaffected.

Because the professor "commanded respect," you may call him “distinguished.” “Distinguished” means renowned, famous, and commanding respect in some area. As for the other answer choices, “competent” means capable, having the required skills to do something; “belligerent” means hostile; “amicable” means friendly; and “dismissive” means contemptuous and scornful.

Because the author loves the experience of stepping off the train at Penn Station and enjoys the energy of New York City, you know that he or she finds the experience “exhilarating.” “Exhilarating” means making you feel happy and excited. As for the other answer choices, “demoralizing” means causing you to lose confidence; “meddlesome” means interfering; “opulent” means luxurious and showy or wealthy; and “progressive” means moving forward continuously.

You are told that "no one was surprise" that the man's claims were quickly disproved in court; this tells you these claims must have been “dubious.” “Dubious” means uncertain, unlikely, causing suspicion, or untrustworthy. As for the other answer choices, “jovial” means happy and cheerful;  “deleterious” means harmful; “idle” means lazy or not moving; and "heavy" means weighty.

The use of the word “shorter” tells you the correct answer must be “abridged.” “Abridged” means edited to make shorter but still contain the entire plot or argument. As for the other answer choices, “elongated” means made longer; “destitute” means completely poor and having nothing; “exaggerated” means overstated and made to seem more intense; and “exacerbated” means heightened or made worse and is used to describe emotions or situations.

Because the subject is described as having difficulty spending time with his poor classmates, you can infer that he must have views that favor or support the wealthy or upper-class. This is called “elitist.” “Frugal” describes someone who is good at not spending money or economical; “impoverished” means very poor; and “decadent” means immoral, depraved, or sinful; and "yielding" means submissive and compliant.

From the context of the sentence, which talks about the wealth needed to afford university without assistance, you know that the underlined word must mean prosperous or wealthy. The correct answer is therefore “affluent.” “Jovial” means cheerful and happy; “meticulous” means exacting, paying attention to detail, or hard-working; “mundane” means ordinary and boring; and “senile” means suffering from deterioration of mental abilities due to old age.

Because the crowd was excited (“enlivened”), you know that the performance of the violinist must have been worthy of inducing excitement, and therefore skilled or deft in some way. When you talk about skill, particularly skill involving the use of hands, you use the word “dexterous.” “Satirical” means using irony or humor to make fun of something; “tentative” means cautious or not yet definite; “vexing” means annoying; and “elusive” means hard to catch or identify.

From context, you know that the underlined word must mean something similar to “grim” and something opposite to “cheerful.” This tells you that the correct answer is “dour.” “Dour” means stern, unsmiling, severe, and gloomy. “Penitent” means contrite, remorseful, and showing regret; “zealous” means passionate, or often too passionate; “euphoric” means extremely happy; and “exotic” means foreign.

Because the player mentioned is capable of doing several distinct and different things, he could best be described as “versatile.” “Versatile” means able to adapt or succeed in many different actions, adaptable, or multitalented. “Lofty” means high or high-minded; “enthusiastic” means excited; “heinous” means odious, appalling, or terrible; and “candid” means frank and honest.