The key clue in this sentence is, "Knowing that he would not become ill by doing so." We are not necessarily told that the bacteria was tasty or even that it is a rare kind of bacteria; however, it is implied that it will not make Paul sick. Thus, it is not harmful. The word "innocuous" means just this. It is related to the word "noxious," meaning harmful. The "in-" prefix is privative (or negative), making the whole word to mean "not noxious."

Pay close attention to the connotations in this sentence. It might seem that this view had informed or educated many artists; however, the view is described as being "rousing," meaning that it was a stirring and amazing sight. It was so stirring that many different styles and perspectives were needed to capture its meaning. Thus, it was an inspiring view, not merely an informative one. The word "inspire" actually comes from Latin meaning to breathe into—as though an idea or spirit were breathed into the hearts and minds of the artists.

The word "although" indicates a contrast between the majority of the group and the "small, vocal group of citizens." Now, since the second half of the sentence uses the intensifying adverb "utterly," we can guess that this group of citizens were not merely "not okay" with the proposal. They must have judged it to be terrible. Something that is "repugnant" is utterly unacceptable. The strength of the word "repugnant" thus best matches the connotation implied in this sentence.

The word "berated" means scolded, implying that the king was not happy with his son. Thus, it is most likely that the son was not "courageous" but instead was the "moping, frightened boy" mentioned at the end of the sentence. The only word that describes someone who is lacking in courage and confidence is "timidity."

The implication of these sentences is that Lawrence was quite angry in response to the inquiry about his bald spot. His attitude was not one of mere irritation. Several of the options describe the state of being annoyed or irritated. Only "wrathful" captures the idea of being extremely angry. Thus, this word, meaning intensely angry, is the best option among those provided.

For this question, it is very important to pay attention to what is implied about the intensity of the weed's effects. It worked slowly to kill the plants. Yes, this does mean that it had "fatal" effect as well as ones that were "destructive" or even "catastrophic" (in a certain sense). The most important point is that it had subtle negative effects that set in over time, ultimately killing all of the plants in the garden. Such subtle, negative activity is best called "pernicious" instead of the other options. Therefore, this is the best option among those provided. 

The sentence implies that the missing adjective should be negative with the word "unfortunately." "Adroit," means clever and "endemic" means common, both of which are good outcomes for a new invention. "Corpulent" means obese which is an irrelevant concept in the sentence. "Obsolete," meaning no longer useful, is better answer than "frightening" because it's common usage is in the context of technology. 

From the context of the sentence it is clear that the two brothers like to cause trouble and do not pay attention to common decency. Another name for common decency is "decorum." "Decorum" is behavior that is in good taste. To provide further help, "animosity" means hatred, ill-feeling; "deity" means God; "temerity" means audacity, excessive confidence, cheek. 

Because the man goes birdwatching every weekend you can reasonably determine that he must be very keen on birdwatching. Someone who is keen can also be described as "avid." To provide further help, "loquacious" means talkative; "serene" means peaceful, calm; "perilous" means dangerous; "timid" means shy. 

From the context of this sentence it is clear that the speaker believes the subject is sneaking around doing something in secretive. So to solve this sentence completion problem you need to determine which of these words means to move stealthily or secretively. The correct answer is therefore "skulk." To provide further help, "leap" means jump high; "amble" means walk slowly and without purpose; "plod" means to walk slowly and heavily; "strut" means to walk with pride and arrogance.