The key word is “commendation”, meaning praise; therefore, what Leo did not like (but did here accept) is “praise.” To be praised is to be “lauded,” a word derived from a Latin roots for to praise, which can be found in “laudatory” and “laudable.”

The roots of “cosmopolitan” come from two Greek bases that you should know (at least indirectly). “Cosmo-” comes from the Greek “kosmos,” which means either order or (more appropriate for our usage) universe.

Related English words are “cosmic” and “cosmology.” The second half of the word comes from Greek roots meaning “city” and are found in English words like “political,” “polity,” and “politician.” One who is cosmopolitan is therefore one who lives as though the world were his or her city. Such a person is comfortable in many cultures and milieus.

Spring colors are bright green, hence they are “verdant.” The word comes to us from the Latin word for green, but if you have had other modern languages, you should notice a similarity in the words used for green: “vert” in French, “verde” in Spanish, and “verde” in Italian.

In contrast to his poor youth, Lucian’s lifestyle must have become rather wealthy. If something is “opulent” it is outwardly or obviously rich or luxurious. It comes from the Latin root “ops-,” which means either power / might or wealth / resources. It is related to the word “copious,” which means in abundance or great supply.

Since there is a plentitude of fish, we could say that there was a “surfeit,” which is an excessive amount of something. The prefix of the word is really an abbreviation of “super-”, which means “above.” The “-feit” portion is derived from the Latin “facere,” which means to do or make and is reflected in many English words like “fact,” “factory,” “artifact,” and so forth.

The key is that Jonathan is not like his brother; therefore, he is not talkative. While this might be described as “understated,” the most direct choice would be “taciturn.” This word means to be silent or reserved in speech. It is derived from the Latin tacere (and related words), which means to be silent or leave unmentioned. A related English word is “tacit.”

Mark’s activity is meant to be in support of other human beings. Such a person could be a philanthropist, or one who is a “lover of men.” The word is derived from two Greek roots. The first half, “phil-,” is derived from the Greek word for “love of friendship” or merely “friendship.” The city “Philadelphia” is named from Greek “brotherly love.” (The “brotherly” portion comes from adelphos, for brother.)  The second half is derived from anthropos, which means human person, and has related English derivatives in words like “anthropology” or “misanthrope.”

Since the two personalities are opposed, it is necessary to think of an opposite for Laura’s troublesome drama. While this might be annoying to her husband, the key is to choose the word most opposed to this dramatic persona. That would be “aloof,” not any of the others.

Someone who is “saccharine” is excessively sentimental or sweet. It comes from the Latin word for sugar, and in modern times the manufactured substance called “saccharin” has been used as a substitute for sugar.

The sentence’s focus on “matters of the house and home” gives the key to finding the correct term.  The word “domestic” means “relating to the house.”  It is derived from the Latin “domus,” which means “house” and has related words such as “domicile” and “domesticate.”   The term is often used in discussing the affairs of a country, where matters within the borders of the country are referred to as “domestic” as opposed to those that are foreign.