The word narcissistic comes from the Greek myth about a boy named Narcissus who falls in love with his own reflection. It means self-absorbed and vain. If you did not know this you would have to try and eliminate answer choices. Steadfast means resolute, substance means of value, and preternatural means unnatural or supernatural. None of the previously mentioned words make much sense in the context of the sentence. Comely could perhaps be considered an adequate answer, but comely means just cute, not beautiful. Narcissistic is the best option.

From the information revealed in the sentence you know that the blank word must be close in meaning to “wealth” and “luxury.” Also, the notion that the Kings were showing off suggests that some people found it not just rich, but also showy. This should lead you to the correct answer ostentatious. Ostentatious means marked by a vulgar or showy display of wealth. Insular means inwardly focused; halting means speech characterized by frequent pauses; steadfast means resolute; equitable means fair and agreeable.

The second clause in the sentence describes how people come from all over to witness the “excessive luxury” of Versailles. This should indicate to you that the first blank must describe the luxurious nature of the palace. The correct answer is therefore extravagant which means fancy or excessive. Whimsical means quirky or silly; reserved means contained; indoctrinated means to have been caused to believe something; laconic means brief.

The first clause reveals that the teacher faulted the essay for lacking focus; therefore the blank at the end of the sentence must mean unfocused or vague. This means the correct answer is ambiguous. Terse means brief; supercilious means arrogant or condescending; prosperous means wealthy.

The sentence tells you that the Hawaiian nationalist movement ended in complete capitulation (surrender) which means the struggle must have been unsuccessful/insignificant. Of the five possible answer choices futile best matches this definition. Futile means pointless or useless; jubilant means very happy; monotonous means boring.

"Bibulous" refers to a person who is fond of drinking. The context of the sentence provides clues that indicate that the individual in the sentence frequents bars or saloons and stays longer than a casual drinker.

"Tantamount" means equal in value or meaning, and the description of the way the linebacker hits the wide receiver in the sentence seems to indicate that the hit was uncalled for, or too harsh for the fact the receiver was out of bounds. This would indicate a comparison to a barbarous act, so “tantamount” fits to complete the sentence.

The sentence is structured to create a contrast between the “chaotic” state of the family’s move and the period before their new jobs start. The correct choice will be a word that means something similar to calm or tranquil, and so the correct choice is "halcyon."

The sentence calls for a word that describes the type of movements of a trapeze artist, specifically the ability to walk a tight rope or fly through the air. The word that most closely fits this description would be “nimble.”

The key phrase is “never short of words.” The semicolon here links two independent clauses of similar meaning.  “Loquacious” means talkative and is therefore the correct answer. "Outgoing" and "extroverted" both mean gregarious or to be fond of social interaction.  Though close to the right answer, these are not as good a fit as "loquacious."  Also, "outgoing" and "extroverted" have the same meaning and thus both can be eliminated.  There cannot be two right answers to a test question.