The two most tempting words here are “whimsical” and “playful,” but it is only the former that fits best. In contrast to acting “in a calculated manner,” Douglas must act in a manner that is not very reflective and not based on much forethought. Although we often say that someone is whimsical when he or she is playful, this adjective can also be used in the sense of “acting on a whim,” that is, “acting on a sudden (perhaps inexplicable) change of mind.” Therefore, “whimsical” is the best option.

For this sentence, you must use your abilities to “piece together” words from their parts in order to find the correct answer. The creatures mentioned here must “avoid all forms of light.” The key thing to note is that it states “all” forms of light; therefore, “nocturnal” does not best work because that would only imply sunlight. Do not be tempted by “vampiric,” either, for that is not specific enough. The word “lucifugal,” though very rarely used in English, can be guessed even if you have never encountered it. The “luci-” portion of the word means “light” and is related to words like “translucent,” “lucid,” and “pellucid.” The “-fugal” portion of the word comes from Latin roots meaning “to flee” and is related to English words like “fugitive” and “refugee.” Based on this, we can see that the word “lucifugal” means “light-fleeing”—just what is needed for this sentence.

Since Robert likes to draw attention to himself with large ceremonies, he could be said to act “pompously.” In an older sense, “pomp” or a “pompous display” would merely mean a large and splendid event. However, the word often implies not only a grand style but likewise that it is meant to draw attention to the one showing said style.

The key words in this sentence are “from his youngest days.” This helps to eliminate words like “amazing,” “remarkable,” and “astounding.” The best option is “precocious,” for a person who shows amazing talent from his or her youth is said to be “precocious.” It often can mean that one has developed such abilities “before their time” (i.e. much earlier than expected). It comes from Latin roots literally meaning “to be pre-cooked” or “pre-ripened.”

The answers to the argument are implied to be less than certain, though the sentence does not imply that they are completely impossible. Therefore, they must be said to hold in a weaker sense. When something is “probable,” it is often said to be “likely.” This does not mean that it is necessary. A probability is not a guarantee that something will or must occur.

The key expression in this sentence is “unable to be transferred,” for this implies that the car cannot be moved. This is literally what is meant by the word “immobile,” which is merely the combination of the “im-” prefix, which here means “not,” with the base “mobile.”

We know that the kitten was "underfed" and "its skin [looked] tight against its bones," so we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "emaciated." "Plump" and "healthy" are antonyms of the word we're looking for, so neither can be the correct answer. "Gaunt," an adjective that means "lean and haggard, especially because of suffering, hunger, or age," is the correct answer because it best fits the sentence's context.

The contrast being asserted in this sentence is between “sequential” actions and ones that would be done in a non-sequential manner. A process that is done “sequentially” is one that has a number of steps done one after another. Therefore, the best contrast to this would be a process having steps done at the same time, or “simultaneously.”   The “simul-” portion of the word comes from the Latin meaning “at the same time” and is distantly related to other “sameness” words like “similar” and “similarity.”

Since the young scholars are described as being “overly confident,” the best option will reflect such confidence. They will thus be described as being very certain or as having unwavering certainty. When something is “apodictic,” it is considered to have been completely demonstrated, leaving no room to doubt it. This would well describe the great certainty of the young scholars.           

The contrast in this sentence is between someone who is said to be generally emotional and someone who is not. Just because Karen is emotional and agitated, one need not believe that she was nasty, sad, depressed, or anything else. The best contrasting term is “stoic,” meaning “undergoing difficulties without showing emotion.” It is often used in the broader sense of implying that a person shows no emotion when it would seem normal to do so. The term is taken from the ancient Greek (and later Roman) philosophical school (the Stoic school of thought) that is often given the simplistic characterization of promoting this kind of outlook on life.