From the first part of the sentence, we know that Tom doesn't understand that heavy clouds mean rain. He is not able to forecast, or predict, the weather. It is common to hear about people broadcasting the weather, but that does not fit as well with the first half of the sentence.

The key thing to note is that Benjamin had to transfer many tasks from one side of his body to the other. When someone “compensates,” they use one thing to make up for the (real or perceived) deficiencies in another. The word can also mean “to pay back in due measure,” as when an employee is compensated for work. This is related but not the same to the sense being used here.

We know neither if these organizations would visit or bother the investor, but it is quite obvious that they are asking for something (i.e. donations); therefore, we can at least say that they are “soliciting” him. The word is related to English words like “solicitude” (meaning “showing concern”) and is more distantly derived from Latin roots meaning “anxious.” In the case of our usage of “solicit,” you can think of it as being “anxious” to get a donation.

Since Peter had no reason to drive past his girlfriend’s house, he needed to create the circumstances that would allow him to do so. When one “contrives” something, he or she creates it by means of explicit skill. This option is better than “created,” for “contrived” captures the sense of the need for Peter’s creative effort.

Since Barbara gathered a large collection, the best term to select is “amassed.” The other two tempting options are likely “heaped” or “piled,” but while these two words do partially imply a respectable number of items, (in order to create a heap or a pile), they primarily signify the act of creating the piles or heaps. The word “amass,” on the other hand, primarily means “to gather together,” usually implying a large number as well. The word is indifferent to the manner by which these items are gathered together.

Since even the most perceptive philosophers misunderstand analogical predication, it “escapes” them. When something “eludes” someone, it “escapes” him or her in the sense of not being understood. The word comes from Latin roots literally meaning “to play away from,” though it takes more nuanced forms in English. It is related to words like “illusion,” “elusive,” and even “prelude."

"Avow" means to declare openly. The sentence provides the exact definition of the correct answer choice, making this question a quiz of the test-taker’s vocabulary. If you know the definition of “avow,” you’ll be quick to choose the correct answer.

The sentence implies that the employees were left to their own devices after the incident in question, and “marooned” means to be left isolated and alone and without means of escape. “Marooned” is the correct word choice to describe the feelings of the employees.

“Officiate” most closely means to perform a ceremony or duty in an official capacity. As a marriage ceremony, in this context, would be an official ceremony, "officiate" is the best answer choice.

The law’s effort, as mentioned in the second part of the sentence, is to prohibit certain actions. Of the given answer choices, only “proscribe” is a synonym for prohibit.