The word “weal” is perhaps a bit strange in its usage, but it is found in a number of other words. It is related to the word “wealth,” thus meaning something like “good” or “interest” or “wealth.” A commonwealth is a governmental body that comes together for the common interest or good of the group. Likewise, to say that you will stay with someone in “weal and woe” is to say that you will stay with that person in good times and in bad. Thus, the word can be used to express something that is in the interest of a party and is thus used in expressions like, “For the public weal, I must keep this secret, for it would destroy society to know its details.”

The word “woe,” is often used in interjections like, “Woe is me! Such horrible things always happen to me!” The sense implied is, “How unhappy and unfortunate I am!” The word “woe” more generally can be used as a noun meaning “sorrow” or “great sadness.” For instance, you could say, “By age ten, the young man had already experienced many more woes than his classmates, whose lives were passed in relative bliss and joy.”

The word “fraud” is related to Latin words for “deceit.” Although its strict meaning is a lie that is meant to gain something (money, fame, etc), fraud can mean any willful deception done by a person who claims to be something that he or she is not. Among the options provided, “sham” best matches this general sense. Several of the other options (such as “robber,” “theft,” and “larceny”) are far too specific.

The word “hiatus” comes from the Latin for “gap.” For instance, the word would be used in a sentence, “After a three year hiatus, the two men were once again friends, acting as though they had not spent those years apart and out of contact.” In general, the term can mean any interval, though it is often mean to indicate an interval of time.

The word “adulation” comes from Latin roots related to “to fawn upon.”   When someone “fawns,” he or she praises someone in order to gain that person’s favor. Adulation can described as an act of “adoration.” Though this synonym overlooks some of the flattery involved, it is far better than the other, weaker options provided for this question.

The word “testament” comes from the Latin for “a will.” Often, we still speak of someone’s “last will and testament,” as though we wish to say that this document gives the final evidence of that person’s wishes. Also, the word is often used with the preposition “to” as in, “John’s devoted assistance to Michael during the latter’s illness was a testament to his deep regard for his sick friend.”

When someone is “zealous,” he or she has great energy in pursuing a cause. It is for this reason that such a person is often called a “zealot,” or one who untiringly pursues something, often in a very pushy and judgmental manner, though that need not always be the case. The word originally comes from a similar Greek word, basically meaning zeal; however, as the word came into Latin, it took on the meaning “jealous” as well. When someone “jealously guards” something, it is not merely a matter of trying to keep that thing exclusively to himself or herself, though that is partially implied. It also is a matter of guarding it with great devotion and zeal.

"Oxymoron" is a noun defined as "a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction." While both "contradiction" and "juxtaposition" involve combinations of things, "juxtaposition" means "the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect." So, a juxtaposition of things creates a contrasting, but not necessarily contradictory, effect. The best answer is "contradiction," because an "oxymoron" is specifically defined as being made up of "apparently contradictory terms."

"Paradigm" is a noun that can "a typical example or pattern of something; a model" or "a worldview underlying the theories and methodology of a particular scientific subject." So, we need to pick out a noun that means something like "a typical example of something" or "a worldview." While "paradox" and "paradigm" both begin with the root "para," "paradox" is a noun that can mean "a statement or proposition that, despite sound (or apparently sound) reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems senseless, logically unacceptable, or self-contradictory" or "a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true." So, because "paradox" does not mean the same thing as "paradigm," it cannot be the correct answer. "Archetype," however, is a noun that means "a very typical example of a certain person or thing," and because "archetype" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "paradigm," "archetype" is the correct answer.

“Diffidence” is an opposite of "confidence" and means "shyness." As for the other answer choices, “misery” is great sadness; “haughtiness” is arrogance; “guile” is sly and cunning intelligence; and "fortune" is luck, whereas a "fortune" is a great sum of money belonging to one person or family.