For the first blank, we need to pick out a noun that means something like "calmness," because calmness would be disrupted if "sharks began to swim" near where one was swimming. Either "tranquility" ("the quality or state of being tranquil; calm") or "peace" (" freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility") could be correct. For the second blank, we need to pick out a noun that describes a body of water that could be "connected . . . with the ocean." Either "cove" ("a small sheltered bay") or "bay" ("a broad inlet of the sea where the land curves inward") could be correct. Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "tranquility" and "cove" appear in the same answer choice in the correct order, so the correct answer is "tranquility . . . cove."

The phrases “commenced,” “build up” and “complete the three-day bar examination” suggest that Harold began a systematic procedure to build up the stamina to finish a three-day exam. Only "regimen" (a systematic procedure) and "endurance" (a synonym for stamina) work for the blanks. 

"Disdain" is synonymous with extreme dislike due to feeling superior to something or someone else, and "restraint" means self-control or something that limits movement or options. Here, it is clear that if revenge is desired since the individual does not like the crook, and that if revenge is not taken, restraint must have been shown.

We can tell from the context of the sentence that for the first blank, we're looking for a verb that means something like "praising." Of the available choices, either "describing" or "extolling" ("praising enthusiastically")  could work. For the second blank, we need a noun that describes something that is supposedly able to cure lots of problems. Either "cure-all" or "panacea" ("a solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases") could be correct. Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "extolling" and "panacea" appear in the same answer choice, so the correct answer is "extolling . . . panacea."

For the first blank, we can infer that the problems began to happen again soon after the company started production again, so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "happen again" or "continue." Either "recur" ("occur again, periodically, or repeatedly") or "resurface" ("arise or become evident again") could be correct. For the second blank, we know that the company stopped production for a few days, so we can infer that we need to pick out a word that means something like "rest period." Either "hiatus" ("a pause or gap in a sequence, series, or process") or "break" could be correct. Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "recur" and "hiatus" appear in the same answer choice, so the correct answer is "recur . . . hiatus."

Since we know that "neither side [had] enough evidence to win," we can infer that the lawsuit was at either a "standstill" or a "stalemate," two words that describe an evenly matched situation in which neither side can win. For the second blank, we need to pick out a word that means something like sent out or asked; either "ordered" (commanded) or "dispatched" (sent out to complete a task) could be correct. Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "stalemate" and "dispatched" appear in the same answer choice, so the correct answer is "stalemate . . . dispatched."

The hint for the first blank in this sentence is found in the remark that the splitting up allows the instructions to be processed “more quickly.” The process is being described in terms of increase of speed, so “expedite” fits this well. The term means to make something occur more quickly. An “expedient” is something that is practical and convenient (though it often has a negative moral connotation). Since the sub-stages are said to run “at the same time,” they are running in “parallel.” Just as two parallel lines run next to each other without intersecting, two parallel processes work without interfering with each other.

We can infer that the word that we choose for the first blank needs to be able to describe a period of cannon fire, and only "barrage" ("a concentrated artillery bombardment over a wide area") and "volley" ("a number of bullets, arrows, or other projectiles discharged at one time") do this. For the second blank, we need to pick out a word that conveys the pirates' two actions: stealing loot and breaking things. While "pilfer," a synonym of "steal," may look like a potentially correct answer, the pirates did not steal the town itself, so "pilfer" cannot be the correct answer. Both "pillage" ("rob a place using violence, especially in wartime") and "ransack" ("go hurriedly through a place stealing things and causing damage") include connotations of both stealing and violence, so either would be an appropriate choice for the second blank. Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "barrage" and "ransack" appear in the same answer choice, so the correct answer is "barrage . . . ransack."

For the first word, we know that Karen could complete her projects in less time than most engineers because "she focused on even the tiniest of details when she worked," so we can infer that we need to pick out a word that means something like "the quality of being detail-oriented." Either "scrupulousness" ("diligence, thoroughness, and extreme attentiveness to details") or "meticulousness" ("the quality of showing great attention to detail; extreme care and precision") could be potentially correct. For the second blank, we know that Karen was able to complete her projects "ahead of schedule," so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "speed up" or "work ahead on." Either "expedite" ("make an action or process happen sooner or be accomplished more quickly") or "accelerate" ("to hasten the progress or development of") could be correct. Of the potentially correct answers we've identified, only "scrupulousness" and "expedite" appear in a single answer choice, so "scrupulousness . . . expedite" is the correct answer.

For the second blank, we need to pick out a verb that one could do “wildly” and that means something like “flap arms up and down.” Either “gesticulated” (“using gestures”) or “gestured” (“expressed something through gesturing”) could be correct. For the first blank, we need to pick out a noun that describes a game in which someone might “[flap] [one’s] arms up and down [wildly].” While charades, tag, hopscotch, and baseball all require the participants to move around a lot, only “charades,” “a game in which players guess a word or phrase from silent clues,” involves participants guessing a word, as in the game the sentence is describing. Because “charades” is the best answer for the first blank and “gesticulated” fits in the second blank, “charades . . . gesticulated” is the correct answer.