This question involves a small amount of critical thinking on your part. Although it might be possible that the priest would reward, commend, revile or accept the boys for their troublesome behavior it does not seem particularly logical. The SAT will never trick you in this manner; the most reasonable answer choice will always be the correct one. In this instance the correct answer is sermonized which means to lecture someone about their behavior.

While all the answers make some sense in the sentence, only “extrapolate” has the correct sense of making further claims than the evidence shows precisely. In this case, going through each word for the best fit is the appropriate method to get the answer.

We can infer that because the sentence is discussing a "masseuse" who is freeing his patient's back from "knots and tension," we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "massaged." "Kneaded," a verb that can mean "massaged or squeezed with the hands," best describes the masseuse's massaging of his patent's back, so "kneaded" is the correct answer.

Since Quinn’s mother wants him to repair the neighbor’s fence, she wants him to set right the state of affairs that he had disrupted. To “rectify” means to correct or make right. The word is derived from the Latin root “rectus”, meaning “right or straight” (found in English words like “correct”, “rectitude”) and is also related to “reg-” words like “regulate” and “regular.” The “-fy” at the end of the word means to make and has many uses in English, being derived from the Latin for “to do or make” (a root that has many derivatives, from “factor” and “factory” to “perfect” and “affair”).

We can infer that because Velma "kept three German Shepherds as pets" and the breeders assumed that she would "give the German Shepherd an unfair advantage in the competition," we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "give an unfair advantage to." "Biased," an adjective that means "unfairly prejudiced for or against someone or something," is the best answer choice and the correct answer because it best fits the context of the sentence.

Although waves do regularly “lap” against the shore, the repetition here is more of “movement” that traverses the waves as a whole. Such a movement is more appropriately called an “undulating” (or wave-like) motion.

Since the professor is "known for his eloquence," which means his skillful way with words, we should expect that he explained or revealed the topic clearly to everyone. The best answer choice is "articulated," which means stated or explained something clearly. "Refuted" indicates that the professor rejected or opposed the topic, which doesn't fit the sentence. "Shouted" indicates volume, not clarity, so that isn't the best fit. While "published," which means put in print, might work, it doesn't really fit the idea that the professor made the topic clear—many published books don't explain things well! "Gestured" means to communicate with bodily motion—close, since it refers to communication, but doesn't fit the idea that communication was clear.

Here, it is necessary to choose the best word, not merely one that “seems to fit.” The implication is that the council “put off” the decision until the next meeting. We cannot say that they “scheduled it,” for that implies slightly more than what our blank seems to require. Instead, the word “defer” would be best fit the usage, for it means “to put off.” It is literally derived from Latin roots meaning “to carry away,” roots that can be found likewise in a word like “aquifer,” which is a construction that carries (-fer) water (aqui-).

We know that the mill makes flour by crushing wheat between two large stones, so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "crushing." While "flattening" might seem like a potentially correct answer, "pulverizing" is the better choice, as "pulverizing" means "reducing to fine particles" or, more informally, "defeat utterly." Because "pulverizing" best fits the context of the sentence, it is the correct answer.

Two things must be noticed in this sentence: the expression “exposing the surface . . .” and “as the ground finally began to dry.” Since the sentence refers to the second point (the drying ground), we can eliminate the options “cleared” and “brightened.” The exposure of the boardwalk was more than mere visual exposure from clearing of water. The word “receded” works best, as it means “to draw back.” The prefix “re-” here means “backward” as in words like “recall” and “rebuild.” The “-cede” means “to go” and is found in words like “precede” and “proceed.”