A parasite is an organism that lives off another without killing that other. The organism in which it lives is called its “host.” This usage is related to the more standard form found in a sentence like, “He will be the host of the party,” though in our context it takes on this extended biological meaning in order to indicate that the “host” is providing a place in which the parasite can live (and perhaps reproduce).

Although one might wish to focus on the tempo or inflection in the professor’s voice, it is key to note the boredom that the voice induces in his students. When one has a “monotonous” voice, it is one that is tedious and unvarying, particularly with regard to inflection or tone of the voice. You should be able to detect the literal meaning of the word by examining its parts. “Mono-” means “one,” as is found in “monocle” (an eyepiece with a single lens), “monochromatic” (using only one color), and “monologue” (a speech given by one person). The “-tonous” at the end of the word is a base clearly related to “tone,” here taken in the sense of vocal tone or pitch.

The key thing to note here is that the crowd added variety to a day that was otherwise rather unvarying. The day might have been busy or not, but what we can say from the implications of this opposition is that it was unvarying. Such a day would be called “monotonous.” The word is derived from the prefix “mono,” meaning “one” and “-tonous,” a stem that here implies “tone” in the sense of “qualitative characteristic” (e.g. the characteristic “tone” of a given musical note). The former is found in many words such as “monocle” (an eyepiece with a single lens), “monochromatic” (using only one color), and “monologue” (a speech given by one person). The second element (“-tonous”) is coupled with the prefix to indicate that the day had a “single tone” or that it did not vary in character. The variety brought about by the crowd broke up this monotony.

The implication is that John has a great deal of knowledge, which covers nearly the whole of the manuscript evidence for the text. The best word matching this usage would be “extensive.” The other options are either too negative or limited in some way. For instance, his knowledge might be the sign of great learning (“erudition”), but the sentence only wishes to communicate the extent of his knowledge—best fulfilled, with little surprise, by the word “extensive.”

All of the incorrect options provided for this sentence add to much information, for all that is said is that the young man “thought himself to be an accomplished scholar.” This might have been out of arrogance, but it just as well could have been based on some reality, though exaggerated. One cannot draw a conclusion either way. The best answer is “donnish,” a term meaning “in a manner resembling a university professor.” Literally, it would be a resemblance to a university “don,” a British term applied to the upper tiers of professors at Oxford and Cambridge. The term comes from the Latin word for “lord,” found in related English words like “dominate” and “dominion.”

The key phrase in this sentence is “desire to avenge,” implying that Timothy not only was angry or anxious about what happened but also that he wished to take actions in revenge for the apparent slights from his past. When someone is “vindictive,” he or she “vengeful,” but in a very deep and fixed degree.

Given the verb “transported,” this sentence describes a significant state experienced by Isidore. The term “rapture” best captures such intensity in experiencing delight. The word is derived from the Latin for “to seize,” and a person who is “rapt” is seized by some experience.

When applied to colors, the word “vivid” describes particular depth or brilliance. Generally, thoughts or recollections are termed “vivid,” as in “vivid memories;” however, the term originally meant merely “lively.” It is derived from the Latin base “to live” founding words like “revive,” “vivacious,” and “survive.”

Based on the information provided, the only thing that we can say about the spices in question is that they have lost their flavor. In such a case, the spices are considered “insipid,” a word that is the opposite of “sapid,” which means “having a strong taste.”

The key thing to note is that the food is being contrasted with being “tasteless”; therefore, the best option will be one that explicitly describes being tasteful. The word “sapid” means “having a strong and pleasing flavor.” It is the opposite of the related word “insipid,” which means “having little flavor.”