The second clause of this sentence emphasizes how the economic and social situation of the South was changed by the invention of the cotton gin. Therefore it would appear to be foolish to describe its invention as insignificant. Of the five answer choices negligible is by far the best match. Negligible means insignificant; indulgent means tolerant; apoplectic means overcome with anger; wondrous means inspirational; comely describes something cute.

From the context of this sentence you know that Rasputin must be perceived as something otherworldly, magical or unnatural. Of the five answer choices preternaturally is by far the best answer. It means exceeding what is common in nature or supernatural. Sardonically means sarcastically; wistfully refers to looking back with sorrowful appreciation to the past; magnanimously refers to a noble-spirited, generous individual.

The second clause in the sentence describes Winston Churchill as knowledgeable and pleasant to be around. From this information you can infer that the blank word must describe some amiable or positive quality about Churchill. Of the five answer choices only convivial describes fits comfortable. Convivial means enjoyable company or pleasant. Meticulous refers to someone who is precise and extremely careful; mercenary means doing something for money; cautious means careful; endangered means threatened.

The context described in the sentence indicates that the blank word must relate to some physical appearance brought on by starvation. This rules out corpulent and portly which both mean big or fat. It also rules out pulchritudinous which means beautiful and comely which means cute. The remaining, correct, answer is “emaciated” which means very thin to the point of wasting away.

The context of this question suggests that Bert is forced to add salt and pepper to his grandmother’s cooking in order to make it taste better. This indicates that the correct answer is “palatable” which means pleasant tasting. Voracious describes someone with a big appetite; unsettling means worrying; bombastic means verbose or pretentious; auriferous describes a mineral that contains gold.

The correct answer is "presumptuous," meaning assuming too much or arrogant. "Illogical" could also describe someone's request, but "presumptuous" is the better choice because it more specifically describes the situation of someone expecting too much.

"Sumptuous" means luxurious or splendid. "Banal" means commonplace or mundane. "Diffident" means hesitant or lacking in confidence. "Endemic" means native or local. "Homogenous" means similar or comparable.

Often, we think of the adjective “grave” as meaning that someone is ill-tempered or “grumpy;” however, its most proper meaning is “serious” or perhaps even “solemn.” According to this meaning, the sentence implies (by using the word “merely”) an opposition between such gravity and the attitude of Devin’s peers. When something is “frivolous,” it appears to be utterly unserious, which would indeed be a fitting opposite to Devin’s grave manner.

For whatever might be said about the regularity of Robin’s undertaking of grand projects, the sentence definitely conveys that she does so without much forethought. When someone acts “impetuously,” he or she acts quickly and without much planning or thought. The word comes from the Latin meaning “to attack” or also “to seek.” The “im-” prefix here intensifies the sense of “attacking” (to the point that one attacks a task without even planning). The general root “-pet-” found in this word is related to the same root found in “petition,” “impetus,” and “repeat.”

"Disingenuous" means deceitful, dishonest, or insincere. "Acrimonious" means bitter or spiteful. "Arcane" means secret or elusive. "Eloquent" means having a skillful way with words or speech. "Lucid" means easily understood or obvious.