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.”

We can infer that because Vicky adds the strawberries to the liquid gelatin and by doing so is able to suspend them in "the resulting solid gelatin," that we need to pick out a verb that means something like "change from liquid to solid." Neither "melt" nor "liquify" can be the correct answer, then, because each of those terms describes a transition from solid to liquid, and we're looking for a word to describe a transition from liquid to solid. "Coagulate," however, is a verb that is used of a fluid, especially blood, and means "change to a solid or semisolid state," and because "coagulate" best describes the gelatin's transition from liquid to solid, "coagulate" is the correct answer.

In this sentence, you are well served by knowing the meaning of “pro bono,” namely for the public good, often implying free as well. Indeed, the term is most often used more loosely in the sense of for free, as when a lawyer takes a case for free on behalf of a poor person who has been grievously wronged. If you did not know this, you could infer that one doing pro bono work was rewarded in some non-monetary manner (as is implied by the main clause of the sentence). Since the sentence is ultimately about “reward” (and hence, to some degree about “repayment”), the best option is “compensated,” which means broadly paid for something, though you should know that it more specifically means paid for some loss or difficulty. Though it has this more limited sense, it is often used in the looser manner noted.

Because the squirrel decided that the sparrows were not a threat, we're looking for a verb that means something like represent. Because "constitute" means amount to, make up, form, or compose it is the best answer.

Since Celine got her project done by avoiding distractions, we can infer that we're looking for a verb that means something like "avoid." While "abdicate" may sound like a potentially correct answer because it means "give up," it is specifically used for monarchs and means "to renounce the throne," so it wouldn't work in our sentence's context. "Eschew," however, means "deliberately avoid using; abstain from," so it is the correct answer.

This question requires a small amount of critical thinking on your part. You likely will conclude that the President would be seeking to remove or help ameliorate the fears of the American people during a depression. This would lead you to the correct answer “allay,” which means to calm or relieve. "Exacerbate" is opposite in meaning and means make something greater or worse; "harmonize" means complement; "propagate" means to spread; and "undulate" means to roll and ripple.

The implication of these two sentences is that Joseph “gathers together” all the appropriate states of a good student. Something is called “the epitome” when it is the perfect example of a given class of things. When someone or something “shows forth” the perfect example, it is said to “epitomize” such perfection.

“Diligently” means in an way that is efficient and hardworking, so "dililgently" makes the most sense in the sentence and is the correct answer.