The key expression to note is “rarely feeling the need to develop his positions.” Since Edward did not feel challenged but instead “remained the same,” he could be said to “stagnate.” The word literally applies to bodies of air or water that do not have any movement in them (like a pond that is still and becomes scum-covered). However, it can be metaphorically used to describe a person who does not have much change in ideas or positions (as though there is were no intellectual “inflow” or “outflow”).

William’s desire to retire early apparently is leading him to take every possible measure to make the process occur more quickly. We might even say that he is attempting to “expedite” the process, meaning he is trying to make it occur more quickly. Since he is unconcerned with how his actions might harm others, he is taking all “expedient” measures. The word is related “expedite,” though it means “convenient” often as a means to reaching a goal. It generally has the negative connotation of willingness to do so at the expense of others.

The key word in the first sentence is “distant.” The construction (using the word “nevertheless”) indicates that there is an opposition between the two independent clauses. Since the pronoun “ones” refers back to “causes,” the option “proximate” provides the best adjectival opposite. The word “proximate” means “close” (as opposed to “distant”). It comes from the Latin for “nearest to” and is found in the English “proximity” as well.

Since we are given a description of the character of some of Isabel’s husband’s actions—that they are adulterous—the best word is “lecherous,” which means “extremely lustful.” The other options are general or make judgments regarding Isabel’s own reaction that are not necessarily stated in the rest of the sentence.

We know from the sentence that the dog is loud, drags its owner down the sidewalk, and doesn't obey its owner's commands. So, we need to pick out an adjective that mean something like "loud," "hard to control," "disobedient," or some combination of these meanings. We can rule out "mild" and "docile" as potentially correct answers because "mild" means "gentle and not easily provoked" and "docile" "ready to accept control or instruction; submissive," so these words are antonyms of the word we are looking for. "Obstreperous," however, is an adjective that means "noisy and difficult to control," and because it best fits the context of the sentence, "obstreperous" is the correct answer.

We know that that the library's tome is "excessively serious and extremely dull," so we need to pick out an adjective to describe it that complements this description. "Gripping" cannot be the correct answer, because if the tome were gripping, or "firmly holding the attention or interest; exciting," it would not be "extremely dull." "Ponderous," however, is an adjective that can mean either "slow and clumsy because of great weight" or "dull, laborious, or excessively solemn." Because "ponderous" is the answer choice that best describes the library's tome and best fits the sentence's context, it is the correct answer.

The two things to note in this sentence are (1) that the young man refuses to follow instructions from an elder and (2) that his general attitude is one of ignoring others in the direction of his life. The elder is here rejected as an authority in the young man’s life. Also, note that he refuses in a “steadfast” manner. When someone resolutely refuses to listen to authority, such a person is said to be “recalcitrant.” The word is derived from the Latin for “heel” in the sense of “digging in one’s heels” (in refusal). The heel bone is called the “calcaneus” from the same base word.

The comparison here is really a contrast. This can be ascertained by the “although” that opens the sentence, implying such a contrast. If the differences at the previous job were immense, they were large. The word “minute” is an excellent opposite to his. When used as an adjective, it means “very small,” often implying that the thing is so small so as not to matter at all. This use of “minute” is related both to “diminish” as well as “diminution,” both words pertaining to shrinking or becoming smaller.

Since the vacation package did not cover all aspects of the trip, it cannot be called “comprehensive,” meaning it cannot be said to be “all-inclusive.” When someone comprehends something, he or she is said to understand all of that thing’s aspects or parts. More generally, something is comprehensive when it covers all of the aspects of some reality—here, the reality of a trip. Since the package did not cover many aspects of the trip, it is rightly said to be “far from being comprehensive.” The word is related to “apprehend,” literally meaning “to grab toward something.” Something that “comprehends” could be said to grab together all of the parts.

The opposition implied by this sentence is between the word “thorough” and the blank to be filled. When a job is done thoroughly, it is done completely, with all parts being considered and accomplished. To do “minimal” work would be to do the least possible amount of work necessary—quite the opposite of “thorough”! The word is related to “minus” and is likewise found in words like “diminution” (a reduction) or “diminish” (to reduce).