As you begin to think about this sentence, try using some of your own words in the blanks to understand the meaning of the sentence: The scientists doubted the credibility that such an offering would help literacy in general.

The meaning seems to be based on cause and effect: whatever word the first blank needs, and notice that the answer choices for the first blank are all verbs, is related to the word needed in the second blank. So we need two action words that form a cause and effect relationship.

The answer choice, extolled . . . denigrate, offers words that begin with prefixes indicating “out”, “down” or “away” as in expel, excommunicate, deny or debase. Yet the words excellent, extend and extrovert are positive words so perhaps the first word could work but we may be unsure about the second one.

“Touted . . . invigorate” seems possible since the first word sounds like shouted, tooted or hooted which mean something similar to celebrated. “Invigorate” includes the noun “vigor” which sounds like vigorous and vigilant indicating life and alertness. This seems like the best answer.

The answer “mitigated . . . squander” does not seem to fit well since “mitigated” is a word sometimes heard in legal discussions and sounds like meeting or to moderate. The word “squander” sounds like wander, which could be just coincidence, but it does indicate the negative action of wastefulness.

“Equivocated . . . quagmire” is interesting because the root “equi” indicates balance which may suggest that the scientists were trying to assess the balance of the interdisciplinary offering. Yet “equivocated” usually means to mislead in a negative direction. “Quagmire” sounds like quandary which is a problem or question. It also includes “mire”; to be mired down means to get bogged down. Let’s keep looking.

“Denigrated . . . enmesh” sounds like a negative answer since “deni” seems very like deny and the prefix “en” means surround as in enclose, envelope or entertain.

"Vacillate" means to waver, hesitate or be indecisive. "Interject" means to say something abruptly, especially as an interruption. The word "between" provides a strong clue that the boy was having a hard time deciding, and the end of the sentence provides a clue that the second word should involve interrupting the boy. So, "vacillated . . . interjected" is the correct answer because it best fits the context of the sentence.

That the Emancipation Proclamation resulted in energy tells us that the word should involve inspiring someone. "Galvanize" means stimulate or stir to action. That the British were considering doing something on the Confederate's behalf tells us that the second word should involve doing something for someone else. "Intercede" means intervene on behalf of someone else. So, the correct answer is "galvanized . . . interceding." 

We can infer from the sentence's context that we need to pick out a word for the first blank that means something like "made" or "encouraged" since we know that Harriet's apprehension likely made her do something. Either "convinced" ("persuaded someone to do something") or "compelled" ("forced or obliged someone to do something") could be correct. For the second blank, we need to pick out a word that means something like "not participate in" or "stop," given that Harriet saw other kids getting hurt in the snowball fight and that she was apprehensive about it. Potentially correct answer choices include "avoid," "stop," and "forgo" ("refrain from"). Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "compelled" and "forgo" appear in the same answer choice, so the correct answer is "compelled . . . forgo."

The word “arbitrator” means a person who mediates between two parties to settle a dispute. So, the arbitrator would hope to reconcile the disputing parties. We can eliminate "castigate . . . exterminate" because "castigate" means criticize or reprimand severely. The second blank requires a word that means take away; therefore, "reconcile . . . eliminate" is the right answer.

In an old usage, “meet” meant “to be proper or just.” When one “metes” a sentence, he or she issues a judgment. The sentence implies that the judge does not like giving (meting) out such sentences because it is difficult see and interpret all of the details in the midst of life’s ambiguities. To attempt to see and discern such details in an exact manner would be to “ascertain” them. The word is derived from the Latin word for “sure or settled” and is related to English words for “surety” such as “certificate” and “certitude.”

For the first blank, we need to pick out a word that means something like get or buy. Either "obtain" (acquire) or "afford" (have enough money to be able to buy) could be correct. For the second blank, we need to pick out a verb that means something like last or be used. Either "serve" (be adequate) or "suffice" (be enough) could be potentially correct. Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "obtain" and "suffice" appear in the same answer choice, so the correct answer is "obtain . . . suffice."

The general idea of the sentence is that the we could gain much wisdom today by paying attention to the questions asked by the people of the Middle Ages. First, we can say that "critics" is too narrow of a word, as is the paring "philosophical . . . professors." Neither of these are justified by the sentence. When something has relevance today, it can be said to be "contemporary." Something is "contemporary" when it exists (or has implications for) a shared time-frame. It literally is derived from parts meaning "together-time" ("con" + "temporary"). The pair "contemporary . . . generations" well expresses the meaning of the sentence. The thoughts of the people of the Middle Ages have relevance today. They represent a source of wisdom to be taken from previous generations of human thinkers.

Something that is “higher level” in a given structure could be called the “macrostructure.” The prefix “macro” means larger or longer and is used in words like “macroeconomics” and “macrophage.” If explanations of such structures “must” include that of the simpler ones, the former are directly bound to the latter. If two things are “inextricable,” they cannot be separated from each other. To extricate something is to remove it from things constraining and bound to it.

That a school subject is popular even though it has another characteristic tells us that characteristic should be negative. "Burdensome" and "strenuous" would both work. This makes the options for the second blank "intricacies" and "prowess." "Intricacies" makes more sense in the context of this sentence, because it indicates complexity, where "prowess" indicates skill.