The historian is contrasting the “profound and fruitful reality” of the Middle Ages with what he must take to be the less fruitful nature of modernity. The best option is therefore “impoverished,” which implies a loss of “fruitfulness,” “productivity,” or more generally “strength or vitality.” The other options do not directly capture this notion of a loss of vigor.

The contrast here is between being potentially deadly and healthy (or at least “not deadly”). Note, it is not a contrast between “clean and unclean” or “clean and dirty.” The word “innocuous” means “not harmful.” Being derived from the Latin for “harmful,” it is related to English words like “inoculate” and “noxious.” The “in-” prefix here means “not.”

The key thing to note in this sentence is that Todd’s father would rarely deny his requests. Therefore, the best option for the needed word is “lenient,” which means “permissive” or sometimes “forgiving.” Here, it is the first meaning that fits best. The word comes from the Latin for “mild or gentle” and is found in other English words like “leniency” and “lenitude.” (The latter, rather strange, word means “the characteristic of being lenient.” We could speak of “the lenitude of Todd’s father.”).

The contrast here is between obscurity and clarity. When something or someone is “lucid,” he or she is able to express ideas or thoughts in a clear manner. The word actually comes from base words for “light,” which are found in English relatives like “lucent,” “translucent,” and even “Lucifer” (the so-called “light bearing angel” who later fell from grace, according to Christian tradition).

The key word in this sentence is “ridiculous,” which helps to give a sense to what Paula must have thought about the other strange aspects of her brother’s appearance. When something is “ridiculous,” it is not only strange but even more literally is “amusing” or “laughable.” (The word “ridicule” is related to “ridiculous,” both coming from the Latin for “to laugh.”) The word “ludicrous” often means “ridiculous.” It is derived from Latin roots for “to play” or “game.” A “prelude” is a piece of music “played” (in the general, non-game sense) before (“pre-”) the main concert piece.

The only real clue in this sentence is the fact that Patrick’s eagerness was diminished due to the fact that the meals would have to have a greatly reduced caloric intake. Therefore, the best option will be one that merely captures that sense of “reduction,” without introducing other elements unnecessarily. The word “meager” does just this, meaning that something lacks quantity or is thin. In German, the word “mager,” means “lean” or “thin.”

The key phrase here is “that no detail be overlooked . . .” While one could say that the Baron had excellent or perhaps even overweening care, the sentence most directly implies that he too exceptional care about details. The best option, therefore, is “meticulous,” which means to be precise and careful about every detail of something.

The two most tempting words here are “whimsical” and “playful,” but it is only the former that fits best. In contrast to acting “in a calculated manner,” Douglas must act in a manner that is not very reflective and not based on much forethought. Although we often say that someone is whimsical when he or she is playful, this adjective can also be used in the sense of “acting on a whim,” that is, “acting on a sudden (perhaps inexplicable) change of mind.” Therefore, “whimsical” is the best option.

For this sentence, you must use your abilities to “piece together” words from their parts in order to find the correct answer. The creatures mentioned here must “avoid all forms of light.” The key thing to note is that it states “all” forms of light; therefore, “nocturnal” does not best work because that would only imply sunlight. Do not be tempted by “vampiric,” either, for that is not specific enough. The word “lucifugal,” though very rarely used in English, can be guessed even if you have never encountered it. The “luci-” portion of the word means “light” and is related to words like “translucent,” “lucid,” and “pellucid.” The “-fugal” portion of the word comes from Latin roots meaning “to flee” and is related to English words like “fugitive” and “refugee.” Based on this, we can see that the word “lucifugal” means “light-fleeing”—just what is needed for this sentence.

Since Robert likes to draw attention to himself with large ceremonies, he could be said to act “pompously.” In an older sense, “pomp” or a “pompous display” would merely mean a large and splendid event. However, the word often implies not only a grand style but likewise that it is meant to draw attention to the one showing said style.