The sentence states that Thomas could not make the trip to Paris to speak unless he first defended his dissertation. Therefore, the trip depends upon the successful defense of the dissertation and is said to be “contingent upon it.” The word “contingent,” literally means “touching upon.” The “-tingent” portion is related to English words like “tactile” and “tangible.” The “con-” prefix means “with.” Therefore, something “contingent” can be said to “touch with something else” in the sense of sharing, for example, borders with it.

We can infer that because we are told that the subject's "outlook on life couldn't be ruined by anything" and that she "saw the bright side of any situation, no matter how bad or apparently hopeless," we need to pick out an adjective to describe this person that means something like "optimistic." "Pessimistic," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "pessimistic" is an adjective that means "tending to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen," making it an antonym of the word for which we are looking. "Sanguine," however, is an adjective that means "optimistic or positive, esp. in an apparently bad or difficult situation," and because "sanguine" best describes the attitude of the subject of the sentence, "sanguine" is the correct answer.

Since we know the advisor was nice to the princes in order to gain power, we're looking for an adjective that means something like "fawning." While "obsequious" and "ostentatious" sound quite similar, they have very different meanings: "ostentatious" means "characterized by vulgar or pretentious display; designed to impress or attract notice," while "obsequious" means "obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree," and is the correct answer.

The opposition implied here is that the college president has living quarters that are very simple in comparison with his office and reception area. When something is “austere,” it is severe, often used in the sense of meaning that something is severely limited or not abundant and comfortable. It is in this latter sense that we often use the word “austerity.”

Since fall is transitory in New England, the best answer choice is ephemeral or short in length.

The only thing implied by this sentence is that the priest needs help doing the “bookkeeping,” which generally is taken to mean the activity of tracking the financial accounting of an organization; therefore, the best choice to describe his lack of experience is that of being short in “fiscal” matters (whatever else might be said). The word fiscal comes from the Latin root for “basket,” which can be extended to mean something for storing goods or money. It is related to the English “confiscate,” which means not merely “to take” but also often conveys the sense of a government taking the property for the public use or financial benefit.

The words “bumbled” and “incomprehensible” both indicate that Peter could not communicate in a clear way. One could likely say that he was “incoherent.” In contrast to this, his brother could be called “articulate,” meaning that he can express himself in a coherent manner. The word is derived from the Latin word for “joint.” An “article” is like the small joint that makes up a larger body of knowledge. When someone is “articulate,” that person is said to “cut the matter at its joints”—that is, he or she breaks the topic into its appropriate parts (or articles).

Since Peter expected no surprises, it is safe to assume that he believed his list to be absolutely complete. The word “exhaustive” literally means “to drain out completely” in the sense of “examining every aspect.” When someone is “exhausted,” all of his or her energy has been trained. We likewise say that (for example) all options are exhausted when there are no more remaining.

The implication of the sentence is that the version of the text being assigned is a shortened version, “containing only the essential passages of the story.” An abridgment of a story is a shortened version of it, often claimed to contain the “essential passages.” The word “abridge” is related to other “shortening” words like “abbreviate,” “brief,” and “brevity.”

Since Justine was said to develop her abilities, the implication in the opposition-indicating “although” clause is that she did not have these naturally. An “innate” ability is literally one that is “inborn” or natural. It comes from the Latin word for “to be born,” which is found in English words like “nativity” and “natal.”