The expression here is metaphorical, so the knowledge of vocabulary is key. Isidore’s “glassy” stare could also be called “vitreous,” which means like glass. It is derived from the Latin word vitrum, meaning glass.

Since one can make quite a bit of money selling salt-water in the town, it is a rather profitable or lucrative business. This is derived ultimately from the Latin word lucrum, which means gain, profit, or even excessively greedy. The English word “lucre”, meaning money—particularly with connotations of being gained dishonorably, is from the same base.

To be “provincial” means to be from the provinces outside of a main city. Often, the added implication of the adjective is that such people are narrow-minded because they are unexposed to the supposed sophistications of city life.

The key word is “hale,” meaning strong or healthy. The focus therefore is upon Kenneth’s physical safety in spite of his bad habits of not paying heed to the traffic; therefore, the best word would be “unscathed”, meaning without experiencing harm or injury.

To be without stain is to be “immaculate.” The word comes from the Latin word “macula,” meaning stain or spot. The negative prefix “im-” indicates that the person is free from spots or stains.

Strictly speaking, to be “languid” is to lack the inclination or desire to undertake physical exertion. It therefore often has a certain negative overtone to it (implying laziness of some sort); however, it can also mean that someone is weak from sickness, as in this case.

Related English words are “languish” and “languor.”

If something is “sylvan,” it is related to forests or trees. The word ultimately is derived from the Latin “silva,” meaning forest. Its related English words are rarely used in daily discourse: “silviculture” (meaning the practice of maintaining forests) and “silvology” (meaning the study of forests).

If a group is unfamiliar with the outside world, they are often isolated in their mental habits. Such a group is called “insular” because they live as though they were on an island. The word “insular” is indeed derived from the Latin word for “island,” namely, “insula.” Related English words are “insulation” and “peninsula.” 

Do not be fooled by the option “humanist”, which really means having a philosophy or approach to learning that places the study of man, his culture, and life first. If someone is a humanist, they do not necessarily wish to aid other humans (though they might be readily inclined that way); however, someone with “humanitarian” sympathies is such a person who wishes to help in the betterment of the human condition for others.

Although many of the options are tempting here, the key phrase is “in direct proportion to the number of words . . .” If someone is “verbose,” he or she expresses something in more words than necessary. The word is clearly related to many other “word-related” words such as “verbal,” “verb,” “verbatim,” and “proverb.”