The only sound that is implied as being annoying here is that of chewing; therefore, while biting, crushing, grinding, and (perhaps) even clacking could be part of the process of eating, our best option would be one that most directly matches the chewing mentioned in the main clause of the sentence. To this end, “mastication” fits best, as it generally is used to describe merely the process of chewing, generally taken.

The results of ones acts might also be called their repercussions. Technically, repercussions are unintended consequences. An adult might not always pay heed to his or her acts, thus leading him or her to overlook such consequences; however, the sense of the sentence is that such a person should be more conscious than the child, paying heed to such potential outcomes. The word literally means “rebounding” or “hitting again,” the prefix “re-” indicating repetition and the “-percussion” portion related to root words from Latin meaning “to strike or hit.” A percussion instrument (a drum, gong, etc) is one that must be hit in order to function.

Clearly, the sentence means to indicate that the employees are having some sort of gathering or meeting. What is key, however, is to note that these meetings are intended to train them in given topics. This particular addition helps to narrow the answer choice to “seminars,” a word derived from the Latin “semen,” meaning seed. While seminars might be general meetings or discussions, they often imply some kind of training or at least a choice of topics that will be “seeds” for current and future thought. This root can be found in other words like “insemination” and “disseminate.”

For this sentence, we are looking for the most general term that can apply to the troops, since we are told nothing about their composition (e.g. cavalries) or their formation (e.g. phalanxes). While “clusters” or “gangs” might seem best, these options really do not apply well to troops. They would be acceptable only if no other options remained; however, the word “hosts” can mean “armies,” as the word is derived from the Latin for “enemy.” This meaning definitely could be applied to two opposing armies. Note that this is very different from the sense of “host” as in one who would “host a party.” The two usages have different derivations from Latin, the former being related to "hostile."

Here, the best option is “complexion” because this captures both the facts hinted in the question. “Complexion” means one’s normal skin color, particularly as this applies to his or her face. This is the best option not only because it best pairs with “pale” but also because the sentence hints that it is the face that is drawing this attention—as indicated by “emphasizing the radiant color of her irises.”

The general sense of the sentence is that the prime minister held a meeting with the press corps. When a public official holds a meeting in order to be interviewed, it is called an “audience.” While we generally apply the term to the group of persons listening to or watching an event, it more generally can mean “a hearing.” The word itself is related to other “listening” and “hearing” words such as “audio,” “audible,” and “audition.”

“Cincture” is a somewhat archaic term for belt, still used in describing the belt worn by Catholic monks. Although its usage is generally literary, it is not completely impossible to ascertain its meaning. The word “succinct” has similar roots, coming from the Latin for “encircled.” When someone is “succinct,” they are brief in describing something. In a sense, such a person quickly “encircles” a topic.

Since Robert was only said to be asleep, the best term to use would be one that is directly related to sleep. The term “dormition” is very rare in standard English usage. It is generally used only by Orthodox churches to describe the death of Mary, Jesus’ mother; however, the term does have its own intrinsic meaning in English, for it is derived from the Latin “dormire” (=to sleep), roots shared with words like “dormitory” and “dormant.” In this sense, “dormition” means more generally “the act of sleeping.”

If the doctrines of a thinker or group of thinkers have internal conflict, they do not “hang together” well in a single cohesive manner. The term “coherence” comes from Latin roots meaning “to stick together.” The “co-” portion gives us the “together (or with)” in this meaning, while “-herence” is related to words like “adhere,” “adhesive,” and “cohesion.” If something is “incoherent,” it does not make sense as a whole—the pieces do not “stick together” well.

Since Benjamin’s mother seems “to know all,” it would be best to say that she appeared to be “omniscient.” This word literally means “all-knowing.” The prefix “omni-,” meaning “all,” is found in English words like “omnivorous” and “omnipotent.” The “-science” portion of the word means not merely “science” but instead more broadly means “knowledge.”