The prefix "uni-" means one, as in “unicycle,” which is a one-wheeled form of transportation powered by pedaling. The word “unify” means make into one group or thing, so "merge" is the correct answer, as "merge" means make two separate groups or things into one group or thing. None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "unify": “monotonous” means tedious or boring due to having to do something repetitively; “verify” means confirm that something is true; “berate” means yell at or scold; and "soften" means become or make less severe or hard.

"Benevolent" means nice and generous. "Kind" means compassionate. Thus, "benevolent" is a synonym of "kind." It can be inferred that "benevolent" means something positive because "bene" is a Latin root meaning good. 

A tempting wrong answer choice is "beneficial," as it sounds similar to "benevolent." However, "beneficial" means of benefit or causing improvement, which is not the meaning of "benevolent."

The prefix "contra-" means against or opposite and the root "dict" means speak, so “contradict” means to speak against someone and say that their ideas are wrong or when referring to ideas, to oppose an idea by providing evidence or demonstration that it is false. The correct answer is “disagree.” To provide further help, “encourage” means to offer support for someone, and “depict” means represent or show.

The prefix "trans­-" means to change shape, so the word “transform” can most simply be defined as “change.” To provide further help, “mar” means ruin; “remedy” means make better, fix; “soothe” means make better, calm; “deft” means highly skilled.

Note that although words may share a root, they may not necessarily mean the same thing. In this case, "temptation" and "desire" are closest in meaning. "Tempo" refers to timing in music. "Temperature" (think weather) and "temperamental" (think moody) are not related to "temptation" (or desire). As suggested, the words "moody" and "temperamental" are synonymous with each other.

"Spent" can be used as a past tense verb that means gave someone money. However when used as an adjective, it means tired or exhausted. To help you, "enthused" means excited about something, "assisted" means helped, and "touched" means either felt or affected emotionally.

"Topple" means to fall or to cause to fall and can be used in a literal, physical sense, like "The tree the lumberjack had been chopping at for an hour finally toppled over," or it can be used in a metaphorical sense, like "The prejudiced government was toppled and a new, more egalitarian one was established in its place." So, "overthrow," which means unseat from a role of power through the use of force, is the correct answer, as it is close in meaning to the second described meaning of "topple."

"Brisk" can mean rapid, fast, or "hurried," as in walking at a brisk pace, or it may pertain to the weather, describing weather that has a bracing, invigorating chill and is often windy. "Hurried" is the best synonym for "brisk" amongst the given answer choices. Although "risky" sounds similar to "brisk," the two words do not have similar meanings. The meanings of "cheap," "common," and "slurred" are also distant from that of "brisk."

A "plot" is or a secret scheme or the sequence of events in a book, movie, or play, so "scheme" is the correct answer. Neither a "dream" nor an "idea" is a plan (or plot!) unless you put it into action. While "chapter" may make you think of the plot of a book, a "chapter" is one of several or many distinct sections of a book, so it does not mean the sequence of events in a book and cannot be the correct answer.

When used as a noun, "master" means an expert at something, but none of the answer choices are close in meaning to expert, so the word "master" must be being used in another way. When used as a verb, "master" means to become skilled at a certain activity, so "learn," which means gain knowledge about something or how to do something, is the correct answer. None of the other answers are close in meaning to "master": "mature" means grow and develop; "mistake" means accidentally misidentify someone or something as someone or something else; "disclose" means reveal information; and "apply" means request or be relevant to.