The root "anthro" means related to mankind, and the root "phil­" means loving. The word “philanthropic” thus means something related to loving mankind. Of the five answer choices, something that suggests a love of man is “charitable.” Both “philanthropic” and “charitable” are used to describe someone who gives generously to others. None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "philanthropic": “insolent” means rude; “bemused” means perplexed or confused; and “parsimonious” means selfish or not generous with others.

"Unexpected" means sudden or unplanned for, so "sudden" is the correct answer.

The prefix "ambi-" means both, as in “ambidextrous,” which means equally skilled with both hands. In this context, “ambivalent” means to be in two minds, to be in both minds, to be unsure. To provide further help, “vexing” means puzzling or confusing; something that is “unsettling” makes you nervous and uncomfortable; to be “unprepared” means to be not ready.

The prefix omni- means everywhere or everything, as in “omnipotent,” which means all-powerful or “omniscient,” which means all-knowing. The word “omnipresent” means present everywhere; this is closest in definition to “ubiquitous,” which means existing everywhere. To provide further help, a “carnivore” is a creature that only eats meat; an “omnivore” is a creature that eats meat and vegetables, that eats everything.  

"Grieve" is a root word that signifies a problem or negative situation. A grievance most nearly means a complaint or alert someone to a problem.

The root word "ego" indicates someone who is self-centered. An "egoist" is a person who is overly focused on their own interests. "Diminutive" means small. "Preeminent" means a notable or leading figure.

"Abbreviate" is a verb derived from the Latin root brevis, meaning short. "Shorten" is a verb with the same meaning, so it is the correct answer.

The root word "fool" does give a negative implication to the word, however should not be an indicator that the word is related to strict intelligence. Instead, "foolhardy" generally describes someone who disregards consequences or asks impulsively.

"Alchemy" is closest in meaning to "chemistry." Both words share a semantic root. The other words have meanings which are not at all related to alchemy.

One cooks a pie by baking it, so we need to pick out an answer choice that one might cook by sautéing. “Sauté,” when used as a verb, means “fry quickly in fat or grease,” so we can infer that only solid foods can be sautéed. So neither “soup” nor “stew,” or “water” can be the correct answer, because they either involve or are liquids. In choosing between “ice cream” and “potato,” one can infer that if one attempted to fry ice cream with a little hot fat, it would melt, so “potato” is the correct answer, because just as pies can be baked, potatoes can be sautéed.