QUESTION: 53

The storyteller's ____________ anecdotes earned her the ____________ attention of the crowd.

compelling. .rapt
pointed. .spellbound
moribund. .lucid
poignant. .abrasive
meandering. .distracted

Answer(s): A

Explanation:

Attack the second blank first. The most likely adjective to describe attention will be something like undivided or rapt. (A), which includes rapt, is the answer. (B), which includes spellbound, is also possible. But pointed anecdotes doesn't make sense, so the answer is (A).

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QUESTION: 54

The bill became bogged down in a(n) ____________ of contentious issues in a Senate subcommittee.

marsh
sequence
iota
conundrum
quagmire

Answer(s): E

Explanation:

You know the word is going to be negative: both bogged and contentious tell you so. Eliminate (B). Now think that the word is basically going to mean mess. You can eliminate A. and (C). Conundrum is a confusing problem, not really a messy situation. E. is the best answer.

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QUESTION: 55

The outcome of the race seemed ____________ before the leader's misstep on the final leg gave her competitors a(n) ____________ of winning the title.

dubious. .prospect
inevitable. .hope
indubitable. .air
assured. .expectation
partial. .endeavor

Answer(s): B

Explanation:

Here the first blank seems more approachable. The reference to a clear leader indicates that the outcome was known. Eliminate A. and (E). For the second blank, the clue is that the leader misstepped and so rest of the competitors must have gotten a chance at the title, but they weren't assured a victory.
Eliminate D. and (C). The answer is (B).

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QUESTION: 56

Though the new pharmaceutical regime was intended to be beneficial, its actual effect was ____________ , a result the medical community ____________ .

harmful. .heralded
abundant. .castigated
fortuitous. .ignored
detrimental. .lamented
negative. .projected

Answer(s): D

Explanation:

Consider the first blank. The word though indicates that the drug was intended to be beneficial but ultimately was not. Do any of the answer choices mean not beneficial? (A), (D), and E. do. How would the medical community respond to a bad result? Ostensibly they would think that a bad result was bad. That eliminates A. and (E). This leaves (D).

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QUESTION: 53

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QUESTION: 54

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QUESTION: 55

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QUESTION: 56

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