Mark Twain and Garrison Keillor were both born and bred in Midwestern America; yet the themes, writing styles, and attitudes of these two humorists are _______.
Answer(s): C
The word “yet,” which begins the sentence’s second clause, tells you to look for a contrast between the two parts of the sentence. The missing word must suggest a difference between the two writers rather than another similarity. Of the five choices, only distinctly different serves this purpose.
In certain instances, tradition must yield entirely to the utilitarian needs of modern life. When it comes to historic public buildings, whose structural integrity is (i)_______ to the safety of the general public, modernization sometimes requires no less than razing the structure and building anew. In other such cases, however, architecturally appropriate retrofits can solve structural problems without sacrificing (ii)_______, while alternative locations can be used for new buildings as needed.
Answer(s): A
The idea of the first sentence is that historic buildings that cannot be made safe must often be demolished, because structural safety is essential (or integral) when it comes to a building used by the general public. The idea of the third sentence is that a building’s historic value (expressed more artfully, history or tradition) need not always be sacrificed for the sake of making the building safe for the public.
The _______ and _______ lifestyle of certain types of primates differs greatly from the habits of most primate species, who are active during the day and who form societies based on quite complex interrelationships.
Answer(s): D
The two missing words should convey a contrast for the second half of the sentence, as indicated by the phrase “differs greatly.” Choice D. works because nocturnal opposes “active during the day,” and solitary opposes the idea of “quite complex interrelationships.”.
Personality is rooted as deeply in the need for _______, or at least personal interaction, as _______ well-being is rooted in chemical needs.
The first missing word should convey an idea that fits the concept of “personal interaction”; the second missing word should describes the kind of “well-being” that would have a “chemical” basis. Only the word pair love and physical fits both requirements.
Considering today’s high divorce rate and growing number of single-parent households, it is _______ that the most Americans still adhere to the _______ belief in the importance of an intact nuclear family.
Answer(s): E
Since an “intact nuclear family” contrasts with “today’s” marital trends, it is clear that the sentence refers to the nuclear family as something out of the past. Thus, for the second blank, a word like traditional (choice (E)) or possibly obsolete (choice (B)) is needed. Choice E. is better because the word astonishing sets up the appropriate contrast, whereas the idea that the belief is encouraging suggests a value judgment unsupported by the rest of the sentence.
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