VR FIB Quiz 6 Solutions

VR_FIB_6

Question 1

Explanation The clue that you need to fill in the blank is fear of potentially negative outcomes. If the scientists are afraid of an outcome, they must have a problem with cloning.

Qualm is the only synonym here for problem. Conviction and certitude may seem like possible answers, but the outcomes are described as potential. Gambit (tactic) and rampart (barrier wall) do not make sense in context.

Vocabulary Correct

Choice Gambit: Tactic, Ploy, Stratagem Rampart: Wall, Bulwark Conviction: (a) Strong belief; (b) Judgment of guilty

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Qualm: Ethics, Morals, Scruples Certitude: Certainty

Question 2

Explanation The others referred to in the sentence have interests that are not related to food, so the blank must refer to a person whose interest is food. Choice (A) is the correct answer.

Choice (D) is tempting because connoisseur is a word often used in conjunction with fine food or wine. However, a connoisseur is a general term for someone who has expertise in subject, which may or may not be food.

Epicure is a term that necessarily involves food. Sage means wise person, which is not a match. A hedonist is someone who pursues pleasure as a priority, and is the opposite of an ascetic.

Vocabulary Correct

Choice

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An epicure: Enjoys good food & wine A sage: A wise person A hedonist: Pleasure seeker, Materialist A connoisseur: An expert (esp. of fine arts) An ascetic: Practice self-denial, Austere, Spartan

Question 3

Explanation Given that the critic is seeking revenge against the owner, his intentions must be bad. A critic should be discreet so that he doesn’t ruin his cover, but malevolent is the word that matches the clues. Squalid means filthy, and is irrelevant. In the second blank, you need a word that is dissimilar to vengefulness and conveys impartiality and good intentions. Neither surreptitious, which means sneaky, nor discerning, which means discriminating, has the desired meaning. Indifferent is a good synonym for impartial, and is the best choice.

Vocabulary Correct

Choice Squalid: Filthy, Morally degraded A surreptitious: Stealthy, Secretive, Furtive Discreet: Prudent, Discerning A discerning: Have keen insight and good judgment

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Malevolent: Wishing evil

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An indifferent: Apathy, Lack interest

Question 4

Explanation The first blank describes Tolstoy’s belief regarding excessive personal wealth in relation to his countrymen; he was influenced by aspiring communist revolutionaries, and relinquished his copyrights and much of his fortune to the state, a word like harmful would make sense. Of the choices, only inimical means harmful. The second blank describes the decision as seen by Sophia; since she believed in her right to be an aristocrat, she probably thought it was a foolish or incorrect decision. Of the choices, only heretical, which means contrary to accepted custom, is sufficiently negative.

Vocabulary Correct

Choice Convivial: Love good company

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A heretical: Rebel, Dissident, Heterodox

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Inimical: Harmful, Baleful An opulent: Rich and superior Stupefying: Numbing, Stunning A refulgent: Bright and radiant

Question 5

Explanation From the trigger word and you know that the first blank has to be similar to resist change. Covet means desire greatly and aver means assert, so eschew is the correct choice. The next two blanks have to work together. If the adherence is strong, then the teacher will stubborn, and if it is weak, then the teachers will be uncertain. The triggers word until makes it clear that the teachers are preventing changes. Therefore, you need the first situation given above, which would lead to dogged and obstinate. Inept mean unskilled, and is not a match. Partisan may seem plausible for the second blank, but then teachers would be biased, for which there is no available synonym for the third blank. Sagacious means shrewd and superfluous means unnecessary, and thus neither one fits the meaning of the third blank.

Vocabulary Correct

Choice

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Eschew: Shun, Avoid Inept: Incompetent, Not skillful, Clumsy Sagacious: Wise, Perspicacious Aver: Assert, State, Declare Partisan: Enthusiast, Zealot Superfluous: More than needed, Surplus Covet: Envy, Desire something owned by others

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Dogged: Persistent, Tenacious

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Obstinate: Stubborn, Obdurate

Question 6

Explanation Start with the first blank; the clue there is in the second sentence, which says the doctors have a reluctance to show excitement. The only choice for the first blank that expresses a suitable lack of emotion is impassive. The second blank describes the task of turning the discovery into useful medicine; since the doctors aren’t excited, and the end of the passage suggests that significant change is far in the future, you need something like long and difficult in the blank. Of the choices, an arduous is the best fit. The third blank describes what the new medicine will, hopefully, eventually do to the need for uncomfortable treatments - eliminate it. Of the choices, only obviate means eliminate. Be careful with effect: As a verb, it means to cause, not to have an effect on.

Vocabulary Correct

Choice Felicitous: Appropriate, Happy A prized: Treasured, Valued

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Obviate: Make unnecessary Morose: Gloomy, Sad, Glum

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An arduous: Difficult, Strenuous, Onerous Aggrandize: Add details to, Embellish

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Impassive: Stoic, Stolid, Poker-faced An austere: Spartan, Stern, Stark Effect: Consequence, Result

Question 7

Explanation The trigger word although indicates that the plans for sunny vacation were overturned unexpectedly in the second half of sentence, so you need a word that means something like sudden or unexpected in the blank.

Neither welcome nor fortunate means sudden or unexpected, so eliminate answer choices (A) and (D).

Neither fruitless, which means useless, nor lethargic, which means sluggish, makes sense in the blank; eliminate choices (E) and (F). Both precipitous and unforeseen can mean sudden and unexpected, so answer choices (B) and (C) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.

Vocabulary Correct

Choice Welcome: Accept happily

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Precipitous: Abrupt, Hasty

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Unforeseen: Unplanned, Unexpected Fortunate: Lucky, Happy Fruitless: Unproductive, Futile, Vain Lethargic: Lazy, Unenergetic

Question 8

Explanation The disgruntled workers registered outcries, signifying they had intense feelings about their enhanced benefits package that was later rejected; thus, you want a word for the blank that means passionate or emotional. Neither pristine, which means clean, nor quizzical, which means puzzling, makes sense in the sentence, so eliminate answer choices (A) and (C). Choices (D) and (E) give roughly synonymous meanings, but nothing in the sentence supports the description of the cries as suggestive. Both fervent and impassioned can mean passionate, so answer choices (B) and (E) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.

Vocabulary Correct

Choice Pristine: Pure, Clean

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Fervent: Passionate, Fervid, Ardent Quizzical: Mock and tease, (b) Perplexed, Confused Redolent: Remindful, Reminiscent, Evocative Allusive: Indirect reference

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Impassioned: Passionate, Fervid

Question 9

Explanation David is characterized as a narrow-minded and adamant; you can recycle either of those clues into the blank, or you can use a simple word like stubborn. Choices (B) and (F) give roughly synonymous meanings, but nothing in the sentence supports the idea that David is hard working.

Neither gregarious, which means social, nor pensive, which means thoughtful, is supported by the sentence, so eliminate choices (D) and (E). Both intransigent and intractable mean stubborn, so answer choices (A) and (C) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.

Vocabulary Correct

Choice

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Intransigent: Stubborn, Recalcitrant Assiduous: Sedulous, Hard working

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Intractable: Stubborn Gregarious: Extrovert, Social and outgoing Pensive: Thoughtful, Ruminative, Contemplative Diligent: Hard working

Question 10

Explanation You have two clues about the popularity of long distance automobile travel: Numerous exorbitant tolls indicate that such travel is now more expensive due to excessively high costs, and the upswing on the other side of the trigger while suggests that the popularity of traveling by car is swinging in the other direction. Hence, you need a word like decreased in the blank. Both intensified and surged are nearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, so eliminate choices (C) and (F).

Neither equivocated, which means spoke in an ambiguous manner, nor importuned, which means begged, is supported by the sentence, so eliminate choices (B) and (D). Both waned and abated mean decreased, so answer choices (A) and (E) give you appropriate, equivalent sentences.

Vocabulary Correct

Choice

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Waned: Reduced, Abated Equivocated: Talk to both sides, Ambiguous Intensified: Increased, Compounded Importuned: Beg, Beseech, Insist

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Abated: Dwindled, Reduced Surged: Increased, Soared, Zoomed