Every question answered and explained.

Chapter 1:

The term conservationist had been defined by some as a person who believes that the natural world is endlessly __________ and beautiful, and therefore as much of it as possible should be __________.

 

 

A. irrational… preserved

B. abhorrent… salvaged

C. fascinating… saved

D. exhilarative… promoted

E. appealing… distinguished

 

The best answer is C. Because the blank appears before and beautiful, one can expect it to be filled with something positive. The and therefore indicates that the second blank should also be positive. Only C, D and E have two positive choices, and of them only C contains two words that are appropriate to describe the natural world.

 

__________ temporary power lines and data cables, huddled around laptops and editing equipment, journalists and technicians were __________ out news to many outposts.

 

A. Among… burning

B. Although… turning

C. Using… tossing

D. Despite… writing

E. Amid… churning

 

The best answer is E. Although and despite must precede clauses, not noun phrases. Amid and among are both reasonable choices. Churning out, however, is idiomatic while burning out, is not.

 

 

The country is a regional __________, an absolute but highly dynamic monarchy that has created an economic __________ out of little more than vision, geography and will.

 

A. anomaly… powerhouse

B. synchronicity… giant

C. incongruity… dwarf

D. paradox… dependency

E. discrepancy… power

 

The best answer is A. Synchronicity and discrepancy have to relate to two or more things (i.e. a discrepancy between x and y). That is not the case here. Out of little more indicates that something was made out of next to nothing, which is only remarkable if what was created was positive, such as an economic powerhouse.

 

Rugby is still largely an __________ sport in Georgia, but in its traditional __________ of England, France, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa it has, since turning professional in 1995, become a multi-billion-dollar industry.

 

A. voluntary… home

B. master… vicinity

C. impermeable…

D. failed… locality

E. amateur… bastions

 

The best answer is E. The word amateur is a logical choice after but… since turning professional. Bastion is an appropriate word to describe where the sport is traditionally played.

 

In addition to huge gas __________, the Caspian sea may hold as much as 200 billion barrels of oil, reserves second only to those of the Persian Gulf.

 

A. tanks

B. quotas

C. canisters

D. supplies

E. deposits

 

The best answer is E. A sea can only hold deposits, not any of the other options.

 

Union leaders __________ bosses of allowing paramilitaries access to the plants to __________ graffiti on the walls and intimidate workers.

 

A. convicted… inscribe

B. accused… scrawl

C. blamed… etch

D. incriminated… write

E. denoted… scribble

 

The best answer is B. Only accuse and convicted can be followed by of . Inscribe has a positive connotation which is inappropriate.

 

 

Very quickly the native Californians were overwhelmed by people of all __________, coming from all __________ -- by wagon train from Council Bluffs, Iowa, by horseback from ranchos to the south, by ship from China.

 

A. destinations… vehicles

B. nationalities… countries

C. upbringings… interests

D. backgrounds… directions

E. denominations… sectors

 

The best answer is D. It is incorrect to use of with destinations. Nationalities is incorrect because only one nationality is mentioned. Of choices C, D and E, directions makes the most sense in light of what follows.

 

Airspan Airline’s long and __________ search for a partner finally __________ last week when the bankrupt Dutch airline agreed to merge with Airlex.

 

 

A. arduous… ended

B. extended… concluded

C. joyous… consigned

D. fortuitous… stopped

E. laborious… proceeded

 

The best answer is A. Since the first blank comes after long and… we can assume it will be something that will not be a contradiction. This rules out joyous and fortuitous. The second blank follows finally. It is logical that the search ended, and the information is given in the last part of the sentence.

 

Thought the negotiators are trying to finalize a less expensive __________ benefit plan, they are considering charging __________ people higher premiums.

 

A. health … wealthy

B. wealth… distinguished

C. safety… prosperous

D. payoff… abundant

E. fitness… cognitive

 

The best answer is A. Health benefit plan is the only expression which is idiomatic and logical. Only wealthy makes logical sense.

 

Cablewise Systems officially rolled out its national high-definition satellite service, ‘Boom’, in a bet that the cable operator can __________ into a burgeoning segment of the television-viewing community that is expected to __________ high-definition television sets.

 

A. turn… reserve

B. dredge… abuse

C. float… borrow

D. tap… own

E. pierce… dictate

 

The best answer is D. Tap into is idiomatic and makes sense in the context of the sentence. While borrow and reserve are possible grammatically, own makes the most sense.

 

Looking to expand its foothold overseas, CSC has purchased a majority stake in Germany's leading television news agency, giving the U.S. broadcaster __________ of a leading channel in the German television __________.

 

A. control… market

B. part … emporium

C. desperation… consortium

D. domination… space

E. power… fringe

 

The best answer is A. The term giving control can be followed by of whereas desperation, domination and power cannot. While the word emporium means about the same as market, it is not used in this sort of figurative context.

 

 

More than 80 schools have been __________, with similar rehabilitation works in progress or in the final stages of __________.

 

A. achieved… configuration

B. jointed… formulation

C. ended… sponsorship

D. finished… reproduction

E. completed… planning

 

The best answer is E. A school can be finished or completed, but not achieved, jointed or ended. In the final stages of planning is more logical and is idiomatic.

 

People and rhinoceroses prefer similar habitat but don't mix very well, which is one reason rhinoceroses have almost __________ from the earth.

 

A. vanished

B. extinguished

C. flourished

D. stumbled

E. abdicated

 

The best answer is A. Choice B and E cannot be applied to an animal. Choice C and D cannot be followed by from the earth.

 

Scientists have __________ a bright purple, bloated frog in southern India that is so unique it merits the establishment of not only a new __________ but also a new family.

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A. uncovered… topic

B. alleviated… genus

C. discovered… species

D. disseminated… disturbance

E. distinguished… categorization

 

The best answer is C. A frog cannot be alleviated or disseminated. Species logically completes not only… ____, but also a new family.

 

 

Most heart attacks occur when a blood clot __________ off one of the coronary arteries that __________ blood to the heart muscle itself.

 

A. blocks… fosters

B. stops… pumps

C. halts… supplies

D. closes… feed

E. obstructs… presages

 

The best answer is D. Closes off is idiomatic. One can feed, pump or supply blood to the heart, but not foster or presage.

 

In this era of managed nursing care, Smith continues to __________ a kind of medicine that most people assume nearly vanished, bringing to their rounds tenderness and profound __________.

 

 

A. participate… caring

B. condone… abhorrence

C. disparage… suability

D. practice… competence

E. engage… antipathy

 

The best answer is D. To practice medicine is idiomatic. The second blank must be a positive item.

 

Psychiatrists, medical doctors and __________ have used hypnosis for more than two centuries to treat __________ and illness.

 

 

A. therapists… bliss

B. psychologists… pain

C. catalysts… suffering

D. physicians… discomfort

E. physicists… torment

 

The best answer is B. Physicians is redundant. Catalysts and physicists are illogical choices. Bliss is an illogical choice for the second blank.

 

 

In each __________, scanners detected increased blood __________ in relevant parts of the brains of hypnotized subjects who were put through color and pain tests.

 

 

A. case… flow

B. instance… stain

C. place… powder

D. position… current

E. testament… stream

 

The best answer is A. Only choice A and B are logical for the first blank. Blood stain is does not make sense after the word increased.

 

 

__________ to the "science" of phrenology, an individual's character and abilities could be deduced from the size and __________ of various bumps on the head.

 

 

A. Corresponding… tension

B. Based… texture

C. Supposing… hardness

D. According… shape

E. Configured… form

 

The best answer is D. Based and According are the only logical choices for the first blank, but Based cannot be followed by to. Also, while any of the choice could feasibly fit in the second blank, size and shape is an idiomatic expression.

 

The world's most prolific aircraft builder's commercial __________ is struggling in the worst aviation downturn in history and has __________ off 35,560 of its 93,000 workers since 1999.

 

A. sector… paid

B. part… sent

C. division … laid

D. ward… bought

E. department… caught

 

The best answer is C. Ward is used to refer to part of a hospitcal. Part is too general. A business does not have sectors. Since there has been a downturn, it is logical that the workers have been laid off.

Chapter 2: