Set 1: Context Clues
Look for words that define the blank directly.
Question 1
The fact that fresh-water snails live in such _______ environments likely explains why their development is so remarkably similar across different regions.
variable
homogeneous
volatile
pristine
harsh
unvarying
Question 2
The traveler was struck by the fact that the air temperature throughout the voyage remained strictly _______, completely unaffected by the changing winds or the cooling sea.
stable
erratic
invariant
frigid
balmy
fluctuating
Question 3
Although a casual observer might be surprised by the apparent variety of these early carriages, closer inspection reveals that the differences between them are actually quite _______.
trifling
staggering
superficial
negligible
overwhelming
paramount
Set 2: Contrast & Logic
Identify the pivot words.
Question 4
Although the historical leader secured his throne through highly _______ methods, he surprisingly used his power in a noble and exemplary manner.
scrupulous
dubious
transparent
orthodox
suspect
legitimate
Question 5
Even though the island's soil is highly fertile, it is so thoroughly _______ with large stones that farmers must use hand tools instead of plows.
littered
enriched
strewn
saturated
parched
unblemished
Question 6
If every citizen decided to reject shared social values and instead forge their own highly individual paths, the community would completely lack the _______ necessary to function as a unified group.
consensus
autonomy
friction
accord
infrastructure
stagnation
Set 3: Medium-Hard
Question 7
By 1843, the university's financial situation had become highly _______, mainly because the much-anticipated sale of state lands had produced far less money than expected.
precarious
lucrative
perilous
stable
convoluted
unprecedented
Question 8
The fact that the blue cloths wrapped around ancient Egyptian mummies remain perfectly unfaded proves that indigo is a truly _______ dye.
ephemeral
indelible
enduring
lucrative
transient
volatile
Vocabulary Builder: Words from this Set
Homogeneous
Click to Define
Of the same kind; alike.
Syn: Uniform, Unvarying
Invariant
Click to Define
Never changing.
Syn: Constant, Stable
Trifling
Click to Define
Unimportant or trivial.
Syn: Negligible, Insignificant
Dubious
Click to Define
Hesitating or doubting; not to be relied upon.
Syn: Suspect, Questionable
Precarious
Click to Define
Not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse.
Syn: Perilous, Risky
Indelible
Click to Define
Making marks that cannot be removed.
Syn: Permanent, Enduring
