1. The formerly ____ waters of the lake have been polluted so that the fish are no longer visible from the surface.
A. muddy
B. tranquil
C. stagnant
D. pellucid
E. rancid


Correct Answer: D
解析:
Clue: The word ‘formerly’ indicates that once things were different. So, since now the waters are polluted so that fish cannot be seen, then formerly they must have been unpolluted and clear (pellucid). (tranquil = peaceful; stagnant = not moving; pellucid = transparently clear; rancid = stale)


2. After the accident, the nerves to her arm were damaged and so the muscles ____ through disuse.
A. atrophied
B. contracted
C. elongated
D. invigorated
E. dwindled


Correct Answer: A
解析:
Clue: The sentence states that the muscles were not used and so we would expect them to waste away. Atrophied means wasted away, or withered. Note that dwindled means grew less but could not be used for muscles. (invigorated = energized)


3. Some critics maintain that Tennyson’s poetry is uneven, ranging from the ____ to the ____.
A. sublime - elevated
B. trite - inspired
C. vacuous - inane
D. succinct - laconic
E. sonorous - voluble


Correct Answer: B
解析:
Clue: ‘Ranging from something to something’, indicates that extremes are required. Also we are told that the poetry is uneven, also indicating that opposites are required.
Therefore, trite (unoriginal) is a negative word, and inspired is a positive word. (sublime = magnificently inspiring; vacuous = meaningless = inane; succinct = short and to the point; laconic = using few words; sonorous = full of sound ; voluble = talking a lot)


4. After grafting there is a ____ of lymphocytes in the lymph glands; the newly produced lymphocytes then move in to attack the foreign tissue.
A. diminution
B. proliferation
C. obliteration
D. paucity
E. attraction


Correct Answer: B
解析:
Clue: The semicolon indicates that the second part of the sentence amplifies the first. Also the second part states that the lymphocytes are ‘newly produced’. So, we infer that there is a production (proliferation) of these cells in the glands. (diminution = decrease; proliferation = growing and multiplying; obliteration = wiping out; paucity = shortage)


5. One ____ the new scheme is that it might actually ____ just those applicants that it was intended to encourage.
A. highlight of - stimulate
B. feature of - attract
C. problem with - induce
D. attraction of - intimidate
E. drawback of - daunt
?

Correct Answer: E
解析:
Clue: Try to understand the logic of the sentence. The new scheme might actually do something to ‘put off’ (daunt), the applicants that it was intended to encourage. The word ‘intimidate’ would also have been suitable for the second blank, but its partner ‘a(chǎn)ttraction’ cannot be right...we do not want a positive word for a negative feature. (stimulate = encourage = induce; daunt = intimidate = put off) ?