<p>So I just took a practice test today, and I just can't really find out why these questions have their respective answers:</p>
<p>The delegates' behavior at the convention was utterly disgraceful and fully deserving of the ------- it provoked.
A) rancor
B) lethargy
C) commiseration
D) forbearance
E) compunction</p>
<p>I eliminated B, C, and D, since they didn't make sense. Why is "rancor" correct? Why is "compunction" wrong?</p>
<p>"'Why don't you ever stop? It's not fair to look at people and then not stop!'"
In line 43, "fair" most nearly means
A) right
B) attractive
C) impartial
D) adequate
E) moderator</p>
<p>I eliminated B, D, and E. I find myself frequently confused by these questions. How are you supposed to answer these questions? Are you supposed to choose the one that best defines the word, or the one that makes the most sense in the passage? C would be the one with the most exact definition, but A makes the most sense in the passage.</p>
<p>"I thought about my mother because I always imagined her beneath a sky bright and thick with stars, planets, comets, and moons. Earl had a soft, distant expression on his face and I was certain his thoughts moved in the same direction as mine."
In line 72, "soft" most nearly means
A) comfortable
B) lenient
C) impressionable
D) weak
E) tender</p>
<p>I eliminated B, C, and D. I chose A (which was wrong), because I thought that tender was more like loving and showing concern/sympathy.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>