<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>
<p>For your first question, rancor is correct because obviously the convention provoked something bad. By definition, rancor means bitterness or resentfulness. Compunction usually means guilt on a moral issue. So, the convention was deserving of the rancor, since it can’t provoke compunction.</p>
<p>I’m not 100% sure on the second question, sorry.</p>
<p>I think the answer to the third question is E- tender. The paragraph says Earl had a ‘soft, distant expression’ so it should be something good, ruling out B, D, and C. You don’t really say someone has a comfortable face, so the answer should be tender, as in loving, light, and gentleness.</p>
<p>For the first, the blank and the phrase “utterly disgraceful” support each other. rancor exactly means disgraceful.
Compunction means regret, contrite for something bad that you cause in the past, which is not right here. </p>
<p>For the second, I think it is D, adequate.
The act of keeping looking at people is kinda annoying, so it is not suitable, not adequate.</p>
<p>I think for these questions like this, you should focus on the context which the word is located and sometimes need to link it with common senses.</p>
<p>For the third, it is lenient, I think.
Mother is considered to be “beneath a sky bright and thick with stars, planets, comets, and moons”, very kind and altruistic. So “soft” here would mean “lenient”, merciful, gentle. </p>
<p>Hope this will help :)</p>
<p>For your second question you should consult a dictionary. You will see that ALL 5 choices are definitions of the word ‘fair’. The question is which of the five fits 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…Your words: “…I thought that tender was more like loving.”</p>
<p>his thoughts moved in the same direction as mine."…Your words: “…and showing concern/sympathy.”</p>
<p>So if your words fit the meaning of the passage so well, why did you use them as a reason to reject the choice?</p>
<p>At the time, I didn’t really associate mother with love. It makes sense now!</p>
<p>Don’t let your mom read this.</p>