1. Despite ------- on taking rare tamarins from their habitat, the illegal trade in the tiny monkeys remains -------.
A. commendations . . obligatory
B. consultations . . predominant
C. restrictions . . local
D. penalties . . illicit
E. prohibitions . . active
2. Representing a round world on a flat surface is impos-sible without some -------: the Mercator projection map shows Greenland as over ten times larger than Mexico, a country in fact only slightly smaller than Greenland.
A. oversight
B. simplification
C. distortion
D. sophistication
E. superficiality
3. The highly publicized redesign of the car is essentially -------: the exterior has been updated, but the engine remains unchanged.
A. intuitive
B. cosmetic
C. incoherent
D. consequential
E. retroactive
4. Many of our memories are -------, escaping our con-sciousness just as we strain to recall a face or a name.
A. elusive
B. pervasive
C. unvaried
D. insensitive
E. impractical
5. Although Caroline Gordon was rigorously objective in her journalistic writing, her lively and ------- private correspondence ------- a de lightful capacity for biting commentary on the social scene.
A. incisive . . disguised
B. eloquent . . derided
C. dispassionate . . demonstrated
D. exuberant . . minimized
E. entertaining . . exhibited
6. An effective member of a debating team must focus clearly on the ------- issue and avoid ------- arguments.
A. equivocal . . obstreperous
B. designated . . pertinent
C. comprehensive . . general
D. principal . . peripheral
E. subtle . . significant
7. The ------- with which merchants and landowners in early-nineteenth-century Maryland and Virginia ------- Joshua Johnston's professional services attests to his artistic skill as a portrait painter.
A. avidness . . sought
B. diffidence . . purchased
C. patience . . replaced
D. elegance . . regarded
E. zealousness . . overlooked
8. The man's colleagues characterized him as ------- because he had an irritable, quarrelsome disposition.
A. tyrannical
B. disingenuous
C. sanctimonious
D. cantankerous
E. morose
9. After winning the lottery, John bought sports cars, built a mansion, and wore designer suits; however, by thus ------- his -------, he alienated his friends.
A. tranquillity
B. immobility
C. consistency
D. desirability
E. complexity
10. The study of biology, once considered the key to solving nature's mysteries, has instead served to emphasize nature's incredible -------.
A. enduring . . hardship
B. flaunting . . prosperity
C. undermining . . image
D. calculating . . successes
E. moderating . . consumption
11. In 1575 Venetians instituted an annual celebration to ------- the end of the ------- that had struck the city.
A. lament . . turmoil
B. commemorate . . plague
C. eulogize . . pestilence
D. hail . . prosperity
E. solemnize . . fame
12. Lena Horne's singing style is such that she can invest even the most ------- lyrics with dramatic meaning.
A. harmonious
B. sensational
C. impeccable
D. vapid
E. esteemed
13. A long-standing theory about the migration of green turtles was ------- by an innovative marine biologist who graciously defused potential ------- by dedicating her work to the original researcher.
A. instigated . . rancor
B. renounced . . approval
C. displaced . . attribution
D. enhanced . . alteration
E. repudiated . . acrimony
14. Most pioneers ------- this valley on their journey to the West because its rugged terrain and frequent landslides made it a ------- place for travelers.
A. flanked . . fascinating
B. avoided . . necessary
C. encompassed . . curious
D. enjoyed . . troublesome
E. skirted . . hazardous
15. Ballads often praise popular figures who have performed feats that many perceive as -------, such as defending the poor or resisting ------- authority.
A. modest . . acceptable
B. inescapable . . legitimate
C. insufficient . . overpowering
D. admirable . . unjust
E. unbelievable . . tolerable
16. The serious purpose of the paper-airplane flying contest, which attracted many novel and sometimes truly ------- entries, was to determine whether any ------- aerodynamic designs could be discovered.
A. unorthodox . . conventional
B. bizarre . . revolutionary
C. derivative . . imaginative
D. mundane . . predictable
E. ungainly . . aesthetic
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