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Despite the committee's initial ______, the proposal was eventually approved without any significant changes.
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Q1. Despite the committee's initial ______, the proposal was eventually approved without any significant changes.
Correct answer: A. reservations
The word 'despite' signals a contrast between the blank and the eventual approval, so a word meaning doubts or hesitations (reservations) fits best.
Q2. The scientist's findings were so ______ that even her harshest critics were forced to concede their validity.
Correct answer: B. compelling
Only findings that are strongly persuasive (compelling) would force critics to concede their validity; the other options describe weak or unconvincing evidence.
Q3. Although the novel's plot is deceptively simple, its themes are remarkably ______, rewarding readers who look beneath the surface.
Correct answer: C. complex
The word 'although' sets up a contrast with 'simple,' and 'rewarding readers who look beneath the surface' implies the themes are intricate, matching 'complex.'
Q4. Which word most nearly means 'lacking energy or enthusiasm'?
Correct answer: D. listless
'Listless' describes a lack of energy or enthusiasm; the other words mean careful, sociable, and determined, respectively.
Q5. The word 'ephemeral' most nearly means:
Correct answer: A. short-lived
'Ephemeral' means lasting for a very short time, the opposite of 'everlasting.'
Q6. Urban planners have increasingly turned to 'pocket parks'-small, often overlooked plots of land converted into green space-as a low-cost alternative to large public parks. Critics argue that pocket parks cannot replicate the ecological benefits of larger green spaces, such as supporting diverse wildlife or mitigating urban heat effectively. Proponents counter that even small green spaces improve residents' mental well-being and provide much-needed access to nature in dense neighborhoods where land for large parks simply does not exist. The passage suggests that proponents of pocket parks would most likely agree with which of the following statements?
Correct answer: B. Access to green space, even on a small scale, benefits residents regardless of ecological limitations.
Proponents in the passage emphasize mental well-being and access to nature rather than claiming ecological equivalence, so B best matches their view.
Q7. Economic historians have long debated whether technological innovation drives institutional change or whether institutions must first evolve to permit innovation. The 'induced innovation' school holds that scarcity of a resource spurs invention of substitutes, implying that technology responds to economic pressure. Skeptics of this view point to periods of severe resource scarcity that produced no corresponding technological breakthroughs, suggesting that some enabling institutional or cultural condition must precede innovation regardless of need. The skeptics mentioned in the passage use which of the following as evidence against the induced innovation school?
Correct answer: C. Instances of scarcity without a matching invention
The skeptics cite cases of scarcity that did NOT produce inventions, which undercuts the claim that scarcity alone reliably induces innovation.
Q8. The diplomat's remarks were carefully ______, designed to reassure allies while avoiding any language that adversaries could construe as provocative.
Correct answer: D. calibrated
'Calibrated' captures the idea of remarks precisely adjusted to achieve two goals at once (reassuring allies, avoiding provocation); the other options contradict that careful balancing.
Q9. Which word is closest in meaning to 'obfuscate'?
Correct answer: A. obscure
'Obfuscate' means to make something unclear or obscure; the other options are near-opposites.
Q10. Because the museum's new wing was still under construction, visitors were asked to use the ______ entrance located on the north side of the building.
Correct answer: B. temporary
Since construction is ongoing, the entrance being used now is a stopgap measure, which matches 'temporary' rather than 'permanent.'
Exam facts and objectives sourced from the official ETS certification page. Last reviewed June 2026.
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