Read the sentence, looking for clues
Context helps with the prediction for the first blank. The crews-effective,
hard-working groups-were "reduced" to a different state by heat and humidity. The
correct choice will be a word that has the opposite meaning of "industrious and
diligent."
The second blank is a word for the project manager's response to the "stupefied"
workers, which the context clue "futile" indicates was unsuccessful.
Predict the answer
"Lazy," or any word that indicates a state that is the opposite of a "diligent"
one, is a good prediction for the first blank.
A project manager faced with a lazy crew and a deadline would likely "encourage"
or "urge" the crew to work. Either of these words is a good prediction for the
second blank.
Select the answer choices that most closely match
your predictions
(A) somnolence, meaning "sleepiness" or "drowsiness," matches the
prediction and is the first correct answer. (B) invective, meaning "insult or abuse," does not fit; the workers
might have hurled invective at the bad
weather, or the supervisor might have hurled invective at the workers, but it's not correct to say the workers
were in a state of invective. (C) alacrity, meaning "speed" or "rapidity," is the opposite of the
prediction and is also incorrect.
(E)
admonitions, "criticisms or warnings
about behavior," matches the prediction and is the second correct
answer. (D) verbosity, meaning
"wordiness," is not supported since the manager might have used very few words
(e.g., "Work harder, or else!"). (F) puerility means "silliness" or "childishness." there is no clue in
the sentence that supports the idea that the project manager behaved childishly, so
(F) is incorrect.
Check your answer
The intolerable heat of the fierce tropical sun, seeping through the heavy, damp
air, rapidly reduced even the most industrious and diligent of the work crews to a
state of stupefied somnolence and
rendered the project manager's admonitions futile, despite the imminent deadline.
TAKEAWAY: If there is no clue in the sentence that supports the choice, then by
definition, the choice is incorrect.
