Arduous, onerous
. The prime minister “affected empathy for the
impoverished citizenry,” meaning that she acted as if she understood and
shared the emotions of the poor citizens. However, the word “but” after the
comma changes the direction, suggesting that she didn’t actually feel that
way. The sentence goes on to say that most historians think that her “austerity
measures,” meaning cost-saving measures, further harmed the poor citizens.
The measures are described as “unduly _________,” so the blank must be
filled by something that an empathetic person would not impose on citizens
struggling with poverty. The correct answers are “arduous” and “onerous,”
which both mean overly difficult or unpleasant. “Strict” is almost a match, but
strict is used to describe rules that must be obeyed, not rules that are overly
harsh. “Commercial” and “mercantilist” form a pair that means having to do
with the buying and selling of goods and services, but this is a trap because
the sentence talks about “economic historians.” “Venal” is an excellent GRE
word that means capable of being bought or bribed, but does not work here.
35.
Pacific, placid.
Getting to the spa is “hectic,” but this “stress” is “more
than made up for” once visitors reach the spa. The spa’s environment, then, is
the opposite of hectic or stressful; it is calm or soothing. The correct answers,
“pacific” and “placid,” both match this meaning. Although spas are often
“elegant” or luxurious,” this pair does not match the meaning of calm or
soothing. “Effusive,” which means gushing, and “blithe,” which means
cheerfully indifferent or happy, are also not good matches for the desired
meaning.
36.
Desiccated, wizened.
The man looks even older than his actual age of 70,
as though he had “endured at least 40 years in the desert.” “Desiccated”
means dried out and “wizened” means old and withered. The trap answer
“arid,” which means dry, is a good word to describe a desert, but cannot
describe a person. “Vigorous” and “hale” are both used to describe strong and
healthy people, so they do not fit the intended meaning. “Fetid,” which means
foul smelling, does not fit the desired meaning.
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