Artless means honest and natural, which may be the face behind a pretense, but you’re looking for fearful. Contentious describes someone willing to take a stand, which may be this posturing person, but it, too, doesn’t mean fearful. Deferent means giving in out of respect for another, and mealymouthed means insincere, which may refer to the pretense but wouldn’t be behind it.
What’s left are craven and pusillanimous, both synonyms for fearful, so the correct answers are Choices (C) and (F).
13. Inspired by their leader’s diatribe, the protestors took it upon themselves to continue the _____.
A diatribe is a poignant verbal attack, so the protestors could only continue with their own diatribes. Tirade and harangue are synonyms for diatribe, making the correct answers Choices (A) and (C).
Diffidence refers to a lack of confidence. Hyperbole is an exaggeration, euphemism is the use of gentle words in place of intense language, and equivocation is the use of intentionally vague language.
14. The welfare system, designed to help the _____, is in dire need of reform.
The welfare system was designed to help the poor or destitute. Indigent and mendicant are synonyms for destitute, making the correct answers Choices (A) and (C).
Mendacious means dishonest, misanthropic means antisocial, morose means sullen, and quiescent means at rest.
15. As a rule, the company hires only _____ engineers, believing years of experience tend to jade engineers, blinding them to new ideas.
If the company wants only inexperienced engineers, then the engineers would have to be beginners or novices. Fledgling and neophyte fit this meaning, making the correct answers Choices (B) and (F).
Felicitous means suitable or appropriate, which may be true of the desired engineers but doesn’t support the sentence’s meaning of hiring novices. Gregarious means sociable and outgoing, which is also possibly true of the new hires but again doesn’t support the sentence’s meaning. Insensible means unresponsive. Ingenuous means naive and trusting, which is close, but a company wouldn’t necessarily look to hire someone who is naive.
16. Many _____ social media hacks continue to aver countless half-truths, despite ample evidence to the contrary.
Aver means to declare something to be true. If these hacks declare half-truths to be true despite the contrary evidence, then they’re ignoring the evidence. Doctrinaire and dogmatic fit this meaning, making the correct answers Choices (B) and (C).
Dissonant means ill-fitting, which may be true of the hacks but doesn’t address their aversion to the evidence. Ebullient means buoyant in disposition, which also doesn’t fit. Eclectic means derived from various sources, and erudite means educated.
17. The buffalo, once _____ to this area, has been hunted nearly to extinction.