here are my ideas:
4.RESOLUTENESS:WILL::
(A)zeal:conviction
(B)honor:restitution
©esteem:adoration
(D)anguish:hesitation
(E)sorrow:compassion
Ans: A
Resoluteness represents a strong will
A) Zeal represents a strong conviction (seems ok): KEEP
B) is a different connection: DROP
C) Adoration represents strong/high esteem (of someone), but not esteem represents strong adoration: DROP
D) anguish represents strong hesitation is ok: KEEP
E) sorrow implies compassion: DROP
so A and D 50/50, were only one meaning of D is connected to hesitation, so 70% A
- TENDER:ACCEPTANCE::***
(A)publish:wisdom
(B)exhibit:inspection
©scrutinize:foresight
(D)authorize:approval
(E)declare:observation
Ans:B
to tender something can result in acceptance
it seems wise to turn this around:
To accept a tender
(another meaning of tender seems to be offer / offering)
A) no connection anyway (it requires wisdom to publish something? no) DROP
B) to inspect an exhibit? what do you do at an exhibition? you inspect exhibits. or: to exhibit something can result in inspection (sounds odd, but it’s true). so definitely, KEEP B
C) there is no real/forcing connection here
D) to approve an authorization (or: to authorize something can result in approval). sure the employees can approve that they have been authorized to use the coffee machine again, but authorize is really not a good word here, permission would be better - and you dont really approve of an authorization you are either happy that you got it or dont care that you got it, but you cant say to your boss: i dont approve of that authorization, stick it up your … but KEEP D it anyway with doubts
E) to declare an observation, ok, but we are thinking the other way around: to declare something can result in observation? no connection: DROP
B and D seem good with an incline towards B, so 80% B
24.BARTER:COMMODITIES::***
(A)arbitrate:disputes
(B)invade:boundaries
©debate:issues
(D)correspond:letters
(E)promote:ranks
Ans:D
I’m really not sure if that’s the right connection, but the clue is that you are doing something WITH the noun, not through it or on or in it.
to barter with commodities
A) so you arbitrate with the dispute? no the dispute is just the context, you arbitrate in a dispute. DROP
B) you invade WITH boundaries? no you invade through them. DROP
C) can you debate with issues? only if you are nuts. DROP
D) can you correspond with letters? yes - you can also correspond through letters, but you cant barter through commodities. KEEP
E) you can be promoted through ranks or and within ranks but not with ranks.
so with this reasnoing, 100% D
Laconic : Speech ::
(a)believable : excuse
(b) unyeilding : Attitude
© Austere : Design
(d) Somber : Procession
(e) Gradual : Transition
Ans : C
his speech was laconic
A) the/his excuse was believable, KEEP
B) his attitude was unyielding, KEEP
C) the design was austere, KEEP
D) the procession was somber, KEEP
E) the transition was gradual, KEEP
ok I could start philosophizing something that would point to C but without knowing the answer I would probably philosophize something that points to the wrong answer.
No idea here. The only thing that comes to mind is that a speech is something that some individual makes / presents, just as a design, wereas you only HAVE an attitude, see / participate in a procession and transition, you dont “make” the transition rather the transition makes something with you (or you go through a transition).
oh and laconic and austere have almost the same meaning in the sense of “without adornment”
please correct me where I am wrong!