Choose the word or set of words that,

when inserted in the sentence, best fits

the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

That edelweiss appears to be ------- is an

illusion: the flower actually is incredibly ---

----, able to survive in extreme

temperatures.

(A) hardy . . malleable

(B) fragile . . resilient

(C) durable . . resistant

(D) stunning . . slight

(E) unique . . tenacious

Choose the word or set of words that,

when inserted in the sentence, best fits

the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Cormac McCarthy has a reputation for

being one of the most ------- figures in

literature; for many years, few people

knew what the writer looked like or

where he lived.

(A) overbearing

(B) sedate

(C) sociable

(D) celebrated

(E) reclusive

Part or all of the following sentence is

underlined; beneath the sentence are five

ways of phrasing the underlined material.

Select the option that produces the best

sentence. If you think the original phrasing

produces a better sentence than any of

the alternatives, select choice A.

Being that she has a gift for comic timing,

Esmeralda is a natural when it comes to

storytelling.

(A) Being that she has a gift for comic

timing

(B) In having a gift for comic timing

(C) With her gift for comic timing

(D) Although she has a gift for comic

timing

(E) Comically timed

Choose the word or set of words that,

when inserted in the sentence, best fits

the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Sylvia's employer considered her

advertising campaign to be ------- yet -------:

Sylvia's ideas were new and creative but

were not appropriate for the client's

product.

(A) novel . . inapt

(B) irrelevant . . modest

(C) lengthy . . compelling

(D) fresh . . original

(E) marginal . . partial