For (C), the word “devious” doesn’t really fit with the idea of something being “elaborate” from the text. It’s true that some “strategies” can be “devious,” but that still doesn’t address the idea of being “elaborately contrived.”
For (D), “onerous” probably seems like a difficult word to figure out, but in “slipshod” we can see the root “slip.” Since the idea of slipping generally indicates that something is not working properly (like when a car’s transmission “slips”) or that something has happened by accident (like when someone lets a detail “slip” or when an athlete “slips” on the playing field), it seems unlikely that the word “slipshod” is appropriate to describe someone who “master[s]” something. So this one is probably out, too.
For (E), the word “predictable” doesn’t restate the idea of something being “elaborate.” So this one is out, too.
That leaves us with only (A). Even though most test-takers don’t know what either word in (A) means, we can still probably figure out that something is wrong with the other 4 choices, and that (A) must be correct . . . assuming we read carefully and respect the rules of the test. Most people who miss this question will choose (B), because they ignore the negative connotation of “nefarious” and talk themselves into thinking that “conscientious” restates the idea of “master[ing]” something. Don’t make those kinds of mistakes. Don’t give points away for no reason.
Page 662, Question 8
In this question, the word in the first blank needs to restate the idea of being “openhanded.” Many test-takers will probably be unfamiliar with that word, but that might not be enough to kill our chances on this question. We might also be able to tell that the two words in the blank should contradict each other, because the sentence says it’s “difficult to reconcile” the two words, which means they must be antonyms according to the College Board’s unwritten rules.
Now our job is to look for an answer choice with two antonyms in it. We can probably tell that the words in (A) aren’t opposites, and we might also be able to tell that the words in (B) aren’t, either. (C) is a choice that many test-takers will skip the first time through because they don’t know what its words mean. The words in (D) are both synonyms. If we know the words in (E), we can tell they’re kind of similar to each other but not actually synonyms. If we don’t know them, then we should hold off on eliminating them.
At this point, then, if we can work out that (A), (B), (D), and (E) aren’t right, then we can confidently mark (C), and be correct. Of course, that assumes that we’re comfortable enough with the words “insolence” and “solicitousness” to be able to determine that (B) and (E) are wrong. If not, we may have to skip this question.
(There’s one other possible approach we could take: we might be able to recognize that the root of “magnanimity” is “magna,” which means “big” in Latin, and that the root of “pettiness” is “petty,” which comes from the French word for “small.” Realizing that could let us figure out that the words in (C) are opposites.)
Page 706, Question 5
Here, the first blank needs to be something with a negative connotation, because it reflects what the institute’s opponents call it, and it also needs to restate something about the idea of nobility. The second blank needs to reflect the idea of something that nobility might have had.
(A) probably looks good for the first word, because “elitist” is a word with a negative connotation that could describe something related to nobility. (It’s true that “elite” by itself is a positive word, but an “elitist” is someone who considers himself elite and will only deal with other elites—in other words, a snob.) We probably don’t recognize the second word here (it’s NOT “pre-requisites,” which is how many people incorrectly read it). So (A) seems like it might be possible at this point. Let’s move on and see our other options.
(B) might seem pretty good for the idea of “nobility” in the text, but this is yet another time when considering something very carefully becomes extremely important. The word “monarchical” technically refers to a form of government in which there is only one ruler. It’s true that some monarchical systems also included a class of nobles, but not all do. This is a critical distinction in this case, because the sentence is talking about a group of people (“scholars”) in an “institute.” It’s not talking about a single person with power over others, which is what the word “monarchical” would indicate. So (B) is wrong. To a lot of people, this analysis will sound like splitting hairs, but this is exactly the kind of thing we should be on the lookout for if we want to maximize our scores on the SAT. Picking up on these subtle attributes of words you already know (not memorizing hundreds of extra definitions!) is what will help push you to an exceptional score.