Context Breakdown:

• The first sentence describes a limit: Black residents had "few formal options for banking and other financial services."
• The second sentence introduces Maggie Lena Walker's action: She "chartered the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank."
• The third sentence describes the positive impact: The bank provided "home loans and savings opportunities."

We need a word that means Walker *fixed* the problem of limited financial options.

Answer Choice Analysis:

• (A) prolong: to make something last longer. This is the opposite of what we need.
• (B) rectify: to correct something; to fix. This fits perfectly.
• (C) retain: to keep or hold on to something. This doesn't make sense in the context.
• (D) highlight: to emphasize or draw attention to something. This doesn't fit the action of creating a bank.

The correct answer is (B) rectify.

Context Breakdown:

• The first sentence introduces the topic: the creation of the film.
• The second sentence describes the *process*: "three years," "250,000 individual images," "hand-cut paper silhouettes," "invent entirely new methods."

These details clearly show the process was hard, difficult, and required a lot of effort.

Answer Choice Analysis:

• (A) haphazard: lacking any obvious principle of organization; random. This is the opposite of the careful, detailed work described.
• (B) contentious: causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial. This doesn't relate to the difficulty of the process.
• (C) ineffectual: not producing any significant or desired effect. The film was clearly *effective*, so this is incorrect.
• (D) arduous: involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring. This perfectly describes the process.

The correct answer is (D) arduous.

Context Breakdown:

• The sentence sets up a *comparison* or *distinction* between two types of fish: diadromous and euryhaline.
• The colon (:) is a key clue! It indicates that the following clause will *explain* or *elaborate* on the previous statement.
• The explanation highlights a key *difference*: diadromous fish *migrate* between biomes, while euryhaline fish (like the tilapia) do *not*.

We need a word that means *different from* or *distinguished from*.

Answer Choice Analysis:

• (A) demarcated from: set the boundaries or limits of; separated or distinguished from. This is the best fit, as it directly expresses the idea of setting apart.
• (B) reconstituted as: rebuilt or reconstructed. This doesn't relate to the comparison being made.
• (C) conflated with: combined (two or more things) into one; mixed up with. This is the *opposite* of what we want; we need to show a difference, not a combination.
• (D) derived from: obtained from a specified source. This doesn't fit the context of comparing two types of fish.

The correct answer is (A) demarcated from.

Context Breakdown:

• The first sentence describes a theory about the Moon's origin.
• The key word here is **"but"**. This conjunction signals a *contrast* or *shift* in the information.
• Before "but," Theia was something (the blank). After "but," researchers claim to have *found evidence* of Theia.

This means the word in the blank should describe Theia as something *unproven* or *theoretical* before the new evidence.

Answer Choice Analysis:

• (A) desultory: lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm; random. This doesn't directly relate to the idea of being unproven.
• (B) spurious: false or fake; not genuine. While this could *seem* to fit, it implies a deliberate deception, which isn't the main point. Theia wasn't a fake theory; it was just unproven.
• (C) veritable: used for emphasis, often to qualify a metaphor; real or genuine. This is the *opposite* of what we need.
• (D) notional: existing only in theory or as an idea; hypothetical. This is a perfect fit. It means Theia was just a concept until evidence was found.

The correct answer is (D) notional.