Curley gained a reputation for being a ____ because he constantly bullied other men.
burglar
ruffian
stickler
daredevil
naysayer
Lennie was so fond of his mouse that their brief separation left him not just saddened, but in a state of ___.
vagary
abhorance
bereavement
degeneration
elation
What people believe about life, though it is seldom ____ their material circumstances, is by no means necessarily ____ these circumstances.
reflected in…responsive to
unaffected by…determined by
applied to…contained in
dependent upon…subordinate to
implicit in…excluded by
The land can hardly be considered ____, for the steep hills retain little of the summer rains and the soil is ___.
unprofitable…inactive
barren…overused
arable…thin
luxuriant…fertile
impractical…arid
Before the 1930’s the knowledge one could give children would last them their working lives, whereas today the technological revolution often renders familiar scientific developments ____ overnight.
valid
expedient
obsolete
immortal
memorable
The biography of John Steinbeck describes his life so ____, that the readers feel they are hearing the great writer’s thoughts and experiencing his emotions.
sparsely
mysteriously
cautiously
graciously
vividly
John Steinbeck’s work is both ____ and ___: his books are numerous and full of discerning observations.
prolific…utopian
enervated…analytical
onerous…cosmopolitan
copious…sagacious
insightful…perceptive
Slim was austere and ____, a man of immense reserve and dignity.
lax
rowdy
aloof
droll
abusive
Fairly incompetent himself, Candy tended to favor those who were even less ____ than he was and who therefore were not ____ to him or his authority.
capable…a threat
efficient…a boost
qualified…an asset
weak…a danger
inferior…a risk
Mobility has scattered families and ____ the continuities that once cemented loyalties.
fused
eroded
cradled
perpetuated
consolidated