(B) CORRECT. Scotch means “to put an end to, stamp out.” This is exactly what we want.

(C) Back, meaning “support,” is exactly the opposite of what we want.

(D) CORRECT. Foil means “to prevent the success of.” Again, this is perfect.

(D) Runic means “mysterious or secret in meaning.” This is unrelated.

(H) Elucidating means “making clear,” so is opposite of what we need.

(I) Inveighing means “writing with hostility.” We are looking for a word with a negative spin, but this
does not make sense.

(G) CORRECT. Sham, meaning “counterfeit or fake,” is a perfect match for our filler.

(A) Discerning, which means “showing good judgment or perceptiveness,” has a positive spin and
meaning that are not good matches for our filler.
(B) Blunt means “abrupt, direct, insensitive,” and is not a good match for our filler.

(C) Dubious means “warranting uncertainty or doubt” or “undecided or doubting” and is not a good
match for our filler. We are not given any reason to doubt the threat of cyber attacks.

(D) CORRECT. Deleterious means “harmful or damaging,” and is a good match for our filler.

(E) Unobtrusive, which means “not blatant; inconspicuous,” is nearly the opposite of our filler.

(F) CORRECT. Disruptive is very similar to “harmful,” and is a good match for our filler.

(B) CORRECT. Cordiality means “warmth and friendliness” and is a good match for our filler.

(C) CORRECT. Bonhomie means “good-natured, pleasant friendliness, affability,” and is a perfect match
for our filler and the clue “friendliness.”

(D) Magnanimity, which means “generous and forgiving,” is an attractive answer choice. If those
interacting with the public displayed these qualities, retailers might achieve a good reputation.
However, we don’t have evidence to suggest that friendliness and customer service require workers to
be forgiving or generous.

(E) Constancy means “steadfastness, loyalty, or the state of being unchanging, constant.” It has the right
positive spin, but is not a good match for our clues or filler.

(F) Fealty, which means “allegiance, faithfulness, loyalty,” is very similar to constancy. It has the right
positive spin, but is not a good match for our clues or filler.

Notice that (E) and (F) are near-synonyms, which makes them an attractive wrong answer pair . If you
simply hunted for a synonym pair without identifying the sentence clues, (E) and (F) might be a trap that
you would fall into.

(A) Relished as a verb used in a figurative sense means “enjoyed or was gratified by.” This has a
positive spin, and is not a good match.

(B) Appealed to can mean “asked something of” or “was attractive to.” Neither usage fits in this
context.

(C) While Mill may have been appalled at the popular notion that social inequality was needed
to safeguard the natural roles of women as caretakers and child bearers, but we do not have any
indication that this was his frame of mind.

(D) CORRECT. Assailed means “attacked,” so it is a good match. Other phrases in the passage,
such as “demand for empirical evidence” and “insisted,” match “assailed” in strength and
negative spin, providing additional support for this choice.

(E) Mocked certainly has the negative tone we expect, but it goes a bit too far. To infer that
“excoriated” means “mocked,” we would need other clues from the surrounding passage. Mill’s
tone was never described as mocking, and if anything, words such as “demand for empirical
evidence” and “recognized” indicate that his writing was fairly even-handed.