Sc from the BB

[samarfadl]

would anyone plz help me with these SC
thanx

1) Number theory is rich in problems of an especially____________ sort; they are tantalizingly simple to state but____________ difficult to solve.
A) cryptic…. deceptively
B) spurious….equally
C) abstruse…. ostensibly
D) elegant…. rarely
E) vexing….notoriously

SPOILER: The answer is (E)

2) In failing to see that the justice's pronouncement merely_______ pervious decisions rather than actually establishing a precedent, the novice low clerk
___________ the scope of the justice's judgment.
A) synthesized…..limited
B) overturned……misunderstood
C) endorsed…..nullified
D) qualified……overemphasized
E) recapitulated……defined

SPOILER: The answer is (D)

[mystic87]

I don't have the best or the strongest reasoning for these questions...but maybe it will inspire you to come up with better ones.

1) Number theory is rich in problems of an especially____________ sort; they are tantalizingly simple to state but____________ difficult to solve.
A) cryptic…. deceptively
B) spurious….equally
C) abstruse…. ostensibly
D) elegant…. rarely
E) vexing….notoriously

I used the second word for preliminary elimination. The second word must describe "difficult to solve" so you can't have A or C. So that leaves you with B, D, E. Now look at the sentence construction with the semicolon. The second part is not contradicting the first but rather support it. Therefore, the first word must be similar to the second word. Now let's look at those choices again.
(a) spurious..equally (they are not the same meanting at all)
(b) elegant..rarely (not even close)
(c) vexing..notorious (similar in the sense that they're both negative and "bad")

2) In failing to see that the justice's pronouncement merely_______ pervious decisions rather than actually establishing a precedent, the novice law clerk ___________ the scope of the justice's judgment.

A) synthesized…..limited
B) overturned……misunderstood
C) endorsed…..nullified
D) qualified……overemphasized
E) recapitulated……defined

This actually stumped me due to the word "pervious". So i checked up on the definition and it means "open to argument, ideas, or change; approachable."
Since the sentence is really talking about a misconception of the law clerk's view on the justic's action then it means that the two words are opposite to each other. It's possible for the law clerk to have overestimated or underestimated the justice's scope but the answer must follow with the correct antonym for the first word. So that leaves us with two options:
(a)synthesized...limited
the two wards are not opposites
(d)qualified...overestimated
"qualified" means limited...which is the opposite of overestimated. So this fits the sentence.

When i was looking only at the first word, it seems all of them could work..but they dont have the necessary second word to follow.

what do you think?

[missionGRE]

just wondering if the word is actually "pervious" or that was meant to be "previous"...can the original poster please confirm.

[shah khan]

1) Ans: B
2) Ans: D

1. The problems are simply easy to state but when it comes to solving, they are the opposite. The word 'but' indicates contrast for simple and difficult. The second missing word would support 'tantalizing'. 'Spurious' is a good word for the first blank since it defines the nature of the problems. Answer choice 'notorious' for the second blank does not seem likely. Notorious is not exactly the best word to define problems!

2. The judge simply supported pervious decisions whereby the clerk overemphasized it.

[samarfadl]

hi friends!

just wondering if the word is actually "pervious" or that was meant to be "previous"...can the original poster please confirm.

first of all, sorry for this grave typo
and yes it is previous and not pervious.

1) Ans: B

1. The problems are simply easy to state but when it comes to solving, they are the opposite. The word 'but' indicates contrast for simple and difficult. The second missing word would support 'tantalizing'. 'Spurious' is a good word for the first blank since it defines the nature of the problems. Answer choice 'notorious' for the second blank does not seem likely. Notorious is not exactly the best word to define problems!

i too have chosen this answer but the BB stated that it is wrong and that the right answer is (E) but i think that i would agree with mystic explanation.

2) In failing to see that the justice's pronouncement merely_______ previous decisions rather than actually establishing a precedent, the novice law clerk ___________ the scope of the justice's judgment.

A) synthesized…..limited
B) overturned……misunderstood
C) endorsed…..nullified
D) qualified……overemphasized
E) recapitulated……defined

i still unable to understand this one, i think that previous decisions rather than actually establishing a precedent can give us a hint on the first word
but unfortunately i can't see this hint. i'm not sure of the meaning of qualified in this sentence. i know that it either mean limits or modifies or has the ability and quality.
so, i'm confused a little bit about this one

thank u guys for ur help and for addressing my mistakes

[mystic87]

hmm i think i'm willing to emend my answer for the first question. here's why.

1) Number theory is rich in problems of an especially____________ sort; they are tantalizingly simple to state but____________ difficult to solve.

B) spurious….equally
E) vexing….notoriously

the second part remains an explanation or amplification for the first part. something that is "simple" but in reality is difficult to solve...give false impressions doesnt it? So false impression should be the basis for the first word. Therefore, it can be a word like misleading, deceptive, or "spurious". At first i didn't want to accept spurious because i thought it had more of a false/wrong connotation to it. However, the word can actually mean "not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit." As for the second word, you must use "tantalizing" as cue. If the math theory is tantalizingly simple it is NOT as/nearly/equally tantalizing to solve.

you're saying the OA is E? hmm...what a perplexing question. It can go either way. but B may be a better choice.