Fill in the Blanks

Despondent means in low spirits from loss of hope or courage. Fans who see their team lose seven games in a row would feel discouraged and hopeless. Irascible means easily angered, lucid means clear/thinking clearly, didactic means intended to instruct - despondent best captures the emotional state of disappointed fans.

Euphemism : indirect word or expression 

Economise means to spend less, reduce expenses, or avoid waste. The sentence states that without spending reduction, monthly expenses would exceed income. Spend, splurge, and save are the opposite or unrelated actions. The sentence specifically warns about exceeding income, requiring expense reduction.

Depleted means reduced or used up completely. The sentence describes a costly operation using up the small store of money. Destroyed and damaged are too extreme for money, affected is too vague. Depleted specifically means resources have been drawn down or exhausted.

Inadequate means insufficient or not good enough. The sentence expresses skepticism that teeth seem like insufficient ('inadequate') pegs to hang entire ancestries on - suggesting doubts about whether teeth alone can support such extensive evolutionary claims. Reliable contradicts the skeptical tone, novel and specious don't fit the context.

Railing against means complaining angrily or protesting vigorously. The contrast is between 'quietly' accepting the news and the opposite action - 'railing against' fate instead of accepting it. Submitting to would mean accepting (not contrast), conspiring with and dissenting from don't create the right contrast structure.

Acerbic means sharp, biting, or harsh in tone or manner. The sentence contrasts being 'gentle' with friends against being 'bitter and even _______' with irritating people. Acerbic perfectly captures the harsh, cutting tone that contrasts with gentleness. Remorseful means regretful, stoical means enduring pain without complaint, laconic means using few words - acerbic is the correct choice.

Collaborative means involving joint or cooperative effort. The sentence describes how modern explorers are not individuals going alone but members of international teams working together. Singular means individual (opposite of what's stated), private means not public, insular means isolated or narrow-minded - collaborative captures the cooperative, international nature of modern exploration.

The sentence requires a contrast: someone who is not clever can still perform excellently always. 'Not' creates the first blank's negative meaning, while 'always' shows the consistency of excellent performance despite lack of cleverness.

Bilingual education would have advantages over single-language education. The sentence compares bilingual education to education in one tongue, suggesting benefits of knowing multiple languages.

A careful analysis reveals complete differences between substances. 'Careful' suggests thorough examination, while 'completely' indicates the full extent of differences discovered.

Soporific means sleep-inducing or causing drowsiness. An orator who is soporific would make the audience feel drowsy or sleepy, not elated, affable, or riotous.

A lapidary is a person who cuts, polishes, or engraves gems and stones. The other options don't fit: graphologist studies handwriting, cosmetologist deals with beauty treatments, and beagle is a dog breed.

Rotation is an intrinsic property of particles, meaning it's inherent and essential to their nature. Unlike a top that needs winding, particles naturally rotate - it's built into their fundamental characteristics.

A titular head holds the title or position without real power or authority. This explains why he attended social functions (ceremonial duties) but had no voice (influence) in actual policy formulation.