Read the sentence, looking for clues
The word "profligacy" means "immorally extravagant" and is very negative. Thus,
the leader must take a dim view of physical pleasures. Blank (iii) will reflect the
leader's negative view of "profligacy." The word "as" is a straight-ahead roadsign
connecting what the order is known for to the leader's orders about "profligacy."
Since profligacy isn't allowed, the members of the order must be clean-living. The
first two blanks are closely related, as they are part of phrases joined with "and";
these two phrases will both describe this clean-living order.
Predict an answer
For blank (iii), predict that profligacy might "interfere with" or "harm" a search
for understanding.
For blank (i), predict an adjective such as "austere" or "plain" or "not much
fun." For blank (ii), predict a verb such as "denying" or "forgoing" or "not
having."
Select the choice(s) that most closely match(es) your
prediction
Blank (iii): (I) a distraction from matches the prediction and
is correct. These pleasures are not (G) a key
to the search for understanding-the opposite is the case. They are
also not (H) a distortion of the search
for understanding. Someone's understanding of something could be distorted through
faulty information or interpretation, but it doesn't make sense to say that the
"search for understanding" is twisted out of shape or made untrue.
Blanks (i) and (ii): (B) ascetic and (D) abjuring work here.
The first means "self-denying" or "morally strict," and the second means "formally
rejecting." Members of this order practice asceticism and abjure physical pleasure. There is no evidence for the other choices for
these blanks. (F) espousing means "to
support, especially a cause."
Check your answer
The order was best known for its ascetic living and abjuring all physical indulgences, as the leader had decreed that
any profligacy represented a distraction
from its search for understanding.
TAKEAWAY: Sometimes a word with a strong positive or negative charge, such as
profligacy in this sentence, is a
good clue to one or more blanks.
