Finally, after refusing for a decade, the family patriarch, weakened by age and infirmity, surrendered to the impassioned pleas of his avaricious nieces, and gave his ________ to the risky investment stratagem.


The patriarch "refused" for a decade, and he finally surrendered to nieces wishes to most likely "approve" the investment strategem.

The only two possible choices: A and E. Assent means approval while asseveration means assertion. Assent is opposite to "refusal" so this is a better answer.

It's definitely assent because from the first part of the sentence it's clear that patriarch family refused to do something, but in the end they succumb to their nieces assertion.

Probably the easiest question !
Assent is an agreement , an approval. Since the man is told to be a conservative , cynic , pessimist kind of person , he gave his assent after an assisuous effort by nieces

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