OE


The detour road sign “while” indicates that the situation described in the first half of this sentence will contrast with the situation described in the second half. The context clues “intrepid” and “notoriously” in the first half of the sentence imply that the path chosen by the veteran hikers was difficult. Predict “dangerous” for the first blank. Choice (C) treacherous, which means “hazardous,” matches this prediction and is correct. Eliminate (A) facile, which means “easy,” since this is the opposite of the prediction, and (B) scenic, which means “pretty,” since this meaning is not supported by any context clues.   The second blank describes the other group of hikers. These hikers were “inexperienced” and opted to take a “less challenging” trail. You can predict that this group is “cautious.” Choice (D) circumspect, which means “careful,” is a match and is correct. Eliminate (E) bewildered, which means “confused,” as this is not supported by the context, and (F) reckless, which means “careless,” as this is the opposite of what the sentence calls for.