I considered beaming same as fulminating.

The correct answer for Blank (i) is B. caviled.



The sentence describes a grammar teacher who reacts to even the smallest mistakes. The phrase "at the slightest fault" and the extreme example "berate students for forgetting to cross a ' t '" indicates a person who is overly critical and finds minor flaws.
- A. started: This means to begin. It doesn't fit the context of reacting to a fault.
- B. caviled: This means to make a fuss about a trivial detail. This word perfectly captures the teacher's behavior of being overly critical of minor errors.
- C. blanched: This means to turn pale with fear or shock. This describes a physical reaction, not a specific type of criticism.
- D. beamed: This means to smile radiantly. This is the opposite of the teacher's described behavior.
- E. paused: This means to stop for a short time. This is irrelevant to the context of the teacher's reaction to a mistake.

The word caviled best describes someone who nitpicks and complains about insignificant errors, which fits the teacher's characterization in the sentence.