Carcass wrote:
Paradoxically, the very admonitions intended to reform the prodigal served only to ________ his wicked ways.
A. turn him from
B. confirm him in
C. distress him about
D. absolve him of
E. reinforce
F. transform
The words Paradoxically means a contrast or a contradiction.
So, the ' admonitions ' are supposed to correct it, but if there has been a contradiction to it, then it must have had the opposite effect, which will be reinforcing..
So, B and E are correct.