OE


In the first sentence, the word "is" functions as a straight-ahead road sign, connecting the kind of competition among buyers that is "a boon [a benefit] for real estate agents." Then you learn that real estate agents make money mostly on commission. Therefore, a good market for real estate agents is an active market in which prices are high. Predict strong competition and take a look at the answer choices. (B) Robust means "strong" and works well in the context of this sentence. Both (A) Lax and (C) Dwindling would be more apt to describe the "inevitable weak market," since the former means "not strong" and the latter means "decreasing in size."

The second blank describes an agent who plans for a weak market, an idea introduced with the detour road sign "but." Predicting a wise agent leads directly to (D) knowing, which here means "shrewdly or keenly aware." (E) craven, meaning "cowardly," might work to describe an agent who leaves the real estate field altogether out of fear of the risk involved, but the text is describing people who stay in the business. Although agents who diversify their business are probably confident and perhaps even aggressive, (F) brash means "confident and aggressive in a rude way"; this negative connotation does not match the neutral tone of the sentence.

The third blank states the positive effect that diversifying has for real estate businesses. The phrase kept in business works well as a prediction here. (I) buoyed means "kept afloat"; this can be in the literal sense of being kept afloat in water, but it can also be used metaphorically to say, Her mood was buoyed by the good news or, in this case, A business is buoyed by diversification. Both (G) stunted, which means "slowed in growth," and (H) terminated, meaning "ended," are negative in tone and are the opposite of what's needed.