136. Despite the current expansion of membership in America, the governing body of world fencing fears that fencing could be in danger of ________ if it does not become more ________ to spectators.

    (A) monotony ... intelligible

    (B) overcrowding ... resistant

    (C) extinction ... accessible

    (D) corruption ... cordial

    (E) remoteness ... handy

 137. Despite the growing ________ of Hispanic actors in the American theater, many Hispanic experts feel that the Spanish-speaking population is ________ on the stage.

    (A) decrease ... inappropriate

    (B) emergence ... visible

    (C) prominence ... underrepresented

    (D) skill ... alienated

    (E) number ... misdirected

 138. Despite the mixture’s ________ nature, we found that by lowering its temperature in the laboratory we could dramatically reduce its tendency to vaporize.

    (A) resilient

    (B) volatile

    (C) homogeneous

    (D) insipid

    (E) acerbic

 139. Despite the team members’ resentment of the new coach’s training rules, they ________ them as long as he did not ________ them too strictly.

    (A) embraced ... follow

    (B) condemned ... formulate

    (C) questioned ... interpret

    (D) challenged ... implement

    (E) tolerated ... apply

 140. Despite their reputations as soothing love songs sung by mothers to lull fretful infants to sleep, many lullabies are of a dark, even ________ nature.

    (A) soporific

    (B) manipulative

    (C) threatening

    (D) auspicious

    (E) innocuous