Can someone help with these 2 GRE verbal questions?

Question

Requirement: fill the blank with 2 words choosen from the below list, each word should give the sentence the same meaning.

1. Modern agricultural practices have been extremely successful in increasing the productivity of major food crops, yet despite heavy use of pesticides, __ losses to diseases and insect pests are sustained each year.

   • A. incongruous B. reasonable C. significant D. considerable E. equitable F. fortuitous

My guess: D, E

1. The judge's standing in the legal community, though shaken by phony allegations of wrongdoing, emerged, at long last, __.
   • A. unqualified B. undiminished C. undecided D. undamaged E. unresolved F. unprincipled

My guess:　B, D

It would be great if you could give the answer, as well as explain why made the choice.

Answer 1

The strategy is to see the direction involved on the missing word, Also, temporarily remove everything unnecessary: "The judge's standing emerged _" can get rid of some words that just won't work no matter what, like A and F

• qn 1: the positive introductory part of the sentence, with the 'despite' are setting up a contrast, so you're expecting a 'loss' of a negative kind. Only C and D are negative losses (and C, 'significant', seems a little -too- negative).

• qn 2: another contrast, 'though shaken' is negative so you're looking for a positive 'standing'. B and D are both positive. 'shaken' evokes possible damage more than possible lessening, so I would go with D.

Answer 2

You're wrong about the first question, right about the second. Significant and considerable are synonyms.

Answer 3

The following explanations are from The Official Guide to the GRE revised General Test:

1. The word "despite" suggests the level of losses is somehow surprising given the heavy use of pesticides. The only words that describe an appropriate level of losses are "significant" and "considerable" (Choices C and D), which produce sentences alike in meaning. "Reasonable" and "equitable" also produce sentences alike in meaning, but neither word generates the contrast necessary for the sentence to make sense.
2. The use of the word "though" establishes a contrast between the blank, which requires a description of the judge's standing, and "phony allegations of wrongdoing." Thus the words that best complete the blank must indicate that the judge's reputation was not adversely affected by these allegations. The only words that do so are "undiminished" and "undamaged" (Choices B and D), which produce sentences alike in meaning. "Undecided" and "unresolved" also produce sentences alike in meaning, but neither word makes sense when inserted into the blank.

Answer 4

In GRE questions, you should look at what expectations the other part of the questions create from you. As Robusto says, you are wrong about the first part. The first part says yet despite heavy use of pesticides, __ losses to diseases and insect pests are sustained each year. The two words, yet and despite together create a sense of negativity, while equitable is usually used in a positive sense. Hence C,D which are context neutral and also make sense.