Solution - Multiple Choice (#007)

The first step in this puzzle is to notice that, for each of the answer choices, one can add a letter to the front and get a new word (i.e. bode -> Abode). Furthermore, one might notice that the letters A,B,C,D,E are particularly well-suited to be prepended to the given answer choices. This is clued by the fact that in many multiple choice exams (standardized tests, anything that uses a scantron), the answer choices are labeled with A,B,C,D,E.

From there, the next step is to, for each question, determine in which way the given answer choices should be labeled with the letters A,B,C,D,E such that five new words are produced by adding the letter in front. While some words may have more than one choice (i.e. rash -> Brash or Crash), in each set of answers, there is a unique way to turn all five into valid words (i.e. the C is needed for raven -> Craven, so it must be rash -> Brash). The amended test now should be:

  1. What a piece of news might do to you
    • Daunt
    • Chill
    • Elate
    • Amaze
    • Bother
  2. How one might describe a thought
    • Dinner
    • Blame
    • Clever
    • Amine
    • Every
  3. Term that may be used to describe personality
    • Emotionless
    • Dour
    • Apathetic
    • Brash
    • Craven
  4. Plant or plant material
    • Acorn
    • Chives
    • Dill
    • Bramble
    • Evocation
  5. What one does to food
    • Eat
    • Beat
    • Deject
    • Chew
    • Aspire
  6. What one might do to an unpleasant activity
    • Cease
    • Emerge
    • Brave
    • Dread
    • Avoid
  7. How one might feel after a breakup
    • Alone
    • Clone
    • Blow
    • Down
    • Espouser
  8. To deteriorate
    • Bleak
    • Drip
    • Erode
    • Crumble
    • Atrophy
  9. An animal
    • Cape
    • Bear
    • Dear
    • Awe
    • Ewe
  10. A bird
    • Eaglet
    • Dairy
    • Agreed
    • Bowl
    • Cowl
  11. Where one might live
    • Abode
    • Boat
    • Crib
    • Estate
    • Dwelling
  12. Something a factory may produce
    • Dawning
    • Changer
    • Ajar
    • Emission
    • Boar
  13. What an adventurer might do to weapons
    • Bless
    • Amass
    • Equip
    • Craft
    • Draw
  14. A noun that might be first learned in science class
    • Bluster
    • Eon
    • Coral
    • Driver
    • Asteroid
  15. What protesters might demand
    • Danger
    • Cash
    • Amends
    • Equality
    • Bright

Now, the test can be solved by selecting the appropriate answers for each prompt. The correct choices are:

  1. ABCDE
  2. C
  3. ABCDE
  4. ABCD
  5. CE
  6. ABCD
  7. AD
  8. ACE
  9. BE
  10. E
  11. ABCDE
  12. E
  13. ABCDE
  14. ACE
  15. ACE

The next step is to fill these answers in as one would on a scantron or similar answer sheet, which is also clued by the flavor text. The fact that the original answer choices are given in alphabetical order implies that the given order does not encode useful information. Filling in the answers and looking for patterns (as many have probably done on actual tests with this style of answer sheet), the letters HASTE can be seen.

ABCDE
C
ABCDE
ABCD 
C E
ABCD
A  D 
A C E
B E
    E
ABCDE
E
ABCDE
A C E
A C E

One final step is to realize that there are six blanks given for the answer, and HASTE is only five letters. However, following the pattern of multiple choice answers, one notes that the letter C can be prepended. So the final answer is C) HASTE, or CHASTE.