An antidote is a remedy used to relieve, prevent, or counteract the effects of poison. A poison is a substance that causes death or harm if absorbed by a living being.  An antidote works against poison.

(a) Cure - means to being back a person to healthy or remedy a disease.  Recovery is to become well again or to regain health.  A cure doesn't work against recovery.

(b) Narcotic: It is a drug that includes sleep or  rest.  A narcotic doesn't work against sleep. In fact it may induce insensibility.

(c) Stimulant: It is a drink of drug that increases bodily or mental activity. To relapse is to fall back again especially after recovery from illness into ill health.  It is incorrect to say that a stimulant works against relapse.

(d) Tonic is medicine that gives strength or energy.  Lethargy - It is a state of being tired, uninterested, lacking in energy.  A tonic works against lethargy by giving strength and energy.

(e) Resuscitation: Bringing back to consciousness. Does not work against breathing i.e. inhaling and exhaling.  In fact to resuscitate is to revive breathing and thereby consciousness.

The correct answer is option D.

Percent correctly answered: 46.

Stygian: Refers to the river Styx, in the  world of the dead in Greek mythology.  It has implications of being dark, since it is the lower or the nether world.  Dark implies having little or no light. What is Stygian is dark. These words are thus synonymous in nature.

(a) Abysmal means bottomless or can refer to fathomless depths.   Figuratively, it can imply low performance, wretchedness, or being near the bottom.  Low  figuratively means an inferior performance e.g. in an examination,  therefore figuratively similar to abysmal.

(b) Cogent is strong and convincing, contention is quarrelsome. What is convincing is not quarrelsome.

(c) Fortuitous: means lucky and fortunate, accidental means unexpected.  What is lucky and fortunate and happening by chance is not necessarily accidental in the sense that what is unexpected may or may not be lucky or fortunate.  What is unexpected may have grave or serious consequences.

(d) Reckless: Is rash and unthinking of consequences - threatening implies use of force or serious consequences.  What is reckless is not threatening.

(e) Cataclysmic: is a reference to sudden violent change i.e. Flood, earthquake war. What is doomed is fated or destined to totally ruin or utter destruction. What is cataclysmic. e.g. : A flood or an earthquake is not destined or doomed for utter destruction in the future. A cataclysm may result in doom. It is incorrect to say a cataclysm is itself doom. 

The correct answer is option A.

Percent correctly answered: 39.

Worship is religious practice in respect and reverence to a deity. Sacrifice, literally mean killing of animals, as an act of worship.  Sacrifice is a form of worship. It is ritual of worship.

(a) Generation means bringing into existence or a line of descendants.
Pyre: is a large pile of wood for burning a corpse. i.e. a funeral pile.
A pyre is not an act of generation.

(b) Burial: is to enter or fury a dead body. Mortuary is a room or building (part of a hospital) where dead bodies are kept until they are disposed of. Mortuary is not a form of burial.

(c) Weapon: A weapon is an instrument designed for use in fighting. A centurion in Ancient Rome was a leader of a unit of 100 soldiers. Thus there is no direct connection between weapon and centurion; one is not an act of the other.

(D) A massacre is cruel killing of a large number of defenseless people. Invasion is the act of entering a country with armed forces with intent to attack. An invasion is not an act of massacre, as it may or may not lead to a massacre. It might end in defeat for the invaders.

(E) A prediction is to say or tell in advance or to prophesy. Augury is the ceremony or the act of an augury, a religious official in ancient Rome, who claimed to foretell future events by signs from the entrails of birds. An augury is an act of prediction. 

The correct answer is thus option E.

Percent correctly answered: 36.

To upbraid means to scold for doing something wrong. To reproach is to find fault, usually mildly. These are related by degree. To upbraid is to reproach strongly.

(A) To dote is to show too much affection or fondness. To like is to be pleased with, be fond of, have a preference for. To dote is to like intensely or strongly.

(B) To lag is to go slow; to stray is to wander or lose one's way. Going too slowly is not a stronger form of wandering from one's way.

(C) To vex means to annoy, distress, or trouble. To please is to make glad or happy. It is incorrect to say that vex or annoy is to please strongly.

(D) To earn is to secure or deserve as a result of one's efforts.  To desire is to long for or wish.  To earn is not to desire strongly.

(E) To recast means to make or fashion anew, to improve the form by reconstruction. To explain is to make plain or clear, to show the meaning of.  To recast is not to explain strongly.

The correct answer is option A.

Percent correctly answered: 35.