The island guide greeted the travelers with a pontifical speech about his unmatched knowledge of every path. (pontifical: pompous, self-important, dogmatic) He would not delineate the route, insisting that true adventure began where ordinary maps became inconvenient. (delineate: outline, describe, define) His assistant noticed a preponderance of muddy footprints leading back to the same gate. (preponderance: predominance, greater weight, numerical superiority) The guide's equivocation increased whenever anyone asked whether he had actually reached the lighthouse before. (equivocation: evasiveness, hedging, ambiguity)
A discerning traveler requested something more useful than another account of the guide's remarkable ancestors. (discerning: perceptive, astute, insightful) The proposed shortcut was tentative, crossing a stream whose stepping-stones had disappeared beneath the water. (tentative: provisional, uncertain, exploratory) To call it safe would be tantamount to promising a bridge that had not been built. (tantamount: equivalent, practically equal, amounting to the same thing) The group considered the ramifications of continuing and decided that wet sandwiches were not the only possible difficulty. (ramifications: consequences, implications, effects)
Their predicament improved when the quiet assistant unfolded a map drawn by the island's schoolchildren. (predicament: dilemma, difficulty, awkward situation) Its palpable usefulness contrasted with the guide's invisible shortcuts and lengthy descriptions of his own courage. (palpable: tangible, evident, readily noticeable) He denied any culpability, explaining that a missing bridge was an excellent opportunity for character development. (culpability: blameworthiness, responsibility for wrongdoing, fault) The travelers remained resolute and asked him to develop his character on the dry path with everyone else. (resolute: determined, steadfast, unwavering)
The guide offered a deprecating remark about maps drawn with colored pencils, but the assistant pointed out the accurate shape of the shore. (deprecating: disparaging, belittling, dismissive) A qualitative difference separated a useful sketch from a beautifully printed map of the wrong island. (qualitative: descriptive, concerned with qualities, nonnumerical) The travelers could transcend the guide's expectations without taking an unnecessary risk simply to prove their courage. (transcend: exceed, surpass, go beyond) The assistant requested decisiveness about the next junction because standing still would not make the day any longer. (decisiveness: resolve, determination, firmness of decision)
A rustic gate marked the correct turn, exactly where the children's sketch had placed a small red square. (rustic: rural, country, pastoral) The guide's ulterior reason for avoiding the route emerged when he admitted that it passed a shop selling his rival's postcards. (ulterior: hidden, unstated, concealed) The group refused to let that trivial grievance determine which path was safest and easiest to follow. (trivial: minor, insignificant, inconsequential) A profound dislike of competition was not the same thing as practical knowledge of the terrain. (profound: deep, intense, strong)
A pervasive sense of relief followed the decision to walk around the stream rather than argue beside it. (pervasive: widespread, all-pervading, extensive) The assistant could encapsulate the revised plan in one sentence, which left ample time to enjoy the view. (encapsulate: summarize, capture briefly, express concisely) Their shared accord did not require them to admire every drawing or prefer the same walking pace. (accord: agreement, harmony, consensus) It required only a definitive answer to the practical question of which path would bring them home before dark. (definitive: conclusive, authoritative, decisive)