Each item in this section consists of a sentence with an underlined word…

Solution

The correct answer is "worried".

Key point:

Anxious means feeling or showing worry, nervousness, or unease about something.

Example: My mother always gets a bit anxious if we don't arrive when we say we will.

"Worried" means feeling anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems, so it is the closest synonym to "anxious."

Example: They don't seem particularly worried about the situation.

Why the other choices are not correct:

• Dispassionate — calm and impartial; not showing strong feelings. This does not convey worry or nervousness.

• Sluggish — slow-moving or inactive; refers to physical or mental slowness rather than anxiety.

• Torpid — mentally or physically inactive; lethargic, not anxious.

Therefore, the word nearest in meaning to "anxious" is "worried."