Answer:
1. Theater critics denigrate her acting ability.- <em><u>C. To say unfair comments.</u></em>
2. The haughty waiter smirked when I talked to him.- <em><u>E. Blatantly and disdainfully proud.</u></em>
3. My friend plans to go to some outlandish place to look for buried treasures.- <em><u>D. Very strange or unusual.</u></em>
4. Her patriotism was so heartfelt that she quit her job to serve the community.- <em><u>B. Love for one's country.</u></em>
5. Gun control is likely to be a contentious subject in any group discussion.- <em><u>A. Likely to cause disagreement.</u></em>
Explanation:
The definition of the words in the sentences in Column A are matched with those in Column B as follows-
1. Theater critics denigrate her acting ability.- C. To say unfair comments.
The word "denigrate" means saying something bad or comment in a negative way about someone or something.
2. The haughty waiter smirked when I talked to him.- E Blatantly and disdainfully proud.
The term "smirked" is an expression that is rude, to have a smug expression about something.
3. My friend plans to go to some outlandish place to look for buried treasures.- D. Very strange or unusual.
"Outlandish" means strange, unfamiliar, bizarre, weird.
4. Her patriotism was so heartfelt that she quit her job to serve the community.- B. Love for one's country.
Being "patriotic" means having a strong love for one's country.
5. Gun control is likely to be a contentious subject in any group discussion.- A. Likely to cause disagreement.
The term "contentious" means something that is argumentative, something prone to arguments, leading to debates or controversies.