Please, .,.

1. d. ration

A ration is a limited amount of something.

2. c. smolders

Smolders means to burn slowly but with no flame, only smoke.

3. b. trudge

This means having to walk slowly as if one is having to difficult to walk.

4. a. gallant

Gallant is a synonym of brave.

5. d. lukewarm

A lukewarm object is neither hot nor cold.

6. b. clatter.

Clatter is a sound made when hard object continually hit each other.

7. a. awkward.

Awkward situations are embarrassing.

8. c. scholar

A scholar is someone who has studied a subject intensively and is therefore skilled in it.

9. b. plentiful.

Plentiful as the term suggests means to having a lot of something.

10. d. weary.

A weary person is a tired person.

11. c. reserve.

To reserve something is to store it up for a later day.

12. a. volunteer.

Volunteering means to work without pay. Mostly done to gain experience or as altruistic charitable endeavors.

historically speaking, military dictators usually come into power

as the result of a military coup d'etat that was successful against  

whatever form of government existed before.  

sometimes the military dictator was put in place by winning a civil war.  

    occasionally military dictators conduct phony 'elections'  

in order to claim that they were elected by the people.

but there are never any serious candidates running against the dictator.

when a dictator becomes too old for governing his country,

he usually tries to arrange for one of his sons to take over power  

after he is dead and gone.  

when that is not possible, some secret decisions within the military

results in the next dictator taking power

—whether by means of an 'election' or another coup d'etat.  

    countries with little experience of other forms of government

often assume that a military strongman is their natural leader.  

military dictators want to stay in power for as long as possible.  

often the only way they leave office is feet first,

that is, they must die or be killed while still in power  

before the next form of government will take over.

explanation: