Question

1. from the deck of the starship, they gazed in awe at the empty black (alliance, void) of outer space.
2. (malignant, virtual) gossip has unjustly damaged their reputation.
3. i can understand that you want to be witty and amusing, but try not to make people think youre a mere (alliance, buffoon).
4. for this job, we hope to hire people who have a (spirited, disheartened) and upbeat attitude, not ones who are drab and dull.
5. though her views about the role of women in society are far from (hostile, orthodox), even conservatives and traditionalists listen to them.
6. he plays computer games so much that he almost seems to live in a (virtual, void) world instead of in reality with the rest of us.
7. (controversial, malignant) growths need to be removed as soon as possible by an experienced surgeon.
8. walking through the meadow at night, we could hear mice and other small animals (scurrying, wincing) in the grass.
9. \whenever you find (wayward, controversial) children,\ the speaker said, \you also find ineffective parents.\
10. that joke was so unfunny, even the comedian herself gave a (buffoon, wince).

Explanation:

1. "Void" means empty space, which fits "empty black... of outer space".
2. "Malignant" means harmful, which fits "gossip has... damaged their reputation".
3. "Buffoon" means a foolish person, which fits "make people think you're a mere...".
4. "Spirited" means lively, which fits "upbeat attitude".
5. "Orthodox" means traditional, which fits "far from... even conservatives... listen".
6. "Virtual" means not real, which fits "computer games... live in a... world".
7. "Malignant" (in medical terms) means cancerous, which fits "growths need to be removed".
8. "Scurrying" means moving quickly, which fits "mice... in the grass".
9. "Wayward" means disobedient, which fits "children... ineffective parents".
10. "Wince" means a facial expression of pain/discomfort, which fits "joke was so unfunny... gave a...".

Answer:

1. void
2. Malignant
3. buffoon
4. spirited
5. orthodox
6. virtual
7. Malignant
8. scurrying
9. wayward
10. wince