This question tests careful reading plus word meaning (vocabulary in context). The passage sets up a contrast: someone is criticized for making false claims, and then a general statement is made about what honesty does to trust. Each option must be checked against both blanks together, not one at a time.
- exaggerates; engenders: "He often exaggerates the numbers" directly explains why "false claims are not going to help" follows right after it. "Honesty engenders trust" is a well known phrase, since engender means to bring something into existence. Both blanks fit.
- excels; encourages: "Excels" is normally followed by "at" or "in", not used directly with an object like "the numbers", so this breaks grammatically before the meaning is even checked.
- aggravates; alleviates: "Aggravates the numbers" is an odd, unnatural phrase, and "honesty alleviates trust" is backward in meaning, since alleviate means to lessen a burden, and trust is not a burden.
- diminishes; eliminates: "Diminishes the numbers" could just about pass grammatically, but "honesty eliminates trust" says the opposite of what honesty actually does, so the sentence would contradict itself.
Only option (A) keeps the sentence grammatical and logically consistent in both blanks, so "exaggerates; engenders" is correct.
Let's summarize:
- The first blank needs a verb close in spirit to "making false claims", which points to "exaggerates".
- The second blank needs a verb meaning "creates" or "produces", which points to "engenders".
So the correct order of words is "exaggerates; engenders", option (A).