Improve the bracketed part of the sentence.

Having finished the voluminous novel, (it was being put away by him).

Emphasize means giving special importance or worth giving attention to in speaking or writing.

Here in the options, Accentuate is most nearly means Emphasize.

She don't speak either German or French is the correct sentence in English.

Tether is a rope, chain, or the like, by which an animal is fastened to a fixed object so as to limit its range of movement.

Cord is rope like to tie. Hence, cord is most similar in meaning to tether.

Sad means being unhappy, sorrowful, mournful, wistful,...

Hence, Somber means cheerless i.e, unhappy which is synonym of sad. All other options are opposites of Sad.

We know that, preceeded means to come before. 

Hence, the given sentence, preceded in death means that person had died before this person.

For example :: Rahul preceeded Ravi in death, means Rahul died before Ravi.

Apostate:

A person who abandons or renounces or deserts his religious or political beliefs or principles.

In the novel entitled 1984 by George Orwell's, "War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength;" is one of the three slogans of the entity known only as “The Party,” English Socialist Party ("INGSOC" for short) of Oceania.

It means "describes the act of simultaneously accepting two mutually contradictory beliefs as correct, often in distinct social contexts."

Ornate means which is beautiful, lavish one. Opposite of Ornate is ugly, offensive, dull or plain.