【题目】People complain that decisions to approve or deny a permit are often ______ rather than based on fixed criteria.
A.appropriate
B.conscious
C.arbitrary
D.controversial

【答案】C
【解析】句意：有人抱怨，批准或拒绝许可证的决定往往是任意的。appropriate“适当的，恰当的，合适的”；conscious“有意识的，神志清醒的”；arbitrary“ 随意的，任性的，随心所欲的”；controversial“有争议的，引起争议的”。根据句意，选C。