Directions: Select the boldface word that better completes each sentence. You might refer to your Reading 4 to see how most of these words are used in context. Number your paper 1-25 and write only the word.
1. Scientists have concluded that a sudden catastrophe (expunged, converged) dinosaurs from the face of the earth.
2. Instead of blaming a (malevolent, invulnerable) fate for your failures, why not look for the causes within yourself?
3. The critic recognized the book's faults but dismissed them as (uncanny, venial) in view of the author's overall achievement.
4. Instead of making an informed guess, why not (ascertain, esteem) exactly how many students are going on the trip to Washington?
5. Though the journey seemed interminable, I knew that it was (cogent, finite) and that I would soon be home.
6. When I splattered paint on my art teacher, I tried to appear (nonchalant, malevolent) but succeeded only in looking horrified.
7. Vast wealth, elegant clothes, and a (finite, supercilious) manner may make a snob, but they do no of themselves make a person a true gentleman or lady.
8. At first, the two candidates were n disagreement on every issue, but as the campaign went on, their opinions seemed to (dispersed, converge).
9. When I found myself flushed with anger, I realized that I was not so (scrupulous, invulnerable) to their bitter sarcasm as I had thought I was!
10. Her bright, optimistic manner did much to (ascertain, disperse) the atmosphere of gloom that had settled over the meeting.
11. Lincoln said, "If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and (esteem, attainment)."
12. Though you forgot my birthday, and I did not receive a gift or card, it was a (venial, scrupulous) mistake and I shall forgive you.
13. When I walked into the abandoned house, I had this (malevolent, uncanny) feeling that someone was watching me.
14. Though the couple have spent years studying African history, they do not claim to be (omniscient, cogent) in that field.
15. We were overjoyed when we heard our university was going to invite an (invulnerable, esteemed) author and playwright to speak at our commencement.
16. It seemed unimaginable that when I look at the night sky, the number of stars is actually (finite, omniscient).
17. There are so many different factors involved in an energy crisis that no single measure can be expected to serve as a(n) (panacea, attainment).
18. Nothing he may (expunge, bequeath) to the next generation can be more precious than the memory of his long life of honorable public service.
19. She is the kind of person who has many (attainments, panaceas) but seems unable to put them to any practical use.
20. The newspaper revealed that the city's chief building inspector was (omniscient, affiliated) with a large construction company.
21. Is it true that some dogs have a(n) (uncanny, nonchalant) sense of the approach of death?
22. I found your criticism of my conduct unpleasant, but I had to admit that our remarks were (venial, cogent).
23. The reform candidate vowed to root out the corruption that (skulked, bequeathed) through the corridors of City Hall.
24. As a member of the grand jury, it is your duty to be (scrupulous, supercilious) in weighing every bit of evidence.
25. A large crowd (ascertained, converged) on the mall to buy the latest gadget.
Synonyms: Choose the word from this unit that is the same or most nearly the same in meaning as the boldface word or expression in the phrase. Number your paper 1-10 and write only the word.
1. no easy solution for the problems of aging
2. an eerie tale of the supernatural
3. must determine who is responsible
4. crept around in the shadows of the old warehouse
5. handed down their knowledge to their apprentices
6. the realization of a cherished dream
7. a quantifiable amount of rainfall
8. an indifferent shrug of the shoulders
9. resistant to normal wear and tear
10. needed to delete out-of-date files
Antonyms: Choose the word from this unit that is most or nearly opposite in meaning to the boldface word or expression in the phrase. Write that word on the line. Use a dictionary if necessary. Number your paper 1-5 and write only the response.
1. a fretful attitude
2. an endless supply of fresh water
3. an attempt to create a financial file
4. sought comfort in her affliction
5. a cat that sped across the lawn
Completing the sentence: From the words in this unit, choose the one that best completes each of the following sentences. Number your paper 1-20 and write only the response.
1. When the candidate admitted openly that he had been mistaken in some of his earlier policies, we ______________ him more highly than ever.
2. The screening committee investigated not only the candidates themselves but also the organizations with which they were __________________.
3. So long as we remained indoors, we were _________________ to the arctic blasts that swept down on our snowbound cabin.
4. Antibiotics were once considered wonder drugs, but we now know that they are not ___________ for all our physical ailments.
5. I knew the dean would accept my apology when she characterized my behavior as thoughtless but _____________.
6. Her election to Congress was the ________________ of a lifelong ambition.
7. Though I wanted to "let bygones be bygones," I found that I could not wholly _____________ the bitter memory of their behavior from my mind.
8. Before making our final plans, we should ___________ exactly how much money we will have for expenses.
9. Your ability to guess what I am thinking about at any given time is nothing short of _____________.
10. Because our natural resources are _________________ and by no means inexhaustible, we must learn to conserve them.
11. In the opening scene of the horror film, a shadowy figure dressed in black _________________ through the graveyard in the moonlight.
12. The more knowledge and wisdom people acquire, the more keenly they become aware that no one is ________________.
13. Is there anyone in the world as __________________ as a senior who attends a mere sophomore class dance?
14. Only by paying ____________________ attention to innumerable details were the investigators able to piece together the cause of the accident.
15. In a situation that would have left me all but helpless with embarrassment, he remained cool and ___________________.
16. Isn't it remarkable how quickly a throng of sunbathers will pick up their belongings and ________________ when a few drops of rain fall?
17. If only parents could _________________ their hard-won practical wisdom and experience to their children!
18. When I saw the pain he caused others and the pleasure he took in doing so, I realized he was a truly _____________________ person.
19. Our representative offered one simple but ____________ argument against the proposal: It would raise the cost of living.
20. As we stood on the railway tracks looking off into the distance, the rails seemed to ______________ and meet at some far-off point.