VOCAB SET2

30.The doctors were pleased that their theory had
been fortifiedby the new research.
a.reinforced
b.altered
c.disputed
d.developed
31.The captain often delegatedresponsibility to his
subordinates, so as to have time to do the important tasks himself.
a.analyzed
b.respected
c.criticized
d.assigned
32.The news about toxic waste dumping arousedthe
anger of the many listeners of a news broadcast.
a.informed
b.appeased
c.provoked
d.deceived
33.The spokesperson must articulatethe philosophy
of an entire company so that outsiders can
understand it completely.
a.trust
b.refine
c.verify
d.express
34.The new shipping and receiving building is an
expansivefacility, large enough to meet our
growing needs.
a.obsolete
b.meager
c.spacious
d.costly
35.The attorneys were now certain they could not
win the case, because the ruling had proved to be
so detrimental to their argument.
a.decisive
b.harmful
c.worthless
d.advantageous
36.My brother drives us crazy by crooningin the
shower.
a.hooting
b.bellowing
c.crying
d.shouting
37.The emotional falloutfrom a natural disaster can
adversely affect the residents in a community for
years.
a.conflict
b.issues
c.relationship
d.consequences
38.The air in the rainforest was humid, making the
heat seem even more smothering than before.
a.hot
b.damp
c.hazy
d.volatile
39.The balloon, loose from its string, rose up into
the sky, a shiny purple sphere.
a.circle
b.globe
c.ovoid
d.nodule
–VOCABULARY–
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SADRA RAYANEH SHOMAL
40.After the storm caused raw sewage to seep into
the ground water, the Water Department had to
take measures to decontaminatethe city’s water
supply.
a.refine
b.revive
c.freshen
d.purify
41.The mayor tailoredhis speech to suit the crowd
of homeless people gathered outside his office.
a.intoned
b.expanded
c.altered
d.shortened
42.The volcano lays dormantnow, but we feel sure it
will erupt again within the year.
a.inactive
b.slack
c.elevated
d.inattentive
43.Because of his disregard for the king’s laws, the
prince was punished by being banishedfrom the
kingdom.
a.apart
b.kidnapped
c.exiled
d.spirited
44.I relinquishedmy place in line to go back and talk
with my friend Diane.
a.defended
b.yielded
c.delayed
d.remanded
45.I wrote in my journalevery day, hoping in the
future to author a book about my trip to Paris.
a.notebook
b.chapbook
c.diary
d.ledger
46.The thiefjostledme in a crowd and was thus able
to pick my pocket.
a.mugged
b.bumped
c.assailed
d.hindered
47.While we traveled in Italy, we stayed in an inexpensive hostel.
a.inn
b.compound
c.home
d.four-star hotel
48.My friend asked me to lie for her, but that is
against my philosophy.
a.principles
b.regulations
c.personality
d.introspection
–VOCABULARY–
6
SADRA RAYANEH SHOMAL
Choose the best vocabulary word for questions 49–51.
49.We had no idea who the special guest speaker
would be, because the organizers of the event
were so _____________________.
a.animated
b.secretive
c.talented
d.emotional
50.When Carson suddenly quit his job, he didn’t
even __________ how difficult it might be to
find a new one.
a.endorse
b.require
c.consider
d.alter
51.Maggie was the most talented tennis player at her
school, even though she’d never had the
___________________ to take formal lessons.
a.opportunity
b.compassion
c.arrogance
d.marketability
Questions 52 and 53 are based on the following
paragraph.
Rhesus monkeys use facial expressions to communicate with each other and to enforce social
order. For example, the “fear grimace,” although
it looks ferocious, is actually given by a
__________ monkey who is intimidated by a
__________ member of the group.
52.What is the meaning of the underlined word grimaceas it is used in the passage?
a.wrinkle
b.contortion
c.shriek
d.simper
53.Which pair of words, if inserted into the blanks
in sequence, makes the most sense in the context
of the passage?
a.calm . . . aggressive
b.dominant . . . subordinate
c.confident . . . fearless
d.subordinate . . . dominant
–VOCABULARY–
7
SADRA RAYANEH SHOMAL
Questions 54 and 55 are based on the following
paragraph.
In prolonged space flight, besides the obvious
hazards of meteors, rocky debris, and radiation,
astronauts will have to deal with muscle atrophy
brought on by weightlessness; therefore, when
they return to Earth, they face a protracted period
of weight-training to rebuild their strength.
54.What is the most likely meaning of the underlined word debrisas it is used in this passage?
a.fragments
b.decay
c.bacteria
d.alien life
55.The underlined word atrophy, as used in the
paragraph, most nearly means
a.pain.
b.wasting.
c.weakening.
d.cramping.
Question 56 is based on the following paragraph.
Most of the women in the orchestra wore conventional black skirts and white shirts during
concerts and had their hair neatly pulled back.
Robin, with her brightly colored clothing and
unusual hairstyles, was considered quite eccentric.
56.What is the meaning of the underlined word
eccentricas it is used in the sentence?
a.unconventional
b.joyful
c.unreliable
d.proud
Questions 57, 58, and 59 are based on the following
paragraph.
The Sami are an indigenous people living in the
northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and
Russia’s Kola peninsula. Originally, the Sami religion was animistic; that is, for them, nature and
natural objects had a conscious life, a spirit.
Therefore, one was expected to move quietly in
the wilderness and avoid making a disturbance
out of courtesyto these spirits. Ghengis Khan is
said to have declared that the Sami were one people he would never try to fight again. Because the
Sami were not warriors and did not believe in war,
they simply disappeared in times of conflict. They
were known as “peaceful retreaters.”
57.Based on the tone of the passage, which of the
following words best describes the author’s attitude toward the Sami people?
a.admiring
b.pitying
c.contemptuous
d.patronizing
58.The closest meaning of the underlined word animistic, as it is used in the passage, is
a.the irrational belief in supernatural beings.
b.the belief that animals and plants have souls.
c.the belief that animals are gods.
d.the primitive belief that people can be reincarnated as animals.
59.What is the meaning of the underlined word
courtesyas it is used in the passage?
a.timidity
b.caution
c.respect
d.fear

ANSWER KEY:
30.a. To b e fortifiedis to be strengthened or
reinforced.
31.d. To delegatea task is to assignit or to appoint
another to do it.
32.c. To arousesomeone is to stir up or provoke
that person.
33.d. To articulatesomething is to give words to it
or expressit.
34.c. If something is expansive, it is broad, open,
or spacious.
35.b. If a thing is detrimental, it is injurious
or harmful.
36.b. Crooningand bellowingboth mean singing.
37.d. Falloutis a side effect that occurs as a result
of some incident, action, or happening—that
is, it’s a consequence of something. It is the
most logical word to describe something that
affects a victim for years.
38.b. Humidand dampboth mean the same thing
in this context.
39.b. A sphereis a globular(globe) object.
40.d. To decontaminateand to purifyboth mean to
remove impurities.
41.c. To b e tailoredand to be alteredboth mean to
be made to fit.
42.a. Dormantand inactiveboth mean not active,
as if asleep (the root meaning ofdormant).
43.c. To b e banishedand to be exiledboth mean to
be forced to leave.
44.b. Yieldedand relinquishedboth mean given up.
45.c. A journaland a diaryare both records of
daily happenings.
46.b. To b e jostledis to be bumped.
47.a. A hosteland an innare both lodging places
for travelers.
48.a. Philosophymeans a system of motivating
principles.
49.b. The key here is the phrase,We had no idea
who the special guest speaker would be. This
implies there is something hidden or secret.
The other choices are unrelated to not knowing who the speaker would be.
50.c. To consider is to think about. The other
choices make no sense in the context of
the sentence.
51.a. An opportunity is a chance. The other
choices make no sense in the context of
this sentence.
–ANSWERS–
132
SADRA RAYANEH SHOMAL
52.b. A grimaceis a contortion of the face. Neither
a wrinklenor a simpermatch the descriptive
word ferocious.A shriekwould be described
in terms of sound, rather than looks.
53.d. Answers aand cdo not include the sense of
hierarchy conveyed in the phrase to enforce
social order. Answer bdoes convey a sense of
hierarchy, but in the wrong order.
54.a. This is the choice that makes the most sense
when imagining objects floating in space.
55.b. Although a muscle that atrophies may be
weakened(choice c), the primary meaning of
the phrase to atrophyis to waste away.
56.a. The passage implies that the other women in
the orchestra were conventional because of
the way they dressed and wore their hair.
Because Robin does things differently, she
would be considered unconventional.The
other choices, although she may be joyful,
unreliable, and proud, have nothing to do
with the context of this sentence, which is
directly addressing her appearance as it compares to the other women in the orchestra.
57.a. To depict the Sami, the author uses words
that point to their gentleness, which is an
admirable quality: They move quietly,display courtesyto the spirits of the wilderness,
and were known as peaceful retreaters.There
is nothing pitying, contemptuous, or
patronizing in the language, and nothing in
the passage indicates that the author is perplexed—the description of the Sami is clear
and to the point.
58.b. The immediate context of the word animistic
defines the word:for [the Sami], nature and
natural objects had a conscious life, a spirit.
There is no indication in the passage that the
author believes the Sami’s animistic religion
is irrational(choice a). The other choices are
not in the passage.
59.c. Throughout the passage, the author displays
a positive attitude toward the Sami and their
beliefs. Although they are said to be peaceful,
they are not said to be timid or fearful (they
retreated from war because theydid not
believein it). In the context of the passage,
it’s most likely that the Sami avoid making a
disturbancein the wilderness out ofrespect
for the spirits