Varsity Vocabulary: Words for Standardized Tests [Win Cdr ed.] 1932653740, 9781932653748

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Varsity Vocabulary ~ Words for Standardized Tests ~

by Erin I. McDermott, M.Ed.-ESL

Copyright @ 2006 Vocalis Ltd., Waterbury, Connecticut USA All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, printing, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or any other form, without prior written permission of the publisher. Published by: Vocalis Ltd., 100 Avalon Circle, Waterbury, CT 06710 USA www.vocalis.com ISBN-10: 1932653-74-0 / ISBN-13: 9781932653748 UPC #: 825329 3740 2 7 Produced in the U.S.A. 2

Table of Contents Subject

Page

1. Introduction ....................................................................4 2. Parts of Speech................................................................5 3. Vocabulary Words .....................................................6-56 A .............................................................................6-11 B............................................................................12-14 C............................................................................15-18 D ...........................................................................19-20 E............................................................................21-22 F ............................................................................23-24 G ...........................................................................25-26 H ...........................................................................27-28 I ...........................................................................29-30 J.............................................................................31-32 K-L........................................................................33-34 M...........................................................................35-36 N ...........................................................................37-38 O ...........................................................................39-40 P ............................................................................41-42 Q ...........................................................................43-44 R............................................................................45-46 S ............................................................................47-48 T............................................................................49-50 U ................................................................................51 V ...........................................................................52-53 W ..........................................................................54-55 X-Z.............................................................................56 4. Phrases / Bridge Words............................................57-58 5. Parts of Words..........................................................59-62 Prefixes .................................................................59-60 Roots.....................................................................60-61 Suffixes......................................................................62 6. Commonly-confused Words ....................................63-65 7. Helpful Hints.................................................................66 8. Exercises .................................................................67-79 9. Answers...................................................................80-85 3

Introduction Vocabulary is the foundation of language, our most effective communication tool. The words we use help us to tell others what we know, feel and want. Therefore, this is the area most heavily examined on standardized tests, such as the TOEFL, TOEIC, etc. For English language students, learning new vocabulary can be a daunting task. English has many words borrowed from other languages, so its spelling and pronunciation are often irregular. However, English is fast becoming the world language and must be learned in order to travel in and work with other countries. Varsity Vocabulary:Words for Standardized Tests is a reference guide which focuses on the English vocabulary words most often found on international standardized tests. It is aimed specifically at intermediate to advanced students preparing to take an exam soon, but it can be studied by all English language learners trying to increase their vocabulary knowledge. In addition, it is beneficial for those who wish to practice pronunciation, as all of the entries are spoken in clear, unaccented American English. Here, the words are defined, pronounced and featured in sample sentences for context. The set-up of Varsity Vocabulary is as follows: First, the parts of speech are defined, since each of the featured words is then identified as a noun, verb, adjective, etc. The main section presents 200-plus vocabulary words, along with their definitions, pronunciation and examples. After this, there is a section on prefixes, roots and suffixes, essential for analyzing unfamiliar words. Finally, review exercises help to reinforce these newly-learned terms. With increased attention being paid to standardized tests, vocabulary development is more important than ever. This product attempts to give English language-learning students a working knowledge of the most often-tested vocabulary words. We hope that the information put forth here will help students to pass their exams, as well as improve their general command of the English language. 4

Parts of Speech Adjective - a descriptive word used to modify a noun or pronoun (adj.)

The violinist played a beautiful solo at the concert.

Adverb - a word that explains how and is used to modify a verb, (adv.)

adjective or another adverb; adverbs usually end in "ly" He was extremely generous with his donations.

Conjunction -a word which joins words or groups of words (conj.)

The telephone rang but no one answered it.

Interjection - an expressive word used to show emotion (int.)

Oh! I forgot about the meeting at three o'clock.

Noun - a person, place or thing (noun)

Let's gather together to celebrate the anniversary.

Preposition - a word used to show the relation of a noun or (prep.)

pronoun to some other word in the sentence. Jenna met us after lunch.

Pronoun - a word used instead of a person, place or thing. (pro.)

She always went shopping on Thursdays.

Verb - a word that expresses action or helps to make a statement. (verb) Why are the boys running down the street?

This product contains mostly adjectives, nouns and verbs, but there is a handful of adverbs among the vocabulary words.

5

Vocabulary Words -Aabbreviate (verb) - to shorten; to reduce in size or length He abbreviated his name from Victor to Vic. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

aberration (noun) - an oddity; something that is different from normal Since Melissa is the top student in the class, it was an aberration that she failed the science exam. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

abhor (verb) - to detest; to loathe; to dislike intensely Mary values honesty in people and thus, she abhors all lies. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

abolish (verb) - to ban; to put an end to The government abolished the making and sale of liquor during Prohibition in the 1920s.

6

abstract (adjective) / abstract (verb) / abstract (noun) Adj. - theoretical; in thought only; not material Because ideas are in our mind, they are considered abstract. V. - to remove, extract or take away from Miners abstract ore from the Caro Tin Mines of Nevada. N. - a summary; a brief report The scientist wrote an abstract about the drug study. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

abysmal (adjective) - awful; terrible; pertaining to the great depth of the ocean With her father on trial for murder and her mother nowhere to be found, it was an abysmal situation for Molly. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

accelerate (verb) - to go faster; to quicken the pace The laws of physics state that a wheel will accelerate as it is rolling down a hill. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

accentuate (verb) - to highlight; to emphasize; to stress The professor only accentuated his appearance as bookish by wearing the thick horn-rimmed glasses.

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acclimate (verb) - to adapt; to become used or accustomed to It takes some time to acclimate when moving to a new country because the culture can be so different. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

accomplice (noun) - a helper or aide in a criminal act or wrongdoing The thief had an accomplice with whom he planned the heist. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

acrimony (noun) - bitterness among people; animosity There was acrimony between the brothers because the older one was always favored by the father. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

acronym (noun) - a word formed from the initial letters of a name Many people don't realize that SCUBA is an acronym, which stands for "self-contained underwater apparatus." -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

adage (noun) - a saying, maxim or proverb "The early bird catches the worm" is a well-known adage attributed to Benjamin Franklin.

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adept (verb) - skilled or knowledgeable at a task or job Billy is not nervous about his upcoming operation, because he has an adept surgeon. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

adjacent (adjective) - located next to; adjoining There was a fire in the house adjacent to mine, and now my neighbors have to move. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

admonish (verb) - to warn or caution against The teacher admonished her students when she saw them "sharing" answers during the test. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

advocate (noun) / advocate (verb) N. - a person who defends or supports a person or cause It is the job of an attorney to advocate for his clients.

V. - to support or be in favor of someone or something; to defend If I get in trouble with the Internal Revenue Service for not paying all of the due taxes, I hope my attorney will do a good job of advocating for me.

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affluent (adjective) - rich; being well off The expensive shops in Beverly Hills cater to an affluent crowd. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ambiguous (adjective) - uncertain; not very clear That foreign film had such an ambiguous ending that we weren't sure if the lead character died or just left town. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

apex (noun) - the peak; the highest point Winning the coveted Pulitzer Prize was the apex of his journalism career. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

archaic (adjective) - very old-fashioned; obsolete; out of date Riding a horse to travel somewhere is now regarded as an archaic form of transportation. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

arduous (adjective) - strenuous; quite difficult Taking the bus through the mountains of the Andes proved to be an arduous trip. 10

authentic (adjective) - real; genuine After examining the painting, the appraiser declared it to be an authentic Matisse! -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

authority (noun) - a person with specialized knowledge; an educated source Professor Ingram has gone on more than 30 Central American digs and is considered to be a leading authority on Mayan civilization. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

auxiliary (adjective) - helping; supporting; subordinate; aiding in a subsidiary way; secondary When John's car was at the auto body shop, he used his auxiliary truck.

11

-Bbacklash (noun) - a sudden jarring motion; an opposite reaction The boss thought his employees would like the new policies and was surprised to see a backlash against the changes. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

baffle (verb) - to confuse; to leave puzzled She was not able to pass the astronomy exam since the book on distant galaxies baffled her. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

banish (verb) - to expel; to force out; to drive away When Romeo was banished from Verona and couldn't see Juliet, he was heartbroken. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

barricade (noun) / barricade (verb) N. - a barrier; a block The police set up a barricade around the broken bridge so that cars would not be able to enter. V. - to block off; to confine Rick barricaded himself in a hotel room while the police searched for him. 12

beckon (verb) - to summon; to call for someone to come If you want to beckon the waiter at a busy restaurant, you'll need to raise your hand. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

benign (adjective) - harmless; gentle in character Doctor Adam reassured the patient that the mole on her face was benign and wouldn't be a problem. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

bias (noun) - prejudice; slant It is important that the Olympic judges show no bias for athletes who are from their own countries. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

biodegradable (adjective) - having the ability to disintegrate; capable of decomposing The All-Natural Health Company produces a biodegradable soap which does not cause harm to the environment. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

blatant (adjective) - conspicuous; obvious Littering shows a blatant disregard for the rules of society.

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brashly (adjective) - arrogantly; boldly; done hastily due to overconfidence; acted upon without thinking Before you act brashly by telling off your boss, you should carefully consider the repercussions. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

bungle (verb) - to manage or act ineptly; to mess things up Despite waking up late, losing his glasses and missing the bus, Jerry didn't bungle the important interview that day. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

buoyant (adjective) - very happy; excited; having the feeling of floating After winning in the primary, Amy was buoyant about her chances of succeeding in the November national election. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

byzantine (adjective) - intricate; quite complicated; convoluted; from the Byzantine Empire, which produced highly-detailed art Many people do not understand the details of tax law and complain that it is too byzantine to follow.

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-Ccalamity (noun) - a disaster; an epic turmoil The country suffered a calamity when the volcano erupted and wiped out many of the villages. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

candid (adjective) - honest; frank; straightforward Her supervisor was candid and told Miriam that her work was not acceptable lately. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

captivate (verb) - to capture the attention of; to interest greatly; to fascinate The steel blue bike in the store window captivated the child, who begged his parents to buy it. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

chronic (adjective) - repeated; of a long duration; lingering (in a negative way); happening on a regular basis If arriving late to school becomes a chronic event, punishment will have to be meted.

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cite (verb) - to make reference to; to mention as proof or authority When Charles wrote his final paper, he made sure to cite several interesting articles he had read. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

clandestine (adjective) - secret; hidden; concealed; sneaky In order to plan the bribery scheme, the perpetrators had several clandestine meetings in a rented office downtown. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cogently (adverb) - forcefully; compellingly and convincingly Everyone agreed that Professor Walter's argument was presented cogently, and there was no rebuttal. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

colossal (adjective) - huge; gigantic; of a large proportion The Titanic was a colossal ship, the largest ever built back then. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

commensurate (adjective) - equal; proportionate; corresponding in nature The high salary was commensurate with the importance of the job.

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congested (adjective) - overcrowded; clogged; packed tightly At five p.m. on Fridays, the freeways in Los Angeles are very congested with traffic. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

consequently (adverb) - because of; as a result of; due to Don did not study for his exam, and consequently, he failed it. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

contemplate (verb) - to think over; to mull; to consider deeply Before making an important decision, I like to be alone and contemplate my choices. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

contemporary (adjective) - of modern times; current; of the same age Tracey's newspaper column deals with contemporary issues, such as divorce and blended families. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

controversy (noun) - a quarrel; a dispute; an argument There was a controversy over who had won the race since the two horses were so close.

17

corroborate (verb) - verify by law; support with evidence; confirm with proof The police are still looking for evidence which would corroborate the suspect's testimony. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cryptic (adjective) - mysterious; puzzling; enigmatic Before Steven disappeared, he left a cryptic note for his parents which said, "I am going to find myself." -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cultivate (verb) - to grow; to foster It is easy to cultivate corn in the fertile soil of the Plains. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cursory (adjective) - quick; hurried; hasty I was in a hurry this morning and only took a cursory glance at the newspaper, having barely enough time to read the headlines. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

curtail (verb) - to cease an action; to cut short; to abbreviate Despite efforts to curtail alcohol consumption, teenagers continue to drink more than they should.

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-Ddebacle (noun) - a mess; a disastrous situation The company had to declare bankruptcy after the debacle of the premier product causing four deaths. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

deficiency (noun) - a lack of; a shortage A deficiency of vitamin C can cause scurvy. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

deft (adjective) - clever; skillful; adroit The manager won an award for her deft handling of the labor dispute. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

defy (verb) - to challenge; to confront; to disobey John's mother told him to clean his room, but he defied her by going to the movies instead. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

designate (verb) - to name; to appoint The teacher designated one student to be the team leader. 19

devious (adjective) - deceitful; sneaky; not straightforward The devious plan to mislead the public about the health benefits of sugar got the company into legal trouble. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

distinctly (adverb) - definitely; uniquely; clearly; undoubtedly That music sounds distinctly Latin in nature with its congo beat and maracas. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

docile (adjective) - quiet; calm; unflappable; easy to manage Even when her boss barked instructions at her, Susanna remained docile and carefully wrote them down. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

dubious (adjective) - doubtful; uncertain The spa made dubious claims about its weight-loss regimen. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

dwindle (verb) - to diminish; to become less and less As the days after the hurricane passed, the food supply dwindled and people became weak from hunger.

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-E-

earnestly (adverb) - in a serious and determined way; sincerely We earnestly attempted to locate the owner of the wallet, but in the end, we had no choice but to give it over to the police. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

elaborate (adjective) / elaborate (verb) Adj. - complicated; fancy; with great detail The Indian temple was elaborate in its carving. V. - to explain further; to express in more detail I wish the recipe would elaborate on the "winter" spices, so that I knew exactly which ones to add. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

elicit (verb) - to draw out; to bring out information heretofore unknown A good doctor is able to elicit additional information from a patient with thoughtful questions. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

emit (verb) - to give off; to send forth The flashlight battery must be low since it emits such low light.

21

envelop (verb) - to surround; to enclose It was dangerous to drive because a dense fog had enveloped the city. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

eradicate (verb) - to stamp out; to get rid of One of the most urgent goals of the World Health Organization is to eradicate polio from the world. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

eschew (verb) - to avoid; to stay away from A vegetarian carefully eschews meat. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

essential (adjective) - needed; necessary; important It is essential to speak English to do international business. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

extinct (adjective) - gone; lost; died out The exact reason that dinosaurs became extinct millions of years ago is still unknown.

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-Ffabricate (verb) - to construct; to manufacture; to make up When the teacher asked Hector about his homework, he fabricated a story of how it was stolen by thieves. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

fathom (verb) - to understand; to comprehend One must study for many years to fathom the complexity of quantum physics. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

feasible (adjective) - possible; capable of being done; likely; reasonable If we are approved for a mortgage, it is feasible to buy that house by the lake. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

flourish (noun) / flourish (verb) N. - a decoration; a swirl; a fancy touch He added a flourish with his pen after signing his autograph. V. - to grow and prosper; to succeed The Magnolia tree flourished in the full summer sun.

23

formidable (adjective) - strong; powerful; impressive; intimidating The prize fighter was a formidable contender, and his opponent was afraid of losing. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

fortuitous (adjective) - happening by accident; a matter of chance It was a fortuitous event that Fran's train happened to break down right in front of her workplace. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

frivolous (adjective) - lacking in seriousness; of little importance; trivial The judge threw out the case of a woman suing her cat because it had scratched her, saying it was frivolous and without merit. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function (noun) / function (verb) N. - use; purpose; an official or social gathering with a purpose The main function of a hose is to spray water, not alcohol, as it is being used at some parties nowadays. V. - to work; to perform a job or activity The generator functioned well and produced enough electricity to power the hospital during the black-out.

24

-Ggallant (adjective) - noble; courteous It was a gallant of Charlie to carry my heavy packages. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

genesis (noun) - the origin; the beginning It is always interesting to know the genesis of the idea that turns into a great product. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

germane (adjective) - relevant; topical The reporter asked the politician questions that were germane to the proposed bill and not about his personal life. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

glut (noun) - an oversupply; an excess The orchard produced a glut of apples last fall. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

grapple (verb) - to struggle with a decision; to try hard to find a solution The school grappled over whether or not to install metal detectors. 25

gratuitous (adjective) - given free, though not necessary; unwarranted; uncalled for Mary did not want to see her favorite film star's latest movie, because she heard it was full of gratuitous violence. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

grievous (adjective) - causing grief and pain; seriously harmful The accident did grievous harm to Peter, leaving him paralyzed. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

grisly (adjective) - horrifying; gruesome The police are not releasing details of the grisly murder which has shocked the town. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

guile (noun) - artifice; craftiness Although the young woman was without guile, she knew how easy it would be to persuade men into buying jewelry for her. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

gullible (adjective) - easily deceive or duped; credulous The child was so gullible that he believed me when I told him to plant birdseed if he wanted to grow a bird.

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- Hhackneyed (adjective) - over-used; trite; cliché In order to be a good writer, it is important to be original and not use hackneyed expressions. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

harbinger (noun) - a forerunner; a predictor; a sign of things to come Recently, I noticed the first crocus peaking its head out of the snow, which is a real harbinger of spring. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

heterogeneous (adjective) - of different types; having unrelated elements The United States is a heterogeneous society consisting of people from all over the world. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

hospitality (noun) - the treatment given to a guest We were grateful for the kind hospitality shown to when we first came to the neighborhood.

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hostile (adjective) - unfriendly; showing ill will When the comedian started insulting the President, the audience turned hostile toward him and booed. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

hubris (noun) - overbearing pride; arrogance No one could believe the hubris of Tom when he demanded that we pay him a small honorarium for coming to the party. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

humility (noun) - being without arrogance; being humble Even though Sharon is a star reporter, she shows humility and compassion for all of the people she interviews. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

hybrid (noun) - of mixed origin or composition; having a background of two or more varieties Many cars in the future will have hybrid engines that run on a mixture of electricity and gasoline. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

hyperbole (noun) - exaggeration used as a figure of speech When Pierre claimed it was 200 degrees (Fahrenheit,) we realized that he was using hyperbole to emphasize the heat.

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-Iimmaculate (adjective) - extremely clean; pure, without a blemish After the maid carefully scrubbed the floor, it was immaculate and could be eaten from. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

impeccable (adjective) - perfect; faultless The dancer practiced her routine countless times so that her performance would be impeccable. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

inadequate (adjective) - not enough; lacking Because there were more guests than expected, the amount of chairs was inadequate and many people had to stand. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

incessantly (adverb) - constantly; without stopping; never ceasing The neighbor's dog barks incessantly during the day until its guardian gets home from work. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

initially (adverb) - in the beginning; at first Initially, Janet was nervous to travel overseas alone. 29

innocuous (adjective) - innocent; harmless Garden snakes are innocuous, unlike other venomous types. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

instigate (verb) - to incite; to urge forward; to bring about The bully instigated a fight by calling Todd a wimp in front of his friends. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

integrate (verb) - to bring together; to mix A new style of teaching is to integrate certain related subjects into the same lesson, such as Italian and Art. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

intermittently (adverb) - happening in an on/off way; occurring from time to time Yesterday during our picnic, the weather was mostly sunny with clouds appearing intermittently. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

irreparably (adverb) - in a damaged way; without remedies; beyond repair Ivan lost the trust of his wife and damaged their marriage irreparably when he secretly spent their savings on gambling and womanizing.

30

-Jjaded (adjective) - tired; bored from excess; sated While most children would love to go for a pony ride, Amy has already flown in a small plane and is somewhat jaded. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

jargon (noun) - the vocabulary of a specialized field No one understands Dr. Vero, who uses too much medical jargon in everyday speech. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

jeopardy (noun) - danger; a risky and possibly injurious situation Skydiving is the act of putting one's life in jeopardy for a momentary thrill, thought the cynic. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

jettison (verb) - to throw off; to discard Before making an emergency landing, the pilot had to jettison all of the plan's fuel in order to lighten the load. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

jittery (adjective) - nervous; to have trembles; anxious The thought of giving a speech to 300 people made me jittery. 31

jocular (adjective) - merry; light-hearted; humorous Paul is known for his jocular behavior, always making people laugh. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

jostle (verb) - to push through a crowd; to struggle with After the concert, the musicians had to jostle their way through a sea of people to reach the exit. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

jubilant (adjective) - extremely joyful; celebratory When Maria finally had the baby, her family was jubilant and opened a bottle of champagne right in the delivery room! -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

judicious (adjective) - fair; equitable; having sound judgment The family decided to divide the land into equal plots so that all of the kids would get the same amount. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

juxtapose (verb) - to place side by side; to put close together The two shoe shops were juxtaposed on Fin Road, but they didn't compete since one was for adults, the other for kids.

32

-Kkinship (noun) - being related; having a similar condition or circumstance After fighting side by side for so long, the soldiers felt a special kinship with one another. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

kowtow (verb) - to yield; to humble oneself; to show deference The President is quite strong-willed , and it is doubtful that he will kowtow to the wishes of Congress.

-Llabyrinth (noun) - an intricate and confusing structure of passages The rescuers entered the cave, but there was a labyrinth of paths that looked like a maze. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

laconic (adjective) - terse and unemotional; not very talkative Sarah was shy and often answered questions with simple laconic replies.

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legitimate (adjective) - lawful; in accordance with accepted standards Those movements are not a legitimate form of Tai Chi but more of a made-up routine. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

levity (noun) - frivolity; lightness in manner and behavior The classroom was filled with laughter, with a feeling of levity in the air on the last day of school. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

liaison (noun) - a close relationship The Admissions and Student Aid offices maintain a liaison in order to make sure all students can afford to attend the school. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

luminary (noun) - a celestial body that gives light; a notable person (a star) Many Senators and other political luminaries attended the official state dinner. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

lucrative (adjective) - money-making; yielding wealth; profitable Their internet business turned out to be quite lucrative, and they went public after two years.

34

-Mmacabre (adjective) - having to do with death; creepy Some people would find working in a morgue to be a macabre job. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

magnanimously (adverb) - in a generous, noble way; forgivingly; above revenge The wealthy donor magnanimously gave to money to a school which had rejected him when he was young. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

malady (noun) - a sickness; a disease; a disorder Nowadays there are cures for most of the known maladies. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

meager (adjective) - inadequate; an insufficient amount; deficient in quantity The dinner was so meager that the athletes complained of hunger one hour after eating. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

melancholy (noun) - a sad feeling; being pensive; having "the blues" He always has melancholy on the date of his wife's death.

35

mollify (verb) - to modify another's anger; to calm down; to soften the effect The only thing that would mollify the baby's cries was a car ride! -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

mortality (noun) - death; to do with one's dying The Greek gods didn't experience mortality, but we humans do. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

municipal (adjective) - local government; to do with a city and its governance A mayor is in charge of the municipal government while a governor leads the state. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

mutually (adverb) - in a shared manner; having commonality Car-pooling is mutually beneficial to commuters as well as the environment. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

mythical (adjective) - legendary; imaginary; fictional A unicorn and a centaur are mythical creatures which exist only in stories.

36

-Nnadir (noun) - the lowest point During the long, dry summer, the water level in the lake reached a record nadir. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

navigate (verb) - to find one's way; to manage the direction of a vehicle or ship The captain had to carefully navigate the ship through the icebergs and into warmer waters. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

negligent (adjective) - careless; guilty of neglect It was negligent of the babysitter to leave the children alone in the house while she and her boyfriend chatted outside. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

neophyte (noun) - a beginner; a novice Mario is a neophyte at chess and quickly loses to more experienced players.

37

nimble (adjective) - agile; adept; graceful The gymnasts are quite nimble on the balance beam. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

nocturnal (adjective) - active at night Since the bat is a nocturnal animal, it is sluggish and easily captured during the day. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

nonexistent (adjective) - not existing; none Trees are almost nonexistent at altitudes of 10,000 feet or more due to the cold climate. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

nourish (verb) - to feed; to foster growth In order to properly nourish the body, a diet including fruits and vegetables is necessary for their nutrients. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

nullify (verb) - to render null; to make invalid; to annul The judge agreed to nullify the Smith's marriage because Mr. Smith was found to be already married to another woman.

38

-Ooath (noun) - a formal promise; a pledge Before testifying at a trial, a witness is required to recite an oath of honesty. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

obscure (adjective) / obscure (verb) Adj. - difficult to see; hard to understand due to insufficient information; remote; not known by the public The town was so obscure that few people knew of its existence or had the time to drive all the way there. V. - to hide from view; to dim the importance of something He obscured the fact that his mother had spent time in prison during his childhood. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

obsolete (adjective) - no longer in use; out-of-date; old-fashioned The typewriter is quickly becoming an obsolete machine. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

obstruct (verb) - to block; to impede; to prevent Heart attacks occur when an artery is obstructed by a blood clot.

39

odious (adjective) - offensive; hateful; dreaded; extremely unattractive I think that cannibalism is an odious practice. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

omnipotent (adjective) - all-powerful; having unlimited authority The leaders of that country feel omnipotent because they have total control over the people. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

optimum (adjective) - the most favorable; the best condition or quality; ideal In order to compete in an automobile race, it is important that the car be in optimum condition. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ostensibly (adverb) - apparently; seemingly; probably Gun locks were ostensibly designed for safety reasons, but some now feel that they give users a false sense of security. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

overt (adjective) - open; not hidden nor concealed In an overt display of affection, the couple embraced during the whole train ride from New York to Philadelphia.

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-Ppanacea (noun) - a remedy for all diseases; a cure for all ills Some people consider cod liver oil to be a panacea, and while it does have some health benefits, it isn't a cure-all. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

peril (noun) - in danger; under a threat Due to excessive hunting, some types of tigers are in peril of becoming extinct. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

perpetually (adverb) - continually; repeatedly With no job and a love of shopping, Kelly is perpetually in debt. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

phenomenon (noun) - an extraordinary event; an unusual occurrence In a desert climate, a rainstorm would be a real phenomenon. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

polarize (verb) - to push in two opposite directions; to drive apart Gun control is a polarizing issue, with Liberals tending to favor it and Conservatives opposed. 41

prevalent (adjective) - widespread; occurring in many places Single-parent adoption is becoming more prevalent these days. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

prolific (adjective) - reproducing rapidly; producing much Since he wrote over 500 works, Mozart is considered to be one of the most prolific composers ever. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

propitious (adjective) - favorable; with luck; promising success The new year got off to a propitious start when I was offered my dream job as senior editor. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

proximity (noun) - nearness to; in physical relation to Because Gina's house was in close proximity to her job, she was able to walk to work. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

prudent (adjective) - wise; cautious in proceeding; careful to avoid mistakes It was a prudent decision of the parents to keep their young son back from kindergarten one more year.

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-Qquaint (adjective) - reminiscent of an earlier era; old-fashioned; mannered Many tourists visit the quaint New England town of Sturbridge, where Norman Rockwell painted. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quash (verb) - to suppress; to strike down The army was called in by the prime minister to quash the violent protests. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quasi (adjective) - almost; somewhat We had set up a roulette wheel and hired two blackjack dealers to come so we could have a quasi casino lounge. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

query (noun) / query (verb) N. - a question; an inquiry The website promises to respond to any customer query within 24 hours. V. - to ask about; to inquire of; to question He queried the pharmacist about the contents of his new medication. 43

quest (noun) / quest (verb) N. - a search; a hunt The scientists went on a quest to find a new species of monkey in the Bolivian rainforest. V. - to seek; to search for; to pursue The couple quested after miniature furniture to be placed in their 16 dollhouses. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quibble (verb) - to argue about petty things; to bicker about trivial matters We should not quibble over the minor details and move on to the real issue confronting us. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quintessential (adjective) - the best example of; a prototype; exemplifying a quality The quintessential piece of clothing from the 1960's was probably the mini-skirt. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quota (noun) - an amount to fill (or not to exceed); an allotment The fishing crew was issued a quota of 1000 salmon per month that they could catch.

44

-Rrampantly (adverb) - developing unchecked; growing extensively The farmer was upset to see that the weeds have been growing rampantly, choking off the lettuce he planted. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

rancor (noun) - bitterness; deep-seated resentment; ill will Ever since their argument, Jason has felt nothing but rancor towards Jennifer and can't even look at her now. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

reciprocal (adjective) - mutual; corresponding As a student, I belonged to a reciprocal exchange program in which I went to Sweden, and a Swedish student came here. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

reconcile (verb) - to make correct again; to get back together My cousin and I reconciled after I had a baby, and things between us are very friendly now. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

redundant (adjective) - repetitive; more than necessary This chapter of the book is redundant, merely rephrasing what came earlier. 45

refurbish (verb) - to clean or repair; to renovate The man wanted to refurbish his car in order to sell it at the highest price possible. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

remorse (noun) - regret; a state of being sorry; anguish over a course of action After screaming at her lawyer, Veronica felt remorse and returned to his office to apologize. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

retrospect (noun) - a review of the past; a look back In retrospect, I see it would have been better to go to college, especially since it's hard to move up in my field without a degree. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

rudimentary (adjective) - very basic; elementary; undeveloped That computer manual is too rudimentary for us to learn how to do the latest digital downloads and other applications that we want.

46

- S -sabotage (noun) / sabotage (verb) N. - an act of damage done to prevent a certain activity The investigators determined that an act of sabotage, probably carried out by extremists, caused the explosion at the free clinic. V. - to ruin property or efforts to disrupt a proceeding Nelson wanted to win the sailing competition so much that he sabotaged his main competitor's boat. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

salient (adjective) - prominent; important The salient safety feature on the new truck is its side airbags. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

scrupulous (adjective) - extremely conscientious; exacting Accountants must be scrupulous with their paperwork so that their clients have no trouble if they are audited by the IRS. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

sequester (verb) - to seclude; to set apart The jury was sequestered in a private hotel so that no outside influences would affect them. 47

simulate (verb) - to mimic; to copy This model airplane simulates the actual flight patterns of a hand glider. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

skeptical (adjective) - doubting; unsure of an outcome The judges were skeptical that the invention could sell on a broad scale. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

sluggish (adjective) - slow; lazy Under the hot summer sun, the old man felt sluggish and decided to sit down and rest. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

stamina (noun) - physical or mental strength; fortitude; endurance One needs great stamina in order to climb a mountain like Mount Everest. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

subjective (adjective) - biased; seen from the point of view of the subject The coach often accuses the referees of subjective calls, especially when the opposing team is from a wealthy school.

48

-Ttact (noun) - diplomacy; poise; the ability to do or say the most appropriate thing It is necessary to use tact when confronting someone about a bad habit. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

tantamount (adjective) - equal to; equivalent in value or effect The abandonment of the puppies by the side of the lonely road was tantamount to killing them, because they weren't able to survive. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

tedious (adjective) - boring; repetitive; dull The lecture was so tedious that many of the students just fell asleep. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

thrive (verb) - to flourish; to live and succeed Flowers need an adequate amount of sunlight and rain in order to thrive.

49

thwart (verb) - to prevent a plan from being carried out; to block the efforts of another Through careful investigative work, the police were able to thwart the thieves before they stole the priceless antiques. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

trivial (adjective) - small; unimportant; insignificant Our most important worries today will likely seem trivial in a couple of years from now. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

turbulent (adjective) - causing unrest and agitation; stormy The era of the 1960's, with the changing social landscape set against the backdrop of the Viet Nam war, was a turbulent time in history. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

tyrant (noun) - an oppressive leader; a cruel despotic ruler Some people would like the United Nations to come up with an effective way of dealing with the world's tyrants.

50

-Uubiquitous (adjective) - being everywhere at once Few things are as ubiquitous as fast food restaurants, like McDonald's, these days. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ulterior (adjective) - more than is evident; beyond what is on the surface Robert has an ulterior motive in his recent friendliness to me - I found out that he wants to borrow my car! -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ultimately (adverb) - eventually; finally; at the end After being rejected from nearly every law school to which she applied, Leah ended up going to Gathard University and ultimately became a judge. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

utopian (adjective) - perfectly imagined; of an ideal situation Many people dream of a utopian society where there are no starving children, mistreated animals or horrible crimes.

51

-Vvague (adjective) - ambiguous; unclear I never know exactly what my boss wants me to do because she is so vague with her instructions. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

varsity (adjective) - the main team; the principle players for a school There are no freshmen on the varsity soccer team this season. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

venue (noun) - location; place The old baseball stadium in Boston is the perfect venue for shooting the film about Babe Ruth. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

verbose (adjective) - talkative; using too many words Please interrupt us (and rescue me) if you find me listening to verbose Vanessa!

52

vex (verb) - to annoy; to irritate It can be vexing to sit near a crying baby on an airplane. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

vital (adjective) - very important; crucial; necessary It is vital to the economy that the interest rates remain low. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

vivid (adjective) - clear; sharp in focus; vibrant The wedding photos were so vivid that all six types of flowers in the bouquets were identifiable. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

voracious (adjective) - having a great hunger; extremely eager in a pursuit Ray had a voracious need to learn everything he could about architecture. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

vulnerable (adjective) - susceptible to harm; unprotected Cities along geographic fault lines are particularly vulnerable to earthquake tremors.

53

-Wwane (verb) - to decrease gradually; to dwindle After reaching the 20-mile mark in the marathon, Mike could feel his energy level wane. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

wanton (adjective) - immoral; maliciously cruel; utter lack of regard Even the judge was shocked by the murderer's wanton disregard for human life. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

welfare (noun) - well-being; health; public assistance Good, affordable health care is important to the welfare of our country. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

whimsical (adjective) - playful; capricious; sentimental fancy Some symphonies have whimsical elements that create a spirit of levity and joy.

54

wince (verb) - to shrink back in pain When the mother wiped her boy's scrape with rubbing alcohol, he winced and tried not to cry. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

woe (noun) - trouble; distress Artists often have financial woes since it is so difficult for them to become known and sell their artwork. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

wrath (noun) - anger; rage Be careful not to get between a mother bear and her cub or you may feel her wrath.

55

- X, Y & Z xenophobia (noun) - fear or dislike of foreigners As communications around the world improve through technology, other cultures become more familiar to us and our xenophobia decreases. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

yearn (verb) - to desire deeply; to long for Away at college, Rajiv yearned for his mother's cooking. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

zany (adjective) - wacky; clownish; silly That website with all the zany caricatures made me chuckle. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

zeitgeist (noun) - the feeling of the times; the spirit of a generation Chastity was the zeitgeist of the Victorian period. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

zenith (noun) - the highest point; the apex The moon rises in the sky, reaches its zenith and then descends. 56

Phrases / Bridge Words accordingly - as it follows; correspondingly The queen almost never wears pants, and accordingly, she had on a knee-length skirt at the summer concert. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

as a consequence / as a result - therefore John did not study, and as a consequence, he failed the geology exam. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

as a matter of fact - furthermore You are correct, as a matter of fact, in saying that the minimum age to be the President of the U.S.A. is 35. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

based on the evidence - as proof of Based on the evidence, I feel confident in saying that if a person learns a foreign language before his or her teenage years, he or she will be able to speak it without an accent. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

create an undue burden - make a hardship for Requiring the family to pay the credit-card balance in full would create an undue burden upon them at this time. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

every so often / from time to time - occasionally Sheila doesn't like to cook, but every so often, she will bake a cake for a friend's birthday.

57

find common ground - to seek a mutual agreement The feuding co-workers had to find common ground in order to work together harmoniously. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

for example - namely Public Radio broadcasts many interesting programs, like their reporting of the space station, for example. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

hypothetically speaking - theoretically; an "if" situation Hypothetically speaking, we could buy a house and turn it into a shelter for abused animals. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

however / on the other hand - but; although If you are wrong, however, I do hope you will apologize. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

in conclusion - in summary; in closing In conclusion, this movie is well worth the price of the ticket and I urge everyone to go see it. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

in other words - put in another way Her grandmother still walks a mile a day, belongs to a bowling league and goes dancing every Friday night; in other words, she's in great shape. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

nevertheless - still My postal carrier is very reliable, but nevertheless, I prefer to take this envelope to the Post Office myself, just to be safe. 58

Prefixes A prefix consists of one or more syllables, such as dis, placed before a "root" (main part of a word) to change its meaning. Prefix

Meaning

Examples

a, an

not, without

atheist, anarchy, anomaly

ab

away from

absent, abduction, aberrant

anti

against

antidote; antipathy; antithesis

auto

self

autograph; autoimmune; autonomous

beni

good, well

benediction; benefit; benevolent

bi

two, twice

biannual – happening twice a year; bilingual – fluent in two languages

circum

around; on all sides

circumference; circumnavigate; circumvent

co

with, together

coauthor, cosponsor, collide

de / dis

to take away; to destroy

deform; deface; derail; de-bone; disagree; disapprove; disobey

en

to make possible

enact; enable; endear (to make dear); enrich (to make rich)

hetero

different; varied

heterogeneous; heterodoxy

hyper

excessive

hyperactive, hypercritical

inter

one with the other, combined

interconnected, interfere, intermediate

homo

same

homogenized, homonym, homophone

micro

small; tiny

microscope, microcosm, microchip

59

mis

wrong, incorrect

misbehave; misconduct; misdirect; mislead; misplace; misunderstand

non

not

nonequivalent, nonessential, nonsense

omni

all

omnipresent; omnivorous; omniscient

pre

before

premature; prepay; preview

quad

four

quadriplegic; quadruple; quadruplet

re

to do again

rearrange, re-create, rerun; revisit

retro

back, backwards

retroactive, retrospect, retrogression

semi

half

semiprivate, semiannual, semicircle

tele

distance

telegraph; telephone; telescope

trans

across

transmit; transport; transverse

Roots A root is the main part of a word, such as chron or gen, which may contain a prefix, suffix, both or neither. Root

Meaning

Examples

ag, act

do, drive

agitate, activate, transact

am

friend, love

amicable, amorous, amatory

aqu

water

aquatic, aquarium, aquamarine

ben

Well, good

benevolent, benefit, benediction

brev

brief, shortened

abbreviate, brevity

chron

time

chronic, chronically, synchronous 60

cred

trust, believe

incredible, credible, credulity

culp

fault, guilt, blame

culpable, culprit

dem

people

democracy, epidemic

equ

equal, same

equal, equity, equate, equidistant

fid

faith, loyalty

fidelity, infidelity, perfidious

gen

birth, origin

generation, generic, generate

jud

judge

prejudice, judgment, judicious

jur

swear, plead

jury, perjury

leg, lig

choose, read

eligible, legible

loqu

talk, speech

locution, loquacious, colloquial

pled

foot

pedicure, pedal

punct

point

punctuation, punctual

rupt

break, burst

interrupt, rupture

scrib

write

manuscript, transcribe, inscribe

ten

hold

detention, retention, tentacle

verb

word

verbiage, verbal, verbally

vit

life

vitamin, vitally

61

Suffixes A suffix consists of one or more syllables, such as less, placed after the root (main part of a word) to change its meaning. Suffix

Meaning

Examples

able

able, likely, possible

capable, affable, disable

ance; ence

accomplish, condition, perform

performance, acceptance, resistance, evidence, patience

cy

state, office, condition

accuracy, presidency, hesitancy

dom

state, rank, condition freedom, kingdom, wisdom

er

doer, result

player, fighter, commander

ful

containing, full of

thankful, helpful, joyful

hood

state, condition of

fatherhood, motherhood, statehood

ism

act, manner

communism, ritualism, favoritism

ish

tending to

childish, bookish, babyish

less

without, lacking

childless, priceless, hopeless

ment

state of, means

retirement, entertainment, enjoyment

ness

quality

hardness, kindness, happiness

ship

skill, status

citizenship, relationship

some

causing, showing

lonesome, troublesome, worrisome

tude

quality, state

attitude, multitude, gratitude

62

Commonly-confused Words advice / advise - advice: (n.) a strong suggestion; a recommendation - advise: (v.) to give advice; to suggest -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

affect / effect - affect: (v.) to have an impact on; to influence - effect: (n.) a change / (v.) to make a change; to push for -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

allusion / illusion - allusion: (n.) an indirect reference; a hint - illusion: (n.) a mistaken idea; a misleading image -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

allude / elude - allude: (v.) mention, indirectly refer to something - elude: (v.) to avoid; to evade -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

brake / break - brake: (n.) a pedal or device to stop a vehicle / (v.) to stop - break: (v.) to destroy or damage -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cite / sight / site - cite: (v.) to quote; to refer - sight: (n.) a vision, a thing seen, the ability to see - site: (n.) a location; a place

63

coarse / course - coarse: (adj.) heavy, rough or crude - course: (n.) procedure, direction or path -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

decent / descent / dissent - decent: (adj.) good; sufficient - descent: (n.) a downward path - dissent: (n.) disagreement; protest -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

eminent / imminent - eminent: (adj.) standing above others in merit or rank - imminent: (adj.) about to happen soon -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

explicit / implicit - implicit: (adj.) indirectly stated, implied but not said - explicit: (adj.) clearly and directly expressed -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

lean / lien - lean: (adj.) without fat or grease; meager - lien: (n.) a legal action placed against a person’s property for payment -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

passed / past - passed: (v.) past tense of verb “to pass” meaning to go by or move beyond - past: (adj.) ended; over; time gone by

64

precede / proceed - precede – (v.) to come before - proceed – (v.) to go forward -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

prescribe / proscribe - prescribe – (v.) to order; to recommend as a course of action - proscribe – (v.) to outlaw; to prohibit -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

principal / principle - principal – (adj.) the highest in rank / (n.) the main one - principle – (n.) a theory; a rule of conduct -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

their / there / they're - their (possessive pron.) the possessive form of the pronoun they - there (adv.) at or in that place; a direction - they're (contraction) - the short way of expressing "they are" -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

wary / weary - wary - (adj.) careful; cautious - weary - (adj.) tired; exhausted -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

who’s / whose - who’s (pron.) a contraction of “who is” or “who has” - whose (pron.) the possessive case of who

65

Helpful Hints •

Eliminate distractions.

•

Read as often as possible.

•

Keep an orderly notebook for vocabulary work.

•

Do many practice exercises.

•

Analyze words by learning prefixes, roots and suffixes.

•

Memorize a few words every day.

•

Follow the directions (they're there for a reason).

•

Organize a schedule.

•

Manage time carefully, and do not wait until the last minute.

•

Study an hour every day.

•

Get a study partner and set up regular meetings.

•

Use online resources for better understanding.

•

Establish a routine with a specific study space.

•

Learn to skim dense material.

•

Review your notes every week.

•

Make and take rehearsal practice tests.

•

Keep stress low by doing exercises.

•

Get extra help from a tutor, if necessary.

•

Avoid cramming information.

•

Try teaching the material to someone else.

•

Summarize newly-learned information in writing.

•

Take 10 minute breaks every hour.

66

Exercises Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks Fill in the blanks with one of the following vocabulary words. (not all of the words are used) abbreviate acclimate bias thwart

deft backlash cite sluggish

mythical nullify essential nadir

tyrant verbose fabricate obscure

1. A ___________ is not someone you would want as a leader. 2. A turtle is a rather ____________ animal. 3. When you ____________ someone else’s work, you must include it in the bibliography. 4. I bet Tony will ____________ his son's plan to build a tree-house by cutting down the tree! 5. A good judge should never have any ____________. 6. Little children sometimes ____________ stories in order to get attention. 7. At night, the temperature usually reaches its __________. 8. A ____________ creature must be imagined, because it cannot be seen. 9. When you move down south, you will need to ____________ to the warmer temperatures. 10. The mechanic’s ____________ use of tools makes his work excellent. 11. It is ____________ for all humans to sleep. 67

Exercise 2: Matching Match the following vocabulary words with their definitions. 1. _____ abhor

A. a saying; a proverb

2. _____xenophobia

B. understand

3. _____germane

C. uniquely

4.

_____prudent

D. an overabundance

5. _____quintessential

E. bring together; mix

6. _____glut

F. unfriendly

7. _____intermittent

G. the peak; the highest point

8. _____biodegradable

H. extremely joyful

9. _____devious

I. deceitful; not straightforward

10. _____fathom

J. the feeling of the times

11. _____distinctly

K. relevant

12. _____feasible

L. possible; likely or reasonable

13. _____hostile

M. the ability to wash away

14. _____integrate

N. off and on

15. _____adage

O. to detest; to hate

16. _____zeitgeist

P. wise; cautious in proceeding

17. _____jubilant

Q. fear of foreigners

18. _____apex

R. the best example of; prototypical 68

Exercise 3: Synonyms Match each vocabulary word with its synonym. 1. ____beckon

A. powerful

2. ____thwart

B. cautious

3. ____debacle

C. summon

4. ____mollify

D. talkative

5. ____flourish

E. flawless

6. ____verbose

F. thrive

7. ____cultivate

G. trite

8. ____formidable

H. wealthy

9. ____impeccable

I. adroit

10. ____deft

J. impede

11. ____grisly

K. eliminate

12. ____earnestly

L. excited

13. ____prudent

M. disaster

14. ____judicious

N. gruesome

15. ____buoyant

O. fair

16. ____affluent

P. pacify

17. ____eradicate

Q. sincerely

18. ____hackneyed

R. foster

69

Exercise 4: Antonyms Match each vocabulary word with its antonym. 1. ____voracious 2.

____scrupulous

A. clumsy B. important

3. ____frivolous

C. apex

4. ____melancholy

D. malignant

5. ____nimble

E. talkative

6. ____laconic

F. tiny

7. ____authentic

G. modern

8. ____buoyant

H. obey

9. ____benign

I. depressed

10. ____colossal

J. upbeat

11. ____arduous

K. harmful

12. ____overt

L. messy

13. ____archaic

M. satiated

14. ____defy

N. easy

15. ____meager

O. fake

16. ____devious

P. honest

17. ____nadir

Q. plenty

18. ____benign

R. hidden

70

Exercise 5: Multiple Choice Choose the correct letter for the vocabulary word definition. 1. byzantine: a. simplistic

b. intricate

c. ravenous

2. cryptic: a. mysterious

b. hilarious

c. magnanimous

3. docile: a. fidgety

b. crafty

c. calm

4. elicit: a. draw out

b. hide

c. trust

5. hyperbole: a. expel

b. exaggeration

c. banish

6. glut: a. scarcity

b. oversupply

c. cheer

7. emit: a. regard

b. give off

c. cancel

8. odious: a. dreaded

b. arrested

c. creative

9. prevalent: a. infrequently

b. absurdly

c. widespread

10. clandestine: a. overt

b. hidden

c. unbelievable

11. woe: a. trouble

b. freedom

c. stranded

12. obstruct: a. escape

b. block

c. react

71

Exercise 6: True of False Put down “T” for true or “F” for false. 1. _____ A prolific writer hardly ever writes anything. 2. _____ An untreated virus can spread rampantly. 3. _____ Sabotage is a kind thing to do to someone. 4. _____ A tedious class is one that is fascinating to all. 5. _____ A phenomenon is a common occurrence. 6. _____ Radicals can have polarized viewpoints. 7. _____ A cough can be a harbinger of a cold or the flu. 8. _____ A candid person rarely tells the truth. 9. _____ A rudimentary textbook is one that is simplistic. 10. _____ A quaint house has modern features. 11. _____ Robbing a bank is a legitimate way to make money. 12. _____ The medical field has its own jargon. 13. _____ On a weight-loss diet, you must eschew fatty foods. 14. _____ Courtroom witnesses take an oath to be honest. 15. _____ During war, soldiers are never in peril. 16. _____ New York City has many congested sidewalks. 17. _____ W.A.C is an acronym for United Auto Workers. 18. _____ A long-distance runner must have a lot of stamina.

72

Exercise 7: Odd word out Circle the word that does not fit in the sequence. 1. deserving

honorable

worthy

hostile

2. arguing

quibbling

bickering

wane

3. vivid

tedious

dull

boring

4. overused

hackneyed

aberration

trite

5. fathom

comprehend

understand

genesis

6. controversy

rectify

disagreement quarrel

7. trivial

unimportant

insignificant

zany

8. initially

ultimately

eventually

finally

9. refurbish

clean

depressing

repair

10. contemplate

nourish

feed

foster

11. overt

open

unconcealed

adage

12. avoid

frivolous

eschew

shun

13. remorse

ideal

optimum

favorable

14. malady

disease

sickness

levity

15. naive

credulous

gullible

cursory

16. wise

kowtow

careful

prudent

17. thrive

dubious

succeed

flourish

18. anger

jargon

wrath

rage

73

Exercise 8: Parts of speech Identify the part of speech for each of the following words. (put adjective, noun, verb or adverb) 1. venue ________________________ 2. vulnerable _____________________ 3. negligent __________________ 4. welfare _________________ 5. quibble _________________ 6. whimsical _________________ 7. simulate _________________ 8. distinctly _________________ 9. integrate __________________ 10. trivial _________________ 11. accelerate _________________ 12. zeitgeist __________________ 13. omnipotent __________________ 14. originate __________________ 15. consequently _________________ 16. quasi __________________ 17. glut __________________ 74

Exercise 9: Sentences Write a sentence with the following words: 1. turbulent __________________________________________ _________________________________________________________

2. prudent ___________________________________________ _________________________________________________________

3. abysmal __________________________________________ _________________________________________________________

4. wane _____________________________________________ _________________________________________________________

5. ultimately _________________________________________ _________________________________________________________

6. navigate __________________________________________ _________________________________________________________

7. municipal _________________________________________ _________________________________________________________

8. overt _____________________________________________ _________________________________________________________

9. proximity _________________________________________ _________________________________________________________

10. meager __________________________________________ _________________________________________________________

75

Exercise 10: Analogies Each question contains a pair of related words. Fill in the blank with the word that best expresses the relationship. 1. immaculate: filthy…………………..…tired: __________ a. exhausted

b. energetic

c. drained

d. fortunate

2. deficiency: plethora…………...……..friendly: __________ a. excessive

b. elderly

c. rude

d. industrious

3. humility: arrogance………….……… cooked: __________ a. baked

b. developed c. rotten

d. raw

4. hostile: rude………….………….. ..pleasant: __________ a. nice

b. lunar

c. awkward

d. nervous

5. contemplate: ponder…………..……….peril: __________ a. create

b. danger

c. search

d. think

6. scrupulous: dishonest……………...… active: __________ a. jealous

b. forgetful

c. wasted

d. passive

7. rudimentary: advanced …………………tiny: __________ a. oversized

b. small

c. miniscule

d. levity

8. thrive: wither……………………..…succeed: __________ a. win

b. disappear

c. fail

d. confide

9. initially: finally………………... introduction: __________ a. vital

b. conclusion c. summary

76

d. polished

Exercise 11: Fill in the blanks (with bridge words / phrases) Fill in the blank with the appropriate bridge word / phrase. (some may be used more than once) find common ground hypothetically speaking in conclusion

based on the evidence however modus operandi

create an undue burden

in actuality

from time to time

for example

nevertheless as a matter of fact as a result accordingly

1. She is a calm person; ______________________, if you irritate her, she will become very angry. 2. It is hard for me to _____________________ with him, because he is so different from me. 3. I love jewelry, like rubies, __________________. 4. He likes to go to the movies ______________________. 5. To exploit workers is to _____________________ on their families. 6. No, ___________________, I do not think I will be able to come over. 7. ___________________, I have nothing else left to say but goodbye. 8. Lila is in a wheelchair _____________________ of the accident. 9. Rita doesn't like the beach, but she is going to the volleyball game there _____________________.

77

Exercise 12: Definitions (of bridge words /phrases) Fill in the blank with the appropriate matching letter. 1. ____therefore

A. alternatively

2. ____modus operandi

B. to sum up

3. ____on the other hand

C. possibly

4. ____in accordance with

D. but

5. ____from time to time

E. way of doing something

6. ____hypothetically speaking F. something proven 7. ____due to

G. to have a similarity

8. ____create an undue burden

H. occasionally

9. ____based on the evidence

I. in agreement with

10. ____in other words

J. so

11. ____for example

K. an instance of

12. ____however

L. put in another way

13. ____nevertheless

M. consequently

14. ____in conclusion

N. still

15. ____find common ground

O. to make a hardship

78

Exercise 13: Prefixes and suffixes Underline all the prefixes and suffixes under the word. 1. disappear

6. mistreat

11. childhood

2. friendship

7. anticlimax

12. worrisome

3. inward

8. hopeful

13. childish

4. freedom

9. nonexistent

14. intermittent

5. writer

10. reliable

15. entertainment

Exercise 14: Correct word Pick the correct word and put it in the blank: 1. They put a _________ on my house for not paying taxes. (lien / lean) 2. We enjoy looking at photos from the ____________ . (passed / past) 3. She ____________ a famous book in her bibliography. (cited / sighted) 4. I would ____________ you to leave before it rains. (advice / advise) 5. The ____________ of the storm was devastating. (affect / effect) 6. The dog had thick, ____________ hair. (course / coarse) 7. The well-regarded Dr. Adam was ______________ in the field of Dermatology,. (imminent / eminent)

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ANSWERS: Exercise 1 (Fill in the blanks) 1. tyrant 2. sluggish 3. cite 4. thwart 5. bias 6. fabricate 7. nadir 8. mythical 9. acclimate 10. deft 11. essential

Exercise 2 (Matching) 1. O 2. Q 3. K 4. P 5. R 6. D 7. N 8. M 9. I 10. B 11. C 12. L 13. F 14. E 15. A 16. J 17. H 18. G

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Exercise 3 (Synonyms) 1. C 2. J 3. M 4. P 5. F 6. D 7. R 8. A 9. E 10. I 11. N 12. Q 13. B 14. O 15. L 16. H 17. K 18. G Exercise 4 (Antonyms) 1. M 2. L 3. B 4. J 5. A 6. E 7. O 8. I 9. D 10. F 11. N 12. R 13. G 14. H 15. Q 16. P 17. C 18. K 81

Exercise 5 (Multiple choice) 1. b 2. a 3. c 4. a 5. b 6. b 7. b 8. a 9. c 10. b 11. a 12. b

Exercise 6 (True or False) 1. F 2. T 3. F 4. F 5. F 6. T 7. T 8. F 9. T 10. F 11. F 12. T 13. T 14. T 15. F 16. T 17. F 18. T

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Exercise 7 (Odd word out) 1. hostile 2. wane 3. vivid 4. aberration 5. genesis 6. rectify 7. zany 8. initially 9. depressing 10. contemplate 11. adage 12. frivolous 13. remorse 14. levity 15. cursory 16. kowtow 17. dubious 18. jargon

Exercise 8 (Parts of speech) 1. noun 2. adjective 3. adjective 4. noun 5. verb 6. adjective 7. verb 8. adverb 9. verb 10. adjective 11. verb 12. noun 13. adjective 14. verb 15. adverb 16. adjective 17. noun 83

Exercise 9 (Sentences) This exercise must be graded by an instructor or tutor; there are many correct sentences that could be written.

Exercise 10 (Analogies) 1. b 2. c 3. d 4. a 5. b 6. d 7. a 8. c 9. c

Exercise 11 (Fill in the blanks , with bridge words / phrases) 1. however 2. find common ground 3. for example 4. from time to time 5. create an undue burden 6. as a matter of fact 7. In conclusion 8. as a result 9. nevertheless

Exercise 12 (Definitions, of bridge words / phrases) 1. J 2. E 3. A 4. I 5. H 6. C 7. M 8. O 9. F 84

(Exercise 12 cont.) 10. L 11. K 12. D 13. N 14. B 15. G

Exercise 13 (Prefixes and suffixes) 1. dis (prefix) 2. ship (suffix) 3. in (prefix) 4. dom (suffix) 5. er (suffix) 6. mis (prefix) 7. anti (prefix) 8. ful (suffix) 9. non (prefix) 10. able (suffix) 11. hood (suffix) 12. some (suffix) 13. ish (suffix) 14. inter (prefix) 15. enter (prefix) + ment (suffix)

Exercise 14 (Correct word) 1. lien 2. dairy 3. cited 4. advise 5. effect 6. coarse 7. eminent

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