Learningexpress Vocabulary Spelling Success 4e

Spelling

Choose the word that is spelled correctly.

1.a. disinterrested

b.dissinterested

c.disinterested

d.disintirested

2.a. belligerent

b.belligarent

c.belligerrent

d.beligerent

3.a. rendezvoo

b.rendezvous

c.rondevous

d.rondezvoo

4.a. contraban

b.contriband

c.conttraban

d.contraband

5.a. omnishint

b.omniscient

c.onmscient

d.omniscint

Choose the word that is misspelled.

6.a. euphemism

b.transcend

c.relentless

d.interogate

7.a. beneficiary

b.pergury

c.encryption

d.flippant

8.a. guffaw

b.extricate

c.anomaly

d.idealogy

9.a. synthisis

b.deferment

c.bigotry

d.larceny

10.a. biodegradable

b.phillanthropy

c.protracted

d.malevolent

Sentence Completion

Write the word from Group 1 that best fits in the blank. You can check your answers at the end of the posttest.

11. It is not a simple matter to

a body from a grave; a judge has to deem that there is a very good reason for it.

12.I am generally a happy person, but during winter, I always experience a feeling of

.

13. Have you ever heard the

, “Absence makes the

heart grow fonder”?

14. The author’s body of work was impressive to the novice writer, who hadn’t even published one book.

15. After the power failed, we realized the situation had grown and that we would need someone to come to our aid.

Write the word from Group 2 that best fits in the blank. You can check your answers at the end of the posttest.

18.I always call the airlines to

that my flight is leaving on time before I leave for the airport.

20.After our first date, I was

about Jane, but I thought I would go out with her one more time anyway.

Choosing the Right Word

Circle the bold word that best fits into the context of the sentence.

21.The workers’ union and the board of directors finally decided to go to (arbitration, collusion) because their negotiations were fruitless.

22.I found the answer in the (FAQ, ASAP) section of the brochure.

23.I can’t read this memo because it is filled with (nepotism, jargon) that I don’t understand.

24.She is well known for her (syllogism, pragmatism), so I think she will be a very successful manager.

25.Everything was fine until we had a little (snafu, yuppie) while on the train.

26.I am sure I know the sound of that (addle, guffaw), so Joe must be here and it sounds like he is having a good time.

27.She can’t sell her car because there is still a (lien, tort) against it.

28.The hackers tried, but they could not figure out our company’s (cache, encryption) methods, so the files remain secure.

29.Let me tell you a very funny (anecdote, construe) about him.

30.The United States is hoping Spain’s government will (bequest, extradite) the criminals who have fled there.

Synonyms

The following exercise lists vocabulary words from this chapter. Each word is followed by five answer choices. Four of them are synonyms of the vocabulary word in bold. Your task is to choose the one that is NOT a synonym.

31.protracted

a.extended

b.forbidden

c.drawn out

d.lengthy

32.rancor

a.hatred

b.ill will

c.dislike

d.ignorance

33.recapitulate

a.summarize

b.introduce

c.go back over

d.review

34.rendezvous

a.parting

b.meeting

c.engagement

d.appointment

35.flippant

a.too casual

b.rude

c.tired

d.disrespectful

36.puerile

a.childish

b.silly

c.immature

d.cautious

37.archetype

a.model

b.replication

c.example

d.standard

38.relentless

a.occasional

b.unstoppable

c.harsh

d.continuing

39.purge

a.cleanse

b.eliminate

c.ruin

d.empty

40.cryptic

a.hidden

b.secret

c.ambiguous

d.ancient

Word Pairs

Write S if the words are synonyms, or A if the words are antonyms.

51.vehement, blasé

52.stolid, staid

53.genteel, urbane

54.avant-garde, banal

55.altruism, hedonism

56.relentless, tenacious

57.evident, conspicuous

58.laudable, churlish

59.gregarious, diffident

60.benevolent, malevolent

Denotation and Connotation

The following words are all synonyms with the same denotation, but with different connotations. Write POS in the blank if the word carries a positive connotation, NEG in the blank if the word carries a negative connotation, and N if the word carries a neutral connotation.

Answer

1.Project carries a neutral connotation—the reader doesn’t have any idea who or what might be creating or working on the project. In contrast, enterprise carries a positive connotation—enterprise is often associated with a business venture or a new and exciting project, thus giving the word a positive connotation. In contrast, scheme carries a negative connotation—criminals and lawlessness are often associated with schemes.

Answers

Spelling

1.c. disinterested

2.a. belligerent

3.b. rendezvous

4.d. contraband

5.b. omniscient

6.d. Interogate should be spelled interrogate.

7.b. Pergury should be spelled perjury.

8.d. Idealolgy should be spelled ideology.

9.a. Synthisis should be spelled synthesis.

10.b. Phillanthropy should be spelled philanthropy.

Sentence Completion

11.exhume. Exhume means remove from a grave.

12.malaise. A malaise is a vague feeling of illness.

13.aphorism. An aphorism is a general statement of truth or opinion.

14.prodigious. Prodigious means very large or numerous.

15.dire. Dire means urgent or threatening.

16.cower. Cower means tremble in fear.

17.illegible. Illegible means not able to be easily read.

18.verify. Verify means to establish the truth of something.

19.attribute. An attribute is a special quality or characteristic.

20.ambivalent. Ambivalent means having divided feelings, or having conflicting opinions about something.

Choosing the Right Word

21.arbitration. Arbitration is the process by which disputes are settled by a third party, in order to end fruitless negotiations.

22.FAQ. FAQ means Frequently Asked Questions, which is where one would find the answer one sought. ASAP is as soon as possible.

23.jargon. Jargon is the specialized vocabulary of an industry or interest group.

24.pragmatism. Pragmatism is the belief in, and emphasis on, the practical, possible, and useful.

25.snafu. Snafu means “situation normal, all fouled up.”

26.guffaw. A guffaw is a loud burst of laughter.

27.lien. A lien is a charge against property for the satisfaction of a debt imposed by the courts.

28.encryption. Encryption refers to the technology term for translating information into secret code.

29.anecdote. An anecdote is a short account of an interesting or humorous incident.

30.extradite. Extradite means to surrender an alleged criminal to the state or country where he or she can be tried.

Synonyms

31.b. forbidden. Protracted means extended, lengthy, or drawn out.

32.d. ignorance. Rancor is hatred, ill will, or dislike of something or someone.

33.b. introduce. Recapitulate means to summarize, go back over, or review.

34.a. parting. Rendezvous means a meeting, engagement, or appointment.

35.c. tired. Flippant means too casual, rude, or disrespectful.

36.d. cautious. Puerile means childish, silly, or immature.

37.b. replication. Archetype means model, example, or standard.

38.a. occasional. Relentless means unstoppable, harsh, or continuing.

39.c. ruin. Purge means to cleanse, eliminate, or empty.

40.d. ancient. Cryptic means hidden, secret, or ambiguous.

Antonyms

41.illegible. Illegible means not easily read, the opposite of the words listed.

42.purloin. Purloin means to steal, the opposite of the words listed.

43.hyperbole. Hyperbole means exaggerated speech or writing, the opposite of the words listed.

44.conspicuous. Conspicuous means highly visible, the opposite of the words listed.

45.vivacious. Vivacious means full of spirit and lively, the opposite of the words listed.

46.nepotism. Nepotism is the hiring and promoting of friends or family members, the opposite of the words listed.

47.fluctuate. Fluctuate means to change or vary, the opposite of the words listed.

48.naïve. Naïve means innocent, simple, and lacking knowledge of the world, the opposite of the words listed.

49.altruism. Altruism is the unselfish concern for the welfare of others, the opposite of the words listed.

50.fidelity. Fidelity means loyalty and trustworthiness, the opposite of the words listed.

Word Pairs

51.A

52.S

53.S

54.A

55.A

56.S

57.S

58.A

59.A

60.A

Denotation and Connotation

61.Exorbitant carries a negative connotation, inferring excessive behavior, and is often associated with showy and ostentatious displays of wealth. Copious carries a positive connotation, since it means abundant and plentiful and is often associated with generosity.

62.Puerile carries a negative connotation, and is often used to condemn or criticize. Naïve usually carries a neutral connotation; it can be used to objectively describe someone or an idea, or it can be used with a negative connotation to criticize someone who was expected to have known something they did not know. Facetious carries a positive connotation, and it is used to describe playful, joking behavior, or to excuse an offensive remark, as in “I was just being facetious.”

63.Loquacious carries a neutral connotation, as it means talkative, an attribute that could be either positive or negative depending on the speaker’s own subjective view. Garrulous, however, carries a negative connotation, as it means overly talkative and chattering about unimportant things.

64.Both of these words carry positive connotations. Gregarious means sociable, and jaunty means confident and presenting a sharp appearance.

65.Collusion carries a negative connotation, and is used to identify fraudulent or deceitful business conspiracies. Consortium carries a neutral connotation, as it simply means a coming together of two or more businesses for a specific purpose, and there is no implication that this purpose is either honest or deceitful.

66.Resolute carries a neutral connotation, and does not indicate whether the firmness of purpose indicated is directed toward a positive or negative end. Tenacious carries a slightly negative connotation and is often used to criticize negative stubbornness. Relentless also usually carries a negative connotation and is used to describe persistent efforts or assaults that are unwelcome.

67.Entrepreneur carries a positive connotation, and identifies someone who takes on the challenge and risk of starting his or her own business. Empiric has a negative connotation because it identifies someone who, though he or she also shows initiative, begins a practice such as law or medicine without the proper training and experience, assuming they will learn on the job.

68.Furtive has a negative connotation, as it means done in a sly, stealthy, underhanded manner. Cryptic has a neutral connotation, and means secret or hidden, but with no implied ill will. Incognito has a positive connotation, because although it means disguised, it is rarely used to describe negative characters and often carries a connotation of goodhearted mischief or adventure.

69.Audible carries a neutral connotation, and simply means able to be heard. Resonant carries a positive connotation, as it describes sounds that are rich, full, and vibrant.

70.Aficionado carries a positive connotation, as it means a person who likes, knows about, and is devoted to a particular activity or thing. It is rarely used with any negative connotations, but rather is most often used as a compliment. Partisan has a negative connotation because it means strongly in favor of one view or political party, usually with the connotation of blindly following the party line, and not considering an issue on its own or in terms of the bigger picture.

71.Provocative carries a negative connotation, like its root word provoke. Provocative means exciting emotion in a negative way and likely to stir up action or cause a riot. Litigious carries a negative connotation also, and is used to describe something that is disputed and needs to be settled in court. The negative connotation arises from most people’s dislike of going to court, and the hassle and expense involved.

72.Both of these words have strong negative connotations. Bane means the source of continued annoyance or exasperation, or the cause of ruin or death. Antipathy means a revulsion or strong dislike of something.

73.Audacious carries a negative connotation. Though it means fearless, adventurous, and daring, it usually means recklessly so. Flippant also carries a negative connotation, as it is used to describe disrespectful levity or casualness.

74.Feisty carries a negative connotation, as it means full of spirit, but in a quarrelsome way. Vivacious carries a positive connotation because it means lively and full of spirit and is used as a compliment.

75.Relevant carries a positive connotation. It means related to, or concerning, the subject at hand, and implies that there is other material that is not relevant and therefore does not matter. Tangential carries a neutral or negative connotation, and describes something that is slightly related to the subject at hand. Non sequitur carries a negative connotation because a non sequitur is a statement that has no relation to the one before it and therefore is not a good conversation piece or argument.