Jan 6, 2016
- Grammar Tips:
- Choose the best vocabulary word to fill the blank.
- The hotel is teeming with security personnel because the leaders of several countries are here for a summit meeting. Teem means . . . .
- to be under close scrutiny
- to be full of, nearly overflowing
- to lose business due to circumstances beyond one’s control
- to close down temporarily
- We were tired when we reached the . . . , but the spectacular view of the valley below was worth the hike.
- circumference
- nadir
- fulcrum
- summit
- She pretended to be . . . about the new job opportunity, but secretly she was very excited.
- dedicated
- blasé
- receptive
- candid
- Karen was relieved to learn that the chemicals in her well water were all benign. Benign means . . . .
- natural
- of local origin
- dangerous
- harmless
- Visiting all the tea shops in the city, they were on a . . . to find the perfect cup of tea.
- quest
- cadence
- surge
- discovery
- He tried to . . . the sinking morale of his friend in the hospital.
- foster
- bolster
- nourish
- sustain
- The . . . collected from real estate taxes helped to balance the town budget.
- remainder
- domain
- assessment
- revenue
- The suit had a(n) . . . odor, as if it had been stored in a trunk a long time.
- aged
- decrepit
- musty
- scented
- Because his workplace was so busy and noisy, he longed most of all for . . . .
- loneliness
- association
- irrelevancy
- solitude
- The . . . data supports the belief that there has been an increase in population in the country.
- nocturnal
- demographic
- nominal
- practical
- I completely lost track of Tula’s point because she kept digressing to unrelated topics. To digress means . . . .
- to express concisely
- to change to tone
- to deviate, stray
- to regress, revert
- The senator evaded the question by changing the subject and accusing his opponent of misconduct. To evade means . . . .
- to answer indirectly
- to deceive
- to refuse to answer directly
- to escape or elude
- The teacher put the crayons on the bottom shelf to make them . . . to the young children.
- accessible
- ambiguous
- receptive
- eloquent
- Their conversation was considered playful . . . between two old friends.
- banter
- activities
- antics
- behavior
- Make sure the directions are very explicit so that no one makes a mistake.
Explicit means . . . .- clearly and fully stated
- ambiguous or implied
- chronologically ordered
- intricate, complex
- Victor Frankenstein spent the last years of his life chasing his elusive monster, who was always one step of his creator. Elusive means . . . .
- difficult to capture
- difficult to compare
- difficult to avoid
- difficult to forget
- My computer was state-of-the-art when I bought it three years ago, but now it is . . . .
- unnecessary
- current
- dedicated
- outmoded
- Xiu’s timely joke served to diffuse the tension in the room, and the rest of the meeting was highly productive. To diffuse means . . . .
- to intensify
- to refuse
- to create
- to soften
- Samantha hasn’t said why she’s been so withdrawn lately, but I would surmise that it is because she is still upset about not being able to go to camp. To surmise means . . . .
- to surprise
- to guess
- to confirm
- to believe
- Although it was futile because he didn’t meet half of the requirements, Jensen applied for the job anyway because it was his dream position. Futile means . . . .
- radical
- useless
- insane
- fruitful
- The editor, preferring a more terse writing style, cut 500 words from the 2,000-word article. Terse means . . . .
- concise
- factual
- descriptive
- elegant
- The . . . president differs from the past president on healthcare reform issues.
- incumbent
- accomplished
- talkative
- artificial
- The hotel is teeming with security personnel because the leaders of several countries are here for a summit meeting. Teem means . . . .
On any vocabulary-in-context question on an exam, there will be some kind of context clue to help you determine meaning. Remember the four types:: restatement, positive/negative, contrast, and specific detail.
Remember that you have a very powerful tool on a multiple-choice exam:: the process of elimination. From the start, you can usually eliminate one or two answers that you know are incorrect. For example, you can eliminate negative choices if the context suggests the word is positive.
To help you eliminate answers, read the sentence with each answer choice substituted for the vocabulary word. Often, putting the word in the context of the sentence can help you determine whether an answer is right or wrong.
Consider the tone and connotation of the other words in the sentence. At a minimum, this can often help you determine whether the vocabulary word is positive or negative.
Look for introductory words and phrases such as unfortunately, however, surprisingly. These words often tell you whether the word is positive or negative and /or set up contrast clues.
Read carefully. Look for specific details that provide clues to meaning.
If you have heard the vocabulary word before but aren’t sure what it means, try to remember the context in which you heard it used before. This may help you better use the context as it is presented on the exam.
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