Study the following sentences carefully. Then choose the best definition for the boldfaced word. Locate the clue that will help you choose the right answer. This exercise consists of fairly difficult examples.
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| 1 | |
Despite the student's pleas, the instructor refused to acquiesce and raise her final grade. |
| | A) | give in |
| | B) | complain |
| | C) | negotiate |
| | D) | discuss the matter |
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| 2 | |
The scion of a wealthy family, Felix Schneider inherited a great deal of wealth and went on to donate several million dollars to charities and to fund college scholarships. |
| | A) | distant relative |
| | B) | father |
| | C) | descendant |
| | D) | outcast |
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| 3 | |
Never had Charlotte heard such vituperative talk in her life as when her boss criticized her for spoiling his business expansion plans. |
| | A) | complimentary, expressing praise |
| | B) | harsh, abusive |
| | C) | sincere, candid |
| | D) | unnecessarily loud |
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| 4 | |
Somewhere in the dim recesses of Parker's mind, the inchoate idea seeped in: He wanted to make some sort of change in his life.
(inchoate is pronounced in – koh' – it) |
| | A) | revolutionary |
| | B) | drastic |
| | C) | imperfectly formed |
| | D) | ludicrously bizarre |
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| 5 | |
Shopping in Macys during the holiday season always got Jason confused. This time, he became so disoriented that he had no idea how to reach the street. So he was delighted, when he turned down the aisle where men's neckties were displayed, to see a sign saying "egress this way." |
| | A) | sales counter |
| | B) | exit |
| | C) | complaint department |
| | D) | information desk |
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| 6 | |
The countries of the former Yugoslav republic have been engaged in internecine war for since the breakup of the Soviet Union, as the various ethnic groups have waged war against each other. |
| | A) | describing a conflict within a larger group |
| | B) | incapable of being resolved peacefully |
| | C) | moving across geographic boundaries |
| | D) | nonsensical and destructive |
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| 7 | |
One of the more difficult college writing assignment is the synthesis essay which requires the student to analyze ideas from a variety of sources and to present them in a coherent fashion. |
| | A) | personal experience |
| | B) | descriptive, impressionistic |
| | C) | argumentative, persuasive |
| | D) | analytical, combining separate elements |
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| 8 | |
President Barack Obama has promised bipartisan cooperation in his administration, to encourage what members of Congress call "reaching across the aisle" so that Democrats and Republicans work together for common goals. |
| | A) | revolutionary, novel |
| | B) | characterized by mutual respect |
| | C) | including or representing members of both parties |
| | D) | double emphasis on passing legislation quickly |
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| 9 | |
The poet evocatively limned the beauty of his childhood home by describing its lush meadows, wandering paths, and profusion of trees to climb. |
| | A) | compared |
| | B) | analyzed |
| | C) | emphasized |
| | D) | represented in words |
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| 10 | |
When John joined the social networking website Second Life, he created an avatar, which was completely different from his actual physical identity. |
| | A) | a virtual or imaginary identity |
| | B) | drawing of his ideal home environment |
| | C) | a list of personal achievements |
| | D) | a physical description of oneself |
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