Transcript B. - Critical and Evaluative Reading Made Easy
ADVANCING VOCABULARY SKILLS
Fourth Edition
Sherrie L. Nist
© 2010 Townsend Press
Unit Three: Chapter 15
•
connoisseur
•
conspiracy
•
contrite
•
distraught
•
germane
•
lucid
•
plight
•
superficially
•
symmetrical
•
verbose
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1
connoisseur
–
noun
•
My sister is a
connoisseur
of Southern novels. She’s read dozens of them, and she knows all about the authors and their different styles.
•
Curtis has broad knowledge of French wines—where they are made, when they are at their best, and exactly how each one tastes. He’s a true
connoisseur
.
Connoisseur
A.
a doubter.
means
B.
C.
an authority.
a leader.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1
connoisseur
–
noun
•
My sister is a
connoisseur
of Southern novels. She’s read dozens of them, and she knows all about the authors and their different styles.
•
Curtis has broad knowledge of French wines—where they are made, when they are at their best, and exactly how each one tastes. He’s a true
connoisseur
.
Connoisseur
A.
a doubter.
means B. an authority.
C.
a leader. If the sister has read dozens of the novels and knows all about the authors and their different styles, she is an authority on French wines. an authority on Southern novels. Curtis’s broad knowledge of French wines shows that he is
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2
conspiracy
–
noun
•
The
conspiracy
to overthrow the government was started by two of the premier’s own advisors.
•
Although only Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the assassination of President Kennedy, many believe there was a
conspiracy
to kill the president.
Conspiracy
A.
B.
C.
means a plot.
an idea.
an announcement.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2
conspiracy
–
noun
•
The
conspiracy
to overthrow the government was started by two of the premier’s own advisors.
•
Although only Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the assassination of President Kennedy, many believe there was a
conspiracy
to kill the president.
Conspiracy
means A. a plot.
B.
an idea.
C.
an announcement. People who wanted to overthrow the government would develop a secret plot . Many believe that there were people who worked with Lee Harvey Oswald on a secret plot to kill President Kennedy.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3
contrite
–
adjective
•
Dolores was especially
contrite
about tearing her sister’s dress because she’d borrowed it without permission.
•
Judges are often more lenient with offenders who truly regret their crimes. A criminal who seems genuinely
contrite
may get a shorter sentence.
Contrite
A.
angry.
means
B.
C.
confused.
sorry.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3
contrite
–
adjective
•
Dolores was especially
contrite
about tearing her sister’s dress because she’d borrowed it without permission.
•
Judges are often more lenient with offenders who truly regret their crimes. A criminal who seems genuinely
contrite
may get a shorter sentence.
Contrite
A.
angry.
means
B.
confused.
Dolores especially sorry C. sorry.
Not having her sister’s permission to borrow the dress would make when she damaged it. In the second item, the word regret suggests that contrite means “ sorry .”
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4
distraught
–
adjective
•
The parents of the little girl who wandered off in the crowded mall were
distraught
until she was found.
•
As the snowstorm got worse and worse and his wife still hadn’t arrived home from work, Jeff became increasingly
distraught
.
Distraught
A.
B.
C.
means upset.
busy. forgetful. Photo: US Navy The
distraught
victim of a tsunami being treated for injuries
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. –
•
The parents of the little girl who wandered off in the crowded mall were
distraught
until she was found.
•
As the snowstorm got worse and worse and his wife still hadn’t arrived home from work, Jeff became increasingly
distraught
.
Photo: US Navy The
distraught
victim of a tsunami being treated for injuries
Distraught
means A. upset.
B.
busy.
C.
forgetful. If the little girl was missing in a crowded mall, her parents would be upset . If the storm is getting worse and Jeff’s wife has not gotten home, Jeff would be upset .
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5
germane
–
adjective
•
Stacy went to the law library to look up information that might be
germane
to her client’s case.
•
It bothered Christine when her new boss asked if she had a boyfriend. That information certainly wasn’t
germane
to her work.
Germane
A.
means damaging.
B.
C.
related. foreign.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5
germane
–
adjective
•
Stacy went to the law library to look up information that might be
germane
to her client’s case.
•
It bothered Christine when her new boss asked if she had a boyfriend. That information certainly wasn’t
germane
to her work.
Germane
A.
means damaging.
B. related.
C.
foreign. Stacy would want to look up information related to her client’s case. Whether or not Christine had a boyfriend was not related to her work— and was none of her new boss’s business.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6
lucid
–
adjective
•
I usually find computer manuals horribly unclear, but this one is
lucid
.
•
The scientist’s explanation of global warming was so
lucid
the entire audience was able to grasp it.
that
Lucid
A.
means easy to understand.
B.
C.
repetitious. fair to both sides.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. –
•
I usually find computer manuals horribly unclear, but this one is
lucid
.
•
The scientist’s explanation of global warming was so
lucid
the entire audience was able to grasp it.
that
Lucid
means A. easy to understand.
B.
repetitious.
C.
fair to both sides. In contrast with computer manuals that are horribly unclear, this one is been easy to understand easy to understand . . Since the entire audience was able to grasp the scientist’s explanation of global warming, it must have
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7
plight
–
noun
•
The
plight
shelters.
of the homeless can be somewhat relieved by decent
•
There were reports of a cave-in at the mine, but it was too soon to know much about the
plight
of the trapped miners.
Plight
A.
means a delayed situation.
B.
C.
an unlikely situation. an unfortunate situation.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7
plight
–
noun
•
The
plight
shelters.
of the homeless can be somewhat relieved by decent
•
There were reports of a cave-in at the mine, but it was too soon to know much about the
plight
of the trapped miners.
Plight
A.
means a delayed situation.
B.
an unlikely situation. C. an unfortunate situation.
The homeless are in an unfortunate situation . Miners trapped by a cave-in are in an unfortunate situation .
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8
superficially
–
adverb
•
Nina spent a full week studying for the exam. Joyce, however, reviewed
superficially
, flipping through the pages of her textbook an hour before the test.
•
This morning, the mechanic was short of time and inspected my car only
superficially
. He said he’s check it thoroughly later and then give me an estimate.
Superficially
means
A.
B.
C.
thoroughly. slightly. daily.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8
superficially
–
adverb
•
Nina spent a full week studying for the exam. Joyce, however, reviewed
superficially
, flipping through the pages of her textbook an hour before the test.
•
This morning, the mechanic was short of time and inspected my car only
superficially
. He said he’s check it thoroughly later and then give me an estimate.
Superficially
means
A.
thoroughly. B. slightly.
C.
daily. Flipping through the pages of the textbook an hour before the test is reviewing only slightly for the exam. In contrast with checking the car thoroughly when he had time, he checked it only slightly when he was short of time.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9
symmetrical
–
adjective
•
The children’s sandcastle was
symmetrical
, with a wall on each side and a tower and flag at each end.
•
No one’s face is perfectly of the mouth differ.
symmetrical
. For example, one eye is usually slightly higher than the other, and the left and right sides
Symmetrical
A.
B.
C.
unique.
beautiful. means balanced. A
symmetrical
building
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9
symmetrical
–
adjective
•
The children’s sandcastle was
symmetrical
, with a wall on each side and a tower and flag at each end.
•
No one’s face is perfectly of the mouth differ.
symmetrical
. For example, one eye is usually slightly higher than the other, and the left and right sides
Symmetrical
A.
B.
unique.
beautiful. C. balanced.
means A
symmetrical
building A wall on each side and a tower and flag on each end would make the sandcastle look balanced . If one eye is higher than the other and the left and right sides of the mouth differ, the face is not perfectly balanced .
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10
verbose
–
adjective
• •
The
verbose
senator said, “At this point in time, we have an urgent and important need for more monetary funds to declare unconditional war on drugs and combat this evil and harmful situation.” The reporter wrote, “The senator said we urgently need more money to fight drugs.” Gabe is the most
verbose
words when one would do.
person I know. He always uses ten
Verbose
means
A.
B.
C.
loud.
wordy. self-important.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10
verbose
–
adjective
• •
The
verbose
senator said, “At this point in time, we have an urgent and important need for more monetary funds to declare unconditional war on drugs and combat this evil and harmful situation.” The reporter wrote, “The senator said we urgently need more money to fight drugs.” Gabe is the most
verbose
words when one would do.
person I know. He always uses ten
Verbose
means
A.
loud.
B. wordy.
C.
self-important. The wordy covers in eleven words. If Gabe uses ten words when one would do, he is wordy senator takes twenty-nine words to say what the reporter .
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A.
F.
connoisseur lucid
B.
G.
conspiracy plight
1.
C.
contrite
H.
superficially
D.
distraught
I.
symmetrical
E.
germane
J.
verbose Claire was truly sorry for having started the argument with Sal. To show how _________ she felt, she e-mailed him an apology.
2.
Everyone is greatly concerned about the __________ of the hostages. We’re not even certain they’re still alive.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A.
F.
connoisseur lucid
B.
G.
conspiracy plight
C.
contrite
H.
superficially
D.
distraught
I.
symmetrical
E.
germane
J.
verbose
1.
Claire was truly sorry for having started the argument with apology.
The meaning of contrite contrite appears in the first sentence: “ truly sorry .”
2.
Everyone is greatly concerned about the __________ of the hostages. We’re not even certain they’re still alive.
If the hostages may not even be alive, they must be in a situation marked by difficulty .
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A.
F.
connoisseur lucid
B.
G.
conspiracy plight
3.
C.
contrite
H.
superficially
D.
distraught
I.
symmetrical
E.
germane
J.
verbose The garden is __________, with the same flowers and shrubs, arranged in the same pattern, on each side of a central path.
4.
A __________ of Asian art told me that my Chinese vase is very old, quite rare, and valuable.
5.
In writing, it is actually easier to be __________ than to make the effort to cut out the unnecessary words.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A.
F.
connoisseur lucid
B.
G.
conspiracy plight
C.
contrite
H.
superficially
D.
distraught
I.
symmetrical
E.
germane
J.
verbose
3.
The garden is __________, with the same flowers and shrubs, arranged in the same pattern, on each side of a central path.
The garden is the same on both sides of the path.
4.
A __________ of Asian art told me that my Chinese vase is very old, quite rare, and valuable.
A person would need to be an expert in fine art about the Chinese vase. to know these things
5.
In writing, it is actually easier to be __________ than to make the effort to cut out the unnecessary words.
A piece of writing that has unnecessary words would be one containing too many words .
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A.
F.
connoisseur lucid
B.
G.
conspiracy plight
6.
C.
contrite
H.
superficially
D.
distraught
I.
symmetrical
E.
germane
J.
verbose During the Revolutionary War, Benedict Arnold, an American officer, was involved in a __________ to help the British win.
7.
The teacher and the other students became irritated when Susan kept asking questions that weren’t __________ to the class discussion.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A.
F.
connoisseur lucid
B.
G.
conspiracy plight
C.
contrite
H.
superficially
D.
distraught
I.
symmetrical
E.
germane
J.
verbose
6.
During the Revolutionary War, Benedict Arnold, an American officer, was involved in a __________ to help the British win.
An American officer who was trying to help the British win must have been involved in a secret plot .
7.
The teacher and the other students became irritated when Susan kept asking questions that weren’t __________ to the class discussion.
If the teacher and other students became irritated, Susan’s questions must not have been relevant to the discussion.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A.
F.
connoisseur lucid
B.
G.
conspiracy plight
8.
C.
contrite
H.
superficially
D.
distraught
I.
symmetrical
E.
germane
J.
verbose My parents had expected my sister home by ten o’clock. By the time she finally walked in at two in the morning, they were very __________.
9.
Ved’s teacher was so pleased with his clear explanation of a difficult theory that she wrote on his paper, “Wonderfully __________!”
10.
Whenever Miki tries to buy a new dress, her husband is only __________ interested. If she shows him one and asks his opinion, all he says is, “It’s fine. Let’s buy it and get out of here.”
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A.
F.
connoisseur lucid
B.
G.
conspiracy plight
C.
contrite
H.
superficially
D.
distraught
I.
symmetrical
E.
germane
J.
verbose
8.
My parents had expected my sister home by ten o’clock. By the time she finally walked in at two in the morning, they distraught Since the sister was four hours late, her parents were distressed .
9.
Ved’s teacher was so pleased with his clear explanation of a difficult theory that she wrote on his paper, “Wonderfully lucid If Ved’s explanation was clear, it was easily understood by the teacher.
10.
Whenever Miki tries to buy a new dress, her husband is only superficially opinion, all he says is, “It’s fine. Let’s buy it and get out of here.” Miki’s husband’s reaction shows that he is not thoroughly interested.