LEVEL A, UNIT 2 VOCABULARY EXTRA CREDIT (optional)

LEVEL A, UNIT 2 VOCABULARY EXTRA CREDIT

COMPLETING THE SENTENCES
DIRECTIONS:
1. Identify the vocabulary word that best completes the sentence provided. (25 points)
*You may only select one option for your answer.

1

After many stormy years in the service of his country, George Washington retired to the _____ life of his beloved Mount Vernon.

1

His decision not to accept our sincere offer of assistance is completely _____ to me.

1

We expected the lecture on the energy crisis to be exciting, but it turned out to be a(n) _____ rundown of well-known facts and figures.

1

After giving a few _____ excuses, the swimmers packed up and left the private beach.

1

Anyone who has ever sailed a small boat knows how thrilling it is to feel the spray in your face while the sails _____ overhead.

1

After the storm, residents were _____ to stay in their homes, as all roads were impassable

1

The big-league shortstop _____ his glove like a magician, snaring every ball hit within reach.

1

After living for many years in that roomy old farmhouse, I felt awfully _____ in that small apartment.

1

While some find her smile comical, I have always found the Mona Lisa’s smile to be _____ and mysterious.

1

If you _____ your problems honestly and openly, instead of trying to hide them, you will have a better chance of solving them.

1

Do you think it would be a good idea to set a _____ figure for the amount of homework any teacher is allowed to assign?

1

A good scientist must have a keen mind, an unquenchable curiosity, and a _____ desire to discover the truth.

1

She has gained success as a writer who knows how to _____ in a lifelike way the hopes, fears, and problems of young people today.

1

She has many interesting ideas, but she seems to lack the physical and mental _____ to make good use of them.

1

The man was trying to _____ the young woman as a troublemaker, simply because she had dyed her hair purple and dressed in an unusual manner.

1

My idea of a(n) _____ is a person who gives advice that he or she is not willing to follow.

1

The _____ publicity that he received during the investigation was probably the cause of his defeat in the next election.

1

Instead of working so hard to _____ popular TV stars, why don’t you try to develop an acting style of your own?

1

It was _____ to think that our grandparents had to spend sweltering summers without air-conditioning.

1

The science program in our school _____ biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, and other related courses.

1

I didn’t want to _____ the feelings of the hotel manager, but I felt that I had to complain about the miserable service.

1

Despite the fact that she was in shock, the victim gave a clear description of her _____ .

1

Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were _____ , born within a few years of each other.

1

What a relief to learn that my parents had been delayed by a storm, and that all my fears about an accident were _____ !

1

Report any _____ side effects to your doctor immediately.

VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT: LITERARY TEXT
DIRECTIONS:
1. Read the following excerpts that contain vocabulary words from this unit. The vocabulary words are written in bold font. 
2. Select the answer that best completes each question. (5 points)
*You may only select one option for your answer.

EXCERPT #1: 

Thou ever-darting Globe! through Space and Air! Thou waters that encompass us! Thou that in all the life and death of us, in action or in sleep! Thou laws invisible that permeate them and all, Thou that in all, and over all, and through and under all,
incessant!

1

EXCERPT #1 Question: Waters that encompass the Globe _____ .

EXCERPT #2:

Those that look carelessly in the faces of Presidents and governors, as to say Who are you? Those of earth-born passion, simple, never constrained, never obedient, Those of inland America.

1

EXCERPT #2 Question: Someone who is NOT constrained is _____ .

EXCERPT #3:

The mocking-bird, the American mimic, singing all the forenoon, singing through the moon-lit night. . .

1

EXCERPT #3 Question: A bird that is a mimic is a(n) _____ .

EXCERPT #4:

Far, far at sea, After the night's fierce drifts have strewn the shore with wrecks, With re-appearing day as now so happy and serene, The rosy and elastic dawn, the flashing sun....

1

EXCERPT #4 Question: A serene day is one that is _____ .

EXCERPT #5:

....O to be self-balanced for contingencies, To confront night, storms, hunger, ridicule, accidents, rebuffs, as the trees and animals do.

1

EXCERPT #5 Question: To confront something is to _____ .

VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT: INFORMATIONAL TEXT
DIRECTIONS:
1. Read the following passage that contains vocabulary words from this unit. The vocabulary words are written in bold font.
2. Select the answer that best completes each question. (6 points)
*You may only select one option for your answer.

PASSAGE:

One of the most incomprehensible public competitions ever conceived was the dance marathon. The object of this crazy contest, first held in 1923, was to see which couple could dance for longer than any other. Grace and style didn’t matter. Stamina was the only thing that counted.

Dance marathons were wildly popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Young couples staggered around dance floors, moving
to the contemporary tunes of the day. The music was played by live bands or on records. The last couple to remain
standing won. Winners might be rewarded up to a maximum of $1000, which was a vast sum at that time. But they faced highly adverse conditions in their efforts to win.

Rules varied slightly from contest to contest, but the main idea was always the same. Dancers could never leave the dance floor, except to use the restroom. They were constrained to eat, drink, and sleep on their feet. They always had to move, at least a little. Partners took turns supporting each other as best they could.

Critics claimed that the dance marathons were simply physical cruelty. Lawmakers tried to get the contests banned. However, curious onlookers packed the dance halls. To them, it was entertaining to watch weary dancers.

Why did people put themselves through this? Of course, there was prize money at stake. But the major reason seemed to be the power of the fad itself. Marathon dancers became overnight celebrities. Morning papers ran ongoing stories on them. People couldn’t resist tales of wacky, risk-taking heroism, and juicy gossip about the dancers, whose relationships suffered as much as their bodies did during those grueling hours.

1

The meaning of incomprehensible is

1

The meaning of stamina is

1

Contemporary most nearly means

1

Maximum is best defined as

1

Adverse most nearly means

1

Constrained is best defined as

IDENTIFYING SENTENCE ERRORS
DIRECTIONS:
1. Read each sentence and determine if it contains a grammar error or not.
2. Select the answer that best completes each question. (10 points)
*You may only select one option for your answer.

1

At the awards ceremony, the mayor's eloquent speech left an indelible impression for Samuel, and he decided then and there to embark on a career of public service.

1

Whereas voters in that region used to approve school budgets routinely; it is now common for substantial budget increases to be scrutinized intensively and sometimes even rejected.

1

During the 1860s, about two-thirds of the Chinese in America worked in the California gold mines; soon afterwards, as mining declined, many of these laborers worked on the railroads.

1

Revisiting his hometown for the first time in more than thirty years, Gianni was amazed at the changes that have occurred in his absence.

1

As the newspaper's managing editor, Mike stressed to his subordinates the importance of accurate research, fair-minded reporting, and to compete vigorously with other new organizations

1

In 1866, when he was 31 years old, Mark Twain spent four months in the Hawaiian islands, and few visitors have written about it with such freshness and charm.

1

Now that most personal computers come with CD/DVD burners as standard equipment, the copying and duplication of important files onto disks is probably the most cost-efficient backup strategy for PC users.

1

Unfortunately, it did not occur to the applicant to ask either the interviewer nor the receptionist for the company's complete postal address.

1

Undeniably, e-mail is fast, convenient, and cheap; some of its critics, however, complain that it is a relatively impersonal means of communication, and to lack the subtlety and nuance of a phone call or letter

1

That collection of periodicals are kept in the annex, so library patrons must fill out a special request form if they wish to consult the materials.

PRACTICE APPLICATION
DIRECTIONS:
1. Select the answer that best completes each question. (8 points)
*You may only select one option for your answer.

1

Which of the following words is the opposite of antiquated?

1

Another word for fraud is _____ .

1

To be a long-distance swimmer, a person must have a great deal of _____ .

1

If, on a windy day, a sheet on a clothesline rises and swells like a wave, it _____ .

1

The calm expression on someone’s face can be described as _____ .

1

To handle or use skillfully is to _____ .

1

Which of the following is another word for bewildering?

1

If a garden is encircled by shrubs, it is _____ .

READING A PASSAGE #1
DIRECTIONS:
1. Read the following passage that contains vocabulary words from this unit. The vocabulary words are written in bold font.
2. Select the answer that best completes each question. (6 points)
*You may only select one option for your answer.

PASSAGE:

Ever since I was a child, I have been an excellent mimic. Unfortunately, when I am demonstrating my special ability, people—especially my sisters—sometimes misunderstand my motives. They then become ruffled because they think I am trying to make them look silly or that I am having fun at their expense. When I get this kind of reaction, I try to keep it from constraining my normal behavior. Instead of becoming sheepish and apologetic, I do my best to clearly explain that whenever I do my impersonations I try to accurately capture voices and gestures, just as a painter depicts a person’s appearance. In other words, I am a not mocking or judging people. Instead, I am being a careful and disinterested observer of the way they present themselves.

1

A mimic (line 1) is someone who is good at _____ .

1

In line 2, ruffled means _____ .

1

In line 4, constraining means _____ .

1

To be sheepish (line 4) is to be _____ .

1

Which of the following words could be used to replace depicts (line 6)?

1

A disinterested (line 7) observer is _____ .

READING A PASSAGE #2
DIRECTIONS:
1. Read the following passage that contains vocabulary words from this unit. The vocabulary words are written in bold font.
2. Select the answer that best completes each question. (6 points)
*You may only select one option for your answer.

PASSAGE:

People who live in Arizona’s Sonora Desert and other arid areas in the American Southwest are likely to be familiar with scorpions. These relatives of the spider use a poison, or venom, that they make in their bodies both to sting prey and to defend themselves when they are confronted by enemies such as lizards and toads. Does this mean that people should be afraid of the tiny assailants? For the most part, the answer is no. Most species of scorpions found in the United States can do very little damage to a human with their stings. If someone still shivers at the thought of the little creatures, however, his or her fears are not completely groundless. One species, known as the bark scorpion, can be dangerous. Even so, the maximum damage it can cause usually takes the form of adverse reactions such as pain and swelling. Rarely does this North American scorpion’s sting cause death or serious illness.

1

Arid (line 1) places are extremely _____ .

1

Which of the following words could be used to replace confronted (line 3)?

1

In line 4, assailants means _____ .

1

Which of the following words could not be used to replace groundless (line 7)?

1

The maximum (line 7) damage that a sting could cause could also be described as the _____ .

1

LEVEL A, UNIT 2 VOCABULARY EXTRA CREDIT

COMPLETING THE SENTENCES

After many stormy years in the service of his country, George Washington retired to the _____ life of his beloved Mount Vernon.

His decision not to accept our sincere offer of assistance is completely _____ to me.

We expected the lecture on the energy crisis to be exciting, but it turned out to be a(n) _____ rundown of well-known facts and figures.

After giving a few _____ excuses, the swimmers packed up and left the private beach.

Anyone who has ever sailed a small boat knows how thrilling it is to feel the spray in your face while the sails _____ overhead.

After the storm, residents were _____ to stay in their homes, as all roads were impassable

The big-league shortstop _____ his glove like a magician, snaring every ball hit within reach.

After living for many years in that roomy old farmhouse, I felt awfully _____ in that small apartment.

While some find her smile comical, I have always found the Mona Lisa’s smile to be _____ and mysterious.

If you _____ your problems honestly and openly, instead of trying to hide them, you will have a better chance of solving them.

Do you think it would be a good idea to set a _____ figure for the amount of homework any teacher is allowed to assign?

A good scientist must have a keen mind, an unquenchable curiosity, and a _____ desire to discover the truth.

She has gained success as a writer who knows how to _____ in a lifelike way the hopes, fears, and problems of young people today.

She has many interesting ideas, but she seems to lack the physical and mental _____ to make good use of them.

The man was trying to _____ the young woman as a troublemaker, simply because she had dyed her hair purple and dressed in an unusual manner.

My idea of a(n) _____ is a person who gives advice that he or she is not willing to follow.

The _____ publicity that he received during the investigation was probably the cause of his defeat in the next election.

Instead of working so hard to _____ popular TV stars, why don’t you try to develop an acting style of your own?

It was _____ to think that our grandparents had to spend sweltering summers without air-conditioning.

The science program in our school _____ biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, and other related courses.

I didn’t want to _____ the feelings of the hotel manager, but I felt that I had to complain about the miserable service.

Despite the fact that she was in shock, the victim gave a clear description of her _____ .

Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were _____ , born within a few years of each other.

What a relief to learn that my parents had been delayed by a storm, and that all my fears about an accident were _____ !

Report any _____ side effects to your doctor immediately.

VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT: LITERARY TEXT

EXCERPT #1 Question: Waters that encompass the Globe _____ .

EXCERPT #2 Question: Someone who is NOT constrained is _____ .

EXCERPT #3 Question: A bird that is a mimic is a(n) _____ .

EXCERPT #4 Question: A serene day is one that is _____ .

EXCERPT #5 Question: To confront something is to _____ .

VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT: INFORMATIONAL TEXT

The meaning of incomprehensible is

The meaning of stamina is

Contemporary most nearly means

Maximum is best defined as

Adverse most nearly means

Constrained is best defined as

IDENTIFYING SENTENCE ERRORS

At the awards ceremony, the mayor's eloquent speech left an indelible impression for Samuel, and he decided then and there to embark on a career of public service.

Whereas voters in that region used to approve school budgets routinely; it is now common for substantial budget increases to be scrutinized intensively and sometimes even rejected.

During the 1860s, about two-thirds of the Chinese in America worked in the California gold mines; soon afterwards, as mining declined, many of these laborers worked on the railroads.

Revisiting his hometown for the first time in more than thirty years, Gianni was amazed at the changes that have occurred in his absence.

As the newspaper's managing editor, Mike stressed to his subordinates the importance of accurate research, fair-minded reporting, and to compete vigorously with other new organizations

In 1866, when he was 31 years old, Mark Twain spent four months in the Hawaiian islands, and few visitors have written about it with such freshness and charm.

Now that most personal computers come with CD/DVD burners as standard equipment, the copying and duplication of important files onto disks is probably the most cost-efficient backup strategy for PC users.

Unfortunately, it did not occur to the applicant to ask either the interviewer nor the receptionist for the company's complete postal address.

Undeniably, e-mail is fast, convenient, and cheap; some of its critics, however, complain that it is a relatively impersonal means of communication, and to lack the subtlety and nuance of a phone call or letter

That collection of periodicals are kept in the annex, so library patrons must fill out a special request form if they wish to consult the materials.

PRACTICE APPLICATION

Which of the following words is the opposite of antiquated?

Another word for fraud is _____ .

To be a long-distance swimmer, a person must have a great deal of _____ .

If, on a windy day, a sheet on a clothesline rises and swells like a wave, it _____ .

The calm expression on someone’s face can be described as _____ .

To handle or use skillfully is to _____ .

Which of the following is another word for bewildering?

If a garden is encircled by shrubs, it is _____ .

READING A PASSAGE #1

A mimic (line 1) is someone who is good at _____ .

In line 2, ruffled means _____ .

In line 4, constraining means _____ .

To be sheepish (line 4) is to be _____ .

Which of the following words could be used to replace depicts (line 6)?

A disinterested (line 7) observer is _____ .

READING A PASSAGE #2

Arid (line 1) places are extremely _____ .

Which of the following words could be used to replace confronted (line 3)?

In line 4, assailants means _____ .

Which of the following words could not be used to replace groundless (line 7)?

The maximum (line 7) damage that a sting could cause could also be described as the _____ .

In line 8, adverse means _____ .