Log inSign up for FREE
Library

LEVEL A, UNIT 8 VOCABULARY EXTRA CREDIT (optional)

Last updated almost 3 years ago
61 questions

LEVEL A, UNIT 8 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

Robin Hood’s faithful merry men were not only _____ companions, but brave and clever fighters as well.

1

Some hikers are surprised when they get a poison ivy rash, as its _____ can sometimes be several days after the encounter with the vine.

1

Although we all recognize that there must be changes, it is a mistake to think that every _____ is necessarily an improvement.

1

Instead of acting as though you were permanently _____ to your small circle of friends, you should try to meet new people.

1

More than once, our skillful running backs managed to find a way through our opponents’ supposedly _____ line.

1

Normally, I’m very even tempered, but I can become a little _____ when I’m tired or hungry.

1

We learned in our history class that the ancient Romans were very fine soldiers and excelled in all the _____ arts.

1

Everyone in the auditorium _____ when the singer hit a sour note while performing his most famous song.

1

I felt that there was something thoroughly _____ about the way he kept trying to duck questions on that subject.

1

With the _____ of the heatwave, vast numbers of city dwellers began to stream toward the beaches and mountains.

1

Of all the different types of writing, humor may be the most _____ , since each generation has its own idea of what is funny.

1

To keep a _____ mind, doctors advise working on crossword puzzles or learning a foreign language.

1

In the moment of danger, my nerves were so _____ that I would have screamed if someone had touched me.

1

Although we are proud of our high standard of living, we should not forget that there are those who do not share in this _____ .

1

Her blond hair fell upon her shoulders like a shimmering _____ of gold.

1

Thanks to my brother’s _____ to a classic recipe, we won first prize at the fair for best hot sauce.

1

Her mind is so _____ that she always seems to be one step ahead of us in any matter under discussion.

1

The self-styled “tough guy” _____ in terror and begged the police not to shoot.

1

The first thing the bankrupt firm must do with its funds is pay the _____ due on the employees’ wages.

1

A high school student looking for a vacation job usually can’t expect to earn more than the _____ wage.

1

Despite all his efforts, he was never able to _____ the fine reputation he had lost by that crooked deal.

1

In the eighteenth century, Russia, Prussia, and Austria made a series of deals to _____ and annex Poland right out of existence.

1

The speed with which the boxer darted about the ring made his lumbering opponent seem utterly _____ by comparison.

1

Did you know that most computer software provides several different _____ for letter writing?

1

This facial cream claims that it will help keep your skin _____ and youthful.

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:

“Get back into your chair!” said Holmes sternly. “It is very well to cringe and crawl now, but you thought little enough of this poor Horner in the dock for a crime of which he knew nothing.”
(“The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle”)
1

EXCERPT #1 Question: To cringe is to _____ .

EXCERPT #2:

The trees and wayside hedges were just throwing out their first green shoots, and the air was full of the pleasant smell of the moist earth. To me at least there was a strange contrast between the sweet promise of the spring and this sinister quest upon which we were engaged.
(“The Adventure of the Speckled Band”)
1

EXCERPT #2 Question: Something that is sinister is definitely NOT _____ .

EXCERPT #3:

. . .I met Mr. Rucastle coming out through this door, his keys in his hand, and a look on his face which made him a very different person to the round, jovial man to whom I was
accustomed. His cheeks were red, his brow was all crinkled with anger, and the veins stood out at his temples with passion.
(“The Adventure of the Copper Beeches”)
1

EXCERPT #3 Question: A person who is jovial is _____ .

EXCERPT #4:

“Yet if the lady is correct in saying that the flooring and walls are sound, and that the door, window, and chimney are impassable, then her sister must have been undoubtedly alone when she met her mysterious end.”
(“The Adventure of the Speckled Band”)
1

EXCERPT #4 Question: If something is impassable, it is _____ .

EXCERPT #5:

. . .[W]ith a cry, she sprang at a small deal box which lay upon the table and tore the lid from it. Out there fell a cascade of children's bricks.
(“The Man with the Twisted Lip”)
1

EXCERPT #5 Question: A cascade is something that _____ .

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:

Crossword puzzles are so common that almost everyone knows how they work. Yet crosswords as we know them first appeared less than a hundred years ago. Before then, the only known word puzzles were simple British children’s games. In these, letters could be arranged into connecting words. A clever child could read words both across and down.

In 1913, newspaper editor Arthur Wynne wanted a unique activity for the “Fun” page of his Sunday paper. He retrieved the old idea of the children’s word puzzle. Wynne’s innovation was to expand it into a larger written format. He drew interlocking boxes in a diamond shape. He gave clues to help solvers fill the boxes with letters to form linking words. Wynne’s puzzle started a trend that others would perfect.

In 1924, Margaret Farrar published the first book of crossword puzzles. It became an instant best-seller. People did crossword puzzles to relax, to improve their vocabulary, and to keep their minds nimble.

Crossword puzzles quickly became a fad, and nearly every American newspaper featured them. In the days before television, people gathering to solve puzzles became a jovial social event. The fad grew into a familiar feature of daily life. Soon, serious puzzle solvers demanded more challenges. Puzzle makers began to develop larger diagrams with a minimum of blank spaces.

They wrote hard clues based on obscure facts, current events, quotations, puns, and riddles. In 1942, the New York Times added a Sunday puzzle, edited by Mrs. Farrar. This
happened at an opportune time—during World War II—when war-weary readers were glad for a break from bad news. Farrar’s puzzles were wildly popular. Today, you will find
crossword puzzles everywhere—in newspapers, magazines, books, at online interactive websites, and even on place mats.
1

The meaning of retrieved is _____ .

1

The meaning of innovation is _____ .

1

Format most nearly means _____ .

1

Nimble most nearly means _____ .

1

Jovial is best defined as _____ .

1

Minimum is best defined as _____ .

IMPROVING SENTENCES

DIRECTIONS:
1. Read each sentence and determine if the underlined portion could be written better.
2. Select the answer that best completes each question. (5 points)
*You may only select one option for your answer.
1

As long as disease exists, scientists will be working in their laboratories full of enthusiasm to discover new cures.

1

Which sport do you like most, hockey or lacrosse?

1

She was a good detective because of her logical mind, her understanding of psychology, and she knew the law.

1

Abraham Lincoln, whose actions made him controversial in his own time but almost universally admired in our own, was the sixteenth president.

1

The list of toppings include pepperoni, sausage, onions, green peppers, and olives.

PRACTICE APPLICATION

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

Plastic patterns that are used for drawing and cutting out shapes can be called _____ .

1

A culprit who has been restrained with handcuffs has been _____ .

1

Which of the following is the opposite of movable?

1

Which of the following could be another word for modernization?

1

Which of the following is another word for tight?

1

A key that has been found and brought back to its owner has been _____ .

1

Which of the following words would you use to describe a collection of laws that relate to war and military life?

1

The beginning of an illness can be referred to as the _____ .

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:

Unfortunately, I have to share a room with my younger brother. What makes this situation particularly unfortunate is that he is extremely messy in his habits. Every time I walk in, there is a huge pile in the room—so huge, in fact, that sometimes the space from the door to my desk is almost impassable. I have to be very nimble in order to make my way around it without disturbing it. After all, I would hate to see all those clothes, shoes, books, toys, games, and whatever else he dumps in the giant mass come cascading down, perhaps burying me. I also sometimes cringe at the thought that there might be apple cores, banana peels, or other perishable items in the pockets of jackets or sweatpants that are in the pile. Fortunately, in the midst of these kinds of dark thoughts, I recently had a brilliant idea. I am going to suggest that we put a partition in the middle of the room. That way, I will have an easier time getting through to my side and perhaps my brother will start to rethink his untidy ways.
1

If an area is impassable (line 3), it is _____ .

1

In line 4, nimble means _____ .

1

Which of the following words could be used to replace cascading (line 5)?

1

When you cringe (line 6), you feel _____ .

1

Items that are perishable (line 7) are likely to _____ .

1

In line 8, partition means _____ .

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:

My Aunt Rosa has an unusual job in show business. She is an actor, but she does not appear in movies or on a theater stage. Instead, she performs the voices of various characters in children’s cartoon shows. Perhaps you have heard her work. Several years ago, she played two different talking horses in a show about a riding academy. Currently, she is working on a show about a magical kingdom and the elves that live there, and she is providing the voices of three different characters. One is a friendly and jovial storekeeper, another is the storekeeper’s crotchety but lovable cat, and yet another is a sinister wizard who is always plotting to take over the kingdom. Aunt Rosa says that she is very happy with the special kind of work she does. She always plays a minimum of two characters, and so she gets to stretch her acting skills. Also, while she may not live a life of stardom or affluence, she has always been lucky enough to find work and avoid being in arrears.
1

A jovial (line 5) person is _____ .

1

Which of the following words could not be used to replace crotchety (line 6)?

1

In line 6, sinister means _____ .

1

A minimum (line 8) is what kind of amount?

1

Which of the following words could be used to replace affluence (line 9)?

1

To be in arrears (line 9) is to be _____ .