In times of crisis, we may be called on to _____ our personal interests to the needs of the nation as a whole.
I look forward to the time when my parents will agree that I have reached the “age of _____ .”
Modern household appliances have done much to _____ homemakers from tedious and time-consuming chores.
Many Western films include a character who is out to _____ a wrong done to a close friend or relative.
Wasn’t it annoying to see Michael _____ into the party as though he were the coolest person ever to walk the face of the earth?
He soon learned that the moods of a youngster — happy one moment, miserable the next — can be as _____ as the winds.
If you know that you are late for school, why do you _____ along as though you had all the time in the world?
A fastball pitcher will often try to _____ an opposing batter by “shaving” him with an inside pitch.
At the State Fair, we separated to visit different exhibits, but we agreed to _____ at the refreshment stand at five o’clock.
This biased editorial has deliberately _____ the stand of our candidate on the important issues of the election.
Though once her peer, I became Caitlin’s _____ when she was promoted to company president.
We held a meeting to discuss why the sale of tickets to the class dance has been so _____ and what we can do about it.
Only the _____ repeal of this unfair nuisance tax will satisfy the voters.
I knew my dog was not feeling well when he suddenly became _____ and refused to get up.
The aged millionaire, wishing to spend his last years in peace and quiet, _____ all his business interests to his sons.
It is good for you to “stand up for your rights,” but you should not do so in a way that _____ on discourtesy.
It is up to the teacher’s _____ what topics can be chosen for our research papers.
It is shocking to see how, in just a few years, the lean young athlete has allowed himself to become flabby and _____ .
Many people, unhappy with what nature has given them, seek to improve their appearance by _____ their hair.
There are times in life when you should be guided more by your feelings, without trying to be strictly _____ about everything.
The invitation to the party said that formal wear was _____ .
Letters of protest _____ the Mayor’s office when he proposed an increase in the sales tax.
We had regarded her as a rather _____ young girl, but in this tough situation she showed that she had courage and good sense.
I plan to write a term paper that will discuss the different ways in which commercial television has had a major _____ on American life for more than sixty years.
The people rejoiced after being _____ from oppression.
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 Question: The act of sauntering involves _____ .
EXCERPT #2 Question: Someone who is logical is definitely NOT _____ .
EXCERPT #3:
This has been Patty's Place ever since my brother Aaron left it to me in his will, and Patty's Place it shall remain until I die and Maria dies. After that happens the next possessor can call it any fool name he likes,” concluded Miss Patty, much as she might have said, “After that—the deluge.”
EXCERPT #3 Question: A deluge is a(n) _____ .
EXCERPT #4:
To their right lay the harbor, taking on tints of rose and copper as it stretched out into the sunset. Before them the water shimmered, satin smooth and silver gray, and beyond, clean-shaven William's Island loomed out of the mist, guarding the town like a sturdy bulldog.
EXCERPT #4 Question: Tints of colors are _____ .
EXCERPT #5 Question: An animal who wants to avenge an action _____ .
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:
For centuries, people have regarded the lion as a noble creature. But have lions been misrepresented as the king of beasts? The truth about lions may surprise you.
Without a doubt, lions are handsome, powerful cats. The male lion’s rich, thick mane makes it both beautiful and fierce looking. It would be a logical conclusion, then, to view the male as a great hunter and protector. But this is not the case. Female lions do most of the hunting, often at night and in teams. Male lions rest or sleep up to twenty hours a day. The so-called “king” is actually a sluggish monarch much of the time.
Lions generally live in groups known as prides, which are like family units. Females of several generations may stay in the same pride for life. Male lions wander away or are forced out by new, stronger males. A pride may have a variable number of members, from as few as three to as many as thirty or more, depending on the amount of food in their territory. More food means larger prides.
These meat-eaters often feed on fresh kill that they bring down. However, some lions are outright thieves. They steal meat from other predators to save themselves the effort of hunting. That doesn’t seem like noble behavior! Nor does the fact that after female lions have made a kill, males chase them away so they can take the finest morsels for themselves.
Lions were once common to many parts of Europe, Asia, India, and Africa. But human hunters and farmers, as well as widespread development in regions where lions once roamed, have all had a serious impact on the wild lion population. Today, wild lions are found only in parts of Africa, and in a protected wildlife preserve in India. Neither an endangered nor threatened species, the lion continues to occupy its throne.
The meaning of misrepresented is _____ .
Logical most nearly means _____ .
Sluggish is best defined as _____ .
The meaning of variable is _____ .
Outright most nearly means _____ .
Impact is best defined as _____ .
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.
Shakespeare's plays are famous for their poetic language and that they have memorable characters.
Space travel, which many consider an invaluable tool for the future while others question its relevance in a world facing more immediate problems, is still in its infancy.
Both the lunch and dinner menu feature soups and sandwiches.
He knew he should never have came to the city by himself.
Because of the ice storm, even when we drove slow, the road felt dangerous.
If you are on the point of making an important decision, you could say your are on the _____ .
Which of the following words is the opposite of serious?
A meeting place might be called a(n) _____ .
To make timid or frighten by threats is to _____ .
Which of the following words might be used to refer to an assistant or helper?
A photograph that has been colored by hand can be said to have been _____ .
Which of the following is another word for retaliate?
An activity that is not required can be described as _____ .
To give a false or untrue version or idea is to _____ .
If a country has been freed from another country’s domination, it has been _____ .
Which of the following words would you use to describe a cactus that is rounded and plump?
Someone who is strolling along a beach is _____ .
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. (4 points)
*You may only select one option for your answer.
PASSAGE:
Over the past three days, we’ve had the heaviest rains I’ve ever seen. Everyone in my family hoped that the basement wouldn’t start collecting water as a result of the deluge, but this morning that is exactly what happened. At first, we tried to use mops and buckets to keep the situation under control. Then, around nine o’clock this morning, the rain started coming down harder than ever. My mother decided that in order to prevent an outright flood, she needed to buy a pump at the hardware store and then set it up in the basement. For a few hours, that approach worked. Then, for some reason, the pump began to work in a sluggish way, and we once again worried that the water level would rise and begin causing all kinds of damage.
Fortunately, the rain began to let up before the storm impacted us as seriously as we had feared it might.
In line 2, deluge means _____ .
Which of the following could not be used to replace outright (line 5)?
If something is working in a sluggish (line 6) way, it is working _____ .
In line 8, impacted means _____ .
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. (4 points)
*You may only select one option for your answer.
PASSAGE:
Chess is a game that requires thinking skills and also helps develop them. It is not enough simply to know the rules and the moves that the different pieces are allowed to make. A player must constantly study the actual and potential situation of his or her pieces and then decide on the most logical action to take out of numerous possibilities. For example, what combination of moves would best weaken the defenses around the opponent’s king? Should a player’s own pawn or knight be ceded in order to get the opponent to move a certain piece from its current position? Answering questions like these requires not only good observation skills and discretion, however. The highly complex and variable situations presented in chess help develop patience as well. For all these reasons, many people think that the game should be taught to children in school and that students should be enouraged to play in afterschool settings as well.
Which of the following words could not be used to replace logical (line 3)?
If a chess piece is ceded (line 5), it is _____ .
In line 7, discretion means _____ .
Which of the following could be used to replace variable (line 7)?