Expanding one’s vocabulary is an essential aspect of effective communication and language proficiency. A rich vocabulary not only allows individuals to express themselves more clearly but also enhances their reading and comprehension skills.
To develop a robust vocabulary, it’s important to practice using new words in context. One effective way to do this is through exercises that require you to choose the best vocabulary word to complete a sentence or passage.
Choose the best vocabulary word to fill the blank. Circle your choices or write your answers on a separate piece of paper.
1. The _____________ president differs from the past president on healthcare reform issues.
a. talkative
b. accomplished
c. artificial
d. incumbent
Correct Answer – d
Explanation – Incumbent means holding any post or position.
2. The _____________ data supports the belief that there has been an increase in population in the county.
a. nominal
b. demographic
c. practical
d. nocturnal
Correct Answer – b
Explanation – Demographic data is the branch of research that deals with human populations.
3. The _____________ collected from real estate taxes helped to balance the town budget.
a. domain
b. remainder
c. revenue
d. assessment
Correct Answer – c
Explanation – Revenue is the income of a government.
4. She pretended to be _____________ about the new job opportunity, but secretly she was very excited.
a. dedicated
b. receptive
c. candid
d. blasé
Correct Answer – d
Explanation – Blasé means bored or unimpressed by things after having seen or experienced them too often.
5. We were tired when we reached the _____________, but the spectacular view of the valley below was worth the hike.
a. circumference
b. summit
c. fulcrum
d. nadir
Correct Answer – b
Explanation – The summit means the highest point, where the hikers would have a good view.
6. The suit had a(n) _____________ odor, as if it had been stored in a trunk for a long time.
a. aged
b. scented
c. musty
d. decrepit
Correct Answer – c
Explanation – A musty odor is one that is stale or moldy.
7. Because his workplace was so busy and noisy, he longed most of all for _____________.
a. solitude
b. association
c. loneliness
d. irrelevancy
Correct Answer – a
Explanation – Solitude, unlike loneliness, can be a desirable thing, and it would be something a person who works in a busy office would crave.
8. The teacher put the crayons on the bottom shelf to make them _____________ to the young children.
a. accessible
b. receptive
c. eloquent
d. ambiguous
Correct Answer – a
Explanation – Accessible means capable of being reached or being within easy reach.
9. My computer was state-of-the-art when I bought it three years ago, but now it is _____________.
a. current
b. dedicated
c. unnecessary
d. outmoded
Correct Answer – d
Explanation – Outmoded means no longer in style or no longer usable.
10. Visiting all the tea shops in the city, they were on a _____________ to find the perfect cup of tea.
a. surge
b. quest
c. discovery
d. cadence
Correct Answer – b
Explanation – A quest is a search or pursuit of something, in this case for the perfect cup of tea.
11. Make sure the directions are very explicit so that no one makes a mistake. Explicit means
a. intricate, complex.
b. clearly and fully stated.
c. chronologically ordered.
d. ambiguous or implied.
Correct Answer – b
Explanation – Explicit means clearly and fully stated; straightforward, exact. The context tells you that the directions need to be clear to prevent an error. If the directions are clearly and fully stated, it will help ensure that no one makes a mistake.
12. The hotel is teeming with security personnel because the leaders of several countries are here for a summit meeting. Teem means
a. to close down temporarily.
b. to lose business due to circumstances beyond one’s control.
c. to be full of, nearly overflowing.
d. to be under close scrutiny.
Correct Answer – c
Explanation – To teem means to be full of, to be present in large numbers. Numerous security personnel typically surround the leader of a country. If there is a meeting of several foreign leaders, there is likely to be a great number of security officers in the hotel.
13. Karen was relieved to learn that the chemicals in her well water were all benign. Benign means
a. natural.
b. dangerous.
c. of local origin.
d. harmless.
Correct Answer – d
Explanation – Benign means not harmful or malignant; gentle, mild, having a beneficial effect. Choice d is the only answer that makes sense in the context of the sentence; Karen would logically be worried about chemicals in her water and relieved if she learned those chemicals were harmless.
14. Although it was futile because he didn’t meet half of the requirements, Jensen applied for the job anyway because it was his dream position. Futile means
a. useless.
b. fruitful.
c. radical.
d. insane.
Correct Answer – a
Explanation – Futile means useless, producing no result, hopeless, vain. Jensen’s application is useless because he does not meet the minimum requirements for the job.
15. The editor, preferring a more terse writing style, cut 500 words from the 2,000-word article. Terse means
a. elegant.
b. factual.
c. descriptive.
d. concise.
Correct Answer – d
Explanation – Terse means concise, using no unnecessary words. The main clue is that the editor cut the article by 25%, dramatically reducing its wordiness.
16. Victor Frankenstein spent the last years of his life chasing his elusive monster, who was always one step of his creator. Elusive means
a. difficult to compare.
b. difficult to capture.
c. difficult to forget.
d. difficult to avoid.
Correct Answer – b
Explanation – Elusive means evasive, eluding the grasp; difficult to capture. The sentence tells you that Dr. Frankenstein was never able to catch the creature, who constantly escaped his grasp.
17. Xiu’s timely joke served to diffuse the tension in the room, and the rest of the meeting was highly productive. Diffuse means
a. to refuse.
b. to intensify.
c. to create.
d. to soften.
Correct Answer – d
Explanation – To diffuse means to spread throughout, disperse; to soften or make less brilliant. Xiu’s joke softened the tension so that the meeting could be more productive.
18. I completely lost track of Tula’s point because she kept digressing to unrelated topics. Digress means
a. to deviate, stray.
b. to regress, revert.
c. to change the tone.
d. to express concisely.
Correct Answer – a
Explanation – To digress means to turn aside, deviate; to stray from the main subject in writing or speaking. The speaker loses track of the point because Tula keeps shifting from the main topic to unrelated subjects.
19. The senator evaded the question by changing the subject and accusing his opponent of misconduct. Evade means
a. to escape or elude.
b. to answer indirectly.
c. to refuse to answer directly.
d. to deceive.
Correct Answer – a
Explanation – To evade means to elude or avoid by cleverness or deceit; to avoid fulfilling, answering, or doing. The senator avoids answering the question by changing the subject.
20. Samantha hasn’t said why she’s been so withdrawn lately, but I would surmise that it is because she is still upset about not being able to go to camp. Surmise means
a. to confirm.
b. to surprise.
c. to believe.
d. to guess.
Correct Answer – d
Explanation – To surmise means to form a notion from scanty evidence. The narrator is guessing that Samantha has been withdrawn because she is upset about not being able to go to camp.
21. Their conversation was considered playful _______ between two old friends.
a. antics
b. banter
c. behavior
d. activities
Correct Answer – b
Explanation – Banter is defined as remarks or talk that is playful and teasing. Choice a is incorrect because antics are unpredictable behavior or actions. Choices c and d are incorrect because their definitions are too broad and do not focus on conversation.
22. He tried to ______________ the sinking morale of his friend in the hospital.
a. sustain
b. foster
c. bolster
d. nourish
Correct Answer – c
Explanation – If the friend has a “sinking morale,” this means that the friend’s feelings or attitude are overwhelmed or defeated. The speaker would, thus, want to raise or bolster this morale. Choice a, b, and d are all incorrect. The speaker would not want his friend’s morale to continue to sink.
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