2 verbs, 2 adjectives, 1 noun

1. to capitulate - to give up, to surrender
2. to feel dismayed - to suddenly lose your excitement for something due to a bad experience, to be shocked and to lose interest in doing something
3. to denote something, to be denoted - to indicate something
4. woeful - something that fills one with deep grief or extreme sadness
5. a paroxysm (of) - when emotion comes pouring out,  an outburst of emotion



I had been listening to him lie to me for about an hour.  Suddenly I exploded in a ________________ of anger! I yelled, "You disgusting liar!  How dare you lie to me!"

The coach of the football team was so __________________ after his team's loss, that he quit his job and went into retirement.

Goethe's novel The Sorrows of Young Werther told such a ______________ story, that many people killed themselves after reading it in the 1800s.

In the contract, the obligations of the purchaser are __________________ in paragraph 3.

In the 1700s, pirates gave captains of the ships they attacked two choices.  The captains could try to defend their ships and fight the pirates, or the captains could ______________ without a fight.  If they fought and lost, the pirates would kill everyone on the ship; otherwise the pirates would not hurt anyone on the ship, but would take all the valuables on board.

answers are below:





answers:


paroxysm
dismayed
woeful
denoted
capitulate

More SAT, GRE vocab

The best way to improve your vocabulary is to read challenging, thoughtful books and to look up the words you don't know.  I'm reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein these days, so I jotted down some vocabulary that I thought would be useful to SAT or GRE students. You should also read literature and make your own vocab lists.

1. harrowing - very frightening
2. impertinent - this usually means rude or disrespectful; it can also mean 'beside the point'
3. repose - rest
4. emaciated - the way a person looks who is starving; very thin
5. melancholy - sadness, but a special kind of 'thoughtful' sadness


Bob was fortunate to go to a little liberal arts college out in the countryside of Pennsylvania.  When he was tired of studying, he could take a short walk and lie on the grass, under the trees for some much needed _____________.

Most clerks at department stores are very cordial and polite, but sometimes clerks can also be _________________ toward customers.

Our vacation trip down the Amazon River was supposed to be safe and tranquil, but when we got deep into the river we experienced some ___________________ adventures.

A person probably shouldn't dwell too much on the mistakes he/she has made.  This just leads to a type of useless _____________________.

I could tell Bill had been ill for quite some time.  When I had last seen him, he seemed hardy and robust, but now he looked weak and _______________________.

answers are below:





answers:

repose
impertinent
harrowing
melancholy
emaciated

9 SAT, GRE level vocabulary words

1.  quaint - something which is charming or appealing because it seems old fashioned
2.  viscous - something that is in between being a solid and a liquid
3.  a liability - this word has two big meanings 1) a liability can be a responsibility or 2) a liability can be a handicap, or something that makes something more difficult for a person or group
4.  superfluous - too much, something unnecessary, more than you need
5.  gratifying - pleasing
6.  fickle - changing quickly; usually fickle is used in regard to a person - if a person is fickle he/she changes his/her mind quickly or does things randomly
7.  to rescind something - to remove something, to repeal something; for example, if a law is         rescinded the law is eliminated
8.  to depreciate - there are two big meanings for this word 1) to lessen the value of something - for instance, after you buy and use a car it depreciates in value or 2) to speak negatively about someone or something
9.  didactic - instructive, trying to teach something; the opposite word is pedantic - if a teacher is   pedantic, he wants to impress his students with his knowledge but if a teacher is didactic, he really wants his students to learn something



I had heard that my new professor was world-renowned for his scholarship, but he had an amazing teaching style and was concerned with being more ____________________ than other professors who were more pedantic in order to demonstrate their mastery of their subjects.

I honestly think that we can settle this matter in just one meeting.  More than one meeting will just be ____________________.

I just had to have that rocking chair which I saw in the antique shop.  It was very sturdy and had such a ________________ design - like something you'd see in the early 1800s.

Although the crust and upper mantle are certainly made of solid forms of rock, as you go deeper toward the earth's core you find hotter and more ________________ substances. 

We really need a bilingual speaker for this new position.  Although Bob is really smart, his inability to speak Spanish will be a ________________ to our whole program.

Although your compliment is certainly ________________, I was only doing my job.

Although it's true that Alexander Hamilton experienced some scandals and died as a result of a duel (an illegal activity), I don't think we should ________________ the value he had in the service of the United States of America.  He contributed greatly.

I don't even ask my girlfriend what she wants to do on a date any more - she is so _______________!  She'll tell me one thing, then suddenly change her mind, and then she'll change back to the original decision!

Initially the school library was going to charge students $1 per day for overdue books. However, so many students complained that the library _____________ their policy.

answers are below:





answers:

didactic
superfluous
quaint
viscous
liability
gratifying
depreciate
fickle
rescinded

7 useful words + examples + exercise

to fuss (or to fuss over) - to be worried about something that isn't important
a whim - a sudden, random idea or desire
savory - something that looks delicious to eat
a conscience - the little voice inside of us which tells us what is right or wrong
timorous - being fearful or timid
shrewd - this could mean very clever or very sneaky
rueful - showing sadness, sorrow or regret

Why are you fussing so much over this chapter?  The material in that chapter will not even be on the test.

On a whim, I decided to go visit my cousin in Toronto.

Although Bob bought the book "The Joy of Cooking," he was a terrible cook and never made any really savory meals.

In good conscience, I can't help you cheat on this test.

Some people are risk takers but some people are more timorous, cautious and conservative.

The politician was very shrewd.  He knew that there were many elderly people in his district so he always campaigned around the theme of preserving social security and other programs for the elderly.

That was one of the most stupid things I ever did and I remain rueful to this day.



From the smell of the food that was wafting from the kitchen into the dining room, I could tell we were in store for a most ________________ dinner.

After it became apparent that the War in Iraq was not going to end quickly, many Americans became ________________ that the war had ever been started.

I bought this tie on a _____________.  I didn't expect to buy anything, but when I saw it, I felt I needed to have it.

As far as I can tell all of the preparations for the wedding are in place.  Bob, however, still feels he has to ________________ over some minor details.

Bob is a ________________ businessman.  Even in an economic downturn he can make lots of money.

I felt that I had to quit that job because I have a ______________ conscience.  I did not think that company was doing the right thing.

I tend to be a pretty conservative person because I tend to be a _________________ person.  I'm a little scared of taking risks and trying things that might hurt me.

answers are below:




answers:

savory
rueful
whim
fuss
shrewd
conscience
timorous

5 more good SAT, GRE, TOEFL words

irreverent - not respectful, showing contempt toward someone or something
to dispel - to force something away, to get rid of something
to coax - to persuade through gentle means
to exasperate - to make a person very annoyed or angry
zealous - very enthusiastic or aggressive about something, overly enthusiastic about something


I really didn't want to leave the house this weekend but my kids were able to ____________ me into taking them to the zoo.

Joe seemed to be a good employee during his first few weeks, but he has been making one mistake after another and this has started to _________________ me.

Satire is a type of literature in which an _______________ approach is taken toward some situation in order to make fun of the situation and to show that it is wrong.

The Tea Party - a new political party in America - has been accused of being too __________________ in regard to its attacks on President Obama and people of color in the USA.

Our boss held a special meeting to ____________ all the rumors that our company was going to be bought by a larger company.

answers are below:



answers:

coax
exasperate
irreverent
zealous
dispel

Check your high level English vocabulary - 7 useful words

furtively - secretly, surreptitiously, in a sneaky manner 
limpid - very clear, pellucid, transparent
to clamor - to be noisy, to be loud, when a group expresses anger in a loud manner
chic - stylish, trendy, elegant
monotonous - boring because it's the same thing over and over again
coquettishly - flirtatiously, teasingly
garrulous - too talkative



It was so good to be out of the city.  Bob could literally see the fish swimming through the _______________ stream of water near his campsite.

Is there anything worse than sitting next to a _______________ passenger on an overnight flight who just won't shut up? Well, maybe root canal surgery can be worse.

Bob adores Laura but is quite shy.  He did not want Laura to know that he was her secret admirer.  Once a week he would buy flowers and _________________ leave them on her front doorstep without anyone seeing him.

Initially the people of Tunisia accepted the poor conditions of the country.  After the economy began to really become bad, however, people began to _______________, especially through social media, that political change was necessary.

In the novel Naomi, by the Japanese writer Junichiro Tanizaki, the title character is an expert at acting _________________ toward the older man who falls in love with her. Although he realizes she is bad news, he cannot stop himself from falling for her over and over again.

A young woman does not need to have a lot of money to look ______________.  It is definitely possible to be trendy even if you are on a budget. 

Many foreigners cannot understand why Americans like the game of baseball.  To most people in the world it is a truly ________________ game in which nothing significant never seems to happen and which lasts for way too long.

answers are below:




answers:

limpid
garrulous
furtively
clamor
coquettishly
chic
monotonous

3 nouns, 1 verb, 1 adjective

1. adulation - extreme praise, when someone is almost worshiped by someone or others
2. a eulogy - a little speech mentioning good things about a person who recently died
3. to linger - to remain a little longer than others, to be slow in leaving
4. reticent - not saying much, if anything; being quiet 
5. a sycophant - someone who flatters more powerful or influential people to get ahead, a 'yes-man', someone who falsely praises his superior to get some type of benefit



One of the best ______________ for Rosa Parks, at her funeral, came from Oprah Winfrey, one of the most famous women of color in the world.

A teen pop star will receive so much ________________ from his/her fans, that it might become difficult for this person to transition into the 'real' world and live meaningfully.

Many professors will ______________ in their classrooms after the class is over to answer questions from students.

It is, of course, important to be a supportive employee, but nobody wants to be mistaken for a _________________ who goes out of his way to praise the boss.

One of the toughest jobs a teacher has is to help a very shy and _________________ student to begin speaking in class.  Often times such a student is just a little insecure and needs a little encouragement.


answers are below:




answers:

eulogies
adulation
linger
sycophant
reticent

3 adjectives and 2 verbs

1. to deplore s/t - to really dislike something
2. immutable - unchangeable
3. prudent - sensible, judicious, showing good judgment, not making a foolish decision, only acting after thinking a lot about the consequences
4. stagnant - not changing, not being active, something that stays the same for too long
5. to undermine s/t - to ruin or upset something through some sneaky or secret way

s/t means: something

Political conservatives believe that the American economy has remained _______________ for too long. They believe it is the role of the US government to decrease taxes in order to stimulate the economy and make it more active.

Most Americans now believe that the decision to attack Iraq in 2003 was not _______________.  Very little was accomplished through this war and too many people suffered.

The US Constitution is not __________________. The Constitution can be changed, but it is very difficult to do so, 

Bob's rival co-worker was jealous of Bob's success and always looked for ways to _________________ Bob's projects.

I attended a couple Occupy Wall Street protests in 2011 and, like others, I _________________ the way the New York Police Department acted toward the protesters. The police were often rude and violent.

answers are below:




answers:

stagnant
prudent
immutable
undermine
deplored

3 adjectives, 2 nouns ---> SAT, GRE, TOEFL words

a conflagration - a huge fire that destroys property and perhaps even kills people
to be indifferent - not interested in something, not worried about something
scrupulous - someone who is careful to always do something right
tranquility - feeling peaceful, serene, calm
whimsical - playful, silly, not serious


Is there one goal that every religion seems to shoot for?  If there were, I would guess it is a type of ___________________.  Every religion seems to promise that peace is possible and that it is a goal worth attaining.

Bill's father was the most _______________ man he had ever known.  He could not remember hearing his father ever tell a lie and, in everything he did, he seemed to be as honest as a person could be.

Why did only about 25% of New York registered voters vote in the last mayoral election? Well, it seems that most people are ________________ to local politics.  Perhaps they feel that it doesn't matter who the mayor is.

Joe had two uncles.  One was very studious (very serious about his studies) and serious but the other one took a more ________________ approach to life.  Joe learned a lot from his first uncle but loved being around the second. (Or:  Joe learned a lot from the latter but loved being around the former.)

Until September 11, 2001, the most people in New York City who had died in one day was 1,019, due to the _________________ on the ship called The SS General Slocum. Nobody knows how the fire started, but it spread quickly causing such a huge death toll. 

answers are below:





answers:

tranquility
scrupulous
indifferent
whimsical
conflagration

3 verbs, 2 nouns, 1 adjective ---> SAT, GRE, TOEFL vocabulary

to appease s/o - to try to satisfy or make someone happy
to deride s/o - to make fun of someone, to mock someone, to ridicule someone
fastidious - to be very detail oriented
to impede - to stop someone's progress
a recluse - a hermit, someone who lives alone, someone who seeks solitude
a virtuoso - someone who has an amazing skill at something (like a musical instrument)


1)  Paganini is considered to have been one of the greatest violin _______________ in history. He was so great that some people rumored that he had sold his soul to the devil to gain his super-human skills.

2)  Bob is the most ______________ dresser I have ever met.  His clothing has to look perfect before he goes out.  His shoes must be polished and there can't be one wrinkle in his suit.

3) Mitt Romney was often _______________ during the last presidential campaign because he was so rich and did not seem to understand how poorer people lived. Someone even made a video called: Mitt Romney Style (based on Gangnam Style).

4) Even if a customer is wrong, it is sometimes better to ______________ him/her than to argue with him/her.  

5) Republican politicians and businessmen in New York City are worried that the new mayor's plan to increase taxes might _______________ economic development.

6)  One of America's most famous ____________ was Howard Hughes.  After becoming a successful airplane engineer and Hollywood producer, he seemed to disappear into a Las Vegas hotel room for the last several years of his life.

answers are below:




answers:

1) virtuosi or virtuosos 
2) fastidious
3) derided
4) appease
5) impede
6) recluses

4 nouns and 1 adjective

a criterion - a standard by which to measure something
fallacious - false
a hedonist - someone who lives for pleasure
a skeptic - someone who needs proof before he/she believes anything
adversity - difficult or trying times


Although the new theory as to how life began on earth sounds nice, I remain a ___________ because there has yet to be any hard proof or sound experiments to verify the theory.

Frans Hals is one of my favorite painters and he was certainly no ascetic. Indeed, if anything he was a ____________ who loved the pleasures of life.

Many academic experts do not believe that a student should be admitted to a university based on just one test. There should be more than one _____________ by which to determine college admission.

I like this philosophical question: Are you ethical or were you lucky?  The question implies that people who are 'good' are people who have often not experienced much _______________.  It implies that if you have not experienced difficult times, you have not truly been tested and you are 'lucky' and not 'good' or ethical.

To say that I can't prove that fairies do not exist, and therefore they may exist is a _________________ argument.  You can't prove a 'negative'.

answers are below:




answers:

skeptic
hedonist
criterion
adversity
fallacious

Paintings by Frans Hals!

2 adjectives, 2 verbs, 1 noun

1. ascetic - avoiding pleasure, a simple life in which one does not pursue physical comfort (this word can be a noun or adjective)
2. to embellish s/t - to add extra details to make something sound or look better
3. ominous - threatening, scary
4. a reprimand - this is an official statement that a person has violated a rule, it's a verbal or written statement that someone has done something wrong
5. to temper s/t - to decrease a possible response, to make something less severe

(s/t = something)

1.  If you work with the public, it is a good skill to know how to __________ your anger. You are always going to have to deal with people who will be nasty and unreasonable, but you do not have to respond in a negative way.

2.  Jackie Robinson was the first African American athlete to play in Major League Baseball.  Many racists opposed his inclusion into "white" baseball.  Robinson received many ____________ letters which threatened to harm or kill him, but thankfully nothing that terrible ever happened.

3.  What you heard from Joe was partly true.  But remember, Joe likes to _______________ his stories so some of what he said was just made-up to make you laugh.

4.  Although Congressman Charles Rangle had engaged in various types of misconduct, the US Congress merely issued him a _________________. There was no real punishment.

5.  In many religions, religious leaders are expected to live an ____________ life style.  The ability to refrain from seeking comfort and pleasure seems to indicate the person is somehow closer to God.

answers below:




answers:

1. temper
2. ominous
3. embellish
4. reprimand
5. ascetic

10 common SAT vocabulary words

1. innocuous - harmless, not bothering anyone
2. miserly - cheap, parsimonious
3. nonchalant - easy going, not in a hurry, casual, very relaxed
4. ostentatious - very flamboyant, showy, deliberately showy to draw attention
5. a quandary - a dilemma, being unable decide what to do next (to be in a quandary)
6. to repudiate something - to turn away from something, to refuse to be associated with something
7. surreptitiously - secretly, in a sneaky way
8. trite - an expression which is used too commonly, a cliche
9. to venerate - to respect highly, to worship
10. a zealot - someone who is extraordinarily passionate about something (usually a cause)

1.  I'm in a bit of a _______________. I am not sure whether to go to graduate school or take this new job.

2.  As a young man the politician had belonged to a club that did not allow women members.  He, of course, _________________ his membership in that club and stated it was a youthful mistake.

3.  Foreigners have to realize that in Thailand they do not just respect their king, they _______________ him and a person can be thrown in jail for showing disrespect to the Thai king.

4.  The security guard threw the homeless man out of the public library because he had been sleeping.  I felt that this was wrong - the homeless guy was ____________________; he wasn't really bothering anyone.

5.  One of the reasons Americans have turned against the Tea Party is that members of that political party often seemed to act like ________________.  They were very emotional, aggressive and passionate in expressing their hatred for Obama and for liberal government policies.

6.  Bob is getting married and I want to write something meaningful in the card I am going to give him.  Can you help me think of something that won't sound ______________?  I don't want to write, "Congratulations on your marriage!" or "Best of luck in the coming years!"  Those expressions have been used too many times before.

7.  Our boss is OK but his big problem is that he seems to be a bit ________________. He tries to save money in regard to everything we do and this makes it hard to operate effectively.

8.  The American people were shocked to learn that their president, Bill Clinton, had been ___________________ seeing and having an affair with one of his interns in the 1990s.  He was married but secretly pursuing this affair.

9.  The attitude of some clerks at coffee houses really bothers me.  In the morning I am always in a hurry and need to get my cup of coffee quickly.  But the clerks are often quite ____________________ and they take their sweet time.

10.  I am getting sick of seeing all the women in New York walking around with these big __________________ Louis Vuitton bags.  Oh my God!  Whom are they trying to impress!?  I don't care whether a woman owns such a bag.

answers are below:






answers:

1. quandary
2. repudiated
3. venerate
4. innocuous
5. zealots
6. trite
7. miserly
8. surreptitiously
9. nonchalant
10. ostentatious

3 nouns, 4 adjectives

1. an analgesic - a drug that eliminates pain
2. to be absolved of something - to be made clean or pure, to be determined innocent
3. a harbinger - something that happens which indicates something else will happen
4. punitive - something done to punish someone
5. inveterate - you usually hear this adjective with 'liar' (an inveterate liar); someone is an inveterate liar if he always lies; if you are inveterate in regard to something, you can't help yourself, you have to do it: an inveterate alcoholic
6. meticulous - very detail oriented
7. apathy - a lack of concern

The economic reports of the past few months have shown high unemployment trends.  Economists fear this may be a ______________ of another economic recession (severe downturn). 

Progressive educators tend to steer clear of various ______________ measures in their classrooms.  They try to be positive and provide rewards for good behavior instead of punishments for bad behavior.

The president of the company turned out to be an ______________ liar. Everything he ahd said over the past three years had been false.

Anthony Weiner, an American politician who resigned from his congressional position due to a personal scandal, claimed that he had sought psychological counseling and felt he was now ________________ of all of his previous questionable activities. However, when he was running for a new political office, new scandals emerged, showing he had not truly cleansed himself of his former demons. 

Toshiro was in the USA to set up a Japanese branch of the company he worked for. he needed American assistants but was afraid they would not be as ______________ as his Japanese assistants.  He needed people truly dedicated to details.  He was pleasantly surprised to find such assistants here in America as well.

In the last mayoral election in New York City, only 24% of eligible New Yorkers voted.  This is probably due to _______________.  Most people simply do not care who the mayor is since they do not think most politicians are honest and do not think any mayor can really change anything for the better.   

Sun ae told me that I should avoid taking any type of ________________ for my back pain.  She said it removes the pain but not the ultimate cause of the pain.  But I have discovered that after I take that type of pill my back feels better for weeks.

answers are below:







answers:

harbinger
punitive
inveterate
absolved
meticulous
apathy
analgesic 

3 adjectives, 1 verb, 3 nouns

1) homogeneous - when all the elements or parts of something are the same
2) integrity - a deep sense of honesty, a moral reliability
3) to jeopardize s/t - to put something at risk, to possibly destroy something
4) kudos - praise, congratulations
5) lavish - too much of something good, overly generous
6) a liaison - two big meanings: 1) someone who is a type of bridge between two organizations and 2) a love affair which is usually kept secret
7) malleable - something that be be changed or re-shaped easily


Many teachers enjoy teaching younger students because they are more _____________than older students. These teachers feel they can have more of an impact in the lives of the younger students.

It was essential for Sun mi to learn English perfectly, because her company in Seoul wished to send her to America to become a _____________ between a business partner in New York and themselves.  

Although Shanghai is an amazing city, the population seems quite ________________ compared to a world city like New York, which has amazing diversity.

For Jack's graduation party his parents spared no expense - it was a ______________ affair with more food and alcohol than the guests could possibly eat and drink.

Maria was a quite humble person, but also an amazing artist.  Therefore, it was difficult for her to accept all the _______________ that her teachers and fellow students gave to her.

George McGovern was a rare politician in American history.  he was not only brave (he had been a war hero in WW II), intelligent and creative, but he had a strong sense of __________________. He was completely honest and always did what he felt to be right.

When my best friend Bob asked me to loan him some money, I was afraid to because I thought that loaning him money might ______________ our friendship.  Yet, after I loaned him the sum, he paid it back immediately.

answers are below:







answers:

malleable
liaison
homogeneous
lavish
kudos
integrity
jeopardize

A little video about George McGovern.  He was the first politician to demand that the Vietnam War end.  He was one of the most honest politicians in American history - his integrity was beyond doubt.

6 adjectives and 1 noun

amiable - friendly, warm
bellicose - warlike
complaisant - eager to please
decrepit - very old, falling apart because of the old age of the object
empirical - based on the evidence of the senses, based on real experience
formidable - difficult to defeat, something which seems intimidating, fearful
guile - deceitfulness, trickery


Bob was one of the most straight-forward guys I knew.  He never acted with any type of ____________; I could truly trust him.

The photos of the building had not been recently taken.  When we arrived to look at the property we expected to buy, it was ________________ and looked as if it might collapse at any moment.

When I first met Bill he seemed like an _______________ guy.  He was outgoing and warm.  But, when he moved in as my roommate he seemed to be a totally different person - rude, selfish and loud.

We went to one of the most expensive restaurants in town and, as you might expect, the waiters were especially _________________ and catered to our every need.

Many liberal American presidents - like Carter and Obama - begin their presidencies in a peaceful manner but seem to become more __________________ as time goes on.

At its beginning stages psychology was very theoretical and there were many competing concepts.  Now the subject has become more ________________ and many concepts have been proved through experiments.

Was there ever a more _______________ basketball team than the Chicago Bulls of the 1990s? They regularly and easily humiliated the New York Knicks, as well as just about every other basketball team in the NBA.

answers are below:






answers:

guile
decrepit
amiable  
complaisant
bellicose
empirical
formidable


Chicago Bulls:

9 intermediate level words

Word Bank:

hereditary, to be offended by something, to be slain, deliberately, to collaborate with, abundant, to plummet, to emit something, to accommodate someone, 

Exercise:

1. The difference between murder and manslaughter depends on whether a person was killed _______________ or accidentally.  If it was an accident but the death was caused through carelessness, a person can be charged with manslaughter.

2. The two political parties in the USA rarely ________________ each other.  This is why the US government recently had to shut down for several days.

3. There are two types of the disease called diabetes.  Type one diabetes is _____________ while type two is acquired through bad eating habits and other factors a person can control.

4. A supervisor has to make it clear to an employee that he/she should not be ________________ by any type of job evaluation.  An evaluation is meant to help an employee assess how he/she has been doing and to also allow the employee to provide some feedback on what he/she might need in the future.

5. Everyone read some terrible news over the weekend in New York City.  A mother and her four children were ________________ by a mentally ill relative in Brooklyn.  He killed the entire family.  

6. The air in Los Angeles is polluted because of all the carbon monoxide gas that is ____________ by all the cars in that city every day.

7. The waiter was very kind.  Even though we were a large group and we had very specific and hard to meet requests, he was able to ___________________ us and give us the types of  meals we wanted.

8. The stock market can often be quite unstable.  If investors are confident in the government, stock prices can soar.  If investors lose confidence at any time, stock prices can _________________.

9. Many people think there is hunger throughout the world because we lack food.  No. Food is actually __________________.  But, even though there is more than enough food, political and economic systems are not efficient enough to distribute the food adequately.

Answers are below:





Answers:

1. deliberately
2. collaborate with
3. hereditary
4. offended
5. slain
6. emitted
7. accommodate
8. plummet
9. abundant

Intermediate-level English vocabulary challenge

to abandon – to get rid of, to leave behind

abundant – more than enough

an optimist – someone who always sees the bright side of things

to plummet – to drop quickly, to fall

a quest – a search for something important or meaningful

chronological order – to order a set from earliest to latest

to collaborate – to work together with others instead of competing

retaliation – getting revenge

unanimous – everyone agrees

to dissent – to disagree with what a majority of people believe

domestic – dealing with your home

to vow – to promise

meager – not much

a controversy – a topic or issue that causes people to argue

an innovation – something new

 

King Arthur and his knights were never bored – each of them was constantly engaged in some type of ___________ and they all sought to find the Holy Grail.  
 

When students learn US History they often go through it in _________________, although some teachers like to teach ‘themes’ instead. 
 

Are our schools too competitive?  Might it not be better if students _______________ with each other and learned better social skills? 
 

A jury’s decision has to be ________________.  If even one person dissents, there can be no real verdict. 
 

This will be my first international flight, although I have taken many ____________ flights around the USA. 
 

I loved my old Converse All Stars but they were getting old and I needed a new pair of casual shoes, so I _______________ them for some cool new running shoes.
 

The internet seems to have been around forever, but I can still remember in the 90s when this was an ___________________ and people were thinking about what might be possible from it. 
 

Capital punishment remains a huge ______________.  Should the state have the right to execute criminals if they have killed others? 
 

Many economists have pointed out that there should not be any cases of world hunger since the amount of food being produced now is ___________________. 
 

Many world religions do not believe in the morality of _________________. They recommend that a person should show mercy and forgive others.

Answers are below: 

Answers:

quest
chronological order
cooperated
unanimous
domestic
abandoned
innovation
controversy
abundant
retaliation

10 SAT-level words and fill-in-the-blanks

to usurp - to take power away from someone who should have it
liberated - freed
to appease - to make someone happy, to satisfy someone even though they might be wrong
brevity - briefness, something lasting a short time
to be intrigued by something/someone - to become deeply interested in something
a detractor - someone who believes that something is wrong; a critic
to exhort - to forcefully encourage
frantically - panicky; to something nervously and quickly because of pressure or fear
sluggish - slow moving
to be rash - to do something impulsively or without thinking about it too much


Answers are below the fill-in-the-blanks:


1.  A perfect example of the _____________ of life is the Mayfly, which only exists for one day before dying.

2.  In his essay "Common Sense,"  Thomas Paine ____________ the American people to continue fighting against the English king and to not stop until they had created a better system of government.

3.  Although Bob was generally reticent and did not speak much about his life, there was something about him that ____________ Irene. 

4.  Because the deadline for his paper was approaching, Bob _____________collected all of his sources and tried to organize them as quickly as possible.

5.  Although the capitol of Afghanistan was ___________ by American forces, who overthrew the Taliban in 2002, the war in Afghanistan has lingered (continued slowly) to this present day.

6.  When Bob wakes up in the morning, he goes about his morning routine somewhat ______________. Yet, by the time he gets to work he is a dynamo! (a dynamo is like a little powerful engine)

7.  Many people feel that the US entered the war against Iraq too ____________.  It would have been better if the Congress had shown more courage and asked more questions. 

8.  Even though American independence is celebrated each year, many people do not realize that there were many ________________ of the concept of independence. Indeed, many people in many states wished to remain English subjects and thought the American Revolution was wrong.

9.  After the military coup in Burma, the power of the president was ____________ by a military junta (a group of generals).

10. Everyone who studies diplomacy knows that Neville Chamberlain's attempt to ___________ Adolph Hitler backfired (it had the opposite effect).  Instead of making Hitler satisfied, Chamberlain's apparent weakness encouraged Hitler to pursue military conquest.

Answers are below:







Answers:

1. brevity
2. exhorted
3. intrigued
4. frantically
5. liberated
6. sluggishly
7. rashly
8. detractors
9. usurped
10. appease

Test your higher-level English vocabulary

resentment - the way you feel if a person hurts you and you can't forget it; a grudge
fortitude - strength
elation - extreme joy
eloquence - being able to speak beautifully
elite - among the very top or best
colloquial - conversational
peripatetic - moving around a lot
remunerative - receiving money for a service
vivacious - lively
garrulous - talking too much
amiable - friendly
reticent - not speaking much
symbiotic - a relationship in which two organisms benefit each other
regressive - going backwards
empirical - that which can be sensed, touched, heard etc.
to coerce - to force
intuitive - a feeling that something is right or wrong which cannot be verified
to retract - to take back
to consolidate - to bring a bunch of things together
to disseminate - to spread out


1) Many educators believe that a child will not learn anything that he/she is __________ into learning.  To learn, a child needs to be motivated by something other than fear.

2) Although many state universities are not considered to be as selective as the ________ Ivy League schools, they are less expensive and provide excellent educational opportunities, perhaps as excellent as the Ivy schools.

3) We don't often think of the bacteria in our stomachs as being our friends, but we have an important ____________ relationship with these bacteria.  They help us break down food and we provide them a place to survive.

4)  When the internet was started most people felt this would be a great way to ___________ useful information around the world.  At that time nobody could have anticipated all of the abuses and problems that have come with it.

5)  Martin Luther King Jr. was not only a principled person who fought for human rights.  People were amazed by his _____________.  He speeches were always well-written and beautifully spoken.

6)  When we look at a work of art we often can't really say what it means, but we often have an ________________ understanding of it.

7)  Although the professor was known as one of the greatest physicists in modern history, students were surprised by how ______________ his lectures were.  It was as if he were having friendly conversations with his students instead of formal lectures.

8)  If a person wants to be a great leader, perhaps the most important character trait will be ______________.  A great leader must be able to withstand a great amount of adversity.

9)  It's true that Jake was amazingly smart, but it was hard for people to tell that because he was so _______________.

10)  In order to go to college, many American students take out loans from several sources.  When it is time to pay the loans back, it is wise to have the loans _______________. This means all the loans are handled by one agency and one payment is made each month to the agency, which disseminates the payment equally to the different loan organizations.



Answers are below:







Answers:

1. coerced
2. elite
3. symbiotic
4. disseminate
5. eloquence
6. intuitive
7. colloquial
8. fortitude
9. reticent
10. consolidated