Ultimate word success - Peterson's 2009
Day 1 Take a Pretest
Part I Get the Edge!
Before you can determine where you have to go, you need to figure out where you are. Take the following pretest to see how your vocabulary measures up to that of other test takers. The following pretest conforms to the format of the vocabulary portion of the SAT. This format will help you assess your current knowledge of vocabulary and standardized test-taking format for this all-important college admissions test.
Directions: For each question in this section, select the best answer from among the choices given. Circle your answer or write your choice on a separate sheet of paper.
Each sentence below has one or two blanks, each blank indicating that something has been omitted. Beneath each sentence are five words or sets of words labeled (A) through (E). Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
Example:
A pidgin is a(n) __________ jargon containing words of various languages and little in the way of grammar.
(A) precise
(B) explicit
(C) demanding
(D) makeshift
(E) anecdotal
The correct answer is (D).
1. By working a great deal of overtime, Hector gave the boss a(n) __________ reason to give him a raise.
(A) autocratic (aw-toh-krah-tic)
(B) despotic (des-pah-tic)
(C) compelling (kum-pel-ing)
(D) dogged (dog-id)
(E) intrepid (in-treh-pid)
2. Records were made __________ by CDs, but now they are making a comeback among collectors.
(A) popular
(B) obsolete (awb-suh-leet)
(C) standard
(D) sought
(E) recommend
3. The referee’s __________ behavior angered the players because he was inconsistent in his calls.
(A) capricious (kuh-pree-shus)
(B) apathetic (a-puh-thet-ic)
(C) inconsequential (in-kahn-suh-kwen-shul)
(D) superficial (soo-per-fish-ul)
(E) trivial (trih-vee-ul)
4. The girl’s expression was __________, so the painter had a difficult time capturing it on canvas.
(A) affable (af-uh-bul)
(B) facetious (fuh-see-shus)
(C) cordial (kor-jul)
(D) truncated (trun-kay-tid)
(E) elusive (ee-loo-sive)
5. Professor Herman was a __________ teacher who rarely took time to listen to his students.
(A) brusque (brusk)
(B) caustic (kaw-stik)
(C) feral (feh-rul)
(D) notorious (no-tor-ee-us)
(E) pugnacious (pug-nay-shus)
6. I had a __________ professor who said that it’s man’s ability to use language that makes him the dominant species on the planet.
(A) sentimental
(B) gruesome (grew-some)
(C) commodious
(D) linguistics
(E) crepuscular (kreh-pews-kyoo-ler)
7. The goldsmith seemed to work by __________, constructing jewelry with gems that almost seemed to float in the air.
(A) cupidity (kyoo-pid-ih-tee)
(B) serendipity (sayr-en-dip-uh-tee)
(C) verisimilitude (vayr-ih-sim-ihlih-tood)
(D) machinations (mak-uh-nay-shins)
(E) artifice (ar-tuh-fis)
8. Sad because of the inclement weather, the dog cast a(n) __________ glance at his master.
(A) baleful (bayl-ful)
(B) vivacious (vi-vay-shush)
(C) inchoate (in-koh-ayt)
(D) indefatigable (in-dih-fa-tih-guhbul)
(E) nefarious (neh-fayr-ee-us)
9. The teacher had an unfortunate habit of __________ a point over and over to make sure her students understood it.
(A) devouring
(B) castigating (kas-tuh-gayt-ing)
(C) belaboring (buh-lay-ber-ing)
(D) assimilating
(E) proliferating (pro-liff-er-ayt-ing)
10. The drunken revelers made such a loud __________ that police had to be called.
(A) functionary (funk-shun-ayr-ee)
(B) fracas (fray-kus)
(C) imbroglio (im-broh-lee-oh)
(D) machination (mak-uh-nay-shin)
(E) obsequies (ahb-seh-kweez)
11. The child’s wound was __________ and barely bled; as a result, his mother knew it was a(n) __________ injury.
(A) superficial (soo-per-fish-ul). . inconsequential (in-kahn-suh-kwen-shul)
(B) symbiotic (sim-bee-ah-tik). . indifferent
(C) spontaneous (spon-tay-nee-us). . apathetic (ap-uh-thet-ic)
(D) quixotic (kwik-zah-tik). . obstinate (ahb-stin-ut)
(E) intrepid (in-treh-pid). . incumbent (in-kum-bunt)
12. The critic neither __________ nor __________ the director’s latest film: she evaluated the film’s strengths and weaknesses carefully and fairly.
(A) aggrandized (uh-gran-dyzd). . favored
(B) maligned (mah-lynd). .criticized
(C) celebrated. .adapted
(D) lauded (law-did). .derided (dee-ri-ded)
(E) disregarded (dis-ree-gar-ded). . showcased
13. Tragically, so many marshes and wetlands are __________ by agricultural overdevelopment and technological encroachment (in-kroach-ment) that they may __________ by the next century.
(A) sequestered (see-kwest-erd). . separate
(B) threatened. .vanish
(C) consumed. .augment (awg-ment)
(D) embellished (em-bell-ishd). . dwindle (dwin-dul)
(E) rejuvenated (ree-joo-vih-nay-ted). . dissolve
14. As a museum archivist who restores ancient documents, Matt Hijing protested an art council policy that resulted in the wholesale __________ of clearly __________ records.
(A) extermination. .inconsequential
(B) leveling. .derelict (der-eh-likt)
(C) protection. .venerable (veh-nerah-bul)
(D) destruction. .salvageable (salv-ah-jah-ble)
(E) indemnity (in-dem-nih-tee). . grimy
15. It would be __________ for any aspiring office seeker to __________ such a powerful group of voters.
(A) intelligent. .aggravate
(B) senseless. .irritate
(C) astute (ah-stoot). .infuriate (in-fyoor-e-ate)
(D) discerning (dis-surn-ing). . provoke
(E) preposterous (pre-pos-tur-us). . abet (ah-bet)
Answers in Brief
1. C
2. B
3. A
4. E
5. A
6. D
7. E
8. A
9. C
10. B
11. A
12. D
13. B
14. D
15. B
Answers explained
You can often figure out what a new word means by seeing it in context, the surrounding words and phrases. That way, you can still get the gist (jist) of the conversation or reading, even if you have never seen the word before. Sentence completion questions build on this skill by requiring you to fill in one or two words that have been removed from a sentence.
1. The correct answer is (C). By working a great deal of overtime, Hector gave the boss a compelling reason to give him a raise. Compelling means “forceful; urgently demanding attention.”
(A) autocratic means “tyrannical”
(B) despotic means “dictatorial, oppressive”
(D) dogged means “stubbornly persevering”
(E) intrepid means “courageous, fearless”
2. The correct answer is (B). Records were made obsolete by CDs, but now they are making a comeback among collectors. Obsolete means “out-of-date, antiquated.”
(A) popular means “sought after”
(C) standard means “regular”
(D) sought means “desired”
(E) recommend means “endorsed”
3. The correct answer is (A). The referee’s capricious behavior angered the players because he was inconsistent in his calls. Capricious means “fickle, inconstant.”
(B) apathetic means “impassive”
(C) inconsequential means “not important”
(D) superficial means “shallow”
(E) trivial means “unimportant”
4. The correct answer is (E). The girl’s expression was elusive, so the painter had a difficult time capturing it on canvas. Elusive means “intangible, hard to grasp.”
(A) affable means “friendly”
(B) facetious means “sarcastic”
(C) cordial means “friendly”
(D) truncated means “shortened”
5. The correct answer is (A). Professor Herman was a brusque teacher who rarely took time to listen to his students. Brusque means “abrupt, harsh.”
(B) caustic means “bitter, cutting, sardonic”
(C) feral means “wild, savage”
(D) notorious means “infamous”
(E) pugnacious means “belligerent, combative”
6. The correct answer is (D). I had a linguistics professor who said that it’s man’s ability to use language that makes him the dominant species on the planet. Linguistics is the study of language.
(A) sentimental means “romantic”
(B) gruesome means “gory”
(C) commodious means “large, spacious, holding a great deal”
(E) crepuscular means “pertaining to twilight”
7. The correct answer is (E). The goldsmith seemed to work by artifice, constructing jewelry with gems that almost seemed to float in the air. Artifice means “cunning or craftiness.” It can also mean “a clever and deceptive trick.”
(A) cupidity means “greed; avarice”
(B) serendipity means “accidental good fortune or luck”
(C) verisimilitude means “the appearance of truth”
(D) machinations means “a plot or scheme, especially a wily or deceptive one; ploy; ruse; sham; chicanery”
8. The correct answer is (A). Sad because of the inclement weather, the dog cast a baleful glance at his master. Baleful means “sorrowful.” It can also mean “evil; destructive.”
(B) vivacious means “lively, animated, spirited”
(C) inchoate means “just begun; incipient; elementary; rudimentary”
(D) indefatigable means “tireless; inexhaustible; unflagging”
(E) nefarious means “wicked; iniquitous; abominable”
9. The correct answer is (C). The teacher had an unfortunate habit of belaboring a point over and over to make sure her students understood it. Belaboring means “to repeat, reiterate, or go over again and again, to the point of being tiresome.”
(A) devouring means “consuming”
(B) castigating means “to punish, chastise, or criticize severely”
(D) assimilating means “to make part of the whole”
(E) proliferating means “to grow or increase rapidly”
10. The correct answer is (B). The drunken revelers made such a loud fracas that police had to be called. Fracas is “a loud disturbance, a melee.”
(A) functionary means “an official; a person holding an office or position of authority”
(C) imbroglio means “a perplexing situation; entanglement; dilemma.”
(D) machination means “a plot or scheme, especially a wily or deceptive one; ploy; ruse; sham; chicanery”
(E) obsequies means “funeral rites”
11. The correct answer is (A). The child’s wound was superficial and barely bled; as a result, his mother knew it was an inconsequential injury. Superficial means “surface”; inconsequential means “not important or significant.”
(B) symbiotic means “characterized by a mutually beneficial relationship; interdependent”; indifferent means “not caring one way or the other”
(C) spontaneous means “unplanned”; apathetic means “feeling or showing little emotion”
(D) quixotic means “idealistic but impractical”; obstinate means “stubborn”
(E) intrepid means “fearless”; incumbent means “required”
12. The correct answer is (D). The critic neither lauded nor derided the director’s latest film: she evaluated the film’s strengths and weaknesses carefully and fairly. Lauded means “praised”; derided means “ridiculed.”
(A) aggrandized means “increase; expand”; favored means “prefer”
(B) maligned means “disparaged; defamed”; criticized means “condemned; denounced”
(C) celebrated means “honored”; adapted means “fashioned to one’s own needs”
(E) disregarded means “ignored”; showcased means “set off for display”
13. The correct answer is (B). Tragically, so many marshes and wetlands are threatened by agricultural overdevelopment and technological encroachment that they may vanish by the next century. Threatened means “having an uncertain chance of continued survival”; vanish means “to pass quickly from sight; to disappear.”
(A) sequestered means “isolating jurors”; separate means “to set or keep apart”
(C) consumed means “used up, ate”; augment means “to add to; to enlarge”
(D) embellished means “decorated”; dwindle means “decline, diminish”
(E) rejuvenated means “restored to youth”; dissolve means “to cause to disappear”
14. The correct answer is (D). As a museum archivist who restores ancient documents, Matt Hijing protested an art council policy that resulted in the wholesale destruction of clearly salvageable records. Destruction means “having destroyed or ruined”; salvageable means “can be saved.”
(A) extermination means “destruction”; inconsequential means “minor, not important”
(B) leveling means “making flat; knocking down”; derelict means “neglected”
(C) protection means “support of one that is smaller or weaker”; venerable means “esteemed”
(E) indemnity means “compensation, payment”; grimy means “dirty”
15. The correct answer is (B). It would be senseless for any aspiring office seeker to irritate such a powerful group of voters. Senseless means “foolish, stupid”; irritate means “to provoke impatience, anger, or displeasure in.”
(A) intelligent means “revealing good thought or judgment”; aggravate means “to make worse.” It is only used in relation to conditions, as in “Wet weather aggravates my bad back.” It is not used as a synonym for annoy, as in “He annoys me.” (Not “He aggravates me.”)
(C) astute means “wise”; infuriate means “make very angry”
(D) discerning means “having good judgment”; provoke means “annoy”
(E) preposterous means “absurd”; abet means “aid, help”