AWP2 ch 06

ADVANCED

WORD POWER

Second Edition

B

ETH

J

OHNSON

J

ANET

M. G

OLDSTEIN

Unit Two: Chapter 6

•

appall

•

kindle

•

cognizant

•

lavish

•

commiserate

•

ludicrous

•

expedient

•

negligent

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

1

appall

–

verb

• At the end of World War II, the facts that emerged about the Nazi concentration camps and death camps appalled the entire world. • “When the facts about this awful crime are disclosed,” said the

prosecutor, “they will appall you and show clearly that the defendant is a monster.”

Appall

means

A.

to appeal to.

B.

to shock.

C.

to bore.

Appalling damage caused by a forest fire

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

1

appall

–

verb

• At the end of World War II, the facts that emerged about the Nazi concentration camps and death camps appalled the entire world. • “When the facts about this awful crime are disclosed,” said the

prosecutor, “they will appall you and show clearly that the defendant is a monster.”

Appall

means

A.

to appeal to.

B.

to shock.

C.

to bore.

Hearing for the first time about horrors of the concentration and death camps would

shock anyone. Hearing about an awful crime committed by a “monster” would

shock a jury.

Appalling damage caused by a forest fire

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

2

cognizant

–

adjective

Cognizant

means

A.

confused by.

B.

conscious of.

C.

careless about.

• After a picnic in the woods, Shawn found a tick on his ankle and then developed a rash. Cognizant of the risk of Lyme disease, he saw his doctor right away.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

2

cognizant

–

adjective

Cognizant

means

A.

confused by.

B.

conscious of.

C.

careless about.

• After a picnic in the woods, Shawn found a tick on his ankle and then developed a rash. Cognizant of the risk of Lyme disease, he saw his doctor right away.

• Many Americans have diabetes without being cognizant of their condition.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

3

commiserate

–

verb

• Mom was disappointed with the widows’ support group. The members just wanted to commiserate with each other, but she wanted to learn about positive steps to take, not just get sympathy.

• When my dog died, my friends tried to commiserate with me, but they didn’t really understand how I was feeling.

Commiserate

means

A.

to express sorrow.

B.

to draw a comparison.

C.

to complain.

A sculpture of friends

commiserating

Ph

oto

: M

att

G

lam

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

3

commiserate

–

verb

• Mom was disappointed with the widows’ support group. The members just wanted to commiserate with each other, but she wanted to learn about positive steps to take, not just get sympathy.

• When my dog died, my friends tried to commiserate with me, but they didn’t really understand how I was feeling.

Commiserate

means

A.

to express sorrow.

B.

to draw a comparison.

C.

to complain.

If she got sympathy from the other widows, then they must have

expressed sorrow for her loss. People would be likely to express sorrow for their friend’s loss.

A sculpture of friends

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

4

expedient

–

adjective

• Marty’s interest in Elaine seems entirely expedient; he knows she has money, and he wants to marry someone wealthy who will support him. • In order to sell his old car for the highest possible price, Jim did the

expedient thing: he slapped a new coat of paint on it and didn’t mention that it needed new brakes and a new exhaust system.

Expedient

means

A.

unbelievable.

B.

admirable.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

4

expedient

–

adjective

• Marty’s interest in Elaine seems entirely expedient; he knows she has money, and he wants to marry someone wealthy who will support him. • In order to sell his old car for the highest possible price, Jim did the

expedient thing: he slapped a new coat of paint on it and didn’t mention that it needed new brakes and a new exhaust system.

Expedient

means

A.

unbelievable.

B.

admirable.

C.

self-interested.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

5

hindrance

–

noun

• Some people seem perfectly willing to lie if the truth would be a

hindrance to getting what they want.

• Her tendency to faint at the sight of blood will be a hindrance to Tonya’s plan to become a nurse.

Hindrance

means

A.

a cause.

B.

an effect.

C.

a barrier.

An athlete

who’s overcome a hindrance

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

5

hindrance

–

noun

• Some people seem perfectly willing to lie if the truth would be a

hindrance to getting what they want.

• Her tendency to faint at the sight of blood will be a hindrance to Tonya’s plan to become a nurse.

Hindrance

means

A.

a cause.

B.

an effect.

C.

a barrier.

When truth is a barrier to getting what they want, some people try to get around it by lying. Fainting at the sight of blood would be a barrier to becoming a nurse, since nurses often have to handle blood.

An athlete

who’s overcome a hindrance

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

6

kindle

–

verb

• Before Tyrone joined the navy, Callie had thought of him as “just a friend.” But his warm, affectionate letters began to kindle her love for him.

• The senator’s lifelong devotion to politics was kindled early, when she was elected president of her high-school senior class.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

6

kindle

–

verb

• Before Tyrone joined the navy, Callie had thought of him as “just a friend.” But his warm, affectionate letters began to kindle her love for him.

• The senator’s lifelong devotion to politics was kindled early, when she was elected president of her high-school senior class.

Kindle

means

A.

to stop.

B.

to inspire.

C.

to change.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

7

lavish

–

adjective

• The lavish new offices looked very impressive, but behind all that splendor, the company was going broke.

• Avery celebrated his promotion by taking his friends out for a lavish dinner. “The best of everything!” he told the waiter. “And it’s all on me.”

Lavish

means

A.

overly luxurious.

B.

subtle.

C.

amusing.

W hit e H ou se Ph oto : S he ala h C rai gh

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

7

lavish

–

adjective

• The lavish new offices looked very impressive, but behind all that splendor, the company was going broke.

• Avery celebrated his promotion by taking his friends out for a lavish dinner. “The best of everything!” he told the waiter. “And it’s all on me.”

Lavish

means

A.

overly luxurious.

B.

subtle.

C.

amusing.

The word splendor suggests that the offices were overly luxurious. Since Avery insisted on having “the best of everything,” the dinner was probably

overly luxurious.

W hit e H ou se Ph oto : S he ala h C rai gh

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

8

ludicrous

–

verb

• Struggling in the wind and rain with my umbrella, which had turned inside out, while my dog tugged wildly at his leash and my bag of groceries burst and spilled, I must have been a ludicrous sight.

• “Diet Tips from Space Aliens”; “Five-Year-Old Gives Birth to Basketball Team”; “Florida Floating Out to Sea”—no idea seems too ludicrous to be reported in the supermarket tabloids.

Ludicrous

means

A.

horrifying.

B.

ridiculous.

C.

inspiring.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

8

ludicrous

–

verb

• Struggling in the wind and rain with my umbrella, which had turned inside out, while my dog tugged wildly at his leash and my bag of groceries burst and spilled, I must have been a ludicrous sight.

• “Diet Tips from Space Aliens”; “Five-Year-Old Gives Birth to Basketball Team”; “Florida Floating Out to Sea”—no idea seems too ludicrous to be reported in the supermarket tabloids.

Ludicrous

means

A.

horrifying.

B.

ridiculous.

C.

inspiring.

Losing control of his or her belongings made the person feel ridiculous looking. These headlines are ridiculous because they describe impossible situations.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

9

negligent

–

adjective

• While Hester may be a negligent housekeeper—her apartment is dusty and untidy—she makes up for it by being a loving, conscientious

mother.

• It’s not surprising that Rich flunked out of college. His attitude toward studying has always been negligent.

Negligent

means

A.

anxious.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

9

negligent

–

adjective

• While Hester may be a negligent housekeeper—her apartment is dusty and untidy—she makes up for it by being a loving, conscientious

mother.

• It’s not surprising that Rich flunked out of college. His attitude toward studying has always been negligent.

Negligent

means

A.

anxious.

B.

amusing.

C.

careless.

Dust and lack of tidiness are signs of careless housekeeping. A

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

10

scrutinize

–

adjective

• The detectives scrutinized the crime scene for fingerprints and other

clues.

• Before handing in his report, Dan was told to scrutinize it for misspellings and other errors.

Scrutinize

means

A.

to inspect.

B.

to describe.

C.

to add to.

Scrutinizing a spacecraft before takeoff

Ph

oto

: N

A

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

10

scrutinize

–

adjective

• The detectives scrutinized the crime scene for fingerprints and other

clues.

• Before handing in his report, Dan was told to scrutinize it for misspellings and other errors.

Scrutinize

means

A.

to inspect.

B.

to describe.

C.

to add to.

It is the job of detectives to inspect

crime scenes for clues. It is important

to inspect written work and correct errors before turning in a final copy.

Scrutinizing a spacecraft before takeoff

Ph

oto

: N

A

SENTENCE CHECK 1

2.

It’s OK not to have a car in the city, where public transportation is available; but the lack of a car is a real __________ to getting around in the country.

1.

Janna’s parents were __________ of her problems at school, but they did not know the cause until a psychologist diagnosed a learning disability.

Complete each item with the correct word from the box.

A. appall B. cognizant C. commiserate D. expedient E.

hindrance

SENTENCE CHECK 1

2.

It’s OK not to have a car in the city, where public transportation is available; but the lack of a car is a real __________ to getting around in the country.

1.

Janna’s parents were __________ of her problems at school, but they did not know the cause until a psychologist diagnosed a learning disability.

Complete each item with the correct word from the box.

Being aware of the problems is contrasted with knowing the cause.

Since there is little public transportation available in the country, not having a car would be an obstacle to getting around.

cognizant

hindrance

A. appall B. cognizant C. commiserate D. expedient E.

hindrance

SENTENCE CHECK 1

Complete each item with the correct word from the box.

4.

The amount of food that’s wasted in the school cafeteria ______(s) me—surely there must be some way to share all that extra food with people who need it.

5.

Delia is __________ about nutrition. She eats mostly junk food, when she bothers to eat at all.

3.

We exclaimed with delight over our ________ hotel room, with its thick rug, brocade curtains, and gorgeous furniture.

A. appall B. cognizant C. commiserate D. expedient E.

hindrance

SENTENCE CHECK 1

Complete each item with the correct word from the box.

4.

The amount of food that’s wasted in the school cafeteria ________ me—surely there must be some way to share all that extra food with people who need it.

5.

Delia is __________ about nutrition. She eats mostly junk food, when she bothers to eat at all.

3.

We exclaimed with delight over our ________ hotel room, with its thick rug, brocade curtains, and gorgeous furniture.

Delight over its “gorgeous” décor suggests the room was extravagant.

The speaker is dismayed that much-needed food is needlessly wasted.

People who skip meals or eat junk food don’t care about good nutrition.

lavish

appalls

negligent

A. appall B. cognizant C. commiserate D. expedient E.

hindrance

SENTENCE CHECK 1

7.

Handwriting experts __________ letters, notes, and signatures to identify the writers.

6.

“Laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and you cry alone” is an old saying. It means that others would rather share your happiness than ___________ with you over your sorrows.

Complete each item with the correct word from the box.

A. appall B. cognizant C. commiserate D. expedient E.

hindrance

SENTENCE CHECK 1

7.

Handwriting experts __________ letters, notes, and signatures to identify the writers.

6.

“Laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and you cry alone” is an old saying. It means that others would rather share your happiness than ___________ with you over your sorrows.

Complete each item with the correct word from the box.

Sharing happiness is contrasted with sympathizing about others’ sorrows.

To detect individual differences in writing styles, experts must carefully examine samples of handwritten materials.

scrutinize commiserate

A. appall B. cognizant C. commiserate D. expedient E.

hindrance

SENTENCE CHECK 1

Complete each item with the correct word from the box.

9.

It was __________ for James to tell his new girlfriend, “I attended one of the finest colleges in the country,” without mentioning that he’d flunked out.

10.

The very funny Marx Brothers comedies are full of __________ scenes, such as the one in A Night at the Opera in which fifteen people are stuffed into a room the size of a large closet.

8.

The Mitchells hope that letting their children have a puppy will __________ the children’s sense of responsibility and help them develop respect for animals.

A. appall B. cognizant C. commiserate D. expedient E.

hindrance

SENTENCE CHECK 1

Complete each item with the correct word from the box.

9.

It was __________ for James to tell his new girlfriend, “I attended one of the finest colleges in the country,” without mentioning that he’d flunked out.

10.

The very funny Marx Brothers comedies are full of __________ scenes, such as the one in A Night at the Opera in which fifteen people are stuffed into a room the size of a large closet.

8.

The Mitchells hope that letting their children have a puppy will __________ the children’s sense of responsibility and help them develop respect for animals.

Caring for a pet is a way to arouse responsibility and respect for animals.

It is self-serving to boast of accomplishments while hiding one’s failures.

The word funny and the scene described suggest that ludicrous

means “laughable.”

kindle

expedient

ludicrous

A. appall B. cognizant C. commiserate D. expedient E.

hindrance