Monday, October 1, 2007
September posts
1. Obscure - To make dim or indistinct; cut off from sight: block; deficient in brightness; far from centers of human population; liable to more than one interpretation; not known or not widely known by name; of undistinguished or humble station or reputation
2. Pusillanimous - Lacking courage; cowardly; without spirit or bravery
3. Titillate - To stimulate by touching lightly; tickle; to excite (another) pleasurably, superficially or erotically
4. Prodigal - Rashly or wastefully extravagant; giving or given in abundance; lavish or profuse; wasteful; a recklessly extravagant consumer
5. Unwonted - Not habitual or ordinary; unusual; not accustomed; unused; rare
6. Minuet - A slow, stately pattern dance in 3/4 time for groups of couples, originating in 17th-century France; a movement in 3/4 time that is usually the third, but sometimes the second, of a four-movement symphony or string quartet 7. Hasty - Characterized by speed; rapid; done or made too quickly to be accurate or wise; rash
8. Deliberate - Weighing facts and arguments with a view to a choice or decision; carefully considering the probable consequences of a step; circumspect; slow in determining; --- applied to persons; as, a deliberate judge or counselor; not hasty or sudden; slow; to consider the reasons for and against; to consider maturely
9. Surreptitious - Obtained, done, or made by clandestine or stealthy means; acting with or marked by stealth; trickily secret; conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods; marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
10. Clandestine - Kept or done in secret, often in order to conceal an illicit or improper purpose; secret, sly; existing or operating in a way so as to ensure complete concealment and confidentiality
11. Enervate - To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality; deprived of strength; debilitated; lessen or deplete the nerve, energy, or strength of; lack of nervous energy
12. Chicanery - Deception by trickery or sophistry; lack of straightforwardness and honesty in action; legal trickery or false argument; deception, trickery
13. Ephemeral - lasting for a markedly brief time
14. Sycophant - A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people; one who flatters another excessively
15. Daunt - frighten
16. Philistine - An unrefined, rude person; lacking in delicacy or refinement; a person who is uninterested in intellectual or cultural pursuits
17. Stygian - Gloomy and dark; infernal; hellish
18. Pulverize - To pound, crush, or grind to a powder or dust; to demolish; destroy
19. Immunity - The capacity to withstand; privilege, exemption from normal legal duties, penalties, or liabilities, granted to a special group of people; the ability of the body to resist or fight off infection and disease
20. Incredulity - The state or quality of being incredulous; disbelief; refusal or reluctance to believe; doubt about the truth of something
21. Maculate - To spot, blemish, or pollute; morally blemished; stained or impure; make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air, of metals
22. Aberrant - Deviating from the proper or expected course; deviating from what is normal; untrue to type; not being normal
23. Fissure - A crack or crack-like depression; division; an interruption in friendly relations; a break in the skin, usually where it joins a mucous membrane, producing a cracklike sore or ulcer
24. Capitulate - To surrender under specified conditions; come to terms; give up all resistance; acquiesce; to give in from or as if from a gradual loss of strength
25. Rage - Violent, explosive anger
26. Headlong - Characterized by unthinking boldness and haste; dangerous, reckless; uncontrollably forceful or fast; rashly
27. Proxy - A person authorized to act for another; an agent or substitute; written authorization to act in place of another; authority to act for another; a person who is given the power to act for another in voting
28. Flag - To hang limply; droop; to decline in vigor or strength; signal to stop
29. Sustenance - The act of sustaining; the condition of being sustained; the supporting of life or health; maintenance
30. Hedgerow - A row of bushes, shrubs, or trees forming a hedge
31. Recondite - Not easily understood; abstruse; concealed; hidden; mysterious, obscure
32. Balm - To make or become calm; comfort; a soothing or healing medicine; pleasing aromatic fragrance; soothing, healing, or comforting agent or quality
33. Largesse - A generous gift or giving
34. Munificent - Very liberal in giving; generous; showing great generosity
35. Hedonist - A person devoted to pleasure and luxury
36. Fervent - Having or showing great emotion or zeal; ardent; extremely hot; glowing; characterized by intense emotion; sincerely or intensely felt
37. Impediment - Something that impedes; a hindrance or obstruction; an organic defect preventing clear articulation; something that obstructs the making of a legal contract; obstruction, hindrance
38. Enigma - One that is puzzling, ambiguous, or inexplicable; perplexing speech or text; a riddle
39. Scrutiny - A close, careful examination or study; close observation; surveillance
40. Commodious - Spacious; roomy; Archaic. suitable; handy
41. Pithy - Precisely meaningful; forceful and brief; consisting of or resembling pith
42. Cultivated - Of, relating to, or produced in cultivation; educated; polished; refined
43. Lugubrious - Mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree
44. Indemnity - Security against damage, loss, or injury; a legal exemption from liability for damages; compensation for damage, loss, or injury suffered
45. Ambulate - To walk from place to place; move about; to go on foot; walk about; not be bedridden or incapable of walking
46. Lethargic - Of, causing, or characterized by lethargy; lazy, sluggish; deficient in alertness or activity
47. Irate - Extremely angry; enraged; characterized or occasioned by anger
48. Epicenter - The point of the earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake; a focal point
49. Precarious - Dangerously lacking in security or stability; subject to chance or unknown conditions; based on uncertain, unwarranted, or unproved premises; tricky, doubtful; not safe or sure
50. Portent - An indication of something important or calamitous about to occur; an omen; prophetic or threatening significance; something amazing or marvelous; a prodigy; miracle
51. Avaricious - Immoderately desirous of wealth or gain; greedy
52. Doctrine - A principle taught or advanced for belief, as by a religious or philosophical group; opinion; principle
53. Ideology - The body of ideas reflecting the social needs and aspirations of an individual, group, class, or culture; a set of doctrines or beliefs that form the basis of a political, economic, or other system
54. Belligerent - Inclined or eager to fight; hostile or aggressive; of, pertaining to, or engaged in warfare; one that is hostile or aggressive, especially one that is engaged in war; nasty, argumentative
55. Beige - A light grayish brown or yellowish brown to grayish yellow; soft fabric of undyed, unbleached wool; a very light brown; color of sand
56. Piquant - Pleasantly pungent or tart in taste; spicy; appealingly provocative; charming, interesting, or attractive; flavorful, biting
57. Pedantic - Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules; bookish, precise; showing off learning
58. Rampant - Extending unchecked; unrestrained; occurring without restraint and frequently, widely, or menacingly; rearing on the hind legs; uncontrolled, out of hand
59. Harry - To disturb or distress by or as if by repeated attacks; harass; to raid, as in war; sack or pillage; pester, annoy; torment; worry
60. Indefeasible - That cannot be annulled or made void
61. Venerate - To regard with respect, reverence, or heartfelt deference
62. Implicit - Implied or understood though not directly expressed; having no doubts or reservations; unquestioning; conveyed indirectly without words or speech
63. Salient - Readily attracting notice; describing any projecting part or member, as a salient corner; springing; jumping; a military position that projects into the position of the enemy; projecting angle or part
64. Amicable - Characterized by or exhibiting friendliness or goodwill; friendly
65. Egregious - Conspicuously bad or offensive; outstandingly bad; outrageous
66. Trite - Lacking power to evoke interest through overuse or repetition; hackneyed; without freshness or appeal because of overuse;silly, commonplace
67. Titanic - Having great stature or enormous strength; huge or colossal; of enormous scope, power, or influence
68. Flamboyant - Highly elaborate; ornate; given to ostentatious or audacious display; extravagant, theatrical
69. Volition - The act or an instance of making a conscious choice or decision; a conscious choice or decision
70. Figurine - A small molded or sculptured figure; a statuette; a small carved or molded figure
71. Vestige - A visible trace, evidence, or sign of something that once existed but exists or appears no more; a trace of something absent, lost, or vanished; the remnant of a structure that functioned in a previous stage of species or individual development
72. Remainder - What remains after a part has been used or subtracted; balance, residue; an estate in land that is conveyed only after the termination of a preceding estate created at the same time
73. Intimidate - To make timid; fill with fear; to coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats; frighten, threaten
74. Trepidation - A state of alarm or dread; apprehension; an involuntary trembling or quivering; anxiety, worry
75. Abridgement - The act of abridging or the state of being abridged; a short summary or version prepared by cutting down a larger work; shortening, summary; a shortened version of a written work
76. Abstruse - Difficult to understand; recondite
77. Vitiate - To reduce the value or impair the quality of; to corrupt morally; debase; to make ineffective; invalidate
78. Dawdle - To take more time than necessary; move aimlessly or lackadaisically; to waste (time) by idling
79. Obfuscation - Mental confusion; confusion resulting from failure to understand; darkening or obscuring the sight of something; the activity of obscuring people's understanding, leaving them baffled or bewildered
80. Pervasive - Having the quality or tendency to pervade or permeate; spreading throughout; extending; suffusing
81. Retard - To cause to move or proceed slowly; delay or impede; hinder, obstruct
82. Fretful - Having or showing a bad temper; being unable or unwilling to endure irritation or opposition; irritable
83. juggurnaut - A massive inexorable force that seems to crush everything in its way
84. Thaw - Change from a frozen solid to a liquid by gradual warming; unfreeze, warm
85. Tributary - A stream that flows into a larger stream or other body of water; making additions or yielding supplies; contributory; secondary; branch
86. Screen - To cut off from sight: block; to shelter, especially from light; to examine (material) and remove parts considered harmful or improper for publication or transmission; hide, protect; a detachment of troops or ships detailed to cover the movements of the main body
87. Hubble - A unit of astronomical distance equal to 10 raise to the power 9 light-years or 9.4605 × (10 raise to the power 24 meters)
88. Friction - A state of disagreement and disharmony; the resistance to movement as one object is moved across the other, usually creating heat; conflict or animosity caused by a clash of wills, temperaments, or opinions; the action of one surface or object rubbing against another
89. Omnipotent - Having unlimited or universal power, authority, or force; all-powerful; one having unlimited power or authority; all-powerful
90. Grandiose - Characterized by greatness of scope or intent; grand; pompous
91. Hue - The property of colors by which they can be perceived as ranging from red through yellow, green, and blue, as determined by the dominant wavelength of the light; particular gradation of color; a shade or tint; appearance; aspect
92. Prescient - Characterized by foresight; perceiving the significance of events before they occur
93. Flock - A group of animals that live, travel, or feed together; group of people under the leadership of one person, especially the members of a church; large crowd or number
94. Virile - Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an adult male; having or showing masculine spirit, strength, vigor, or power; capable of performing sexually as a male; potent; manly
95. Recapitulate - To repeat again the principal points of; go over something again; repeat in concise form
96. Hoist - To move (something) to a higher position; instance of lifting or being lifted; the part of a flag nearest the staff; lift or raise, especially by using a rope
97. Plethora - A superabundance; an excess; excess of blood in the circulatory system or in one organ or area; condition of going or being beyond what is needed, desired, or appropriate
98. Resplendent - Splendid or dazzling in appearance; brilliant; bright, radiant; marked by extraordinary elegance, beauty, and splendor
99. Puddle - A small pool of water, especially rainwater; small pool of a liquid; tempered paste of wet clay and sand that serves as waterproofing when dry
100. Recess - A pause or interval, as from work or duty; interrupt regular activity for a short period; stop action; break, interval in action; any shallow depression in a surface
101. Limpid - Admitting light so that objects beyond can be seen; characterized by transparent clearness; calm and untroubled; serene; clear; comprehensible
102. Spate - A sudden rush or flood; sudden or rapid flowing outward; an abundant, usually overwhelming flow or fall, as of a river or rain
103. Dexterity - Skill and grace in physical movement, especially in the use of the hands; mental skill or adroitness; cleverness; aptitude, ability
104. Lachrymose - Weeping or inclined to weep; tearful; causing or tending to cause tears
105. Hamstring - To restrict the activity or free movement of; handicap; any of the tendons at the rear hollow of the human knee; destroy or hinder the efficiency of; frustrate
106. Perfunctory - Hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
107. Quixotic - Not compatible with reality; generous to a ridiculous degree; impractical; capricious; impulsive
108. Banister - A handrail, especially on a staircase; a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling
109. Baneful - Causing harm, ruin, or death; harmful; ruinous, injurious
110. Abase - To lower in rank, prestige, or esteem; deprive of self-esteem or confidence
111. Abet - To give support or assistance; assist, help in wrongdoing; approve, encourage, and support (an action or a plan of action); urge and help on
112. Abhor - To regard with horror or loathing; detest; regard with extreme dislike and hostility; to hate very much; to feel great fear, disgust, or hatred for something
113. Splay - An outward bevel around a door or window that makes it seem larger; spread open or apart; turn outward; move out of position; turned outward in an ungainly manner
114. Manifest - Clearly apparent to the sight or understanding; obvious; show or demonstrate plainly; reveal; evidence of; prove; list of cargo or passengers carried on a ship or plane; invoice of goods carried on a truck or train
115. Galling - Bitterness of feeling; rancor; something bitter to endure
116. Preponderance - Superiority in weight, force, importance, or influence; great numbers; supremacy
117. Thrive - To make steady progress; prosper; grow vigorously; flourish
118. Perspicacity - Acuteness of perception, discernment, or understanding
119. Importune - To beset with insistent or repeated requests; entreat pressingly; annoy; vex; beg persistently and urgently
120. Accost - To approach and speak to boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request; approach for the purpose of speech; meet face-to-face, especially defiantly; approach for conversation or solicitation; suddenly approach another to speak
121. Husband - To use sparingly or economically; conserve; protect (an asset) from loss or destruction; one who, having dined, is charged with the care of the plate; man to whom a woman is married
122. Terse - Brief and to the point; effectively concise
123. Voraciousness - Consuming or eager to consume great amounts of food; ravenous; having or marked by an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; greedy
124. Vehement - Characterized by forcefulness of expression or intensity of emotion or conviction; fervid
125. Definitive - Explicit, sharply defining; conclusive
126. Acumen - Sharpness of mind; intelligence; ability to take good decisions; shrewdness; display great political acumen
127. Dilatory - Intended to delay; tending to postpone or delay: dilatory in his work habits
128.Acoustics - The scientific study of sound, especially of its generation, transmission, and reception; total effect of sound, especially as produced in an enclosed space; science of sound and hearing
129. Phenomenal - Extraordinary or marvelous; of, relating to, or constituting phenomena; astounding
130. Endeavor - To try hard; attempt to achieve something; work with a set or specified goal or purpose; conscientious or concerted effort toward an end; an earnest attempt; enterprise
131. Sprain - A painful wrenching or laceration of the ligaments of a joint; to injure a (bodily part) by twisting; injury to a joint, with possible rupture of some of the ligaments or tendons but without dislocation or fracture; an injury caused by twisting a muscle or ligament in a joint without putting the bones out of place
132. Haven - A harbor or anchorage; a port; place of refuge or rest; a sanctuary; an inlet providing shelter for ships or boats; a harbor or small port; something that physically protects, especially from danger; to give refuge to
133. Puny - Of inferior size, strength, or significance; weak; small, insignificant
134. Insouciant - Marked by blithe unconcern; nonchalant; easygoing, casual; cheerful, carefree
135. Infirmary - A place for the care of the infirm, sick, or injured, especially a small hospital or dispensary in an institution; place where sick or injured people are cared for
136. Infirmity - A bodily ailment or weakness, especially one brought on by old age; frailty; feebleness; condition or disease producing weakness; failing or defect in a person's character; physical, mental, or moral weakness or flaw
137. Conservatory - A school for the teaching of music, drama, or other fine arts; structure chiefly used for growing flowers, plants, and outof-season fruits and vegetables under protected conditions; it is attached to a dwelling, in contrast to a greenhouse which serves the same purpose but is usually a separate structure in a garden or field
138. Pep - Energy and high spirits; vim; lively, emphatic, eager quality or manner; power for work or vigorous activity
139. Somber - Dark; gloomy; dull or dark in color; melancholy; dismal; serious; grave; sad; depressing
ISSUE TOPICS
1. The arts (painting, music, literature, etc.) reveal the otherwise hidden ideas and impulses of a society
2. It is always an individual who is the impetus for innovation; the details may be worked out by a team, but true innovation results from the enterprise and unique perception of an individual
3. It is the artist, not the critic, who gives society something of lasting value
4. The chief benefit of the study of history is to break down the illusion that people in one period of time are significantly different from people who lived at any other time in history
5. Money spent on research is almost always a good investment, even when the results of that research are controversial
6. The material progress and well-being of one country are necessarily connected to the material progress and well-being of all other countries
7. It is primarily through formal education that a culture tries to perpetuate the ideas it favors and discredit the ideas it fears
8. Most people are taught that loyalty is a virtue. But loyalty whether to one's friends, to one's school or place of employment, or to any institution is all too often a destructive rather than a positive force
9. In most professions and academic fields, imagination is more important than knowledge
10.Too much emphasis is placed on role models. Instead of copying others, people should learn to think and act independently and thus make the choices that are best for them
11. There are two types of laws: just and unjust. Every individual in a society has a responsibility to obey just laws and, even more importantly, to disobey and resist unjust laws
12.The video camera provides such an accurate and convincing record of contemporary life that it has become a more important form of documentation than written records
ANALOGIES
1). hasty:deliberate
2). enervate:energy
3). infuriate:rage
4). headlong:deliberation
5). proxy:voter
6). flag:sustenance
7). hedgerow:fence
8). recondite:comprehend
9). enervate:strength
10). hoist: lower
11). moderate: irate
12). doctrine:ideology
13). glasses:vision
14). figurine:statue
15). intimidate:trepidation
16). vitiate:quality
17). dawdle:punctuality
18). abridge:length
19). obfuscation:clarity
20). thaw:warmth
21). tributary:river
22). hue:beige
23).recapitulate:summary
24). puddle:lake
25). recess:halt
26). hamstrung:disable
27). grow:thrive
28). importune:ask
29). accost:approach
30). vestige:remainder
31). success:endeavor
32). injury:sprain
33). infirmary:treatment
34). acumen:keenness
35). adaptable:modify
36). yawn:fatigue
ARGUMENT TOPICS
1. The following appeared in a letter to an editor.
"In many countries, wood is the primary fuel used for heating and cooking, but wood smoke can cause respiratory and eye problems, and extensive use of wood causes deforestation, a major environmental problem. In contrast, charcoal, made by partially burning wood in a controlled process, is a fuel that creates less smoke than wood does. Moreover, although charcoal costs slightly more than wood, less charcoal is needed to produce the same amount of heat. Therefore, people who use wood as their primary fuel can, without experiencing economic hardship, switch to charcoal and can thereby improve their health and preserve the environment."
2. The following appeared in a memorandum from the general manager of KNOW radio station.
"Several factors indicate that radio station KNOW should shift its programming from rock-and-roll music to a continuous news format. Consider, for example, the number of older people in our listening area has increased dramatically, while the total number of our listeners has recently declined. Also, music stores in our area report decreased sales of recorded music. Finally, continuous news stations in neighboring cities have been very successful, and a survey taken just before the recent election shows that local citizens are interested in becoming better informed about politics."
3. The following appeared in a report of the Committee on Faculty Promotions and Salaries at Elm City University.
"During her 17 years as a professor of botany, Professor Thomas has proved herself to be well worth her annual salary of $50,000. Her classes are among the largest at the university, demonstrating her popularity among students. Moreover, the money she has brought to the university in research grants has exceeded her salary in each of the last two years. Therefore, in consideration of Professor Thomas' demonstrated teaching and research abilities, we recommend that she receive a $10,000 raise and a promotion to Department Chairperson; without such a raise and promotion, we fear that Professor Thomas will leave Elm City University for another college."
August Posts
1. Inkling - A slight hint or indication; a slight understanding or vague idea or notion; a subtle quality underlying or felt to underlie a situation, action, or person
2. Gleam - A point of shining light, especially in darkness; brightness, sparkle; a sudden quick light; to shine brightly and steadily but without a flame; a brief or dim indication; a trace
3. Glare - To stare fixedly and angrily; to shine intensely and blindingly; to be conspicuous; stand out obtrusively; a focus of public attention; a sheet or surface of glassy and very slippery ice; be sharply reflected
4. Innuendo - An indirect or subtle, usually derogatory implication in expression; an insinuation; an artful, indirect, often derogatory hint; suggestion 5. Disbelief - Refusal or reluctance to believe; doubt, skepticism; to doubt the truth about something
6. Insinuation - An artful, indirect, often derogatory hint; the act of gaining acceptance or affection for yourself by persuasive and subtle blandishments; an indirect (and usually malicious) implication
7. Cruet - A small glass bottle for holding a condiment, such as vinegar or oil; a small vessel for holy water or for water or wine used in the consecration of the Eucharist
8. Misconstruction - An inaccurate explanation, interpretation, or report; a misunderstanding
9. Evasive - Intentionally vague or ambiguous; equivocal; inclined or intended to evade; deceitful, tricky; trying to avoid; skillful at eluding capture
10. Seldom - Not often; infrequently or rarely
11. Obliterate - To do away with completely so as to leave no trace; to wipe out, rub off, or erase; to remove completely (a body organ or part), as by surgery, disease, or radiation
12. Hillock - A small hill; a small natural hill; a small projection or elevation, as from an organ, tissue, or structure
13. Complement - Something that completes, makes up a whole, or brings to perfection; quantity or number needed to make up a whole; either of two parts that complete the whole or mutually complete each other; complete
14. Flicker - To move waveringly; flutter; to burn unsteadily or fitfully; to shine with intermittent gleams; a sudden quick light; glimmer; brief or slight sensation; any of various large North American woodpeckers of the genus Colaptes, especially C. auratus, the common flicker, having a brown back, spotted breast, and white rump
15. Eulogy - A laudatory speech or written tribute, especially one praising someone who has died; high praise or commendation; praise, acclamation
16. Quiescent - Being quiet, still, or at rest; inactive
17. Exuberant - Full of unrestrained enthusiasm or joy; energetic, enthusiastic; profuse; plentiful; extreme in degree, size, or extent
18. Crutch - A means or device that keeps something erect, stable, or secure; a support used under the arm by an injured person to help in walking; a staff or support used by the physically injured or disabled as an aid in walking, usually designed to fit under the armpit and often used in pairs
19. Fraternity - A group of people united in a relationship and having some interest, activity, or purpose in common; brotherhood; group united in interest
20. Catalyze - To modify, especially to increase, the rate of (a chemical reaction) by catalysis; to bring about; initiate; to produce fundamental change in; transform
21. Refute - To prove to be false or erroneous; overthrow by argument or proof; to deny the accuracy or truth of; prove false; discredit
22. Reinforcement - The act or process of reinforcing or the state of being reinforced; an event, a circumstance, or a condition that increases the likelihood that a given response will recur in a situation like that in which the reinforcing condition originally occurred; additional personnel or equipment sent to support a military action
23. Renege - To fail to carry out a promise or commitment;
to fail to follow suit in cards when able and required by the rules to do so; to renounce; disown; default on
24. Sunder - To break or wrench apart; sever; a division or separation; to crack or split into two or more fragments by means of or as a result of force, a blow, or strain
25. Remorseful - Feeling or expressing regret for one's sins or misdeeds; guilty, ashamed
26. Sate - To satisfy (an appetite) fully; to satisfy to excess; fill to satisfaction
27. Devious - Marked by treachery or deceit; not taking a direct or straight line or course; without a fixed or regular course; crooked; indirect; dishonest, crafty
28. Egregious - Conspicuously bad or offensive; outstandingly bad; outrageous
29. Malady - An unwholesome condition; a disease, a disorder, or an ailment
30. Aggrieve - To distress; afflict; to inflict an injury or injuries on; to cause suffering or painful sorrow to; feeling burdened
31. Dab - To spread with a greasy, sticky, or dirty substance; a tiny amount; a person with a high degree of knowledge or skill in a particular field
32. Irk - To be irritating, wearisome, or vexing to
33. Preclude - To make impossible, as by action taken in advance; prevent; to exclude or prevent (someone) from a given condition or activity
34. Metaphysical - Having no body, form, or substance; of, coming from, or relating to forces or beings that exist outside the natural world; not physical; without physical presence; ideal
35. Forlorn - Appearing sad or lonely because deserted or abandoned; forsaken or deprived; wretched or pitiful in appearance or condition; nearly hopeless; desperate
36. Bunion - A bunion is an abnormal enlargement of the joint; a painful, inflamed swelling of the bursa at the first joint of the big toe, characterized by enlargement of the joint and lateral displacement of the toe
37. Hospice - A shelter or lodging for travelers, pilgrims, foundlings, or the destitute; a program that provides palliative care and attends to the emotional and spiritual needs of terminally ill patients at an inpatient facility or at the patient's home; an institution that provides care and shelter; resort for travelers which includes lodging and entertainment
38. Tardy - Occurring, arriving, acting, or done after the scheduled, expected, or usual time; late; moving slowly; sluggish
39. Lackadaisical - Lacking spirit, liveliness, or interest; languid; lacking energy and vitality or showing such a lack; careless, indifferent
40. Jerry - A German, especially a German soldier; offensive terms for a person of German descent
41. Glean - To gather grain left behind by reapers; to collect (something) bit by bit; gather facts in small quantities
42. Inane - One that lacks sense or substance
43. Canvas - A piece of such fabric on which a painting, especially an oil painting, is executed
44. Hamstring - To restrict the activity or free movement of; handicap; to destroy or hinder the efficiency of; frustrate; any of the tendons at the rear hollow of the human knee
45. Palliated - To relieve the symptoms of a disease or disorder; to make less severe or intense; mitigate; to make (an offense or crime) seem less serious; extenuate
46. Sycophant - A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people; one who flatters another excessively
47. Fawn - To seek favor or attention by flattery and obsequious behavior; to support slavishly every opinion or suggestion of a superior; a young deer, less than one year old; a grayish yellow-brown to moderate reddish brown
48. Myriad - Constituting a very large, indefinite number; innumerable; composed of numerous diverse elements or facets
49. Vault - An arched ceiling or roof. Also: A room for keeping money or valuable papers safe; a burial place or receptacle for human remains; move off the ground by a muscular effort of the legs and feet; act of jumping
50. Gruffness - A throaty harshness; an abrupt discourteous manner
51. Mortar - A vessel in which substances are crushed or ground with a pestle; a machine in which materials are ground and blended or crushed; an ancient field weapon that fires a projectile in a high arch to reach an impact point; plastic material to bond stones and bricks together
52. Deleterious - Having a harmful effect; injurious
53. License - To give or yield permission to or for; official or legal permission to do or own a specified thing
54. Ragged - Tattered, frayed, or torn; worn-out; in shreds
55. Leviathan - One that is extraordinarily large and powerful; any large animal, as a whale; a monstrous sea creature mentioned in the Bible; something unusually large of its kind, especially a ship
56. Repletion - The condition of being fully supplied or completely filled; a state of excessive fullness
57. Orc - A mythical monster of varying descriptions; any of several cetaceans especialy the grampus of the dolphin family
58. Maroon - To put ashore on a deserted island or coast and intentionally abandon; to abandon or isolate with little hope of ready rescue or escape; a fugitive Black slave in the West Indies in the 17th and 18th centuries; a dark reddish brown to dark purplish red
59. Sham - A fraudulent imitation; a display of insincere behavior; to behave affectedly or insincerely or take on a false or misleading appearance of; to assume a false appearance or character; dissemble; a decorative cover made to simulate an article of household linen and used over or in place of it
60. Modicum - A small, moderate, or token amount
61. Fiesta - A festival or religious holiday, especially a saint's day celebrated in Spanish-speaking countries
62. Gaily - In a joyful, cheerful, or happy manner; merrily; with bright colors or trimmings; showily
63. Fealty - The fidelity owed by a vassal to his feudal lord. The oath of such fidelity
64. Laryngitis - Inflammation of the larynx; laryngitis is caused by inflammation of the larynx, often resulting in a temporary loss of voice
65. Ensconce - To settle (oneself) securely or comfortably; to place or conceal in a secure place; hide; tuck away; fix firmly
66. Votary - A person bound by vows to live a life of religious worship or service; a faithful follower; an enthusiast
67. Decrepitude - The quality or condition of being weakened, worn out, impaired, or broken down by old age, illness, or hard use
68. Hortatory - Marked by exhortation or strong urging; giving strong encouragement
69. Exponent - One that speaks for, represents, or advocates; one that expounds or interprets; expository; explanatory; advocate
70. Banister - A handrail, especially on a staircase; a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling
71. Skittish - Feeling or exhibiting nervous tension; very nervous; lively; shy
72. Hiatus - An interval during which continuity is suspended; pause, interruption; a separation, aperture, fissure, or short passage in an organ or body part
73. Fathom - A unit of length equal to 6 feet (1.83 meters), used principally in the measurement and specification of marine depths; to perceive and recognize the meaning of; discern, understand
74. Awry - In a position that is turned or twisted toward one side; askew; away from the correct course; amiss
75. Convivial - Fond of feasting, drinking, and good company; sociable; fun-loving; merry; festive
76. Debater - One who debates; one given to argument; a disputant; a controvertist; one who participates in a structured discussion
77. Pedestrian - A person traveling on foot; a walker; lacking liveliness, charm, or surprise
78. Gratuitous - Costing nothing; not required, necessary, or warranted by the circumstances of the case; not necessary; free
79. Demurral - The act of demurring, especially a mild, polite, or considered expression of opposition; a formal objection to an opponent's pleadings
80. Vouchsafe - To condescend to grant or bestow (a privilege, for example); deign; to let have as a favor, prerogative, or privilege; to descend to a level considered inappropriate to one's dignity; ose; grant
81. Paroles - Key words or signals used to establish mutual identification
82. Shun - To avoid deliberately; keep away from; avoid; ignore
83. Dapper - Neatly dressed; trim; very stylish in dress; lively and alert
84. Seraph - A celestial being having three pairs of wings; the first of the nine orders of angels in medieval angelology
85. Asunder - Into separate parts or pieces; apart from each other either in position or in direction; widely separated especially in space
86. Ballon - To curve outward past the normal or usual limit; stand out, stick out; increase rapidly; swell; a rounded or irregularly shaped outline containing the words that a character in a cartoon is represented to be saying; a flexible bag designed to be inflated with hot air or with a gas, such as helium, that is lighter than the surrounding air, causing it to rise and float in the atmosphere
87. Fabric - A distinctive, complex underlying pattern or structure; a material made from fibers or threads by weaving or knitting; the basic elements making up a building; the carcass without finishings or decoration
88. Bolt - A large roll of cloth of a definite length, especially as it comes from the loom; a bar made of wood or metal that slides into a socket and is used to fasten doors and gates; sudden and involuntary movement; lock; part of lock; eat very fast; run quickly away
89. Suppliant - Asking humbly and earnestly; beseeching; one praying humbly for something
90. Jarring - Disagreeable to the sense of hearing; making or causing a harsh and irritating sound; characterized by rough motion
91. Symphony - Pleasing agreement, as of musical sounds; harmony, especially of sound or color
92. Tirade - A long angry or violent speech, usually of a censorious or denunciatory nature; a diatribe
93. Glean - To gather grain left behind by reapers; to collect (something) bit by bit
94. Abandon - To give up completely; to desert; careless disregard for consequences; leave behind, relinquish; leave in troubled state; careless, often reckless disregard for consequences
95. Rancour - A feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
96. Desecrate - To violate the sacredness of; profane; spoil or mar the sanctity of; abuse, violate
97. Quartet - A group of four musicians or singers; also, a piece of music for four instruments or voices; composition for four voices or four instruments or four parts; four performers or singers who perform together
98. Rickety - Not physically steady or firm; unsound, broken-down; shaky; likely to fall apart
99. Triad - A group of three; a chord of three tones, especially one built on a given root tone plus a major or minor third and a perfect fifth; set of three similar things considered as a unit
100. Preposterous - Contrary to nature, reason, or common sense; absurd; ridiculous, bizarre; completely devoid of wisdom or good sense; senseless as to be laughable
101. Puckish - Mischievous; impish; naughtily or annoyingly playful
102. Delusion - An erroneous perception of reality; misconception, misbelief
103. Aplomb - Self-confident assurance; poise; assurance of manner or of action; a firm belief in one's own powers; stable, calm state of the emotions
104. Stupor - A state of reduced or suspended sensibility; state of mental numbness, as that resulting from shock; a daze; condition of dullness, often resulting from stress; unconsciousness
105. Benedict - A newly married man who was previously considered a confirmed bachelor
106. Tiresome - Causing fatigue or boredom; wearisome; arousing no interest or curiosity; irritating, exasperating; so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
107. Boredom - The condition of being bored; ennui; disinterest; weariness; the state of being uninterested
108. Orifice - An opening, especially to a cavity or passage of the body; a mouth or vent; an open space allowing passage
109. Arboretum - A facility where trees and shrubs are cultivated for exhibition; botanical garden primarily devoted to trees and woody plants, forming a living collection of trees intended at least partly for scientific study
110. Grouch - A habitually complaining or irritable person; a grumbling or sulky mood; complaint; a grudge
111. Animadversion - Strong criticism; a critical or censorious remark; harsh criticism or disapproval
112. Illegible - (of handwriting, print, etc.) not legible; "illegible handwriting"; not capable of being read or deciphered
113. Uncouth - Crude; unrefined; awkward or clumsy; ungraceful; archaic; foreign; unfamiliar; clumsy, uncultivated; lacking in delicacy or refinement
114. Churlish - Lacking in delicacy or refinement; crude, boorish; having a bad disposition; surly; difficult to work with, such as soil; intractable
115. Helter-skelter - In disorderly haste; confusedly; pell-mell; carelessly hurried and confused; turmoil; confusion; haphazardly
116. Puckish - Mischievous; impish; naughtily or annoyingly playful
117. Tantamount - Agreeing exactly in value, quantity, or effect; same; equivalent in effect or value
118. Berth - A built-in bed or bunk, as on a ship or a train; a place to sleep or stay; accommodations; a post of employment; provide with often temporary lodging; place where a ship can tie up
119. Dally - To treat lightly or flippantly; dawdle, delay; deal with or treat in a half serious or playful way
120. Reprobate - A morally unprincipled person; morally objectionable; feel or express strong disapproval of; criticize; abandon to eternal damnation; reject as invalid, as of documents
121. Receptacle - A container that holds items or matter; the expanded tip of a flower stalk or axis that bears the floral organs or the group of flowers in a head; a fitting connected to a power supply and equipped to receive a plug; container
122. Bowl - A dish that is round and open at the top for serving foods; a round vessel that is open at the top; throw or roll
123. Provenance - Place of origin; derivation; the history of the ownership of an object, especially when documented or authenticated
124. Obstruse - ( is an obsolete English spelling of abstruce) Abstruse means difficult to understand; recondite
125. Sully - To mar the cleanness or luster of; soil or stain; to defile; taint
126. Loathesome - So objectionable as to elicit despisal or deserve condemnation; hateful; abhorrent
ANALOGIES
1). needle:sew - Ans must be D
A.pencil:papaer
B.radio:electricity
C.picture :color
D.towel:dry
E.book:cover
2). tea:saucer
3). misconstruction:interpretation
4). mountain:hillock
5). complement:complete
6). crutch:walk
7). eulogy:speech
8). fervor:zealot
9). symptom:palliated
10). sycophant:fawn
11). vault:valuables
12). verbal:deleterious
13).mortar:grind
14). license:cultivation
15) cloth:ragged
16). reliable:fail
17). exponent:advocate
18). convivial:gruffness
19). banister:steps
20). jejune:interest
21). libertine:dissolute
22). exodus:departure
23). knoll:hill
24). physique:sturdy
25). bolt:fabric
26). plead:suppliant
27). tractor:vehicle
28). novel:book
29). quartet:singer
30). furniture:rickety
31). triad:group
32). lid:box
33). perturb:serenity
34). dessicate:moisture
35). river:water
36). dancer:ballet
37). tiresome:boredom
38). traces:amount
39). tree:aboretum
40). berth:sleep
41). dally:dedication
42). replete:abundance
43). bowl:receptacle
44). ilegible:read
45). wood:carpenter
46). thunderous:noise
47). aquarium:fish
48). unpleasant:loathsome
ARGUMENT TOPICS
1. The following appeared in a memo from the new vice president of Sartorian, a company that manufactures men's clothing.
"Five years ago, at a time when we had difficulties in obtaining reliable supplies of high-quality wool fabric, we discontinued production of our deluxe alpaca overcoats. Now that we have a new fabric supplier, we should resume production. This coat should sell very well: since we have not offered an alpaca overcoat for five years and since our major competitor no longer makes an alpaca overcoat, there will be pent-up customer demand. Also, since the price of most types of clothing has risen in each of the past five years, customers should be willing to pay significantly higher prices for alpaca overcoats than they did five years ago, and our company profits will increase"
2. The following appeared in a memo from a budget planner in Sophia County.
"Census data indicate that the number of retired couples without children who are moving into Sophia County is steadily rising; private schools in our county report substantial increases in enrollment; and a statewide survey of parents shows that over 10 percent now support the idea of home schooling instead of public schooling funded by the county government. Such demographic trends suggest that our county will not have to construct new school buildings and that we can therefore decrease the budget for county-funded public schools."
3. The following appeared in a recommendation from the planning department of the city of Transopolis.
"Ten years ago, as part of a comprehensive urban renewal program, the city of Transopolis adapted for industrial use a large area of severely substandard housing near the freeway. Subsequently, several factories were constructed there, crime rates in the area declined, and property tax revenues for the entire city increased. To further revitalize the city, we should now take similar action in a declining residential area on the opposite side of the city. Since some houses and apartments in existing nearby neighborhoods are currently unoccupied, alternate housing for those displaced by this action will be readily available."
4. The following appeared in a memo at the XYZ company.
"When XYZ lays off employees, it pays Delany Personnel Firm to offer those employees assistance in creating resumès and developing interviewing skills, if they so desire. Laid-off employees have benefited greatly from Delany's services: last year those who used Delany found jobs much more quickly than did those who did not. Recently, it has been proposed that we use the less-expensive Walsh Personnel Firm in place of Delany. This would be a mistake because eight years ago, when XYZ was using Walsh, only half of the workers we laid off at that time found jobs within a year. Moreover, Delany is clearly superior, as evidenced by its bigger staff and larger number of branch offices. After all, last year Delany's clients took an average of six months to find jobs, whereas Walsh's clients took nine."
5. The following appeared in a letter to the editor of the Walnut Grove town newspaper.
"Walnut Grove's town council has advocated switching from EZ Disposal (which has had the contract for trash collection services in Walnut Grove for the past ten years) to ABC Waste, because EZ recently raised its monthly fee from $2,000 to $2,500 a month, whereas ABC's fee is still $2,000. But the town council is mistaken; we should continue using EZ. EZ collects trash twice a week, while ABC collects only once. Moreover, EZ—which, like ABC, currently has a fleet of 20 trucks—has ordered additional trucks. Finally, EZ provides exceptional service: 80 percent of respondents to last year's town survey agreed that they were 'satisfied' with EZ's performance."
ISSUE TOPICS
1. Tradition and modernization are incompatible. One must choose between them
2. Many people know how to attain success, but few know how to make the best use of it
3. In most professions and academic fields, imagination is more important than knowledge
4. Public figures such as actors, politicians, and athletes should expect people to be interested in their private lives. When they seek a public role, they should expect that they will lose at least some of their privacy
5. The concept of 'individual responsibility' is a necessary fiction. Although societies must hold individuals accountable for their own actions, people's behavior is largely determined by forces not of their own making
6. Many of the world's lesser-known languages are being lost as fewer and fewer people speak them. The governments of countries in which these languages are spoken should act to prevent such languages from becoming extinct
7. It is the artist, not the critic,* who gives society something of lasting value.
8. The chief benefit of the study of history is to break down the illusion that people in one period of time are significantly different from people who lived at any other time in history
9. How we teach our kids socialization highly influences the future society. We need to adopt better ways to make sure that we have a good society in future
10. Technology creates more problems than it solves, and may threaten or damage the quality of life
11. As people rely more and more on technology to solve problems, the ability of humans to think for themselves will surely deteriorate
12. With the growth of global networks in such areas as economics and communication, there is no doubt that every aspect of society—including education, politics, the arts, and the sciences—will benefit greatly from international influences
13. The most essential quality of an effective leader is the ability to remain consistently committed to particular principles and objectives. Any leader who is quickly and easily influenced by shifts in popular opinion will accomplish little
14. Only through mistakes can there be discovery or progress
15. A school or college should pay its teachers at the same rate in all disciplines, regardless of differences in salaries for related fields in the world outside of school. For example, entry-level teachers in mathematics and in the arts should receive the same pay, even if outside of school, math specialists earn a much higher salary on average than do specialists in the arts
July posts
1. Odium - The state or quality of being odious. Strong dislike, contempt, or aversion. A state of disgrace resulting from hateful or detestable
2. Glut - To fill beyond capacity, especially with food; satiate
3. Nervy - Arrogantly impudent; brazen. Showing or requiring courage and fortitude; bold.
4. Pallid - Having an abnormally pale or wan complexion; lacking intensity of color or luminousness
5. Diaphanous - So light and insubstantial as to resemble air or a thin film; fine, see-through
6. Dishevelled - Being in loose disarray; unkempt, as hair or clothing; marked by disorder; untidy; wrinkled, unkempt in appearance
7. Disconsolate - Seeming beyond consolation; extremely dejected; cheerless; gloomy; depressed, unhappy
8. Batten - Grow fat,thrive upon others
9. Conch - Large seashell
10. Ingenue - An artless girl;an actress who plays such parts
11. Orison - Prayer
12. Rambunctious - Boisterous and disorderly
13. Hellion - A mischievous, troublesome, or unruly person
14. Carpophagous - Feeding on fruit; fruit-eating
15. Rancor - Bitter, long-lasting resentment; deep-seated ill will
16. Derivative - Resulting from or employing derivation; copied or adapted from others
17. Spurn - To be unwilling to accept, consider, or receive; to kick at or tread on disdainfully
18. Quatrain - A stanza or poem of four lines
19. Fustian - A coarse sturdy cloth made of cotton and flax; pretentious speech or writing; pompous language; pompous, bombastic, and ranting
20. Bombastic - Pompous, grandiloquent; boastful in speech or writing
21. Bootless - Without advantage or benefit; useless; unproductive of success
22. Futile - Having no useful result; trifling and frivolous; idle
23. Debase - To lower in character, quality, or value; degrade; adulterate
24. Compunction - A strong uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt; a feeling of regret for one's sins or misdeeds; a feeling of uncertainty about the fitness or correctness of an action; regret, sorrow
25. Yokel - An uneducated country person; clumsy, unsophisticated person; a rustic; a bumpkin
26. Bumptious - Crudely or loudly assertive; pushy; self-important, conceited; offensively self-assertive
27. Chimera - A fantastic, impracticable plan or desire; dream, fantasy
28. Circumspect - Heedful of circumstances and potential consequences; prudent; trying attentively to avoid danger, risk, or error; cautious, discreet
29. Turpitude - Depravity; baseness; a base act
30. Infinitude - The state or quality of being infinite; an immeasurably large quantity, number, or extent
31. Cistern - A receptacle for holding water or other liquid, especially a tank for catching and storing rainwater
32. Dulcet - Pleasing to the ear; melodious; having a soothing, agreeable quality; archaic; sweet to the taste
33. Phlegmatic - Without emotion or interest; having or suggesting a calm, sluggish temperament; unemotional
34. Heresy - A controversial or unorthodox opinion or doctrine, as in politics, philosophy, or science; adherence to such controversial or unorthodox opinion; unorthodoxy
35. Anarchic - Lacking order or control; without law or control
36. Current - A steady, smooth onward movement; a general tendency, movement, or course; the amount of electric charge flowing past a specified circuit point per unit time; running; flowing
37. Gall - The quality or state of feeling bitter; the state or quality of being impudent or arrogantly self-confident; to make (the skin) raw by or as if by friction; to trouble the nerves or peace of mind of, especially by repeated vexations
38. Hirsute - Having a hairy covering
39. Malady - Any physical disease or disorder; a disease, a disorder, or an ailment; an unwholesome condition
40. Fickleness - The quality of being fickle; instability; inconsonancy
41. Resonant - Echoing; full in sound; vibrant in sound; having or producing a full, deep, or rich sound
42. Glacier - A huge mass of ice slowly flowing over a land mass, formed from compacted snow in an area where snow accumulation exceeds melting and sublimation
43. Saga - A long detailed report; epic tale, long story
44. Afferent - Carrying inward to a central organ or section, as nerves that conduct impulses from the periphery of the body to the brain or spinal cord; transmitting impulses from sense organs to nerve centers
45. Castigate - To inflict severe punishment on; to criticize severely
46. Lull - To make or become calm; pause, calm; ease off; to cause to sleep or rest 47. Malevolent - Having or exhibiting ill will; wishing harm to others; malicious
48. Imminent - About to occur; impending; at hand, on the way
49. Abate - To lessen; to subside; in metalwork, to cut away or beat down so as to show a pattern or figure in low relief
50. Stultify - To allege or prove insane and so not legally responsible; cause to appear foolish; deprive of strength or efficiency; make useless or worthless; cripple
51. Demur - To express opposition, often by argument; disagree; to delay
52. Munificent - Very liberal in giving; generous; showing great generosity
53. Tractable - Easily managed or controlled; governable; willing to carry out the wishes of others; manageable
54. Obsequious - Full of or exhibiting servile compliance; fawning; excessively eager to serve or obey; submissive
55. Slothful - Disinclined to work or exertion; lazy
56. Assiduity - Persistent application or diligence; unflagging effort; great and constant diligence and attention
57. Impel - To urge to action through moral pressure; drive; to drive forward; propel; prompt, incite
58. Prescience - Knowledge of actions or events before they occur; foresight; unusual or creative discernment or perception
59. Unswerving - Constant; steady
60. Vacillate - To sway from one side to the other; oscillate
61. Cajole - To urge with gentle and repeated appeals, teasing, or flattery; wheedle; attempt to coax; flatter
62. Obdurate - Stubborn and unfeeling
63. Allay - To reduce the intensity of; relieve; to calm or pacify; set to rest
64. Pelf - Wealth or riches, especially when dishonestly acquired
65. Effuse - To cause (a liquid) to flow in a steady stream; give out or emit; to spread or flow out
66. Supercillious - Overly convinced of one's own superiority and importance; arrogant, stuck-up
67. Legerdemain - The use of skillful tricks and deceptions to produce entertainingly baffling effects; manual dexterity in the execution of tricks
68. Instate - To establish in office; install; to admit formally into membership or office, as with ritual
69. Blanket - To extend over the surface of; cover; a layer that covers or encloses
70. Denude - To divest of covering; make bare; to expose (rock strata) by erosion
71. Shrivel - To become or make much less or smaller; dwindle; to become or make shrunken and wrinkled, often by drying; to lose or cause to lose vitality or intensity; dehydrate, dry up
72. Grovel - To behave in a servile or demeaning manner; cringe; abase, demean oneself
73. Referee - One to whom something is referred, especially for settlement, decision, or an opinion as to the thing's quality
74. Caginess - Having or showing a clever awareness and resourcefulness in practical matters; secretive; wary; careful; shrewd
75. Excise - An internal tax imposed on the production, sale, or consumption of a commodity or the use of a service within a country; a licensing charge or a fee levied for certain privileges; remove, delete
76. Conciliatory - Tending to conciliate; pacific; mollifying; propitiating; placid, yielding
77. Prolixity - Words or the use of words in excess of those needed for clarity or precision; using or containing an excessive number of words; long-winded; wordy
78. Semitic - Of, relating to, or constituting a subgroup of the Afro-Asiatic language group that includes Arabic, Hebrew, Amharic, and Aramaic; of or relating to the Semites or their languages or cultures
79. Cadge - To beg or get by begging
80. Futon - A thin mattress of tufted cotton batting or similar material, placed on a floor or on a raised, foldable frame; mattress consisting of a pad of cotton batting that is used for sleeping on the floor or on a raised frame
81. Toady - A person who flatters or defers to others for self-serving reasons; a sycophant; tray to gain favor by cringing or flattering
82. Rapprochement - A reestablishing of cordial relations, as between two countries; the state of reconciliation or of cordial relations; restoration of harmony
83. Obliterate - To destroy all traces of; to wipe out, rub off, or erase
84. Timorous - Full of apprehensiveness; timid; easily frightened
85. Ecumenical - Of worldwide scope or applicability; universal; non-denominational; of or relating to the worldwide Christian church; concerned with establishing or promoting unity among churches or religions
86. Bibulous - Given to or marked by the consumption of alcoholic drink; very absorbent, as paper or soil; inclined to drink; of or relating to drink or drinking
87. Fustian - Pretentious, pompous speech or writing; a coarse sturdy cloth made of cotton and flax; pompous or pretentious talking or writing
88. Impugn - To attack as false or questionable; challenge in argument; criticize, challenge
89. Pristine - Remaining in a pure state; uncorrupted by civilization. Remaining free from dirt or decay; clean
90. Vociferous - Offensively loud and insistent
91. Convoy - The act of accompanying or escorting, especially for protective purposes; an accompanying and protecting force, as of ships or troops; a group, as of ships or motor vehicles, traveling together with a protective escort or for safety or convenience; to accompany, especially for protection; escort
92. Belie - To give a false representation to; misrepresent; to show to be false; contradict; deceive
93. Nullify - To make null; invalidate; to counteract the force or effectiveness of; cancel, revoke
94. Dissembler - One who dissembles; one who conceals his opinions or dispositions under a false appearance; a hypocrite
95. Forthright - Direct and without evasion; straightforward; directly and frankly; manifesting honesty and directness, especially speech
96. Abhorrence - One that is disgusting, loathsome, or repellent; an object of extreme dislike; the act of detesting extremely; hate coupled with disgust
97. Allegory - The representation of abstract ideas or principles by characters, figures, or events in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form; a story, picture, or play employing such representation; a symbolic representation
98. Gossamer - So light and insubstantial as to resemble air or a thin film; gauzy, thin; soft light delicate material
99. Flag - To lose strength or power; droop
100. Thunderous - Producing thunder or a similar sound; loud and unrestrained in a way that suggests thunder; extremely ominous
101. Tempestuous - Violently disturbed or agitated, as by storms; tumultuous; stormy; wild
102. Haughty - Scornfully and condescendingly proud; arrogant
103. Chastise - To punish, as by beating; to criticize severely; rebuke; scold, discipline; to purify
104. Abhorrence - One that is disgusting, loathsome, or repellent; a feeling of repugnance or loathing; hate coupled with disgust; the act of detesting extremely
105. Irascible - Prone to outbursts of temper; easily angered. Characterized by or resulting from anger
106. Appendix - A collection of supplementary material, usually at the end of a book
107. Sumptuous - Of a size or splendor suggesting great expense; lavish; luxurious, splendid; rich and superior in quality
108. Fallow - Land left unseeded during a growing season; inactive; plowed but left unseeded during a growing season: fallow farmland
109. Plummet - To decline suddenly and steeply; to fall straight down; plunge; fall hard and fast
110. Benign - Of a kind and gentle disposition; having little or no detrimental effect; harmless
111. Immure - To confine within or as if within walls; imprison; lock up or confine, in or as in a jail
112. Voluble - Marked by a ready flow of speech; fluent; turning easily on an axis; rotating; talkative
113. Berate - To rebuke or scold angrily and at length; to reprimand loudly or harshly; criticize hatefully
114. Stolid - Having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; impassive; apathetic, stupid; without emotion or interest
115. Delineate - To draw or trace the outline of; sketch out. To represent pictorially; depict
116. Fracas - A noisy, disorderly fight or quarrel; a brawl; disturbance, fight
117. Gall - To become irritated, chafed, or sore; nerve, brashness; upset, irritate
118. Lampoon - A work, as a novel or play, that exposes folly by the use of humor or irony; ridicule, make fun of
119. Dwell - To live as a resident; reside; to fasten one's attention; to speak or write at length; expatiate; live in
120. Vicissitudinous - Full of, or subject to, changes
121. Martinet - A rigid military disciplinarian; one who demands absolute adherence to forms and rules; one who demands strict obedience
122. Lenient - Inclined not to be harsh or strict; merciful, generous, or indulgent; not strict or severe; not harsh or strict in dealing with others
123. Anecdote - A short account of an interesting or humorous incident; an entertaining and often oral account of a real or fictitious occurrence; a short, interesting, and amusing story
124. Voluptuous - Giving, characterized by, or suggesting ample, unrestrained pleasure to the senses; well-developed, erotic; having fullness of beautiful form
125. Gregarious - Seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable
126. Serrated - Notched like the edge of a saw; saw-toothed; serrate
127. Ambivalence - The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings, such as love and hate, toward a person, object, or idea; uncertainty or indecisiveness as to which course to follow; the state of having conflicting feelings
128. Overture - An introductory section or part, as of a poem; a prelude; to present as an introduction or proposal; introduction, approach
129. Sanctimonious - Feigning piety or righteousness; of or practicing hypocrisy; self-righteous, hypocritical about one's own holiness
130. Inanity - Something empty of meaning or sense; total lack of ideas, meaning, or substance
131. Vulgarian - A vulgar person, especially one who makes a conspicuous display of wealth; an unrefined, rude person; a vulgar person (especially someone who makes a vulgar display of wealth)
132. Miscreant - An evildoer; a villain; an infidel; a heretic; evil, immoral; a villain
133. Wretched - So objectionable as to elicit despisal or deserve condemnation; terrible, very bad; of very inferior quality; miserable
134. Epic - An extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, celebrating the feats of a legendary or traditional hero; a literary or dramatic composition that resembles an extended narrative poem celebrating heroic feats
135. Mendacious - Lying; untruthful; false; untrue; dishonest; given to or marked by deliberate concealment or misrepresentation of the truth
136. Narrative - A narrated account; a story; the art, technique, or process of narrating; a recounting of past events
137. Appease - To bring peace, quiet, or calm to; soothe; satisfy, pacify
138. Defiant - Marked by defiance; disobedient, disregardful
139. Raucous - Rough-sounding and harsh; boisterous and disorderly; rowdy; noisy; harsh and unpleasant
140. Meager - Deficient in quantity, fullness, or extent; scanty. Deficient in richness, fertility, or vigor; feeble
141. Flirtatious - Full of playful allure; provocative, teasing; given to flirting
142. Bumptious - Crudely or loudly assertive; pushy; self-assertive offensively self-assertive
143. Assertive - Inclined to bold or confident assertion; aggressively self-assured
144. Trite - Lacking power to evoke interest through overuse or repetition; hackneyed
145. Panegyric - A formal eulogistic composition intended as a public compliment. Elaborate praise or laudation; an encomium
146. Impecunious - Lacking money; penniless
147. Armageddon - The scene of a final battle between the forces of good and evil, prophesied to occur at the end of the world; a decisive or catastrophic conflict
148. Intrigue - A secret or underhand scheme; a plot; arouse curiosity
149. Gullible - Easily deceived or duped; easily imposed on or tricked; naive, trusting
150. Daguerreotype - An early photographic process with the image made on a light-sensitive silver-coated metallic plate
151. Musket - A smoothbore shoulder gun used from the late 16th through the 18th century
152. Hieroglyphic - Of or relating to representation by drawings or pictures
153. Papyrus - The writing paper of the ancient Egyptians, and later of the Romans
154. Pastiche - A mixture of materials, forms, motifs, and/or styles; often incongruous; dramatic, literary, or musical piece openly imitating the previous works of other artists, often with satirical intent; an artistic effort that imitates or caricatures the work of another artist
155. Bust - A sculpture representing a person's head, shoulders, and upper chest
156. Sacrilege - Desecration, profanation, misuse, or theft of something sacred; irreverence
157. Conscientious - Guided by or in accordance with the dictates of conscience; principled; thorough and assiduous; moral, upright; thorough, careful
158. Daft - Mad; crazy; foolish; stupid; scots; frolicsome
159. Reagent - A substance used in a chemical reaction to detect, measure, examine, or produce other substances
160. Temerity - Foolhardy disregard of danger; recklessness; nerve, audacity; rash or presumptuous daring
161. Menial - Work pertaining to servants; work that is demeaning or insulting to the person performing it; lowly, low-status
162. Miscreant - A wicked or evil person; a scoundrel; something said to be the cause of particular trouble or an evil; a mean, worthless character in a story or play
163. Stultify - To render useless or ineffectual; cripple; to cause to appear stupid, inconsistent, or ridiculous; to allege or prove insane and so not legally responsible
164. Lambast - Censure severely or angrily; beat with a cane
165. Pique - A state of vexation caused by a perceived slight or indignity; a feeling of wounded pride
166. Vociferous - Making, given to, or marked by noisy and vehement outcry; loud, insistent
167. Pariah - An outcast; a member of a low caste or class
168. Raft - A flat structure, typically made of planks, logs, or barrels, that floats on water and is used for transport or as a platform for swimmers; a flat buoyant structure of timber or other materials fastened together, used as a boat or floating platform
169. Buoyant - Having the ability to float; light in weight; lighthearted; gay
170. Unrealizable - Impossible to achieve
171. Renegade - common vagabond; a worthless or wicked fellow; one who deserts from a military or naval post; a deserter; one faithless to principle or party; an apostate from Christianity or from any form of religious faith
172. Ferocious - Extremely savage; fierce; marked by unrelenting intensity; extreme
173. Prolixity - Words or the use of words in excess of those needed for clarity or precision; boring verboseness
174. Mortify - To deprive of esteem, self-worth, or effectiveness; to cause (a person) to be self-consciously distressed; embarrass
175. Pusillanimous - Lacking courage; cowardly; lacking courage and resolution; marked by contemptible timidity; without spirit or bravery
176. Percipient - Having the power of perceiving, especially perceiving keenly and readily; astute; characterized by ease and quickness in perceiving
177. Anachronistic - Something that is out of place and time; erroneous in date
178. Fervor - Great warmth and intensity of emotion; intense heat; excitement, enthusiasm
179. Disinfectant - An agent, such as heat, radiation, or a chemical, that destroys, neutralizes, or inhibits the growth of disease-carrying microorganisms 180. Terseness - Brief and to the point; effectively concise; brief, short
181. Hoarse - Rough or grating in sound; having or characterized by a husky, grating voice; raspy in voice
182. Effusive - Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy; profuse; overflowing
183. Obliterate - To destroy all traces of; to wipe out, rub off, or erase; to remove completely (a body organ or part), as by surgery, disease, or radiation
184. Index - An alphabetized list of names, places, and subjects treated in a printed work, giving the page or pages on which each item is mentioned; something that serves to guide, point out, or otherwise facilitate reference
185. Laconic - Using or marked by the use of few words; terse or concise; short, to the point
186. Nimble - Quick, light, or agile in movement or action; deft; dexterous, smart
187. Clumsyness - Lacking dexterity and grace in physical movement; not agile; awkward; clumsily lacking in the ability to do or perform
188. Partisan - A fervent, sometimes militant supporter or proponent of a party, cause, faction, person, or idea; one who supports and adheres to another; exhibiting bias; interested, factional
189. Recuperation - A return to normal health; gradual healing (through rest) after sickness or injury; recovery
190. Doldrums - A period of stagnation or slump; period of depression or unhappy listlessness; region of the ocean near the equator, characterized by calms, light winds, or squalls; feeling or spell of dismally low spirits; depression
191. Cow - To frighten with threats or a show of force; browbeat, intimidate;
any of various chiefly domesticated mammals of the genus Bos, including cows, steers, bulls, and oxen, often raised for meat and dairy products
192. Lop - To decrease, as in length or amount, by or as if by severing or excising; to hang limply, loosely, and carelessly; cut off from a whole
193. Fluvial - Of, relating to, or inhabiting a river or stream. Produced by the action of a river or stream
194. Jejune - Not interesting; dull; lacking maturity; childish; lacking in nutrition
195. Indespensible - Not to be dispensed with; essential; obligatory; unavoidable; necessary
196. Hubris - Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance
197. Vigilance - Alert watchfulness; carefulness
198. Enfeeble - To deprive of strength; make feeble; make very weak
199. Ethereal - Characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; intangible; highly refined; delicate; of the celestial spheres; heavenly; spiritual; so light and insubstantial as to resemble air or a thin film
200. Laggard - One that lags; a straggler; hanging back or falling behind; dilatory; falling behind
201. Tarpaulin - Material, such as waterproofed canvas, used to cover and protect things from moisture; a waterproof cloth, esp. one used in large sheets for covering anything exposed to the weather
202. Mottled - Spotted or blotched with different shades or colors; speckled
203. Vault - A room or compartment, often built of steel, for the safekeeping of valuables; a burial place or receptacle for human remains; to move off the ground by a muscular effort of the legs and feet; act of jumping
204. Allay - To reduce the intensity of; relieve; to calm or pacify; set to rest
205. Stature - The natural height of a human or animal in an upright position; achieved level; status; importance
206. Infinitude - The state or quality of being infinite; an immeasurably large quantity, number, or extent; an infinite quantity
207. Hellion - A mischievous, troublesome, or unruly person
208. Lunge - A sudden thrust or pass, as with a sword; a sudden forward movement or plunge; pounce; dive for
209. Garish - Marked by strident color or excessive ornamentation; gaudy. loud and flashy
210. Piquant - Pleasantly pungent or tart in taste; spicy. appealingly provocative: a piquant wit. charming, interesting, or attractive
211. Ramshackle - So poorly constructed or kept up that disintegration is likely; rickety
212. Crotchety - Capriciously stubborn or eccentric; perverse; having a difficult and contrary disposition; irritable, often due to old age
213. Firefly - Any of various nocturnal beetles of the family Lampyridae, characteristically having luminescent chemicals in the posterior tip of the abdomen that produce a flashing light
214. Brute - Lacking or showing a lack of reason or intelligence; a brutal, crude, or insensitive person
215. Urbanity - Refined, effortless beauty of manner, form, and style; refinement and elegance of manner; polished courtesy; polished courtesy; elegance of manner
216. Treacle - Cloying speech or sentiment; a medicinal compound formerly used as an antidote for poison
217. Nervy - Arrogantly impudent; showing or requiring courage and fortitude; bold; rude and disrespectful; bold, pushy
218. Polar -
219. Dissonance - A harsh, disagreeable combination of sounds; state of disagreement and disharmony; consistency, or harmony; conflict
220. Coalesce - To grow together; fuse; to come together so as to form one whole; unite; blend, come together; to unite into a whole
221. Chrome - A hard silver metal that does not easily rust; something plated with a chromium alloy
222. Tarpaulin - Material, such as waterproofed canvas, used to cover and protect things from moisture
223. Second-rate - Of inferior or mediocre quality or value
224. Indolent - Disinclined to exert oneself; habitually lazy; causing little or no pain; slow to heal, grow, or develop; inactive
225. Vivify - To give or bring life to; animate; to make more lively, intense, or striking; to make alive
ANALOGIES
1. quatrain:stanza
2. bootless:futile
3. fustian:bombastic
4. infinitude:measure
5. cistern:liquid
6. lock:secure
7. vivid:intensity
8. debase:status
9. glacier:ice
10. resonant:sound
11. judge:laws
12. unswering:vacillate
13. cajoling:reluctance
14. slothful:assiduity
15. fence: livestock
16. reliable:fail
17. frill:superfluity
18. obsequious:toady
19. allay:relieve
20. exhaust:energy
21. dissembler:forthright
22. mirror:reflectivity
23. bolster:support
24. book:appendix
25. still:movement
26. stolid:impassive
27. martinet:lenient
28. school:learn
29. overture:introduction
30. futon:bed
31. miscreant:wretched
32. epic:poem
33. saga:anecdote
34. raucous:harsh
35. orchestra:musician
36. bumptious:assertive
37. daguerreotype:photograph:: Ans - E - X is an obsolete type of Y
(A) bust:statue::
(B) pastiche:painting
(C) narrative:novel
(D) hieroglyphic:papyrus
(E) musket:firearm
38. mirror:reflective
39. miscreant:criminal
40. anachronistic:time
41. fervor:zealot
42. tersness:superfluous
43. disinfectent:germ
44. percipent:discernment
45. envelope:enclose
46. obliterate:unnecessary
47. nimble:clumsyness
48. fluial:river
49. soothe:calm
50. enfeeble:strength
51. lock:secure
52. sedulous:diligent
53. allay:relief
54. vault:valaubles
55. stature:tall
56. toady: flatter
57. pique:assuage
58. piquant:insipid
59. dormant:vigor
60. reticent:garrulous
61. bumptious:assertive
62. saga:narrative
63. lucid:understand
64. abate:status
65. firefly:insect
66. brute:urbanity
67. car:chrome
68. indolent:vivify
69. querulous:complain
ISSUE TOPIC
1. Laws should not be rigid or fixed. Instead, they should be flexible enough to take account of various circumstances, times, and places.
2. Success, whether academic or professional, involves an ability to survive in a new environment and, eventually, to change it.
3. The purpose of many advertisements is to make consumers want to buy a product so thatthey will 'be like' the person in the ad. This practice is effective because it not only sellsproducts but also helps people feel better about themselves.
4. Money spent on research is almost always a good investment, even when the results of that research are controversial
5.The most effective way to communicate an idea or value to large groups of people is through the use of images, not language.
6. The primary goal of technological advancement should be to increase people's efficiency so that everyone has more leisure time
7. The study of an academic discipline alters the way we perceive the world. After studying the discipline, we see the same world as before, but with different eyes
8. The most essential quality of an effective leader is the ability to remain consistently committed to particular principles and objectives. Any leader who is quickly and easily influenced by shifts in popular opinion will accomplish little
9. The surest indicator of a great nation is not the achievements of its rulers, artists, or scientists, but the general welfare of all its people
10. With the growth of global networks in such areas as economics and communication, there is no doubt that every aspect of society—including education, politics, the arts, and the sciences—will benefit greatly from international influences
11. Scholars and researchers should not be concerned with whether their work makes acontribution to the larger society. It is more important that they pursue their individual interests,however unusual or idiosyncratic those interests may seem
12. The arts (painting, music, literature, etc.) reveal the otherwise hidden ideas and impulses of a society
13. In many countries it is now possible to turn on the television and view government at work.Watching these proceedings can help people understand the issues that affect their lives. Themore kinds of government proceedings---trials, debates, meetings, etc.---that are televised,the more society will benefit
14. One can best understand the most important characteristics of a society by studying its major cities
15. The best way to understand the character of a society is to examine the character of the men and women that the society chooses as its heroes or its heroines
16. It is a grave mistake to theorize before one has data
17. While some leaders in government, sports, industry, and other areas attribute their success toa well-developed sense of competition, a society can better prepare its young people forleadership by instilling in them a sense of cooperation
18. The video camera provides such an accurate and convincing record of contemporary life that it has become a more important form of documentation than written records
19. The greatness of individuals can be decided only by those who live after them, not by their contemporaries
20. Government should place-few,if any restrictions on science research and development
ARGUMENT TOPIC
1. The following report appeared in a memo from the vice president of the Southside Transportation Authority.
"We should abandon our current five-year plan to purchase additional buses to serve the campus of Southside University, because students there are unlikely to use them. Consider the results of the recent campaign sponsored by the Environmental Club at Southside University: in a program on the campus radio station, the club asked students to call in and pledge that they would commute to school by bus instead of by automobile at least one day per week. Only ten percent of the students called in and pledged. In view of the campaign's lack of success, we can assume that the bus service we currently offer will continue to be sufficient to serve the university."
2. The following is a letter that recently appeared in the Oak City Gazette, a local newspaper.
"Membership in Oak City's Civic Club — a club whose primary objective is to discuss local issues — should continue to be restricted to people who live in Oak City. People who work in Oak City but who live elsewhere cannot truly understand the business and politics of the city. It is important to restrict membership to city residents because only residents pay city taxes and therefore only residents understand how the money could best be used to improve the city. At any rate, restricting membership in this way is unlikely to disappoint many of the nonresidents employed in Oak City, since neighboring Elm City's Civic Club has always had an open membership policy, and only twenty-five nonresidents have joined Elm City's Club in the last ten years."
3. The following appeared as an editorial in the local newspaper of Dalton.
"When the neighboring town of Williamsville adopted a curfew four months ago that made it illegal for persons under the age of 18 to loiter or idle in public places after 10 p.m., youth crime in Williamsville dropped by 27 percent during curfew hours. In Williamsville's town square, the area where its citizens were once most outraged at the high crime rate, not a single crime has been reported since the curfew was introduced. Therefore, to help reduce its own rising crime rate, the town of Dalton should adopt the same kind of curfew. A curfew that keeps young people at home late at night will surely control juvenile delinquency and protect minors from becoming victims of crime."
4. The following appeared as an editorial in the local newspaper of Dalton.
"When the neighboring town of Williamsville adopted a curfew four months ago that made it illegal for persons under the age of 18 to loiter or idle in public places after 10 p.m., youth crime in Williamsville dropped by 27 percent during curfew hours. In Williamsville's town square, the area where its citizens were once most outraged at the high crime rate, not a single crime has been reported since the curfew was introduced. Therefore, to help reduce its own rising crime rate, the town of Dalton should adopt the same kind of curfew. A curfew that keeps young people at home late at night will surely control juvenile delinquency and protect minors from becoming victims of crime."
5. In each city in the region of Treehaven, the majority of the money spent on government-run public school education comes from taxes that each city government collects. The region's cities differ, however, in the value they place on public education. For example, Parson City typically budgets twice as much money per year as Blue City does for its public schools — even though both cities have about the same number of residents. It seems clear, therefore, that Parson City residents care more about public school education than do Blue City residents
6. The following appeared in an environmental newsletter published in Tria Island.
“The marine sanctuary on Tria Island was established to protect certain marine mammals. Its regulations ban dumping and offshore oil drilling within 20 miles of Tria, but fishing is not banned. Currently many fish populations in Tria’s waters are declining, a situation blamed on pollution. In contrast, the marine sanctuary on Omni Island has regulations that ban dumping, offshore oil drilling, and fishing within 10 miles of Omni and Omni reports no significant decline in its fish populations. Clearly, the decline in fish populations in Tria’s waters is the result of overfishing, not pollution. Therefore, the best way to restore Tria’s fish populations and to protect all of Tria’s marine wildlife is to abandon our regulations and adopt those of Omni.”
7. The following appeared in a letter from a department chairperson to the president of Pierce University.
"Some studies conducted by Bronston College, which is also located in a small town, reveal that both male and female professors are happier living in small towns when their spouses are also employed in the same geographic area. Therefore, in the interest of attracting the most gifted teachers and researchers to our faculty and improving the morale of our entire staff, we at Pierce University should offer employment to the spouse of each new faculty member we hire. Although we cannot expect all offers to be accepted or to be viewed as an ideal job offer, the money invested in this effort will clearly be well spent because, if their spouses have a chance of employment, new professors will be more likely to accept our offers."
8. The following appeared in a memo from the mayor of the town of Hopewell.
"Two years ago, the town of Ocean View built a new municipal golf course and resort hotel. During the past two years, tourism in Ocean View has increased, new businesses have opened there, and Ocean View's tax revenues have risen by 30 percent. The best way to improve Hopewell's economy, and generate additional tax revenues, is to build a golf course and resort hotel similar to those in Ocean View."
9. The following appeared in a memo written by a dean at Buckingham College.
"To serve the housing needs of our students, Buckingham College should build a new dormitory. Buckingham's enrollment is growing and, based on current trends, should double over the next fifty years, thus making existing dormitories inadequate. Moreover, the average rent for an apartment in our town has increased in recent years. Consequently, students will find it increasingly difficult to afford off-campus housing. Finally, an attractive new dormitory would make prospective students more likely to enroll at Buckingham.
10. The following is a letter to the head of the tourism bureau on the island of Tria.
"Erosion of beach sand along the shores of Tria Island is a serious threat to our island and our tourist industry. In order to stop the erosion, we should charge people for using the beaches. Although this solution may annoy a few tourists in the short term, it will reduce the number of people using the beaches and will raise money for replenishing the sand. Replenishing the sand, as was done to protect buildings on the nearby island of Batia, will help protect buildings along our shores, thereby reducing these buildings' risk of additional damage from severe storms. And since the areas along the shore will be more attractive as a result, the beaches will be preserved and the area's tourist industry will improve over the long term."
11. The following appeared in a memo at the XYZ company.
"When XYZ lays off employees, it pays Delany Personnel Firm to offer those employees assistance in creating resumès and developing interviewing skills, if they so desire. Laid-off employees have benefited greatly from Delany's services: last year those who used Delany found jobs much more quickly than did those who did not. Recently, it has been proposed that we use the less-expensive Walsh Personnel Firm in place of Delany. This would be a mistake because eight years ago, when XYZ was using Walsh, only half of the workers we laid off at that time found jobs within a year. Moreover, Delany is clearly superior, as evidenced by its bigger staff and larger number of branch offices. After all, last year Delany's clients took an average of six months to find jobs, whereas Walsh's clients took nine."
June posts
1. Glib - Marked by ease and fluency of speech or writing that often suggests or stems from insincerity, superficiality, or deceitfulness.
2. Gregarious - Seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable
3. Altruistic - Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness
4. Exacting - Making severe demands; rigorous; requiring great care, effort, or attention
5. Ensue - To follow as a consequence or result
6. Infirm - Not strong or stable; shaky; irresolute; feeble
7. Noxious - Harmful to the mind or morals; corrupting; injurious to health
8. Ensnare - To gain control of or an advantage over by or as if by trapping
9. Remiss - Exhibiting carelessness or slackness
10. Vivacious - Full of animation and spirit
11. Dire - Warning of or having dreadful or terrible consequences; calamitous
12. Cron - A time unit equal to 1000000 years; used in reference to evolutionary processes
13. Votary - One zealously devoted to a religion
14. Reek - To have or give off a foul odor; to smoke, steam, or fume; to be pervaded by something unpleasant
15. Germane - Related to the matter at hand; appropriate
16. Nocturnal - Of, relating to, or occurring in the night
17. Obfuscate - To render indistinct or dim; darken; to make so confused or opaque as to be difficult to perceive or understand
18. Discern - To perceive or recognize as being different or distinct; distinguish
19. Inconspicuous - Not readily noticeable
20. Croon - To sing softly or in a humming way
21. Accrue - Accumulate or increase; increasing by addition of growth, often financial
22. Imprudence - A lack of caution in practical affairs
23. Indelible - Indestructible
24. Quisling - A traitor who serves as the puppet of the enemy occupying his or her country
25. Termagant - A person, traditionally a woman, who persistently nags or criticizes
26. Wilt - Sag, fail; to become limp or flaccid
27. Bromide - A tiresome person; a bore; a commonplace remark or notion; a platitude
28. Proscribe - To denounce or condemn; to prohibit; forbid.
29. Haughtiness - Overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors; scornfully and condescendingly proud
30. Evanescent - Vanishing or likely to vanish like vapor
31. Fetid - Having an offensive odor; foul, rancid
32. Pariah - A social outcast; an untouchable
33. Tort - Law. damage, injury, or a wrongful act done willfully, negligently, or in circumstances involving strict liability, but not involving breach
34. Surly - bad tempered; unfriendly
35. Culpable - Deserving of blame or censure as being wrong, evil, improper, or injurious
36. Motley - Having elements of great variety or incongruity; heterogeneous
37. Coterie - A small, often select group of persons who associate with one another frequently
38. Protuberance - Something, such as a bulge, knob, or swelling, that protrudes. The condition of being protuberant
39. Perspicuity - The quality of being perspicuous; clearness and lucidity
40. Succinct - Characterized by clear, precise expression in few words; concise and terse
41. Digress- To turn aside, especially from the main subject in writing or speaking; stray
42. Aphorism - A brief statement of a principle; a tersely phrased statement of a truth or opinion; an adage
43. Eulogy - A laudatory speech or written tribute, especially one praising someone who has died; high praise or commendation
44. Fallacious - Tending to mislead; deceptive
45. Solemn - Deeply earnest, serious, and sober; gloomy; somber; performed with full ceremony; invoking the force of religion; sacred
46. Dissention - Difference of opinion; disagreement
47. Suture - The fine thread or other material used surgically to close a wound or join tissues; a seam used in surgery; thread of catgut or silk or wire used by surgeons to stitch tissues together; join with a suture, as of a wound in surgery
48. Sangfroid - A stable, calm state of the emotions
49. Humdrum - Lacking variety or excitement; dull; boring , dull; monotonous talk or routine.
50. Untenable - Incapable of being defended or justified
51. Inexpungeable - Not capable of being expunged
52. Expunged - To erase or strike out
53. Obliterate - To do away with completely so as to leave no trace
54. Happenstance - An unexpected random event
55. Charisma - The power or quality of attracting
56. Bore - One that is wearingly dull, repetitive, or tedious
57. Muster - To assemble, prepare, or put into operation, as for war or a similar emergency; a number of persons who have come or been gathered together
58. Crew - A group of people organized for a particular purpose; serve as a crew member on
59. Cord - To pile (wood) in cords; a line made of twisted fibers or threads
60. Polymorphous - Having, or assuming, a variety of forms, characters, or styles
61. Incontrovertible - Impossible to dispute; unquestionable
62. Pulchritude - Great physical beauty and appeal
63. Flounder - To make clumsy attempts to move or regain one's balance
64. Nugatory - Of little or no importance; trifling. having no force; invalid
65. Hull - Dry outer covering of a fruit or seed or nut; the frame or body of ship
66. Succinct - Marked by or consisting of few words that are carefully chosen; brief, to the point; briefly giving the gist of something
67. Diazepam - A tranquilizer (trade name Valium) used to relieve anxiety and relax muscles; acts by enhancing the inhibitory actions of the neurotransmitter GABA
68. Sagitta - A constellation in the Northern Hemisphere near Aquila and Vulpecula
69. Amity - Peaceful relations, as between nations; friendship
70. Decimate - To destroy or kill a large part of (a group)
71. Fecund - Capable of producing offspring or vegetation; fruitful. Marked by intellectual productivity
72. Tawdry - Gaudy and cheap in nature or appearance; cheap, tasteless
73. Marrow - The most central and material part; the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience
74. Cognizant - Fully informed; conscious
75. Fiasco - A complete failure
76. Folly - A lack of good sense, understanding, or foresight; an act or instance of foolishness: regretted the follies of his youth
77. Forage - Food for domestic animals; fodder. The act of looking or searching for food or provisions
78. Quart - A unit of volume or capacity in the US Customary System, used in liquid measure, equal to / 4 gallon or 32 ounces
79. Shuck - A husk, pod, or shell, as of a pea, hickory nut, or ear of corn. The shell of an oyster or clam
80. Green - Lacking training or experience
81. Furrow - A long shallow trench in the ground; make wrinkled or creased;
a deep wrinkle in the skin, as on the forehead
82. Trite - Lacking power to evoke interest through overuse or repetition; hackneyed
83. Suture - The process of joining two surfaces or edges together along a line by or as if by sewing
84. Furor - A general commotion; public disorder or uproar. Violent anger; frenzy; a fashion adopted enthusiastically by the public; a fad
85. Castigate - To inflict severe punishment on; to criticize severely
86. Pique - A state of vexation caused by a perceived slight or indignity; a feeling of wounded pride
87. Sanctimonious - Excessively or hypocritically pious; feigning piety or righteousness; of or practicing hypocrisy
88. Evacuant - Of, relating to, or tending to eliminate; tending to cleanse or purge, especially causing evacuation of the bowels
89. Striate - Marked with striae; striped, grooved, or ridged; to mark with a line or band, as of different color or texture
90. Legerdemain - A show of skill or deceitful cleverness; the use of skillful tricks and deceptions to produce entertainingly baffling effects
91. Overture- An instrumental composition intended especially as an introduction to an extended work, such as an opera or oratorio
92. Opera - A theatrical presentation in which a dramatic performance is set to music; the score of such a work
93. Chasten - To castigate for the purpose of improving; to correct using punishment or suffering
94. Hirsute - Covered with hair; having a hairy covering
95. Chortle - To laugh quietly; a snorting, joyful laugh or chuckle
96. Topical - Of or belonging to a particular location or place; local; currently of interest; contemporary
97. Perfunctory - Hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
98. Terrestrial - Earthly
99. Livestock - Domestic animals, such as cattle or horses, raised for home use or for profit, especially on a farm
100. Gall - The quality or state of feeling bitter; the state or quality of being impudent or arrogantly self-confident; to trouble the nerves or peace of mind of, especially by repeated vexations; nerve, brashness; upset, irritate
101. Frisky - Playful
102. Quatrain - A stanza or poem of four lines
103. Hubris - Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance
104. Kudos - Acclaim or praise for exceptional achievement
105. Exodus - A departure from a place or country, especially of many people; act of leaving
106. Vulgaris - Being of the usual type; common
107. Frill - Something costly and unnecessary
108. Superficiality - Trivial; insignificant
109. Void - An empty space
110. Swath - A path or strip; the space created by the swing of a scythe or the cut of a mowing machine
111. Haughty - Scornfully and condescendingly proud; arrogant
112. Vaporous - Extravagantly fanciful; high-flown; so light and insubstantial as to resemble air or a thin film
113. Saga - Epic tale, long story; a long detailed report
114. Sagittal - Of or relating to the suture uniting the two parietal bones of the skull;
115. Eyesore - Something, such as a distressed building, that is unpleasant or offensive to view
116. Vim - Ebullient vitality and energy; an imaginative lively style
117. Formulaic - Being of no special quality or type
118. Budge - To move very slightly; overformal; pompous
119. Superfluity - Overabundance; excess
120. Pelf - Wealth or riches, especially when dishonestly acquired
121. Impecunious - Lacking money; penniless
122. Confinement - Imprisonment; restriction
123. Rostrum - A stage or raised platform for public speaking
124. Denude - To divest of covering; make bare
125. Stultify - Deprive of strength or efficiency; make useless or worthless; cause to appear foolish; prove to be of unsound mind or demonstrate someone's incompetence
126. Faradic - Of, relating to, or using an intermittent asymmetrical alternating electric current produced by an induction coil
127. Martinet - A strict disciplinarian, especially in the armed forces; one who demands absolute adherence to forms and rules
128. Vulgar - Common, general; rude, offensive
129. Aesthetic - Showing good taste
130. Cistern - A receptacle for holding water or other liquid, especially a tank for catching and storing rainwater
131. Wanton - Careless; cruel, malicious
132. Grovel - To support slavishly every opinion or suggestion of a superior; to behave in a servile or demeaning manner
133. Shoal - A shallow part of a body of water: shallow; measuring little from bottom to top or surface
134. Sylvan - Relating to or characteristic of woods or forest regions; abounding in trees; wooded
ANALOGIES
1) refridgerator:food
2) fan:cable
3) schedule:time
4) splurge:money
5) peripheral:edge
6) church:state - Ans must be B
A.confusion:adaption
B.priest:officer
C.time:minutes
D.team player
E.breeze:sunshine
7) needle : sew - Ans must be D
A.pencil:papaer
B.radio:electricity
C.picture :color
D.towel:dry
E.book:cover
8) tag:identity
9) car:wheel
10) careless:punctual
11) theatre:play
12) pariah:ostracize
13) vindicated:blame
14) culpable:condemnation
15) coterie:intimates
16) schedule:time
17) bulge:protuberance
18) resignation:office
19) attentive:officious - Ans must be refine:snobbish
20) barrage: explosives - Ans must be B
A.cacophony :sound
B.deluge:rain is the answer
C.vista:signs
D.grenade:bombs
E.volcano:lava
21) ruffle:shirt - Ans must be B
A.rafter:roof
B.molding:cabinet
C.gate:path
D.curb:sidewalk
E.shade:window
22) ineradicable:eliminate
23) vaccinate:disease
24) untenable:defend
25) charisma:bore
26) muster:crew
27) incontrovertible:dispute
28) carefree:responsibilities
29) beckon:hand
30) matter:hardness
31) arrogant:defer
32) experience:green
33) date:calender
34) overture:opera
35) striate:grooved
36) magician:legerdemain
37) chasten:humbled
38) knot:solve
39) chortle:glee
40) perfunctory:depth
41) topical:currency
42) fence:livestock
43) terrestrial:earth
44) lock:secure
45) frilll:superfluity
46)saga:poem
47) vivid:intensify
48) infinite:measure
49) judge:laws
50) pelf:impecunious
51) cell:confinement
52) cistern:liquids
ISSUE TOPICS
1. The primary goal of technological advancement should be to increase people's efficiency so that everyone has more leisure time
2. The arts (painting, music, literature, etc.) reveal the otherwise hidden ideas and impulses of a society.
3. To be an effective leader, a public official must maintain the highest ethical and moral standards.
4. Governments should focus more on solving the immediate problems of today rather than trying to solve the anticipated problems of the future
5. While some leaders in government, sports, industry, and other areas attribute their success to a well-developed sense of competition, a society can better prepare its young people for leadership by instilling in them a sense of cooperation
6. Both parents and communities must be involved in the local schools. Education is too important to leave solely to a group of professional educators
7. Many of the world's lesser-known languages are being lost as fewer and fewer people speak them. The governments of countries in which these languages are spoken should act to prevent such languages from becoming extinct
8. It is impossible for an effective political leader to tell the truth all the time. Complete honesty is not a useful virtue for a politician
9. In any profession—business, politics, education, government—those in power should step down after five years. The surest path to success for any enterprise is revitalization through new leadership
10. In any given field, the leading voices come from people who are motivated not by conviction but by the desire to present opinions and ideas that differ from those held by the majority
11. For the growth of professions and academic fields imagination is more important than knowledge
11. The way people look, dress, and act reveals their attitudes and interests. You can tell much about a society's ideas and values by observing the appearance and behavior of its people
12. Some educational systems emphasize the development of student's capacity for reasoning and logical thinking, but students would benefit more from an education that also taught them to explore their own emotions
ARGUMENT TOPICS
1. In a study of reading habits of Leeville citizens conducted by the University of Leeville, most respondents said they preferred literary classics as reading material. However, a follow-up study conducted by the same researchers found that the type of book most frequently checked out of each of the public libraries in Leeville was the mystery novel. Therefore, it can be concluded that the respondents in the first study had misrepresented their reading habits.
2. The following appeared in a letter to the editor of the Clearview newspaper.
"In the next mayoral election, residents of Clearview should vote for Ann Green, who is a member of the Good Earth Coalition, rather than for Frank Braun, a member of the Clearview town council, because the current members are not protecting our environment. For example, during the past year the number of factories in Clearview has doubled, air pollution levels have increased, and the local hospital has treated 25 percent more patients with respiratory illnesses. If we elect Ann Green, the environmental problems in Clearview will certainly be solved."
3. The following appeared as an editorial in a wildlife journal."Arctic deer live on islands in Canada's arctic region. They search for food by moving over ice from island to island during the course of a year. Their habitat is limited to areas warm enough to sustain the plants on which they feed, and cold enough, at least some of the year, for the ice to cover the sea separating the islands, allowing the deer to travel over it. Unfortunately, according to reports from local hunters, the deer populations are declining. Since these reports coincide with recent global warming trends that have caused the sea ice to melt, we can conclude that the decline in arctic deer populations is the result of deer being unable to follow their age-old migration patterns across the frozen sea."
4. The following appeared as an editorial in a local newspaper.
"In order to attract visitors to Central Plaza downtown and to return the plaza to its former glory, the city should prohibit skateboarding there and instead allow skateboarders to use an area in Monroe Park. At Central Plaza, skateboard users are about the only people one sees now, and litter and defaced property have made the plaza unattractive. In a recent survey of downtown merchants, the majority supported a prohibition on skateboarding in the plaza. Clearly, banning skateboarding in Central Plaza will make the area a place where people can congregate for fun or for relaxation."
5. As people grow older, an enzyme known as PEP increasingly breaks down the neuropeptide chemicals involved in learning and memory. But now, researchers have found compounds that prevent PEP from breaking neuropeptides apart. In tests, these compounds almost completely restored lost memory in rats. The use of these compounds should be extended to students who have poor memory and difficulty in concentrating — and therefore serious problems in school performance. Science finally has a solution for problems neither parents nor teachers could solve.
6. The following is a memorandum from the sales director to the president of the Healthy-and-Good food company.
"A recent study indicates that Venadial, a new margarine currently produced only in the country of Alta, actually reduces cholesterol levels. Derived from the resin of pine trees, Venadial works by activating a metabolic response that is not yet well understood. However, cholesterol levels fell ten to fifteen percent among participants in the study who consumed Venadial daily, and the risk of heart attack by one-third. In addition, the new margarine is so popular that stores in Alta are unable to keep it on their shelves. Therefore, if our company obtains the exclusive right to sell Venadial internationally, our profits are sure to increase substantially within a very short time."
7. Recent study shows that people living on the continent of North America suffer 9 times more chronic fatigue and 31 times more chronic depression than do people living on the continent of Asia. Interestingly, Asians, on average, eat 20 grams of soy per day, whereas North Americans eat virtually none. It turns out that soy contains phytochemicals called isoflavones, which have been found to possess disease-preventing properties. Thus, North Americans should consider eating soy on a regular basis as a way of preventing fatigue and depression.
8. Due to the declining profits we have to reduce the operating expenses of the ten rental vedio stores we have. We have to not increase the profits because we are famous for special bargains. By reducing the operating hours..is a good idea. Last month our vedio-store in downtown have reduced the working time to 6:pm rather than 9:pm which is our usual time. It ha also reduced the inventory by excluding the stock two years from now. So, we have to do the same..for all the rental stores
9. The following is a letter from an editor at Liber Publishing Company to the company's president.
"In recent years, Liber has unfortunately moved away from its original mission: to publish the works of regional small-town authors instead of those of big-city authors. Just last year, 90 percent of the novels we published were written by authors who maintain a residence in a big city. Although this change must have been intended to increase profits, it has obviously backfired, because Liber is now in serious financial trouble. The only way to address this problem is to return to our original mission. If we return to publishing only the works of regional small-town authors, our financial troubles will soon be resolved"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)