150 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT Vocabulary Unit 6 Exercise Set I Time—8 minutes For each question, select the best answer among the choices given. Note any vocabulary words to review on the Hit List below. 1. Those used to his frequent equivocation in describing his business dealings were shocked by his description of his latest acquisition. (A) forthright (B) apocryphal (C) esoteric (D) boorish (E) indefatigable 2. Heidi’s sudden indolence was to her col- leagues; until recently she had been an assidu- ous and exemplary employee. (A) an insurrection (B) a satire (C) an enigma (D) an indiscretion (E) an indictment 3. Decades after being appointed of the renow- ned museum, Charles confessed to be only who scarcely appreciated the significance of the great works he oversaw. (A) curator . . a dilettante (B) lampoon . . a dabbler (C) entrepreneur . . an amateur (D) fanatic . . a nihilist (E) philanthropist . . an ascetic 4. The film is a collection of lowbrow that lampoon some of the more popular movies of recent years. (A) parodies (B) epics (C) anthologies (D) strategems (E) bards 5. The villager’s behavior was to the queen, who was not used to being treated with such effrontery. (A) tenacious . . a malapropism (B) crass . . a witticism (C) jocular . . a moratorium (D) downtrodden . . an insult (E) insolent . . an affront 6. The press lambasted the congresswoman for her part in the scandal, but she knew that since she was not , the was unfair. (A) seditious . . digression (B) guilty . . candor (C) veracious . . prevarication (D) jocular . . castigation (E) culpable . . censure 7. Helga was so that she didn’t even make eye contact with us as we greeted her at her door. (A) garrulous (B) glacial (C) loquacious (D) rapacious (E) industrious 8. The other medical residents were tired of Dr. Bob’s ; every other word out of his mouth was an obsequious compliment to a high-ranking doctor or hospital official. (A) belligerence (B) eloquence (C) munificence (D) xenophobia (E) sycophancy 9. Tom’s ideas contrasted sharply with the conventional views held by the strongly ortho- dox community. (A) truculent (B) diligent (C) iconoclastic (D) scrupulous (E) candid 10. They expected the funeral to be a sedate and somber affair, but were shocked by the grieving husband’s (A) orthodoxy (B) mirth (C) irrelevance (D) simplicity (E) decorum HIT LIST CHAPTER 3 / BUILDING AN IMPRESSIVE VOCABULARY 151 Vocabulary Unit 6 Exercise Set II Write the meaning next to each root, then write as many words as you can that contain the root. 1. CANDERE________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 2. LEVIS____________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 3. JOCUS___________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 4. VERAX___________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 5. APO-______________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 6. EQUI_____________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 7. BUNKUM_________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 8. DICTARE_________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 9. FATIGARE________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 10. PARA-____________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 11. CRYPTO__________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 12. ORTHOS_________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 13. CURARE_________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 14. SURGERE________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 15. DOXA____________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 152 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT Vocabulary Unit 6 Exercise Set III 1. Is it honest to equivocate? Y N 2. Can a task be painstaking? Y N 3. Does a reprehensible person Y N deserve censure? 4. Is a dilettante very skilled and Y N experienced? 5. Does an iconoclast conform? Y N Write the word with the given meaning. 6. merriment m____________________ 7. vague n____________________ 8. honest f____________________ 9. hard work d____________________ 10. strong disapproval c____________________ 11. unclear a____________________ 12. to do what is expected c____________________ 13. to reprimand r____________________ 14. candid o____________________ 15. rebellious i____________________ 16. incomprehensible u____________________ 17. skilled poet b____________________ 18. insubordination s____________________ 19. clever remark w____________________ 20. doubtful d____________________ 21. barbaric b____________________ 22. overly submissive s____________________ 23. lie p____________________ 24. rudely disrespectful i____________________ 25. insult a____________________ Write the correct form of the italicized word. 26. a person who is culpable _____________________________________________ 27. having the quality of heresy _____________________________________________ 28. the quality of being diligent _____________________________________________ 29. having the qualities of an iconoclast _____________________________________________ 30. the act of castigating _____________________________________________ Write the word with the given root. 31. deserving blame (culpa) _____________________________________________ 32. deliberately ambiguous (vocare) _____________________________________________ 33. to punish (rate) _____________________________________________ 34. deep, insightful ( pro-) _____________________________________________ 35. done in a joking way ( jocus) _____________________________________________ 36. attentive to detail (metus) _____________________________________________ 37. truthfulness (verax) _____________________________________________ 38. untiring ( fatiga) _____________________________________________ 39. honesty (candere) _____________________________________________ 40. overly proud (haut) _____________________________________________ 41. of doubtful authenticity (apo-) _____________________________________________ CHAPTER 3 / BUILDING AN IMPRESSIVE VOCABULARY 153 Unit 6 Exercise Set I Answer Key 1. A Those used to his equivocation (failure to be straightforward) would be shocked by straightforwardness. forthright = honest, straightforward apocryphal = of doubtful authenticity esoteric = difficult to understand boorish = rude indefatigable = untiring 2. C Heidi had been assiduous (hard-working) and exemplary (worthy of imitation). Sudden indolence (laziness) would be surprising and puzzling, to say the least. insurrection = rebellion satire = mocking work of literature or drama enigma = puzzle indictment = accusation 3. A One who lacks a sophisticated appreciation of art is a dilettante. One who oversees a museum is a curator. curator = person in charge of a museum; dilettante = dabbler in the arts lampoon = satirical work; dabbler = amateur entrepreneur = businessman; amateur = novice fanatic = passionate supporter; nihilist = one who denies moral absolutes philanthropist = benefactor; ascetic = monk 4. A Something that lampoons (makes fun of) something is a satire, spoof, or parody. parody = a spoof that makes fun of something epic = a heroic poem anthology = a collection of works strategem = a deceitful scheme bard = a poet 5. E The queen is not used to being treated with effrontery (rude boldness). This implies that the villager’s behavior is probably rude and that such behavior would bother the queen. tenacious = intense; malapropism = incorrect use of a word crass = rude; witticism = funny remark jocular = joking; moratorium = rest, a break downtrodden = made submissive by constant harsh treatment; insult = rude remark insolent = rude; affront = insult 6. E The congresswoman is getting lambasted (harshly criticized) in the press. She feels that this criticism is unfair, so she must feel that she is not guilty. seditious = insubordinate; digression = aside guilty = blameworthy; candor = honesty veracious = truthful; prevarication = lies jocular = joking; castigation = punishment culpable = guilty; censure = criticism 7. B Helga did not make eye contact with her guests, a decidedly unfriendly thing to do. garrulous = friendly, talkative glacial = cold, unfriendly loquacious = talkative rapacious = ravenous industrious = hard-working 8. E The semicolon joins two clauses that support each other. Obsequious compliments are those that try to curry favor with others. He must be a flatterer. belligerence = inclination to picking fights eloquence = skill in speech munificence = generosity xenophobia = fear of foreigners sycophancy = excessive flattery 9. C Tom’s ideas contrasted sharply with the conventional (typical) views held by the strongly orthodox (traditional) community. He must be a nonconformist who eschews tradition. truculent = cruel diligent = hard-working iconoclastic = resistant to tradition scrupulous = ethical, meticulous candid = honest 10. B The fact that they are shocked implies that the funeral was not so sedate and somber. It must have been happier than they expected. orthodoxy = strict adherence to dogma mirth = merriment irrelevance = lack of importance decorum = appropriateness of behavior 154 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT 1. CANDERE: to shine candid, candor, incandescent, candle 2. LEVIS: light in weight levity, relieve, elevate, elevator, levitate, alleviate, oblivion 3. JOCUS: joke jocular, jocund, joker, jocose, juggler, joke 4. VERAX: true verisimilitude, veracity, verify, very 5. APO-: away apocalypse, aphorism, apostate, apoplexy, apostle, apothecary, apocryphal, apology 6. EQUI: equal equinox, equivalent, equa- nimity, equipotential, equal- ity, inequality, equitable, equator, equalize 7. BUNKUM: nonsense bunk, debunk 8. DICTARE: to declare dictate, indict, diction, dictum, dictionary 9. FATIGARE: tire indefatigable, fatigued 10. PARA-: beyond, beside paraphrase, parasite, para- medic, paranoia, parallel, paramount, paradigm 11. CRYPTO: secret cryptic, crypt, cryptogram, cryptography 12. ORTHOS: straight, strict orthography, orthodox, unorthodox, orthopedic, orthodontics, orthodoxy 13. CURARE: to take care of procure, curator, curate, pedicure, manicure 14. SURGERE: to rise resurrection, resurgent, insurgent, insurrection, surge 15. DOXA: opinion orthodox, paradox, heterodox Unit 6 Exercise Sets II and III Answer Key Exercise Set II Exercise Set III 1. N 2. Y 3. Y 4. N 5. N 6. mirth 7. nebulous 8. forthright 9. diligence 10. censure 11. ambiguous 12. conform 13. rebuke or reprove 14. outspoken 15. insurgent 16. unfathomable 17. bard 18. sedition 19. witticism 20. dubious 21. boorish 22. servile 23. prevaricate 24. insolent 25. affront 26. culprit 27. heretical 28. diligence 29. iconoclastic 30. castigation 31. culpable 32. equivocal 33. berate 34. profound 35. jocular 36. meticulous 37. veracity 38. indefatigable 39. candor 40. haughty 41. apocryphal CHAPTER 3 / BUILDING AN IMPRESSIVE VOCABULARY 155 Vocabulary Unit 7 Today’s roots: astrum star luna moon naus ship celum sky ❑ arid (adj) extremely dry (arere to be dry) Some regions of Africa have become so arid that entire lakes have evaporated. Synonyms: barren, parched Antonyms: fecund, fertile ❑ astral (adj) relating to the stars (astrum star) The supernova is perhaps the most dramatic of astral events. Synonyms: celestial, cosmic ❑ nautical (adj) pertaining to sailing (naus ship) The southern tip of Africa poses many nautical challenges to even the most adept and experienced sailor. Synonyms: marine, maritime ❑ lunar (adj) relating to the moon (luna moon) The lunar vehicle can traverse some of the rockiest and most forbidding terrain on the moon. ❑ fecund (adj) fertile; fruitful ( fecundus fruitful) Over the summer, our fecund vegetable garden provided us with an endless supply of wonderful salads. Synonyms: prolific, abundant Antonyms: barren, infertile, sterile ❑ fallow (adj) unused; plowed but not cultivated The fallow land would be replanted in two years, once all the nutrients had been restored. Synonyms: dormant, inactive, uncultivated ❑ cosmic (adj) relating to the universe (kosmos Gr universe, order) The enormous and unprecedented meteor shower was being hailed as the cosmic event of the century. Synonyms: astral, celestial, astronomical ❑ celestial (adj) relating to the sky (celum sky, heaven) Synonyms: heavenly, astral ❑ arable (adj) able to be cultivated (arare to plow) Synonyms: fertile, fruitful ❑ desiccated (adj) completely dried out Synonyms: arid, parched ❑ quagmire (n) swampy land; difficult situation (quag bog) Synonyms: marsh, swamp, bog ❑ bucolic (adj) characteristic of the countryside Synonyms: rustic, sylvan, rural, pastoral ❑ cultivate (v) to nurture; to grow crops (cultivus tilled) Synonyms: farm, till, sow Vocabulary Lesson 43: Earth, Moon, and Sky 156 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT Vocabulary Lesson 44: More or Less Today’s roots: facere to do plere to fill copia abundance macer thin ❑ paucity (adj) lack; scarcity (paucus few, little) I love good food, so I’m frustrated by the paucity of good restaurants in town. Synonyms: dearth, scantiness Antonyms: abundance, plenitude, copiousness ❑ surfeit (n) an excessive amount (sur- over + facere to do) The surfeit of food on the table for Thanksgiving dinner left us all with bulging stomachs. Synonyms: glut, plethora, overabundance Antonyms: deficiency, dearth, paucity ❑ copious (adj) abundant (copia abundance) The copious mistakes in Robert’s final paper showed his lack of effort. Synonyms: ample, bountiful Antonyms: scanty, sparse, deficient ❑ barren (adj) infertile The barren land was so devoid of life that it was difficult to find even a weed. Synonyms: sterile, desolate Antonyms: fecund, fertile ❑ capacious (adj) having lots of room (capax able to hold a lot) The capacious auditorium had enough seats for all 5,000 students with room to spare. Synonyms: spacious, voluminous Antonyms: exiguous, scanty ❑ scanty (adj) meager; barely enough The scanty portions the soldiers received left them hungry and weak. Synonyms: inadequate, meager, deficient Antonyms: sufficient, adequate ❑ replete (adj) completely filled (re- again + plere to fill) The old storage facility was replete with decrepit furniture that had far outlived its usefulness. Synonyms: crammed, stuffed Antonyms: vacant, barren ❑ sparse (adj) thinly dispersed or scattered (sparsus scattered) Synonyms: scant, scanty, paltry ❑ voluminous (adj) having great size (volumen roll of writing) Synonyms: cavernous, capacious, plentiful ❑ desolate (adj) deserted (de- completely + solus alone) Synonyms: uninhabited, barren ❑ diminutive (adj) tiny (de- completely + minuere to make small) Synonyms: undersized, miniature ❑ meager (adj) inadequate (macer thin) Synonyms: measly, paltry ❑ rarefy (v) to make less dense or less plentiful (rarus rare + facere to make) ❑ rife (adj) plentiful Synonyms: abundant, rampant, widespread CHAPTER 3 / BUILDING AN IMPRESSIVE VOCABULARY 157 Vocabulary Lesson 45: Tough Times Today’s roots: logia speaking dolus grief epi- over emia blood ❑ tribulation (n) a cause of great trouble or suffering (tribulare oppress) Being a pop star is not as glamorous as it seems; it often involves many unforeseen tribulations. Synonyms: adversity, travail, woe, anguish ❑ despondent (adj) lacking hope (de- without + sperare hope) With their team trailing by ten runs in the ninth inning, the fans became despondent. Synonyms: dejected, depressed, disheartened, desperate Antonyms: ecstatic, elated, euphoric ❑ doleful (adj) filled with grief (dolus grief + -ful full of) The funeral for the child was a doleful affair; it is always so sad to see someone die at such a young age. Synonyms: crestfallen, depressed, woeful Antonyms: ecstatic, elated, euphoric ❑ anemic (adj) feeble; characterized by oxygen deficiency in the blood (a- without + emia blood) Our offense was so anemic that we didn’t hit the ball out of the infield the whole game. Synonyms: pallid, weak, feeble Antonyms: robust, vigorous, hale ❑ malady (n) a disease (mal bad) The flu is a common malady that strikes millions of people each year. Synonyms: affliction, ailment, disorder ❑ anguish (n) extreme suffering The anguish Walter felt when his dog died was unbearable; he could hardly stop crying for a week. Synonyms: agony, grief, misery Antonyms: ecstasy, elation, euphoria ❑ dirge (n) a funeral song You may think all dirges are depressing until you’ve been to a New Orleans jazz funeral. Synonyms: requiem, elegy ❑ blight (n) a diseased condition Synonyms: curse, affliction ❑ affliction (n) a disorder causing suffering (ad- to + fligere to strike) Synonyms: adversity, hardship ❑ elegy (n) a poem or song relating to death (legos Gr poem of lament) Synonyms: dirge, requiem ❑ epitaph (n) an inscription found on a gravestone (epi- Gr over + taphos tomb) ❑ doldrums (n) the blues; persistent unhappiness (dolus grief) Synonyms: depression, melancholy ❑ adversity (n) hardship He fought back from adversity to win the title. Synonym: affliction 158 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT Vocabulary Lesson 46: Good Learnin’ Today’s roots: arkhaios ancient demos people logos study, word, speech genea descent ❑ etymology (n) the study of the origin of words (etymon Gr true sense + logos word) A good understanding of etymology can help you succeed on the SAT I. ❑ archaeology (n) the study of past cultures (arkhaios Gr ancient + logia study) There are many fascinating archaeological sites right in the center of Athens. ❑ anthropology (n) the study of human cultures (anthros humankind + logia study) Anthropologists are fascinated by the similarities between tribal rituals and modern social conventions. ❑ ethics (n) the study of and philosophy of moral choice (ethos character) The more deeply one studies ethics, the less one is able to think in terms of moral absolutes. ❑ semantics (n) the study of the meanings of words and symbols (sema sign) It’s amazing that the noun pedestrian and the adjective pedestrian can be so different semantically. ❑ theology (n) the study of religion (theos god + logia study) While in Catholic school, we had many theological discussions about the role of God in daily life. ❑ pathology (n) the study of disease (pathos suffering + logia study) The tissue sample was sent to the pathology lab to determine if there was any disease in the liver. ❑ sociology (n) the study of human social behavior and social institutions (socius fellow + logia study) I was amazed to learn in sociology class that mandatory schooling until age sixteen is a fairly recent practice. ❑ entomology (n) the study of insects (entomon insect + logia study) Anna spends so much time burrowing in the yard that she may know more about bugs than most entomologists. ❑ genealogy (n) the study of ancestry (genea descent + logia study) Sarah was so fascinated by genealogy that she compiled a three-volume guide to her family ancestry. ❑ demographics (n) the study of statistics relating to human populations (demos people + graphein to write) The demographics reveal that Democratic candidates typically perform better in urban areas than in rural areas. ❑ oncology (n) the study of tumors (onco tumor + logia study) When my doctor discovered a tumor near my kidney, he referred me to the best oncologist on the staff. ❑ paleontology (n) the study of fossils and ancient life (palai long ago + logia study) I like to dig in my backyard and pretend I’m a paleontologist making an important fossil discovery. ❑ neurology (n) the study of the human brain and nervous system (neuron Gr nerve) I love studying the brain, but I don’t want to cut it up; I think I prefer neurology to neurosurgery. CHAPTER 3 / BUILDING AN IMPRESSIVE VOCABULARY 159 Vocabulary Lesson 47: All Alone Today’s roots: claudere to close solus alone insula island se- apart ❑ hermit (n) one who prefers to live alone (ermita Gr a person of solitude) The hermit lived alone in a shack in the middle of the woods, more than ten miles from the nearest road. Synonyms: recluse, loner, eremite Antonyms: socialite, extrovert ❑ ostracize (v) to exclude from a group Her comments to the others were so self-centered and cruel that she was ostracized for months. Synonyms: exile, banish Antonyms: welcome, accept ❑ exile (n) a banishment (ex- away) After the dictator was overthrown, he lived a life of exile far away from his native country. Synonyms: banishment, ostracism, deportation, expulsion Antonyms: inclusion, welcome ❑ expel (v) to force to leave (ex- away + pellere to push) The student who slashed the bus tires was expelled and won’t be seen back here again. Synonyms: discharge, evict Antonyms: invite, admit ❑ recluse (n) one who likes to live alone (re- away + claudere to close) In To Kill a Mockingbird, the recluse Boo Radley is endlessly fascinating to Scout. Synonyms: hermit, loner ❑ isolate (v) to place something apart from everything else (insula island) The patient with tuberculosis was isolated from the other patients so he could not infect them. Synonyms: detach, segregate Antonyms: include, embrace ❑ solitude (n) isolation; the quality of being alone (solus alone) Before the two cosmonauts joined him, the lone astronaut on the space station had spent five months in solitude. Synonyms: seclusion, solitariness, detachment Antonyms: camaraderie, companionship ❑ banish (v) to force to leave an area Synonyms: exile, ostracize, evict ❑ outcast (n) an individual who has been excluded from a group Synonyms: castaway, pariah ❑ seclusion (n) privacy (se- apart + claudere to close) Synonyms: isolation, solitude ❑ pariah (n) an individual who has been excluded from a group Synonyms: outcast, exile ❑ relegate (v) to banish, to demote in rank (re- back + legare to send) Synonyms: ostracize, exile ❑ quarantine (n) a period of isolation for someone infected with a contagion (quaranta forty [days]) . 150 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT Vocabulary Unit 6 Exercise Set I Time—8 minutes For each question, select the best answer. indefatigable 2. Heidi’s sudden indolence was to her col- leagues; until recently she had been an assidu- ous and exemplary employee. (A) an insurrection (B) a satire (C) an enigma (D) an indiscretion (E). DOXA____________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 152 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT Vocabulary Unit 6 Exercise Set III 1. Is it honest to equivocate? Y N 2. Can a task