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9. Wanting to make a good impression, he found himself in a _____________
about the right tie to wear to the business meeting.
a. prestige
b. redundancy
c. quandary
d. deficit
10. Because Mark needed to pass the exam, he made studying a _____________
over watching his favorite television show.
a. priority
b. conformity
c. perplexity
d. concept
11. Hoping to win a prize for the best costume, Tim dressed _____________
with bright red suspenders and a purple tie.
a. eminently
b. virtuously
c. conspicuously
d. obscurely
12. Muhammad fell asleep during the movie because it had a very
_____________ plot.
a. monotonous
b. torrid
c. ample
d. vital
13. To get the promotion she wanted, she _____________ that it was best to go
back to school to get her master’s degree as soon as she could.
a. supposed
b. surmised
c. presumed

a. mishap
b. attraction
c. reflex
d. duplicate
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19. The participants in the road rally agreed to _____________ near the village
commons at 5:00.
a. rendezvous
b. scatter
c. filibuster
d. disperse
20. Understanding the world economic conditions, the recent graduates spoke
_____________ about job prospects for the future.
a. warily
b. luxuriously
c. measurably
d. narrowly
Directions: For questions 21 through 45, choose the best definition for the word
in italics.
21. Aswad has such a caustic sense of humor that most people find his jokes
upsetting rather than humorous.
Caustic means
a. bitingly sarcastic.
b. relentlessly funny.
c. refreshingly honest.
d. original, cutting edge.
22. Sandra is truly an enigma; although she’s lived here for years and everyone
knows her, no one seems to know anything about who she is or where she

b. intended to instruct, moralizing.
c. to preach, moralize.
d. the process of instructing.
28. Unilateral means
a. to multiply.
b. understated.
c. literal.
d. one-sided.
29. Subordinate means
a. under someone else’s authority or control.
b. organized according to rank, hierarchical.
c. something ordinary or average, without distinction.
d. repeated frequently to aid memorization.
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30. Incisive means
a. insight.
b. worthy of consideration.
c. penetrating, biting in nature.
d. to act forcefully.
31. Intermittent means
a. badly handled.
b. occurring at intervals between two times or points.
c. greatly varied.
d. a number between one and ten.
32. Miscreant means
a. someone who is unconventional.
b. someone who lacks creativity.
c. a very naïve person.

a. war.
b. equality.
c. bitterness.
d. peace.
39. An edict is
a. a place to rest.
b. a place to stop.
c. the act of seeing or shining.
d. a formal proclamation or command.
40. A magnanimous person is
a. highly noble, generous.
b. extremely talkative.
c. given to wordy, rambling speech.
d. a wanderer, hobo.
41. To acquiesce is to
a. call attention to.
b. speak in a whisper.
c. mask the truth.
d. give in to, comply with another’s wishes.
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42. A pugnacious person is best described as
a. nosy.
b. combative.
c. talented.
d. ruthless.
43. Something that is erratic
a. moves at a constant, steady pace.
b. is properly ordered; appropriate, in its proper place.

53. A (hoard/horde) of angry parents attended the school board meeting and
demanded that the superintendent step down.
54. The documentary really (peaked/peeked/piqued) my interest in the Civil War.
55. With just a few hours to go before the big ceremony, Adele rushed around
(prescribing/proscribing) orders left and right.
56. Huang decided to (raise/raze) the stakes by increasing the reward.
57. Although Oscar’s story sounds (incredible/incredulous), I think he’s telling the
truth.
58. Jing-Mae gave her (ascent/assent) to the proposal, even though she did not
entirely agree with the plan.
59. This looks like a (decent/descent/dissent) restaurant; let’s eat here.
Directions: In questions 60 through 63, identify the correct synonym by looking
for word roots, prefixes, or suffixes. Choose the word that means the same or about
the same as the italicized word.
60. a partial report
a. identifiable
b. incomplete
c. visible
d. enhanced
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61. a substantial report
a. inconclusive
b. weighty
c. proven
d. alleged
62. corroborate the statement
a. confirm
b. negate

c. final
d. right
Directions: For questions 68 through 72, choose the word whose definition best
matches the description.
68. an innovative play that uses an experimental style
a. apropos
b. mélange
c. avant-garde
d. imbroglio
69. the complete works of Shakespeare
a. blasé
b. milieu
c. zeitgeist
d. oeuvre
70. a meeting at 7:00 at La Grange restaurant
a. par excellence
b. rendezvous
c. savoir faire
d. façade
71. “work like a dog,” “sleep like a baby,” and other such overused sayings
a. cliché
b. bourgeois
c. insouciant
d. gauche
72. an avid sports fan
a. gestalt
b. hiatus
c. mélange
d. aficionado
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