ADVANCING
VOCABULARY SKILLS
Fourth Edition
Sherrie L. Nist
© 2010 Townsend Press
Unit Two: Chapter 11
• clandestine
• indigenous
• contingency
• liability
• egocentric
• prolific
• exonerate
• reinstate
• incongruous
• superfluous
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 clandestine
– adjective
• In a clandestine meeting in an alley, Steve sold his employer’s
valuable anti-aging formula to a competitor.
• The famous “Underground Railroad” was not an actual railroad;
it was a clandestine network that took escaped slaves to safety in
the years before the Civil War.
Clandestine means
A. popular.
B. unnecessary.
C. secret.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 clandestine
– adjective
• In a clandestine meeting in an alley, Steve sold his employer’s
valuable anti-aging formula to a competitor.
• The famous “Underground Railroad” was not an actual railroad;
it was a clandestine network that took escaped slaves to safety in
the years before the Civil War.
Clandestine means
A. popular.
B. unnecessary.
C. secret.
Steve would sell the formula to a competitor in a secret meeting in an
alley. In the years before the Civil War, escaped slaves were taken to
safety by means of a secret network.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 contingency
– noun
• Faye thought her company might transfer her to another city.
With that contingency in mind, she decided to rent a house rather
than buy one.
• We believe in providing for every contingency. We have a list of
emergency phone numbers, a first-aid kit, and a box of candles in
case of a power failure.
Contingency means
A. a possibility.
B. an advantage.
C. a desire.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 contingency
– noun
• Faye thought her company might transfer her to another city.
With that contingency in mind, she decided to rent a house rather
than buy one.
• We believe in providing for every contingency. We have a list of
emergency phone numbers, a first-aid kit, and a box of candles in
case of a power failure.
Contingency means
A. a possibility.
B. an advantage.
C. a desire.
If Faye decided to rent rather than buy a house, she must think there
is a possibility her company will transfer her. In the second item,
emergency phone numbers, a first aid kit, and a box of candles
suggest they are prepared for every possibility of emergency.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 egocentric
– adjective
• Denise is completely egocentric. Whatever event takes place, she
thinks only of how it will affect her personally.
• “We’ve talked enough about me,” said the egocentric author to a
friend. “Now let’s talk about you. What do you think of my new
book?”
Egocentric means
A. selfish.
B. considerate.
C. self-educated.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 egocentric
– adjective
• Denise is completely egocentric. Whatever event takes place, she
thinks only of how it will affect her personally.
• “We’ve talked enough about me,” said the egocentric author to a
friend. “Now let’s talk about you. What do you think of my new
book?”
Egocentric means
A. selfish.
B. considerate.
C. self-educated.
If Denise thinks only how every event will affect her personally,
she is completely selfish. Since the author’s idea of talking about
his friend is finding out what the friend thinks of his new book,
the author is selfish.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 exonerate
– verb
• Saul was suspected of shoplifting, but he was exonerated when the
hidden camera’s photos clearly showed another man taking
handfuls of DVDs from a rack and stuffing them into his backpack.
• Politicians accused of illegal activities always seem to say the same
thing: that they’ll be exonerated when all the facts are known.
Exonerate means
A. to be harmed.
B. to be found guilty.
C. to be found not guilty.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 exonerate
– verb
• Saul was suspected of shoplifting, but he was exonerated when the
hidden camera’s photos clearly showed another man taking
handfuls of DVDs from a rack and stuffing them into his backpack.
• Politicians accused of illegal activities always seem to say the same
thing: that they’ll be exonerated when all the facts are known.
Exonerate means
A. to be harmed.
B. to be found guilty.
C. to be found not guilty.
Since the photos show someone else stealing the DVDs, Saul was
found not guilty. Politicians accused of illegal activities always say
they will be found not guilty.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 incongruous
– adjective
• The cuckoo lays eggs in other birds’ nests. This practice can
result in the incongruous sight of one large cuckoo chick among
several tiny baby robins.
• It wasn’t really incongruous for a former general to join the
peace movement. He had seen the horrors of war.
Incongruous means
A. contradictory.
B. unnecessary.
C. not noticeable.
An incongruous pair of soldiers
Photo: Phil Williams
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 incongruous
– adjective
• The cuckoo lays eggs in other birds’ nests. This practice can
result in the incongruous sight of one large cuckoo chick among
several tiny baby robins.
• It wasn’t really incongruous for a former general to join the
peace movement. He had seen the horrors of war.
Incongruous means
A. contradictory.
B. unnecessary.
C. not noticeable.
An incongruous pair of soldiers
Photo: Phil Williams
A large cuckoo chick among several tiny
baby robins would be a contradictory sight.
It would seem contradictory for a former
general to join a peace movement—until
one thinks about the horrors of war he
must have witnessed.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 indigenous
– adjective
• Kangaroos are indigenous only to Australia. They have never
been found living anywhere else in the world.
• Corn was not indigenous to Europe, so Europeans had never
seen or heard of it until their explorers first reached the New
World and found it growing there.
Indigenous means
A. important.
B. native.
C. welcomed.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 indigenous
– adjective
• Kangaroos are indigenous only to Australia. They have never
been found living anywhere else in the world.
• Corn was not indigenous to Europe, so Europeans had never
seen or heard of it until their explorers first reached the New
World and found it growing there.
Indigenous means
A. important.
B. native.
C. welcomed.
Since kangaroos have never been found living anywhere but in
Australia, they must be native to Australia. Since Europeans had
never seen or heard of corn until their explorers found it in the
New World, corn must not have been native to Europe.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 liability
– noun
• My shyness with strangers would be a liability in any job that
involved meeting the public, such as sales.
• When Juanita returned to school at age 40, she was afraid her age
would be a liability. Instead, she found that it gave her an
advantage over younger students.
Liability means
A. an asset.
B. a handicap.
C. a necessity.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 liability
– noun
• My shyness with strangers would be a liability in any job that
involved meeting the public, such as sales.
• When Juanita returned to school at age 40, she was afraid her age
would be a liability. Instead, she found that it gave her an
advantage over younger students.
Liability means
A. an asset.
B. a handicap.
C. a necessity.
Shyness with strangers would be a handicap in a job such as sales. In
the second item, the word advantage suggests that liability means the
opposite—“a handicap.”
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 prolific
– adjective
• Rabbits deserve their reputation for being prolific. A female
rabbit can produce three families each summer.
• Haydn was a prolific composer. He wrote, among many other
musical works, 104 symphonies.
Prolific means
A. creating abundantly.
B. working secretly.
C. important.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 prolific
– adjective
• Rabbits deserve their reputation for being prolific. A female
rabbit can produce three families each summer.
• Haydn was a prolific composer. He wrote, among many other
musical works, 104 symphonies.
Prolific means
A. creating abundantly.
B. working secretly.
C. important.
Because female rabbits can produce three families each summer,
rabbits have a reputation for creating abundantly. A composer
who wrote 104 symphonies plus other works is someone who
created abundantly.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 reinstate
– verb
• Michiko left work for a year to stay home with her new baby.
When she returned, she was relieved and happy to be reinstated
in her former job.
• The college had canceled the course in folklore, but the demand
was so great that the class had to be reinstated.
Reinstate means
A. to recognize.
B. to appreciate.
C. to put back.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 reinstate
– verb
• Michiko left work for a year to stay home with her new baby.
When she returned, she was relieved and happy to be reinstated
in her former job.
• The college had canceled the course in folklore, but the demand
was so great that the class had to be reinstated.
Reinstate means
A. to recognize.
B. to appreciate.
C. to put back.
Michiko would be relieved and happy to be put back in her former
job when she returned to work. If the demand for the folklore
course was great, the canceled course would have to be put back.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 superfluous
– adjective
• In the phrase “rich millionaire,” the word rich is superfluous. All
millionaires are rich.
• Lately, business at the store has been so slow that the three clerks
have almost nothing to do. Two of them seem superfluous.
Superfluous means
A. unnecessary.
B. ordinary.
C. required.
“I had seventeen vice-presidents, but I realized
they were superfluous. So I restructured the
company and now it’s just me.”
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 superfluous
– adjective
• In the phrase “rich millionaire,” the word rich is superfluous. All
millionaires are rich.
• Lately, business at the store has been so slow that the three clerks
have almost nothing to do. Two of them seem superfluous.
Superfluous means
A. unnecessary.
B. ordinary.
C. required.
“I had seventeen vice-presidents, but I realized
they were superfluous. So I restructured the
company and now it’s just me.”
Since all millionaires are rich, it is
unnecessary to say they are “rich
millionaires.” Since the three clerks
have almost nothing to do, two of
them would seem unnecessary.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. clandestine
B. contingency C. egocentric D. exonerate
E. incongruous
F. indigenous
G. liability
J. superfluous
H. prolific
I. reinstate
1. Agnes is only five feet tall, but her boyfriend is six-footfour. They make a(n) _______-looking couple.
2. Sharon and Eli have _______(e)d a Jewish family
tradition they hadn’t observed for years: lighting candles
on the Sabbath.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. clandestine
B. contingency C. egocentric D. exonerate
E. incongruous
F. indigenous
G. liability
J. superfluous
H. prolific
I. reinstate
1. Agnes is only five feet tall, but her boyfriend is six-footfour. They make an __________-looking
couple.
incongruous
Agnes and her boyfriend are such different heights that they would
look out of place together.
2. Sharon and Eli have __________
reinstated a Jewish family
tradition they hadn’t observed for years: lighting candles
on the Sabbath.
Since Sharon and Eli hadn’t observed the tradition for years, they
brought it back into use.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. clandestine
B. contingency C. egocentric D. exonerate
E. incongruous
F. indigenous
G. liability
J. superfluous
H. prolific
I. reinstate
3. Bad handwriting isn’t a serious __________ in an age of
computers.
4. Gardens in the desert usually feature __________ plants,
such as cactus. Native plants thrive in dry heat and need
little watering.
5. Although our city has never been struck by an earthquake, it
has emergency plans for just such a __________.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. clandestine
B. contingency C. egocentric D. exonerate
E. incongruous
F. indigenous
G. liability
J. superfluous
H. prolific
I. reinstate
3. Bad handwriting isn’t a serious __________
liability in an age of
computers.
Because it is so common to use a computer for written communication,
bad handwriting isn’t a serious drawback.
4. Gardens in the desert usually feature __________
indigenous plants,
such as cactus. Native plants thrive in dry heat and need
little watering.
Native plants and indigenous plants are the same thing.
5. Although our city has never been struck by an earthquake, it
has emergency plans for just such a __________.
contingency
The city would have emergency plans for a possible future event such
as an earthquake.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. clandestine
B. contingency C. egocentric D. exonerate
E. incongruous
F. indigenous
G. liability
J. superfluous
H. prolific
I. reinstate
6. Two students were blamed for starting the fire in the
physics lab, but they were _______(e)d when it was
found that the cause was faulty electrical equipment.
7. Flies are amazingly ________. Within a five-month breeding
period, one female can produce thousands of offspring.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. clandestine
B. contingency C. egocentric D. exonerate
E. incongruous
F. indigenous
G. liability
J. superfluous
H. prolific
I. reinstate
6. Two students were blamed for starting the fire in the
physics lab, but they were ___________
exonerated when it was
found that the cause was faulty electrical equipment.
If faulty equipment caused the fire, the two would be cleared of blame.
7. Flies are amazingly ________.
prolific Within a five-month breeding
period, one female can produce thousands of offspring.
“Producing many offspring” is one of the definitions of prolific.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. clandestine
B. contingency C. egocentric D. exonerate
E. incongruous
F. indigenous
G. liability
J. superfluous
H. prolific
I. reinstate
8. Because a submarine is able to hide under water, it can be
very useful in __________ operations.
9. “Your writing is too wordy,” the teacher had written on my
paper. “Eliminate all those __________ words and phrases.”
10. Nancy is so __________ that when I told her my car had
been stolen, her only reaction was, “Does this mean you
can’t drive me to work tomorrow?”
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. clandestine
B. contingency C. egocentric D. exonerate
E. incongruous
F. indigenous
G. liability
J. superfluous
H. prolific
I. reinstate
8. Because a submarine is able to hide under water, it can be
very useful in __________
clandestine operations.
Being able to hide under water makes a sub useful for secret operations.
9. “Your writing is too wordy,” the teacher had written on my
paper. “Eliminate all those __________
superfluous words and phrases.”
If the writing is too wordy, it must have extra words in it.
10. Nancy is so __________
egocentric that when I told her my car had
been stolen, her only reaction was, “Does this mean you
can’t drive me to work tomorrow?”
Nancy’s reaction shows that she is self-centered.