Freshmen vocabulary Chapter 5
1. allusion
 After I suggested that Monty have fruit for dessert instead
- noun
of chocolate cake, he responded, “Is that an allusion to my
weight?”
 Ray didn’t have the courage to come right out and ask
Lucy to marry him. Instead, he made only an allusion to
marriage by asking, “Wouldn’t it be easier if we had to fill
out just one tax return?”
a. a contact
b. a reference
c. an answer
2. altruistic
- adjective
 When an enemy approaches, ground squirrels show
altruistic behavior. They risk their own lives to give
alarm calls to nearby relatives.
 “I’m not often altruistic,” Brett admitted, “I usually put
my own welfare first.”
a. unselfish
b. cheerful
c. greedy
3. appease
- verb
 My sister was so outraged when I accidentally scratched
her favorite old Beatles record that nothing I could say or
do would appease her.
 Roger was furious when he saw me out with another guy,
but I quickly appeased him by explaining that the date”
was my cousin.
a. to annoy
b. to heal
c. to calm
4. arbitrary
- adjective
 Professor Miller’s students were angry that he graded
essays in an arbitrary way, rather than using clear-cut
standards.
 Parents should not enforce rules according to their moods.
Such arbitrary discipline only confused children.
a. steady
b. slow
c. impulsive
5. assail
- verb
 The storm assailed us with hail and heavy rain.
 The two candidates continuously assailed each other with
accusations of dishonesty.
a. to attack
b. to confuse
c. to support
6. banal
-adjective
 The film, with its overused expressions and unimaginative
plot, was the most banal I had ever seen.
 “Nice to see you” may be a banal comment, but what it
lacks in originality it makes up for in friendliness.
a. greedy
b. unoriginal
c. clever
7. euphemism
- noun
 Common euphemisms include “final resting place” (for
grave), “intoxicated” (for drunk), and “powder room” (for
toilet).
 The Central Intelligence Agency is on record as having
referred to assassination with the euphemism “change of
health.”
a. a harsh term
b. a term that doesn’t offend
c. a foreign term
8. mercenary
- adjective
 Ed is totally mercenary. His philosophy is, “Pay me
enough, and I’ll do anything.”
 The con man pretended to love the wealthy widow, but he
actually married her for mercenary reasons.
a. jealous
b. angry
c. greedy
9. syndrome
- noun
 Headaches are usually harmless, but as part of a
syndrome including fever and a stiff neck, they may be a
sign of a serious illness.
 Jet lag is a syndrome resulting from flying long distances;
it often includes exhaustion, headache, and loss of
appetite.
a. a group of symptoms
b. a cause
c. something required
10. taint
- verb
 The involvement of organized crime has tainted many
sports, including boxing and horse racing.
 The government scandal tainted the reputations of
everyone involved.
a. to benefit
b. to damage
c. to start
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
______________________ an indirect reference
______________________lacking originality; overused; commonplace
______________________motivated by financial gain; greedy
______________________to attack physically or verbally
______________________to calm, especially by giving in to the demands of
______________________to stain the honor of someone or something
______________________unselfishly concerned for the welfare of others
______________a group of symptoms typical of a particular disease or condition
__________a mild or vague term used as a substitute for one considered offensive
10. ______________________determined by personal judgment, not rule or reason
1. There have been people ________enough to sell their own children for the right price.
2. “Someone hasn’t shown me his report card,” my mother said, making an ________ to
my brother.
3. It takes an ________person to adopt a disabled child.
4. The mugger __________ed his victims with a baseball bat.
5. The local undertaker insists on using a ____________ for the chapel of his funeral
parlor. He calls it the “slumber room.”
6. The report that the halfback was addicted to drugs ________ed the team’s image.
7. The only thing that would _________________the dead boy’s parents was
imprisonment of the drunk driver who had killed him.
8. Abraham Lincoln is thought to have had Marfan’s ____________, a group of
symptoms which includes unusually long bones and abnormal blood circulation.
9. The judge’s harsh sentence was ___________. Rather than being based on past
similar cases, it was based on the judge’s opinion of the defendant.
10. “You’re special!” probably appears on thousands of greeting cards, but when
someone says it to you and mean it, it never seems ___________.
I don’t have much luck with women. The other night at a singles dance, I
encountered an attractive lady and asked her, “Excuse me, do you have the time?” (I
admit the question is a bit (1)______________, but I couldn’t think of anything more
clever.) She retorted, “Isn’t that kind of personal?” Another woman got really upset just
because I asked, “Haven’t we met before, at Weight Watchers?” Okay, so I was wrong.
I didn’t mean to make an (2) ___________________ to her size. Still, after that, nothing
I said would (3) ___________ her.
Women don’t appreciate how nice I am. First of all, I’m not particularly (4)
___________. For instance, I’ve never considered a woman’s wealth the most important
thing about her. It’s the second most important thing. And I would never (5) _________
a woman’s reputation by letting her be seen with me in a decent place. I’m so (6)
____________ that I once took care of a guy who was drunk by sending him home in a
cab. Instead of being grateful, his attractive date (who had been in the ladies’ room)
became irate and (7) ____________ed me with all sorts of accusations. How was I
supposed to know she was his wife?
When I ask women out, the often answer me with (8) _____________s such as “I
already have plans” or the curt “I’m busy.” What they really mean is “I’m busy making
plans to avoid you.” You’d think I suffer from some horrible, infectious (9)
___________.
Women’s behavior is totally (10) ____________. At least, I can’t see any reason
to it. Last night, for example, a woman was nice enough to treat to a Coke threw it in my
face. Thank goodness, she didn’t get any on my day-glo Mickey Mouse tie.