ADVANCING
VOCABULARY SKILLS
Fourth Edition
Sherrie L. Nist
© 2010 Townsend Press
Unit Four: Chapter 18
• auspicious
• rebuke
• expedite
• redeem
• extenuating
• subordinate
• fraudulent
• transgress
• innuendo
• vehement
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 auspicious
– adjective
• The beginning of the semester was auspicious for Liza; she got
an A on the first quiz and saw this as a promise of more good
grades to come.
• Jen and Robert’s marriage plans did not get off to an auspicious
start. They couldn’t agree on what kind of ceremony they wanted
or which guests to invite.
Auspicious means
A. deceptive.
B. indirect.
C. favorable.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 auspicious
– adjective
• The beginning of the semester was auspicious for Liza; she got
an A on the first quiz and saw this as a promise of more good
grades to come.
• Jen and Robert’s marriage plans did not get off to an auspicious
start. They couldn’t agree on what kind of ceremony they wanted
or which guests to invite.
Auspicious means
A. deceptive.
B. indirect.
C. favorable.
An A on the first quiz would be a favorable start. If Jen and Robert
couldn’t agree on the kind of ceremony or which guests to invite,
their plans did not get off to a favorable start.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 expedite
– verb
• Express lanes in supermarkets expedite the checkout process for
shoppers who buy only a few items.
• To expedite payment on an insurance claim, be sure to include
all the necessary information on the form before mailing it in.
Expedite means
A. to hurry up.
B. to reduce the cost of.
C. to delay.
High-speed trains expedite travel.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 expedite
– verb
• Express lanes in supermarkets expedite the checkout process for
shoppers who buy only a few items.
• To expedite payment on an insurance claim, be sure to include
all the necessary information on the form before mailing it in.
Expedite means
A. to hurry up.
B. to reduce the cost of.
C. to delay.
High-speed trains expedite travel.
An express lane would hurry up the
checkout process. If all the necessary
information is included on the
insurance claim form, it will hurry up
the payment process.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 extenuating
– adjective
• I know I promised to come to the surprise party, but there were
extenuating circumstances: my car broke down.
• When my father had a heart attack, I missed a final exam. Due to
the extenuating circumstances, the professor agreed to let me
take a makeup exam.
Extenuating means
A. providing a good excuse.
B. assigning blame.
C. encouraging.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 extenuating
– adjective
• I know I promised to come to the surprise party, but there were
extenuating circumstances: my car broke down.
• When my father had a heart attack, I missed a final exam. Due to
the extenuating circumstances, the professor agreed to let me
take a makeup exam.
Extenuating means
A. providing a good excuse.
B. assigning blame.
C. encouraging.
A broken-down car is a circumstance providing a good excuse for
not going to the party. The father’s heart attack is a circumstance
providing a good excuse for missing the final exam.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 fraudulent
– adjective
• Leroy was jailed for filing fraudulent income tax returns. He had
been cheating the government for years.
• The art dealer was involved in a fraudulent scheme to pass off
worthless forgeries as valuable old paintings.
Fraudulent means
A. inferior.
B. dishonest.
C. careless.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 fraudulent
– adjective
• Leroy was jailed for filing fraudulent income tax returns. He had
been cheating the government for years.
• The art dealer was involved in a fraudulent scheme to pass off
worthless forgeries as valuable old paintings.
Fraudulent means
A. inferior.
B. dishonest.
C. careless.
In the first item, the word cheating suggests that fraudulent means
“dishonest.” In the second item, if the art dealer is passing off forgeries
as valuable paintings, he is involved in a dishonest scheme.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 innuendo
– noun
• People weren’t willing to say directly that the mayor had taken a
bribe, but there were many innuendos such as “Someone must
have gotten to him.”
• When Neil said, “Emily’s home sick. Again,” he was using an
innuendo. He really meant that she was just taking another day off.
Innuendo means
A. a sharp scolding.
B. an obvious lie.
C. a suggestion.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 innuendo
– noun
• People weren’t willing to say directly that the mayor had taken a
bribe, but there were many innuendos such as “Someone must
have gotten to him.”
• When Neil said, “Emily’s home sick. Again,” he was using an
innuendo. He really meant that she was just taking another day off.
Innuendo means
A. a sharp scolding.
B. an obvious lie.
C. a suggestion.
Each item gives an example of a statement that uses a suggestion
to communicate what the speaker really means.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 rebuke
– verb
• When the puppy chews the furniture, don’t hit him; instead,
rebuke him in a harsh voice.
• Although my father scolded me many times in private, I’m
grateful that he never rebuked me in public.
Rebuke means
A. to criticize.
B. to make excuses for.
C. to hit.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 rebuke
– verb
• When the puppy chews the furniture, don’t hit him; instead,
rebuke him in a harsh voice.
• Although my father scolded me many times in private, I’m
grateful that he never rebuked me in public.
Rebuke means
A. to criticize.
B. to make excuses for.
C. to hit.
One should scold or criticize a puppy when it chews the furniture.
In the second item, the word scolded suggests that rebuke means
“to criticize.”
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 redeem
– verb
• Tuan’s parents were angry with him for neglecting his chores, but
he redeemed himself by washing and waxing their car.
• Cal was suspended from the basketball team because of his low
grades, but he redeemed himself the next semester by earning a
B average.
Redeem means
A. to reveal.
B. to make up for past errors.
C. to punish.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 redeem
– verb
• Tuan’s parents were angry with him for neglecting his chores, but
he redeemed himself by washing and waxing their car.
• Cal was suspended from the basketball team because of his low
grades, but he redeemed himself the next semester by earning a
B average.
Redeem means
A. to reveal.
B. to make up for past errors.
C. to punish.
Tuan makes up for his error of neglecting his chores by washing and
waxing the car. Cal makes up for his past error of low grades by
earning a B average.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 subordinate
– adjective
• As a waiter, I take orders from the headwaiter, and he’s
subordinate to the manager of the restaurant.
• The federal District Courts are lower than the United States Court
of Appeals, which in turn is subordinate to the Supreme Court.
Subordinate means
A. lower than.
B. a substitute for.
C. superior to.
Photo: US Navy
The captain of a ship saluting
subordinate members of the crew.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 subordinate
– adjective
• As a waiter, I take orders from the headwaiter, and he’s
subordinate to the manager of the restaurant.
• The federal District Courts are lower than the United States Court
of Appeals, which in turn is subordinate to the Supreme Court.
Subordinate means
A. lower than.
B. a substitute for.
C. superior to.
Photo: US Navy
The headwaiter is lower than the
manager of the restaurant. In the
second item, the words lower than
tell you the meaning to subordinate.
The captain of a ship saluting
subordinate members of the crew.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 transgress
– verb
• Adam transgressed by eating an apple Eve gave him; God
punished them both.
• Kianna knew she had transgressed against family wishes when
she sold the ring her grandmother had given her.
Transgress means
A. to benefit.
B. to tell a lie.
C. to commit an offense.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 transgress
– verb
• Adam transgressed by eating an apple Eve gave him; God
punished them both.
• Kianna knew she had transgressed against family wishes when
she sold the ring her grandmother had given her.
Transgress means
A. to benefit.
B. to tell a lie.
C. to commit an offense.
God punished Adam and Eve because they committed the offense
of eating the apple. By selling the ring her grandmother gave her,
Kianna committed an offense against her family’s wishes.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 vehement
– adjective
• I knew my parents would not be happy about my plan to take a year
off from school, but I didn’t expect their objections to be so
vehement.
• When Nell’s boyfriend angrily grabbed her, she responded with
vehement fury. Yelling “That’s the last time you’ll ever touch me!”
she walked out on him.
Vehement means
A. strong.
B. secret.
C. unjustified.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 vehement
– adjective
• I knew my parents would not be happy about my plan to take a year
off from school, but I didn’t expect their objections to be so
vehement.
• When Nell’s boyfriend angrily grabbed her, she responded with
vehement fury. Yelling “That’s the last time you’ll ever touch me!”
she walked out on him.
Vehement means
A. strong.
B. secret.
C. unjustified.
In the first item, the parents have strong objections to the plan of
taking a year off. In the second item, Nell’s statement and action
show that her fury was strong.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. auspicious
B. expedite
C. extenuating
D. fraudulent
E. innuendo
F. rebuke
G. redeem
H. subordinate
I. transgress
J. vehement
1. The company president is __________ only to the board of
directors. She takes orders from the board, and only the
board can fire her.
2. When young children __________, they may lie to cover
up their misdeeds.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. auspicious
B. expedite
C. extenuating
D. fraudulent
E. innuendo
F. rebuke
G. redeem
H. subordinate
I. transgress
J. vehement
1. The company president is __________
subordinate only to the board of
directors. She takes orders from the board, and only the
board can fire her.
If the board can fire her, she is below the board in power.
2. When young children __________,
transgress they may lie to cover
up their misdeeds.
The word misdeeds suggests that transgress is needed in this sentence.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. auspicious
B. expedite
C. extenuating
D. fraudulent
E. innuendo
F. rebuke
G. redeem
H. subordinate
I. transgress
J. vehement
3. If you get a phone call announcing that you’ve won a free
car or free trip in some contest you’ve never heard of, watch
out. It’s probably __________.
4. To __________ the registration process, fill out all the
forms before you get in line.
5. After showing up late for the fund-raising dinner and then
falling asleep during the speeches, the politician tried to
__________ himself with a public apology.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. auspicious
B. expedite
C. extenuating
D. fraudulent
E. innuendo
F. rebuke
G. redeem
H. subordinate
I. transgress
J. vehement
3. If you get a phone call announcing that you’ve won a free
car or free trip in some contest you’ve never heard of, watch
out. It’s probably __________.
fraudulent
Such phone calls are likely to be dishonest and intended to deceive.
4. To __________
expedite the registration process, fill out all the
forms before you get in line.
Filling out the forms beforehand would speed up the registration process.
5. After showing up late for the fund-raising dinner and then
falling asleep during the speeches, the politician tried to
__________
redeem himself with a public apology.
A public apology would be a way for the politician to make amends.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. auspicious
B. expedite
C. extenuating
D. fraudulent
E. innuendo
F. rebuke
G. redeem
H. subordinate
I. transgress
J. vehement
6. According to tradition, it’s __________ if March “comes in
like a lion” with stormy weather, because it will then “go out
like a lamb.”
7. Edna was __________ in her opposition to the proposed
budget cuts. She let everyone in the department know
just how strongly she felt.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. auspicious
B. expedite
C. extenuating
D. fraudulent
E. innuendo
F. rebuke
G. redeem
H. subordinate
I. transgress
J. vehement
6. According to tradition, it’s __________
auspicious if March “comes in
like a lion” with stormy weather, because it will then “go out
like a lamb.”
Bad weather at the beginning of March is a good sign.
7. Edna was __________
vehement in her opposition to the proposed
budget cuts. She let everyone in the department know
just how strongly she felt.
If Edna felt strongly, she would be forceful in her opposition.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. auspicious
B. expedite
C. extenuating
D. fraudulent
E. innuendo
F. rebuke
G. redeem
H. subordinate
I. transgress
J. vehement
8. Later, Edna’s supervisor _______(e)d her, saying, “No one
asked for your opinion about the budget, so just get on
with your work.”
9. The friendly weekly poker game grew less friendly when Travis
said, “Isn’t it amazing that, week after week, Bill always
wins?” The _________, of course, was that Bill was cheating.
10. “Yes, my client robbed the bank,” the lawyer said, “but there
were __________ circumstances. She didn’t have time to
wait in line to make a withdrawal.”
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. auspicious
B. expedite
C. extenuating
D. fraudulent
E. innuendo
F. rebuke
G. redeem
H. subordinate
I. transgress
J. vehement
8. Later, Edna’s supervisor __________
rebuked her, saying, “No one
asked for your opinion about the budget, so just get on
with your work.”
The supervisor’s comment expresses disapproval.
9. The friendly weekly poker game grew less friendly when Travis
said, “Isn’t it amazing that, week after week, Bill always
wins?” The _________,
innuendo of course, was that Bill was cheating.
Travis’s insinuation is that Bill was cheating.
10. “Yes, my client robbed the bank,” the lawyer said, “but there
were __________
extenuating circumstances. She didn’t have time to
wait in line to make a withdrawal.”
The lawyer claims that not having time to wait in line provides the client
with a good excuse for robbing the bank.