ADVANCING
VOCABULARY SKILLS
Fourth Edition
Sherrie L. Nist
© 2010 Townsend Press
Unit Three: Chapter 15
• connoisseur
• lucid
• conspiracy
• plight
• contrite
• superficially
• distraught
• symmetrical
• germane
• verbose
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 connoisseur
– noun
• My sister is a connoisseur of Southern novels. She’s read dozens of
them, and she knows all about the authors and their different styles.
• Curtis has broad knowledge of French wines—where they are made,
when they are at their best, and exactly how each one tastes. He’s a
true connoisseur.
Connoisseur means
A. a doubter.
B. an authority.
C. a leader.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 connoisseur
– noun
• My sister is a connoisseur of Southern novels. She’s read dozens of
them, and she knows all about the authors and their different styles.
• Curtis has broad knowledge of French wines—where they are made,
when they are at their best, and exactly how each one tastes. He’s a
true connoisseur.
Connoisseur means
A. a doubter.
B. an authority.
C. a leader.
If the sister has read dozens of the novels and knows all about the
authors and their different styles, she is an authority on Southern
novels. Curtis’s broad knowledge of French wines shows that he is
an authority on French wines.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 conspiracy
– noun
• The conspiracy to overthrow the government was started by two
of the premier’s own advisors.
• Although only Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the
assassination of President Kennedy, many believe there was a
conspiracy to kill the president.
Conspiracy means
A. a plot.
B. an idea.
C. an announcement.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 conspiracy
– noun
• The conspiracy to overthrow the government was started by two
of the premier’s own advisors.
• Although only Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the
assassination of President Kennedy, many believe there was a
conspiracy to kill the president.
Conspiracy means
A. a plot.
B. an idea.
C. an announcement.
People who wanted to overthrow the government would develop a
secret plot. Many believe that there were people who worked with
Lee Harvey Oswald on a secret plot to kill President Kennedy.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 contrite
– adjective
• Dolores was especially contrite about tearing her sister’s dress
because she’d borrowed it without permission.
• Judges are often more lenient with offenders who truly regret
their crimes. A criminal who seems genuinely contrite may get a
shorter sentence.
Contrite means
A. angry.
B. confused.
C. sorry.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 contrite
– adjective
• Dolores was especially contrite about tearing her sister’s dress
because she’d borrowed it without permission.
• Judges are often more lenient with offenders who truly regret
their crimes. A criminal who seems genuinely contrite may get a
shorter sentence.
Contrite means
A. angry.
B. confused.
C. sorry.
Not having her sister’s permission to borrow the dress would make
Dolores especially sorry when she damaged it. In the second item,
the word regret suggests that contrite means “sorry.”
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 distraught
– adjective
• The parents of the little girl who wandered off in the crowded mall
were distraught until she was found.
• As the snowstorm got worse and worse and his wife still hadn’t
arrived home from work, Jeff became increasingly distraught.
Distraught means
A. upset.
B. busy.
C. forgetful.
Photo: US Navy
The distraught victim of a tsunami
being treated for injuries
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 distraught
– adjective
– adjective
• The parents of the little girl who wandered off in the crowded mall
were distraught until she was found.
• As the snowstorm got worse and worse and his wife still hadn’t
arrived home from work, Jeff became increasingly distraught.
Distraught means
A. upset.
B. busy.
C. forgetful.
Photo: US Navy
The distraught victim of a tsunami
being treated for injuries
If the little girl was missing in a
crowded mall, her parents would be
upset. If the storm is getting worse
and Jeff’s wife has not gotten home,
Jeff would be upset.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 germane
– adjective
• Stacy went to the law library to look up information that might be
germane to her client’s case.
• It bothered Christine when her new boss asked if she had a
boyfriend. That information certainly wasn’t germane to her
work.
Germane means
A. damaging.
B. related.
C. foreign.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 germane
– adjective
• Stacy went to the law library to look up information that might be
germane to her client’s case.
• It bothered Christine when her new boss asked if she had a
boyfriend. That information certainly wasn’t germane to her
work.
Germane means
A. damaging.
B. related.
C. foreign.
Stacy would want to look up information related to her client’s case.
Whether or not Christine had a boyfriend was not related to her work—
and was none of her new boss’s business.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 lucid
– adjective
• I usually find computer manuals horribly unclear, but this one is
lucid.
• The scientist’s explanation of global warming was so lucid that
the entire audience was able to grasp it.
Lucid means
A. easy to understand.
B. repetitious.
C. fair to both sides.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 lucid
– adjective
– adjective
• I usually find computer manuals horribly unclear, but this one is
lucid.
• The scientist’s explanation of global warming was so lucid that
the entire audience was able to grasp it.
Lucid means
A. easy to understand.
B. repetitious.
C. fair to both sides.
In contrast with computer manuals that are horribly unclear, this
one is easy to understand. Since the entire audience was able to
grasp the scientist’s explanation of global warming, it must have
been easy to understand.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 plight
– noun
• The plight of the homeless can be somewhat relieved by decent
shelters.
• There were reports of a cave-in at the mine, but it was too soon to
know much about the plight of the trapped miners.
Plight means
A. a delayed situation.
B. an unlikely situation.
C. an unfortunate situation.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 plight
– noun
• The plight of the homeless can be somewhat relieved by decent
shelters.
• There were reports of a cave-in at the mine, but it was too soon to
know much about the plight of the trapped miners.
Plight means
A. a delayed situation.
B. an unlikely situation.
C. an unfortunate situation.
The homeless are in an unfortunate situation. Miners trapped by a
cave-in are in an unfortunate situation.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 superficially
– adverb
• Nina spent a full week studying for the exam. Joyce, however,
reviewed superficially, flipping through the pages of her
textbook an hour before the test.
• This morning, the mechanic was short of time and inspected my
car only superficially. He said he’s check it thoroughly later and
then give me an estimate.
Superficially means
A. thoroughly.
B. slightly.
C. daily.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 superficially
– adverb
• Nina spent a full week studying for the exam. Joyce, however,
reviewed superficially, flipping through the pages of her
textbook an hour before the test.
• This morning, the mechanic was short of time and inspected my
car only superficially. He said he’s check it thoroughly later and
then give me an estimate.
Superficially means
A. thoroughly.
B. slightly.
C. daily.
Flipping through the pages of the textbook an hour before the test is
reviewing only slightly for the exam. In contrast with checking the car
thoroughly when he had time, he checked it only slightly when he was
short of time.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 symmetrical
– adjective
• The children’s sandcastle was symmetrical, with a wall on each
side and a tower and flag at each end.
• No one’s face is perfectly symmetrical. For example, one eye is
usually slightly higher than the other, and the left and right sides
of the mouth differ.
Symmetrical means
A. unique.
B. beautiful.
C. balanced.
A symmetrical building
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 symmetrical
– adjective
• The children’s sandcastle was symmetrical, with a wall on each
side and a tower and flag at each end.
• No one’s face is perfectly symmetrical. For example, one eye is
usually slightly higher than the other, and the left and right sides
of the mouth differ.
Symmetrical means
A. unique.
B. beautiful.
C. balanced.
A symmetrical building
A wall on each side and a tower and flag on
each end would make the sandcastle look
balanced. If one eye is higher than the other
and the left and right sides of the mouth
differ, the face is not perfectly balanced.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 verbose
– adjective
• The verbose senator said, “At this point in time, we have an
urgent and important need for more monetary funds to declare
unconditional war on drugs and combat this evil and harmful
situation.” The reporter wrote, “The senator said we urgently
need more money to fight drugs.”
• Gabe is the most verbose person I know. He always uses ten
words when one would do.
Verbose means
A. loud.
B. wordy.
C. self-important.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 verbose
– adjective
• The verbose senator said, “At this point in time, we have an
urgent and important need for more monetary funds to declare
unconditional war on drugs and combat this evil and harmful
situation.” The reporter wrote, “The senator said we urgently
need more money to fight drugs.”
• Gabe is the most verbose person I know. He always uses ten
words when one would do.
Verbose means
A. loud.
B. wordy.
C. self-important.
The wordy senator takes twenty-nine words to say what the reporter
covers in eleven words. If Gabe uses ten words when one would do,
he is wordy.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. connoisseur B. conspiracy C. contrite
F. lucid
G. plight
D. distraught
H. superficially I.
symmetrical
E. germane
J. verbose
1. Claire was truly sorry for having started the argument with
Sal. To show how _________ she felt, she e-mailed him an
apology.
2. Everyone is greatly concerned about the __________ of
the hostages. We’re not even certain they’re still alive.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. connoisseur B. conspiracy C. contrite
F. lucid
G. plight
D. distraught
H. superficially I.
symmetrical
E. germane
J. verbose
1. Claire was truly sorry for having started the argument with
Sal. To show how _________
contrite she felt, she e-mailed him an
apology.
The meaning of contrite appears in the first sentence: “truly sorry.”
2. Everyone is greatly concerned about the __________
of
plight
the hostages. We’re not even certain they’re still alive.
If the hostages may not even be alive, they must be in a situation
marked by difficulty.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. connoisseur B. conspiracy C. contrite
F. lucid
G. plight
D. distraught
H. superficially I.
symmetrical
E. germane
J. verbose
3. The garden is __________, with the same flowers and shrubs,
arranged in the same pattern, on each side of a central path.
4. A __________ of Asian art told me that my Chinese vase is
very old, quite rare, and valuable.
5. In writing, it is actually easier to be __________ than to
make the effort to cut out the unnecessary words.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. connoisseur B. conspiracy C. contrite
F. lucid
G. plight
D. distraught
H. superficially I.
symmetrical
E. germane
J. verbose
3. The garden is __________,
symmetrical with the same flowers and shrubs,
arranged in the same pattern, on each side of a central path.
The garden is the same on both sides of the path.
4. A __________
connoisseur of Asian art told me that my Chinese vase is
very old, quite rare, and valuable.
A person would need to be an expert in fine art to know these things
about the Chinese vase.
5. In writing, it is actually easier to be __________
verbose than to
make the effort to cut out the unnecessary words.
A piece of writing that has unnecessary words would be one containing
too many words.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. connoisseur B. conspiracy C. contrite
F. lucid
G. plight
D. distraught
H. superficially I.
symmetrical
E. germane
J. verbose
6. During the Revolutionary War, Benedict Arnold, an American
officer, was involved in a __________ to help the British win.
7. The teacher and the other students became irritated when
Susan kept asking questions that weren’t __________ to
the class discussion.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. connoisseur B. conspiracy C. contrite
F. lucid
G. plight
D. distraught
H. superficially I.
symmetrical
E. germane
J. verbose
6. During the Revolutionary War, Benedict Arnold, an American
officer, was involved in a __________
conspiracy to help the British win.
An American officer who was trying to help the British win must have
been involved in a secret plot.
7. The teacher and the other students became irritated when
Susan kept asking questions that weren’t __________
germane to
the class discussion.
If the teacher and other students became irritated, Susan’s questions
must not have been relevant to the discussion.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. connoisseur B. conspiracy C. contrite
F. lucid
G. plight
D. distraught
H. superficially I.
symmetrical
E. germane
J. verbose
8. My parents had expected my sister home by ten o’clock. By
the time she finally walked in at two in the morning, they
were very __________.
9. Ved’s teacher was so pleased with his clear explanation of a
difficult theory that she wrote on his paper, “Wonderfully
__________!”
10. Whenever Miki tries to buy a new dress, her husband is only
__________ interested. If she shows him one and asks his
opinion, all he says is, “It’s fine. Let’s buy it and get out of
here.”
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. connoisseur B. conspiracy C. contrite
F. lucid
G. plight
D. distraught
H. superficially I.
symmetrical
E. germane
J. verbose
8. My parents had expected my sister home by ten o’clock. By
the time she finally walked in at two in the morning, they
were very __________.
distraught
Since the sister was four hours late, her parents were distressed.
9. Ved’s teacher was so pleased with his clear explanation of a
difficult theory that she wrote on his paper, “Wonderfully
__________!”
lucid
If Ved’s explanation was clear, it was easily understood by the teacher.
10. Whenever Miki tries to buy a new dress, her husband is only
__________
superficially interested. If she shows him one and asks his
opinion, all he says is, “It’s fine. Let’s buy it and get out of
here.”
Miki’s husband’s reaction shows that he is not thoroughly interested.