ADVANCING
VOCABULARY SKILLS
Fourth Edition
Sherrie L. Nist
© 2010 Townsend Press
Unit Five: Chapter 28
• deride
• misconstrue
• derogatory
• paramount
• fabricate
• quandary
• impending
• turbulent
• macabre
• validate
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 deride
– verb
• One nightclub comedian derides members of the audience,
poking fun at their looks, clothing, and mannerisms. He says they
know it’s just part of the act.
• Walter went on a diet after several classmates derided him by
calling him “Lardo” and “Blimpy.”
Deride means
A. to misunderstand.
B. to mock.
C. to argue with.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 deride
– verb
• One nightclub comedian derides members of the audience,
poking fun at their looks, clothing, and mannerisms. He says they
know it’s just part of the act.
• Walter went on a diet after several classmates derided him by
calling him “Lardo” and “Blimpy.”
Deride means
A. to misunderstand.
B. to mock.
C. to argue with.
If the comedian pokes fun at the looks, clothing, and mannerisms
of audience members, he mocks them. By calling Walter “Lardo”
and “Blimpy,” his classmates mocked him.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 derogatory
– adjective
• Lorenzo’s derogatory remark about his boss—he called her an
airhead—caused him to get fired.
• Charisse makes derogatory comments about Deion behind his
back, saying that he’s vain, sloppy, and lazy. But she never says
such things to his face.
Derogatory means
A. uncomplimentary.
B. mistaken.
C. provable.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 derogatory
– adjective
• Lorenzo’s derogatory remark about his boss—he called her an
airhead—caused him to get fired.
• Charisse makes derogatory comments about Deion behind his
back, saying that he’s vain, sloppy, and lazy. But she never says
such things to his face.
Derogatory means
A. uncomplimentary.
B. mistaken.
C. provable.
Calling someone an airhead and saying someone is vain, sloppy,
and lazy are examples of uncomplimentary statements.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 fabricate
– verb
• Supermarket tabloids often fabricate ridiculous stories, such as
“Boy Is Born Wearing Green Sneakers.”
• When she handed in her term paper late, Diane fabricated a
story that her computer had crashed. The truth is that she doesn’t
even use a computer.
Fabricate means
A. to avoid.
B. to prove.
C. to invent.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 fabricate
– verb
• Supermarket tabloids often fabricate ridiculous stories, such as
“Boy Is Born Wearing Green Sneakers.”
• When she handed in her term paper late, Diane fabricated a
story that her computer had crashed. The truth is that she doesn’t
even use a computer.
Fabricate means
A. to avoid.
B. to prove.
C. to invent.
A story about a boy born wearing green sneakers has to be an invented
(and ridiculous) story. If Diane doesn’t even use a computer, her story
was invented.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 impending
– adjective
• Gary never studies until an exam is impending. If he’d start sooner,
he wouldn’t have to cram so hard, and he’d get better grades.
• “Because of the company’s impending move,” the office manager
said, “I’m not ordering any supplies until next month, when we’ll be
in the new office.”
Impending means
A. approaching.
B. apparent.
C. important.
An impending storm
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 impending
– adjective
• Gary never studies until an exam is impending. If he’d start sooner,
he wouldn’t have to cram so hard, and he’d get better grades.
• “Because of the company’s impending move,” the office manager
said, “I’m not ordering any supplies until next month, when we’ll be
in the new office.”
Impending means
A. approaching.
B. apparent.
C. important.
An impending storm
If Gary crams at the last minute, he
waits until the exam is approaching. If
the company will be in its new office
next month, the move is approaching.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 macabre
– adjective
• Edgar Allan Poe’s story “The Fall of the House of Usher” is a
macabre tale in which someone is buried alive.
• The movie opened with a macabre scene: a row of bodies lying
in drawers in the city morgue.
Macabre means
A. confusing.
B. mocking.
C. gruesome.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 macabre
– adjective
• Edgar Allan Poe’s story “The Fall of the House of Usher” is a
macabre tale in which someone is buried alive.
• The movie opened with a macabre scene: a row of bodies lying
in drawers in the city morgue.
Macabre means
A. confusing.
B. mocking.
C. gruesome.
A story in which someone is buried alive is a gruesome story. A row
of bodies lying in drawers in the city morgue is a gruesome scene.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 misconstrue
– verb
• Many readers misconstrue Robert Frost’s well-known line
“Good fences make good neighbors.” They think it’s Frost’s own
opinion, but the line is spoken by an unneighborly character.
• Carla would like to date Matt, but when she told him she was
busy last weekend, he misconstrued her meaning, thinking she
wasn’t interested in him.
Misconstrue means
A. to misunderstand.
B. to understand.
C. to ignore.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
6 misconstrue
– verb
• Many readers misconstrue Robert Frost’s well-known line
“Good fences make good neighbors.” They think it’s Frost’s own
opinion, but the line is spoken by an unneighborly character.
• Carla would like to date Matt, but when she told him she was
busy last weekend, he misconstrued her meaning, thinking she
wasn’t interested in him.
Misconstrue means
A. to misunderstand.
B. to understand.
C. to ignore.
Readers who think the character’s opinion is Frost’s opinion
misunderstand the line from the poem. If Carla would like to date Matt
but Matt thinks she isn’t interested, Matt misunderstood her meaning.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 paramount
– adjective
• When you are driving on rain-slick, icy, or winding roads, good
traction is of paramount importance, so always be sure your
tires are in top condition.
• Paramount Pictures must have chosen its name to suggest that
its movies were superior to all others.
Paramount means
A. supreme.
B. growing.
C. successful.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 paramount
– adjective
• When you are driving on rain-slick, icy, or winding roads, good
traction is of paramount importance, so always be sure your
tires are in top condition.
• Paramount Pictures must have chosen its name to suggest that
its movies were superior to all others.
Paramount means
A. supreme.
B. growing.
C. successful.
On rain-slick, icy, or winding roads, good traction is of supreme
importance. Since the movie studio wanted its name to suggest that
its movies were superior to all others, they chose a name that means
“supreme.”
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 quandary
– noun
• Bonita was in a quandary—she couldn’t decide whether to
return to school, take a job she had just been offered, or move to
Alaska with her family.
• Aaron is in a quandary over financial matters: he is baffled by
the problems of making a budget, handling credit, and paying
taxes.
Quandary means
A. a state of confusion.
B. a state of anger.
C. a state of confidence.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 quandary
– noun
• Bonita was in a quandary—she couldn’t decide whether to
return to school, take a job she had just been offered, or move to
Alaska with her family.
• Aaron is in a quandary over financial matters: he is baffled by
the problems of making a budget, handling credit, and paying
taxes.
Quandary means
A. a state of confusion.
B. a state of anger.
C. a state of confidence.
If Bonita couldn’t decide among the three things, she was in a state
of confusion. In the second item, the word baffled suggests that
quandary means “a state of confusion.”
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 turbulent
– adjective
• The turbulent air made the plane rock so wildly that passengers
felt as if they were on a roller coaster.
• The Warreners’ household tends to be turbulent. Whenever Mr.
Warrener gets upset, he yells and throws things.
Turbulent means
A. violent.
B. distant.
C. unusual.
Turbulent weather
Photo: Justin1569@en.wikipedia
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 turbulent
– adjective
• The turbulent air made the plane rock so wildly that passengers
felt as if they were on a roller coaster.
• The Warreners’ household tends to be turbulent. Whenever Mr.
Warrener gets upset, he yells and throws things.
Turbulent means
A. violent.
B. distant.
C. unusual.
Turbulent weather
Photo: Justin1569@en.wikipedia
If the plane rocked wildly, the air
must have been violent. If Mr.
Warrener yells and throws things, the
household would tend to be violent.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 validate
– verb
• Many people believe Columbus sailed west to validate the
theory that the world is round. But in 1492, the fact that the
world is round was already well known.
• There is no real doubt about the dangers of smoking; the claim
that smoking is a serious health risk has been validated by many
studies.
Validate means
A. to misinterpret.
B. to prove.
C. to invent.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 validate
– verb
• Many people believe Columbus sailed west to validate the
theory that the world is round. But in 1492, the fact that the
world is round was already well known.
• There is no real doubt about the dangers of smoking; the claim
that smoking is a serious health risk has been validated by many
studies.
Validate means
A. to misinterpret.
B. to prove.
C. to invent.
Many people believe that Columbus was trying to prove the theory
that the world was round. Studies have proved the claim that smoking
is a serious health risk.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. deride
B. derogatory
F. misconstrue G. paramount
C. fabricate
D. impending
E. macabre
H. quandary
I. turbulent
J. validate
1. Mel has a(n) _______ hobby—he visits places where
murders were committed.
2. We had skipped dinner in order to get to the play on time,
so throughout the performance, food—not the drama—was
__________ in our thoughts.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. deride
B. derogatory
F. misconstrue G. paramount
C. fabricate
D. impending
E. macabre
H. quandary
I. turbulent
J. validate
1. Mel has a __________
macabre hobby—he visits places where
murders were committed.
Mel’s hobby is a gruesome one.
2. We had skipped dinner in order to get to the play on time,
so throughout the performance, food—not the drama—was
__________
paramount in our thoughts.
If they had skipped dinner, food would be foremost in their thoughts
during the performance.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. deride
B. derogatory
F. misconstrue G. paramount
C. fabricate
D. impending
E. macabre
H. quandary
I. turbulent
J. validate
3. Just before I was fired, I had a sense of __________ disaster;
I could tell that something bad was about to happen.
4. Delia _______(e)d Miguel’s friendliness as romantic interest.
She didn’t realize that he already had a girlfriend.
5. When my friend said her teacher was “different,” I wasn’t
sure if she meant the description to be complimentary or
__________.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. deride
B. derogatory
F. misconstrue G. paramount
C. fabricate
D. impending
E. macabre
H. quandary
I. turbulent
J. validate
3. Just before I was fired, I had a sense of __________
impending disaster;
I could tell that something bad was about to happen.
The words about to happen tell you to choose the word impending.
4. Delia ___________
misconstrued Miguel’s friendliness as romantic interest.
She didn’t realize that he already had a girlfriend.
Clearly, Delia misinterpreted Miguel’s friendliness as romantic interest.
5. When my friend said her teacher was “different,” I wasn’t
sure if she meant the description to be complimentary or
__________.
derogatory
Calling someone “different” could be complimentary or belittling.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. deride
B. derogatory
F. misconstrue G. paramount
C. fabricate
D. impending
E. macabre
H. quandary
I. turbulent
J. validate
6. Dwayne didn’t show up for the final exam because he hadn’t
studied, but he _______(e)d a story about having a flat tire.
7. In the psychology class, the students were given an
interesting team assignment. They had to make some
statement about human nature and then __________ it by
finding supporting evidence.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. deride
B. derogatory
F. misconstrue G. paramount
C. fabricate
D. impending
E. macabre
H. quandary
I. turbulent
J. validate
6. Dwayne didn’t show up for the final exam because he hadn’t
studied, but he __________
fabricated a story about having a flat tire.
Dwayne made up the story about a flat tire.
7. In the psychology class, the students were given an
interesting team assignment. They had to make some
statement about human nature and then __________
validate it by
finding supporting evidence.
Supporting evidence is used to prove a statement.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. deride
B. derogatory
F. misconstrue G. paramount
C. fabricate
D. impending
E. macabre
H. quandary
I. turbulent
J. validate
8. A critic once ______(e)d a book he disliked by saying, “This is
not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown
with great force.”
9. The sun may seem to be shining calmly and steadily, but in
fact, nuclear reactions inside the sun are causing a seething
mass of __________ flames.
10. Ivan is in a __________ over his car. He doesn’t know
whether to get his old car the major repairs it desperately
needs, take out a loan and buy his dream car, or spend the
money he has on another used car he doesn’t like.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. deride
B. derogatory
F. misconstrue G. paramount
C. fabricate
D. impending
E. macabre
H. quandary
I. turbulent
J. validate
8. A critic once __________
derided a book he disliked by saying, “This
is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown
with great force.”
The critic’s comment ridicules the book.
9. The sun may seem to be shining calmly and steadily, but in
fact, nuclear reactions inside the sun are causing a seething
mass of __________
turbulent flames.
Nuclear reactions would cause a seething mass of violent flames.
10. Ivan is in a __________
quandary over his car. He doesn’t know
whether to get his old car the major repairs it desperately
needs, take out a loan and buy his dream car, or spend the
money he has on another used car he doesn’t like.
Ivan’s three choices have him in a state of confusion over what to do.