BUILDING
VOCABULARY SKILLS
Fourth Edition
Sherrie L. Nist
© 2010 Townsend Press
Unit Two: Chapter 11
• absurd
• compile
• adhere
• contempt
• affluent
• defect
• alienate
• doctrine
• assess
• dogmatic
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 absurd
– adjective
• When six-foot Randy came to the costume party in only a diaper,
he looked so absurd that everyone burst into laughter.
• It seemed absurd to Helen that she had more cooking experience
than the teacher of her cooking class.
Absurd means
A. responsible.
B. challenging.
C. ridiculous.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 absurd
– adjective
• When six-foot Randy came to the costume party in only a diaper,
he looked so absurd that everyone burst into laughter.
• It seemed absurd to Helen that she had more cooking experience
than the teacher of her cooking class.
Absurd means
A. responsible.
B. challenging.
C. ridiculous.
Six-foot Randy wearing only a diaper would look ridiculous. If the
student has more cooking experience than the cooking teacher, the
situation would seem ridiculous.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 adhere
– verb
• Beware of sitting on a hot car seat in shorts—your thighs may
adhere to the vinyl.
• Angie used bubble gum to make the poster of Justin Timberlake
adhere to her bedroom wall.
Adhere means
A. to belong.
B. to grow.
C. to stick.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 adhere
– verb
• Beware of sitting on a hot car seat in shorts—your thighs may
adhere to the vinyl.
• Angie used bubble gum to make the poster of Justin Timberlake
adhere to her bedroom wall.
Adhere means
A. to belong.
B. to grow.
C. to stick.
A person’s skin sticks to a hot vinyl car seat. Angie would want to
make the poster stick to her bedroom wall.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 affluent
– adjective
• Some people live an affluent lifestyle by overcharging on their
credit cards—a bad habit that can lead to a mountain of debts.
• Why should tax regulations benefit affluent people more than
poor people?
Affluent means
A. careless.
B. friendly.
C. rich.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 affluent
– adjective
• Some people live an affluent lifestyle by overcharging on their
credit cards—a bad habit that can lead to a mountain of debts.
• Why should tax regulations benefit affluent people more than
poor people?
Affluent means
A. careless.
B. friendly.
C. rich.
If people overcharge on their credit
cards and end up with a mountain of
debts, they must be living a rich
lifestyle. In the second item, the
opposite of poor people is rich people.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 alienate
– verb
• The coach often insulted Maria. His rude behavior began to
alienate the other players, who had once thought of him as a friend.
• Bill and Joanne thought their marriage could survive while they
worked in different cities. But being apart so much eventually
alienated them from each other.
Alienate means
A. to push away.
B. to frighten.
C. to comfort.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 alienate
– verb
• The coach often insulted Maria. His rude behavior began to
alienate the other players, who had once thought of him as a friend.
• Bill and Joanne thought their marriage could survive while they
worked in different cities. But being apart so much eventually
alienated them from each other.
Alienate means
A. to push away.
B. to frighten.
C. to comfort.
The coach’s rude behavior would push the players away, making them
no longer think of him as a friend. Being apart much of the time would
eventually push a husband and wife away from each other.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 assess
– verb
• It is harder for teachers to assess answers to essay questions than
to grade multiple-choice items.
• After the fire, insurance representatives came to assess the
damage.
Assess means
A. to judge.
B. to think of.
C. to avoid.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 assess
– verb
• It is harder for teachers to assess answers to essay questions than
to grade multiple-choice items.
• After the fire, insurance representatives came to assess the
damage.
Assess means
A. to judge.
B. to think of.
C. to avoid.
Teachers have to judge the answers to essay questions. The
insurance representatives would need to judge the amount of
damage in order to know how much insurance money to pay.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 compile
– verb
• Before writing her essay, Sharon compiled a list of the points she
wanted to make.
• The teacher asked students to compile reports on their family
histories by interviewing parents and grandparents.
Compile means
A. to read carefully.
B. to divide.
C. to put together.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 compile
– verb
• Before writing her essay, Sharon compiled a list of the points she
wanted to make.
• The teacher asked students to compile reports on their family
histories by interviewing parents and grandparents.
Compile means
A. to read carefully.
B. to divide.
C. to put together.
Sharon would put together a list of the points she wanted to
make in her essay. By interviewing parents and grandparents,
students would be able to put together reports on their family
histories.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 contempt
– noun
• Vera pitied the beggar, but her boyfriend felt only contempt,
saying, “He’s too lazy to get a job.”
• Molly expressed her contempt for Art’s clumsy dancing by
leaving him in the middle of the dance floor.
Contempt means
A. disrespect.
B. acceptance.
C. curiosity.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 contempt
– noun
• Vera pitied the beggar, but her boyfriend felt only contempt,
saying, “He’s too lazy to get a job.”
• Molly expressed her contempt for Art’s clumsy dancing by
leaving him in the middle of the dance floor.
Contempt means
A. disrespect.
B. acceptance.
C. curiosity.
The boyfriend’s words show his disrespect for the beggar. Vera’s pity
is contrasted with the boyfriend’s disrespect. By leaving Art in the
middle of the dance floor, Molly is showing her disrespect for his
clumsy dancing.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 defect
– noun
• The only defect in the actor’s good looks was that his ears stuck
out. Careful camera angles and a longer haircut hid the problem.
• “Check these peaches for defects, Tom.” said the grocer to his
new employee. “Remove any with dark spots, bruises, or other
imperfections.”
Defect means
A. a fault.
B. a strength.
C. a pattern.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 defect
– noun
• The only defect in the actor’s good looks was that his ears stuck
out. Careful camera angles and a longer haircut hid the problem.
• “Check these peaches for defects, Tom.” said the grocer to his
new employee. “Remove any with dark spots, bruises, or other
imperfections.”
Defect means
A. a fault.
B. a strength.
C. a pattern.
If the actor’s ears stick out, it is a fault
in his good looks. The word problem is
a clue. Dark spots, bruises, and
imperfections are faults in peaches.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 doctrine
– noun
• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. followed the doctrine of fighting for
social change without violence.
• Many people sincerely practice their faith without understanding
all of its doctrines. The fine points of religion do not interest
everyone.
Doctrine means
A. a prediction.
B. a teaching.
C. a schedule.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 doctrine
– noun
• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. followed the doctrine of fighting for
social change without violence.
• Many people sincerely practice their faith without understanding
all of its doctrines. The fine points of religion do not interest
everyone.
Doctrine means
A. a prediction.
B. a teaching.
C. a schedule.
Dr. King followed the teaching of social change without violence.
There are many people do not understand all of the teachings of
a religion but who, nevertheless, sincerely practice their faith.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 dogmatic
– adjective
• The boss’s dogmatic style bothered me. He listened to only one
person’s opinions—his own.
• A dogmatic teacher demands that students accept what is taught
without question.
Dogmatic means
A. wild.
B. very patient.
C. one-sided.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 dogmatic
– adjective
• The boss’s dogmatic style bothered me. He listened to only one
person’s opinions—his own.
• A dogmatic teacher demands that students accept what is taught
without question.
Dogmatic means
A. wild.
B. very patient.
C. one-sided.
If the boss listened to only his own opinions, he would be one-sided.
A teacher who demands students accept what is taught without
question is one-sided.