ADVANCED
WORD POWER
Second Edition
BETH JOHNSON
JANET M. GOLDSTEIN
© 2011 Townsend Press
Unit One: Chapter 1
• affinity
• proximity
• fledgling
• sagacious
• hackneyed
• supplant
• incessant
• unassailable
• opulence
• voluminous
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 affinity
– noun
• It is hard for someone with an affinity for warm weather to be
happy living in Alaska.
• My cat has an affinity for small, dark hiding places—I’ve often
found her asleep in my dresser drawer, under the footstool, and
inside my suitcase.
Affinity means
A. a preference.
B. a fear.
C. ignorance.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 affinity
– noun
• It is hard for someone with an affinity for warm weather to be
happy living in Alaska.
• My cat has an affinity for small, dark hiding places—I’ve often
found her asleep in my dresser drawer, under the footstool, and
inside my suitcase.
Affinity means
A. a preference.
B. a fear.
C. ignorance.
If a person has a preference for warm weather he or she would not be
happy living in the cold weather of Alaska. If the cat often is found in
a drawer, under a stool, or in a suitcase, she must have a preference
for small, dark hiding places.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 fledgling
– adjective
• The short-story class is full of fledgling writers. They’re all
enthusiastic, but since they’re beginners, they’re shy about sharing
their work.
• Myra and her sisters are excited about their fledgling catering service,
which was booked for three parties during its first week of business.
Fledgling means
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
A. old.
B. new.
C. different.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 fledgling
– adjective
• The short-story class is full of fledgling writers. They’re all
enthusiastic, but since they’re beginners, they’re shy about sharing
their work.
• Myra and her sisters are excited about their fledgling catering service,
which was booked for three parties during its first week of business.
Fledgling means
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
A. old.
B. new.
C. different.
In the first item, the word
beginners tells you that fledgling
means “new.” And a catering
service that is in its first week of
business is a new company.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 hackneyed
– adjective
• The hackneyed phrase “Have a nice day!” is heard so often that
it has become almost meaningless.
• The worst part of our family reunions is hearing my uncle’s
hackneyed jokes—the ones he’s been telling since about 1980.
Hackneyed means
A. worn-out.
B. insulting.
C. funny.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 hackneyed
– adjective
• The hackneyed phrase “Have a nice day!” is heard so often that
it has become almost meaningless.
• The worst part of our family reunions is hearing my uncle’s
hackneyed jokes—the ones he’s been telling since about 1980.
Hackneyed means
A. worn-out.
B. insulting.
C. funny.
A phrase that is heard so often it has become almost meaningless is
worn out. Jokes the uncle has been telling since 1980 are worn-out
jokes.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 incessant
– adjective
• The children nearly drove their parents crazy on the long car trip
with their incessant questions: “Are we there yet?” “Is it much
further?” “When can we get out of the car?”
• Mrs. Soto finally insisted that her husband see a doctor about his
incessant snoring. It didn’t bother him, but she wasn’t getting
any sleep.
Incessant means
A. silent.
B. wise.
C. nonstop.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 incessant
– adjective
• The children nearly drove their parents crazy on the long car trip
with their incessant questions: “Are we there yet?” “Is it much
further?” “When can we get out of the car?”
• Mrs. Soto finally insisted that her husband see a doctor about his
incessant snoring. It didn’t bother him, but she wasn’t getting
any sleep.
Incessant means
A. silent.
B. wise.
C. nonstop.
If the children nearly drove the parents crazy, their questions must
have been nonstop. If Mrs. Soto isn’t getting any sleep, her husband’s
snoring must be nonstop.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 opulence
– noun
• The opulence of the magnificent, luxurious resort was in stark
contrast to the poverty of the little fishing village at its gates.
• The writer Thoreau had no liking for opulence. He wrote in his
journal, “That man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.”
Opulence means
A. closeness.
B. riches.
C. permanence.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 opulence
– noun
• The opulence of the magnificent, luxurious resort was in stark
contrast to the poverty of the little fishing village at its gates.
• The writer Thoreau had no liking for opulence. He wrote in his
journal, “That man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.”
Opulence means
A. closeness.
B. riches.
C. permanence.
The words magnificent and luxurious
suggest that opulence means “riches”
or “luxury.” The statement from
Thoreau’s journal indicate that he had
no liking for riches.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 proximity
– noun
• The proximity of the railroad tracks worries neighborhood
parents when their children play outside.
• My brother doesn’t drive a car, so when he was apartment
hunting, he had to consider the proximity of public
transportation.
Proximity means
A. similarity.
B. contrast.
C. nearness.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 proximity
– noun
• The proximity of the railroad tracks worries neighborhood
parents when their children play outside.
• My brother doesn’t drive a car, so when he was apartment
hunting, he had to consider the proximity of public
transportation.
Proximity means
A. similarity.
B. contrast.
C. nearness.
If the parents are worried about
the children’s safety, the railroad
tracks must be nearby. Not driving
a car would make the it important
to live near public transportation.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 sagacious
– adjective
• The Bible tells the story of King Solomon, who was so sagacious
that he knew what to do when two women came to him, both
claiming to be the mother of the same child.
• Often when you are faced with a difficult situation, the most
sagacious response is to do nothing right away, but wait to see
what happens.
Sagacious means
A. silly.
B. intelligent.
C. strong.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 sagacious
– adjective
• The Bible tells the story of King Solomon, who was so sagacious
that he knew what to do when two women came to him, both
claiming to be the mother of the same child.
• Often when you are faced with a difficult situation, the most
sagacious response is to do nothing right away, but wait to see
what happens.
Sagacious means
A. silly.
B. intelligent.
C. strong.
A king who knew what to do in the situation described must be
intelligent. In a difficult situation, waiting to see what happens is
often the intelligent thing to do.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 supplant
– verb
• Acme Company fired its entire accounting staff today. It intends
to supplant these employees with part-time workers.
• An idealistic young revolutionary overthrew the dictator and set
up a democratic government. But he too was soon supplanted
when a military strongman seized power.
Supplant means
A. to replace.
B. to restore.
C. to support.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 supplant
– verb
• Acme Company fired its entire accounting staff today. It intends
to supplant these employees with part-time workers.
• An idealistic young revolutionary overthrew the dictator and set
up a democratic government. But he too was soon supplanted
when a military strongman seized power.
Supplant means
A. to replace.
B. to restore.
C. to support.
If the company fired the entire accounting staff, it would need to
replace these employees in some way. If a military strongman seized
power, the young revolutionary must have been replaced.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 unassailable
– adjective
• The Bradleys’ claim that their house is the oldest in town is
unassailable. They have a deed dated 1804, and a copy was filed
in the county courthouse that same year.
• “My opponent may try to attack me,” said the candidate, “but my
record is unassailable. On every issue, I’ve voted for the benefit
of this city.”
Unassailable means
A. untrue.
B. undeniable.
C. unimportant.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 unassailable
– adjective
• The Bradleys’ claim that their house is the oldest in town is
unassailable. They have a deed dated 1804, and a copy was filed
in the county courthouse that same year.
• “My opponent may try to attack me,” said the candidate, “but my
record is unassailable. On every issue, I’ve voted for the benefit
of this city.”
Unassailable means
A. untrue.
B. undeniable.
C. unimportant.
The deed and the copy filed in the courthouse make the Bradleys’
claim undeniable. If the candidate has always voted for the benefit
of the city, his or her record is undeniable.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 voluminous
– adjective
• In the weeks before Christmas, each issue of our newspaper is
voluminous, swollen enormously by all the ads. After the
holidays, the paper shrinks back to its normal size.
• Denise chose a wedding dress in a “Southern belle” style, with a
long, voluminous skirt. Now she’s worried she’ll trip over all
those yards of material.
Voluminous means
A. valuable.
B. cut short.
C. large.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 voluminous
– adjective
• In the weeks before Christmas, each issue of our newspaper is
voluminous, swollen enormously by all the ads. After the
holidays, the paper shrinks back to its normal size.
• Denise chose a wedding dress in a “Southern belle” style, with a
long, voluminous skirt. Now she’s worried she’ll trip over all
those yards of material.
Voluminous means
A. valuable.
B. cut short.
C. large.
The words swollen enormously suggest
that voluminous means “large.” If
there are yards of material in the long
skirt, it must be large.