BUILDING
VOCABULARY SKILLS
Fourth Edition
Sherrie L. Nist
© 2010 Townsend Press
Unit Three: Chapter 15
• elapse
• infer
• evasive
• lethal
• fluent
• obsession
• futile
• ordeal
• harass
• persistent
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 elapse
– verb
• Although four years had elapsed since I last saw Marian, we
talked as if we’d never parted.
• When I’m busy with work I enjoy, I never notice how much time
is elapsing.
Elapse means
A. to develop.
B. to go back.
C. to go by.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 elapse
– verb
• Although four years had elapsed since I last saw Marian, we
talked as if we’d never parted.
• When I’m busy with work I enjoy, I never notice how much time
is elapsing.
Elapse means
A. to develop.
B. to go back.
C. to go by.
Four years had gone by since they last saw one another. Doing
something one enjoys makes one not notice how much time is
going by.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 evasive
– adjective
• The Rothmans worried that their son was hiding something when
he became evasive about where he had been and what he’d been
doing.
• We didn’t want anyone at school to know our father was in the
hospital, so we were evasive about him, saying only, “He has to
be away for a while.”
Evasive means
A. truthful.
B. indefinite.
C. detailed.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 evasive
– adjective
• The Rothmans worried that their son was hiding something when
he became evasive about where he had been and what he’d been
doing.
• We didn’t want anyone at school to know our father was in the
hospital, so we were evasive about him, saying only, “He has to
be away for a while.”
Evasive means
A. truthful.
B. indefinite.
C. detailed.
If the Rothmans think their son is hiding something, he must have
been indefinite about his activities. In the second item, the statement
“He has to be away for a while” is indefinite.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 fluent
– adjective
• To work in a foreign country, it helps to be fluent in its language.
• Jamila wanted to hear what was wrong with her car in simple,
everyday words. She was not fluent in the language of auto
mechanics.
Fluent means
A. able to remember.
B. able to teach.
C. able to express oneself.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 fluent
– adjective
• To work in a foreign country, it helps to be fluent in its language.
• Jamila wanted to hear what was wrong with her car in simple,
everyday words. She was not fluent in the language of auto
mechanics.
Fluent means
A. able to remember.
B. able to teach.
C. able to express oneself.
It helps to be able to express oneself in the language of the country
where one works. If Jamila wants to hear the explanation in simple,
everyday words, she must not be able to express herself in the
language of auto mechanics.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 futile
– adjective
• My best friend is so stubborn that once he has made a decision, it
is futile to try to change his mind.
• I’m convinced that washing machines eat socks, so it is futile to
try to find matching pairs in a load of clean laundry.
Futile means
A. hopeless.
B. easy.
C. useful.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 futile
– adjective
• My best friend is so stubborn that once he has made a decision, it
is futile to try to change his mind.
• I’m convinced that washing machines eat socks, so it is futile to
try to find matching pairs in a load of clean laundry.
Futile means
A. hopeless.
B. easy.
C. useful.
If the friend is very stubborn, it would be hopeless to try to change
the person’s mind. If washing machines ate socks, it would be
hopeless to try to find matching pairs.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 harass
– verb
• A few students in the cafeteria like to harass everyone else by
frequently clinking their silverware and stamping their feet.
• Sometimes it doesn’t help to harass people about quitting
smoking. Bothering them all the time may make them resist
quitting.
Harass means
A. to injure.
B. to annoy.
C. to please.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 harass
– verb
• A few students in the cafeteria like to harass everyone else by
frequently clinking their silverware and stamping their feet.
• Sometimes it doesn’t help to harass people about quitting
smoking. Bothering them all the time may make them resist
quitting.
Harass means
A. to injure.
B. to annoy.
C. to please.
Clinking their silverware and stamping their feet would be
ways for a few students to annoy everyone else. In the
second item, the words bothering them all the time suggest
that harass means “to annoy.”
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 infer
– verb
• The fact that the old man left his fortune to strangers led us to
infer he was not fond of his children.
• Since you went hiking on Super Bowl Sunday, I inferred that
you were not a football fan.
Infer means
A. to conclude.
B. to forget.
C. to conceal.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 infer
– verb
• The fact that the old man left his fortune to strangers led us to
infer he was not fond of his children.
• Since you went hiking on Super Bowl Sunday, I inferred that
you were not a football fan.
Infer means
A. to conclude.
B. to forget.
C. to conceal.
Based on the fact stated, one can conclude the man was
not fond of his children. It is reasonable to conclude that
someone who goes hiking on Super Bowl Sunday is not a
football fan.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 lethal
– adjective
• My father is not alive today because of a lethal combination of
driving and drinking.
• Jake is so good at karate that his hands are lethal weapons.
Because he realizes he could kill somebody, he is very careful
with his karate skills.
Lethal means
A. rare.
B. deadly.
C. hopeful.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 lethal
– adjective
• My father is not alive today because of a lethal combination of
driving and drinking.
• Jake is so good at karate that his hands are lethal weapons.
Because he realizes he could kill somebody, he is very careful
with his karate skills.
Lethal means
A. rare.
B. deadly.
C. hopeful.
Driving and drinking are a deadly combination. If Jake is so skilled
at karate that he can kill somebody, his hands are deadly weapons.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 obsession
– noun
• Psychologists help people troubled by obsessions to gain control
over their thinking, so they are not bothered by the same thoughts
over and over.
• Going to garage sales was at first just a hobby. But bargainhunting has become such an obsession that I can’t seem to stop
going to them.
Obsession means
A. a helpful habit.
B. a possession.
C. a constant concern.
“You really ought to get help for that
obsession with licking your paws.”
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 obsession
– noun
• Psychologists help people troubled by obsessions to gain control
over their thinking, so they are not bothered by the same thoughts
over and over.
• Going to garage sales was at first just a hobby. But bargainhunting has become such an obsession that I can’t seem to stop
going to them.
Obsession means
A. a helpful habit.
B. a possession.
C. a constant concern.
“You really ought to get help for that
obsession with licking your paws.”
For people who are bothered by the
same thoughts over and over, those
thoughts are a constant concern. If
the person can’t stop going to garage
sales, bargain-hunting must have
become a constant concern.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 ordeal
– noun
• Even if you are in good physical condition, running crosscountry is an ordeal.
• Hannah came out of the difficult three-hour test, sighed, and said,
“What an ordeal. I’m worn out.”
Ordeal means
A. a welcome event.
B. a sure success.
C. a difficult challenge.
Ice climbing is an ordeal.
Photo: Bernhard
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 ordeal
– noun – noun
• Even if you are in good physical condition, running crosscountry is an ordeal.
• Hannah came out of the difficult three-hour test, sighed, and said,
“What an ordeal. I’m worn out.”
Ordeal means
A. a welcome event.
B. a sure success.
C. a difficult challenge.
Running cross-country is a difficult
challenge. A difficult three-hour
test is a difficult challenge.
Ice climbing is an ordeal.
Photo: Bernhard
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 persistent
– adjective
• At first Tony wouldn’t go out with Lola, but she was persistent
in asking him. Now they’re engaged.
• I am a very persistent salesman. I work with customers for as
long as it takes for them to buy something.
Persistent means
A. stubborn.
B. useless.
C. late.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 persistent
– adjective
• At first Tony wouldn’t go out with Lola, but she was persistent
in asking him. Now they’re engaged.
• I am a very persistent salesman. I work with customers for as
long as it takes for them to buy something.
Persistent means
A. stubborn.
B. useless.
C. late.
If Tony and Lola are now engaged, Lola must have been stubborn
about asking him out. Someone who works with customers as long
as it takes must be a stubborn salesman.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. elapse
B. evasive
C. fluent
D. futile
E. harass
F. infer
G. lethal
H. obsession
I. ordeal
J. persistent
1. Roger knew a few Chinese phrases, but he was not
_________ enough in Chinese to carry on a conversation.
2. Photographers _________(e)d the movie star,
photographing her even on a private beach.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. elapse
B. evasive
C. fluent
D. futile
E. harass
F. infer
G. lethal
H. obsession
I. ordeal
J. persistent
1. Roger knew a few Chinese phrases, but he was not
_________
fluent enough in Chinese to carry on a conversation.
To carry on a conversation, one must be able to express oneself
with ease.
2. Photographers ____________
the movie star,
harassed
photographing her even on a private beach.
If photographers photographed the star even on a private beach,
they constantly disturbed her.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. elapse
B. evasive
C. fluent
D. futile
E. harass
F. infer
G. lethal
H. obsession
I. ordeal
J. persistent
3. When I’m on a diet, the thought of eating pizza becomes
an __________ for me.
4. Reporters tried to pin the President down on his plan to
rescue the hostages, but he always gave a(n) __________
answer.
5. After ten seconds __________, a bell rings, and the gameshow host reads the next question.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. elapse
B. evasive
C. fluent
D. futile
E. harass
F. infer
G. lethal
H. obsession
I. ordeal
J. persistent
3. When I’m on a diet, the thought of eating pizza becomes
an __________
obsession for me.
When on a diet, the idea of eating pizza can completely fill one’s mind.
4. Reporters tried to pin the President down on his plan to
rescue the hostages, but he always gave an ___________
evasive
answer.
In spite of the efforts to pin the President down, he gave a deliberately
unclear answer.
5. After ten seconds __________,
a bell rings, and the gameelapse
show host reads the next question.
After ten seconds pass, a bell rings.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. elapse
B. evasive
C. fluent
D. futile
E. harass
F. infer
G. lethal
H. obsession
I. ordeal
J. persistent
6. Selling drugs can be a(n) _________ occupation—there is
almost one drug-related murder a day in Philadelphia alone.
7. Going to the veterinarian is a real _________ for our dog,
who begins to shiver in fear at the sight of the vet’s
office.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. elapse
B. evasive
C. fluent
D. futile
E. harass
F. infer
G. lethal
H. obsession
I. ordeal
J. persistent
6. Selling drugs can be a ___________
occupation—there is
lethal
almost one drug-related murder a day in Philadelphia alone.
One murder a day suggests that selling drugs is a deadly occupation.
7. Going to the veterinarian is a real _________
ordeal for our dog,
who begins to shiver in fear at the sight of the vet’s
office.
The dog’s reaction shows that going to the vet is a very difficult
experience for the dog.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. elapse
B. evasive
C. fluent
D. futile
E. harass
F. infer
G. lethal
H. obsession
I. ordeal
J. persistent
8. It is __________ to try to have a conversation with
Manny when a football game is on television because his
eyes are glued to the set.
9. Eduardo had to work full-time to support his family, but he
still earned his college degree by being __________ in his
studies even when he was busy or tired.
10. It was easy for the teacher to __________ that one of the
students had copied the other’s paper—both had the same
wording in several paragraphs.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. elapse
B. evasive
C. fluent
D. futile
E. harass
F. infer
G. lethal
H. obsession
I. ordeal
J. persistent
8. It is __________
to try to have a conversation with
futile
Manny when a football game is on television because his
eyes are glued to the set.
If his eyes are glued to the TV, it’s useless to try to have a conversation.
9. Eduardo had to work full-time to support his family, but he
still earned his college degree by being __________
persistent in his
studies even when he was busy or tired.
If Eduardo earned his degree, he must have refused to quit.
10. It was easy for the teacher to __________
that one of the
infer
students had copied the other’s paper—both had the same
wording in several paragraphs.
Based on the evidence, it was easy to draw the conclusion that one
student copied the other’s paper.