IMPROVING
VOCABULARY SKILLS
Fourth Edition
Sherrie L. Nist
© 2010 Townsend Press
Unit Two: Chapter 8
• attest
• enigma
• attribute
• exemplify
• discern
• mobile
• dispatch
• nocturnal
• enhance
• orient
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 attest
– verb
• Anyone who has seen the Golden Gate Bridge in the rose-gold
light of sunset can attest to its beauty.
• Witnesses attest to the fact that rainfall makes the ground of
Death Valley so slippery that boulders slide across it.
Attest means
A. to declare to be true.
B. to wish for.
C. to forget easily.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 attest
– verb
• Anyone who has seen the Golden Gate Bridge in the rose-gold
light of sunset can attest to its beauty.
• Witnesses attest to the fact that rainfall makes the ground of
Death Valley so slippery that boulders slide across it.
Attest means
A. to declare to be true.
B. to wish for.
C. to forget easily.
Seeing such a sight would enable one to declare the truth of the
beauty. People who are witnesses would be able to declare the
event to be true.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 attribute
– noun
• A three-hundred-page novel written in 1939 has the odd
attribute of containing no e, the most common letter in English.
• Some cars have computerized attributes such as windshield
wipers that automatically turn on when it rains.
Attribute means
A. a tendency.
B. a defect.
C. a characteristic.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 attribute
– noun
• A three-hundred-page novel written in 1939 has the odd
attribute of containing no e, the most common letter in English.
• Some cars have computerized attributes such as windshield
wipers that automatically turn on when it rains.
Attribute means
A. a tendency.
B. a defect.
C. a characteristic.
Not containing a single e is a characteristic of the novel. The second
item gives an example of a computerized characteristic of some cars.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 discern
– verb
• An experienced jeweler can easily discern whether a diamond is
genuine or fake.
• People who are red-green colorblind can discern the colors of
traffic lights by recognizing shades of gray.
Discern means
A. to see clearly.
B. to disregard.
C. to change.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 discern
– verb
• An experienced jeweler can easily discern whether a diamond is
genuine or fake.
• People who are red-green colorblind can discern the colors of
traffic lights by recognizing shades of gray.
Discern means
A. to see clearly.
B. to disregard.
C. to change.
If a jeweler is experienced, he or she would be able to see clearly
whether a diamond is genuine or fake. If red-green colorblind people
can recognize shades of gray, they would be able to see clearly the
colors of a traffic light.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 dispatch
– verb
• I wanted to dispatch the letter as quickly as possible, so I took it to
the post office instead of dropping it into a mailbox.
• At work Harold is treated like an errand boy. His boss often
dispatches him to the deli for sandwiches or donuts.
Dispatch means
A. to represent.
B. to send.
C. to drive.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 dispatch
– verb
• I wanted to dispatch the letter as quickly as possible, so I took it to
the post office instead of dropping it into a mailbox.
• At work Harold is treated like an errand boy. His boss often
dispatches him to the deli for sandwiches or donuts.
Dispatch means
A. to represent.
B. to send.
C. to drive.
A person would take the letter to the post office in order to send
it as quickly as possible. The boss would send Harold to the deli
for sandwiches or donuts.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 enhance
– verb
• Our gym teacher enhanced her appearance with a more attractive
hairstyle.
• The college catalogue stated that the writing course would
“enhance all students’ writing skills” by improving their
grammar and style.
Enhance means
A. to make better.
B. to recognize.
C. to reduce.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 enhance
– verb
• Our gym teacher enhanced her appearance with a more attractive
hairstyle.
• The college catalogue stated that the writing course would
“enhance all students’ writing skills” by improving their
grammar and style.
Enhance means
A. to make better.
B. to recognize.
C. to reduce.
A more attractive hairstyle would make the teacher’s appearance better.
In the second item, the word improving suggests that enhance means
“to make better.”
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 enigma
– noun
• How the thief entered our house was an enigma until we
remembered that the cellar door had been left unlocked.
• The “singing sands” of Scotland remained an enigma until
scientists learned that footsteps caused the round grains of sand
and the surrounding air pockets to make musical vibrations.
Enigma means
A. a comfort.
B. a puzzle.
C. an error.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 enigma
– noun
• How the thief entered our house was an enigma until we
remembered that the cellar door had been left unlocked.
• The “singing sands” of Scotland remained an enigma until
scientists learned that footsteps caused the round grains of sand
and the surrounding air pockets to make musical vibrations.
Enigma means
A. a comfort.
B. a puzzle.
C. an error.
How the thief entered the house would be a puzzle—until they
remembered the unlocked cellar door. Until scientists came up
with an explanation for the “singing sands,” the sands would
have been a puzzle.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 exemplify
– verb
• The many IRS employees who give citizens inaccurate
information exemplify governmental incompetence.
• Mr. Ramirez, who emphasizes original thinking and freedom of
expression, exemplifies the best in teaching.
Exemplify means
A. to illustrate.
B. to save.
C. to oppose.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 exemplify
– verb
• The many IRS employees who give citizens inaccurate
information exemplify governmental incompetence.
• Mr. Ramirez, who emphasizes original thinking and freedom of
expression, exemplifies the best in teaching.
Exemplify means
A. to illustrate.
B. to save.
C. to oppose.
Specific government employees who give inaccurate information
would illustrate general governmental incompetence. A teacher
who emphasizes original thinking and freedom of expression
would illustrate the best in teaching.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 mobile
– adjective
• My parents own a mobile home, which can be moved from place
to place.
• Every morning when I was in the hospital, a volunteer wheeled a
mobile library into my room.
Mobile means
A. active.
B. expensive.
C. moveable.
A mobile home
Photo: Amanda Bicknell/FEMA
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 mobile
– adjective
• My parents own a mobile home, which can be moved from place
to place.
• Every morning when I was in the hospital, a volunteer wheeled a
mobile library into my room.
Mobile means
A. active.
B. expensive.
C. moveable.
A mobile home being towed
to its destination
Photo: Amanda Bicknell/FEMA
If the home can be moved from
place to place, it must be moveable.
If the library was wheeled into the
patient’s hospital room, it must
have been a moveable library.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 nocturnal
– adjective
• I know when my brother has enjoyed one of his nocturnal feasts
because I find a stack of dishes in the sink in the morning.
• Since owls are nocturnal, they are rarely seen during the day.
Nocturnal means
A. noisy.
B. busy.
C. of the night.
A nocturnal street scene
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 nocturnal
– adjective
• I know when my brother has enjoyed one of his nocturnal feasts
because I find a stack of dishes in the sink in the morning.
• Since owls are nocturnal, they are rarely seen during the day.
Nocturnal means
A. noisy.
B. busy.
C. of the night.
A nocturnal street scene
If the dishes are in the sink the next
morning, the brother must have
snacked during the night. If owls are
rarely seen during the day, they must
be creatures of the night.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 orient
– verb
• When coming up from the subway, I often need to look at a street
sign to orient myself.
• Certain cars let drivers orient themselves in unfamiliar places
with the help of an electronic map that shows the car’s location.
Orient means
A. to locate.
B. to welcome.
C. to question.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 orient
– verb
• When coming up from the subway, I often need to look at a street
sign to orient myself.
• Certain cars let drivers orient themselves in unfamiliar places
with the help of an electronic map that shows the car’s location.
Orient means
A. to locate.
B. to welcome.
C. to question.
One would look at a street sign in order to locate oneself. In the second
item, the word location suggests that orient means “to locate.”
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. attest
B. attribute
C. discern
D. dispatch
E. enhance
F. enigma
G. exemplify
H. mobile
I. nocturnal
J. orient
1. Fresh garlic may not __________ the breath, but it
certainly improves spaghetti sauce.
2. A witness _______(e)d to the truth of the defendant’s
claim that she had loved the murdered man.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. attest
B. attribute
C. discern
D. dispatch
E. enhance
F. enigma
G. exemplify
H. mobile
I. nocturnal
J. orient
1. Fresh garlic may not __________
enhance the breath, but it
certainly improves spaghetti sauce.
The word improves tells you the meaning of enhance.
2. A witness __________
attested to the truth of the defendant’s
claim that she had loved the murdered man.
A witness would testify to the truth of the defendant’s statement.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. attest
B. attribute
C. discern
D. dispatch
E. enhance
F. enigma
G. exemplify
H. mobile
I. nocturnal
J. orient
3. When I was younger, my mother used to __________
me to the store for milk or some missing cooking
ingredient as often as twice a day.
4. The lives of such reformers as Susan B. Anthony, Mahatma
Gandhi, and Martin Luther King __________ greatness.
5. Science does not have enough evidence to solve the
__________ of whether or not there is other intelligent life
in the universe.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. attest
B. attribute
C. discern
D. dispatch
E. enhance
F. enigma
G. exemplify
H. mobile
I. nocturnal
J. orient
3. When I was younger, my mother used to __________
dispatch
me to the store for milk or some missing cooking
ingredient as often as twice a day.
The mother would send the child to the store.
4. The lives of such reformers as Susan B. Anthony, Mahatma
Gandhi, and Martin Luther King __________
exemplify greatness.
The lives of such reformers are examples of greatness.
5. Science does not have enough evidence to solve the
__________
enigma of whether or not there is other intelligent life
in the universe.
The question of other intelligent life is a mystery. The word solve is
a clue.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. attest
B. attribute
C. discern
D. dispatch
E. enhance
F. enigma
G. exemplify
H. mobile
I. nocturnal
J. orient
6. The convicts decided on a(n) ________ escape. The
darkness would hide them as they fled through the forest.
7. Sue’s hairpiece is so natural-looking that it’s impossible
to __________ where the hairpiece ends and her own
hair begins.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. attest
B. attribute
C. discern
D. dispatch
E. enhance
F. enigma
G. exemplify
H. mobile
I. nocturnal
J. orient
6. The convicts decided on a __________
nocturnal escape. The
darkness would hide them as they fled through the forest.
If the darkness would hide them, the escape must have been at night.
7. Sue’s hairpiece is so natural-looking that it’s impossible
to __________
where the hairpiece ends and her own
discern
hair begins.
If Sue’s hairpiece is natural-looking, it would be impossible to detect
where it ends and her own hair begins.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. attest
B. attribute
C. discern
D. dispatch
E. enhance
F. enigma
G. exemplify
H. mobile
I. nocturnal
J. orient
8. The positions of the stars help sailors __________
themselves on the open seas.
9. My mother is unable to walk, but with her wheelchair she is
__________ enough to get around her apartment, move
along a sidewalk, and even shop at a mall.
10. Giant kelp, a form of seaweed, has some amazing
__________s. Not only is it the world’s fastest-growing
vegetable, but the more it is cut, the faster it grows.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. attest
B. attribute
C. discern
D. dispatch
E. enhance
F. enigma
G. exemplify
H. mobile
I. nocturnal
J. orient
8. The positions of the stars help sailors __________
orient
themselves on the open seas.
The stars help sailors determine their location on the open seas.
9. My mother is unable to walk, but with her wheelchair she is
__________
enough to get around her apartment, move
mobile
along a sidewalk, and even shop at a mall.
If the mother moves along the sidewalk and shops at a mall, she
must be able to move about.
10. Giant kelp, a form of seaweed, has some amazing
___________.
attributes Not only is it the world’s fastest-growing
vegetable, but the more it is cut, the faster it grows.
The second sentence lists two amazing qualities of giant kelp.