Unit 1: Answer Key
COMPLETING THE SENTENCE: Choose the word from the word bank that best completes each of the following
sentences. Write the word on the line provided. As you complete the sentences, highlight the context clue (a word or
phrase).
aesthetic
diffident
sanguine
brusque
ephemeral
solicitous
capricious
florid
surreptitious
credulous
hackneyed
vapid
deleterious
rancor
venerate
solicitous 1. He was _____ about the health of his grandmother when he found out she needed to undergo surgery.
capricious 2. The American colonists believed that the English government's rulings were based on little more than the
_____ whims of the indifferent government across the ocean.
sanguine 3. He was naturally so _____ that it was hard to tell whether he had a sunburn.
venerate 4. The pilgrims _____ the cathedral, as it was the place where Saint Thomas a Becket had been murdered by four
of the king’s barons.
ephemeral 5. During the anarchy of the fourth century, one _____ Roman emperor followed another in quick succession.
deleterious 6. Even normally beneficial substances can be _____ to your health if they are consumed in disproportionate
quantities.
brusque 7. The swim coach has a very _____ way about him, but the athletes on his team know that beneath that gruff
exterior is a caring leader who brings out the best in each swimmer.
surreptitious 8. “Do you remember,” asked my gray-haired cousin, “how much _____ enjoyment we got as kids from
reading trashy comic books under the blankets with a flashlight?”
aesthetic 9. Since those gargoyles serve no functional purpose, I presume they were added for purely _____ reasons.
diffident 10. James Thurber's character Walter Mitty was, in his normal life, a(n) _____ man who timidly did what he was
told.
vapid 11. After a delicious meal, we were treated to a _____ speech by a boring windbag.
credulous 12. “I freely admit it,” she said with some unease, “I’ve always been far too _____ for my own protection.”
hackneyed 13. The works of the “Fireside Poets” of nineteenth century America may seem _____ to modern readers, yet
they were wildly popular in their day.
florid 14. My brother likes to read hard-boiled detective novels, while I prefer a _____ historical romance.
rancor 15. In Canada in the 1800s, the _____ between the two major fur-trading companies was so great that their ill-will
occasionally turned violent.
SYNONYMS:
surreptitious
1. stealthy, furtive, covert
vapid
6. jejune, prosaic, pedestrian, boring
sanguine
2. optimistic, assured, positive
credulous
7. gullible, naïve
deleterious
3. destructive, pernicious, malignant
diffident
8. shy, unobtrusive, timorous
aesthetic
4. artistic, gorgeous
capricious
9. impulsive, unpredictable, whimsical
solicitous
5. devoted, attentive, concerned
rancor
10. malice, animosity, ill will
ANTONYMS:
brusque
1. courteous, polite, tactful
florid
2. plain, simple, unaffected
hackneyed
3. fresh, new, original
ephemeral
4. eternal, everlasting
venerate
5. detest, ridicule
CHOOSING THE RIGHT WORD: Choose the right word. Then, highlight the context clue (a word or phrase).
1. The glamorous movie star employed a whole series of extremely competent but shy personal assistants, but none was
so (diffident/credulous) as Bella, whose soft, quavering voice could barely be understood.
2. The students asked their questions politely, but in almost every case the professor’s responses were
(brusque/diffident) to the point of rudeness.
3. The wily traveling salesman was able to unload all kinds of useless junk on the (diffident/credulous) villagers.
4. Peter knew that his interview had gone badly, and he was not (sanguine/deleterious) about his chances of admission to
the college of his first choice.
5. The (vapid/brusque) expression on his face told us that the doorman at our Parisian hotel had not understood a single
word of our request for directions to the Louvre.
6. In the Odyssey, Homer portrays Penelope, Odysseus’s wife, as the least (vapid/capricious) of wives; she waits
steadfastly for ten years for her husband’s return, despite being wooed and plagued by a houseful of suitors.
7. In just two years, the salt air had such a(n) (deleterious/aesthetic) effect on my new car’s finish that I had to have the
vehicle repainted.
8. I was very (solicitous/surreptitious) toward my grandmother, who was recovering from an operation; I visited her
every day and brought her favorite soup, flowers, and some good books.
9. The terms of a peace treaty must be delicately conceived and worded, for the optimal goal is for all parties to agree to
end the conflict and to manage and maintain the peace without (veneration/rancor).
10. A biologist might speak of the (ephemeral/florid) life of a butterfly.
11. In a (hackneyed/florid), flamboyant speech that included some highly exaggerated remarks, the mayor of our town
congratulated the state basketball champions.
12. With a(n) (aesthetic/surreptitious) motion, the business executive greased the palm of the restaurant host, insuring
that the executive and her guests would be seated at the most desirable table.
13. Architects might question the (deleterious/aesthetic) judgment of those who would tear down beautiful buildings to
make room for parking lots.
14. Clichés such as “smart as a whip” and “cool as a cucumber” are (ephemeral/hackneyed), stale expressions, and you
should try to avoid them in your writing.
15. Some people simply (venerate/rancor) their heroes; others strive to be like them as another form of praise.