Unit 1: Practice Exercises
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.
aesthetic
diffident
sanguine
brusque
ephemeral
solicitous
capricious
florid
surreptitious
credulous
hackneyed
vapid
deleterious
rancor
venerate
1.
He was __________ about the health of his grandmother when he found out she needed to undergo surgery.
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.
3.
He was naturally so __________ that it was hard to tell whether he had a sunburn.
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.
5.
During the anarchy of the fourth century, one __________ Roman emperor followed another in quick succession.
6.
Even normally beneficial substances can be __________ to your health if they are consumed in disproportionate
quantities.
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.
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?”
9.
Since those gargoyles serve no functional purpose, I presume they were added for purely __________ reasons.
10. James Thurber's character Walter Mitty was, in his normal life, a(n) __________ man who timidly did what he was
told.
11. After a delicious meal, we were treated to a __________ speech by a boring windbag.
12. “I freely admit it,” she said with some unease, “I’ve always been far too __________ for my own protection.”
13. The works of the “Fireside Poets” of nineteenth century America may seem __________ to modern readers, yet they
were wildly popular in their day.
14. My brother likes to read hard-boiled detective novels, while I prefer a __________ historical romance.
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:
__________
1. stealthy, furtive, covert
__________
6. jejune, prosaic, pedestrian, boring
__________
2. optimistic, assured, positive
__________
7. gullible, naïve
__________
3. destructive, pernicious, malignant
__________
8. shy, unobtrusive, timorous
__________
4. artistic, gorgeous
__________
9. impulsive, unpredictable, whimsical
__________
5. devoted, attentive, concerned
__________
10. malice, animosity, ill will
ANTONYMS:
__________
1. courteous, polite, tactful
__________
2. plain, simple, unaffected
__________
3. fresh, new, original
__________
4. eternal, everlasting
__________
5. detest, ridicule
CHOOSING THE RIGHT WORD: Choose the right word. Then, highlight the context clue.
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.