IMPROVING
VOCABULARY SKILLS
Fourth Edition
Sherrie L. Nist
© 2010 Townsend Press
Unit Three: Chapter 14
• alleviate
• infamous
• benefactor
• intrinsic
• covert
• revulsion
• cynic
• speculate
• demise
• virile
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 alleviate
– verb
• To alleviate his loneliness, the widower moved closer to his
daughter and her family.
• After a long game in the August heat, the young baseball players
alleviated their thirst with ice-cold lemonade.
Alleviate means
A. to consider.
B. to hide.
C. to ease.
“I find a good workout is
the best way to alleviate stress.”
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 alleviate
– verb
• To alleviate his loneliness, the widower moved closer to his
daughter and her family.
• After a long game in the August heat, the young baseball players
alleviated their thirst with ice-cold lemonade.
Alleviate means
A. to consider.
B. to hide.
C. to ease.
“I find a good workout is
the best way to alleviate stress.”
If the widower moved closer to his
daughter, it must have been to ease
his loneliness. Ice-cold lemonade
would ease the baseball players’ thirst.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 benefactor
– noun
• The Second Street Bank is a long-time benefactor of the arts.
This year it will sponsor a series of free jazz concerts in the
parks.
• The wealthy benefactor who paid for the child’s operation
prefers to remain anonymous.
Benefactor means
A. a financial supporter.
B. a social critic.
C. a cooperative person.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 benefactor
– noun
• The Second Street Bank is a long-time benefactor of the arts.
This year it will sponsor a series of free jazz concerts in the
parks.
• The wealthy benefactor who paid for the child’s operation
prefers to remain anonymous.
Benefactor means
A. a financial supporter.
B. a social critic.
C. a cooperative person.
The word sponsor in the first item and the words paid for in the
second item tell you that benefactor means “a financial supporter.”
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 covert
– adjective
• Miriam and David’s relationship is so covert that they never eat
out. Even their best friends don’t know they are seeing each
other.
• If you enjoy covert activities, you should become a secret agent.
Covert means
A. obvious.
B. concealed.
C. easy to bear.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 covert
– adjective
– adjective
• Miriam and David’s relationship is so covert that they never eat
out. Even their best friends don’t know they are seeing each
other.
• If you enjoy covert activities, you should become a secret agent.
Covert means
A. obvious.
B. concealed.
C. easy to bear.
If Miriam and David’s best friends don’t know they are seeing each
other, their relationship must be concealed. Secret agents are known
for carrying out concealed or secret activities.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 cynic
– noun
• Her parents’ nasty divorce has made Libby a cynic about marriage.
• Mr. Bryant was a cynic about people until he fell down on a street
corner and several strangers rushed to his aid.
Cynic means
A. someone who believes the
worst.
B. someone who gives help.
C. someone with a bad reputation
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 cynic
– noun
• Her parents’ nasty divorce has made Libby a cynic about marriage.
• Mr. Bryant was a cynic about people until he fell down on a street
corner and several strangers rushed to his aid.
Cynic means
A. someone who believes the
worst.
B. someone who gives help.
C. someone with a bad reputation
Witnessing a nasty divorce could make one believe the worst about
marriage. Mr. Bryant stopped believing the worst about people after
strangers rushed to help him when he was in trouble.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 demise
– noun
• In 1567, a beard caused a man’s demise. Hans Steininger’s beard
was so long that he stepped on it while climbing stairs, lost his
balance, fell down the steps, and died.
• During my years in grade school and high school, the untimely
demise of several of my classmates made me very aware of my
mortality.
Demise means
A. popularity.
B. a secret.
C. dying.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 demise
– noun – noun
• In 1567, a beard caused a man’s demise. Hans Steininger’s beard
was so long that he stepped on it while climbing stairs, lost his
balance, fell down the steps, and died.
• During my years in grade school and high school, the untimely
demise of several of my classmates made me very aware of my
mortality.
Demise means
A. popularity.
B. a secret.
C. dying.
In the first item, the word died tells you that demise means “dying.”
In the second item, the word mortality suggests that the person is
talking about classmates who died.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 infamous
– adjective
• King Henry VIII of England was infamous throughout Europe
for executing two of his six wives.
• Visitors to the dungeons of ancient castles always want to see the
instruments of torture, including the infamous Iron Maiden—
body-shaped box with spikes inside.
Infamous means
A. known unfavorably.
B. thought to be annoying.
C. giving hope.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 infamous
– adjective
• King Henry VIII of England was infamous throughout Europe
for executing two of his six wives.
• Visitors to the dungeons of ancient castles always want to see the
instruments of torture, including the infamous Iron Maiden—
body-shaped box with spikes inside.
Infamous means
A. known unfavorably.
B. thought to be annoying.
C. giving hope.
Executing one’s wives would make one known unfavorably. A
body-shaped box with spikes inside would be known unfavorably.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 intrinsic
– adjective
• Trust is intrinsic to any good friendship.
• Because Lian has an intrinsic desire to learn, she doesn’t need
the reward of good grades to motivate her studies.
Intrinsic means
A. secret.
B. fundamental.
C. unnecessary.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 intrinsic
– adjective
• Trust is intrinsic to any good friendship.
• Because Lian has an intrinsic desire to learn, she doesn’t need
the reward of good grades to motivate her studies.
Intrinsic means
A. secret.
B. fundamental.
C. unnecessary.
Trust is fundamental to a good friendship. If Lian doesn’t need any
reward to motivate her to study, she must have a fundamental
desire to learn.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 revulsion
– noun
• Whenever I read about child abuse in the newspaper, I am filled
with such revulsion that I often cannot finish the article.
• When Sharon met the man who had cheated her father, she was
overcome with revulsion.
Revulsion means
A. interest.
B. hatred.
C. understanding.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 revulsion
– noun
• Whenever I read about child abuse in the newspaper, I am filled
with such revulsion that I often cannot finish the article.
• When Sharon met the man who had cheated her father, she was
overcome with revulsion.
Revulsion means
A. interest.
B. hatred.
C. understanding.
Reading about child abuse can fill one with hatred. It would be natural
for Sharon to feel hatred toward the man who cheated her father.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 speculate
– verb
• It’s interesting to speculate how history might have been
different if Abraham Lincoln had lived a few years longer.
• The therapist asked Cassie to speculate about what might happen
if she told Leon her true feelings.
Speculate means
A. to remember.
B. to announce.
C. to guess.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 speculate
– verb
• It’s interesting to speculate how history might have been
different if Abraham Lincoln had lived a few years longer.
• The therapist asked Cassie to speculate about what might happen
if she told Leon her true feelings.
Speculate means
A. to remember.
B. to announce.
C. to guess.
We can only guess how things might have been different if Lincoln
had lived longer. Cassie can only guess what might happen if she
tells Leon her true feelings.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 virile
– adjective
• Men who are unsure about their masculinity sometimes try to
“prove” they are virile by being overly aggressive.
• When a male heron stamps his feet and sticks his neck out, and
then drops his head and says “plop-buzz,” the female finds him
very virile. In fact, that behavior is how the male attracts a mate.
Virile means
A. having attractive male
qualities.
B. lacking in confidence.
C. unselfish.
Virile football players
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 virile
– adjective
• Men who are unsure about their masculinity sometimes try to
“prove” they are virile by being overly aggressive.
• When a male heron stamps his feet and sticks his neck out, and
then drops his head and says “plop-buzz,” the female finds him
very virile. In fact, that behavior is how the male attracts a mate.
Virile means
A. having attractive male
qualities.
B. lacking in confidence.
C. unselfish.
Virile football players
A man who is unsure about his masculinity
would try to prove he had manly qualities. In
the second item, if the male heron’s behavior
attracts a mate, the female must feel it
shows he has attractive male qualities.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. alleviate
B. benefactor
C. covert
D. cynic
E. demise
F. infamous
G. intrinsic
H. revulsion
I. speculate
J. virile
1. Problems are __________ to life; they’re unavoidable.
2. My hunger isn’t fully satisfied, but the apple _______(e)d
it somewhat.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. alleviate
B. benefactor
C. covert
D. cynic
E. demise
F. infamous
G. intrinsic
H. revulsion
I. speculate
J. virile
1. Problems are __________
intrinsic to life; they’re unavoidable.
If problems are unavoidable, they must be part of the very nature of life.
2. My hunger isn’t fully satisfied, but the apple __________
alleviated
it somewhat.
An apple would relieve hunger.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. alleviate
B. benefactor
C. covert
D. cynic
E. demise
F. infamous
G. intrinsic
H. revulsion
I. speculate
J. virile
3. Teenage guys usually welcome a deepening voice and a
thickening beard as signs that they are becoming more
__________.
4. The selfless work of the nuns in the slums of India is
enough to touch the hearts of most hardened _________s.
5. Though she was tried and found not guilty, Lizzie Borden is
still __________ for killing her parents with a hatchet.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. alleviate
B. benefactor
C. covert
D. cynic
E. demise
F. infamous
G. intrinsic
H. revulsion
I. speculate
J. virile
3. Teenage guys usually welcome a deepening voice and a
thickening beard as signs that they are becoming more
__________.
virile
These changes would make them seem more manly.
4. The selfless work of the nuns in the slums of India is
enough to touch the hearts of most hardened _________.
cynics
Seeing such work would touch the hearts of even those who believe
the worst about people.
5. Though she was tried and found not guilty, Lizzie Borden is
still __________
infamous for killing her parents with a hatchet.
A woman accused of killing her parents with a hatchet would be
widely known for being vicious.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. alleviate
B. benefactor
C. covert
D. cynic
E. demise
F. infamous
G. intrinsic
H. revulsion
I. speculate
J. virile
6. The children loved the __________ activities involved in
preparing their mother’s surprise party.
7. The mass murderer’s neighbors were overcome with
__________ when they learned what their “friend” had
been doing in his basement.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. alleviate
B. benefactor
C. covert
D. cynic
E. demise
F. infamous
G. intrinsic
H. revulsion
I. speculate
J. virile
6. The children loved the __________
activities involved in
covert
preparing their mother’s surprise party.
If the party was to be a surprise, the preparations would have to
be secret.
7. The mass murderer’s neighbors were overcome with
__________
revulsion when they learned what their “friend” had
been doing in his basement.
If the man has been killing people in his basement, the neighbors
would be overcome with disgust.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. alleviate
B. benefactor
C. covert
D. cynic
E. demise
F. infamous
G. intrinsic
H. revulsion
I. speculate
J. virile
8. “As no group has claimed responsibility, we can only
__________ on the motives for the bombing,” said the
newscaster.
9. Roger Novak had been a well-known __________ of AIDS
research, so it was no surprise that he left a lot of money
for the research in his will.
10. It’s a good idea for married couples to discuss their funeral
plans in case of each other’s __________. For example, do
they wish to be buried or cremated?
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. alleviate
B. benefactor
C. covert
D. cynic
E. demise
F. infamous
G. intrinsic
H. revulsion
I. speculate
J. virile
8. “As no group has claimed responsibility, we can only
__________
speculate on the motives for the bombing,” said the
newscaster.
People can only guess at the motives for the bombing.
9. Roger Novak had been a well-known __________
benefactor of AIDS
research, so it was no surprise that he left a lot of money
for the research in his will.
The fact that Novak “left a lot of money for research” tells you that
a benefactor is a person who gives financial aid.
10. It’s a good idea for married couples to discuss their funeral
plans in case of each other’s __________.
For example, do
demise
they wish to be buried or cremated?
Burial and cremation are two ways to handle the body after death.