ADVANCED
WORD POWER
Second Edition
BETH JOHNSON
JANET M. GOLDSTEIN
© 2011 Townsend Press
Unit Six: Chapter 29
• ambivalence
• incipient
• anomaly
• nefarious
• biased
• prodigious
• credulous
• servile
• despot
• temper
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 ambivalence
– noun
• Ramona and Felipe have broken their engagement three times now. If they feel
such ambivalence about getting married, why do you think they stay together?
• Many people approach a job change with ambivalence. They want the new
job’s challenges and rewards, but they dislike giving up the security of the old
job.
Ambivalence means
A. conflicting feelings.
B. ambition.
C. ignorance.
Photo: catalogfavorites.com
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 ambivalence
– noun
• Ramona and Felipe have broken their engagement three times now. If they feel
such ambivalence about getting married, why do you think they stay together?
• Many people approach a job change with ambivalence. They want the new
job’s challenges and rewards, but they dislike giving up the security of the old
job.
Ambivalence means
A. conflicting feelings.
B. ambition.
C. ignorance.
Photo: catalogfavorites.com
They must have conflicting feelings if
they keep changing their minds about
whether to get married. Wanting
challenge as well as security creates
conflicting feelings about job change.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 anomaly
– noun
• Dena’s poor score on the math test was an anomaly; she usually does
very well in math.
• A colored diamond is an anomaly; most diamonds are colorless or
bluish-white.
Anomaly means
Photos: J.P.Lon (left); David Benbenncik (right)
A. an annoyance.
B. a source of anxiety.
C. an abnormality.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 anomaly
– noun
• Dena’s poor score on the math test was an anomaly; she usually does
very well in math.
• A colored diamond is an anomaly; most diamonds are colorless or
bluish-white.
Anomaly means
Photos: J.P.Lon (left); David Benbenncik (right)
A. an annoyance.
B. a source of anxiety.
C. an abnormality.
Since Dena usually does very well, a
poor score would be an abnormality.
Since most diamonds are colorless or
bluish-white, a colored diamond would
be an abnormality.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 biased
– adjective
• Studies show that names influence how we react to other people. For
instance, a group of teenaged boys expected that any girl named “Michelle”
would be attractive, while they were biased against anyone named “Hulga.”
• Every human group seems to be biased against some other group. For
example, the French tell jokes about the Belgians, and people in Quebec
make fun of people from Newfoundland.
Biased means
A. having a good opinion.
B. having an opinion beforehand.
C. having no opinion.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 biased
– adjective
• Studies show that names influence how we react to other people. For
instance, a group of teenaged boys expected that any girl named “Michelle”
would be attractive, while they were biased against anyone named “Hulga.”
• Every human group seems to be biased against some other group. For
example, the French tell jokes about the Belgians, and people in Quebec
make fun of people from Newfoundland.
Biased means
A. having a good opinion.
B. having an opinion beforehand.
C. having no opinion.
Since the boys judged the girl’s attractiveness before seeing her, they
must have had an opinion about her beforehand. Someone who makes
jokes about a group of people based on stereotypes rather than
experience has an opinion about them beforehand.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 credulous
– adjective
• Maya reads her horoscope every day but insists that she’s not credulous.
“It’s just for fun,” she says. “I never take it seriously.”
• Credulous Dwayne believed his girlfriend when she told him she was
an actress. In fact, the only part she ever had was in a health play in third
grade, as a radish.
Credulous means
A. too trustful.
B. too skeptical.
C. not paying attention.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 credulous
– adjective
• Maya reads her horoscope every day but insists that she’s not credulous.
“It’s just for fun,” she says. “I never take it seriously.”
• Credulous Dwayne believed his girlfriend when she told him she was
an actress. In fact, the only part she ever had was in a health play in third
grade, as a radish.
Credulous means
A. too trustful.
B. too skeptical.
C. not paying attention.
Since Maya reads her horoscope for fun, not guidance, she is not
too trustful about their ability to predict the future. Dwayne was
too trustful that his girlfriend was telling the truth about being an
actress, since facts proved otherwise.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 despot
– noun
• During the American Revolution, the British king, George III, was seen as
an unjust despot, but history has dealt more kindly with him in recent years.
• Some parents are harsh despots who make their children obey their
commands, while others are lenient and easygoing.
Despot means
Photo: Bundesarchiv, Bild 137-004055
A. an elected official.
B. an oppressive ruler.
C. a revolutionary.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 despot
– noun
• During the American Revolution, the British king, George III, was seen as
an unjust despot, but history has dealt more kindly with him in recent years.
• Some parents are harsh despots who make their children obey their
commands, while others are lenient and easygoing.
Despot means
Photo: Bundesarchiv, Bild 137-004055
A. an elected official.
B. an oppressive ruler.
C. a revolutionary.
The Americans revolting against King
George III considered him an
oppressive ruler. Lenient, easygoing
parents are contrasted with those who
seem like harsh, oppressive rulers.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 incipient
– adjective
• Are Kenyon and Rasheedah just friends, or is there an incipient romance
developing?
• “Precancerous” cells are an incipient tumor—a cancer that may be starting
to develop.
Incipient means
A. coming to an end.
B. coming into existence.
C. fully grown.
Photo: Laurascudder
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 incipient
– adjective
• Are Kenyon and Rasheedah just friends, or is there an incipient romance
developing?
• “Precancerous” cells are an incipient tumor—a cancer that may be starting
to develop.
Incipient means
A. coming to an end.
B. coming into existence.
C. fully grown.
Photo: usda.gov
The word developing suggests that the
romance might be coming into existence.
The word starting suggests that the
cancer might be coming into existence.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 nefarious
– adjective
• The name of Jack the Ripper, whose nefarious murders shocked nineteenthcentury England, has become almost a synonym for a brutal killer.
• The movie, about a nefarious plot by terrorists to kidnap a bus full of
schoolchildren, had us on the edge of our seats.
Nefarious means
Caricature: J.J.; SVG file: Gustavb
A. praiseworthy.
B. amusing.
C. evil.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 nefarious
– adjective
• The name of Jack the Ripper, whose nefarious murders shocked nineteenthcentury England, has become almost a synonym for a brutal killer.
• The movie, about a nefarious plot by terrorists to kidnap a bus full of
schoolchildren, had us on the edge of our seats.
Nefarious means
Caricature: J.J.; SVG file: Gustavb
A. praiseworthy.
B. amusing.
C. evil.
The words brutal killer suggest that
Jack the Ripper was evil. Terrorists
who kidnap schoolchildren can be
considered evil.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 prodigious
– adjective
• This week the lottery prize is a prodigious amount of money—almost a
hundred million dollars.
• It takes a prodigious supply of patience to put together a 5,000-piece
jigsaw puzzle.
Prodigious means
Photo: flipchip / LasVegasVegas.com
A. huge.
B. unknown.
C. small.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 prodigious
– adjective
• This week the lottery prize is a prodigious amount of money—almost a
hundred million dollars.
• It takes a prodigious supply of patience to put together a 5,000-piece
jigsaw puzzle.
Prodigious means
Photo: flipchip / LasVegasVegas.com
A. huge.
B. unknown.
C. small.
$100,000,000 is a huge amount of
money. Putting together a puzzle
with a huge number of pieces
requires a huge amount of patience.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 servile
or
– adjective
• In the play, Roberto portrayed a fawning, servile hotel clerk who would
do anything to please the hotel’s clients.
• The spoiled celebrity likes to surround herself with servile people who
do whatever she wants and constantly tell her how fabulous she is.
Servile means
A. bossy.
B. acting like a slave.
C. powerful.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 servile
or
– adjective
• In the play, Roberto portrayed a fawning, servile hotel clerk who would
do anything to please the hotel’s clients.
• The spoiled celebrity likes to surround herself with servile people who
do whatever she wants and constantly tell her how fabulous she is.
Servile means
A. bossy.
B. acting like a slave.
C. powerful.
The word fawning and the clerk’s willingness to do anything to please
his clients suggest that the character was acting like a slave. People
who constantly flatter celebrities and do whatever they want are
acting like slaves.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 temper
– verb
• “Temper justice with mercy”—a phrase from Milton’s Paradise Lost—
suggests that we need to remember to be kind, even when we are punishing
someone.
• The saying “God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb” means that God
lightens the burdens of weaker people, so that they don’t have to suffer as
much.
Temper means
A. to reinforce.
B. to tone down.
C. to continue.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 temper
– verb
• “Temper justice with mercy”—a phrase from Milton’s Paradise Lost—
suggests that we need to remember to be kind, even when we are punishing
someone.
• The saying “God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb” means that God
lightens the burdens of weaker people, so that they don’t have to suffer as
much.
Temper means
A. to reinforce.
B. to tone down.
C. to continue.
Acting with mercy and kindness when punishing someone is a way to
tone down justice. The phrase “lightens the burdens of weaker people”
suggests that God tones down hardships, such as a chilling wind, for
those who are least able to protect themselves.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. ambivalence B. anomaly
C. biased
D. credulous
E. despot
F. incipient
H. prodigious
I. servile
J. temper
G. nefarious
1. Sandra is very funny, but she needs to _________ her humor with
kindness—sometimes her jokes can hurt others.
2. Amy feels some __________ about spending the holidays alone in
her new apartment. On the one hand, she thinks celebrating there
will make her new place feel more like home. On the other hand,
she will miss her family.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. ambivalence B. anomaly
C. biased
D. credulous
E. despot
F. incipient
H. prodigious
I. servile
J. temper
G. nefarious
1. Sandra is very funny, but she needs to _________
temper her humor with
kindness—sometimes her jokes can hurt others.
Hurtful joking is contrasted with softening humor with kindness.
2. Amy feels some ambivalence
__________ about spending the holidays alone in
her new apartment. On the one hand, she thinks celebrating there
will make her new place feel more like home. On the other hand,
she will miss her family.
The phrases “one the one hand” and “on the other hand” suggest that
Amy is uncertain about how she will feel.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. ambivalence B. anomaly
C. biased
D. credulous
E. despot
F. incipient
H. prodigious
I. servile
J. temper
G. nefarious
3. There are two kinds of waiters I dislike: the zany° ones who keep
making jokes and the sycophants° who, hoping for a bigger tip,
are overly humble and _________.
4. In our neighborhood, almost everyone drives a battered secondhand car. Cecil’s shiny new Corvette is a real _________.
5. Jen takes an aspirin at the first sign of a(n) ________ headache.
Lin, by contrast, resists taking medicine even when she’s really
sick.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. ambivalence B. anomaly
C. biased
D. credulous
E. despot
F. incipient
H. prodigious
I. servile
J. temper
G. nefarious
3. There are two kinds of waiters I dislike: the zany° ones who keep
making jokes and the sycophants° who, hoping for a bigger tip,
are overly humble and _________.
servile
Sycophant and overly humble suggest the servers are slavishly obedient.
4. In our neighborhood, almost everyone drives a battered second-
hand car. Cecil’s shiny new Corvette is a real _________.
anomaly
A shiny new car would be different, odd, or peculiar in a neighborhood
of old cars.
5. Jen takes an aspirin at the first sign of an _________
incipient headache.
Lin, by contrast, resists taking medicine even when she’s really sick.
If Jen takes medicine at the first sign of pain, then she takes it at
the headache’s earliest stages.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. ambivalence B. anomaly
C. biased
D. credulous
E. despot
F. incipient
H. prodigious
I. servile
J. temper
G. nefarious
6. It’s silly to be _________ against all red-haired people just because
you had one bad date with a redhead. You should try to overcome
your aversion° to redheads.
7. The thriller was the kind of book you can’t put down—it traced a(n)
_________ plan by a malevolent° scientist to turn his neighbors
into zombies.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. ambivalence B. anomaly
C. biased
D. credulous
E. despot
F. incipient
H. prodigious
I. servile
J. temper
G. nefarious
6. It’s silly to be _________
biased against all red-haired people just because
you had one bad date with a redhead. You should try to overcome
your aversion° to redheads.
A previous date led to a preconceived, prejudiced opinion against redheads.
7. The thriller was the kind of book you can’t put down—it traced a
_________
nefarious plan by a malevolent° scientist to turn his neighbors
into zombies.
A plan to turn people into zombies would be villainous and wicked.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. ambivalence B. anomaly
C. biased
D. credulous
E. despot
F. incipient
H. prodigious
I. servile
J. temper
G. nefarious
8. “Sorry,” said Professor Chiu. “I am not _________ enough to believe that
aliens from a flying saucer flew away with your term paper.”
9. Shelley’s famous poem “Ozymandias” is about a cruel ________ whose
statue lies broken and whose kingdom has vanished in the desert sands.
Its tacit° message is that all of us, even pompous° tyrants, are
ephemeral°—nothing can survive the inexorable° forces of nature and time.
10. Thomas Jefferson was a man of _________ talent. Not only was he
President of the United States, but he was also an inventor, an erudite°
and eloquent° writer, and an architect.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. ambivalence B. anomaly
C. biased
D. credulous
E. despot
F. incipient
H. prodigious
I. servile
J. temper
G. nefarious
8. “Sorry,” said Professor Chiu. “I am not _________
credulous enough to believe that
aliens from a flying saucer flew away with your term paper.”
Only someone easily convinced would readily believe such a far-fetched story.
9. Shelley’s famous poem “Ozymandias” is about a cruel ________
despot whose
statue lies broken and whose kingdom has vanished in the desert sands.
Its tacit° message is that all of us, even pompous° tyrants, are
ephemeral°—nothing can survive the inexorable° forces of nature and time.
If Ozymandias was a cruel tyrant, then he ruled with absolute power.
10. Thomas Jefferson was a man of _________
prodigious talent. Not only was he
President of the United States, but he was also an inventor, an erudite°
and eloquent° writer, and an architect.
It takes enormous talent to be successful in so many different fields.