ADVANCING
VOCABULARY SKILLS
Fourth Edition
Sherrie L. Nist
© 2010 Townsend Press
Unit One: Chapter 4
• berate
• maudlin
• estrange
• regress
• euphoric
• relinquish
• impetuous
• ubiquitous
• infallible
• zenith
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 berate
– verb
• Nick’s mother often berates him. And when she isn’t yelling at
him, she ignores him.
• Vanessa can accept reasonable criticism, but she was upset when
her boss berated her loudly in front of everyone else in the
office.
Berate means
A. to disappoint.
B. to neglect.
C. to scold angrily.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 berate
– verb
• Nick’s mother often berates him. And when she isn’t yelling at
him, she ignores him.
• Vanessa can accept reasonable criticism, but she was upset when
her boss berated her loudly in front of everyone else in the
office.
Berate means
A. to disappoint.
B. to neglect.
C. to scold angrily.
The words yelling at him suggest that berate means “to scold
angrily.” In contrast with reasonable criticism, Vanessa’s boss
scolded her angrily.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 estrange
– verb
• My cousin’s recent moodiness has estranged some of his old
friends.
• After his divorce, Gavin didn’t want to estrange his children, so
he called and visited them often.
Estrange means
A. to frighten.
B. to drive away.
C. to dislike.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 estrange
– verb
• My cousin’s recent moodiness has estranged some of his old
friends.
• After his divorce, Gavin didn’t want to estrange his children, so
he called and visited them often.
Estrange means
A. to frighten.
B. to drive away.
C. to dislike.
The cousin’s moodiness would drive away his friends. Gavin would
frequently call and visit his children in order not to drive them away.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 euphoric
– adjective
• I was euphoric when I received my grades. To my amazement
and joy, they were all A’s and B’s.
• Nikki is euphoric today, and it’s easy to see why she’s in such
high spirits. She’s just gotten the lead role in our school’s
production of Beauty and the Beast.
Euphoric means
A. very happy.
B. boastful.
C. sentimental.
Photo: Steindy
Euphoric members of a winning
handball team
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 euphoric
– adjective
• I was euphoric when I received my grades. To my amazement
and joy, they were all A’s and B’s.
• Nikki is euphoric today, and it’s easy to see why she’s in such
high spirits. She’s just gotten the lead role in our school’s
production of Beauty and the Beast.
Euphoric means
A. very happy.
B. boastful.
C. sentimental.
Photo: Steindy
Euphoric members of a winning
handball team
The word joy suggests that euphoric
means “very happy.” In the second
item, the words in such high spirits
tell you that euphoric means “very
happy.”
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 impetuous
– adjective
• Whenever I make an impetuous purchase, I end up being dissatisfied:
the shoes aren’t comfortable, the shirt is the wrong color, the jacket costs
too much. From now on, I intend to think more carefully before I buy.
• Children tend to be impetuous and often don’t think about the
consequences of their actions. For instance, they’ll throw snowballs at
passing cars without worrying about possibly causing an accident.
Impetuous means
A. impulsive.
B. considerate.
C. imaginative.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 impetuous
– adjective
• Whenever I make an impetuous purchase, I end up being dissatisfied:
the shoes aren’t comfortable, the shirt is the wrong color, the jacket costs
too much. From now on, I intend to think more carefully before I buy.
• Children tend to be impetuous and often don’t think about the
consequences of their actions. For instance, they’ll throw snowballs at
passing cars without worrying about possibly causing an accident.
Impetuous means
A. impulsive.
B. considerate.
C. imaginative.
The words think more carefully tell you that impetuous means the
opposite—“impulsive.” In the second item, the words don’t think
about the consequences tell you that impetuous means “impulsive.”
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 infallible
– adjective
• Computers aren’t infallible. If you put the wrong data into a
computer, you’ll get wrong answers.
• A sign over my sister’s desk reads, “I’m infallible. I never make
misteaks.”
Infallible means
A. perfect.
B. imperfect.
C. everywhere.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 infallible
– adjective
• Computers aren’t infallible. If you put the wrong data into a
computer, you’ll get wrong answers.
• A sign over my sister’s desk reads, “I’m infallible. I never make
misteaks.”
Infallible means
A. perfect.
B. imperfect.
C. everywhere.
Since computers can give wrong answers, they are not perfect.
In the second item, the fact that the word mistakes is spelled
incorrectly on the sister’s sign shows that she is not perfect.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 maudlin
– adjective
• The verses in greeting cards are often far too sentimental. I prefer
humor to such maudlin messages.
• The authors of maudlin soap operas must feel that they haven’t
done their job unless viewers are crying by the end of each show.
Maudlin means
A. short.
B. comical.
C. overly emotional.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 maudlin
– adjective
• The verses in greeting cards are often far too sentimental. I prefer
humor to such maudlin messages.
• The authors of maudlin soap operas must feel that they haven’t
done their job unless viewers are crying by the end of each show.
Maudlin means
A. short.
B. comical.
C. overly emotional.
The words far too sentimental suggest that maudlin means “overly
emotional.” In the second item, if the viewers are supposed to be crying
by the end of each show, the soap operas must be overly emotional.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 regress
– verb
• When his baby sister was born, seven-year-old Jeremy regressed
for a while and began sucking his thumb again.
• Adolescents under stress sometimes regress to childish ways:
dependency, temper tantrums, and silliness.
Regress means
A. to go backward.
B. to reach a high point.
C. to act hastily.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 regress
– verb
• When his baby sister was born, seven-year-old Jeremy regressed
for a while and began sucking his thumb again.
• Adolescents under stress sometimes regress to childish ways:
dependency, temper tantrums, and silliness.
Regress means
A. to go backward.
B. to reach a high point.
C. to act hastily.
If seven-year-old Jeremy began sucking his thumb again, he had
gone backwards and become less mature. Adolescents would have
to go backward to start acting childishly again.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 relinquish
– verb
• No beer is allowed in the “family area” of the stadium, so fans
must relinquish their six-packs at the gate before they take their
seats.
• Donna had to relinquish her share in the beach house because
she couldn’t afford it anymore.
Relinquish means
A. to buy.
B. to give up.
C. to enjoy.
“I’ll relinquish your chair
if you’ll get me my dinner!”
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 relinquish
– verb
• No beer is allowed in the “family area” of the stadium, so fans
must relinquish their six-packs at the gate before they take their
seats.
• Donna had to relinquish her share in the beach house because
she couldn’t afford it anymore.
Relinquish means
A. to buy.
B. to give up.
C. to enjoy.
“I’ll relinquish your chair
if you’ll get me my dinner!”
Since no beer is allowed, fans have
to give up their six-packs at the gate.
Since Donna couldn’t afford her
share, she had to give it up.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 ubiquitous
– adjective
• Mites are ubiquitous. They live on top of Mt. Everest, in the
depths of the ocean, at the South Pole, and even around the roots
of your hairs.
• We postponed our plan to drive home on Sunday because a dense
fog was ubiquitous. It covered the entire town.
Ubiquitous means
A. scarce.
B. newly discovered.
C. found everywhere.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 ubiquitous
– adjective
• Mites are ubiquitous. They live on top of Mt. Everest, in the
depths of the ocean, at the South Pole, and even around the roots
of your hairs.
• We postponed our plan to drive home on Sunday because a dense
fog was ubiquitous. It covered the entire town.
Ubiquitous means
A. scarce.
B. newly discovered.
C. found everywhere.
Because mites live in all of the places listed, they are found
everywhere. If the dense fog covered the entire town, it was
found everywhere.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 zenith
– noun
• Florence reached the zenith of her career when she became
president of Ace Products.
• At age 50, my uncle is afraid that he has already passed the zenith
of his life; but at age 52, my father thinks the best is yet to come.
Zenith means
A. an end.
B. an earlier condition.
C. the highest point.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 zenith
– noun
• Florence reached the zenith of her career when she became
president of Ace Products.
• At age 50, my uncle is afraid that he has already passed the zenith
of his life; but at age 52, my father thinks the best is yet to come.
Zenith means
A. an end.
B. an earlier condition.
C. the highest point.
Becoming the president of the company would be the highest point of
Florence’s career. In contrast with the father thinking the best is yet to
come, the uncle is afraid he’s passed the highest point of his life.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. berate
B. estrange
C. euphoric
D. impetuous
E. infallible
F. maudlin
G. regress
H. relinquish
I. ubiquitous
J. zenith
1. People in bombed-out, war-torn cities sometimes ________
to more primitive ways of life.
2. To many people, Mozart’s works represent the __________
of eighteenth-century music.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. berate
B. estrange
C. euphoric
D. impetuous
E. infallible
F. maudlin
G. regress
H. relinquish
I. ubiquitous
J. zenith
1. People in bombed-out, war-torn cities sometimes ________
regress
to more primitive ways of life.
Living in a bombed-out, war-torn city could force people to return to
a more primitive way of life.
2. To many people, Mozart’s works represent the __________
zenith
of eighteenth-century music.
Some people consider Mozart’s works the peak of eighteenth-century
music.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. berate
B. estrange
C. euphoric
D. impetuous
E. infallible
F. maudlin
G. regress
H. relinquish
I. ubiquitous
J. zenith
3. Mei Lin was __________ when the college that was her
first choice accepted her.
4. When Dad lost his job, he had to _________ his identification
card, his employee parking permit, and the key to his desk.
5. Kay used to be friendly, but since her promotion, she has
become so cold that she has _______(e)d former coworkers.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. berate
B. estrange
C. euphoric
D. impetuous
E. infallible
F. maudlin
G. regress
H. relinquish
I. ubiquitous
J. zenith
3. Mei Lin was __________
euphoric when the college that was her
first choice accepted her.
Mei Lin would be overjoyed at being accepted by her first-choice college.
4. When Dad lost his job, he had to _________
relinquish his identification
card, his employee parking permit, and the key to his desk.
Since Dad was no longer working for the company, he had to surrender
those items.
5. Kay used to be friendly, but since her promotion, she has
become so cold that she has __________
estranged former coworkers.
By becoming very cold, Kay would alienate her former coworkers.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. berate
B. estrange
C. euphoric
D. impetuous
E. infallible
F. maudlin
G. regress
H. relinquish
I. ubiquitous
J. zenith
6. “I don’t expect you to be ________,” the boss said, “but I
don’t want you to make the same mistakes over and over.”
7. “I know I was late,” Liz said, “but you could have pointed
it out quietly. You didn’t have to __________ me.”
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. berate
B. estrange
C. euphoric
D. impetuous
E. infallible
F. maudlin
G. regress
H. relinquish
I. ubiquitous
J. zenith
6. “I don’t expect you to be ________,”
infallible the boss said, “but I
don’t want you to make the same mistakes over and over.”
If the boss expects a person to make some mistakes, she does not
expect the employee to be perfect.
7. “I know I was late,” Liz said, “but you could have pointed
it out quietly. You didn’t have to __________
me.”
berate
Instead of pointing out Liz’s lateness quietly, the person criticized
her harshly.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. berate
B. estrange
C. euphoric
D. impetuous
E. infallible
F. maudlin
G. regress
H. relinquish
I. ubiquitous
J. zenith
8. In our neighborhood, litter is __________—the sidewalks
are ankle-deep in trash. We need a cleanup campaign.
9. Uncle Antonio becomes __________ when he talks about his
dear old mother in Italy. Tears also come to the eyes of all
who listen.
10. Joyce isn’t usually __________, but last week she had a
sudden urge to try out her nephew’s skateboard. Everyone in
the office has already signed the cast on her broken wrist.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. berate
B. estrange
C. euphoric
D. impetuous
E. infallible
F. maudlin
G. regress
H. relinquish
I. ubiquitous
J. zenith
8. In our neighborhood, litter is __________—the
sidewalks
ubiquitous
are ankle-deep in trash. We need a cleanup campaign.
If the sidewalks are ankle-deep in trash, litter must be everywhere.
9. Uncle Antonio becomes __________
maudlin when he talks about his
dear old mother in Italy. Tears also come to the eyes of all
who listen.
If Antonio makes everyone cry, he must be tearfully sentimental.
10. Joyce isn’t usually __________,
impetuous but last week she had a
sudden urge to try out her nephew’s skateboard. Everyone in
the office has already signed the cast on her broken wrist.
If Joyce acted on a sudden urge, she must have been impulsive.