Question 1
Choose the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the opposite of the word below.
persevere
To persevere means to keep trying even when something is difficult. The opposite is to give up, which means to stop trying. Example: She persevered and passed the exam on her third attempt.
Question 2
anticipate
To anticipate means to expect something or see it coming before it happens. The opposite is to not see something coming. Example: Scientists try to anticipate tsunamis.
Question 3
famine
A famine is a serious lack of food in an area, so people go hungry. The opposite is an excess of food, which means more food than is needed.
Question 4
collide
To collide means to crash into something, for example Two cars collided on the bridge. The opposite is to pass by without hitting.
Question 5
catastrophic
Catastrophic means causing terrible damage or suffering. The opposite is harmless, which means causing no damage at all.
Question 6
Choose the word that best completes each sentence.
Residents of Hawaii must accept the possibility of a volcanic _____.
An eruption is the sudden explosion of a volcano, when it throws out lava, ash and gas. The word volcanic is the clue: we say a volcanic eruption. Perseverance (continued effort) does not fit with a volcano.
Question 7
Years after the accident, she was finally able to _____ her feelings of anger.
To unleash means to suddenly let out a strong force or feeling that was held back. After years of keeping her anger inside, she could finally unleash it. Anticipate means to expect something in the future, which does not fit with feelings she already had.
Question 8
Houses along the river often face _____ during the rainy season.
Flooding happens when water covers land that is usually dry. The clues are along the river and rainy season. Famine is a lack of food and has nothing to do with rain or rivers.
Question 9
Many people think it is cruel to _____ live lobsters into boiling water.
To plunge means to push or drop something suddenly and deeply into a liquid: plunge lobsters into boiling water. Collide means to crash into something and does not take the pattern collide something into water.
Question 10
A well-written essay should make some kind of _____ on its readers.
Impact means a strong effect on someone or something. The fixed phrase is make an impact on someone. A catastrophe is a terrible disaster, which is not what a good essay should cause.
Question 11
Read the passage to review the vocabulary you have learned. Answer the questions that follow.
Nature challenges humans in many ways, through disease, weather, and famine. For those living along the coast, one unusual phenomenon capable of catastrophic destruction is the tsunami (pronounced “tsoo-NAH-mee”). A tsunami is a series of waves generated in a body of water by an impulsive disturbance. Earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, explosions, and even the impact of meteorites can generate tsunamis. Starting at sea, a tsunami slowly approaches land, growing in height and losing energy through bottom friction and turbulence. Still, just like any other water waves, tsunamis unleash tremendous energy as they plunge onto the shore. They have great erosion potential, stripping beaches of sand, undermining trees, and flooding hundreds of meters inland. They can easily crush cars, homes, vegetation, and anything they collide with. To minimize the devastation of a tsunami, scientists are constantly trying to anticipate them more accurately and more quickly. Because many factors come together to produce a life-threatening tsunami, foreseeing them is not easy. Despite this, researchers in meteorology persevere in studying and predicting tsunami behavior.
Bonus Structure — Despite this means “even so; regardless.”
Which sentence best expresses the essential information of this passage?
The passage is about how tsunamis cause catastrophic destruction for people living along the coast. It describes how they damage beaches, homes and land inland. Not the option about prediction: the passage says foreseeing tsunamis is not easy, so scientists cannot yet predict them accurately. The passage never presents tsunamis as a source of usable energy, and it treats flooding as part of tsunami damage, not something to compare with it.
Question 12
In the first sentence, why does the author mention weather?
The first sentence lists disease, weather, and famine as ways that nature challenges humans. Weather is one example of a destructive natural force, which leads into the topic of tsunamis. Not because tsunamis are caused by bad weather: the passage says tsunamis are caused by earthquakes, landslides, eruptions, explosions and meteorites, not by weather.
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Word List
anticipate [ænˈtisəˌpeit] v.
To expect; to sense something before it happens
→ By placing sensors in earthquake-prone areas, scientists can anticipate some tremors in time to warn the public.
Parts of speech anticipation n., anticipatory adj.
catastrophic [ˌkædəˈstrɑfɪk] adj.
Extremely harmful; causing financial or physical ruin
→ The architect died in a catastrophic elevator accident.
Parts of speech catastrophe n., catastrophically adv.
collide [kəˈlaɪd] v.
To come together with great or violent force
→ As usual, their holiday was ruined when their in-laws’ views on politics collided with their own.
Parts of speech collision n.
eruption [əˈrəpʃ(ə)n] n.
A sudden, often violent, outburst
→ The eruption of Mount St.Helens in 1980 caused 57 deaths and immeasurable change to the face of the mountain.
Usage tips Eruption is often followed by an of phrase.
Parts of speech erupt v.
famine [ˈfæmən] n.
Severe hunger; a drastic food shortage
→ The potato famine in Ireland in the mid-nineteenth century caused large numbers of Irish people to emigrate to America.
flood [fləd] n.
An overflowing of water; an excessive amount
→ The constant rain and poor drainage system caused a flood in town.
Parts of speech flood v.
impact [ˈɪmˌpækt] n.
A strong influence
→ The speech about the importance of education made an impact on me.
Usage tips Impact is usually followed by on or of.
Parts of speech impact v.
persevere [ˌpərsəˈvɪr] v.
To keep going, despite obstacles or discouragement; to maintain a purpose
→ The hikers persevered despite the bad weather and the icy trail.
Parts of speech persist v., persistent adj.
plunge [pləndʒ] v.
To go down suddenly; to decrease by a great amount in a short time
→ He jumped off the diving board and plunged into the pool.
Usage tips Plunge is often followed by an into phrase.
Parts of speech plunge n.
unleash [ˌənˈliʃ] v.
To release a thing or an emotion
→ When they saw the strange man on their property, they unleashed their dogs.