Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know (MCQ Test + PDF) Week 34

Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know (MCQ Test + PDF) Week 34 - Day 2

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Question 1

A HOPE DASHED

The next day, Wednesday, saw Robert become more frustrated. He would fluctuate between high hopes of finding Evelyn and unmitigated despair when he was almost ready to desist in his search. The phone calls had elicited almost nothing. Robert had rushed to one women’s residence when the clerk described a girl who might just be Evelyn. The desk clerk phoned to her room on the pretext that she had a special delivery letter. Robert waited in the commodious lobby, replete with large, antiquated pieces of furniture. He watched from a discreet distance as she came down the stairs. One look at her wan face, slovenly dress, and disheveled hair was enough to inform Robert that he needed no further scrutiny. This could not be his impeccable Evelyn.

Sample Sentences: Use the new words in these sentences.

He wasn’t exactly an _____ liar; he merely embellished the truth a little.

A	fluctuate
B	unmitigated
C	disheveled
D	commodious
E	antiquated

Question 1 Explanation:

Unmitigated means complete, total, as bad as can be. An unmitigated liar lies all the time. The clue is the contrast: he only embellished the truth a little, so he was not a complete liar. In the passage, Robert feels unmitigated despair, which means total despair with no hope at all.

Question 2

In his sumptuous house he had a _____ den in which he kept an array of trophies as incontrovertible evidence of his skill.

A	fluctuate
B	unmitigated
C	disheveled
D	commodious
E	antiquated

Question 2 Explanation:

Commodious means large and spacious, with plenty of room. A den that holds an array of trophies must be big, and a big room fits the sumptuous (luxurious) house. In the passage, Robert waits in the commodious lobby of the women's residence, which is full of large pieces of furniture.

Question 3

Is it banal to say that good manners are _____ in our milieu?

A	fluctuate
B	unmitigated
C	disheveled
D	commodious
E	antiquated

Question 3 Explanation:

Antiquated means out-of-date or old-fashioned. The speaker wonders whether it is a cliché (banal) to complain that good manners are no longer in fashion in our society (milieu). Example: The office still uses antiquated computers.

Question 4

The current trend in the stock market is for stocks to _____ in a sporadic fashion.

A	fluctuate
B	unmitigated
C	disheveled
D	commodious
E	antiquated

Question 4 Explanation:

Fluctuate is a verb that means to go up and down, to shift or change often. The gap comes after to, so it needs a base verb, and fluctuate is the only verb among the options. Prices that change in a sporadic fashion (irregularly) fluctuate.

Question 5

The nondescript, indolent beggar was in a _____ condition.

A	fluctuate
B	unmitigated
C	disheveled
D	commodious
E	antiquated

Question 5 Explanation:

Disheveled means untidy or messy, especially hair or clothes. A lazy (indolent), ordinary-looking (nondescript) beggar would look untidy. In the passage, the girl's disheveled hair shows Robert she cannot be the neat, impeccable Evelyn.

Question 6

Definitions: Match the new words with their definitions.

fluctuate

A	large, spacious
B	shift, alternate
C	disorderly clothing or hair
D	unrelieved, as bad as can be
E	out-of-date, obsolete

Question 6 Explanation:

Fluctuate means to shift or alternate, to keep changing between two states. In the passage, Robert would fluctuate between high hopes … and unmitigated despair. His feelings kept moving from one to the other.

Question 7

unmitigated

A	large, spacious
B	shift, alternate
C	disorderly clothing or hair
D	unrelieved, as bad as can be
E	out-of-date, obsolete

Question 7 Explanation:

Unmitigated means unrelieved, complete, as bad as can be. Nothing makes it softer or better. Example: The party was an unmitigated disaster. In the passage, Robert feels unmitigated despair.

Question 8

commodious

A	large, spacious
B	shift, alternate
C	disorderly clothing or hair
D	unrelieved, as bad as can be
E	out-of-date, obsolete

Question 8 Explanation:

Commodious means large and spacious, with a lot of room. In the passage, Robert waits in the commodious lobby, which is full of large pieces of furniture. Don't confuse it with commode, which is a kind of cabinet or chair.

Question 9

antiquated

A	large, spacious
B	shift, alternate
C	disorderly clothing or hair
D	unrelieved, as bad as can be
E	out-of-date, obsolete

Question 9 Explanation:

Antiquated means out-of-date, old-fashioned or obsolete. In the passage, the lobby has antiquated pieces of furniture, so the furniture is old and no longer in style.

Question 10

disheveled

A	large, spacious
B	shift, alternate
C	disorderly clothing or hair
D	unrelieved, as bad as can be
E	out-of-date, obsolete

Question 10 Explanation:

Disheveled means untidy or disorderly, used especially about clothing or hair. In the passage, the girl has disheveled hair and slovenly dress. British English usually spells it dishevelled.

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NEW WORDS

fluctuate [fluk´ chü āt]

“He fluctuated between mindless talk and endless silence.” Alix Shulman, “Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen”

unmitigated [un mit´ ə gā´ tid]

“The crossword puzzle is the unmitigated sedentary hobby of Americans.” Bill Bryson, Mother Tongue

commodious [kə mō´ dē əs]

“The new baseball stadium offered a more commodious arena for the fans and players.” Sports Illustrated, 5/11/99

antiquated [an´ tə kwā tid]

“The custom of throwing rice at a newly married couple is an antiquated one, originally meaning a wish for many children.” “Wedding Guide,” Courier-Life Publications, 7/99