Question 1
Choose the synonym.
picturesque
Picturesque means very pretty to look at, like a painting, which is the same as scenic: a picturesque village = a scenic village. Not calm, which describes a quiet, peaceful state, not beauty.
Question 2
partisan
Partisan means strongly supporting one side or group, so it is not fair or neutral. That is the meaning of biased: a partisan newspaper gives only one side of the story.
Question 3
eruption
An eruption is a sudden, violent release, as of lava from a volcano or of anger or noise. An outburst has the same meaning: an eruption/outburst of violence.
Question 4
disappear
To disappear is to stop being seen or to stop existing, which is what vanish means: The sun vanished behind the clouds.
Question 5
shallow
Used of ideas or people, shallow means not deep or serious, only dealing with the surface. That is the meaning of superficial: a shallow/superficial argument. Not placid, which means calm.
Question 6
propensity
A propensity is a natural habit of behaving in a certain way, which is a tendency: a propensity to exaggerate. Not intuition, which is knowing something without reasoning.
Question 7
reaction
A reaction is what you say, do or feel because of something that happens, which is a response: Her reaction/response to the news was calm.
Question 8
rich
Rich most often means having a lot of money, which is the meaning of affluent: an affluent/rich family. Not influential: rich people are often influential, but the word means having power over others, not having money.
Question 9
protected
Protected means kept safe from harm or danger, and sheltered means the same: a sheltered/protected bay is safe from wind and waves.
Question 10
rhythm
A rhythm is a regular, repeated pattern of sounds, movements or events: the rhythm/pattern of the seasons. Not notion, which means an idea.
Question 11
Until the latter half of the twentieth century, the Chesapeake Bay’s sheltered, nutrient-rich waters supported plentiful populations of marine life. Commercial fishing and recreational activities abounded. By the 1970s, however, residential and industrial development of the surrounding land had led to significant pollution of the bay. Various projects have been initiated in an effort to reverse the environmental damage that the bay has suffered.
The word plentiful in the passage is closest in meaning to _____.
Plentiful means existing in large amounts, which is abundant. The passage says the bay's nutrient-rich waters supported large populations and fishing abounded. Not declining: the decline only came later, with pollution in the 1970s.
Question 12
The bee family Apidae, which includes honeybees, no longer uses honeypots that could be damaged by exposure to the elements. Instead, honey and pollen are stored in vertical combs with a layer of cells on each surface. Of the four species of honeybees in this family, only three are found in Asia. Their nests have several combs and are sheltered in crevices of rocks or hollows of trees.
The word sheltered in the passage is closest in meaning to _____.
Sheltered means kept safe from danger or bad weather, which is protected. The nests are placed in rock crevices and tree hollows, so they are protected from the elements. Not discovered, which means found.
Question 13
Andrew Carnegie established several independent, philanthropic foundations. Among them are funds for the recognition of heroic acts. These include the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust, the Endowment for International Peace, and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, which was established in 1905 to provide pensions for college teachers.
The word philanthropic in the passage is closest in meaning to _____.
Philanthropic means giving money and help to improve other people's lives, which is humanitarian. The passage lists Carnegie's foundations for heroes, peace and teachers' pensions. Not financial: the foundations involve money, but the word describes their aim of helping people.
Question 14
The world of magic comprises a wide range of phenomena, from the intricate ritual beliefs and practices of religious systems, to acts of conjuring and sleight of hand for entertainment. Magic is a social and cultural phenomenon found in all places and in all periods of history, with varying degrees of importance.
The word phenomena in the passage is closest in meaning to _____.
Phenomena (plural of phenomenon) are events or facts that can be observed, which are occurrences. The passage gives examples, from religious rituals to conjuring tricks. Not patterns, which are regular repeated arrangements.
Question 15
A person’s need for food is determined by age and by average heights and weights. Individual activity levels are also used to determine the level of ideal calorie consumption. For example, a decrease in recommended daily calorie consumption with increasing age is consistent with the known reduction in metabolism that occurs with aging and with a normal decrease in physical activity.
The word decrease in the passage is closest in meaning to _____.
A decrease is a fall in amount or number, which is a decline. The passage says recommended calories go down as people get older. Not balance, which means an equal state.
Question 16
Liquids vary in the amount of acid they contain. For example, water contains relatively little acid, while vinegar contains a large quantity. Acidic content is determined by dipping litmus paper into a liquid. This paper is saturated with a colorant obtained from plants called lichens. The colorant reacts to the presence of acid by turning different shades of red—the brightness of the shade can be measured on a scale called a pH scale.
In stating that the colorant reacts to the presence of acid in the liquid, the author means that it _____.
To react to something in chemistry means to change chemically when it is present. The passage says the colorant reacts by turning different shades of red, so it combines chemically with the acid. Not causes the liquid to lose its redness: the passage says the paper turns red, not that the liquid loses colour.
Question 17
Gars are long, slender, predatory fish, with a long, tooth-studded jaw and a tough, armored skin. They are a primitive fish that inhabit placid fresh waters of the Western Hemisphere. Because of the highly vascular and cellular nature of the gar’s swim bladder, it functions as a lung. This makes the gar able to survive in large numbers in the Everglades of the southern United States.
The word placid in the passage is closest in meaning to _____.
Placid means quiet and still, without strong movement, which is calm: placid fresh waters are calm, slow-moving waters. Not sheltered or protected, which mean kept safe from danger.
Question 18
In the human body, different toxins produce different reactions. Irritation of the upper respiratory tract by inhaled formaldehyde gas is rapidly reversible because as soon as inhalation ends, the irritation subsides. In contrast, the response produced by silica dust is irreversible, because once the silicotic nodules are formed, they remain in the lung.
The word reactions in the passage is closest in meaning to _____.
Reactions here are the body's responses to toxins. The passage itself uses the synonym later: the response produced by silica dust. Not influences, which are effects one thing has on another, not the body's answer to it.
Question 19
Much of the world’s unique heritage is endangered by pollution, the advance of human settlements, conflicts over the use of land and resources, and other problems. Thus, many countries are setting aside scenic natural areas as rapidly as possible. The tendency of many governments has been to establish as many parks as possible before natural environments are altered by human activities.
The word scenic in the passage is closest in meaning to _____.
Scenic describes places with beautiful natural views, which is picturesque. The passage is about saving beautiful natural areas as parks. Not delightful: it means very pleasant in general, not specifically beautiful to look at.
Question 20
A “must carry” rule is designed to ensure that local TV stations do not vanish from cable TV offerings. It requires cable systems to carry all local broadcast channels within a certain area of their transmitters. The law was struck down in 1985, although many aspects of that case are still being argued.
The word vanish in the passage is closest in meaning to _____.
To vanish means to disappear. The rule makes sure local stations do not disappear from the channels that cable TV offers. Not elude, which means to escape from or avoid someone or something.
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TARGET WORDS
- affluent (n. affluence)
adj. rich in money or means; prosperous
syn. wealthy
He is not from an affluent family, but he worked hard and was able to attend college.
The affluent supporter had a building named in her honor.
- decline (n. decline)
- to move from good to bad, or from much to little; to refuse
syn.decrease
The old man’s health has declined since he retired.
Serious communicable diseases are on the decline in most parts of the world.
- outburst
- a sudden and intense release of something
syn.eruption
The joke caused an outburst of laughter from the audience.
There was an outburst of complaints from the students when the teacher moved the test to Monday.
- partisan
adj. strongly supporting a group or point of view
syn. biased
Partisan political infighting has caused a decline in the efficiency of Congress.
His views reflected his partisan bias.
- pattern (adj. patterned; v. pattern)
- a regular, repeated arrangement or action
syn.habit
The bright pattern of the monarch butterfly distracts its predators.
The new stadium was patterned after the old traditional ballparks.
- phenomena (adv. phenomenally; adj. phenomenal; n. phenomenon)
- natural events or facts; strange or notable happenings
syn.events
Rain showers are almost unknown phenomena in the Atacama Desert of Chile.
The musician’s phenomenal performance was applauded by the critics.
- philanthropic (n. philanthropist; n. philanthropy)
adj. a feeling of love for people, usually resulting in financial aid to worthy causes
syn. humanitarian
The philanthropic work of the foundation benefits all sectors of society.
His philanthropy is recognized around the world.
- placid (adv. placidly)
adj. quiet; not easily upset
syn. calm
The placid nature of her personality made her easy to work with.
The waves moved placidly toward shore.
- plentiful (adv. plentifully; n. plenty)
adj. more than sufficient
syn. abundant
Examples of Miro’s art are plentiful.
A balanced diet normally provides plenty of the necessary vitamins.
- propensity
- a bias toward certain things or actions
syn.tendency
He has a propensity to procrastinate.
She has a propensity for being extremely friendly to newcomers.
- reaction (adv. reactively; adj. reactive; v. react; adj. reactionary)
- a reply; a change that occurs when substances are mixed
syn.response
When chlorine and ammonia are mixed, the chemical reaction causes chlorine gas.
They reacted to the report by making some swift changes in management.
- rhythm (adv. rhythmically; adj. rhythmic)
- a regular pattern, usually in music
syn.pulse
The rhythm of the rain hitting the roof put him to sleep.
She noticed the rhythmic beating of her heart as the moment of truth arrived.
- run into
- v.to come into contact with something or someone
syn. encounter
She ran into her old roommate at the reunion.
The distracted driver narrowly avoided running into the tree.
- scenic (adv. scenically; n. scenery; n. scene)
adj. concerning pleasant natural surroundings
syn. picturesque
The scenic route to the summit is much more interesting than the fastest route.
The scenery in rural Japan is impressive.
- shallow (adv. shallowly; n. shallowness)
adj. not far from top to bottom
syn. superficial
Estuaries are typically shallow bodies of water.
The results of their research demonstrated the shallowness of the hypothesis.
- sheltered (v. shelter; n. shelter)
adj. protected from harmful elements; isolated from reality
syn. protected
She has led a sheltered life, her parents having done everything for her.
Everyone looked for shelter from the blazing sun.
- vanishing (v. vanish)
adj. going out of sight
syn. disappearing
The red squirrel is a vanishing species that needs a protected habitat to survive.
No one knows with certainty what caused the dinosaurs to vanish from the face of the earth.