2 020 E SSENTIALS

CHOICES SENTENCES

V OCABULARY D RILL C

Directions: Select the CHOICE (on the left) that best fits a SENTENCE (on the right). Note: each CHOICE can only be used once.

A. decry B. deride C. descry D. deviate E. diffuse

1) Ironically, the kid he used to _____ in high school is now his employer, who takes every opportunity to

reciprocate the ridicule.

2) In the fog, we were barely able to _____ the ship in the distance. 3) The liberal president _____d the stance taken by the reactionary group, who opposed any reform. 4) The venetian blinds _____d the bright sunlight pouring in through the windows. 5) The hikers were instructed not to _____ from the trail, unless they wished to get lost in the woods.

A. detractor B. dignitary C. dilettante D. eccentric E. egalitarian
6) Since the neighbors considered the man a harmless _____ , his odd behavior was usually overlooked. 7) Having received a Nobel Prize in the field, he was anything but a _____ when it came to economics. 8) Though they claimed to be _____s, the senatorsin practicealways voted in favor of the wealthy. 9) Determined to succeed as an artist, she would not allow _____s to deter her from her aspiration. 10) Accustomed to VIP treatment, the _____ took the hotels denial for a bigger suite as a rebuff.

A. derelict B. detached C. diaphanous D. dilatory E. diligent
11) The senator resorted to filibusteringa _____ procedural tacticto delay passage of the bill. 12) To maintain her objectivity, the judge may seem _____ , but her ardor for justice has not dissipated. 13) Though the fabric is _____ , its durability is deceptively sturdy. 14) Never thought of as _____ , the student surprised everyone when he graduated summa cum laude. 15) The soldier was found _____ in his duty; however, his infraction was not serious enough to warrant a

court martial.

A. derivative B. deterrent C. diatribe D. dichotomy E. dictum
16) The candidate launched a _____ against his opponent whom he considered morally unqualified to run. 17) The textbook is not an original work; instead, it is a _____ of a textbook written ten years earlier. 18) The principle might makes right became the _____ the dictator used to justify his repressive regime. 19) As a _____ to crime, capital punishment has failed to curb homicide rates. 20) Because there is a _____ between theory and practice, scientists and engineers dont do the same work.

A. dilapidated B. discreet C. discrete D. disingenuous E. disinterested
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21) Not very circumspect in speech, the detective was not very proficient at making _____ inquiries. 22) Her crocodile tears did little to convince me that her sadness was anything but _____ . 23) As a professional financial advisor, she was expected to provide _____ advice about investments. 24) They decided that the building was too _____ for renovation, and recommended that it be razed. 25) Instead of transmitting _____ units of information, the steady data stream provided a continuous flow.

CHOICES

SENTENCES

A. discrepancy B. discretion C. disposition D. duplicity E. echelon

26) His meteoric rise to the upper _____s of the corporation can be attributed to his work ethic and talent. 27) Confident in her confidants _____ , she revealed her deepest, darkest secrets to him. 28) The government launched an investigation into the companys finances because there were notable

_____ s between the companys financial records and those of an independent accounting firm.
29) Her nervous _____ impeded her ambition to become an air traffic controllera job requiring nerves of

steel and a strong constitution.

30) Despite his attempts to stay clean, the ex-convict became embroiled in his crooked friends _____ .

A. disavow B. discern C. disenchant D. dissemble E. disseminate

31) Even though he _____d any link to the Ponzi scheme, the public perception was that he was heavily

involved in defrauding investors.

32) Learn to _____ ; otherwise, you will never be able to distinguish the nuances of life. 33) A tenet of journalism requires journalists to _____ the news, not become the news. 34) The harsh realities of war _____d the heretofore romantic soldier seeking glory on the battlefield. 35) Since there was no need for her to _____ , they believed her when she said she was telling the truth.

A. dormant B. doting C. dour D. droll E. dubious

36) Surprisingly, the boy matured into an independent man even though he was spoiled by _____ parents. 37) He earned the _____ distinction of being the lowest paid employee in the company. 38) The villagers were dubious that the volcano, which had been _____ for thousands of years, could all of a

sudden become active.

39) It was the kind of _____ remark that did not evoke immediate howls of laughter, but it did make

everyone who heard it chuckle for days afterward.

40) The _____ old Seed teacher looked as if he had never smiled; however, he was full of joy and happiness.

A. disputatious B. earnest C. eclectic D. economical E. ecstatic

41) The fans became _____ when their team won an unexpected victory against their rivals. 42) The architect combined many different styles to create a truly _____ design. 43) Though the politician was well-qualified for the office, many felt that he was too _____ with the truth

and could not be trusted to be honest with his constituents.

44) Because the council meetings usually turned into _____ free-for-alls, the mayor placed a moratorium on

the meetings until the council members learned how to debate in a civil and courteous manner.
45) No matter how _____ his apologies were, Jack could not convince Jill that he was truly sorry.

46) Their irrepressible laughter was a manifestation of the _____ mood of the crowd of revelers and

A. dogmatic B. effervescent C. efficacious D. effusive E. egregious

convivial surroundings in which they found themselves. had other option but to fire the manager.

47) The managers mistake was such an _____ error of judgment that the president of the company felt he 48) Not wanting her opinion to be viewed as too _____ , the CEO invited other members of the board to play

Devils advocates and try to change her mind.

49) Though the new vaccine had not been fully tested, it proved to be both a safe treatment and _____

remedy for its targeted disease.

50) Fully aware that she did not accomplish things alone, she was _____ in her gratitude for the help she got.
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CHOICES

SENTENCES

A. elegiac B. elliptical C. eloquent D. elusive E. embellish

51) Because there are many _____ qualities about her new boyfriend, she had a hard time describing him to

her parents.

52) The artist adopted _____ themes in her art; hence, many feel somber when viewing her paintings. 53) It was so _____ a speech that few will soon forget its fluent phrases or its persuasive points. 54) Though the novel contains many _____ parts, those of us that were familiar with its author knew how to

metaphorically fill in the blanks.

55) Naturally, as the legend was retold from generation to generation, it became _____d with more details.

A. emancipation B. embargo C. empathy D. enigma E. entropy
56) The judge, who valued order more than the law, saw life as a struggle against _____ . 57) Oprah Winfrey once said, The struggle of my life created _____ I could relate to pain, being

abandoned, having people not love me.

58) Inasmuch as the U.S. could penalize another country without military intervention, the president

ordered an _____ on the island nation.

59) He remained an _____ to most people, but among his close friends, he was not much of a puzzle to solve. 60) Once she obtained financial independence, she experienced true _____ from her parents authority.

A. embroider B. emulate C. enervate D. engender E. enjoin
61) The sweltering weather and interminable work hours _____d the field workers to complete exhaustion. 62) Lesser players have tried to _____ his achievements, but they failed because his talent was inimitable. 63) Because new legislation stripped unions of their collective bargaining power, they were effectively

_____d from going on strike.

64) Although he tried to _____ his speech with colorful anecdotes, the reception to the speech was tepid

because the anecdotes were not that humorous.

65) Suffice it to say that the controversial issue will _____ heated debate for months to come.

A. ephemeral B. epicurean C. equitable D. equivocal E. erudite
66) The allure of cruise ships is the _____ banquets they offerelaborate feasts suitable for royalty. 67) For some, the Buffett Rule is an _____ way of sharing the tax burden; for others, however, it is a gimmick

that unfairly targets the wealthy.

68) Since the results of the first inquiry were _____ , the president ordered the start of a second inquiry to

produce more conclusive results.

69) _____ English professors use words like erudite to impress their students. 70) The young actress was mature enough to know that fame is _____ and her career could end tomorrow.

A. emphatic B. empirical C. errant D. erratic E. ethereal
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71) Her _____ behaviorscreaming, crying, kickingwas indicative of her mental breakdown. 72) The impassioned fans cheered their team on with _____ shouts for victory. 73) Her _____ behaviorlying, cursing, stealingwas indicative of her burgeoning immorality. 74) The celebritys adoring fans nicknamed her angel, because they considered her beauty ____ and not of

this world.
75) Until the scientist produces _____ evidence to corroborate his theory, the scientific community will hold

off on its judgment on the theorys validity.

CHOICES

SENTENCES

A. enormity B. epiphany C. epilogue D. epithet E. expenditure

76) The realization that destiny is more a matter of choice than chance was a profound _____ that changed

the rest of his life.

77) If whats past is prologue then is what lies in the future, an _____ ? 78) While an epitaph is an inscription on a tombstone, an _____ is a sobriquet, a nickname, a moniker. 79) The _____ of the atrocity warranted the greatest punishment possible. 80) The mayor proposed reducing next years budget by cutting down public _____s on social services.

A. exhort B. extort C. exploit D. extol E. exult

81) The mafia _____s money from its victims. 82) A preacher _____s his parishioners to do good deeds. 83) His opponents _____d in triumph when they forced the evil dictator to resign from his office. 84) Motivated by an irrational desire for a change, the incumbents detractors _____d the virtues of the

incumbents opponent even though they believed he was only slightly qualified for the office.
85) Start-ups, newly created businesses, sprang up like May flowers to _____ the new technological

advances made on the Internet.

86) Humanitys acts of inhumanity never cease as ____d in the 600,000 to 800,000 people who are

A. envisage B. eradicate C. escalate D. espouse E. evince

trafficked as slaves across international borders each year. of freedom, dignitary, and equality.

87) Human rights advocates _____ a day when all human beings will be able to exercise their inherent rights 88) As a young man, he _____d social Darwinism, but after learning how so many have used the theory to

promote imperialism and racism, he now rejects it.

89) The _____ing costs of health care and insurance coverage mandate reform. 90) When, in 1967, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that small pox had been _____d, many

hailed it as humanitys greatest achievement.

A. exacerbate B. exasperate C. exonerate D. expedite E. expound

91) Already annoyed by the silly questions students pose, the Seed teacher was further _____d by the

students reluctance to do the homework that would answer all of their questions. Twitter feeds for the news.

92) The students further _____d their stupidity by refusing to read the newspaper and relying only on 93) The scientists will not _____ their new theory until they present it at next months conference. 94) New DNA evidence _____d the men wrongly convicted of crimes they did not commit. 95) The looming deadline compelled her to get an assistant to help _____ the mounting paperwork.

A. expunge B. expurgate C. extemporize D. extenuate E. extricate

96) Though there were _____ing circumstances that caused him to misspeak, the talk show host accepted

responsibility for poor choice of words.

97) She tried to _____ herself from her duties but was bound by her oath of office not to. 98) Fearful that his past youthful indiscretions may harm his political career, the candidate asked the

judge to _____ his juvenile criminal record.

99) Like an improvisational jazz musician, the seasoned orator could _____ a speech on any topic. 100) The censor _____d passages from the book he found inappropriate for young readers.
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