VOCABULARY
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1. altruism: (a) selfless-
ness (b) shamelessness (c)
carelessness (d) faithless-
ness.
2. burnish: (a) pine
(b) dine (c) fine (d) shine.
3. chiaroscuro: (a) light
and shade ( b ) pain and
pleasure (c) loss and gain (d)
day and night.
4. de facto: (a) in fact (b)
in need (c) in doubt (d) in
crisis.
5. extant: (a) passive (b)
existing (c) remote (d)
historical.
6. frazzle: (a) excite (b)
exhaust ( c ) explore (d)
exploit.
7. genuflect: (a) stand at
ease (b) move with speed (c)
bend for worship (d) beg for
mercy.
8. hypsophobia: (a) fear
of high places (b) fear of wild
animals (c) fear of ghosts (d)
fear of strangers.
9. ingenious: (a)
deceptive (b) talkative (c)
profitable (d) original.
10. laundromat: (a)
washing process (b) witness
box (c) circumstantial
evidence (d) fearful sight.
11. motley: (a) natural
(b) logical (c) diverse (d)
ANSWERS
1. altruism: (a) selfless-
ness, benevolence.
—The truth is that the
Doha (Qatar) meeting has
stripped the veneer (polish/
mask) of altruism from the
face of globalisation.
2. burnish: (d) shine,
brighten.
—The American Presi-
uniform.
12. neophyte: (a )
umpire (b) beginner (c)
experienced (d) mountaineer.
13. obituary: (a) death
warrant (b) death sentence
(c) deadly deal (d) death
notice.
14. provenance: (a)
place of worship (b) hour of
glory (c) place of origin (d)
guilty of theft.
15. quandary: (a) state
of uncertainty (b) state of
ignorance (c) state of
readiness (d) state of
bankruptcy.
16. ramble: (a) work
for livelihood (b) read for
knowledge (c) travel for
pleasure (d ) walk for
pleasure.
17. spigot: (a) devil (b)
department (c) device (d)
development.
18. tidbit/titbit: (a )
speech (b) scholarship (c)
gossip (d) scandal.
1 9 . voyeuristic: (a )
ugly sight (b) sexual pleasure
(c) sick mind (d) healthy
body.
20. whimsy: (a) strange
behaviour (b) firm opinion
( c ) sufficient space ( d )
imaginary flight.
dent’s reputation has been
burnished by his response to
September 11, 2001 terrorist
attack.
3. chiaroscuro: (a) light
and shade (painting/drawing).
—The subjects of
drawings vary from a coke-
bottle shaped body to
chiaroscuro renderings of
houses and monuments.
338 ! NOVEMBER 2002 ! THE COMPETITION MASTER
4. de facto: (a) in fact.
—The city is rapidly
becoming the de facto centre
of world diplomacy.
5. extant: (b) existing.
—His books have radi-
cally altered extant thinking
on Indian politics and society.
6. frazzle: (b) exhaust.
—The court order in his
favour has soothed his
frazzled nerves.
7. genuflect: (c)
bend(ing) for worship or
respect.
—It is painfully amusing
to see some visitors
genuflecting before the
exquisitely carved stone idols
dumped in a police-station/
lock-up room.
8. hypsophobia: (a) fear
of high places.
—He suffers from
hypsophobia since his
childhood.
9. ingenious: (d)
original.
—Sufism is both
ingenious and assimilative
cutting across creed, culture
and classes.
10. laundromat: (a)
washing/cleaning process,
improvement/trans-
formation.
—Most major religions of
the world have gone through
the laundromat of humanism
and enlightenment.
11. motley: (c) diverse,
assorted.
—The alliance of so
many parties may be a motley
group, but they can also boast
of much stronger links with
the ordinary people.
12. neophyte: (b)
beginner, novice.
—He came to office as a
neophyte with little
experience or interest in
foreign affairs.
13. obituary: (d) death
notice.
—Without the coinci-
dence, her recovery may well
have been her obituary.
14. provenance: (c) place
of origin.
—A small museum was
set up where the relics (of the
past) were displayed with a
brief description of their
adventure filled provenance.
15. quandary: (a) state of
uncertainty.
—He is evidently in a
quandary and does not know
how to act or react.
16. ramble: (d) walk for
pleasure.
—It is time to give back
to the few remaining animals
in the wild the space to ramble
and roar unhindered.
17. spigot: (c) device.
—Infiltration is no
longer a spigot that can be
turned on and off in order to
leverage a more favourable
political outcome.
18. tidbit: (c) gossip.
—The scholar does not
titillate the reader with
tidbits/titbits about the many
powerful personalities who
have crossed his path.
19. voyeuristic: (b)
sexual pleasure (seeking).
—The story narrates the
plight of a set of voyeuristic
friends who gloat over
pornographic collection.
20. whimsy: (a) fanciful
or strange behaviour.
—A regime prone to
whimsy follows certain
policies that may confuse
many an analyst.