QUIZ 2 3.
What is the meaning of the underlined word
MEANING OF WORD
The black widow is the most dangerous
spider living in the United States. It is most
common in the southern parts of the country, but
it can be found throughout the country. The
black widow got its name because the female
has been known to kill the male after mating
and, as a result becomes widow.
The black widow is rather distinctive in
appearance; it has a shiny globular body, the size
of shape of pea, and is marked on its underbelly
with a red or yellow spot. The female is
considerably more ample than the male, roughly
four times larger on the average.
If a human is bitten by a black widow, the
spider’s poison can cause severe illness and
pain. Black widow bites have occasionally
proved deadly, but it is certainly not the norm
for black widow bites to be mortal.
1. In line 5 the word “widow” means
a. a type of poison
b. the dead male spider
c. the human victim of the spider
d. a female whose mate has died
2. the word ample in line 12 indicates that
spider is
a. feminine
b. large
c. dotted with colors
d. normal
Most of the women in the orchestra wore
conventional black skirts and white shirts during
concerts and had their hair neatly pulled back.
Robin, with her brightly colored clothing and
unusual hairstyles, was considered quite
eccentric.
eccentric as it is used in the sentence?
a. unconventional
b. joyful
c. unreliable
d. proud
The Sami are an indigenous people living in
the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland,
and Russia’s Kola peninsula. Originally, the
Sami religion was animistic; that is, for them,
nature and natural objects had a conscious life, a
spirit. Therefore, one was expected to move
quietly in the wilderness and avoid making a
disturbance out of courtesy to these spirits.
Ghengis Khan is said to have declared that the
Sami were one people he would never try to
fight again. Because the Sami were not warriors
and did not believe in war, they simply
disappeared in times of conflict. They were
known as “peaceful retreaters.
4. The closest meaning of the underlined word
animistic, as it is used in the passage, is
a. the irrational belief in supernatural beings.
b. the belief that animals and plants have
souls.
c. the belief that animals are gods.
d. the primitive belief that people can be
reincarnated as animals.
5. What is the meaning of the underlined word
courtesy as it is used in the passage?
a. timidity
b. caution
c. respect
d. fear
Read the following sentences and try to
choose the best definition for the italicized
word by searching for context clues in the
sentence
6. The designer window treatments in her 11. Excited about winning the award, Marcia
house, installed 17 years ago, were walked up to the podium and delivered an
outmoded. animated acceptance speech.
a. unnecessary a. abbreviated
b. pointless b. courteous
c. out-of-date c. reserved
d. worthless d. lively

7. Although the professor’s lectures were 12. The news about toxic waste dumping
regarded by many as so wearisome that they aroused the anger of the many listeners of a
regularly put students to sleep, he ignored all news broadcast.
criticism and refused to make any changes. a. informed
a. modest b. appeased
b. unpleasant c. provoked
c. boring d. deceived
d. objectionable
13. The spokesperson must articulate the
8. When Katya refused to lie to her parents philosophy of an entire company so that
about where she was spending the night, she outsiders can understand it completely.
was completely ostracized by her usually a. trust
loyal friends, who had never shunned her b. refine
before. c. verify
a. excluded d. express
b. hurt
c. cheered 14. The new shipping and receiving building is
d. helped an expansive facility, large enough to meet
our growing needs.
9. You cannot become a certified teacher a. obsolete
without completing the prerequisite student b. meager
teaching assignment. c. spacious
a. required d. costly
b. optional
c. preferred 15. The emotional fallout from a natural disaster
d. advisable can adversely affect the residents in a
community for years.
10. Even though she’d read her supervisor’s a. conflict
memo four or five times, she still found his b. issues
rambling message ambiguous. c. relationship
a. profound d. consequences
b. inspiring
c. ridiculous
d. unclear