Arid-autonomous

Question 1

Artless

Answer 1

Without guile; open and honest. Red riding hoods artless comment “Grandma what big eyes you have” indicates her childlike innocence.

Question 2

Ascetic

Answer 2

Practicing self- denial. The monk was drawn to the ascetic lifestyle in the monastery.

Question 3

Assiduous

Answer 3

Diligent. It took weeks of assiduous labor for the artist to be happy with his work.

Question 4

Assuage

Answer 4

Ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger). Jilted by Daniel, Alex tried to assuage her pain by eating ice-cream. One gallon later, Alex assuaged her appetite but not her grief.

Question 5

Attenuate

Answer 5

Make thinner; weaken or lessen (in density, force, degree. The long dry spell attenuated the creek to a trickle.

Question 6

Austere

Answer 6

Forbiddingly stern; severely simple and unornamented
The headmaster’s austere demeanor tended to scare off the more timid students. The room reflected the man, austere and bare

Question 7

Autonomous

Answer 7

Self- governing. Although UC Berkeley is part of the UC system, it is autonomous, for it runs several programs that are not subject to outside control.