B

Question 1

belated

Answer 1

(adjective) delayed past the proper time.

She called her mother on January 5th to offer her a belated “Happy New Year.”

Question 2

belie

Answer 2

(verb) to present a false or contradictory appearance.

Lena Horne’s youthful appearance belied her long, distinguished career in show business.

Question 3

benevolent

Answer 3

(adjective) wishing or doing good.

In old age, Carnegie used his wealth for benevolent purposes, donating large sums to found libraries and schools.

benevolence (noun)

Question 4

berate

Answer 4

(verb) to scold or criticize harshly.

The judge angrily berated the two lawyers for their unprofessional behavior.

Question 5

bereft

Answer 5

(adjective) lacking or deprived of something.

Bereft of parental love, orphans sometimes grow up to be insecure.

Question 6

bombastic

Answer 6

(adjective) inflated or pompous in style.

Old-fashioned bombastic political speeches don’t work on television, which demands a more intimate style of communication.

bombast (noun)

Question 7

buttress

Answer 7

(noun) something that supports or strengthens; a projecting structure of masonry or wood.

The endorsement of the American Medical Association is a powerful buttress for the claims made about this new medicine. The buttress on the south wall of the Medieval castle was beginning to crumble.

buttress (verb)