Chapter 8

Question 1

piecemeal

Answer 1

done or happening a little at a time
- A piecemeal approach to dealing with the problem

Question 2

shut out

Answer 2

leave or move out
- Don’t forget to shut the cat out when you leave for work.

Question 3

anticipate

Answer 3

to expect that something will happen
- We had some difficulties along the way that we didn’t anticipate.

Question 4

kinship

Answer 4

a feeling of being close to somebody because you have similar origins or attitudes
- He felt a real sense of kinship with his fellow soldiers.

Question 5

subside

Answer 5

less strong, lower level
- The storm gradually subsided.

Question 6

vibrant

Answer 6

1. full of life and energy
2. (of colors) very bright and strong
   - A vibrant city.
   - The room was decorated in vibrant reds and yellows.

Question 7

gracious

Answer 7

behaving in pleasant, polite, calm way
- He was gracious enough to thank me.

Question 8

benign

Answer 8

1. pleasant and kind. not causing damage or harm
2. (of tumors) not dangerous (OPPOSITE - malignant)
   - A benign old lady.
   - She is recovering after surgery to remove a benign tumor.

Question 9

anguish

Answer 9

extreme pain or suffering
- He groaned in anguish.

Question 10

jaunty

Answer 10

showing that you are happy and confident
- He scampered jauntily down the stairs.

Question 11

stir

Answer 11

mix, move, to make somebody excited
- Stir the sauce gently until it begins to boil.
- She was stirred by his sad story.

Question 12

gasp

Answer 12

to take a short, quick breath through the mouth, especially because of surprise, pain or shock
- The cold made her gasping.

Question 13

awe

Answer 13

a feeling of great respect sometimes mixed with fear or surprise
- As children, we were rather in awe of our grandfather.

Question 14

solemn

Answer 14

serious and without any humor (OPPOSITE- cheerful)
- Everyone looked very solemn.

Question 15

toddler

Answer 15

a young child, especially one who is learning or has recently learned to walk
- Are these toys suitable for toddlers?

Question 16

dwell on

Answer 16

to think or talk a lot about something, especially something it would be better to forget
- So you made a mistake, but there is no need to dwell on it.

Question 17

crescendo

Answer 17

a gradual increase in loudness, or the moment when noise or piece of music is at its loudest
- The music reached a crescendo.

Question 18

hasty

Answer 18

hasty actions are done in a hurry, sometimes without the necessary care or thought
- He warned against making hasty desicions.

Question 19

painstaking

Answer 19

extremely careful and correct and involving a lot of effort
- It took months of painstaking research to write the book.

Question 20

playful

Answer 20

funny and not serious
- He was in a playful mood.

Question 21

indolent

Answer 21

not wanting to work (SYNONYM - lazy)
- I was an indolent creature who could not imagine action.

Question 22

unanimous

Answer 22

if a decision or an opinion is unanimous, it is agreed or shared be everyone in the group
- The decision must be a unanimous.

Question 23

fleeting

Answer 23

brief or quick, lasting only a short time
- he had a fleeting moment of panic but quickly recovered.

Question 24

meticulous

Answer 24

very careful and with great attention to every detail (SYNONYM - careful)
- Many hours on meticulous preparation have gone into writing the book.

Question 25

transgress

Answer 25

to break a law or moral rule
- Those are the rules and anybody who transgresses will be severely punished.

Question 26

consolidate

Answer 26

1. to become or cause something to become stronger and more certain
2. to combine several things
   - She hoped that marriage would consolidate their relationship.
   - The two firms consolidated to form a single company.

Question 27

endeavor

Answer 27

an effort or attempt to do something
- Writing is a very different endeavor than teaching.

Question 28

ensure vs reassure

Answer 28

1. to make something certain to happen
2. to comfort someone and stop them from worrying
   - The company’s sole concern is to ensure the safety of its employees.
   - He reassured me (that) my check would arrive soon.

Question 29

chastisement

Answer 29

a severe criticism or punishment
- His bad behavior invited chastisement.
- The scolding was a rare public chastisement be the committee.

Question 30

undergo

Answer 30

to experience something that is unpleasant or has a strong effect.
- Only one of us here today has ever undergone the rigorous training required of a Receiver.

Question 31

rigorous

Answer 31

done very carefully and with great attention to detail
- Only one of us here today has ever undergone the rigorous training required of a Receiver.