English Composition

Question 1

Formidable

Answer 1

adjective

inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, intense, or capable: a formidable opponent.

Question 2

Deploy

Answer 2

verb

bring into effective action; utilize: they are not always able to deploy this skill.

Question 3

Invoke

Answer 3

verb [ with obj. ]
cite or appeal to (someone or something) as an authority for an action or in support of an argument: the antiquated defense of insanity is rarely invoked today.

Question 4

Position Papers

Answer 4

noun

(in business and politics) a written report outlining someone’s attitude or intentions regarding a particular matter.

Question 5

Flurry

Answer 5

a small swirling mass of something, esp. snow or leaves, moved by sudden gusts of wind: a flurry of snow.

Question 6

frenzied

Answer 6

noun ( pl. frenzies ) [ usu. in sing. ]

a state or period of uncontrolled excitement or wild behavior: Doreen worked herself into a frenzy of rage.

Question 7

agriculture

Answer 7

noun
the science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of crops and the rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and other products.

Question 8

frequent

Answer 8

adjective |ˈfrēkwənt|
occurring or done on many occasions, in many cases, or in quick succession: frequent changes in policy | the showers will become heavier and more frequent.

Question 9

Bondage

Answer 9

noun
1 the state of being a slave: the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt’s bondage | figurative : the bondage of drug addiction.

Question 10

Inherit

Answer 10

verb ( inherits, inheriting , inherited ) [ with obj. ]
receive (money, property, or a title) as an heir at the death of the previous holder: she inherited a fortune from her father.
• derive (a quality, characteristic, or predisposition) genetically from one’s parents or ancestors: she had inherited the beauty of her grandmother.
• receive or be left with (a situation, object, etc.) from a predecessor or former owner: spending commitments inherited from previous administrations.
• come into possession of (belongings) from someone else: she inherits all her clothes from her older sisters.

Question 11

Construct

Answer 11

noun |ˈkänˌstrəkt|
an idea or theory containing various conceptual elements, typically one considered to be subjective and not based on empirical evidence: history is largely an ideological construct.

Question 12

Formal

Answer 12

adjective
1 done in accordance with rules of convention or etiquette; suitable for or constituting an official or important situation or occasion: a formal dinner party.
• (of a person or their manner) prim or stiff.
• of or denoting a style of writing or public speaking characterized by more elaborate grammatical structures and more conservative and technical vocabulary.
• (esp. of a house or garden) arranged in a regular, classical, and symmetrical manner.

Question 13

Conventional

Answer 13

adjective
based on or in accordance with what is generally done or believed: a conventional morality had dictated behavior.
• (of a person) concerned with what is generally held to be acceptable at the expense of individuality and sincerity.
• (of a work of art or literature) following traditional forms and genres: conventional love poetry.
• (of weapons or power) nonnuclear: agreement on reducing conventional forces in Europe.
• Bridge (of a bid) intended to convey a particular meaning according to an agreed upon convention. Often contrasted with natural.

Question 14

Contraction

Answer 14

noun
the process of becoming smaller: the general contraction of the industry did further damage to morale.
• the process in which a muscle becomes or is made shorter and tighter: neurons control the contraction of muscles | repeat the exercise, holding each contraction for one second.
• (usu. contractions) a shortening of the uterine muscles occurring at intervals before and during childbirth.
• a word or group of words resulting from shortening an original form: “goodbye” is a contraction of “God be with you.”
• the process of shortening a word by combination or elision.

Question 15

Colloquy

Answer 15

noun ( pl. colloquies )
1 formal a conversation: they broke off their colloquy at once | an evening of sophisticated colloquy.
2 a gathering for discussion of theological questions.

Question 16

Impersonal

Answer 16

adjective
1 not influenced by, showing, or involving personal feelings: the impersonal march of progress.
• (of a place or organization) large, featureless, and anonymous: large, impersonal institutions.
2 not existing as a person; having no personality: he gradually came to believe in an impersonal God.
3 Grammar (of a verb) used only with a formal subject (in English usually it) and expressing an action not attributable to a definite subject (as in it is snowing).

Question 17

Porridge

Answer 17

noun

a dish consisting of oatmeal or another meal or cereal boiled in water or milk.

Question 18

Economical

Answer 18

adjective
giving good value or service in relation to the amount of money, time, or effort spent: a small, economical car.
• (of a person or lifestyle) careful not to waste money or resources.
• using no more of something than is necessary: this chassis is economical in metal and therefore light in weight.

Question 19

Dress

Answer 19

Verb
2 [ with obj. ] treat or prepare (something) in a certain way, in particular:
• clean, treat, or apply a dressing to (a wound).
• clean and prepare (food, esp. poultry or shellfish) for cooking or eating: (as adj. dressed) : dressed crab.
• add a dressing to (a salad).
• apply a fertilizing substance to (a field, garden, or plant).
• complete the preparation or manufacture of (leather or fabric) by treating its surface in some way.
• smooth the surface of (stone): (as adj. dressed) : a tower built of dressed stone.
• arrange or style (one’s own or someone else’s hair), esp. in an elaborate way.

Question 20

Plodding

Answer 20

verb ( plods, plodding , plodded ) [ no obj. ]
walk doggedly and slowly with heavy steps: we plodded back up the hill | figurative : talks on a new constitution have plodded on.
• work slowly and perseveringly at a dull task: we were plodding through a textbook.
noun
a slow, heavy walk: he settled down to a steady plod.

Question 21

Stodgy

Answer 21

adjective ( stodgier , stodgiest )
1 dull and uninspired: some of the material is rather stodgy and top-heavy with facts.
2 Brit.(of food) heavy, filling, and high in carbohydrates.
• bulky or heavy in appearance: this stodgy three-story building.

Question 22

Meld

Answer 22

verb
blend; combine: [ with obj. ] : Australia’s winemakers have melded modern science with traditional art | [ no obj. ] : the nylon bristles shrivel and meld together .
noun
a thing formed by merging or blending: a meld of many contributions.

Question 23

Wary

Answer 23

adjective ( warier , wariest )
feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems: dogs that have been mistreated often remain very wary of strangers | a wary look.

Question 24

Concise

Answer 24

adjective
giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words; brief but comprehensive: a concise account of the country’s history.

Question 25

Depict

Answer 25

verb [ with obj. ]
show or represent by a drawing, painting, or other art form.
• portray in words; describe: youth is depicted as a time of vitality and good health.

Question 26

Acquisition

Answer 26

Noun

2 the learning or developing of a skill, habit, or quality: the acquisition of management skills.

Question 27

Diatribe

Answer 27

noun

a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something: a diatribe against the Roman Catholic Church.

Question 28

Detest

Answer 28

verb [ with obj. ]

dislike intensely: of all birds the carrion crow is the most detested by gamekeepers.

Question 29

Far Flung

Answer 29

adjective
distant or remote: the far-flung corners of the world.
• widely distributed: newsletters provided an important link to a far-flung membership.

Question 30

Debutant

Answer 30

noun

a person making a first appearance in a career or in fashionable society.

Question 31

Concede

Answer 31

verb
1 [ reporting verb ] admit that something is true or valid after first denying or resisting it: [ with clause ] : I had to concede that I’d overreacted | [ with obj. ] : that principle now seems to have been conceded.
• [ with obj. ] admit (defeat) in a contest: he conceded defeat.
• [ with obj. ] admit defeat in (a contest): ready to concede the gold medal.
2 [ with obj. ] surrender or yield (something that one possesses): to concede all the territory he’d won.
• grant (a right, privilege, or demand): their rights to redress of grievances were conceded once more.
• (in sports) fail to prevent the scoring of (a goal or point) by an opponent: the coach conceded three safeties rather than kick into the wind.
• allow (a lead or advantage) to slip: he took an early lead that he never conceded.

Question 32

deference

Answer 32

noun

humble submission and respect: he addressed her with the deference due to age.

Question 33

Sporadic

Answer 33

adjective

occurring at irregular intervals or only in a few places; scattered or isolated: sporadic fighting broke out.

Question 34

Trepidation

Answer 34

noun

1 a feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen: the men set off in fear and trepidation.

Question 35

Resolute

Answer 35

adjective

admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering: she was resolute and unswerving.

Question 36

Depose

Answer 36

verb [ with obj. ]
1 remove from office suddenly and forcefully: he had been deposed by a military coup.
2 Law testify to or give (evidence) on oath, typically in a written statement: every affidavit shall state which of the facts deposed to are within the deponent’s knowledge.
3 Law question (a witness) in deposition.

Question 37

Posthumous

Answer 37

adjective
occurring, awarded, or appearing after the death of the originator: he was awarded a posthumous Military Cross | a posthumous collection of his articles.
• (of a child) born after the death of its father.

Question 38

glee

Answer 38

verb ( inherits, inheriting , inherited ) [ with obj. ]
receive (money, property, or a title) as an heir at the death of the previous holder: she inherited a fortune from her father.
• derive (a quality, characteristic, or predisposition) genetically from one’s parents or ancestors: she had inherited the beauty of her grandmother.
• receive or be left with (a situation, object, etc.) from a predecessor or former owner: spending commitments inherited from previous administrations.
• come into possession of (belongings) from someone else: she inherits all her clothes from her older sisters.

Question 39

Epigrams

Answer 39

noun
a pithy saying or remark expressing an idea in a clever and amusing way.
• a short poem, esp. a satirical one, having a witty or ingenious ending.

Question 40

Drab

Answer 40

adjective ( drabber , drabbest )
1 lacking brightness or interest; drearily dull: the landscape was drab and gray | her drab suburban existence.
2 of a dull light brown color: drab camouflage uniforms.

Question 41

Strewn

Answer 41

verb ( past participle strewn |stro͞on| or strewed ) [ with obj. ] (usu. be strewn)
scatter or spread (things) untidily over a surface or area: a small room with newspapers strewn all over the floor.
• (usu. be strewn with) cover (a surface or area) with untidily scattered things: the table was strewn with books and papers | [ as adj., in combination ] (strewn) : boulder-strewn slopes.
• be scattered or spread untidily over (a surface or area): leaves strewed the path.

Question 42

Ley

Answer 42

noun
a piece of land put down to grass, clover, etc., for a single season or a limited number of years, in contrast to permanent pasture.

Question 43

Profusion

Answer 43

noun [ in sing. ]
an abundance or large quantity of something: a rich profusion of wildflowers | the foxgloves growing in profusion among the ferns.

Question 44

Espied

Answer 44

verb ( espies, espying, espied ) [ with obj. ] literary

catch sight of: she espied her daughter rounding the corner.

Question 45

Sadism

Answer 45

noun
the tendency to derive pleasure, esp. sexual gratification, from inflicting pain, suffering, or humiliation on others.
• (in general use) deliberate cruelty.

Question 46

Veritable

Answer 46

adjective [ attrib. ]

used as an intensifier, often to qualify a metaphor: the early 1970s witnessed a veritable price explosion.

Question 47

Unpretentious

Answer 47

adjective
not attempting to impress others with an appearance of greater importance, talent, or culture than is actually possessed.
• (of a place) pleasantly simple and functional; modest.

Question 48

Cliche

Answer 48

noun
1 a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought: the old cliché “one man’s meat is another man’s poison.”
• a very predictable or unoriginal thing or person: each building is a mishmash of tired clichés.

Question 49

Analogy

Answer 49

noun ( pl. analogies )
a comparison between two things, typically on the basis of their structure and for the purpose of explanation or clarification: an analogy between the workings of nature and those of human societies | he interprets logical functions by analogy with machines.
• a correspondence or partial similarity: the syndrome is called deep dysgraphia because of its analogy to deep dyslexia.
• a thing that is comparable to something else in significant respects: works of art were seen as an analogy for works of nature.
• Logic a process of arguing from similarity in known respects to similarity in other respects.
• Linguistics a process by which new words and inflections are created on the basis of regularities in the form of existing ones.
• Biology the resemblance of function between organs that have a different evolutionary origin.

Question 50

Metaphor

Answer 50

noun
a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable: “I had fallen through a trapdoor of depression,” said Mark, who was fond of theatrical metaphors | her poetry depends on suggestion and metaphor.
• a thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else, esp. something abstract: the amounts of money being lost by the company were enough to make it a metaphor for an industry that was teetering.

Question 51

Evocative

Answer 51

adjective
bringing strong images, memories, or feelings to mind: powerfully evocative lyrics | the building’s cramped interiors are highly evocative of past centuries.

Question 52

Flashback

Answer 52

noun
a scene in a movie, novel, etc., set in a time earlier than the main story: in a series of flashbacks, we follow the pair through their teenage years.
• a sudden and disturbing vivid memory of an event in the past, typically as the result of psychological trauma or taking LSD.

Question 53

Foreshadow

Answer 53

verb [ with obj. ]

be a warning or indication of (a future event): it foreshadowed my preoccupation with jazz.

Question 54

Comical

Answer 54

adjective

amusing: a series of comical misunderstandings.

Question 55

Anecdote

Answer 55

noun
a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person: told anecdotes about his job | he had a rich store of anecdotes.
• an account regarded as unreliable or hearsay: his wife’s death has long been the subject of rumor and anecdote.
• the depiction of a minor narrative incident in a painting.

Question 56

Incidental

Answer 56

adjective
1 accompanying but not a major part of something: for the fieldworker who deals with real problems, paperwork is incidental | incidental expenses.
• occurring by chance in connection with something else: the incidental catch of dolphins in the pursuit of tuna.
2 [ predic. ] (incidental to) liable to happen as a consequence of (an activity): the ordinary risks incidental to a fireman’s job.
noun (usu. incidentals)
an incidental detail, expense, event, etc.: an allowance to cover meals, taxis, and other incidentals.

Question 57

Amuse

Answer 57

verb [ with obj. ]
1 cause (someone) to find something funny; entertain: he made faces to amuse her | (as adj. amused) : people looked on with amused curiosity.
2 provide interesting and enjoyable occupation for (someone): the hotel has planned many activities to amuse its guests | they amused themselves digging through an old encyclopedia | (as adj. amused) : elegant shops that will keep any browser amused for hours.

Question 58

Swelter

Answer 58

verb [ no obj. ]
(of a person or the atmosphere at a particular time or place) be uncomfortably hot: Barney sweltered in his doorman’s uniform.
noun [ in sing. ]
an uncomfortably hot atmosphere: the swelter of an August day.

Question 59

Reverse

Answer 59

verb [ no obj. ]
move backward: the truck reversed into the back of a bus.
• [ with obj. ] cause (a vehicle) to move backward: I got in the car, reversed it and drove it up the driveway.
• [ with obj. ] turn (something) the other way around or up or inside out: (as adj. reversed) : a reversed S-shape.
• [ with obj. ] make (something) the opposite of what it was: the damage done to the ozone layer may be reversed.
• [ with obj. ] exchange (the position or function) of two people or things: the experimenter and the subject reversed roles and the experiment was repeated.
• [ with obj. ] Law revoke or annul (a judgment, sentence, or decree made by a lower court or authority): the court reversed his conviction.
• (of an engine) work in a contrary direction: the ship’s engines reversed and cut out altogether.
• [ with obj. ] Printing make (type or a design) print as white in a block of solid color or a halftone: their press ads had a headline reversed out of the illustration.
adjective [ attrib. ]
going in or turned toward the direction opposite to that previously stated: the trend appears to be going in the reverse direction.
• operating, behaving, or ordered in a way contrary or opposite to that which is usual or expected: here are the results in reverse order.
• Electronics (of a voltage applied to a semiconductor junction) in the direction that does not allow significant current to flow.
• Geology denoting a fault or faulting in which a relative downward movement occurred in the strata situated on the underside of the fault plane.
noun
1 a complete change of direction or action: the growth actuates a reverse of photosynthesis.
• reverse gear on a motor vehicle; the position of a gear lever or selector corresponding to this. See also in reverse below.
• (the reverse) the opposite or contrary to that previously stated: he didn’t feel homesick—quite the reverse.
• an adverse change of fortune; a setback or defeat: the team suffered its heaviest reverse of the season.
• Football a play in which the ballcarrier reverses the direction of attack by lateraling or handling the ball to a teammate moving in the opposite direction.
2 the opposite side or face to the observer: the address is given on the reverse of this leaflet.
• a left-hand page of an open book, or the back of a loose document.
• the side of a coin or medal bearing the value or secondary design.
• the design or inscription on this side. See also obverse ( sense 1 of the noun).