J's & K's

Question 1

Jettison

Answer 1

Discard, cast off; throw items overboard in order to lighten a ship in an emergency.

We got so tired while hiking the Appalachian Trail that we jettisoned some of our fancy camping supplies just so we could keep going.

Sadly, when school budgets are slashed, the first thing jettisoned is usually an art or music program.

Question 2

Jumbo

Answer 2

Unusually large, supersized.

Question 3

Juncture

Answer 3

Point in time, especially a point made critical dues to a set of circumstances; the point at which two things join together.

We are at a critical juncture in the history of this organization: either we can remain a nonprofit, or we can register as a political action committee and try to expand our influence.

The title canoe started to sink when it split at the juncture between the old wood and the new material used to repair it.

Question 4

Juxtapose

Answer 4

Place side-by-side (either physically or in a metaphorical way, such as to make a comparison). If a reading Comprehension answer choice says something like, “Juxtapose two theories,” ask yourself whether the main purpose of the entire passage was to compare two theories. (Hint: Probably not. Usually if an author introduces two competing ideas, only one of them turns out to be the main point of the passage.)

Making a decision between two engagement rings from two different stores was difficult, he noted; it would be much easier if he could juxtapose them and compare them directly.

Question 5

Kinetic

Answer 5

Pertaining to motion.

Marisa told her mother what she had learned in science class; a ball sitting on a table has potential energy, but a ball falling towards towards the ground has kinetic energy.