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GRE Vocab Words > Kaplan II > Flashcards

Kaplan II Flashcards

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1
Q

eschewed

A

“He eschewed visiting Blarney Castle, fearing the summer tourist crowds, and chose a quieter destination for himself”

deliberately avoid using; abstain from

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2
Q

deprecated

A

also expressed as depreciate
“movie critics tried to outdo one another in deprecating the comedy as the stupidest movie of the year”
to criticize or express disapproval of

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3
Q

democratization

A 
"The question now becomes whether the democratization of higher education is worth the price of removing it from nonprofit, research-based universities"
to make (a country or organization) more democratic: to make (something) available to all people : to make it possible for all people to understand (something)
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4
Q

apex

A

the top or highest point of something, apogee, zenith

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5
Q

encroachment

A

“the suburbs encroach further into the rural areas each year”

to enter by gradual steps or by stealth into the possessions or rights of another: to advance beyond the usual or proper limits

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6
Q

catholic

A

“Max’s repertoire of cooking techniques was remarkably broad, allowing him to draw upon many culinary traditions to create catholic dishes”

diverse, widespread, comprehensive, universal; especially: broad in sympathies, tastes, or interests

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7
Q

ambrosial

A

“Solid yet creamy, caramel rice flan can be sliced and served in wedges, topped with its own ambrosial sauce.”

something extremely pleasing to taste or smell

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8
Q

savory

A

“We certainly have diplomatic recognition with far less savory governments. “

pleasant or agreeable in taste or smell: attractive, agreeable

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9
Q

artful

A

“the artful lawyer got the witness to admit he had been lying”

done with or showing artistic skill: good at getting or achieving things in ways that are clever and not noticeable : used to get or achieve things in ways that are clever and not noticeable

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10
Q

timorous

A

“the diffident and timorous student”

easily frightened

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11
Q

panegyrical/panegyric

A

“wrote a panegyric on the centennial of the Nobel laureate’s birth”

something (such as a speech or a piece of writing) that praises someone or something

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12
Q

truculent

A

“a theater critic who was notorious for his titanically truculent reviews”

easily annoyed or angered and likely to argue, aggressive, assertive

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13
Q

evocative

A

“Although she did not approve of her father’s smoking, she was forced to admit that the smell of his pipe tobacco was evocative of her youth.”

evoking or tending to evoke an especially emotional response; bringing thoughts, memories, or feelings into the mind

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14
Q

odorous

A

“Odorous cheeses need to be tightly wrapped.”

having and odor

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15
Q

litigation

A

“They agree to litigate all disputes in this court.”

to carry on a legal contest by judicial process

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16
Q

vituperated

A

“every week the minister would ascend the pulpit and vituperate the parishioners for a litany of vices”

to abuse or censure severely or abusively : berate: to use harsh condemnatory language

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17
Q

nominal

A

“Her title of vice president had been nominal only.
They charge a nominal fee for the service.”
existing as something in name only : not actual or real: very small in amount

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18
Q

anecdotal

A

of an account) not necessarily true or reliable, because based on personal accounts rather than facts or research.
“while there was much anecdotal evidence there was little hard fact”

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19
Q

orotund

A

“the tenor’s orotund voice was just what this soaring aria needs”

marked by fullness, strength, and clarity of sound : sonorous : pompous, bombastic <an orotund speech

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20
Q

ostentatious

A

“an ostentatious display of knowledge”

displaying wealth, knowledge, etc., in a way that is meant to attract attention, admiration, or envy

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21
Q

dilapidation

A

“the neglect of the old theater was manifest in the extreme dilapidation of the building, which was no longer safe to enter”

to bring into a condition of decay or partial ruin

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22
Q

depilation

A

the removal of hair, wool, or bristles by chemical or mechanical methods

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23
Q

sensationalized

A

“The battle of Thermopylae has been one of the most sensationalized battles in history and has become so surrounded in anecdotes and exaggerations that it is often difficult to tell what is history and what is re-created”

(especially of a newspaper) present information about (something) in a way that provokes public interest and excitement, at the expense of accuracy.

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24
Q

arrogate/arrogated

A

take or claim (something) for oneself without justification.

“they arrogate to themselves the ability to divine the nation’s true interests”

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25
Q

torrid

A

“Meteorologists predict torrid temperatures for this summer and caution against overexposure to the heat”

very hot and usually dry, showing or expressing very strong feelings especially of sexual or romantic desire

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26
Q

august

A

“The Book of Kells is one of the most magnificent and famous extant illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages; combining masterful artwork and superb calligraphy, it is truly august artifact of the past”

majestic

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27
Q

effigy

A

a sculpture or model of a person.
“coins bearing the effigy of Maria Theresa of Austria”
a roughly made model of a particular person, made in order to be damaged or destroyed as a protest or expression of anger.
“the senator was burned in effigy”

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28
Q

cosseted/cosset

A 
"Tired of being cosseted by her family, she left home at an early age in order to become more independent"
to give (someone) a lot of care and attention or too much care and attention
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29
Q

decry

A 
"In her article, she decries the pollution of the environment by manufacturers."
to depreciate (as a coin) officially or publicly: to express strong disapproval of
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30
Q

guile

A

“a shady salesman who usually relies on a combination of quick thinking and guile”

the use of clever and usually dishonest methods to achieve something

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31
Q

quandary

A

“…from this comes quandary the lamented by the narrator, “water, water everywhere, Nor any drop to drink”

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32
Q

disaffected

A

“I am very disaffected towards my parents”

no longer happy and willing to support a leader, government, etc.

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33
Q

dogged

A

marked by stubborn determination
“Regardless of his limited success, the philosopher was dogged in his search for understanding and continued to thinking and write”

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34
Q

Gordian knot

A

made a quick, decisive move or took drastic action.

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35
Q

Herculean

A

“the ascent of mount Everest was first conquered nearly sixty years ago, but it nevertheless remains a symbol of herculean struggle in the popular psyche”

of, relating to, or characteristic of Hercules; often not capitalized : of extraordinary power, extent, intensity, or difficulty

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36
Q

truncated

A

“possessing a limited attention span, he secretly wished the performances could be slightly truncated”

cut short

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37
Q

interminable

A

having or seeming to have no end; especially : wearisomely protracted - an interminable sermon

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38
Q

picayune

A

something trivial

“our lives don’t amount to a picayune in the great scheme of things”

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39
Q

paltry

A

: inferior, trashy
: mean, despicable <a>
: trivial <a>
: meager, measly</a></a>

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40
Q

infinitesimal

A

taking on values arbitrarily close to but greater than zero: immeasurably or incalculably small

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41
Q

middling

A

of middle, medium, or moderate size, degree, or quality

was disappointed in the renowned historian’s latest book, which is only middling

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42
Q

consummate

A

: complete in every detail : perfect
: extremely skilled and accomplished <a> <a>
: of the highest degree</a></a>

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43
Q

egregious

A

outstandingly bad; shocking.
“egregious abuses of copyright”

synonyms:shocking, appalling, terrible, awful, horrendous, frightful, atrocious, abominable, abhorrent, outrageous; More monstrous, heinous, dire, unspeakable, shameful, unforgivable, intolerable, dreadful;formal, grievous
“an egregious error of judgment”

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44
Q

expulsion

A

the act of expelling : the state of being expelled

“the expulsion of air from the lungs”

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45
Q

acquiesced

A

“they demanded it, and he acquiesced.”

to accept, agree, or allow something to happen by staying silent or by not arguing

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46
Q

capitulated

A

“The country still refuses to capitulate despite its weakening army and dwindling resources.”

to surrender often after negotiation of terms: to cease resisting : acquiesce

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47
Q

opined

A

to express an opinion about something
“James opined that his efforts in the project had earned him a prolonged vacation, but when his boss rejected the idea, James returned to work without complaint”

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48
Q

contended

A

“These people contend that they have earned the right to the land.”
: to argue or state (something) in a strong and definite way
: to compete with someone or for something : to compete with a good chance of winning

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49
Q

rudimentary

A 
basic or simple: not very developed or advanced
"This class requires a rudimentary knowledge of human anatomy."
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50
Q

hieroglyphic

A

“The doctor’ handwriting was entirely hieroglyphic, much to the frustration of the other staff…”

something that resembles a hieroglyph especially in difficulty of decipherment

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51
Q

contingencies

A 
an event (as an emergency) that may but is not certain to occur 
b :  something liable to happen as an adjunct to or agencies trying to provide for every contingency in a national emergency result of something else"
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52
Q

exigencies

A

something that is necessary in a particular situation

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53
Q

conflagration

A

a large destructive fire: a war or conflict

“The treaty is the latest attempt to resolve the ten-year conflagration.”

54
Q

repudiate/repudiation

A

“He published an article that repudiates the study’s
claims.”
: to refuse to accept or support: to reject, to disown: to say or show that (something) is not true

55
Q

contention

A

“Because William had left no will, after the funeral, contention arose among his children over ownership”
: something (such as a belief, opinion, or idea) that is argued or stated
: anger and disagreement
: a situation in which you have a chance to win something that you are trying to win

56
Q

Rubicon

A

“the Rubicon between sanity and insanity”

a bounding or limiting line; especially : one that when crossed commits a person irrevocably

57
Q

squall

A

a sudden violent gust of wind or a localized storm, especially one bringing rain, snow, or sleet.
“low clouds and squalls of driving rain”
“the first squall we hit was just two hours after setting sail”
a loud cry.
“he emitted a short mournful squall”
“Sarah was squalling in her crib”

58
Q

jaunty

A

lively in manner or appearance : having or suggesting a lively and confident quality
“He struck a jaunty pose for the camera.”

59
Q

pithy

A

“the critic gave a short, pithy review that went right to the point”
: consisting of or abounding in pith(see 1pith)
: having substance and point : tersely cogent

60
Q

slipshod

A

“the professor cautioned the student about handing in such slipshod work”

characterized by a lack of care, thought, or organization.

61
Q

blithe

A

showing a lack of proper thought or care : not caring or worrying: happy and without worry
“He showed blithe disregard for the rights of others.”

62
Q

idiosyncratic/idiosyncrasies

A

“Her habit of using “like” in every sentence was just one of her idiosyncrasies.”

: an unusual way in which a particular person behaves or thinks: an unusual part or feature of something

63
Q

endowed/endow

A

to give a large amount of money to a school, hospital, etc., in order to pay for the creation or continuing support of: to freely or naturally provide (someone or something) with something
“The wealthy couple endowed a new wing of the hospital.”

64
Q

proscribe

A 
to make (something) illegal : to not allow (something)
regulations proscribe the use of electronic devices on board a plane while it is landing
65
Q

parsimonious/parsimony

A

“A society that is parsimonious in its personal charity (in terms of both time and money) will require more government welfare. —William J. Bennett, The Death of Outrage, 1998”

very unwilling to spend money

66
Q

avaricious

A

greedy of gain : excessively acquisitive especially in seeking to hoard riches
“an avaricious scheme to con the elderly couple out of thousands of dollars”

67
Q

penurious

A

“The penurious school system had to lay off several teachers.”
marked by or suffering from penury
: given to or marked by extreme stinting frugality

68
Q

rapacious

A

“nothing livens things up like a whole team of rapacious basketball players descending upon the pizza parlor”

always wanting more money, possessions, etc. : wanting more than is needed or deserved

69
Q

appellation

A

the action of giving a name to a person or thing; name of something
“the appellation of Claf Abercuawg is a modern creation”

70
Q

opulence

A

great wealth or luxuriousness.

“rooms of spectacular opulence”

71
Q

pensive

A

engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought.
“a pensive mood”

72
Q

unilateral

A

“Our country is prepared to take unilateral action.”
(of an action or decision) performed by or affecting only one person, group, or country involved in a particular situation, without the agreement of another or the others.
: relating to, occurring on, or affecting only one side of an organ or structure, or of the body

73
Q

hullabaloo

A

a commotion; a fuss.

“remember all the hullabaloo over the golf ball?”

74
Q

culpable

A

deserving blame.

“sometimes you’re just as culpable when you watch something as when you actually participate”

75
Q

thermic

A

of or relating to heat.

76
Q

sequestration/seuestration

A

“…therefore carbon sequestration technologies should be implemented to capture and store carbon wastes”

: to keep (a person or group) apart from other people
law : to take (property) until a debt has been paid
the action of taking forcible possession of something; confiscation.
“they demanded the sequestration of the incriminating correspondence”

77
Q

diminution

A

a reduction in the size, extent, or importance of something.

“a permanent diminution in value”

78
Q

chagrin

A

distress or embarrassment at having failed or been humiliated.
“the expectation of instant gratification engendered by the ease and speed of modern communication can set one up for chagrin…”

79
Q

endearment

A

a word or phrase expressing love or affection

80
Q

arcane

A

understood by few, mysterious

81
Q

meliorated (also ameliorate”

A

make (something bad or unsatisfactory) better.

“anticipating the arrival of the baby panda, zookeepers meliorated the panda exhibit to handle the influx of visitors”

82
Q

truncated

A

shorten (something) by cutting off the top or the end.

“a truncated cone shape”

83
Q

promulgate

A

promote or make widely known (an idea or cause).
“these objectives have to be promulgated within the organization”

put (a law or decree) into effect by official proclamation.
“in January 1852, the new constitution was promulgated”

84
Q

arbitrate

A

(of an independent person or body) reach an authoritative judgment or settlement.
“the board has the power to arbitrate in disputes”

85
Q

foment

A

instigate or stir up (an undesirable or violent sentiment or course of action).
“they accused him of fomenting political unrest”

to promote the growth or development of : rouse, incite

86
Q

ferment

A

incite or stir up (trouble or disorder).

“the politicians and warlords who are fermenting this chaos”

87
Q

obloquy

A

harsh or critical statements about someone

: the condition of someone who lost the respect of other people
“Noted for heroism in World War I, he incurred obloquy for his collaboration during the German occupation of France during WWII.

88
Q

diaphanous

A

(especially of fabric) light, delicate, and translucent.

“Implausibly, this diaphanous material is made from the same components as everyday brown paper bag

89
Q

ubiquitous

A

present, appearing, or found everywhere.

“but the overwhelming usefulness of just the clear plastic film became apparent and a ubiquitous product was born”

90
Q

amorphous

A

a : having no definite form : shapeless

b : being without definite character or nature : unclassifiable

91
Q

insoluble

A

impossible to solve.
“David Hume felt that the issue was insoluble”
2.
(of a substance) incapable of being dissolved.
“once dry, the paints become insoluble in water”

92
Q

inimical

A

destructive, harmful, unfriendly

“actions inimical to our interests”

93
Q

antagonistic

A

showing or feeling active opposition or hostility toward someone or something.
“he was antagonistic to the government’s reforms”

94
Q

pernicious

A

having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.
“A portion of the population still disregards warnings about the pernicious effects of nicotine”

95
Q

contumacious

A

(especially of a defendant’s behavior) stubbornly or willfully disobedient to authority.
“To the public’s shock, the group recently voted into power on a platform of peaceable reform conducted contumacious acts”

96
Q

seditious

A

inciting or causing people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch.
“To the public’s shock, the group recently voted into power on a platform of peaceable reform conducted seditious acts”

97
Q

cabal

A

a secret political clique or faction.

“a cabal of dissidents”

98
Q

artifice

A

clever or cunning devices or expedients, especially as used to trick or deceive others
“consumers are unaware of the artifice being employed by advertising”

99
Q

imprecation

A

a spoken curse.

“she hurled her imprecations at anyone who might be listening”

100
Q

ribald

A

referring to sexual matters in an amusingly rude or irreverent way.
“a ribald comment”

101
Q

vacuous

A

having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless.
“but also that none besides the admittedly vacuous “very sad” could ever be offered”

102
Q

Scylla and Charybdis

A

Being between Scylla and Charybdis is an idiom deriving from Greek mythology, meaning “having to choose between two evils”. Several other idioms, such as “on the horns of a dilemma”, “between the devil and the deep blue sea”, and “between a rock and a hard place” express the same meaning.

103
Q

contentious

A

causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial.

“is beyond question the most contentious as well as the most dubious”

104
Q

sanguine

A

optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.
“Oscar Mendel, how is decidedly more sanguine than Eagleton on this score”

105
Q

heretofore

A

before now.

“as clear a case of defeatism as any heretofore advanced, leaves much to be desired”

106
Q

Dubious

A 
hesitating or doubting.
"Alex looked dubious, but complied"
"I was rather dubious about the idea"
2.
not to be relied upon; suspect.
"extremely dubious assumptions"
107
Q

conciliatory

A

intended or likely to placate or pacify.

“a conciliatory approach”

108
Q

myopic

A

nearsighted.
lacking imagination, foresight, or intellectual insight
“the government still has a myopic attitude to public spending”

109
Q

antithetical

A

directly opposite or opposed

“provided that neither is antithetical to the condition of powerlessness”

110
Q

lugubriousness

A

full of sadness or sorrow : very sad especially in an exaggerated or insincere way
“the diner’s dim lighting makes eating there a particularly lugubrious experience”

111
Q

lucubration

A

laborious or intensive study

“Despite his intense lucubration, he failed to secure a degree”

112
Q

ubiquitous

A

seeming to be seen everywhere

“by that time cell phones had become ubiquitous, and people had long ceased to be impressed by the sight of one”

113
Q

impugned

A

“He impugned his rival’s character.”

oppose or attack as false or lacking integrity

114
Q

pertinacious

A

adhering resolutely to an opinion, purpose, or design
stubbornly tenacious
“a pertinacious little boy who was determined to catch and collect reptiles”

115
Q

lionizing/lionize

A 
to treat (someone) as a very important and famous person
"She was lionized everywhere after her novel won the Pulitzer Prize."
116
Q

incongruous

A

strange because of not agreeing with what is usual or expected
“His outburst seemed incongruous to those who know him well.”

117
Q

corroboration

A

to support or help prove (a statement, theory, etc.) by providing information or evidence
“my personal experience does not corroborate your faith in the essential goodness of people”

118
Q

dissemination

A

the act of spreading something, especially information, widely; circulation.
“dissemination of public information”

119
Q

inauspicious

A

not conducive to success; unpromising.

“Despite its inauspicious beginnings, the company eventually became very profitable”

120
Q

euphonious

A

having a pleasant sound

“an opera singer with an appropriately euphonious name”

121
Q

assignation

A

romantic meetups

a midnight assignation between adulterers at a downtown hotel

122
Q

bastion

A

an institution, place, or person strongly defending or upholding particular (traditional) principles, attitudes, or activities.
“the last bastion of male privilege”

123
Q

canard

A

a false report or story : a belief or rumor that is not true

“the widespread canard that every lawyer is dishonest”

124
Q

surly

A

rude, impolite

“he went about his chores in a surly huff, totally annoyed that he was stuck at home on this beautiful Saturday”

125
Q

expatiated

A

to speak or write about something in a way that includes a lot of details or uses many words
“the naturalist is known for her willingness to expatiate on any number of issues relating to wildlife and the environment”

126
Q

foibles

A

a minor fault in someone’s character or behavior

“could tolerate my uncle’s foibles because we loved him dearly”

127
Q

prim

A

stiffly formal and respectable; feeling or showing disapproval of anything regarded as improper.
“a very prim and proper lady”

128
Q

sycophant

A

a person who praises powerful people in order to get their approval
“sycophantic compliments”

129
Q

staid

A

serious, boring, or old-fashioned

“a staid and solemn businessman”

130
Q

conversant

A

familiar with or knowledgeable about something.

“many ladies are conversant with the merits of drill-eyed needles”

GRE Vocab Words (11 decks)

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