March

Question 1

Middlebrow

Answer 1

(of art or literature or a system of thought) demanding or involving only a moderate degree of intellectual application, typically as a result of not deviating from convention.

e.g. “middlebrow fiction”

Question 2

vagary

Answer 2

an unexpected and inexplicable change in a situation or in someone’s behavior.
syn: change, fluctuation

“the vagaries of the weather”

Question 3

compatriots

Answer 3

同胞，a fellow citizen or national of a country.

e.g. “Stich defeated his compatriot Boris Becker in the quarterfinals”

Question 4

conflate

Answer 4

combine (two or more texts, ideas, etc.) into one.
synonyms: mix, blend, fuse, unite, integrate

e. g. “the urban crisis conflates a number of different economic and social issues”
e. g. “the plot gets weighed down when the writers conflate too many issues into one episode”

Question 5

despondent

Answer 5

in low spirits from loss of hope or courage.
synonyms: disheartened, discouraged

e. g. I had never seen them looking so despondent.
e. g. a group of despondent fans

Question 6

profligate

Answer 6

adj. recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources.

e. g. “profligate consumers of energy”
e. g. In America, even the homeless were profligate

Question 7

gripe

Answer 7

informal. express a complaint or grumble about something, especially something trivial.
e. g. “they gripe about the busywork”

Question 8

staid

Answer 8

adj, sedate, respectable, and unadventurous.

e. g. “staid law firms”
e. g. RBC party had always been a staid affair

Question 9

cronyism

Answer 9

Cronyism is partiality to long-standing friends, especially by appointing them to positions of authority, regardless of their qualifications. Hence, cronyism is contrary in practice and principle to meritocracy.

e.g. Politically, “cronyism” is derogatorily used.

Question 10

compel

Answer 10

force or oblige (someone) to do something.

“a sense of duty compelled Harry to answer her questions”

Question 11

stymie

Answer 11

verb, informal, STYMEE

prevent or hinder the progress of.
“the changes must not be allowed to stymie new medical treatments”

Question 12

yelp

Answer 12

a short sharp cry, especially of pain or alarm.

“she uttered a yelp as she bumped into a table”
synonyms: squeal, shriek, howl, yowl, yell, cry, shout

Question 13

fringe

Answer 13

The edge of something, often used to indicate the borderlines of a certain concept: in politics, the fringe is usually the rare bunch of extremists, or in general the outcast members of a group that are considered less than peccable members.

e.g. Shit man, you actually believe a word this guy says? He’s a fringe scientist! An astrologist would be more believable!

Question 14

impetus

Answer 14

the force that makes something happen or happen more quickly.
synonyms: motivation, stimulus, momentum

e.g. “the crisis of the 1860s provided the original impetus for the settlements”

Question 15

heirloom

Answer 15

a valuable object that has belonged to a family for several generations.

e.g. A glass cup..a precious heirloom, and a harbinger of the family’s fortunes.

Question 16

harbinger

Answer 16

a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another.
“witch hazels are the harbingers of spring”
synonyms: herald, sign, indication, signal,

Question 17

derelict

Answer 17

adj. in a very poor condition as a result of disuse and neglect; damned, doomed, lost
e. g. “the cities were derelict and dying”

(of a person) shamefully negligent in not having done what one should have done. negligent, neglectful.
e.g. “he was derelict in his duty to his country”

noun. a person without a home, job, or property; tramp, vagrant, vagabond
“derelicts who could fit all their possessions in a paper bag”

Question 18

corrugated

Answer 18

(of a material, surface, or structure) shaped into alternate ridges and grooves.

e.g. “the roof was made of corrugated iron”

Question 19

pare

Answer 19

reduce (something) in size, extent, quantity, or number, usually in a number of small successive stages. Syn: trim.

e.g. “union leaders publicly pared down their demands”

Question 20

esoteric

Answer 20

intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest.

e.g. “esoteric philosophical debates”

Question 21

Condone

Answer 21

accept and allow (behavior that is considered morally wrong or offensive) to continue.

“the college cannot condone any behavior that involves illicit drugs”
synonyms: disregard, accept, allow, let pass, turn a blind eye to, overlook, forget; More