Set 14 - LMS 8 TC 12 13

Question 1

Perfunctory (adj.)

Answer 1

The guys were silent except for perfunctory replies to Isabell’s string of chatter about which sorority she wanted to join.
It is difficult to escape the impression that Toshiba conducted a perfunctory investigation in response to the allegations.
(done with no interest and out of duty and responsibility)

Question 2

importunate (adj.)

Answer 2

on the face of it they satisfied an importunate US by banning Huawei from doing business in Britain.

Question 3

Coalesce (v.)

Answer 3

The strategy which he calls smart voting is basically having all the opposition groups coalesce against the Kremlin candidate.
(combine to become one)

Question 4

decadence (n.)(uc.)

Answer 4

But when he faced protests, Putin reinvented himself as a defender of conservative values, protecting Russia against a globalized world of western decadence.
(moral or cultural decline as characterized by excessive indulgence in pleasure or luxury.
luxurious self-indulgence.)

Question 5

Serenity (n.)(uc.)

Answer 5

The goal of meditation is to achieve a serenity of mind.
The moonlight seemed to transform her, lift all those years of bitterness and leave her with a sad serenity.
(calmness, the absence of mental stress and anxiety)

Question 6

Degenerate (v.)(adj.)

Answer 6

adj. A morally degenerate society.
the painting was condemned as degenerate.
v.
Do not let your comments degenerate into personal attacks on the employees.
the conference degenerated into a complete fiasco.
(make worse - morally unacceptable)

Question 7

Histrionic (adj.)

Answer 7

She wondered if she should have been less histrionic and given them time to have a calm conversation about what happened.
(melodramatic)

Question 8

Megalomaniac (adj.)(n.) = megalomaniacal

Answer 8

Make no mistake, although, the interview portrays Kim Jong Un as a megalomaniac despot who lives in luxury while his people starve to death, it is not a polemic.
(a person with a delusion of grandeur who thinks he is conceived for power and greatness.)

Question 9

Egalitarian (adj.)

Answer 9

It is one step forward to a more egalitarian and just Malaysia.
Most, but not all social animals experience social hierarchies, lions, for example, live in egalitarian groups without social distinction.

Question 10

imperturbable (adj.)

Answer 10

He proved to be an imperturbable and shrewd pilot for these storms.
he was imperturbable during those stormy years, far from perfect, but calm.
(unflappable - calm in the face of adversity)

Question 11

Duplicitous (adj.)

Answer 11

During the war, America had to put up with Pakistan’s duplicitous games because it had too little choice, preferring to fight a chaotic war in Afghanistan to warring the nuclear-armed Pakistan.
(double-faced)

Question 12

Blithe (adj.)

Answer 12

But her apparent nonchalance that manifested in blithe entries in her journal was just a short term coping mechanism.
During the early days of the pandemic, Trump spoke with a blithe ignorance of the real situation.
(carefreeness both positive and negative.)

Question 13

Feckless (adj.)

Answer 13

Following Kabul’s central government collapse, many called Biden feckless.
(not serving a purpose, incompetent, irresponsible)

Question 14

Munificent (adj.)

Answer 14

She is a munificent giver to the arts and what she calls “Jewish social stuff”
He was even less munificent in 2011, reporting no donations to charity.

Question 15

Taciturn (adj.)

Answer 15

He has become more taciturn, his communication has degenerated from letters to postcards.
(monosyllabic)

Question 16

Pungent (adj.)

Answer 16

garlic’s pungent odor.

having a strong taste or smell

Question 17

Paragon (n.)(c.)

Answer 17

The royal family could be relied upon as paragons of etiquette.
I will allow you to speak to this paragon of beauty.

Question 18

Conundrum (n.)(c.)

Answer 18

That was always the conundrum: had I made the right choice in putting the people’s welfare even before that of my own family?
the conundrum of our purpose on earth.

Question 19

incontrovertible (adj.)

Answer 19

the footage provided incontrovertible evidence that he was in the crime scene.
(no place for controversy - no place to refute something)

Question 20

Nebulous (adj.)

Answer 20

The book aims to illuminate how science has changed the meaning of nothingness from a nebulous concept to something we can almost put under the microscope.
The nebulous meaninglessness of his words.
(vague)

Question 21

Nettlesome (adj.)

Answer 21

The most nettlesome issue that plagues the country is the number of inept leaders in power.
nettlesome paperwork
(annoying - bothering)

Question 22

Mainstay (n.)

Answer 22

She was the mainstay of the team and when she left we had no other choice but to cancel all our contracts.
The oil and gas industry is still the mainstay of the country’s economy.
(backbone, an important part of something that ensures its work and existence.)

Question 23

Pertinent (adj.)

Answer 23

The last point is particularly pertinent to today’s discussion.
(relevant)