Unit 4

Question 1

ambivalence

Answer 1

n. the state of having conflicting emotional attitudes

John felt some ambivalence about getting married before finishing college.

Question 2

ambrosia

Answer 2

n. something delicious; the food of the gods

The combination of flavors in the Moroccan baked eggplant was pure ambrosia.

Question 3

ameliorate

Answer 3

v. to improve

Knowing they could not stop the spread of a contagion in a few days, health authorizes worked to inhibit its spread and to ameliorate its effects by issuing warnings to the public and initiating immunization programs.

Question 4

amenable

Answer 4

adj. agreeable; cooperative; suited

The young writer is amenable to suggestions for improving her prose style to make it more interesting.

Question 5

amenity

Answer 5

n. something that increases comfort

Many amenities considered normal and necessary by people in developed countries, such as indoor plumbing, were luxuries only a few generations ago.

Question 6

amulet

Answer 6

n. ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits

The early Christian Church forbade the use of amulets, which had become common in the Roman empire at the time the Christian Church began to develop.

Question 7

anachronism

Answer 7

n. something out of the proper time

Some experts regard the retirement age of 65 as an anachronism at a time when people in the developed world have much longer life expectancies than previously.

Question 8

analgesic

Answer 8

n. medication that reduces or eliminates pain

Aspirin is a powerful analgesic that was introduced in 1899 and is still one of the most effective medicines available to alleviate pain, fever, and inflammation.

Question 9

analogous

Answer 9

adj. comparable

The psychology researcher’s experiment postulates that the brain is analogous to a digital computer.

Question 10

anarchy

Answer 10

n. the absence of government; state of disorder

The American philosopher Robert Nozick does not advocate anarchy.