Week 6

Question 1

Affluent

Answer 1

Rich

Under duress* from the tax officer, the beggar admitted that he was truly affluent.

Question 2

Feasible

Answer 2

Possible

It’s feasible to build an electric auto, but wouldn’t you need a terribly long extension cord?

Question 3

Discern

Answer 3

Perceive*

When we could discern the city lights, we knew we were safe at last.

Question 4

Sally

Answer 4

Suddenly rush forth

Some prisoners planned a disturbance while others would sally toword the gate.

Question 5

Consternation

Answer 5

Dismay

To the consternation of the sergeant, there was a paucity* of volunteers for the dangerous mission.

Question 6

Precocious

Answer 6

Reaching maturity early

The children in Shakespeare’s plays are so precosious that they all sound like grandparents.

Question 7

Perfunctory

Answer 7

Done without care, superficial

Edith gave only perfunctory attention to the new millennium, skipping our New Year’s Eve party,

Question 8

Chagrin

Answer 8

Feeling of disappointment, humiliation

To the chagrin of many taxpayers, some citizens seem to cheat the government with impunity*.

Question 9

Perverse

Answer 9

Contrary, persisting in error

When I corret my kid brother’s math errors, he is perverse enough to insist that he is right.

Question 10

Deride

Answer 10

To redicule, scoff* at

The Wright brothers didn’t become distraught* when a skeptical would deride their work.

Question 11

Disparage

Answer 11

To discredit, bellittle*

The affluent* storeowner disparage the efforts of his small competitor, saying that he could always tolerate* that kind of rivalry.

Question 12

Laudable

Answer 12

Praiseworthy

The paradox* is that Javert’s inexorable* pursuit of Jean Valjean was both laudable and despicable.

Question 13

Fiasco

Answer 13

Complete failure

In an acrimonious* letter, her father described the project as a complete fiasco.

Question 14

Masticate

Answer 14

To chew up

To aid in digestion, you must masticate each piece of meat one dozen times.

Question 15

Eschew

Answer 15

Avoid

Once he sought the limelight, but now he eschews all interviews.

Question 16

Quell

Answer 16

Put an end to

In order to quell the riot, the police sallied* forth with tear gas.

Question 17

Voluble

Answer 17

Talkative

I could not doze in the chair because of the voluble barber.

Question 18

Confidant

Answer 18

One to whom you confide your secrets

A teenage boy’s father should be his true confidant.

Question 19

Obsolescence

Answer 19

Process of wearing out

The obsolescence built into many products could be regarded as a flagrant* insult toward the duped* consumer.

Question 20

Dubious

Answer 20

Doubtful

When the duplicity was revealed, the jury became dubious about Ed’s innocence.