Context Clues A
My brother said, “I just freed myself from a very loquacious history professor. All he seemed to want was an audience.”
talkative, verbose
After the Romans left, a millennium and a half passed before people again lived in such comfort. Churchill wrote, “From the year 400 until the year 1900 no one had central heating and very few had hot baths.”
a thousand year period
His lucid lectures, along with his clearly presented explanations, made him a popular professor since they easily held the students' attention.
descriptive, engaging
The students who arrived late told the teacher an implausible story about stopping to watch a UFO.
unbelievable
Piscatorial creatures, such as flounder, salmon, and trout, live in the coldest parts of the ocean.
of the fish family
The patient was going in for a procedure that would move a benign growth from her skin. It wasn't harmful but she wanted to remove it to improve her appearance.
harmless, beneficial
Such are the vicissitudes of history. Nothing remains the same. Three hundred years of peace ended in darkness and confusion.
changes
Their vociferous chatter made me wish I had ear plugs.
continuous, ongoing
Bob decided to be prudent and call ahead for reservations, instead of just showing up.
thoughtful, sensible, smart
In the course of man’s evolution, certain organs have atrophied. The appendix, for example, has wasted away from disuse.
gotten smaller, shrunk
There is no doubt that the idea of living in such a ideal climate was appealing. The islanders seemed to keep their vitality and live longer than Europeans.
health, well being
The purpose of the doctor is to mitigate the suffering of the patient.
ease, help
He was so impudent to his mother that I would have punished him if he talked to me that way.
disrespectful, rude
The test question was ambiguous, so we did not know what it was asking.
unclear
The mountain pass was a tortuous road, winding and twisting like a snake around the trees of the mountainside.
winding and twisting
It is difficult to imagine a surfeit of talent in one individual, yet Leonard Bernstein simply does not have the time to make complete use of his talent as conductor, performer, writer, and lecturer.
abundance, excess
We knew he couldn’t hold out much longer, because he had been doomed from the beginning. One night he met his ineluctable fate.
predetermined, unsurprising
The Russians are skillful at sending cryptic messages. Our State Department spends days puzzling over their meanings.
encoded, hidden, difficult to interpret
The job candidate’s background was impeccable – good references and many years of experience, but the company did not give her the job.
flawless, immaculate
When the light brightens, the pupils of the eyes contract; however, when it grows darker, they dilate.
open up, get bigger
There is a large demand all over the United States for plants indigenous to the desert. Many people in Arizona have made a good business of growing and selling cacti and other local plants.
native
A combination of fog and industrial smoke, called smog, has vitiated the air in and around many big cities.
made toxic, contaminated
The Great Flood of Noah’s day was caused by incessant rain that fell for 40 days and 40 nights without stopping.
Ongoing, continuous
The tranquilized grizzly bear was lethargic enough for the scientists to safely examine his teeth and tattoo his ears.
sluggish and sleepy
Before traveling to Africa, Sara had to get a vaccine to keep her from contracting Malaria.
Getting, receiving,