Unit 1
Read the sentence.
After she gave the lecture on molecular geometry, Dr. Jones realized that she would have to expound on the subject at greater length because the students looked confused and gave blank stares when she asked if there were any questions.
What is the meaning of the word expound as it is used in the sentence?
to explain in detail
assuage
to make less intense; reduce the severity of
clemency
kind or lenient treatment
cuisine
a method of cooking, usually from a specific country or region
accost
to approach and speak to, especially in an aggressive way
Which option provides an accurate definition of the term explicit?
directly stated
Which response most clearly presents a character archetype in literature?
a young man who goes on a quest and encounters many trials
Which element of a narrative text is directly involved in the conflict of a story and moves the story along through actions, motivations, and interactions?
character
Read the sentences.
Even though Bill had asked Ana to dinner, he was not sure what sort of cuisine she would like. She had told him a number of times that she just simply loved food, period.
Based on the context provided by the passage, which sentence correctly defines the word cuisine?
Cuisine is a specific style of cooking, for example, Thai or Italian.
augmented
increased, enhanced
Read the stanza from Pablo Neruda’s poem “Don’t Go Far Off.”
Don't leave me, even for an hour, because
then the little drops of anguish will all run together,
the smoke that roams looking for a home will drift
into me, choking my lost heart.
Which option most effectively explains the implicit meaning of this stanza?
The speaker is deeply in love and feels as though his lover’s potential absence will cause him pain and suffering.
Which response most completely describes what a summary contains?
A summary contains all essential points in a text, and omits the opinions of the reader.
Which option most accurately identifies the two types of characterization?
direct and indirect
What sentence correctly defines understatement?
Understatement is the representation of information in a minimal or subdued way, and is used for humor or emphasis.
Read the excerpt from The War of the Worlds.
I was very glad to do as he asked, and so become one of the privileged spectators within the contemplated enclosure. I failed to find Lord Hilton at his house, but I was told he was expected from London by the six o’clock train from Waterloo; and as it was then about a quarter past five, I went home, had some tea, and walked up to the station to waylay him.
Given the context, what is the most accurate definition of the word waylay?
to intercept
Read the sentence and then use a print or digital dictionary to look up the word emulate.
DJ likes to invent her own recipes, but she always tries to emulate her mom’s masterful cooking techniques in her own kitchen.
How does the word emulate function in the sentence, and what does it mean?
Emulate functions as a verb, and it means “to imitate someone or something that one admires.”
Read the lines from The Faerie Queene.
I wote not, whether the revenging steel
Were hardened with that holy water dew,
Wherein he fell, or sharper edge did feel,
Or his baptized hands now greater grew;
Or other secret virtue did ensue;
Else never could the force of fleshly arm,
Nor molten metal in his blood embrew;
For till that stownd could never wight him harm,
By subtlety, nor slight, nor might, nor mighty charm.
Which response correctly explains the meaning of ensue in the lines?
Ensue means “result from something”; in this case, it means that perhaps an unknown power came from the Redcrosse Knight or his weapon.
Which sentence uses the word sonorous correctly?
The sound of my professor’s deep, sonorous voice eventually made me doze off in class.
What options correctly identify kinds of irony?
Read the excerpt from The War of the Worlds.
The thought of the confined creature was so dreadful to him that he forgot the heat and went forward to the cylinder to help turn. But luckily the dull radiation arrested him before he could burn his hands on the still-glowing metal. At that he stood irresolute for a moment, then turned, scrambled out of the pit, and set off running wildly into Woking.
Which response most accurately explains how a student who did not know the meaning of irresolute could determine its meaning?
Irresolute has the same root as resolute, which means “firmly decided,” and has the prefix ir-, which means “not.”
Read the passage.
After spending two years in the Amazonian rainforest, Marina acquired remarkable wilderness survival skills. When she returned to the US, she was eager to impress everyone with her fathomless knowledge of the Amazonian culture and ways of living.
Which response most clearly analyzes the effect of the word fathomless in the passage, as opposed to a synonym such as extensive?
Fathomless means that Marina’s knowledge was without limits, while extensive implies she had a significant amount of knowledge.
Read the excerpt from The Tempest.
PROSPERO.
O, was she so? I must
Once in a month recount what thou hast been,
Which thou forget’st. This damned witch Sycorax,
For mischiefs manifold, and sorceries terrible
To enter human hearing, from Algiers,
Thou know’st, was banished. For one thing she did
They would not take her life. Is not this true?
Which response most accurately defines manifold?
many, various, and assorted
Read the sentence.
Anita was not above using subterfuge to avoid being seen by her boss as she left work early.
Which option most accurately defines the word subterfuge?
a deceitful or underhanded plan used to hide or escape from something
Which option accurately defines the verb dismay?
to concern and distress
concussion
jarring noise or crash