Vocabulary: Argument, Reasoning, & Persuasion
The fossil record allows us to _______ the existence of reptiles during this era.
(A) confer
(B) defer
(C) infer
(D) refer
(C) infer (v)
in- into + ferre to bring, to bear
to conclude from evidence :
Form: inference = a conclusion drawn by reasoning from evidence; the process of reaching such a conclusion
Root family: [in-] inundate (to flood), incisive (showing keen judgment), ingratiate (to curry favor), inherent (existing as an inseparable element), invoke (to bring to bear), indoctrinate (to teach doctrine), induce (to bring about), infiltrate (to gain access secretly)
Root family: [fer] fertile (productive), defer (to put off until later; to submit to the authority of another), coniferous (cone-bearing), aquifer (rock formation that carries groundwater)
Usage: Don’t use infer when you mean imply (suggest). Although a fingerprint at a crime scene might imply guilt, only a person can infer that guilt.
Henrietta's flock of backyard chickens produced more eggs than her neighborhood.
(A) NO CHANGE
(B) the rest of the neighborhood's chickens.
(C) her suburb.
(D) her friend, Sean.
(B) the rest of the neighborhood's chickens.
Many of the Harry Potter novels _________ to events that occurred in previous books.
(A) allude
(B) protrude
(C) conform
(D) assuage
(A) allude (v)
ad- to + ludere to play
to hint at indirectly :
Form: allusion = an indirect reference
Root family: [ad-] aspire (to strive for a lofty goal), adhere (stick fast (to)), advocate (to provide vocal support for), acquiesce (to comply reluctantly), annul (to declare invalid)
Root family: [lud, lus] collusion (a secret understanding that has a harmful purpose), delude (to make someone believe something that is not true), illusion (something that gives a false impression of reality), ludicrous (foolish and ridiculous) Don’t confuse with: elude (to avoid a pursuer skillfully)
Don’t confuse allusion with illusion (a false idea or perception)
Tabitha's eyes widened: the vanilla ice cream was floating in a sea of hot fudge like a small rubber duck in the middle of the ocean.
(A) NO CHANGE
(B) will float
(C) is floating
(D) floats
(A) NO CHANGE
The coach _________ us for not keeping in shape during the off-season.
(A) berated
(B) encroached
(C) estranged
(D) reproved
(A) berated (v)
to scold angrily :
Synonyms: reproach, censure, rebuke, admonish, chastise, upbraid, reprove
Don’t confuse with: irate (very angry)
Usage: See usage note at rebuke in this section.
The testimony of the eyewitnesses _________ the defendant.
(A) exonerated
(B) exaggerated
(C) exasperated
(D) irritated
(A) exonerated (v)
ex- out, from + onus burden
to absolve someone of blame or fault :
Synonyms: absolve, acquit, exculpate, vindicate
Root family: [onus, oner]: onus (burden), onerous (burdensome)
Don’t confuse with: exaggerate (to overstate), exasperate (to irritate (someone))
Mnemonic: To exonerate is to take the burden (of guilt) from someone (ex- = from + onus = burden).
According to some scholars, T. S. Eliot's later poems are more powerful and incisive than his early career as a writer.
(A) NO CHANGE
(B) the time he spent previously on his writing.
(C) those written at the beginning of his career.
(D) the energy he invested in his early poetry.
(C) those written at the beginning of his career.
A politician can be more adept than philosophy in finding a complex interpretation for an apparently simple event.
(A) NO CHANGE
(B) a philosopher
(C) the process of philosophy
(D) philosophizing
(B) a philosopher
If I get a Venus flytrap, it ate my pet fly, Herman.
(A) NO CHANGE
(B) will be eating
(C) might eat
(D) eats
(C) might eat
Teachers should give clear instructions and not _________ to their students.
(A) condescend
(B) descend
(C) transcend
(D) rescind
(A) condescend (v)
con- together + de- down + scandere to climb
to act superior to someone else :
Forms: condescending = acting superior or arrogant, condescension = looking down on others
Synonyms: patronize, deign
Root family: [con-, co-, com-, col-] conventional (according to common practice), conjecture (guess), convoluted (complicated), coalesce (to come together), coherent (forming a united whole), confluence (a place at which two things merge) Root family: [de-] deplore (to express strong disapproval), denounce (declare as bad), debase (reduce in value), denigrate (criticize unfairly), deference (submission to the authority of another)
Root family: [scend, scal] transcend (to rise above something), ascend (to climb), escalate (to increase in intensity or magni- tude), echelon (level or rank)
Daniel’s protest was designed to be _________, rather than informative.
(A) evocative
(B) provocative
(C) figurative
(D) derivative
(B) provocative (adj)
pro- forward + vocare to call
[1] intended to cause a strong negative emotional response :
Form: provocation = action intended to annoy or anger
Synonyms: vexing, galling, incendiary, inflammatory
[2] intended to arouse sexual desire : The school dress code imposes severe restrictions on provocative clothing.
Synonyms: alluring, seductive
Root family: [pro-] protracted (lasting longer than expected), prophecy (prediction), promote (further the progress of something; raise in rank), progeny (offspring), reciprocate (to respond in kind)
Root family: [voc, vok] revoke (to take back), evocative (bringing strong images or emotions to mind), advocate (to give public support), avocation (hobby), equivocate (to speak ambiguously), vocation (calling; chosen career)
Don’t confuse with: evocative (bringing strong images or emotions to mind)
Usage: Provocative and evocative have very similar meanings, but provocative is usually reserved to describe something that elicits emotions that are not desired or appropriate, while evocative describes something that elicits emotions to enrich an experience.
The foreign investors acquired the land for passive investment rather than a park.
(A) NO CHANGE
(B) for development.
(C) develop.
(D) to park.
(B) for development.
The Amazon's widest point is four times larger than the Nile.
(A) NO CHANGE
(B) that of the Nile.
(C) those of the Nile.
(D) the other parts of the Nile.
(B) that of the Nile.
Pedicabs, which are becoming increasingly popular in US cities, go by different names all over the world. For example, the Malagasy people of Madagascar are calling the pedicab a "pousse-pousse," while Bangladeshis use the term "rickshaw."
(A) NO CHANGE
(B) should have called
(C) call
(D) are called by
Perry became ________ at the suggestion that he was cheating.
(A) indigenous
(B) malignant
(C) stringent
(D) indignant
(D) indignant (adj)
in- not + dignus worthy
angered by unjust treatment :
Form: indignation = anger at unjust treatment
Synonyms: aggrieved, affronted, disgruntled
Root family: [in-, im-] insipid (flavorless), insuperable (impossible to overcome), inert (lacking vigor), interminable (unend- ing), innocuous (harmless), indefatigable (untiring), ineffable (inexpressible in words), inscrutable (beyond understanding), impassive (unemotional), incongruous (not consistent with expectations)
Root family: [dign, dain] dignity (state of being worthy of respect), dignify (to make worthy), disdain (contempt), deign (to do something that one considers beneath one’s dignity)
Don’t confuse with: indigenous (native), indignity (a circumstance or treatment that makes one feel humiliated)
The angry customer could only be _________ by the offer of a full refund and a sincere apology.
(A) vindicated
(B) flouted
(C) placated
(D) instigated
(C) placated (v)
placare to please
to pacify with conciliatory gestures :
Forms: implacable = unable to be appeased
Synonyms: propitiate, conciliate, appease, mollify
Root family: [plac, plais] complacent (self-satisfied), implacable (unable to be pleased), placid (peaceful), placebo (a sugar pill used as a control in a medical experiment), pleasant
Don’t confuse with: placid (peaceful) Usage: See usage note at pacify in section 4.
The world's first "Global Family Reunion," held in New York, is probably much larger than any of your own family.
(A) NO CHANGE
(B) family trees.
(C) family is.
(D) family gatherings.
(D) family gatherings.
Jonah was seemingly _________ to the swarming gnats.
(A) imperious
(B) tenacious
(C) impervious
(D) insolent
(C) impervious (adj)
im- not + per- through
not able to be influenced (by) :
Synonym: insusceptible (to)
Root family: [per-] perspicacious (showing keen insight), permeable (allowing liquids or gases to pass through), pervasive (widespread in a certain area)
Don’t confuse with: imperious (domineering)
Mnemonic: A good raincoat is impervious to rain because it does not let water through (im- not + per through).
By the time Frederick found the message in the bottle, the mold inside will eat the note.
(A) NO CHANGE
(B) is eating
(C) had eaten
(D) ate
(C) had eaten
The guards were awakened by a _________ at the gate.
(A) ember
(B) caliber
(C) clamber
(D) clamor
(D) clamor (n)
clamare to cry out
an uproar, usually from a crowd showing disapproval :
Form: clamor (v) = to raise an outcry, usually in a group
Root family: [clam, claim] acclaim (to praise publicly), proclaim (announce publicly and officially) Don’t confuse with: clamber (to climb awkwardly)
He _________ refused to accept the plea bargain.
(A) obnoxiously
(B) obstreperously
(C) atrociously
(D) obstinately
(D) obstinately (adj)
stubbornly refusing to change one’s position :
Form: obstinacy = strong reluctance to change
Synonyms: obdurate, staunch, intransigent, recalcitrant
Don’t confuse with: obstreperous (noisy and difficult to control)
Usage: See usage note at tenacious in section 4.
Mnemonic: Imagine Nate the obstetrician stubbornly refusing to deliver a baby.
New Yorkers will tell you that their pizza is better than Chicago because New York pizza can be eaten with one's hands rather than with a knife and fork.
(A) NO CHANGE
(B) Chicago restaurants
(C) that from Chicago
(D) restaurants in Chicago
(C) that from Chicago
Although cell phones themselves have become less physically _________ over time, their users have become far more obnoxious.
(A) obtrusive
(B) intrusive
(C) pervasive
(D) servile
(A) obtrusive (adj)
ob- toward + trudere to push
[1] (of things) prominent in an annoying way :
Synonyms: conspicuous, intrusive
[2] (of people) obnoxiously intrusive : Donna’s questions seemed solicitous at first, but soon became obtrusive.
Form: unobtrusive = not tending to get in the way
Synonyms: officious, meddlesome
Root family: [trus, trud] extrude (to thrust out), abstruse (very difficult to understand), intruder (one who pushes in where he or she is unwelcome)
"Panama," a poem by James Jeffrey Roche, was writing to celebrate the construction of the canal which connected the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
(A) NO CHANGE
(B) will be written
(C) was written
(D) wrote
Despite the long-standing _________ between their families, Romeo and Juliet believed their love would triumph.
(A) apathy
(B) empathy
(C) sympathy
(D) antipathy
(D) antipathy (adj)
anti- against + pathos feeling
deep-seated dislike :
Synonyms: aversion, animus, antagonism, enmity, loathing, abhorrence
Root family: [path] sympathy (feeling of sorrow for the misfortunes of another), pathology (the science of the causes and course of diseases), apathetic (lacking concern), empathy (the ability to share the feelings of others)
Don’t confuse with: apathy (lack of concern)