Weekly vocabulary 2018-2019

1.Equivocate V. 9.Solace n. 2. Fortuitous adj. 10.Solicitous adj. 3.Impeccable adj. 11.Attrition n. 4.Liaison n. 12.Circumvent v. 5.Predisposed adj. 13.Cohesive adj. 6.Propensity n. 14.Grievous adj. 7.Reprehensible adj. 15.Inundate v. 8.Sham n.

15 WORDS IN CONTEXT 1. equivocate – verb Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 1. equivocate – verb • Bob can’t get his boss to say whether or not he intends to give him a raise. When Bob asks him, he equivocates, saying, “You’ve been doing good work, Bob.” • Lonnell doesn’t want to come right out and tell Tiffany he doesn’t love her. If she asks, he equivocates by telling her something like “You know how I feel.” Equivocate means A. to be blunt. B. to be false. C. to deny. D. to be unclear.

15 WORDS IN CONTEXT 2. fortuitous – adjective Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 2. fortuitous – adjective • The birth of triplets wasn’t entirely fortuitous. The mother had taken a fertility drug, which often causes multiple births. Fortuitous means A. accidental. B. predictable. C. overdue. D. on purpose.

15 WORDS IN CONTEXT 3. impeccable – adjective Impeccable means Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 3. impeccable – adjective The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and in any weather by Tomb Guard sentinels. Sentinels, all volunteers, are considered to be the best of the elite 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), headquartered at Fort Myer, Virginia. They are impeccable. Impeccable means A. brave. B. deceptive. C. faulty. D. perfect. impeccable soldiers Photo: Chelsea Kennedy/U.S. Navy

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 4 liaison – noun Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 4 liaison – noun • Valley Central student Quinn Parker acts as a liaison between the students and the administration. • Because she is bilingual, Elena often serves as a liaison between the Spanish- and English-speaking personnel in her office. Liaison means A. a follower. B. a caregiver. C. a link. D. an outsider

15 WORDS IN CONTEXT 5. predisposed – adjective Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 5. predisposed – adjective • Terry didn’t want to move in the first place, so she was predisposed to hate the new apartment. • As a Dallas Cowboys fan, I’m predisposed to hate any game Eli Manning plays in. Predisposed means A. unlikely. B. likely. C. never. D. pretending.

15 WORDS IN CONTEXT 6. propensity – noun Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 6. propensity – noun • The dallas Cowboys defense has a propensity for causing turnovers and celebrating. • Wanda is aware of her propensity to blab, so she warns her friends not to tell her anything they wouldn’t want repeated. Propensity means A. a coincidence. B. a habit; tendency C. a concern. D. an addiction.

15 WORDS IN CONTEXT 7. reprehensible – adjective Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 7. reprehensible – adjective • The Riordans never discipline their son. No matter how reprehensible his behavior is, they just say, “Kids will be kids.” • Jared’s secret life was completely reprehensible. He fooled the public for years. Reprehensible means A. misleading. B. shameful. C. uncertain. D. forgivable.

15 WORDS IN CONTEXT 8. sham – noun Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 8. sham – noun • Karen’s apparent affection for Raul is a sham. He’s rich, and she cares only about his money. • The picture below was a photoshopped sham. Sham means A. something false. B. something confusing. C. something accidental. D. something imagined.

15 WORDS IN CONTEXT 9. solace – noun Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 9. solace – noun • After a long day, Jurgens finds solace in the delicacy and deliciousness of a boneless spare rib combination plate.. • Whenever I’m upset and need solace, I eat a boneless spare rib combo plate. Solace means A. excitement. B. perfection. C. relief. D. solitude

This news station needs to be more solicitous. 15 WORDS IN CONTEXT Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 10. solicitous – adjective • The waiter was overly solicitous. He kept interrupting our conversation to ask, “Is everything all right here?” Solicitous means A. distant. B. attentive. C. patient. D. descriptive. This news station needs to be more solicitous.

15 WORDS IN CONTEXT 11. attrition – noun Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 11. attrition – noun • Sports teams are constantly looking for new talent to replace players lost through attrition—low enrollment, quitting because of injuries, and so on. Some schools have gone to eight man. • Colleges try not to have a high rate of attrition. They want students to stay until graduation, rather than drop out early. Attrition means A. an natural increase in numbers. B. a natural loss in numbers C. ill health. D. an addition

Number 21 circumventing his opponents 15 WORDS IN CONTEXT Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 12. circumvent • If we take this roundabout route, we can circumvent the rush-hour traffic and get home early. – verb Circumvent means A. to avoid. B. to meet head-on. C. to make smaller. D. to make contact. Number 21 circumventing his opponents Photo: James E. Foehl/U.S. Navy

15 WORDS IN CONTEXT 13. cohesive – adjective Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 13. cohesive – adjective • For a cohesive pie dough, one that doesn’t fall apart, be sure to add enough liquid. • A team needs to be cohesive—to stay together even when stresses and strains threaten to tear it apart. Cohesive means durable B. popular. C. large. D. connected.

15 WORDS IN CONTEXT 14. grievous – adjective Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 14. grievous – adjective • Jason Pierre Paul suffered a grievous injury that almost cost him his career. • The assassination of a great leader, such as Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr., often does grievous harm to a society. Grievous means A. preventable. B. untreatable C. severe. D. unavoidable.

15 WORDS IN CONTEXT 15. inundate – verb Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 15. inundate – verb • During Hurricane Sandy, the overflow inundated the highways and streets. Sharks were misplaced. • After his brief announcement at the beginning of the press conference, the President was inundated with questions from reporters. Inundate means A. to overwhelm. B. to strengthen. C. to go around. D. to underwhelm.