Chapter 6 SAT Vocabulary ambiguous inane dissident juxtapose embellish lethargy fritter sporadic subsidize inadvertent

Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context

Is this a duck or a rabbit? Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context 1 ambiguous – adjective The portrait known as the “Mona Lisa” is famous for the woman’s ambiguous expression. Is she smiling or not? Omar left an ambiguous message on my answering machine: “Meet me at twelve o’clock.” I couldn’t tell whether he meant noon or midnight. Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. Ambiguous means A. unclear. B. unintentional. C. unpleasant. An ambiguous picture— Is this a duck or a rabbit? Drawing: J. Jastrow (1899) via Wikimedia Commons

Is this a duck or a rabbit? Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context 1 ambiguous – adjective The portrait known as the “Mona Lisa” is famous for the woman’s ambiguous expression. Is she smiling or not? Omar left an ambiguous message on my answering machine: “Meet me at twelve o’clock.” I couldn’t tell whether he meant noon or midnight. Ambiguous means A. unclear. B. unintentional. C. unpleasant. An ambiguous picture— Is this a duck or a rabbit? Drawing: J. Jastrow (1899) via Wikimedia Commons The question Is she smiling or not? tells us that ambiguous means “unclear.” In the second item, it is unclear whether Omar means noon or midnight.

Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context 2 dissident – noun It’s important to remember that America’s Founding Fathers, like Washington and Jefferson, were actually dissidents who rose up against their British rulers. In a dictatorship, dissidents are not tolerated. People who speak out against the government may be imprisoned or even executed. Dissident means A. a rebel. B. a dishonest person. C. a foolish person. A dissident opposing election results in her country By Saba via Wikimedia Commons

Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context 2 dissident – noun It’s important to remember that America’s Founding Fathers, like Washington and Jefferson, were actually dissidents who rose up against their British rulers. In a dictatorship, dissidents are not tolerated. People who speak out against the government may be imprisoned or even executed. Dissident means A. a rebel. B. a dishonest person. C. a foolish person. A dissident opposing election results in her country By Saba via Wikimedia Commons The words rose up against suggest that dissident means "rebel.” People who speak out against the government are considered rebels in a dictatorship.

Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context 3 embellish – verb Lauren embellished the door of her room with postcards from her friends and photos of her cats. The cover of the biology textbook was embellished with a pattern of colorful seashells. Embellish means A. to hide. B. to decorate. C. to damage. A dessert embellished with chocolate sauce, fruit, and flowers © Townsend Press

Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context 3 embellish – verb Lauren embellished the door of her room with postcards from her friends and photos of her cats. The cover of the biology textbook was embellished with a pattern of colorful seashells. Embellish means A. to hide. B. to decorate. C. to damage. A dessert embellished with chocolate sauce, fruit, and flowers © Townsend Press Lauren used postcards and pictures to decorate her door. A pattern of colorful seashells decorated the cover of the textbook.

Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context 4 fritter – verb I thought my little sister would fritter away her entire allowance on M&M’s, but instead of wasting her money, she put it in her piggy bank. Vince fritters away both his time and his money playing game after game in video arcades. Fritter means A. to earn. B. to count. C. to waste.

Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context 4 fritter – verb I thought my little sister would fritter away her entire allowance on M&M’s, but instead of wasting her money, she put it in her piggy bank. Vince fritters away both his time and his money playing game after game in video arcades. Fritter means A. to earn. B. to count. C. to waste. In the first item, the word wasting tells you that fritter means “to waste.” In the second item, some people would say that Vince wastes his time playing game after game in video arcades.

Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context 5 inadvertent – adjective Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin was inadvertent. He forgot to cover a dish of bacteria, and some mold got into it. The next day, Fleming found that the mold had killed the bacteria. The final draft of Nancy’s paper was shorter than the previous version, but this was inadvertent. She had accidentally deleted an entire page without realizing it. Inadvertent means A. not required. B. not finished. C. not intended.

Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context 5 inadvertent – adjective Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin was inadvertent. He forgot to cover a dish of bacteria, and some mold got into it. The next day, Fleming found that the mold had killed the bacteria. The final draft of Nancy’s paper was shorter than the previous version, but this was inadvertent. She had accidentally deleted an entire page without realizing it. Inadvertent means A. not required. B. not finished. C. not intended. Because Fleming forgot to cover the dish, the discovery of penicillin was accidental—that is, not intended. In the second item, the word accidentally tells you that inadvertent means “not intended.”

Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context 6 inane – adjective The conversation at the party was inane, consisting mainly of foolish comments about whose clothes were the most “awesome.” Television programming is often so inane that TV has been described as “bubble gum for the mind.” Inane means A. silly. B. interesting. C. shocking.

Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context 6 inane – adjective The conversation at the party was inane, consisting mainly of foolish comments about whose clothes were the most “awesome.” Television programming is often so inane that TV has been described as “bubble gum for the mind.” Inane means A. silly. B. interesting. C. shocking. In the first item, the word foolish suggests that inane means “silly.” In the second item, if TV is “bubble gum for the mind,” the programming must be silly.

A new fence and an old fence juxtaposed Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context 7 juxtapose – verb The photograph dramatically juxtaposed white birch trees and a dark gray sky. Dottie spread her new dress out on her bed and then juxtaposed all her scarves and jackets to it to see which combination would look best. Juxtapose means A. to cover up. B. to put side by side. C. to replace. A new fence and an old fence juxtaposed By Ingolfson via Wikimedia Commons

A new fence and an old fence juxtaposed Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context 7 juxtapose – verb The photograph dramatically juxtaposed white birch trees and a dark gray sky. Dottie spread her new dress out on her bed and then juxtaposed all her scarves and jackets to it to see which combination would look best. Juxtapose means A. to cover up. B. to put side by side. C. to replace. A new fence and an old fence juxtaposed By Ingolfson via Wikimedia Commons The white trees and the dark gray sky were put side by side for dramatic effect. Since Dottie wanted to see what combination would look best, she put her scarves and jackets side by side with her new dress.

Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context 8 lethargy – noun Although Wendy seemed to recover from the flu, her lethargy persisted. She felt exhausted for weeks. With the hot weather, lethargy descended upon the class. The students had trouble staying awake, and even the instructor gazed dreamily out the window. Lethargy means A. weariness. B. hopelessness. C. foolishness. Lethargy brought on by a long car ride © Sstevenson | Dreamstime.com

Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context 8 lethargy – noun Although Wendy seemed to recover from the flu, her lethargy persisted. She felt exhausted for weeks. With the hot weather, lethargy descended upon the class. The students had trouble staying awake, and even the instructor gazed dreamily out the window. Lethargy means A. weariness. B. hopelessness. C. foolishness. Lethargy brought on by a long car ride © Sstevenson | Dreamstime.com Since Wendy felt exhausted for weeks, her weariness persisted. If the students had trouble staying awake, weariness must have descended upon the class.

Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context 9 sporadic – adjective It rained continuously until noon. After that, there were only sporadic showers. Dave makes sporadic attempts to give up smoking, but his occasional efforts have been halfhearted. Sporadic means A. steady. B. irregular. C. long.

Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context 9 sporadic – adjective It rained continuously until noon. After that, there were only sporadic showers. Dave makes sporadic attempts to give up smoking, but his occasional efforts have been halfhearted. Sporadic means A. steady. B. irregular. C. long. In contrast with the continuous rain in the morning, the showers in the afternoon were irregular. In the second item, the word occasional suggests that sporadic means “irregular.”

Chapter 3 Ten Words in Context 10 subsidize – verb During college, many students are subsidized by their parents, while others rely on grants or loans. Public television is subsidized by various grants and by individual and community donations. Subsidize means A. to pay for. B. to advertise. C. to criticize.

Chapter 6 Ten Words in Context 10 subsidize – verb During college, many students are subsidized by their parents, while others rely on grants or loans. Public television is subsidized by various grants and by individual and community donations. Subsidize means A. to pay for. B. to advertise. C. to criticize. Loans and grants are used to pay for college, so subsidize must mean “to pay for.” Similarly, in the second item, grants and donations pay for public television.

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 Complete the item with the correct word from the box. A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 1. Tracy has learned the hard way not to __________ away her time and affection on friends who don’t really care about her.

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 1. Tracy has learned the hard way not to __________ away her time and affection on friends who don’t really care about her. fritter To spend time and affection on friends who don’t care about her is to waste that time and affection.

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 2. My recent trip to Newark was __________. I wanted to go to New York City, but I got on the wrong train.

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 2. My recent trip to Newark was __________. I wanted to go to New York City, but I got on the wrong train. inadvertent If the person got on the wrong train, the trip to Newark was accidental.

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 3. A research grant will __________ Belinda’s study of common fears among the elderly.

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 3. A research grant will __________ Belinda’s study of common fears among the elderly. subsidize A grant would pay for Belinda’s study.

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 4. I get news of Darren only now and then, in __________ letters from him or his mother.

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 4. I get news of Darren only now and then, in __________ letters from him or his mother. sporadic The words only now and then tell you that the letters are only occasional.

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 5. Instead of refreshing me, an afternoon nap only deepens my _________; I wake up even sleepier than I was before.

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 5. Instead of refreshing me, an afternoon nap only deepens my _________; I wake up even sleepier than I was before. lethargy Because the person wakes up from a nap even sleepier, the nap must deepen his or her sluggishness.

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 6. Keisha cancelled her Facebook account. To her, it was an __________ stream of unwanted ads, fake news, and pointless pet videos. Page 18 in textbook. ANSWER: F The next slide shows and explains the answer.

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 6. Keisha cancelled her Facebook account. To her, it was an __________ stream of unwanted ads, fake news, and pointless pet videos. inane The words unwanted, fake, and pointless suggest that the material in her account was without sense or meaning.

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 7. Checking a job applicant’s references, the personnel manager was puzzled by one __________ comment: “You will be lucky if you can get her to work for you.”

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 7. Checking a job applicant’s references, the personnel manager was puzzled by one __________ comment: “You will be lucky if you can get her to work for you.” ambiguous The comment can be interpreted in more than one way.

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 8. When student _________s led a protest against China’s communist leaders in 1989, some students were killed by government troops.

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 8. When student __________ led a protest against China’s communist leaders in 1989, some students were killed by government troops. dissidents If the students led protests, they must have been opposed to the leaders.

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 9. In plays and movies, good and evil characters are often _______(e)d. This contrast makes the good ones seem even better and the bad ones seem even worse.

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 9. In plays and movies, good and evil characters are often __________. This contrast makes the good ones seem even better and the bad ones seem even worse. juxtaposed In order for the characters to be contrasted with one another, they must be placed close together.

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 10. My little brother has _______(e)d his bedroom ceiling with stars arranged like several of the constellations.

Chapter 6 Sentence Check 1 A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize 10. My little brother has __________ his bedroom ceiling with stars arranged like several of the constellations. embellished The brother decorated his bedroom ceiling with stars.