Vocabulary 1 1. In an acquisitive society, there is a great deal of emphasis on buying and selling. Adj-able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property Syn-greedy, grasping, avaricious, retentive Ant-altruistic, unretentive

V-to claim or take without right Syn- expropriate, usurp, commandeer 2. The ambitious noblemen will put the king under house arrest and arrogate royal privileges to themselves. V-to claim or take without right Syn- expropriate, usurp, commandeer Ant- relinquish, renounce, abdicate, abandon

3. The new play’s banal dialogue made it seem more like a soap opera than a serious drama. Adj-hackneyed, trite, commonplace Syn-stale, insipid Ant-fresh, novel, original, new

4. His tendency to belabor the small points made him miss the big picture. V- to work on excessively, to thrash soundly Syn-overwork

5. The trainee resigned after a week rather than put up with the carping complaints of the sales manager. Adj-tending to find fault, especially in a nasty, petty, or hair-splitting way N-petty, nagging criticism Syn-adj-nit-picking, caviling Ant-adj-approving, uncritical

6. The physics teacher gave a surprisingly coherent description of quantum mechanics. Adj-holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful Syn-connected, unified, consistent, cohesive Ant-muddles, chaotic, disjointed

7. If you don’t wash the dishes right away, the food on them will congeal. V-to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid Syn-harden, jell, coagulate, solidify Ant-melt, liquefy

8. Most beginning writers try to emulate great writers and later develop their own individual styles. V-to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model Syn-copy, mimic, rival, match, measure up to

9. On Veterans Day, the President delivered a heartfelt encomium to those who dies for their country. N-a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute Syn-panegyric, eulogy, commendation Ant-condemnation, castigation, criticism

10. The young athletes promised the coach that they would train vigorously and eschew bad habits. V-to avoid, shun, keep away from Syn-abstain from, steer clear of, forgo Ant-embrace, adopt