1. ADVANCING VOCABULARY SKILLS
Fourth Edition
Sherrie L. Nist
© Townsend Press

2. Unit One: Chapter 3 • ambiguous • inane • dissident • juxtapose
• embellish • lethargy
• fritter • sporadic
• inadvertent • subsidize
Page 16 in textbook.

3. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 1 ambiguous – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
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.
Page 16 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.
Ambiguous means
A. unclear.
B. unintentional.
C. unpleasant.

4. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 1 ambiguous 1 ambiguous – adjective – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 ambiguous
1 ambiguous
– adjective
– 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.
Page 16 in textbook.
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.

5. 1 Ambiguous – adjective Syn.- vague, uncertain, indefinite
Ant.- clear, definite, explicit

6. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 2 dissident – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 dissident
– noun
• Some dissidents in the Catholic church favor such changes as allowing women to be priests and allowing priests to marry.
• In a dictatorship, dissidents are not tolerated. People who speak out against the government may be imprisoned or even executed.
Page 16 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.
Dissident means
A. a rebel.
B. a dishonest person.
C. a foolish person.

7. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 2 dissident – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 dissident
– noun
• Some dissidents in the Catholic church favor such changes as allowing women to be priests and allowing priests to marry.
• 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.
Page 16 in textbook.
Chinese Pro-Democracy Protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989
Catholics who favor women priests and allowing priests to marry are rebels. People who speak out against the government are considered rebels in a dictatorship.

8. 2 Dissident – noun Syn.- rebel, reformer, revolutionary
Ant.- one who is agreeable and harmonious, a conformist

9. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 3 embellish – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
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.
Page 16 in textbook.
Answer: B
The next slide explains the answer.
A dessert embellished with
chocolate sauce, fruit, and flowers

10. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 3 embellish – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
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.
Page 16 in textbook.
Lauren used post cards and pictures to decorate her door. A pattern of colorful seashells decorated the cover of the textbook.
A dessert embellished with
chocolate sauce, fruit, and flowers

11. 3 Embellish – verb Syn.- decorate, adorn, enhance, add details
Ant.- simplify, spoil, mar

12. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 4 fritter – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
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.
Page 16 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.
Fritter means
A. to earn.
B. to count.
C. to waste.

13. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 4 fritter – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
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.
Page 16 in textbook.
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.

14. 4 Fritter – verb
Syn.- misspend, run through, squander, throw away, fiddle
Ant.- save, store, economize

15. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 5 inadvertent – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
– adjective
5 inadvertent
• 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.
Page 16 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.
Inadvertent means
A. not required.
B. not finished.
C. not intended.

16. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 5 inadvertent – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
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.
Page 16 in textbook.
Because Fleming forgot to cover the dish, the discovery of penicillin was not intended or accidental. In the second item, the word accidentally tells you that inadvertent means “not intended.”

17. 5 Inadvertent – adjective
Syn.- accidental, careless, unintentional
Ant.- deliberate, intentional, planned

18. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 6 inane – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
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.”
Page 16 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.
Inane means
A. silly.
B. interesting.
C. shocking.

19. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 6 inane – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
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.
Page 16 in textbook.
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.

20. 6 Inane – adjective Syn.- absurd, idiotic, stupid, fatuous, ridiculous
Ant.- sensible, reasonable, intelligent,
logical, practical

21. A new fence and and old fence juxtaposed
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
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.
Page 17 in textbook.
Answer: B
The next slide explains the answer.
A new fence and and old fence juxtaposed

22. A new fence and and old fence juxtaposed
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
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.
Page 17 in textbook.
In the photograph, the trees and the dark gray sky were put side by side. Since Dottie wanted to see what combination would look best, she put her scarves and jackets side by side with her new dress.
A new fence and and old fence juxtaposed

23. 7 Juxtapose – verb Syn.- accompany, put together, affix
Ant.- divide, separate, keep apart

24. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 8 lethargy – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
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.
Page 17 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.

25. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 8 lethargy – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
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.
Page 17 in textbook.
Since Wendy felt exhausted for weeks, her weariness persisted. If the students had trouble staying awake, weariness must have descended upon the class.

26. 8 Lethargy – noun Syn.- sluggishness, slowness, inertia
Ant.- energy, vigor, vitality, excitement

27. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 9 sporadic – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
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.
Page 17 in textbook.
Answer: B
The next slide explains the answer.

28. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 9 sporadic – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
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.
Page 17 in textbook.
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.”

29. 9 Sporadic – adjective Syn.- off and on, random, intermittent
Ant.- constant, continuous

30. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 10 subsidize – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
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.
Page 17 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.

31. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 10 subsidize – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
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.
Page 17 in textbook.
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.

32. 10 Subsidize – verb Syn.- fund, finance, sponsor, bankroll,
pick up the tab, support
Ant.- exploit, take away, block

33. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each 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. Instead of refreshing me, an afternoon nap only deepens my _________; I wake up even sleepier than I was before.
2. I get news of Darren only now and then, in __________ letters from him or his mother.
Page 18 in textbook.
Answers: 1. lethargy; 2. sporadic
The next slide explains the answers.

34. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each 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. Instead of refreshing me, an afternoon nap only deepens my _________; I wake up even sleepier than I was before.
lethargy
Since the person wakes up from a nap even sleepier, the nap must deepen his or her sluggishness.
2. I get news of Darren only now and then, in __________ letters from him or his mother.
sporadic
Page 18 in textbook.
The words only now and then tell you that the letters are only occasional.

35. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each 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
3. A research grant will __________ Belinda’s study of common fears among the elderly.
4. My recent trip to Newark was __________. I wanted to go to New York City, but I got on the wrong train.
Page 18 in textbook.
Answers: 3. subsidize; 4. inadvertent; 5. fritter
The next slide explains the answers.
5. Tracy has learned the hard way not to __________ away her time and affection on friends who don’t really care about her.

36. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each 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
3. A research grant will __________ Belinda’s study of common fears among the elderly.
subsidize
A grant would pay for Belinda’s study.
4. My recent trip to Newark was __________. I wanted to go to New York City, but I got on the wrong train.
inadvertent
Page 18 in textbook.
If the person got on the wrong train, the trip to Newark was accidental.
5. 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.

37. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each 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
6. My little brother has _______(e)d his bedroom ceiling with stars arranged like several of the constellations.
7. 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.
Page 18 in textbook.
Answers: 6. embellish; 7. juxtapose
The next slide explains the answers.

38. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each 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
6. My little brother has __________ his bedroom ceiling with stars arranged like several of the constellations.
embellished
The brother decorated his bedroom ceiling with stars.
7. 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
Page 18 in textbook.
In order for the characters to be contrasted with one another, they must be placed close together.

39. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each 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
8. When student _________s led a protest against China’s communist leaders in 1989, some students were killed by government troops.
9. 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.”
Page 18 in textbook.
Answers: 8. dissident; 9. ambiguous; 10. inane
The next slide explains the answers.
10. Steve Martin was poking fun at __________ ideas for products when he said, “I got a fur sink, an electric dog polisher, a gasoline-powered turtleneck sweater—and, of course, I bought some dumb stuff too.”

40. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each 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
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.
9. 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
Page 18 in textbook.
Answers: 8. naive; 9. lenient; 10. integrity
The next slide explains the answers.
The comment can be interpreted in more than one way.
10. Steve Martin was poking fun at __________ ideas for products when he said, “I got a fur sink, an electric dog polisher, a gasoline-powered turtleneck sweater—and, of course, I bought some dumb stuff too.”
inane
The examples show that Martin is poking fun at foolish ideas for products.