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

2. Unit Four: Chapter 22 • plausible • ridicule • provoke • shrewd
• recur • skeptical
• reprimand • stereotype
• revoke • tactic
Page 122 in textbook.

3. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 1 plausible – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 plausible
– adjective
• Was Buck’s excuse for being late plausible? Or did he tell you some unbelievable story?
• “Some classic TV shows were just not plausible,” said the producer. “Who ever heard of a flying nun or a teenage doctor?”
Plausible means
A. nice.
B. believable.
C. long enough.
Page 122 in textbook.
Answer: B
The next slide explains the answer.

4. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 1 plausible – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 plausible
– adjective
• Was Buck’s excuse for being late plausible? Or did he tell you some unbelievable story?
• “Some classic TV shows were just not plausible,” said the producer. “Who ever heard of a flying nun or a teenage doctor?”
Plausible means
A. nice.
B. believable.
C. long enough.
Page 122 in textbook.
Buck’s excuse was either believable or unbelievable. A show about a flying nun or a teenage doctor does not sound very believable.

5. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 2 provoke – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 provoke
– verb
• “Mr. Jackson provoked me by saying nasty things about my mother, so I hit him,” Terry told the judge.
• My father is slow to anger, but this morning my sister’s wisecracks began to provoke him.
Provoke means
A. to delay.
B. to confuse.
C. to anger.
Page 122 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.

6. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 2 provoke – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 provoke
– verb
• “Mr. Jackson provoked me by saying nasty things about my mother, so I hit him,” Terry told the judge.
• My father is slow to anger, but this morning my sister’s wisecracks began to provoke him.
Provoke means
A. to delay.
B. to confuse.
C. to anger.
Page 122 in textbook.
Mr. Jackson would anger Terry by saying nasty things about Terry’s mother. In the second item, the word anger tells you the meaning of provoke.

7. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 3 recur – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 recur
– verb
• Five-year-old Arnie’s nightmare of ghosts chasing him tends to recur at least once a week.
• “If your headaches keep recurring,” the doctor told Mrs. Lopez, “I’m going to recommend a lab test. We need to find out why you are having so much pain.”
Recur means
A. to disappear.
B. to improve.
C. to happen again.
Page 122 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.

8. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 3 recur – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 recur
– verb
• Five-year-old Arnie’s nightmare of ghosts chasing him tends to recur at least once a week.
• “If your headaches keep recurring,” the doctor told Mrs. Lopez, “I’m going to recommend a lab test. We need to find out why you are having so much pain.”
Recur means
A. to disappear.
B. to improve.
C. to happen again.
Page 122 in textbook.
Arnie’s nightmare happens again every week. The doctor will order a lab test if the headaches keep happening.

9. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 4 reprimand – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 reprimand
– noun
• If a boss wants to criticize a worker, the union requires that the reprimand be written.
• As a child, when I misbehaved, my father gave me verbal reprimands, but my mother would not hesitate to send me to my room for a time-out.
Reprimand means
A. praise.
B. a scolding.
C. an answer.
Page 122 in textbook.
Answer: B
The next slide explains the answer.
“Since reprimands don’t work to keep me off your chair,
why don’t you try offering me dog treats instead?”

10. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 4 reprimand – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 reprimand
– noun
• If a boss wants to criticize a worker, the union requires that the reprimand be written.
• As a child, when I misbehaved, my father gave me verbal reprimands, but my mother would not hesitate to send me to my room for a time-out.
Reprimand means
A. praise.
B. a scolding.
C. an answer.
Page 122 in textbook.
In the first item, the word criticize is a clue that a reprimand is a scolding. If a child misbehaves, he or she may get a scolding.
“Since reprimands don’t work to keep me off your chair,
why don’t you try offering me dog treats instead?”

11. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 5 revoke – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 revoke
– verb
• Mrs. Byers said she would revoke Ken’s privileges at the computer lab if he ever again squirted glue between the computer keys.
• To avoid having his driver’s license revoked, Art paid the $467 he owed for all of his speeding tickets.
Revoke means
A. to cancel.
B. to make longer.
C. to recognize.
Page 122 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.

12. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 5 revoke – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 revoke
– verb
• Mrs. Byers said she would revoke Ken’s privileges at the computer lab if he ever again squirted glue between the computer keys.
• To avoid having his driver’s license revoked, Art paid the $467 he owed for all of his speeding tickets.
Revoke means
A. to cancel.
B. to make longer.
C. to recognize.
Page 122 in textbook.
Squirting glue between the computer keys would be likely to get one’s privileges in the lab canceled. If Art owed $467 in speeding fines, he would be in danger of having his license canceled.

13. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 6 ridicule – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 ridicule
– verb
• Ignorant people often ridicule my brother because he is so overweight. Even if they had perfect bodies—which they do not—they have no right to tease him.
• Eugene knew his friends would ridicule him for wearing a shirt and shorts with two different plaids, but he had no other clean clothes to wear.
Ridicule means
A. to praise.
B. to notice.
C. to make fun of.
Page 122 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.

14. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 6 ridicule – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 ridicule
– verb
• Ignorant people often ridicule my brother because he is so overweight. Even if they had perfect bodies—which they do not—they have no right to tease him.
• Eugene knew his friends would ridicule him for wearing a shirt and shorts with two different plaids, but he had no other clean clothes to wear.
Ridicule means
A. to praise.
B. to notice.
C. to make fun of.
Page 122 in textbook.
In the first item, the word tease tells you that ridicule means “to make fun of.” Eugene’s friends would make fun of him for wearing two different plaids.

15. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 7 shrewd – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 shrewd
– adjective
• Julio is a fine musician, but he’s no good with money. So he hired a friend with a shrewd business sense to handle his financial affairs.
• Sherry is a shrewd chess player. She always surprises her opponents with clever winning moves.
Shrewd means
A. lucky.
B. loud.
C. smart.
Page 123 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.

16. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 7 shrewd – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 shrewd
– adjective
• Julio is a fine musician, but he’s no good with money. So he hired a friend with a shrewd business sense to handle his financial affairs.
• Sherry is a shrewd chess player. She always surprises her opponents with clever winning moves.
Shrewd means
A. lucky.
B. loud.
C. smart.
Page 123 in textbook.
If Julio is no good with money, he would hire a friend who was smart about business. If Sherry comes up with clever winning moves, she must be a smart chess player.

17. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 8 skeptical – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 skeptical
– adjective
• I am skeptical about the articles on movie stars and space aliens in supermarket newspapers. My brother, however, believes every word he reads in those papers.
• Vanessa’s family is so rich that she is skeptical about any man who asks her out. She wonders if he’s interested in her or in her money.
Skeptical means
A. economical.
B. doubtful.
C. believing.
Page 123 in textbook.
Answer: B
The next slide explains the answer.

18. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 8 skeptical – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 skeptical
– adjective
• I am skeptical about the articles on movie stars and space aliens in supermarket newspapers. My brother, however, believes every word he reads in those papers.
• Vanessa’s family is so rich that she is skeptical about any man who asks her out. She wonders if he’s interested in her or in her money.
Skeptical means
A. economical.
B. doubtful.
C. believing.
Page 123 in textbook.
In contrast with the brother who believes every word, the speaker is doubtful about the articles. If Vanessa’s family is extremely rich, she would be doubtful about the motives of any man who asks her out.

19. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 9 stereotype – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 stereotype
– noun
• Bev still accepts the stereotype of all athletes as stupid even though the school’s star quarterback is her math tutor.
• Because not all members of a group are alike, stereotypes lead to inaccurate judgments of people.
Stereotype means
A. an oversimplified image.
B. a desired image.
C. a true image.
Page 123 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.

20. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 9 stereotype – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 stereotype
– noun
• Bev still accepts the stereotype of all athletes as stupid even though the school’s star quarterback is her math tutor.
• Because not all members of a group are alike, stereotypes lead to inaccurate judgments of people.
Stereotype means
A. an oversimplified image.
B. a desired image.
C. a true image.
Page 123 in textbook.
The image of all athletes as stupid is an oversimplified image. It is an oversimplified image to say that all members of a group are alike.

21. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 10 tactic – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 tactic
– noun
• The teacher finally caught on to Greg’s sneaky tactic for getting his homework done—having his sister do it.
• The best tactic for keeping young children from fighting is to separate them.
Tactic means
A. a method.
B. a result.
C. a reason.
Page 123 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.

22. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 10 tactic – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 tactic
– noun
• The teacher finally caught on to Greg’s sneaky tactic for getting his homework done—having his sister do it.
• The best tactic for keeping young children from fighting is to separate them.
Tactic means
A. a method.
B. a result.
C. a reason.
Page 123 in textbook.
Having your sister do your homework is a sneaky method for getting it done. Separating young children is a method for keeping them from fighting.

23. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. plausible B. provoke C. recur
D. reprimand
E. revoke
F. ridicule G. shrewd H. skeptical
I. stereotype
J. tactic
1. At first the other students _______(e)d Sofi for speaking with an accent, but they stopped teasing her once they got to know her better.
2. Aesop’s Fables are charming stories based on _________s of animals. In the fables, foxes are always sly, lions are always fierce, and owls are always wise.
Page 124 in textbook.
Answers: 1. ridicule; 2. stereotypes
The next slide explains the answers.

24. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. plausible B. provoke C. recur
D. reprimand
E. revoke
F. ridicule G. shrewd H. skeptical
I. stereotype
J. tactic
1. At first the other students __________ Sofi for speaking with an accent, but they stopped teasing her once they got to know her better.
ridiculed
The word teasing suggests that ridicule means “to make fun of.”
2. Aesop’s Fables are charming stories based on __________ of animals. In the fables, foxes are always sly, lions are always fierce, and owls are always wise.
stereotypes
Page 124 in textbook.
The sly fox, the fierce lion, and the wise owl are common, oversimplified images of the animals.

25. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. plausible B. provoke C. recur
D. reprimand
E. revoke
F. ridicule G. shrewd H. skeptical
I. stereotype
J. tactic
3. It takes great skill to make a science fiction film seem __________ to the audience.
4. It was __________ of Connie to move to California last year. Now she can pay in-state fees when she takes courses at San Bernardino Valley College.
Page 124 in textbook.
Answers: 3. plausible; 4. shrewd; 5. recur
The next slide explains the answers.
5. Jordan has headaches that ________ as often as once a day.

26. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. plausible B. provoke C. recur
D. reprimand
E. revoke
F. ridicule G. shrewd H. skeptical
I. stereotype
J. tactic
3. It takes great skill to make a science fiction film seem __________ to the audience.
plausible
It takes skill to make a science fiction film seem believable.
4. It was __________ of Connie to move to California last year. Now she can pay in-state fees when she takes courses at San Bernardino Valley College.
shrewd
Page 124 in textbook.
It was clever of Connie to move so that she can pay in-state fees.
5. Jordan has headaches that ________ as often as once a day.
recur
If Jordan gets a headache once a day, his headaches happen repeatedly.

27. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. plausible B. provoke C. recur
D. reprimand
E. revoke
F. ridicule G. shrewd H. skeptical
I. stereotype
J. tactic
6. Some divorced parents who want to see more of their children use an illegal __________: kidnapping.
7. The roofer’s estimate was so low that we became __________ about the quality of his work.
Page 124 in textbook.
Answers: 6. tactic; 7. skeptical
The next slide explains the answers.

28. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. plausible B. provoke C. recur
D. reprimand
E. revoke
F. ridicule G. shrewd H. skeptical
I. stereotype
J. tactic
6. Some divorced parents who want to see more of their children use an illegal __________: kidnapping.
tactic
Kidnapping is an illegal method for getting to see more of one’s child.
7. The roofer’s estimate was so low that we became __________ about the quality of his work.
skeptical
Page 124 in textbook.
One would be doubting about the quality of the work if the estimate was very low.

29. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. plausible B. provoke C. recur
D. reprimand
E. revoke
F. ridicule G. shrewd H. skeptical
I. stereotype
J. tactic
8. The principal sent the gym teacher a written __________ for not having his class leave the gym right after the fire alarm rang.
9. Arturo usually doesn’t let his older sister’s teasing ________ him, but he gets angry whenever she calls him “baby.”
Page 124 in textbook.
Answers: 8. reprimand; 9. provoke; 10. revoke
The next slide explains the answers.
10. Maggie’s parents said she could not attend the prom because of her bad grades, but later they felt sorry for her and ________(e)d the punishment.

30. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. plausible B. provoke C. recur
D. reprimand
E. revoke
F. ridicule G. shrewd H. skeptical
I. stereotype
J. tactic
8. The principal sent the gym teacher a written __________ for not having his class leave the gym right after the fire alarm rang.
reprimand
Not having the class leave would be cause for a formal criticism.
9. Arturo usually doesn’t let his older sister’s teasing ________ him, but he gets angry whenever she calls him “baby.”
provoke
Page 124 in textbook.
The words gets angry tell you that provoke means “to anger.”
10. Maggie’s parents said she could not attend the prom because of her bad grades, but later they felt sorry for her and ___________ the punishment.
revoked
If Maggie’s parents felt sorry for her, they would cancel her punishment.