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

2. Unit Two: Chapter 9 • alter • optimist • ample • pretense
• blunt • prolong
• chronic • refrain
• chronological • remorse
Page 50 in textbook.

3. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 1 alter – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 alter
– verb
• Many inventions have changed the course of history. Television altered the world, for example, by making it smaller.
• Fern’s dramatic weight loss and new hairstyle so altered her appearance that we barely recognized her.
Alter means
A. to surprise.
B. to change.
C. to emphasize.
Page 50 in textbook.
Answer: B
The next slide explains the answer.

4. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 1 alter – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 alter
– verb
• Many inventions have changed the course of history. Television altered the world, for example, by making it smaller.
• Fern’s dramatic weight loss and new hairstyle so altered her appearance that we barely recognized her.
Alter means
A. to surprise.
B. to change.
C. to emphasize.
Page 50 in textbook.
If television made the world smaller, it changed the world. A dramatic weight loss and new hairstyle would change Fern’s appearance.

5. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 2 ample – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 ample
– adjective
• Surprisingly, my compact car has ample space inside. Even Mario, who is six feet tall, never feels cramped in it.
• My parents believe that the most important requirement of any celebration is ample food, so that no one will be hungry.
Ample means
A. little.
B. healthy.
C. plenty of.
Page 50 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.
This baker has
an ample stomach.

6. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 2 ample – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 ample
– adjective
• Surprisingly, my compact car has ample space inside. Even Mario, who is six feet tall, never feels cramped in it.
• My parents believe that the most important requirement of any celebration is ample food, so that no one will be hungry.
Ample means
A. little.
B. healthy.
C. plenty of.
Page 50 in textbook.
If even Mario (at six feet tall) does not feel cramped, the car must have plenty of space. If no one will be hungry, there must be plenty of food.
This baker has
an ample stomach.

7. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 3 blunt – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 blunt
– adjective
• “I’ll be blunt,” Phyllis said, as plainspoken as ever. “This movie is boring.”
• My best friend is so blunt that he never softens the truth. He always states his opinion in a painfully straightforward way.
Blunt means
A. very smart.
B. honest to the point of rudeness.
C. wordy.
Page 50 in textbook.
Answer: B
The next slide explains the answer.

8. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 3 blunt – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 blunt
– adjective
• “I’ll be blunt,” Phyllis said, as plainspoken as ever. “This movie is boring.”
• My best friend is so blunt that he never softens the truth. He always states his opinion in a painfully straightforward way.
Blunt means
A. very smart.
B. honest to the point of rudeness.
C. wordy.
Page 50 in textbook.
This movie is boring is an example of a statement that is honest to the point of rudeness. The word plainspoken is a clue. Someone who states his opinion in a painfully straightforward way is honest to the point of rudeness.

9. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 4 chronic – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 chronic
– adjective
• My little brother is a chronic complainer—all we hear from him is whining, day in and day out.
• Leon has been chain-smoking for so long that he has developed a chronic cough, heard daily by everyone in the office.
Chronic means
A. constant.
B. rare.
C. harmless.
Page 50 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.

10. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 4 chronic – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 chronic
– adjective
• My little brother is a chronic complainer—all we hear from him is whining, day in and day out.
• Leon has been chain-smoking for so long that he has developed a chronic cough, heard daily by everyone in the office.
Chronic means
A. constant.
B. rare.
C. harmless.
Page 50 in textbook.
If the little brother whines day in and day out, he must be a constant complainer. If Leon’s cough is heard daily by everyone, it must be constant.

11. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 5 chronological – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 chronological
– adjective
• I could have followed the movie better if it had presented events in chronological order, instead of jumping back and forth in time.
• In your resumé, list your jobs in reverse chronological order— begin with the most recent job and go backward.
Chronological means
A. brief.
B. mixed-up.
C. arranged as the events happened.
Page 50 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.
A chronological list of
the first ten U.S. presidents

12. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 5 chronological – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 chronological
– adjective
• I could have followed the movie better if it had presented events in chronological order, instead of jumping back and forth in time.
• In your resumé, list your jobs in reverse chronological order— begin with the most recent job and go backward.
Chronological means
A. brief.
B. mixed-up.
C. arranged as the events happened.
Page 50 in textbook.
If the movie jumped back and forth in time, it did not present the events in the order in which they happened. If you begin the list with the most recent job and go backward, you are arranging the events in the reverse of the order in which they happened.
A chronological list of
the first ten U.S. presidents

13. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 6 optimist – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 optimist
– noun
• My sister is a true optimist. When her friends get out their umbrellas, she puts on suntan lotion.
• Alonso is such an optimist that when he lost his job, he said only, “I bet I’ll find a better one now.”
Optimist means
A. a friendly person.
B. a hopeful person.
C. a troublemaker.
Page 50 in textbook.
Answer: B
The next slide explains the answer.

14. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 6 optimist – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 optimist
– noun
• My sister is a true optimist. When her friends get out their umbrellas, she puts on suntan lotion.
• Alonso is such an optimist that when he lost his job, he said only, “I bet I’ll find a better one now.”
Optimist means
A. a friendly person.
B. a hopeful person.
C. a troublemaker.
Page 50 in textbook.
Someone who puts on suntan lotion when others are preparing for rain is a hopeful person. If Alonso feels that losing his job just means he’ll get a better one, he must be a hopeful person.

15. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 7 pretense – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 pretense
– noun
• The robber entered people’s houses under the pretense of being a repairman.
• I asked several questions about Dean’s illness, with the pretense of being concerned. In truth, I’ve never even liked Dean.
Pretense means
A. a false claim.
B. a true statement.
C. a threat.
Page 51 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.

16. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 7 pretense – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 pretense
– noun
• The robber entered people’s houses under the pretense of being a repairman.
• I asked several questions about Dean’s illness, with the pretense of being concerned. In truth, I’ve never even liked Dean.
Pretense means
A. a false claim.
B. a true statement.
C. a threat.
Page 51 in textbook.
A robber who pretends to be a repairman is making a false claim. Someone who never liked Dan would be making a false claim by pretending to be concerned about Dan’s illness.

17. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 8 prolong – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 prolong
– verb
• Pulling off a bandage always hurts, but pulling it off slowly prolongs the pain.
• My online registration for fall classes was prolonged because the school computer system crashed.
Prolong means
A. to avoid.
B. to wear away.
C. to make longer.
Page 51 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.

18. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 8 prolong – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 prolong
– verb
• Pulling off a bandage always hurts, but pulling it off slowly prolongs the pain.
• My online registration for fall classes was prolonged because the school computer system crashed.
Prolong means
A. to avoid.
B. to wear away.
C. to make longer.
Page 51 in textbook.
Pulling of a bandage slowly would make the pain last longer. If the computer system crashed, it would make one’s online registration take longer.

19. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 9 refrain – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 refrain
– verb
• I refrained from saying what I really thought about Anne’s haircut because I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.
• Since she’s on a diet, Stella refrained from eating a second piece of carrot cake.
Refrain means
A. to stop oneself.
B. to return.
C. to keep going.
Page 51 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.

20. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 9 refrain – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 refrain
– verb
• I refrained from saying what I really thought about Anne’s haircut because I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.
• Since she’s on a diet, Stella refrained from eating a second piece of carrot cake.
Refrain means
A. to stop oneself.
B. to return.
C. to keep going.
Page 51 in textbook.
In order to avoid hurting Anne’s feelings, one would stop oneself from saying what he or she really thought. Stella would stop herself from eating a second piece of carrot cake is she is trying to diet.

21. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 10 remorse – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 remorse
– noun
• After she yelled at Russell, his mother was filled with remorse. She always regrets her outbursts of temper.
• Feeling remorse over losing her iPod, I apologized to my friend and promised to buy her a new one.
Remorse means
A. excitement.
B. ambition.
C. regret.
Page 51 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.

22. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 10 remorse – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 remorse
– noun
• After she yelled at Russell, his mother was filled with remorse. She always regrets her outbursts of temper.
• Feeling remorse over losing her iPod, I apologized to my friend and promised to buy her a new one.
Remorse means
A. excitement.
B. ambition.
C. regret.
Page 51 in textbook.
In the first item, the word regrets is a clue. In the second item, if one apologizes and promises to buy a new iPod, one must feel regret over losing it.

23. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. alter B. ample C. blunt
D. chronic
E. chronological
F. optimist G. pretense H. prolong
I. refrain
J. remorse
1. I couldn’t __________ from laughing when Laurie bent over to pick up her pencil and split her tight jeans.
2. My father always expects the worst, but my mother is a(n) __________.
Page 52 in textbook.
Answers: 1. refrain; 2. optimist
The next slide explains the answers.

24. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. alter B. ample C. blunt
D. chronic
E. chronological
F. optimist G. pretense H. prolong
I. refrain
J. remorse
1. I couldn’t __________ from laughing when Laurie bent over to pick up her pencil and split her tight jeans.
refrain
It would be difficult to hold oneself back from laughing when Laurie split her tight jeans.
2. My father always expects the worst, but my mother is an __________.
optimist
Page 52 in textbook.
In contrast with the father, who expects the worst, the mother expects good outcomes.

25. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. alter B. ample C. blunt
D. chronic
E. chronological
F. optimist G. pretense H. prolong
I. refrain
J. remorse
3. Use a deep pan when baking the cake, so there will be __________ room for it to rise.
4. The sporting-goods store will __________ its “One Day Only” sale to two days, since a storm kept people away the first day.
Page 52 in textbook.
Answers: 3. ample; 4. prolong; 5. alter
The next slide explains the answers.
5. I used to dislike my neighbor, but learning that he delivered meals to elderly shut-ins __________(e)d my opinion of him.

26. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. alter B. ample C. blunt
D. chronic
E. chronological
F. optimist G. pretense H. prolong
I. refrain
J. remorse
3. Use a deep pan when baking the cake, so there will be __________ room for it to rise.
ample
A deep pan would allow plenty of room for the cake to rise.
4. The sporting-goods store will __________ its “One Day Only” sale to two days, since a storm kept people away the first day.
prolong
Page 52 in textbook.
Changing the sale from one day to two days makes it last longer.
5. I used to dislike my neighbor, but learning that he delivered meals to elderly shut-ins ____________ my opinion of him.
altered
Learning that the neighbor delivers meals to the elderly would change one’s negative opinion of him.

27. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. alter B. ample C. blunt
D. chronic
E. chronological
F. optimist G. pretense H. prolong
I. refrain
J. remorse
6. Immediately after calling her sister an idiot, Lydia felt __________. So she hugged her and said, “I didn’t mean that.”
7. If the teacher had been __________, she would have told Kevin his essay was terrible. Instead, she politely said, “It could use much more work.”
Page 52 in textbook.
Answers: 6. remorse; 7. blunt
The next slide explains the answers.

28. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. alter B. ample C. blunt
D. chronic
E. chronological
F. optimist G. pretense H. prolong
I. refrain
J. remorse
6. Immediately after calling her sister an idiot, Lydia felt __________. So she hugged her and said, “I didn’t mean that.”
remorse
Lydia’s hug and apology show she feels regret for her unkind words.
7. If the teacher had been __________, she would have told Kevin his essay was terrible. Instead, she politely said, “It could use much more work.”
blunt
Page 52 in textbook.
Telling Kevin his essay was terrible would have been straightforward and somewhat rude. The word politely is a clue.

29. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. alter B. ample C. blunt
D. chronic
E. chronological
F. optimist G. pretense H. prolong
I. refrain
J. remorse
8. Although Pilar’s back pain was __________, having lasted for five years, she refused to undergo surgery.
9. A story in which early events are hidden until the end is often more dramatic than one told in exact ___________ order.
Page 52 in textbook.
Answers: 8. chronic; 9. chronological; 10. pretense
The next slide explains the answers.
10. With the __________ of being attracted to Paula, Marcus asked her to dance; but his real reason was to make his ex-girlfriend jealous.

30. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. alter B. ample C. blunt
D. chronic
E. chronological
F. optimist G. pretense H. prolong
I. refrain
J. remorse
8. Although Pilar’s back pain was __________, having lasted for five years, she refused to undergo surgery.
chronic
If the back pain lasted for five years, it was continuing pain.
9. A story in which early events are hidden until the end is often more dramatic than one told in exact ___________ order.
chronological
Page 52 in textbook.
If the early events are hidden until the end, they are not told in the time order in which they happened.
10. With the __________ of being attracted to Paula, Marcus asked her to dance; but his real reason was to make his ex-girlfriend jealous.
pretense
If Marcus asks Paula only to make his ex-girlfriend jealous, he is making a false show of being attracted to Paula.