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

2. Unit Two: Chapter 8 • attrition • oblivious • circumvent • reticent
• cohesive • robust
• grievous • sanction
• inundate • vociferous
Page 46 in textbook.

3. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 1 attrition –
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 attrition –
• Sports teams are constantly looking for new talent to replace players lost through attrition—those who retire, quit because of injuries, and so on.
• Colleges try not to have a high rate of attrition. They want students to stay until graduation, rather than drop out early.
Attrition means
A. an increase in numbers.
B. a natural loss of individuals.
C. ill health.
Page 46 in textbook.
Answer: B
The next slide explains the answer.

4. Number 28 circumventing his opponents
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 circumvent –
• If we take this roundabout route, we can circumvent the rush-hour traffic and get home early.
• I had to swerve to the right to circumvent a huge pothole.
Circumvent means
A. to avoid.
B. to meet head-on.
C. to make smaller.
Page 46 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.
Number 28 circumventing his opponents
Photo: James E. Foehl/U.S. Navy

5. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 3 cohesive –
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 cohesive –
• For a cohesive pie dough, one that doesn’t fall apart, be sure to add enough liquid.
• A family needs to be cohesive—to stay together even when stresses and strains threaten to tear it apart.
Cohesive means
A. connected.
B. popular.
C. large.
Page 46 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.

6. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 4 grievous –
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 grievous –
• The death of a beloved pet is a grievous loss for a child.
• The assassination of a great leader, such as Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr., often does grievous harm to a society.
Grievous means
A. preventable.
B. unavoidable.
C. terrible.
Page 46 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.

7. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 5 inundate –
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 inundate –
• During the heavy rains, the river overflowed and inundated the fields, destroying all the crops.
• After his brief announcement at the beginning of the press conference, the President was inundated with questions from reporters.
Inundate means
A. to flood.
B. to strengthen.
C. to go around.
Page 46 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.
“I’m so inundated with paperwork
that I can’t even find my desk!”

8. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 6 oblivious –
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 oblivious –
• The driver continued into the intersection, apparently oblivious to the fact that the light had turned red.
• It’s easy to spot two people in love. They are the ones who, oblivious to everyone else present, see only each other.
Oblivious means
A. angry about.
B. not noticing.
C. overwhelmed by.
Page 46 in textbook.
Answer: B
The next slide explains the answer.

9. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 7 reticent –
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 reticent –
• Lamar is very reticent about his first marriage; he never talks about his former wife or what led to their divorce.
• It’s odd that many people who love to gossip about someone else are so reticent about their own lives.
Reticent means
A. dishonest.
B. quiet.
C. unaware.
Page 47 in textbook.
Answer: B
The next slide explains the answer.

10. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 8 robust –
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 robust –
• Once an energetic, robust man, Mr. Rand has been considerably weakened by illness.
• A number of weightlifters who were previously robust have ruined their health and vigor by taking steroids.
Robust means
A. very noisy.
B. sickly.
C. strong and well.
Page 47 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.

11. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 9 sanction –
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 sanction –
• By greeting the dictator with extreme courtesy and fanfare, the ambassador seemed to sanction his policies.
• Many people whose children attend religious schools would like the government to sanction the use of public funds to help pay for their education.
Sanction means
A. to grant approval of.
B. to criticize severely.
C. to remember.
Page 47 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.

12. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 10 vociferous –
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 vociferous –
• When male loons sense that their territory is being invaded, they give vociferous cries of challenge.
• The principal became angry and vociferous, shouting at students who tried to sneak out of the fire drill.
Vociferous means
A. distant.
B. mild.
C. loud.
Page 47 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.

13. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. attrition B. circumvent C. cohesive
D. grievous
E. inundate
F. oblivious G. reticent H. robust
I. sanction
J. vociferous
1. The chatty, slow-moving clerk at the checkout counter seemed __________ to the fact that the line of impatient customers was growing longer and longer.
2. A quiet, polite discussion may be better than a(n) _______ argument, but some people get more satisfaction out of yelling and shouting.
Page 48 in textbook.
Answers: 1. oblivious; 2. vociferous
The next slide explains the answers.

14. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. attrition B. circumvent C. cohesive
D. grievous
E. inundate
F. oblivious G. reticent H. robust
I. sanction
J. vociferous
3. In many places, the law doesn’t __________ gambling— but the officials don’t do much to stop it, either.
4. A half-hour of aerobic exercise every other day will help you stay __________.
Page 48 in textbook.
Answers: 3. sanction; 4. robust; 5. circumvent
The next slide explains the answers.
5. People sometimes do odd things to __________ regulations. In New York, when saloons were illegal, one owner called his place “O’Neal’s Baloon.”

15. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. attrition B. circumvent C. cohesive
D. grievous
E. inundate
F. oblivious G. reticent H. robust
I. sanction
J. vociferous
6. If you want your essay to be _________, stick to your point.
7. Alzheimer’s disease is a disaster for the patient and a(n) _________ burden for the family.
Page 48 in textbook.
Answers: 6. cohesive; 7. grievous
The next slide explains the answers.

16. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. attrition B. circumvent C. cohesive
D. grievous
E. inundate
F. oblivious G. reticent H. robust
I. sanction
J. vociferous
8. Some days we’re ________(e)d with junk —it can take an hour to delete all the unwanted messages.
9. The cutting down of the rain forests has caused a dangerous rate of _________ among species that live in those forests.
Page 48 in textbook.
Answers: 8. inundate; 9. attrition; 10. reticent
The next slide explains the answers.
10. Some people who could benefit from counseling avoid seeing a therapist because they prefer to be _________ about private matters.