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

2. Unit Four: Chapter 20 • averse • endow • detract • expulsion
• disdain • mortify
• divulge • nullify
• elation • ominous
Page 114 in textbook.

3. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 1 averse – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 averse
– adjective
• That little boy was once so averse to tomatoes that the very sight of them made him gag.
• Being averse to screaming crowds, I’d rather just listen to my iPod than go to a rock concert.
Averse means
A. opposed.
B. accustomed.
C. open.
Page 114 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.

4. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 1 averse – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 averse
– adjective
• That little boy was once so averse to tomatoes that the very sight of them made him gag.
• Being averse to screaming crowds, I’d rather just listen to my iPod than go to a rock concert.
Averse means
A. opposed.
B. accustomed.
C. open.
Page 114 in textbook.
If the sight of tomatoes made the boy gag, he must have had an extreme distaste for them (been opposed to them). Being opposed to screaming crowds could make one prefer to listen to an iPod rather than go to a concert.

5. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 2 detract – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 detract
– verb
• Julius thinks the scar on his cheek detracts from his good looks, but it’s barely noticeable.
• All of the litter in the park certainly detracts from the beauty of the trees and flowers.
Detract means
A. to result.
B. to benefit.
C. to take away.
Page 114 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.

6. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 2 detract – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 detract
– verb
• Julius thinks the scar on his cheek detracts from his good looks, but it’s barely noticeable.
• All of the litter in the park certainly detracts from the beauty of the trees and flowers.
Detract means
A. to result.
B. to benefit.
C. to take away.
Page 114 in textbook.
A scar would take away from a person’s good looks. Litter takes away from the beauty of trees and flowers.

7. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 3 disdain – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 disdain
– noun
• The snobby server in the French restaurant viewed Tanya with disdain because she couldn’t pronounce anything on the menu.
• I was afraid my request to see the state senator would be treated with disdain. Instead, the senator’s secretary politely made an appointment for me.
Disdain means
A. pride.
B. disrespect.
C. sorrow.
Page 114 in textbook.
Answer: B
The next slide explains the answer.

8. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 3 disdain – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 disdain
– noun
• The snobby server in the French restaurant viewed Tanya with disdain because she couldn’t pronounce anything on the menu.
• I was afraid my request to see the state senator would be treated with disdain. Instead, the senator’s secretary politely made an appointment for me.
Disdain means
A. pride.
B. disrespect.
C. sorrow.
Page 114 in textbook.
If Tanya couldn’t pronounce the names of the dishes correctly, the snobby server would view her with disrespect. In the second item, instead of being treated with disrespect, the person was treated politely.

9. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 4 divulge – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 divulge
– verb
• My father wouldn’t divulge the type of car he had bought, saying only, “It’s a surprise.”
• It’s against the law to ask people to divulge their age at a job interview.
Divulge means
A. to hide.
B. to recall.
C. to tell.
Page 114 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.

10. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 4 divulge – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 divulge
– verb
• My father wouldn’t divulge the type of car he had bought, saying only, “It’s a surprise.”
• It’s against the law to ask people to divulge their age at a job interview.
Divulge means
A. to hide.
B. to recall.
C. to tell.
Page 114 in textbook.
If the father wanted it to be a surprise, he would not tell what type of car he bought. People cannot be asked to tell their age in a job interview.

11. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 5 elation – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 elation
– noun
• The principal shouted with elation when the football team scored the winning touchdown.
• Roy had expected to feel elation at his graduation. Instead, he felt sadness at the thought of not seeing his high-school friends every day.
Elation means
A. anger.
B. confusion.
C. happiness.
Page 114 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.
Photo courtesy of Public Domain Images

12. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 5 elation – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 elation
– noun
• The principal shouted with elation when the football team scored the winning touchdown.
• Roy had expected to feel elation at his graduation. Instead, he felt sadness at the thought of not seeing his high-school friends every day.
Elation means
A. anger.
B. confusion.
C. happiness.
Page 114 in textbook.
Photo courtesy of Public Domain Images
The principle would shout with happiness when the team scored the winning touchdown. The sadness Roy felt is contrasted with the happiness he expected to feel.

13. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 6 endow – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 endow
– verb
• Nature has endowed hummingbirds with the ability to fly backward.
• The author Oscar Wilde was endowed with the ability to find humor in any situation. While dying, he said of the ugly wallpaper in his hotel room, “One of us had to go.”
Endow means
A. to equip.
B. to curse.
C. to threaten.
Page 114 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.

14. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 6 endow – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 endow
– verb
• Nature has endowed hummingbirds with the ability to fly backward.
• The author Oscar Wilde was endowed with the ability to find humor in any situation. While dying, he said of the ugly wallpaper in his hotel room, “One of us had to go.”
Endow means
A. to equip.
B. to curse.
C. to threaten.
Page 114 in textbook.
Nature has equipped humming birds with the ability to fly backward. Oscar Wilde’s deathbed remark demonstrates that he was equipped with the ability to find humor in any situation.

15. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 7 expulsion – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 expulsion
– noun
• The manager told us we risked expulsion from the theater if we continued to talk on our cell phones during the movie.
• Expulsion from school is supposed to be a punishment, but some students may consider not being allowed to attend classes a reward.
Expulsion means
A. being canceled.
B. being forced out.
C. being embarrassed.
Page 115 in textbook.
Answer: B
The next slide explains the answer.

16. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 7 expulsion – noun
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 expulsion
– noun
• The manager told us we risked expulsion from the theater if we continued to talk on our cell phones during the movie.
• Expulsion from school is supposed to be a punishment, but some students may consider not being allowed to attend classes a reward.
Expulsion means
A. being canceled.
B. being forced out.
C. being embarrassed.
Page 115 in textbook.
Talking on cell phones in a theater during the movie can cause you to be forced to leave the theater. If a student is not allowed to attend classes, he or she must have been forced out of school.

17. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 8 mortify – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 mortify
– verb
• It would mortify me if my voice cracked during my choir solo.
• I doubt anything will ever mortify me more than the streamer of toilet paper that clung to my shoe as I returned from the ladies’ room to rejoin my date in a fancy restaurant.
Mortify means
A. to shame.
B. to insult.
C. to delay.
Page 115 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.

18. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 8 mortify – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 mortify
– verb
• It would mortify me if my voice cracked during my choir solo.
• I doubt anything will ever mortify me more than the streamer of toilet paper that clung to my shoe as I returned from the ladies’ room to rejoin my date in a fancy restaurant.
Mortify means
A. to shame.
B. to insult.
C. to delay.
Page 115 in textbook.
Having one’s voice crack while singing a solo would make one feel shame and embarrassment. Trailing a streamer of toilet paper through a fancy restaurant would also make one feel shame and embarrassment.

19. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 9 nullify – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 nullify
– verb
• The college will nullify my student ID at the end of the term unless I update it with a new sticker.
• A soft-drink company decided to nullify its contract with a well-known athlete because he was convicted of drunken driving.
Nullify means
A. to renew.
B. to reveal.
C. to cancel.
Page 115 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.

20. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 9 nullify – verb
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 nullify
– verb
• The college will nullify my student ID at the end of the term unless I update it with a new sticker.
• A soft-drink company decided to nullify its contract with a well-known athlete because he was convicted of drunken driving.
Nullify means
A. to renew.
B. to reveal.
C. to cancel.
Page 115 in textbook.
If one does not update one’s student ID, the college will cancel it. If the athlete was convicted of drunk driving, the company would cancel its contract with him.

21. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 10 ominous – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 ominous
– adjective
• To many, cemeteries have an ominous quality, particularly at night or on Halloween, when the threat of ghosts can seem very real.
• The sore’s failure to heal was ominous, a possible sign of cancer.
Ominous means
A. embarrassing.
B. threatening.
C. unworthy.
Page 115 in textbook.
Answer: B
The next slide explains the answer.

22. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 10 ominous – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 ominous
– adjective
• To many, cemeteries have an ominous quality, particularly at night or on Halloween, when the threat of ghosts can seem very real.
• The sore’s failure to heal was ominous, a possible sign of cancer.
Ominous means
A. embarrassing.
B. threatening.
C. unworthy.
Page 115 in textbook.
To someone for whom the threat of ghosts seems very real, a cemetery would have a threatening quality. A possible sign of cancer would be threatening.

23. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. averse B. detract C. disdain
D. divulge
E. elation
F. endow G. expulsion H. mortified
I. nullified
J. ominous
1. People talking in a movie theater greatly ________ from the enjoyment of watching a film.
2. Because of the dark, _________ storm clouds, we canceled the softball game.
Page 116 in textbook.
Answers: 1. detract; 2. ominous
The next slide explains the answers.

24. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. averse B. detract C. disdain
D. divulge
E. elation
F. endow G. expulsion H. mortified
I. nullified
J. ominous
1. People talking in a movie theater greatly ________ from the enjoyment of watching a film.
detract
People talking during a movie take away from the enjoyment of the film.
2. Because of the dark, _________ storm clouds, we canceled the softball game.
ominous
Page 116 in textbook.
If they canceled the game, the dark storm clouds must have been threatening.

25. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. averse B. detract C. disdain
D. divulge
E. elation
F. endow G. expulsion H. mortified
I. nullified
J. ominous
3. I’m _________ to speaking in public because I don’t enjoy making a fool of myself.
4. When he received the college scholarship, my brother felt such _________ that he wept with joy.
Page 116 in textbook.
Answers: 3. averse; 4. elation; 5. nullified
The next slide explains the answers.
5. The results of the mayoral election were _________ after the townspeople found evidence of voting fraud.

26. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. averse B. detract C. disdain
D. divulge
E. elation
F. endow G. expulsion H. mortified
I. nullified
J. ominous
3. I’m _________ to speaking in public because I don’t enjoy making a fool of myself.
averse
Fear of making a fool of oneself would make one dislike speaking in public.
4. When he received the college scholarship, my brother felt such _________ that he wept with joy.
elation
Page 116 in textbook.
The words wept with joy tell you that elation means “a feeling of great joy.”
5. The results of the mayoral election were _________ after the townspeople found evidence of voting fraud.
nullified
If there was voting fraud, the results of the election would be cancelled.

27. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. averse B. detract C. disdain
D. divulge
E. elation
F. endow G. expulsion H. mortified
I. nullified
J. ominous
6. The American water shrew is _______(e)d with feet that have air pockets, enabling the small animal to walk on water.
7. Some people want a law calling for the _________ of illegal immigrants. Others want them to be forgiven and allowed to stay in the United States permanently.
Page 116 in textbook.
Answers: 6. endow; 7. expulsion
The next slide explains the answers.

28. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. averse B. detract C. disdain
D. divulge
E. elation
F. endow G. expulsion H. mortified
I. nullified
J. ominous
6. The American water shrew is __________ with feet that have air pockets, enabling the small animal to walk on water.
endowed
Nature has provided the water shrew with feet that have air pockets.
7. Some people want a law calling for the _________ of illegal immigrants. Others want them to be forgiven and allowed to stay in the United States permanently.
expulsion
Page 116 in textbook.
In contrast with those who want illegal immigrants to be allowed to stay, some people want a law that forces illegal immigrants to leave the country.

29. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. averse B. detract C. disdain
D. divulge
E. elation
F. endow G. expulsion H. mortified
I. nullified
J. ominous
8. Vinnie’s repeated boasts about his muscle-building backfired. They caused his date to look at him with _________, not admiration.
9. Never trust Esta with a secret. She’ll _________ it the minute you turn your back.
Page 116 in textbook.
Answers: 8. disdain; 9. divulge; 10. mortified
The next slide explains the answers.
10. The reporter was __________ when he learned that he had delivered much of his news story facing away from the TV camera.

30. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. averse B. detract C. disdain
D. divulge
E. elation
F. endow G. expulsion H. mortified
I. nullified
J. ominous
8. Vinnie’s repeated boasts about his muscle-building backfired. They caused his date to look at him with _________, not admiration.
disdain
The word admiration is a clue that disdain means the opposite: “scorn.”
9. Never trust Esta with a secret. She’ll _________ it the minute you turn your back.
divulge
Page 116 in textbook.
If Esta shouldn’t be trusted with a secret, she must be likely to reveal it.
10. The reporter was __________ when he learned that he had delivered much of his news story facing away from the TV camera.
mortified
A television reporter would be humiliated to have made such a mistake.