1. Advancing Vocabulary Skills: Chapter 7
Aim: How do we use context clues to identify the meanings of the words?
connoisseur
lucid
conspiracy
plight
contrite
superficially
distraught
symmetrical
verbose
germane

2. Ten Words in Context
1 connoisseur
– noun
My sister is a connoisseur of Southern novels. She’s read dozens of them, and she knows all about the authors and their different styles.
Curtis has broad knowledge of French wines—where they are made, when they are at their best, and exactly how each one tastes. He’s a true connoisseur.
Choose the meaning closest
to that of the boldfaced word.
A wine connoisseur
By OneArmedMan via Wikimedia Commons
Connoisseur means
A. a doubter.
B. an authority.
C. a leader.

3. Ten Words in Context
1 connoisseur
– noun
My sister is a connoisseur of Southern novels. She’s read dozens of them, and she knows all about the authors and their different styles.
Curtis has broad knowledge of French wines—where they are made, when they are at their best, and exactly how each one tastes. He’s a true connoisseur.
A wine connoisseur
By OneArmedMan via Wikimedia Commons
Connoisseur means
A. a doubter.
B. an authority.
C. a leader.
See page 84 in textbook
If the sister has read dozens of the novels and knows all about the authors and their different styles, she is an authority on Southern novels. Curtis’s broad knowledge of French wines shows that he is an authority on French wines.

4. Ten Words in Context
2 conspiracy
– noun
The conspiracy to overthrow the government was started by two of the premier’s own advisors.
Although only Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the assassination of President Kennedy, many believe there was a conspiracy to kill the president.
Conspiracy means
A. a plot.
B. an idea.
C. an announcement.

5. Ten Words in Context
2 conspiracy
– noun
The conspiracy to overthrow the government was started by two of the premier’s own advisors.
Although only Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the assassination of President Kennedy, many believe there was a conspiracy to kill the president.
Conspiracy means
A. a plot.
B. an idea.
C. an announcement.
People who wanted to overthrow the government would develop a secret plot. Many believe that there were people who worked with
Lee Harvey Oswald on a secret plot to kill President Kennedy.

6. Ten Words in Context
3 contrite
– adjective
Dolores was especially contrite about tearing her sister’s dress because she’d borrowed it without permission.
Judges are often more lenient with offenders who truly regret their crimes. A criminal who seems genuinely contrite may get a shorter sentence.
Contrite means
A. angry.
B. confused.
C. sorry.

7. Ten Words in Context
3 contrite
– adjective
Dolores was especially contrite about tearing her sister’s dress because she’d borrowed it without permission.
Judges are often more lenient with offenders who truly regret their crimes. A criminal who seems genuinely contrite may get a shorter sentence.
Contrite means
A. angry.
B. confused.
C. sorry.
Not having her sister’s permission to borrow the dress would make Dolores especially sorry when she damaged it. In the second item, the word regret suggests that contrite means “sorry.”

8. 4 distraught – adjective
Ten Words in Context
4 distraught
– adjective
The parents of the little girl who wandered off in the crowded mall were distraught until she was found.
Darrell was so distraught when his grandfather died that he spent an entire week looking through old pictures and crying.
Distraught means
A. upset.
B. busy.
C. forgetful.

9. 4 distraught – adjective
Ten Words in Context
4 distraught
– adjective
The parents of the little girl who wandered off in the crowded mall were distraught until she was found.
Darrell was so distraught when his grandfather died that he spent an entire week looking through old pictures and crying.
Distraught means
A. upset.
B. busy.
C. forgetful.
If the little girl was missing in a crowded mall, her parents would be upset. If Darrell spent an entire week crying, he must have been upset.

10. Ten Words in Context
5 germane
– adjective
Stacy went to the law library to look up information that might be germane to her client’s case.
It bothered Christine when her new boss asked if she had a boyfriend. That information certainly wasn’t germane to her work.
Germane means
A. damaging.
B. related.
C. foreign.

11. Ten Words in Context
5 germane
– adjective
Stacy went to the law library to look up information that might be germane to her client’s case.
It bothered Christine when her new boss asked if she had a boyfriend. That information certainly wasn’t germane to her work.
Germane means
A. damaging.
B. related.
C. foreign.
Stacy would want to look up information related to her client’s case. Whether or not Christine had a boyfriend was not related to her work—and was none of her new boss’s business.

12. Ten Words in Context
6 lucid
– adjective
I usually find furniture assembly instructions horribly unclear, but this one is lucid.
The scientist’s explanation of climate change was so lucid that the entire audience was able to grasp it.
A lucid sign
© Townsend Press
Lucid means
A. easy to understand.
B. repetitious.
C. fair to both sides.
A not so lucid sign
Eric Kilby via Wikimedia Commons

13. Ten Words in Context
6 lucid
– adjective
I usually find furniture assembly instructions horribly unclear, but this one is lucid.
The scientist’s explanation of climate change was so lucid that the entire audience was able to grasp it.
A lucid sign
© Townsend Press
Lucid means
A. easy to understand.
B. repetitious.
C. fair to both sides.
A not so lucid sign
Eric Kilby via Wikimedia Commons
In contrast with assembly instructions that are horribly unclear, these are easy to understand. Since the entire audience was able to grasp the scientist’s explanation of global warming, it must have been easy to understand.

14. The plight of the homeless
Ten Words in Context
7 plight
– noun
The plight of the homeless can be somewhat relieved by decent shelters.
There were reports of a cave-in at the mine, but it was too soon to know much about the plight of the trapped miners.
Plight means
A. a delayed situation.
B. an unlikely situation.
C. an unfortunate situation.
The plight of the homeless
Matthew Woitunski via Wikimedia Commons

15. The plight of the homeless
Ten Words in Context
7 plight
– noun
The plight of the homeless can be somewhat relieved by decent shelters.
There were reports of a cave-in at the mine, but it was too soon to know much about the plight of the trapped miners.
Plight means
A. a delayed situation.
B. an unlikely situation.
C. an unfortunate situation.
The plight of the homeless
Matthew Woitunski via Wikimedia Commons
The homeless are in an unfortunate situation. Miners trapped by a cave-in are in an unfortunate situation.

16. 8 superficially – adverb
Ten Words in Context
8 superficially
– adverb
Nina spent a full week studying for the exam. Joyce, however, reviewed superficially, flipping through the pages of her textbook an hour before the test.
This morning, the mechanic was short of time and inspected my car only superficially. He said he’s check it thoroughly later and then give me an estimate.
Superficially means
A. thoroughly.
B. slightly.
C. daily.

17. 8 superficially – adverb
Ten Words in Context
8 superficially
– adverb
Nina spent a full week studying for the exam. Joyce, however, reviewed superficially, flipping through the pages of her textbook an hour before the test.
This morning, the mechanic was short of time and inspected my car only superficially. He said he’s check it thoroughly later and then give me an estimate.
Superficially means
A. thoroughly.
B. slightly.
C. daily.
Flipping through the pages of the textbook an hour before the test is reviewing only slightly for the exam. In contrast with checking the car thoroughly when he had time, he checked it only slightly when he was short of time.

18. A symmetrical building
Ten Words in Context
9 symmetrical
– adjective
The children’s sandcastle was symmetrical, with a wall on each side and a tower and flag at each end.
No one’s face is perfectly symmetrical. For example, one eye is usually slightly higher than the other, and the left and right sides of the mouth differ.
Symmetrical means
A. unique.
B. beautiful.
C. balanced.
A symmetrical building
via Wikimedia Commons
By su1droot

19. A symmetrical building
Ten Words in Context
9 symmetrical
– adjective
The children’s sandcastle was symmetrical, with a wall on each side and a tower and flag at each end.
No one’s face is perfectly symmetrical. For example, one eye is usually slightly higher than the other, and the left and right sides of the mouth differ.
Symmetrical means
A. unique.
B. beautiful.
C. balanced.
A symmetrical building
via Wikimedia Commons
By su1droot
A wall on each side and a tower and flag on each end would make the sandcastle look balanced. If one eye is higher than the other and the left and right sides of the mouth differ, the face is not perfectly balanced.

20. Ten Words in Context
10 verbose
– adjective
The verbose senator said, “At this point in time, we have an urgent and important need for more monetary funds to declare unconditional war
on drugs and combat this evil and harmful situation.” The reporter wrote, “The senator said we urgently need more money to fight drugs.”
Gabe is the most verbose person I know. He always uses ten words when one would do.
Verbose means
A. loud.
B. wordy.
C. self-important.

21. Ten Words in Context
10 verbose
– adjective
The verbose senator said, “At this point in time, we have an urgent and important need for more monetary funds to declare unconditional war
on drugs and combat this evil and harmful situation.” The reporter wrote, “The senator said we urgently need more money to fight drugs.”
Gabe is the most verbose person I know. He always uses ten words when one would do.
Verbose means
A. loud.
B. wordy.
C. self-important.
The wordy senator takes twenty-nine words to say what the reporter covers in eleven words. If Gabe uses ten words when one would do, he is wordy.

22. A. connoisseur B. conspiracy C. contrite D. distraught E. germane
Name: _________________ Class: _______________Date: ____________Period: _______
Quiz: Sentence Check. Complete the item with the correct word from the box.
A. connoisseur B. conspiracy C. contrite
D. distraught
E. germane
F. lucid G. plight H. superficially
I. symmetrical
J. verbose
In writing, it is actually easier to be ______________ than to make the effort to cut out the unnecessary words.
A ______________ of Asian art told me that my Chinese vase is very old, quite rare, and valuable.
The garden is _________________, with the same flowers and shrubs, arranged in the same pattern, on each side of a central path.
Everyone is greatly concerned about the ________________ of the hostages. We’re not even certain they’re still alive.
Nadia was truly sorry for having started the argument with Reese. To show how _______________ she felt, she texted him a lengthy apology.
Whenever Miki tries to buy a new dress, her husband is only ________________ interested. If she shows him one and asks his opinion, all he says is, “It’s fine. Let’s buy it and get out of here.”
Ved’s teacher was so pleased with his clear explanation of a difficult theory that she wrote on his paper, “Wonderfully ________________!”
My parents had expected my sister home by ten o’clock. By the time she finally walked in at two in the morning, they were very ____________________.
The teacher and the other students became irritated when Susan kept asking questions that weren’t ___________________ to the class discussion.
During the Revolutionary War, Benedict Arnold, an American officer, was involved in a _________________ to help the British win.