1. Vocabulary Chapter 1: Read the sentences carefully for context clues and choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

2. affinity Part of speech: Noun
Definition: a natural liking for or attraction to a person, thing, idea, etc.
Sentence: If we interviewed Olympic swimmers, we would probably find that they have a natural affinity for water.
Synonyms: partiality, fondness
Antonyms: dislike, aversion

3. fledgling Part of speech: adjective
Definition: young, new, or inexperienced
Sentence: Beauty schools often allow their fledgling hairdressers to practice on new clients for a reduced price.
Synonyms: novice, beginner
Antonyms: expert, professional

4. hackneyed Part of speech: adjective
Definition: made commonplace or trite; stale
Sentence: If your writing is riddled with hackneyed phrases, perhaps you should consider using a thesaurus.
Synonyms: overdone, overused
Antonyms: rare, unique

5. incessant Part of speech: adjective
Definition: continuing without interruption; ceaseless; unending
Sentence: Her incessant whining grates on my nerves.
Synonyms: unceasing, constant, continuous, never-ending, perpetual
Antonyms: intermittent

6. opulence Part of speech: noun Definition: wealth, riches, or affluence
Sentence: For most people, the American Dream involves a certain amount of opulence.
Synonyms: luxury, abundance
Antonyms: poverty, destitution

7. proximity Part of speech: noun
Definition: nearness in place, time, order, occurrence, or relation
Sentence: The proximity of the curtains to the fireplace was a cause of concern to the safety inspector.

8. sagacious Part of speech: adjective
Definition: having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense; shrewd
Sentence: The prophets of the Bible are widely regarded as sagacious men.
Synonyms: wise, discerning, clever, intelligent, judicious, acute, sharp, keen
Antonyms: unwise, foolish

9. supplant Part of speech: verb
Definition: to take the place of (another), as through force, scheming, strategy, or the like; to replace (one thing) by something else.
Sentence: The leader of the small country would like to supplant democracy with his own brand of dictatorship.
Synonyms: remove, succeed

10. unassailable Part of speech: adjective
Definition: not subject to denial or dispute
Sentence: The fact that certain movie stars are the epitome of the male physique is unassailable.
Synonyms: indisputable, incontestable
Antonyms: refutable

11. voluminous Part of speech: adjective
Definition: of great volume, size, or extent
Sentence: Teachers and students alike are often overwhelmed with voluminous quantities of books and paper.
Synonyms: extensive, copious, ample
Antonyms: abbreviated, sparse