Vocabulary Quiz

A pause or break could be referred to as a:

• recurrence

• termination

• sighting

• hiatus

A hurtful or offensive remark could cause:

• satisfaction

• replenishment

• umbrage

• amity

If the thought of watching a certain kind of movie or television show makes you feel weary and worn out, you might describe yourself as:

• jaded

• unbiased

• inspired

• energized

Which of the following is another word for relieve?

• assuage

• aggravate

• contemplate

• rescind

Which of the following is the opposite of disapproval?

• condemnation

• approbation

• scrutiny

• censure

A suggestion that is indirect might be called an:

• insult

• improvisation

• innuendo

• inkling

Picture the following scene: The year is 1840, and the place is London, England. People can hardly wait for the next installment of a novel they have been following in parts that come out week by week. Is the work they are anxiously awaiting some hackneyed suspense story filled with predictably lurid and sensational characters and events? No—it is The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens, a novelist whose plots and characters transcend the formulas and cliches that are often associated with best-selling fiction. Unlike many authors who were popular in their day but were also soon quickly forgotten, Dickens is known for creating unforgettable characters, ranging from Little Nell, the pure hearted orphan in The Old Curiosity Shop, to Uriah Heep, the outwardly unctuous and inwardly scheming clerk in David Copperfield, which was first published nine years later, in 1849.

In line 3, hackneyed means:

(a)  

Picture the following scene: The year is 1840, and the place is London, England. People can hardly wait for the next installment of a novel they have been following in parts that come out week by week. Is the work they are anxiously awaiting some hackneyed suspense story filled with predictably lurid and sensational characters and events? No—it is The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens, a novelist whose plots and characters transcend the formulas and cliches that are often associated with best-selling fiction. Unlike many authors who were popular in their day but were also soon quickly forgotten, Dickens is known for creating unforgettable characters, ranging from Little Nell, the pure hearted orphan in The Old Curiosity Shop, to Uriah Heep, the outwardly unctuous and inwardly scheming clerk in David Copperfield, which was first published nine years later, in 1849.

In line 5, transcend is used to help show that Dickens’s work:

• arises above other best-selling works

• is as good as other best-selling works

• is more popular than other best-selling works

• is inferior to other best-selling works

Picture the following scene: The year is 1840, and the place is London, England. People can hardly wait for the next installment of a novel they have been following in parts that come out week by week. Is the work they are anxiously awaiting some hackneyed suspense story filled with predictably lurid and sensational characters and events? No—it is The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens, a novelist whose plots and characters transcend the formulas and cliches that are often associated with best-selling fiction. Unlike many authors who were popular in their day but were also soon quickly forgotten, Dickens is known for creating unforgettable characters, ranging from Little Nell, the pure hearted orphan in The Old Curiosity Shop, to Uriah Heep, the outwardly unctuous and inwardly scheming clerk in David Copperfield, which was first published nine years later, in 1849.

Which of the following words could not be used to replace lurid (line 3)?

• ghastly

• gruesome

• wholesome

• grisly

Picture the following scene: The year is 1840, and the place is London, England. People can hardly wait for the next installment of a novel they have been following in parts that come out week by week. Is the work they are anxiously awaiting some hackneyed suspense story filled with predictably lurid and sensational characters and events? No—it is The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens, a novelist whose plots and characters transcend the formulas and cliches that are often associated with best-selling fiction. Unlike many authors who were popular in their day but were also soon quickly forgotten, Dickens is known for creating unforgettable characters, ranging from Little Nell, the pure hearted orphan in The Old Curiosity Shop, to Uriah Heep, the outwardly unctuous and inwardly scheming clerk in David Copperfield, which was first published nine years later, in 1849.

Which of the following words could be used to replace unctuous (line 8)?

• sincere

• fawning

• gruff

• dismissive