Assessment 33B: Vocabulary Assessment 2

What is the meaning of the word "fetid" in the sentence: "The scientist almost fainted when he came upon the fetid swamp"?

• Pleasant-smelling

• Rotten or foul-smelling

• Clear and clean

• Dry and sandy

The candidate continued to vilify her opponent, even after she won the election. What does the word "vilify" mean?

• Praise

• Criticize harshly

• Ignore

• Support

Due to vaccines, schools rarely experience an epidemic, such as those they used to face from traditional childhood diseases like chicken pox. What does the word "epidemic" mean?

• A widespread outbreak of disease

• A type of vaccine

• A childhood illness

• A school event

The foggy day, his loneliness, and the sad music on the radio all left the old man feeling melancholy. What does the word melancholy mean?

• Happiness

• Sadness

• Excitement

• Anger

Given the glowing reviews and long lines of customers waiting to get in, the restaurant staff’s morale was at an all-time high. What does the word 'morale' mean in this sentence?

• Morale means the confidence, enthusiasm, and discipline of a person or group at a particular time.

• Morale means a type of food eaten during celebrations.

• Morale means a traditional dance performed in festivals.

• Morale means a piece of equipment used in sports.

The senator was angry that many believed the scurrilous attacks on her character. What does the word 'scurrilous' mean in this sentence?

• Scurrilous means making or spreading vulgar claims about someone with the intention of damaging their reputation.

• Scurrilous means being extremely generous and kind-hearted.

• Scurrilous means showing great attention to detail and accuracy.

• Scurrilous means being quiet and reserved in social situations.

The army sent in another battalion to try to stop the invasion. What does the word 'battalion' mean in this sentence?

• Battalion means a large body of troops ready for battle, especially an infantry unit forming part of a brigade.

• Battalion means a small group of musicians performing together.

• Battalion means a type of ancient building material.

• Battalion means a piece of equipment used in cooking.

The kitten’s mournful cry led his owner to discover that the mother cat was sick. What does the word 'mournful' mean in this sentence?

• Mournful means feeling, expressing, or inducing sadness, regret, or grief.

• Mournful means feeling excited and energetic.

• Mournful means being very hungry.

• Mournful means being extremely joyful.

Many TV reporters seem to enjoy the excitement and ratings that come when they cover a calamity, no matter how tragic it is. What does the word 'calamity' mean in this sentence?

• Calamity means an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; a disaster.

• Calamity means a feeling of happiness and joy.

• Calamity means a small, insignificant object.

• Calamity means a type of musical instrument.

The magazine article tried to synthesize many different theories about what has caused the changes in global weather patterns. What does the word 'synthesize' mean in this sentence?

• Synthesize means to combine a number of different parts or ideas to come up with a new idea or theory.

• Synthesize means to separate ideas into individual parts.

• Synthesize means to ignore information that is not important.

• Synthesize means to repeat the same idea multiple times.