Word Knowledge · Practice test 3

Correct answer: immense

Vast describes something enormous in extent, so immense is the closest match. Distant refers to how far away something is rather than how big.

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Correct answer: lively

A brisk walk or a brisk manner has energy and pace, so lively is the closest match.

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Correct answer: worsen

To deteriorate is to fall into a worse condition over time, as equipment or weather does, so worsen is the closest match.

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Correct answer: falter

To waver is to become unsteady or uncertain, so falter is the closest match. Insist describes firm, unwavering commitment instead.

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Correct answer: suppress

To stifle a laugh is to hold it back, so suppress fits. Release means the opposite action.

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Correct answer: abundant

Scarce means in short supply, so its opposite is abundant, meaning plentiful. Limited is a synonym of scarce and is the trap for anyone who reads the question as asking for a match.

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Correct answer: essential

Something vital cannot be done without, so essential is the match. The word comes from the Latin for life, which is why vital signs are the ones that show a body is living.

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Correct answer: independence

Autonomy is the right to govern or act for oneself, so independence is the closest match. Obedience implies control by others instead.

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Correct answer: squander

To conserve resources is to use them carefully, so squander, meaning to waste them, is the opposite.

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Correct answer: portray

To depict something is to represent it in a picture or an account, so portray is the closest match.

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Correct answer: readable

Legible handwriting can be made out by the reader, so readable is the match. Its opposite, illegible, is the more familiar form of the word.

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Correct answer: toughness

Resilience is the ability to bounce back quickly from hardship, so toughness is the closest match. Fragility is nearly the opposite quality.

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Correct answer: reprimand

To scold someone is to criticize them sharply for something they did wrong, so reprimand is the closest match. Praise means the opposite response.

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Correct answer: daring feat

As a plural noun describing what became legendary, exploits are daring feats or achievements. The verb sense, to use unfairly, does not fit this noun context.

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Correct answer: determine

To ascertain a fact is to find it out for certain, so determine is the closest match.

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Correct answer: shelter

A refuge is a place of safety from danger, so shelter is the closest match.

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Correct answer: new

As an adjective, novel means new and original, so new is the match. Fictional is the trap, drawn from the noun that names a book, which cannot describe an approach to drainage.

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Correct answer: strong

Sturdy means solidly built and able to take rough use, so strong is the closest match.

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Correct answer: empty

A vacant room or seat is unoccupied, so empty is the closest meaning.

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Correct answer: half

The prefix semi- means half, so a semicircle is half a circle and a semiannual event happens every half year.

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Correct answer: following

Subsequent events are those that come afterward, so following is the closest match. Earlier points in the opposite direction along the same line of time.

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Correct answer: cancel

To rescind is to withdraw something formally so it no longer has force, so cancel is the match. Enforce states the opposite action.

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Correct answer: essential

An integral part cannot be removed without breaking the whole, so essential is the closest match. Optional is nearly the opposite quality.

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Correct answer: escape

To elude a patrol is to escape or evade it skillfully, so escape fits the sentence.

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Correct answer: obey

To comply is to act in accordance with an order, rule, or request, so obey is the closest match. The three wrong choices all begin with the same letters, which is exactly the confusion the item tests.

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Correct answer: serious

Describing an expression, grave means serious and solemn. The burial-site sense of grave does not fit a doctor's expression.

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Correct answer: waste

To squander fuel is to waste it carelessly, so waste fits. Conserve means the opposite, using sparingly.

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Correct answer: a noun meaning the quality of being kind

The suffix -ness turns an adjective into a noun naming that quality, so kind becomes kindness, the state of being kind. The same pattern gives happy and happiness.

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Correct answer: frail

Robust describes strength and durability, so frail, meaning weak and delicate, is the opposite.

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Correct answer: confirm

To verify is to establish that something is true by checking it, so confirm is the match. Assume is its opposite in practice, accepting something without checking.

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Correct answer: keep

To retain control is to keep hold of it, so keep fits. Surrender means the opposite action.

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Correct answer: incite

To provoke someone is to stir up a strong reaction, often anger, so incite is the closest match. Calm is the opposite effect.

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Correct answer: enclosed area

A walled compound is an enclosed group of buildings, the sense that fits guards patrolling a perimeter.

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Correct answer: weak

A faint sound or smell is weak and barely noticeable, so weak is the closest match.

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Correct answer: pointless

A futile effort produces no result no matter how hard it is tried, so pointless is the closest match.

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