Word Knowledge · Practice test 4

Correct answer: commotion

An uproar is a loud, confused disturbance, so commotion is the closest match. Silence is the opposite condition.

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Correct answer: careful

Meticulous work shows extreme attention to detail, so careful is the closest meaning. Rapid points the wrong way, since meticulous work is usually slow.

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Correct answer: to throw

The Latin root ject means to throw, so to eject is to throw out, to inject is to throw in, and to project is to throw forward. Reject follows the same pattern, throwing something back.

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Correct answer: confirm

To corroborate a witness's account is to support it with further evidence, so confirm is the closest match. Contradict is the opposite effect.

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Correct answer: stingy

Generous means willing to give freely, so stingy, meaning unwilling to give, is the opposite. Kind is a near synonym and the trap for this item.

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Correct answer: writing

The Latin root scrib/script means to write, so to describe is to write down details and a manuscript is a handwritten document.

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Correct answer: unnecessary

Redundant words or parts repeat what is already covered, so unnecessary is the closest match. In engineering the word can be positive, naming a spare system kept as a backup.

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Correct answer: without

The suffix -less means lacking something, so harmless does no harm and wireless needs no wire. Note it has nothing to do with less in the sense of a smaller amount.

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Correct answer: struggle against

To contend with high winds is to struggle against them, so struggle against fits the crossing described.

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Correct answer: disprove

To refute a claim is to prove it false, so disprove is the closest match. Confirm is the opposite outcome.

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Correct answer: decelerate

To accelerate is to speed up, so decelerate, meaning to slow down, is the direct opposite.

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Correct answer: plain

Austere quarters have nothing beyond the bare necessities, so plain is the closest match. The word also describes a stern manner.

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Correct answer: sound

The Greek root phon means sound, so a telephone carries sound over distance and a symphony blends sounds together.

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Correct answer: worn

Shabby clothing or furniture looks worn out from long use, so worn is the closest match. Polished is nearly the opposite look.

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Correct answer: strict

Stringent limits leave no margin and are firmly enforced, so strict is the match. Specific is the near miss: a limit can be very specific without being strictly applied.

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Correct answer: scanty

Meager rations are not just small but insufficient for the need, so scanty is the closer match than a word implying merely limited variety.

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Correct answer: leading or guiding

The Latin root duc/duct means to lead, so to conduct is to lead or direct, and to induce is to lead someone into an action.

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Correct answer: postpone

Because the sentence names a later point in time, defer here means to put off, so postpone is the match. Delegate reflects the word's other sense, deferring to someone else's judgment.

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Correct answer: a flow of water

A current in a river or ocean is a moving flow of water, which is the sense that fits a swimmer pulled off course.

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Correct answer: the study of

The suffix -ology names a field of study, so geology studies the earth and biology studies life. The fear of something takes a different ending, -phobia.

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Correct answer: fragile

Brittle material snaps rather than bending, so fragile fits. Flexible is the opposite property and is the trap here.

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Correct answer: very small

Applied to a fee, nominal means token, barely more than nothing, which the word only reinforces. Its other sense, in name only, appears in phrases like the nominal head of an organisation.

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Correct answer: dismal

Gloomy describes both a dark room and a low mood, and dismal covers the same ground in both senses.

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Correct answer: peaceful

Calm describes a state free of excitement or disturbance, so peaceful is the closest match.

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Correct answer: random

An arbitrary rule is set without a stated reason behind it, so random is the closest of these. The word often carries a note of unfairness, as in an arbitrary decision.

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Correct answer: profitable

Lucrative describes something that brings in good money, so profitable is the direct match.

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Correct answer: calm

To soothe someone is to calm them or ease their distress, so calm is the closest match. Alarm means the opposite effect.

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Correct answer: contract

To expand is to grow larger, so contract, meaning to shrink, is the opposite. Every other choice is a near synonym of expand, so misreading the question leads to all three.

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Correct answer: soaked

Saturated ground has absorbed all the water it can hold, so soaked is the match. Eroded describes soil being carried away, a different result of rain.

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Correct answer: assemble

To muster a platoon is to gather it in one place, so assemble fits the order to form up at dawn.

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Correct answer: known for something bad

Notorious specifically means well known for something negative, which fits an intersection known for accidents rather than for anything admirable.

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Correct answer: awkward

A clumsy person moves awkwardly and often knocks things over, so awkward is the closest match. Graceful is the opposite quality.

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Correct answer: inactive

An idle machine is not running, so inactive fits. Broken is the trap: an idle machine may be in perfect working order and simply not in use.

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Correct answer: not or reverse of

The prefix un- reverses or negates the base word, so to unlock is to reverse locking and unhappy means not happy.

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Correct answer: disorder

Chaos means complete disorder and confusion, so disorder is the closest match. Order is the exact opposite condition.

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