Question

sentence check 1
using the answer line provided, complete each item below with the correct word from the box (words like sabotage, demoralize, etc.).

1. the striking miners planned to ___ one of the mines by blowing up the...
2. the director cut off most of the auditioning singers with an ___ response...
3. i have to watch my budget because i have a(n) ___ to overspend.
4. be ___ when something sounds too good to be true—it probably is.
5. rob’s ___ was whether to go to work feeling sick or to stay home and lose a day’s pay.
6. when the wisecracking waiter said, “that hat looks ridiculous, lady’s,” the woman stated, “i didn’t come here to be insulted.” “that’s what you ___ (ed) the waiter.
7. if adolescents could apply to their studies just a bit of the ___ they put into social media and video games, their grades would improve dramatically.
8. my father always became ___ when any of his children came home after curfew. one time he began yelling at me even before my due had hit curfew.
9. the team played miserably in the first game of the season, but they _ win all _ games.
10. because devan expected to get an a on his research paper, receiving a c truly ___ (e)d him.

note: now check your answers to these items by turning to page 17. going over the answers carefully will help you prepare for the next two practices, for which answers are not given.

sentence check 2
using the answer lines provided, complete each item below with two words from the box (not visible).

1–2. because of terrorist attempts to _ flights, airline security _ of even innocent - looking passengers.
3–4. when i answer my phone and hear someone demand, “who is this?” my _ is to _, “i’m the person whose phone was ringing. who are you?”
5–6. already angry, the customer became even more _ this _ response: “no returns.”

final check: telephone salespeople
here is a final opportunity for you to strengthen your knowledge of the ten words. first read the following selection carefully. then fill in each blank with a word from the box at the top of the previous page. (context clues will help you figure out which word goes in which blank.) use each word once.

if my carpets need cleaning or i want a new cellphone plan, i will do some comparison shopping first. i am not likely to buy anything suddenly just because a complete stranger has phoned—usually during the dinner hour—_ to sell it. for this and other reasons, i have always been _ of telephone salespeople. i don’t like their cheerful, overly amiable* voices and their nervy suggestions as to how i might easily pay for whatever it is they are selling. my ___ is to get off the phone as soon as possible.

my husband, however, creates a(n) _ for me when he takes these calls. he doesn’t want what is being sold either, but he feels sorry for the telemarketers. he does not want to _ them with such a(n) _ reply as “no.” when they begin their sales pitches, he is overcome by their _ for their products and therefore listens politely. then he _ my efforts to discourage... i don’t know who gets more _ calls by suggesting that the salespeople call back later to talk to his wife! “no sale,” for the last time to an adamant* telemarketer who had been refusing to take “no” for an answer, he or she has (10) ___ (ed), “well, thanks for wasting my time.”

(image of two people on the phone, credited to muslun musawwir/123rf.com)

scores
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enter your scores above and in the weekly performance chart on the inside back cover of the book.

Answer:

To solve these vocabulary fill - in - the - blank problems, we analyze each sentence based on the context and the meaning of the given vocabulary words:

Sentence Check 1

1. The striking miners planned to ___ one of the mines by blowing up the mine entrance.

• The word “sabotage” means to deliberately destroy or damage something, especially for political or military advantage. Blowing up a mine entrance to disrupt the mine's operation fits the meaning of “sabotage”. So the answer is G. sabotage.

1. The director cut off most of the auditioning singers with an ___ response: “Thank you. That will be all.”

• “curt” means brief and rather rude or abrupt. The director's short and dismissive response is “curt”. So the answer is A. curt.

1. I have to watch my budget because I have a(n) ___ to overspend.

• “inclination” means a tendency or a wish to do something. Having a tendency to overspend matches the meaning of “inclination”. So the answer is B. inclination.

1. Be ___ when watching something sounds too good to be true - it probably is.

• “wary” means to be cautious or careful. When something seems too good to be true, we should be cautious. So the answer is I. wary.

1. Rob's ___ was whether to go to work feeling sick or to stay home and lose a day's pay.

• “dilemma” means a difficult situation where a choice has to be made between two or more alternatives. Rob has to choose between going to work sick or staying home and losing pay, which is a dilemma. So the answer is C. dilemma.

1. The wisecracking waiter said, “That hat looks ridiculous, lady's when the woman stated, ‘I didn't come here to be insulted.’” “That's what you think!” ___ (ed) the waiter.

• “retort” means to reply in a sharp or angry way. The waiter's sharp reply to the woman is a retort. So the answer is F. retort.

1. If adolescents could apply to their studies just a bit of the ___ they feel for social media and video games, their grades would improve dramatically.

• “zeal” means great enthusiasm. The enthusiasm they have for social media and video games, if applied to studies, would help grades. So the answer is L. zeal.

1. My father always became ___ when any of his children came home after curfew. One time he began yelling at me even before my due had hit the floor.

• “irate” (assuming this is a typo and the word is “irate” or from the given options, “demoralize” doesn't fit, but if we consider the context of anger, maybe a misprint, but from the given options, “demoralize” is E. But maybe a better fit would be a word for anger, but among the options, “demoralize” is not correct. Wait, maybe I misread. The options are: A. curt, B. inclination, C. dilemma, E. late, F. retort, G. sabotage, H. subsequent, I. wary, L. zeal. Wait, maybe the 7th option's word is “zeal” and 8th: “My father always became ___ when any of his children came home after curfew.” The word “irate” is not in the options, but maybe “late” is not. Wait, maybe a mistake in the problem. But if we go with the options, maybe “demoralize” is E, but that doesn't fit. Maybe the original problem has a different set. Alternatively, maybe “late” is E, but “came home after curfew” is being late, but the father's reaction. Maybe the problem has a typo. Let's move on.

1. The team played miserably in the first game of the season, but they _ win all _ games.

• “subsequent” means following in time or order. The games after the first game are subsequent games. So the answer is H. subsequent.

1. Because Devan expected to get an A on his research paper, receiving a C truly ___ (e)d him.

• “demoralize” means to make someone lose confidence or enthusiasm. Getting a C when expecting an A would demoralize him. So the answer is E. demoralize.

Final Check: Telephone Salespeople

1. *I don't like their cheerful, overly amiable voices and their nervy suggestions as to how I might easily pay for whatever it is they are selling. My ___ is to get off the phone as soon as possible.*

• “inclination” means a tendency or wish. The wish to get off the phone as soon as possible is an inclination. So the answer is B. inclination.

1. My husband, however, creates a(n) _ for me when he takes these calls. He doesn't want what is being sold either, but he feels sorry for the telemarketers. He begins their sales pitches, he is overcome by their _ reply as “No.” When and therefore listens politely. Then he _ my efforts to discourage (8) _ calls by suggesting that the salespeople call back later to talk to his wife!

• The first blank: “dilemma” as the husband's actions create a difficult situation (dilemma) for the speaker. So C. dilemma.
• The second blank: “curt” as a short “No” reply. So A. curt.
• The third blank: “retort” doesn't fit, maybe “sabotage” is not. Wait, maybe “demoralize” no. Wait, the third blank: “He... my efforts to discourage...”. “sabotage” means to disrupt, so he sabotages my efforts. So G. sabotage.
• The fourth blank: “subsequent” as in subsequent calls (calls that come later). So H. subsequent.

1. I don't know who gets more _ when that happens - I or the salespeople, disappointed when they realize we never intended to buy a thing. More than once, when I've finally said “No sale,” for the last time to an adamant telemarketer who had been refusing to take “no” for an answer, he or she has (10) _ (ed), “Well, thanks for wasting my time.”

• The first blank: “irate” is not in the options, but “wary” no. Maybe “zeal” no. Wait, the options are the same. Maybe “wary” no. Alternatively, “demoralize” no. Maybe a misprint. The second blank: “retort” as a sharp reply. So F. retort.

Sentence Check 2

1 - 2. Because of terrorist attempts to ___ flights, airline security is wary of even innocent - looking passengers.

• “sabotage” means to damage or disrupt, so terrorists would sabotage flights. So G. sabotage.

3 - 4. When I answer my phone and hear someone demand, “Who is this?” I'm the person whose phone was ringing. We _ is to _, “I'm the person whose phone was ringing.”

• The first blank: “inclination” (tendency) to reply. So B. inclination. The second blank: “retort” (reply) but maybe “reply” is not in the options, but from the options, “retort” is F. So F. retort.

5 - 6. Already angry, the customer became even more _ this _ response: “No returns.”

• The first blank: “irate” (angry) but from the options, “demoralize” no, “curt” for the second blank. So the second blank: A. curt, and the first blank maybe “demoralize” no, maybe a misprint. But if we go with the options, the second blank is A. curt.

7 - 8. Margo intended to accept the job offer to be a salad chef, but a(n) _ offer for an office position has presented her with a(n) _. Should she take the interesting restaurant job, which pays poorly, or the higher - paying job that may not interest her much?

• The first blank: “subsequent” (later) offer. So H. subsequent. The second blank: “dilemma” (difficult choice). So C. dilemma.

9 - 10. I began the semester with great _ for my chemistry class, but the realization that I didn't have the necessary background quickly _ (e)d me.

• The first blank: “zeal” (enthusiasm). So L. zeal. The second blank: “demoralize” (make lose confidence). So E. demoralize.

Final Answers (for Sentence Check 1 as an example, but can be extended to others)

1. G. sabotage
2. A. curt
3. B. inclination
4. I. wary
5. C. dilemma
6. F. retort
7. L. zeal
8. (Assuming a correction, maybe a misprint, but if we follow the options strictly, maybe E. demoralize is not correct, but based on context, maybe a different approach)
9. H. subsequent
10. E. demoralize