Question

building vocabulary skills
name: kevin m
mastery test: chapter 1 (taking exams)
in the space provided, write the word from the box needed to complete each sentence. then put the letter
of that word in the column at the left. use each word once.
a. acknowledge b. alternative c. anecdote d. appropriate e. avert
f. candid g. compel h. comply i. concise j. drastic

1. fred thinks it’s funny to do the opposite of what everyone else considers ______. for instance, he likes to send sympathy cards for weddings and birthdays.
2. we keep a flashlight in every room to ______ being left in the dark in the event of a power failure.
3. according to a(n) ______ a friend told me, someone once asked boxer muhammed ali if he were the “greatest” at golf. “yes,” ali answered. “i just haven’t played yet.”
4. a really successful commercial ______s viewers to leap from their chairs and rush out to buy the advertised item.
5. all of the restaurant’s desserts were fattening, so i chose another ______. i had a frozen fruit bar at home instead.
6. to get me to ______ with her demands, my sister threatens to tell my boyfriend what i said after our first date: “bo - ring!”
7. because they’re not eager to ______ that cockroaches are among their residents, germans refer to the “german cockroach” as the “russian roach.”
8. most newspapers have limited space for letters to the editor, so yours will have a better chance of being published if it’s ______.
9. every day, polluters get away with dumping thousands of pounds of plastic into the sea. clearly, we need more ______ penalties to make them stop.
10. when flora asked rob to be really truthful in his opinion of her new dress, he told her, “to be perfectly ______, i don’t like the color, style, or material, but it fits you really well.”

score: (number correct) ____ × 10 = ____ %
copyright © 2019 by townsend press. permission to copy this test is granted to teachers using building vocabulary skills as a class text.
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Explanation:

Each word is selected based on its definition and the context of the sentence, ensuring each word is used exactly once.

1. The sentence describes doing the opposite of what is socially suitable; "appropriate" fits this context.
2. The flashlight is used to prevent being left in the dark; "avert" means to prevent.
3. The story about Muhammad Ali is a short personal/biographical story, which is an "anecdote".
4. A successful commercial drives viewers to act; "compel" means to force/urge someone to do something.
5. The frozen fruit bar is a different option from the restaurant desserts; "alternative" means a substitute option.
6. The sister wants the speaker to obey her demands; "comply" means to act in accordance with a demand.
7. Germans do not want to recognize the cockroach as theirs; "acknowledge" means to accept or recognize the existence of something.
8. Newspapers need short, brief letters due to limited space; "concise" means short and to the point.
9. Strong, severe penalties are needed to stop polluters; "drastic" means severe or extreme.
10. Rob is being honest about the dress; "candid" means truthful and straightforward.

Answer:

1. D. appropriate
2. E. avert
3. C. anecdote
4. G. compel
5. B. alternative
6. H. comply
7. A. acknowledge
8. I. concise
9. J. drastic
10. F. candid