Question

exercise 2 using words in context
fill in the blank with the vocabulary word that best completes the sentence. in some cases, you may need to change the tense or form of a verb or the number of a noun.
ubiquitous, invaluable, consume, interaction, indeterminate
influential, indicative, diffuse, muscle, incomprehensible

1. kayla teased joey for complaining about his ________ problems when things like famine, disease, and world hunger exist.
2. a book on neuroscience would probably be ________ to someone who has never studied biology.
3. when we turned the heater on in the middle of winter, it took several minutes before the warm air ________ throughout the room.
4. my fathers advice about cars was ________, considering that he had been a mechanic for thirty years.
5. the salesperson claimed that the new device would be ________; every person in the world would eventually own one.
6. several short stories ________ the decameron, a book written by giovanni boccaccio in the 14th century.
7. because we didnt have an appointment, we knew we would have to wait a(n) ________ amount of time to see the doctor.
8. the improper ________ that happened yesterday led to the two employees getting fired for giving away company secrets to a competitor.
9. amelia earharts numerous achievements were ________ of a brave woman who would never give up.
10. the three archaeologists had ________ knowledge of ancient civilizations and claimed that the mu people never existed.

Explanation:

1. The sentence contrasts small, personal problems with large global crises, so "minuscule" (very tiny) fits.
2. A neuroscience book would be impossible to understand for someone without biology background, so "incomprehensible" works.
3. Warm air spreads out through a room, so the past tense of "diffuse" (spread) is correct.
4. A mechanic's 30 years of experience makes his advice extremely valuable, so "invaluable" is the right choice.
5. The claim that everyone will own the device means it will be everywhere, so "ubiquitous" fits.
6. The short stories make up The Decameron, so the past tense of "constitute" (form/make up) is correct.
7. Without an appointment, the wait time is not fixed, so "indeterminate" (not definite) is appropriate.
8. Sharing company secrets involves improper communication between employees and a competitor, so "interaction" fits.
9. Earhart's achievements show she was brave and persistent, so "indicative" (showing/characteristic of) is correct.
10. The archaeologists had limited, narrow knowledge to make their claim, so "substantive" is incorrect; the correct word is "insubstantive" (lacking solid basis) to match their flawed conclusion.

Answer:

1. minuscule
2. incomprehensible
3. diffused
4. invaluable
5. ubiquitous
6. constituted
7. indeterminate
8. interaction
9. indicative
10. insubstantive