Question

ten words in context
in the space provided, write the letter of the meaning closest to that of each boldfaced word. use the context of the sentences to help you figure out each word’s meaning.
1 calamity
(kə-lămĭ-tē)
-noun

• the survivors of the earthquake slowly rebuilt their homes and lives after the calamity.
• our neighbor’s house burned down one night in may. ever since that calamity, some of the children on our street have been afraid to go to bed at night.

__ calamity means
a. an activity.
b. a tragedy.
c. a risk.
2 comprehensive
(kŏmprē-hĕnsĭv)
-adjective

• that article on sightseeing in charleston was not comprehensive. it failed to mention many points of interest in that wonderful city.
• the company’s comprehensive insurance plan covers most health services, including hospitals, doctors, and dentists.

__ comprehensive means
a. complete.
b. familiar.
c. continuous.
3 conventional
(kan-vĕnshə-nəl)
-adjective

• two conventional valentine’s day gifts are roses and chocolates.
• jorge wanted to propose to ramona in the conventional manner, so in the middle of a restaurant, he got down on one knee and asked, “will you marry me?”

__ conventional means
a. out-of-the-way.
b. useful.
c. usual.
4 flagrant
(flāgrənt)
-adjective

• the use of campaign funds for the congressman’s private business was a flagrant violation of the law.
• in flagrant disregard of his parents’ stated wishes, art wore a t - shirt and jeans to their dinner party.

__ flagrant means
a. obvious.
b. acceptable.
c. minor.
5 fluctuate
(flŭkchō-āt)
-verb

• my weight used to fluctuate between 150 and 190 pounds. now it’s steady, at 170 pounds.
• desert temperatures can fluctuate by as much as fifty degrees between daytime and nighttime.

__ fluctuate means
a. to continue.
b. to vary.
c. to follow.
6 persevere
(pûrsə-vîr)
-verb

• “i know you’re tired,” jack said, “but we’ve got to persevere and get to the camp before the storm hits.”
• it was not easy to attend english classes while working at two jobs, but nina persevered until she could speak english well.

__ persevere means
a. to surrender.
b. to hold back.
c. to keep going.

Explanation:

Question 1:

In the sentences, "calamity" is associated with an earthquake (which is a tragic event) and a house burning down (also a tragic event). Option A is incorrect as an earthquake/house burning isn't an activity. Option C is incorrect as it's not just a risk but an event that has already happened. So "calamity" means a tragedy.

The first sentence says the article was not comprehensive as it failed to mention many points, so it lacked completeness. The second sentence says the insurance plan covers most health services, meaning it's complete. Option B (familiar) and C (continuous) don't fit the context. So "comprehensive" means complete.

Roses and chocolates are usual Valentine's Day gifts, and proposing by getting down on one knee is a usual manner. Option A (out - of - the - way) is the opposite, and option B (useful) doesn't fit. So "conventional" means usual.

Answer:

B. a tragedy.

Question 2: