Question

set a
choosing the right word
select the boldface word that better completes each sentence. you might refer to the passage on pages 68 - 69 to see how most of these words are used in context. note that the choices might be related forms of the unit words.

1. most historians agree that military disasters during world war i were the (militants, catalyst) that sparked the russian revolution of 1917.
2. the best way to (facilitate, rebut) the contention that something is not possible to do is to go out and do it.
3. (reprimands, militants), disgusted with the governments policies, took to the streets to register a vote of no confidence.
4. people who never give any assignment more than a \lick and a promise\ may be said to belong to the (incorrigible, slapdash) school of working.
5. for the worlds starving millions, finding enough food to keep body and soul together has become the (paramount, slapdash) concern in life.
6. the bosss (servitude, reprimand) stung his employee especially hard, as it was delivered in front of the entire staff.
7. since they are firmly based on the logic of a sentence, the rules of punctuation should not be considered purely (arbitrary, slapdash).
8. her excellent command of both french and spanish should (reprimand, facilitate) her efforts to get a position in the foreign service.
9. the familys (servitude, catalyst) to the local lords had begun generations earlier, when an ancestors misfortunes had resulted in a loss of wealth and status.
10. he has deceived me so many times that i am forced to conclude that he is simply a(n) (incorrigible, arbitrary) liar.
11. on rare occasions, the u.s. senate will (reprimand, facilitate) one of its members who has violated the rules.
12. even people who appear to be free may be in (catalyst, servitude) to their own passions and prejudices.

Explanation:

1. "Catalyst" means a substance or event that causes change, and military disasters were the event that sparked the revolution.
2. "Rebut" means to prove something false by argument, and doing the thing that is said to be impossible is a way to prove the contention wrong.
3. "Militants" are people who use force or strong - action to achieve a political goal, and they would take to the streets to show no - confidence.
4. "Slapdash" means done carelessly or hurriedly, which describes people who do assignments in a "lick and a promise" way.
5. "Paramount" means of greatest importance, and finding food is of utmost importance for starving people.
6. "Reprimand" is a formal expression of disapproval, and a boss would give a reprimand to an employee.
7. "Arbitrary" means not based on reason or system, and punctuation rules are not arbitrary as they are based on sentence logic.
8. "Facilitate" means to make something easier, and good language skills would make getting a foreign - service position easier.
9. "Servitude" is a state of being a slave or in bondage, and the family's relationship to local lords is one of servitude.
10. "Incorrigible" means not able to be corrected or reformed, and a person who deceives many times is considered incorrigible.
11. "Reprimand" is what the Senate would do to a member who violates rules.
12. "Servitude" can also mean being in thrall to one's passions and prejudices.

Answer:

1. catalyst
2. rebut
3. Militants
4. slapdash
5. paramount
6. reprimand
7. arbitrary
8. facilitate
9. servitude
10. incorrigible
11. reprimand
12. servitude