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 acclaim (ə-klām’) -noun
any subway system that is clean, quiet, and safe deserves acclaim.
although vincent van gogh’s paintings are now widely admired, the artist received little acclaim in his lifetime.
a. criticism. b. praise. c. ...
2 adjacent (ə-jā’ snt) -adjective
because their desks are adjacent, jeff and katie often chat during class.
if you keep your dishes in a cupboard that’s adjacent to the kitchen, you won’t have to walk too far when putting away the clean dishes.
a. close. b. similar. c. ...
3 elicit (i-lis’ it) -verb
the movie star’s violet eyes always elicit admiration and awe.
the basketball player’s three-point shot to win the game elicited a roar of delight from the excited fans.
a. to stop. b. to follow. c. ...
4 engross (en’ grōs’) -verb
the suspenseful tv movie so engrossed bryan that he didn’t hear his sister calling him to dinner.
the fascinating single-file march of black ants along the sidewalk engrossed me for several minutes.
a. to hold the interest of. b. to disgust. c. ...
5 escalate (es’ kə-lāt’) -verb
“the fight between the two hockey players engrossed the fans,”...
“we need to escalate our fund-raising efforts,” the chairperson said. “otherwise, the company won’t survive.”
a. to expand. b. to delay. c. ...
6 exploit (eks-ployt’) -verb
at the turn of the century, factory owners exploited children by making them work in terrible conditions for as many as eighteen hours a day.
although ricky is the english teacher’s pet, he refuses to exploit his position to get better grades.
a. to forget. b. to take advantage of. c. ...

matching words with definitions
following are definitions of the ten words. clearly write or print each word next to its definition. the sentences above and on the previous page will help you decide on the meaning of each word.

1. to draw forth
2. to stop; bring to an end
3. orderly; systematic
4. close; near (to something)
5. able to be touched; having form and matter
6. no longer active or in use; out of date
7. to increase or intensity
8. great praise or applause; enthusiastic approval
9. to hold the full attention of; absorb
10. to use selfishly or unethically; take unfair advantage of

7 methodical (mə-thod’ i-kəl) -adjective
a methodical way to store spices is to shelve them in alphabetical order.
juanita is so methodical about her diet that she classifies the foods in each meal into different nutritional categories.
a. accidental. b. out-of-date. c. orderly.
8 obsolete (ob’ sō-let’) -adjective
smartphones are so common now that they have made pagers obsolete as more people choose to read on electronic devices.
printed books may one day become obsolete as more people switch to digital reading.
a. popular. b. useful. c. extinct.
9 tangible (tan’ jə-bəl) -adjective
the sculptor loved making her ideas tangible by giving them form in metal and stone.
corn-chip crumbs, empty soda bottles, and dirty napkins were tangible evidence that a party had taken place the night before.
a. clever. b. solid. c. hidden.
10 terminate (tur’ mə-nāt’) -verb
as the clock’s hands inched toward 3:00, the students waited impatiently for the bell to terminate the last class before spring vacation.
the referee should have terminated the boxing match when he first saw the weaker fighter losing the ability to defend himself.
a. to end. b. to revive. c. to begin.

caution: do not go on until you are sure the above answers are correct. then you can use the definitions to help you in the following exercises. you will eventually know the words well enough so that you don’t need to check the definitions at all.

Answer:

Matching Words with Definitions

1. acclaim

The definition "To draw forth" doesn’t match. Wait, no—wait, "acclaim" means great praise or applause (from the "Ten Words in Context" section, e.g., "the artist received little acclaim"). Wait, the definitions given:
Wait, the first definition in the "Matching Words with Definitions" is "To draw forth"—no, maybe I misread. Wait, the words are: acclaim, adjacent, elicit, engross, escalate, exploit, methodical, obsolete, tangible, terminate.

Let's list the words and their definitions:

• acclaim: Great praise or applause; enthusiastic approval (matches "Great praise or applause; enthusiastic approval"—wait, the definition list: "Great praise or applause; enthusiastic approval" is for acclaim? Wait, the definitions are:

1. To draw forth
2. To stop; bring to an end
3. Orderly; systematic
4. Close; near (to something)
5. Able to be touched; having form and matter
6. No longer active or in use; out of date
7. To increase or intensity
8. Great praise or applause; enthusiastic approval
9. To hold the full attention of; absorb
10. To use selfishly or unethically; take unfair advantage of

Now match each word:

1. elicit: "To draw forth" (since "elicit" means to bring out or draw forth, e.g., "elicit a roar of delight"). So 1 → elicit.

1. terminate: "To stop; bring to an end" (e.g., "terminate the boxing match"). So 2 → terminate.

1. methodical: "Orderly; systematic" (e.g., "a methodical way to store spices"). So 3 → methodical.

1. adjacent: "Close; near (to something)" (e.g., "their desks are adjacent"). So 4 → adjacent.

1. tangible: "Able to be touched; having form and matter" (e.g., "tangible by giving them form in metal"). So 5 → tangible.

1. obsolete: "No longer active or in use; out of date" (e.g., "printed books may one day become obsolete"). So 6 → obsolete.

1. escalate: "To increase or intensity" (e.g., "escalate our fundraising efforts"). So 7 → escalate.

1. acclaim: "Great praise or applause; enthusiastic approval" (e.g., "the artist received little acclaim"). So 8 → acclaim.

1. engross: "To hold the full attention of; absorb" (e.g., "so engrossed he didn’t hear his name"). So 9 → engross.

1. exploit: "To use selfishly or unethically; take unfair advantage of" (e.g., "exploited children by making them work"). So 10 → exploit.

Ten Words in Context (Sample Answers for Multiple Choice)

1. acclaim (noun)

• "Although Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings are now... the artist received little acclaim in his lifetime..."
• Options: A. criticism, B. praise, C. sleep
• "Acclaim" means praise, so answer: B. praise.

1. adjacent (adjective)

• "Because their desks are adjacent, Jeff and Katie..."
• Options: A. close, B. similar, C. opposed
• "Adjacent" means close, so answer: A. close.

1. elicit (verb)

• "The movie star’s violet eyes always elicit admiration and awe."
• "Elicit" means to draw forth, so the definition "to draw forth" matches. The multiple-choice for "elicit means":
• Options: A. to stop, B. to follow, C. to bring out
• Answer: C. to bring out (matches "to draw forth").

1. engross (verb)

• "The suspenseful TV movie so engrossed Bryan that he didn’t hear his name called."
• "Engross" means to hold attention, so the multiple-choice:
• Options: A. to hold the interest of, B. to disgust, C. to bore
• Answer: A. to hold the interest of.

1. escalate (verb)

• "The fight between the two hockey players escalated into a bench-clearing brawl."
• "Escalate" means to increase, so the multiple-choice:
• Options: A. to expand, B. to delay, C. to weaken
• Answer: A. to expand (or "to increase"—closest is A).

1. exploit (verb)

• "At the turn of the century, factory owners exploited children by making them work in terrible conditions."
• "Exploit" means to take advantage of (unfairly), so the multiple-choice:
• Options: A. to forget, B. to take advantage of, C. to be about
• Answer: B. to take advantage of.

1. methodical (adjective)

• "A methodical way to store spices is to shelve them in alphabetical order."
• Options: A. accidental, B. out-of-date, C. orderly
• "Methodical" means orderly, so answer: C. orderly.

1. obsolete (adjective)

• "Smartphones are so common now that they have made pagers obsolete as more people choose to read on electronic devices."
• Options: A. popular, B. useful, C. out-of-date
• "Obsolete" means out-of-date, so answer: C. out-of-date.

1. tangible (adjective)

• "The sculptor loved making her ideas tangible by giving them form in metal and stone."
• Options: A. clever, B. solid, C. hidden
• "Tangible" means able to be touched (solid), so answer: B. solid.

1. terminate (verb)

• "The bell to terminate the last class before spring vacation rang at 2:59."
• Options: A. to end, B. to revive, C. to begin
• "Terminate" means to end, so answer: A. to end.

Final Matching Answers (Numbers 1–10 with Definitions)

1. elicit (To draw forth)
2. terminate (To stop; bring to an end)
3. methodical (Orderly; systematic)
4. adjacent (Close; near (to something))
5. tangible (Able to be touched; having form and matter)
6. obsolete (No longer active or in use; out of date)
7. escalate (To increase or intensity)
8. acclaim (Great praise or applause; enthusiastic approval)
9. engross (To hold the full attention of; absorb)
10. exploit (To use selfishly or unethically; take unfair advantage of)

Ten Words in Context Multiple Choice Answers

1. B. praise
2. A. close
3. C. to bring out
4. A. to hold the interest of
5. A. to expand
6. B. to take advantage of
7. C. orderly
8. C. out-of-date
9. B. solid
10. A. to end