Vocabulary Practice (English)
- Posted by Brian Stocker MA
- Date August 10, 2012
- Comments 14 comments
Vocabulary Practice (English)
1. Choose the best definition of headstrong.
- a. Doesn’t listen
- b. Stubborn
- c. Willing
- d. To disbelieve
2. Choose the best definition of oblique.
- a. Direct
- b. Indirect
- c. Sharp
- d. Straight
3. Choose the best definition of temper.
- a. To make worse
- b. To aggravate
- c. To soften
- d. None of the Above
4. Choose the best definition of cryptic.
- a. Building in a graveyard
- b. Difficult to understand
- c. Printed in code
- d. None of the above
5. Choose the best definition of curtail.
- a. To cut short
- b. To arrive early
- c. To lengthen
- d. To give back
6. Choose the best definition of heed.
- a. To ignore
- b. To listen
- c. To advise
- d. To pay
7. Choose the best definition of oblivious.
- a. Far Away
- b. Believable
- c. Unbelievable
- d. Totally unaware
8. Choose the best definition of podium.
- a. Speaker
- b. Raised platform
- c. Brief lecture
- d. None of the above
9. Choose the best definition of boorish.
- a. Bad tempered
- b. Bad mannered
- c. Bad looking
- d. Bad smelling
10. Choose the best definition of heresy.
- a. Against the orthodox opinion
- b. Same as the orthodox opinion
- c. An unusual opinion
- d. To have no opinion
11. Choose the best definition of respite.
- a. A drink
- b. Intermission
- c. A rest stop on highways
- d. A device
Answer Key
1. B
Determined to do as one pleases, and not as others want.
2. B
Not straightforward; indirect; obscure; hence, disingenuous; underhand; perverse; sinister.
3. C
To moderate or control.
4. B
Mystified or of an obscure nature.
5. A
To shorten or abridge the duration of something; to truncate.
6. B
To mind; to regard with care; to take notice of; to attend to; to observe.
7. D
Lacking awareness; unmindful.
8. B
A platform on which to stand, as when conducting an orchestra or preaching at a pulpit.
9. B
Behaving as a boor; rough in manners; rude; uncultured.
10. A
A controversial or unorthodox opinion held by a member of a group, as in politics, philosophy or science.
11. B
A brief interval of rest or relief.
Common Vocabulary Questions on a Test
Abstemious
Marked by temperance, particularly in eating and drinking
Capricious
Tending to make sudden changes; unpredictable
Dubious
Uncertain or questionable
Enigmatic
Mysterious or difficult to understand
Frugal
Economical in use or expenditure; sparing; not wasteful
Garrulous
Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters
Incognito
One’s identity concealed, as for purposes of disguise
Laconic
Using few words; brief and to the point
Maverick
Independent individual who does not go along with a group or party
Nonplussed
Unable to respond or be reacted, as due to bewilderment or confusion
Common Mistakes on a Vocabulary Test
Confusing the meaning of words that are similar in spelling or pronunciation.
Pay attention to the context and understand the definition before answering.
Example: The words “accept” and “except” sound the same but are quite different. “Accept” means to receive or agree to, while “except” means to exclude or leave out.
Misreading the question or not fully understanding what is being asked.
Read the question carefully and make sure you understand what is being asked before answering.
Example: The answer choices often include synonyms or antonyms, which can be confusing. Stay clear on what the question is asking.
Pay attention to the context.
The context changes the meaning.
Example: The word “lead” can be a verb meaning to guide or direct, or a noun referring to a soft, heavy metal.
Improving Vocabulary Tutorials and Practice
Vocabulary.com (Huge selection of word lists)
Academic Word List (Over 3000 Academic words)
More information about Vocabulary from Wikipedia.
Date Published: Friday, August 10th, 2012
Date Modified: Monday, July 8th, 2024
Tag:Vocabulary
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14 Comments
Temper is not Soft. Temperate*, however, is?
To moderate is to soften. Temperate is showing moderation or self-restraint, which could also mean soften.
Point taken though – perhaps the question could be clearer. thanks!
This is the only one that I missed. It should be more clear because the spelling is temper and when i looked up the definition there are both answers given.
I thought tempering (heat treating) steel hardens it?
Hi – here are the 2 definitions of temper:
1. improve the hardness and elasticity of (steel or other metal) by reheating and then cooling it.
2. serve as a neutralizing or counterbalancing force to (something).
thanks for the info
Question three would benefit from some changes.
The answer given, C, states “to soften” while the justification for this in the answer key is “to moderate or control”. These two answers do not carry the same connotation, nor are they good definitions of “temper”. If we are arguing the Merriam-Webster (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/temper) definitions of the word “temper”, they are as follows:
1. a: heat of mind or emotion : proneness to anger
b: calmness of mind : composure
c: state of feeling or frame of mind at a particular time usually dominated by a single strong emotion
d : a characteristic cast of mind or state of feeling
There are 3 other definitions of the word stated, but none that could arguably be “to soften” or “to moderate or control” with the exception of the archaic definition of the word: “a suitable proportion or balance of qualities : a middle state between extremes”.
thank you. Not sure about the Merriam-Webster, the definition is valid where temper is used as a verb:
serve as a neutralizing or counterbalancing force to (something).
“their idealism is tempered with realism”
#3 Give the BEST definition of temper. I think you should clarify noun or verb as well as rule out synonyms. to Soften is nothing more than a “down the list” synonym that does not represent the definition of the word given properly. I would be more inclined to choose answer D. None of the above for the BEST answer. The answer should be (to harden) or (to improve hardness) since this definition is used in both the noun and verb form.
To “temper” something is to make it harder; not to “soften” it.
You temper a sword to make it harder. You temper steel to make it harder.
The answer to #3 should have been D – none of the above.
Certainly that is ONE of the definitions, here is another way the verb form can be used
act as a neutralizing or counterbalancing force to (something).
“their idealism is tempered with realism”
Temper is subjective to the individual who uses it. Not all use it to soften…just because you feel that most should doesn’t define that the definition would lead to that.
Maybe some less vague answers. Because it doesn’t appear to have my Subjective view on there.
Objectively, to soften or moderate as in, temper your enthusiasm, is a valid definition that you will find in the dictionary and therefore the answer is correct.
thank-you!