Vocabulary in Context — Practice

Question 1

Sentence: Unlike his garrulous brother, who could talk for hours about nothing, Sam rarely spoke.
As used in the sentence, 'garrulous' most nearly means:
(a) talkative (b) silent (c) rude (d) shy

Accepted Answer

(a) talkative.

The contrast signal 'unlike' sets the brother against Sam, who 'rarely spoke', so 'garrulous' must mean the opposite — talkative. (b) matches Sam, not the brother; (c) and (d) are unsupported.

Question 2

Sentence: Her approach to the problem was refreshingly novel, unlike anything the committee had tried before.
As used here, 'novel' most nearly means:
(a) new and original (b) a long work of fiction (c) old-fashioned (d) complicated

Accepted Answer

(a) new and original.

'Refreshingly… unlike anything… tried before' fixes 'novel' as new and original. (b) is a real meaning of the word but does not fit; (c) reverses the sense and (d) is unsupported.

Question 3

Sentence: The committee's plan was nebulous — that is, so vague and ill-defined that no one could say what it actually proposed.
As used here, 'nebulous' most nearly means:
(a) vague (b) ambitious (c) dishonest (d) expensive

Accepted Answer

(a) vague.

The restatement signal 'that is' spells the meaning out — 'so vague and ill-defined'. (b), (c) and (d) are ideas the sentence never supplies.

Question 4

Sentence: The new rules were designed to check the spread of misinformation on the platform.
As used here, 'check' most nearly means:
(a) restrain or stop (b) verify or confirm (c) a written order for money (d) a tick mark

Accepted Answer

(a) restrain or stop.

Rules 'designed to check the spread' are meant to hold it back, so 'check' means restrain or stop. (b), (c) and (d) are all real senses of 'check' but none fits this sentence.

Question 5

Sentence: Critics agreed that her singular gift for melody set her apart from every composer of her generation.
As used here, 'singular' most nearly means:
(a) exceptional (b) strange (c) lonely (d) plain

Accepted Answer

(a) exceptional.

The admiring tone — a gift that 'set her apart from every composer' — gives 'singular' a positive charge, so it means exceptional. (b) takes a negative sense that clashes with the praise; (c) and (d) do not fit.

Question 6

Sentence: In the next paragraph the author qualifies her bold claim, admitting it holds only under certain conditions.
As used here, 'qualifies' most nearly means:
(a) limits or moderates (b) becomes eligible for (c) passes a test for (d) describes in detail

Accepted Answer

(a) limits or moderates.

'Admitting it holds only under certain conditions' shows the author is narrowing the claim, so 'qualifies' means limits or moderates. (b) and (c) are the eligibility sense of the word, which does not fit; (d) misses the restricting move.

Question 7

Sentence: The opening image was so arresting that no one in the audience so much as glanced at their phones.
As used here, 'arresting' most nearly means:
(a) striking; commanding attention (b) legally detaining (c) slowing down (d) frightening

Accepted Answer

(a) striking; commanding attention.

The effect — no one looked away — shows the image seized attention, so 'arresting' means striking. (b) is the familiar legal sense that does not fit; (c) and (d) misread the effect.

Question 8

Sentence: Over the decade the small plot of land appreciated so sharply that it was soon worth ten times what he had paid for it.
As used here, 'appreciated' most nearly means:
(a) rose in value (b) was fully understood (c) was widely admired (d) felt grateful

Accepted Answer

(a) rose in value.

'Worth ten times what he had paid' shows the land grew in value, so 'appreciated' means rose in value. (b), (c) and (d) are the everyday senses of 'appreciate' that the money context rules out.

Practice — Vocabulary in Context

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