Useful Adjectives - Batch 1.2

Useful Adjectives - Batch 1.2

Multiple Choice

Based on the context clues in this sentence, what is your best guess at a synonym for PERSISTENT?

“Are we back to that again? You are a persistent little man.” — from A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin

• variable

• stubborn

• luxurious

• enchanted

persistent

continuing to do something even though it is difficult or other people want you to stop

Open Ended

Many psychologists say that persistence is a very important trait in successful people. Why might that be?

Multiple Choice

Based on the context clues in this sentence, what is your best guess of a synonym for skittish?

“They listened to the footsteps in the hallway above, one heavy and foreboding, the other the pattering of a skittish little animal.” (Source: A Thousand Splendid Suns)

• nervous

• silent

• exotic

• hungry

skittish

nervous; easily excitable frightened

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is most likely to be skittish?

• a bowl of hot soup

• a very friendly person

• a piece of gum

• a young horse

Multiple Choice

Given the context clues in these two sentences, what would you guess is the best definition of luminous?

“I saw the cat's luminous eyes in my car's headlights.”

”The room was luminous with sunlight.”

• softly bright

• infinitely wise

• inclined toward love

• continuing forever

luminous

softly bright or radiant

Multiple Choice

The opposite of luminous is…

• dark

• shifting

• marbled

• fragile

timid

fearful; lacking self-confidence

Multiple Choice

The opposite of timid is…

• recent

• slow

• bold

• precious

Multiple Choice

Which of these is most likely to be timid?

• a child playing in the snow

• a kitten that is not used to people

• a wrestler competing in a tournament

• a fox that is hunting a bird

tenacious

very determined

Multiple Choice

“Dogged,” “stubborn” and “unyielding” are both synonyms for tenacious. So is this other adjective from our list:

• skittish

• timid

• persistent

• luminous

Open Ended

There’s an old cliché among sports broadcasters: They always talk about how a defender in basketball is playing “tenacious D.” Why does this phrase make sense?

Multiple Choice

What does INQUISITIVE mean in the following sentence?

“Travis gave him an INQUISITIVE eyebrow raise.”

• significant

• fleeting

• questioning

• insincere

inquisitive

asking questions

Multiple Choice

Which of the following sounds INQUISITIVE?

• “The giant squid can measure over 40 feet in length.”

• “My favorite flavor of ice cream is chocolate.”

• “I refuse to take orders from you anymore.”

• “And where exactly did you get that money?”

Multiple Choice

Given the context clues in these two sentences, what would you guess is the best definition of insolent?

“Insolent behavior will not be tolerated.“

“His worst behavior is being insolent and arrogant with the school counselor.”

• classy

• rude

• young

• interesting

insolent

disrespectful

Multiple Choice

Given the context clues in this sentence, what’s your best guess of the definition of prudent?

“Prudent burners take several precautions. Burning one of two bordering fields, they wet the edge of one or the other, usually the one being burned, to prevent the flames from jumping.” — Alec Wilkinson, Big Sugar, 1989

• contrary

• biased

• informal

• wise

prudent

showing good judgment

Multiple Choice

The opposite of prudent is…

• foolish

• gigantic

• rigid

• exclusive

Multiple Choice

Given the context clues in this sentence, what’s your best guess at the definition of wary?

“When she was in college, Katie was robbed by a person wearing a hoodie. To this day, she’s still wary of anyone in a sweatshirt.”

• perfect

• distrustful

• exhausted

• impressed

wary

distrustful and suspicious

Open Ended

Why would a store owner keep a wary eye on a kid in the back aisle of her store, wearing a big trench coat and carrying an empty bag?

Multiple Choice

Given the context clues in this sentence, what’s your best guess at a definition of plucky?

“Even the marauding hawk, which strikes terror in every other feathered breast, will be driven off by the plucky little kingbird.”

• terribly frantic

• surprisingly courageous

• impressively grand

• unpleasantly cruel

plucky

showing great courage

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is best described as plucky?

• a child who refuses to eat her vegetables

• a town that turns away all outsiders

• a losing team who just won’t quit

• a captain who allows pirates on board

Multiple Choice

Which adjective fits best in the following sentence?

“Still, shoppers remain _________ about the economic recovery, leaving the retail industry uncertain about the upcoming holiday season.” (Source: The Washington Post)

• plucky

• skittish

• luminous

• persistent

Multiple Choice

Which adjective fits best in the following sentence?

“Given that Haiti is vulnerable to hurricanes and earthquakes, it would be _______ to establish building codes and disaster-response initiatives

• insolent

• tenacious

• timid

• prudent

Multiple Choice

Which adjective fits best in the following sentence?

“Long after dark, Kit heard her whisper outside the shed wall, so ________ and faint that at first she thought she must have imagined it.” (Source: The Witch of Blackbird Pond)

• inquisitive

• timid

• tenacious

• prudent

Multiple Choice

Which adjective fits best in the following sentence?

“Emma silently nesled against Charles’s shoulder; then, raising her chin, she watched _________ rays of the rockets against the dark sky.” (Source: Madame Bovary)

• inquisitive

• luminous

• wary

• plucky