Language 9.4

What is the meaning of wrath as used in this excerpt from The Odyssey?

No estate can stand such recklessness; we have now no Ulysses to ward off harm from our doors, and I cannot hold my own against them. I shall never all my days be as good a man as he was, still I would indeed defend myself if I had power to do so, for I cannot stand such treatment any longer; my house is being disgraced and ruined. Have respect, therefore, to your own consciences and to public opinion. Fear, too, the wrath of heaven, lest the gods should be displeased and turn upon you.

• pleasure

• indifference

• rage

• excitement

The unexpected rain put a XXXX on plans to have a picnic at the beach.

• damper

• gambit

• ebullience

• karma

A simple story illustrating a moral or religious lesson.

• ruminate

• callous

• parable

• bludgeon

Read the question to yourself and select the best answer.

According to the dictionary, the word "amnesty" means a forgetting or overlooking of any past offense.

What is the most precise meaning of the word amnesty as used in the following sentence?

Marissa sought amnesty from her mother so that she could have some of her privileges returned to her.

• commemoration

• forgiveness

• apprehension

• trepidation

Read the question to yourself and select the best answer.

What does contrivance mean in the following sentence?

The confusing and vague directions acted as a contrivance to keep me from getting to my final destination.

• a clever scheme

• illegible material

• to obstruct or impede

• indistinguishable or imprecise

Read the question to yourself and select the best answer.

Based on the following sentence, Elaine interpreted the word deviated as meaning strayed.

Because the talk show host always deviated from the topic and told personal anecdotes, her contract with the network was not renewed.

Which dictionary entry best verifies Elaine's initial understanding of the word deviated?

• deviate: verb to turn aside from a course or way to turn aside, as from a route, way, course.

• deviate: noun a person or thing that departs from the accepted norm or standard.

• deviate: verb to digress, as from a line of thought or reasoning.

• deviate: noun a variable equal to the difference between a variate and some fixed value.