Vocabulary Unit 7 Test, Level B

World War II created a state of profound hostility between Soviet Russia and the western allies (principally the United States and Great Britain) that remained unresolved for more than fifty years. During the hastily conducted peace talks, Soviet Russia seized control of Eastern Europe, over the objections of its western allies - and against the wishes of the countries it seized. The ensuing hostility between Russia and the West was known as the Cold War. It is the greatest paradox of the twentieth century: a bitter and ruinously expensive conflict that lasted over half a centry without a single military engagement between opponents.

Paradox comes from the Greek word paradoxon. Paradoxon most likely means

• clouded by mystery

• conflicting with expectation

• misrepresenting the truth

• stating the obvious

The deadly rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States was obvious everywhere they shared a common interest: at the United Nations, in sport, in chess, and most notably, in space.

Which word is closest in meaning to notably as it used in the above paragraph?

• famously

• historically

• significantly

• probably

The Soviets made the first move in 1957, when they put a satellite (Sputnik) into Earth's orbit. The U.S. replied in 1958 by launching its own orbiting satellite and by establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The main task of the fledgling agency was to win the space race.

What is the meaning of fledgling as it used in the paragraph above?

• high-flying

• rookie

• untested

• promising

The Soviet attack gained momentum in April 1961, when Russia put Yuri Gagarin briefly into Earth's orbit (the cosmonaut detested his subsequent fame). The U.S. countered a month later by sending Alan Shepard into space, and in May, President John F. Kennedy announced that NASA's foremost aim was to put a man on the moon before the decade was over.

Which word means the same as detested as in the paragraph above?

• ignored

• exaggerated

• enjoyed

• disliked

The Soviet attack gained momentum in April 1961, when Russia put Yuri Gagarin briefly into Earth's orbit (the cosmonaut detested his subsequent fame). The U.S. countered a month later by sending Alan Shepard into space, and in May, President John F. Kennedy announced that NASA's foremost aim was to put a man on the moon before the decade was over.

What does foremost most likely mean as it used in the paragraph above?

• greatest

• final

• primary

• prominent

Match the following

• amiss

• imperfect, faulty; in an improper way

• nuture

• to care for, train, nourish; upbringing

• salvo

• the act of swearing to a lie

• perjury

• a burst of gunfire; a spirited verbal attack

SYNONYMS: Select the item that means the SAME as the UNDERLINED word.

a prior conviction

• earlier

• overturned

• upheld

• later

SYNONYMS: Select the item that means the SAME as the UNDERLINED word.

presume an invitation

• hope for

• send out

• return

• take for granted

SYNONYMS: Select the item that means the SAME as the UNDERLINED word.

brawled with police officers

• scuffled

• spoke

• met

• cooperated

SYNONYMS: Select the item that means the SAME as the UNDERLINED word.

always vigilant

• interesting

• courteous

• watchful

• amiable