Vocabulary Quiz

(adj.) able to use both hands equally well; very skillful; deceitful, hypocritical Occasionally a teacher will come across a child who displays _______ abilities when taught to write.

• ambidextrous

• awkward

• clumsy

• inept

(v.) to make larger, increase Many couples have to _______ their income in order to pay the mortgage on a new home.

• augment

• reduce

• diminish

• decrease

(v.) to position or arrange; to utilize; to form up A bugle call is a signal used to _______ troops for inspection, parade, or battle.

• deploy

• scatter

• dismiss

• disperse

(v.) to utter taunting words; (n.) an expression of scorn The recruits rushed into battle so that no one could _______ at them for cowardice. Voters may reject a candidate who resorts to personal _______ instead of discussing the issues.

• gibe

• praise

• applaud

• commend

(n.) a hint, indirect suggestion They were too proud to give any _______ of their financial difficulties.

• intimation

• indication

• clue

• hint

(adj.) wealthy, luxurious; ample; grandiose The tour guide showed us the _______ living quarters of the royal family.

• opulent

• modest

• humble

• simple

(v.) to say again, repeat Effective speakers often _______ an important statement for emphasis.

• reiterate

• ignore

• whisper

• mumble

For each item, determine whether the boldface word from pages 14–15 makes sense in the context of the sentence. Which of the following sentences uses the word 'augment' correctly?

• The museum director announced that the Asian art department will augment a rare statue for its collection.

• The chef decided to augment the soup by adding more salt.

• The teacher asked the students to augment their essays with more examples.

• The company plans to augment its workforce by hiring more employees.

For each item, determine whether the boldface word from pages 14–15 makes sense in the context of the sentence. Which of the following sentences uses the boldface word correctly?

• The electric company will deploy repair crews in case of a severe storm or other emergency that affects the power supply.

• The electric company will deploy repair crews to celebrate the annual company picnic.

• The electric company will deploy repair crews to paint the office walls.

• The electric company will deploy repair crews to organize the company files.

For each item, determine whether the boldface word from pages 14–15 makes sense in the context of the sentence. Which of the following sentences uses the word correctly? I decided to reiterate my offer to help my brother with his Spanish homework in hopes that this time he will accept.

• The word 'reiterate' is used correctly.

• The word 'reiterate' is used incorrectly.