Choosing the Right Word Page 72

Select the boldface word that better completes the sentence: Most historians agree that military disasters during World War I were the (militants, catalyst) that sparked the Russian Revolution of 1917.

• militants

• catalyst

Select the boldface word that better completes the sentence: The best way to (facilitate, rebut) the contention that something is not possible to do is to go out and do it.

• facilitate

• rebut

Select the boldface word that better completes the sentence: (Reprimands, Militants), disgusted with the government’s policies, took to the streets to register a vote of no confidence.

• Reprimands

• Militants

Select the boldface word that better completes the sentence: People who never give any assignment more than a “lick and a promise” may be said to belong to the (incorrigible, slapdash) school of working.

• incorrigible

• slapdash

Select the boldface word that better completes the sentence: For the world’s starving millions, finding enough food to keep body and soul together has become the (paramount, slapdash) concern in life.

• paramount

• slapdash

Select the boldface word that better completes the sentence: The boss’s (servitude, reprimand) stung his employee especially hard, as it was delivered in front of the entire staff.

• servitude

• reprimand

Select the boldface word that better completes the sentence: Since they are firmly based on the logic of a sentence, the rules of punctuation should not be considered purely (arbitrary, slapdash).

• arbitrary

• slapdash

Select the boldface word that better completes the sentence: Her excellent command of both French and Spanish should (reprimand, facilitate) her efforts to get a position in the foreign service.

• reprimand

• facilitate

Select the boldface word that better completes the sentence: The family’s (servitude, catalyst) to the local lords had begun generations earlier, when an ancestor’s misfortunes had resulted in a loss of wealth and status.

• servitude

• catalyst

Select the boldface word that better completes the sentence: He has deceived me so many times that I am forced to conclude that he is simply a(n) (incorrigible, arbitrary) liar.

• incorrigible

• arbitrary