Advancing Vocabulary Skills

Linda never had to work hard to make good grades in high school. But in college, where the (1) _____s of course work were greater, she soon learned that her casual high-school study habits would no longer suffice.

• rigor

• squander

• devastate

• incentive

• digress

Linda was also learning how easy it was to (2) ____ time on dates and parties.

• rigor

• squander

• devastate

• incentive

• digress

She didn’t realize how badly she was doing until she saw her midterm grades, which (3) ____(ed) her.

• rigor

• squander

• devastate

• incentive

• digress

She knew she had to make some changes right away and began to ponder what they should be. As a(n) (4)____ to work harder, she tried studying with her friend Denise.

• rigor

• squander

• devastate

• incentive

• digress

But that didn’t work; their conversation would (5)_____ from European history to personal topics, such as dates or favorite singers.

• rigor

• squander

• devastate

• incentive

• digress

Linda decided she’d have to go it alone. She began to skip weekday parties and also to (6)___ the time she spent talking or exchanging e-mails with friends.

• curtail

• indispensable

• succumb

• intermittent

• incorporate

She discovered that a good place to study was (7)____ to her new study habits.

• curtail

• indispensable

• succumb

• intermittent

• incorporate

She found the library’s silent third floor a sanctuary, a place with no temptations to which she could (8)____. She also became more methodical in her study habits, keeping an assignment book, writing due dates on a calendar, and setting up a study schedule.

• curtail

• indispensable

• succumb

• intermittent

• incorporate

At first, Linda’s performance fluctuated, and so the improvement in her grades was (9)____ -A’s and B’s alternated with C’s and D’s.

• curtail

• indispensable

• succumb

• intermittent

• incorporate

But little by little, she learned to (10)____ a social life with serious study and get grades she was proud of.

• curtail

• indispensable

• succumb

• intermittent

• incorporate