English Leap

64. It was a sad and haunting strain that met our ears as we entered the old theater. There was a beauty in the voice that we’d never forget. This would be a special concert. What does “strain” mean in the context of the selection?

• a. effort

• b. injury

• c. melody

• d. filter

65. I want you to weigh his words carefully. He seems sincere and presents his arguments well. There is, however, something that doesn’t quite ring true about the candidate. What does “weigh” mean in the context of the selection?

• a. to measure the mass

• b. to put pressure on a scale

• c. to think about

• d. to be important

66. Michael is an ardent supporter of his presidential candidate. That became obvious to me when I found out how much time he’s donated to the campaign. Perhaps Michael knows what he’s doing. What does “ardent” mean in the context of the selection?

• a. old

• b. intelligent

• c. foolish

• d. very strong

67. Mary, of course you’re overweight. You eat too much junk food. Even worse, you exercise infrequently. What does “infrequently” mean?

• a. with a frown on one’s face

• b. at a gym

• c. while wearing heavy clothes

• d. not often

68. Your uncle wouldn’t even part with a dime to help the kids pay for their trip. That’s just one more example of his penurious ways. In contrast, many people who have much less money have donated a great deal to the cause. What does “penurious” mean?

• a. very old

• b. very wealthy

• c. very humorous

• d. very stingy

69. There is a very interesting article about solar storms in the February 14, 2000 issue of Time magazine. It tells about how these disturbances not only affect spacecraft, but can also disrupt terrestrial life. For example, they have even caused automatic garage doors to open in one town. What does “terrestrial” mean?

• a. of or on the planet Earth

• b. protective of automotive equipment

• c. solar

• d. in or near a pond

70. “Michelle, I’m very upset about what you said,” Rosie stated firmly. “You didn’t come right out and accuse me of eating all your candy. On the other hand, your remarks about my love of chocolate were made for a reason. You are insinuating that I’m the candy thief!” What does “insinuate” mean?

• a. to keep something hot or cold

• b. to suggest without clearly saying

• c. to do something evil

• d. to protect from disease

57. When Beth and Donna were fighting over a boy who didn’t like either one of them, Shana stepped in as a mediator. She sat them both in a corner and kept them talking to each other. Finally, Shana’s efforts resulted in her two friends making up.

• a. troublemaker

• b. peacemaker

• c. witness

• d. competitor

58. No one suspected that Jerry was a spy. On the surface he behaved like any normal citizen. When his covert activity was discovered and announced to the world, we were all shocked.

• a. friendly

• b. helpful

• c. loud

• d. hidden

59. The workers stood in front of the factory and wondered what to do next. The doors were locked and the windows were boarded up. They doubted that they would even collect their final pay checks now that the company was insolvent.

• a. broke, or out of money

• b. hiring new workers

• c. changing a name

• d. making too much money