We walked slowly down the trail with great trepidation. No one who had gone this way had ever been heard from again. Had they simply found a better place to settle on this dark planet? We doubted that. Which word is a synonym of “trepidation”?

Only an hour or so had passed before a tremendous roar shook the ground. At that very moment, a strange grey creature materialized before our eyes. It resembled a lizard in shape. It was about ten feet high at the shoulders and at least fifty feet long. What did the creature do?

Kathy was looking for a strong but light material to use for making her water jugs. Unfortunately, she chose noodelite. It proved to too porous to hold jelly. A porous material _____.

We have rather lofty expectations for you, son. You will attend college. You will become rich and famous. You will be elected president of the United States before you turn forty. Which word is a synonym of “lofty”?

Ashlee was not happy with her friend Samantha. “I’ve been waiting here for an hour!” she growled into her cell phone. “You’d better hie yourself over here,” she continued, “or we’ll leave without you.

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.

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.

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.

Kim was a very good substitute teacher. She liked working with third and fourth graders most of all. She especially liked discussing important current events issues with the kids. She had expected them to be indifferent to such grownup topics as taxes and social security. She was pleasantly surprised to discover that they were really interested in those issues and wanted to learn more about them.

Mr. Burke stood before his employees. They had never seen him in such a serious mood. “I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that your future with this company depends on how hard you work,” he stated firmly.

“I am going to rescind the permission I gave you to use my toys!” T. J. announced angrily. “I thought you would take good care of them, but I was wrong!”

I am working very hard for the same candidate that you support. You are doing it for pay. I’m not doing this for money. I’m doing it out of conviction.

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?

. 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?

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?

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

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?

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?

“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?

I think it would help our basketball team, if we allowed girls to play. I’ve seen how Patty has a knack for making the tough shots when they’re needed most. She wants to play on our team and we’d win more games with her help. What does “knack” mean?

Connie is never happy when everyone is getting along. She always instigates fights and then acts like little Miss Innocent. When you instigate something, you __________.

I like that store. All the employees strive to make the customers feel right at home. Which word is a synonym of “strive”?

This is a clandestine operation. It is extremely important that no one discovers what you’re doing! A clandestine operation is supposed to be __________.

. If you don’t recover quickly from your condition, it could become chronic. Then you might have to take medicine for the rest of your life. If something is chronic, it __________.

David hoped that nobody would know that he was in the building. Didn’t he realize that parking his new car in the driveway made his presence rather conspicuous? If something is conspicuous, it is __________.

Prunella and Paula are sisters, but they’re very different. Just look at how they dress. Prunella doesn’t care what she wears. Paula, on the other hand, is quite chic [sheek].

. I looked at the plans for your new house. This is earthquake country. You need to fortify the frame or you’ll have a disaster with the first tremor.

Helen’s attitude toward dealing with criminals has changed over the years. She used to believe that everyone can change and deserves a second chance. She now believes that some crimes are so heinous that those responsible should be shown no mercy.

There may be some parts of my plan to arrest the thieves that should be changed. But I feel very strongly that renting the apartment over their headquarters is the linchpin of the scheme. We must do that immediately!

Amy was feeling low. Every business she tried lost money or made only pennies a day. Her newest idea was selling chocolate covered baby shoes. She was convinced that it would be a lucrative business. Her friends tried to warn her that it was not a certain road to riches.

The signal from the cable is too strong for our television. We’ll have to use a filter to attenuate it. When you attenuate something, you _______________.

“If you knew the gravity of the situation, you wouldn’t be laughing,” Mr. Farmer said quietly. He didn’t have to say more to get everyone’s attention. What does “gravity” mean in this context?

Her cardinal rule is this: Be kind to others! She believes that everything else in life will fall properly into place if one follows that rule. What does “cardinal” mean in this context?

. The owner of the restaurant wouldn’t allow Samantha to walk through the door. “I’m sorry,” she said, “but you started a food fight the last time you were here. You may not have ingress to my restaurant!” What does “ingress” mean in this selection?

Murphy Mole is the protagonist in the new novel by Trent Troll. Murphy must stop Oscar Rat and Shrimpy Shark from enslaving the inhabitants of Lazy Woods Park. He risks his life in a series of events that lead to a final battle between good and evil. What is a protagonist?

I just can’t beat Paula when we play chess! Every time I make a move that should lead me to victory, she makes a better move that thwarts my plan. If you thwart a robbery, you __________.

Don’t feel stupid. Yes, you thought this worthless replica was a valuable work of art. But it even fooled a lot of experts. It certainly looked like the real thing! A replica is __________.

Your poster is very good. The drawing really lets people know what our club is all about. I do think that you could enhance it by adding some more color. That will tend to grab everyone’s attention. When you enhance something, you __________.

Turner almost wished that he hadn’t listened to the radio. He went to the closet and grabbed his umbrella. He would feel silly carrying it to the bus stop on such a sunny morning. Which probably happened?

“Larry, as your boss, I must say it’s been very interesting working with you,” Miss Valdez said. “However, it seems that our company’s needs and your performance style are not well matched. Therefore, it makes me very sad to have to ask you to resign your position effective today.” What was Miss Valdez telling Larry?

No, Honey, I don’t want you to spend a lot of money on my birthday present. Just having you for a husband is the only gift I need. In fact, I’ll just drive my old rusty bucket of bolts down to the mall and buy myself a little present. And if the poor old car doesn't break down, I’ll be back soon. What is the message?

Bill and Jessica were almost done taking turns choosing the players for their teams. It was Jessica’s turn to choose, and only Kurt was left. Jessica said, “Kurt.” We can infer that _______