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Test your basic knowledge |
Complete Advanced Sentences
Start Test
Study First
Subjects
:
english
,
grammar
Instructions:
Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
If you are not ready to take this test, you can
study here
.
Match each statement with the correct term.
Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.
This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Although Alfred _____ in fulfilling his duties at work - he is less conscientious about meeting his obligations at home.
venerate
scrupulous
mollify
soporific
2. Although Eric knew the boss had no sense of humor - he couldn't resist making one _____ remark.
adversary
undermine
jocular
ambiguous
3. When the boys first met their new stepmother - they felt some _____ - but eventually they lost that initial awkwardness and talked with her comfortably.
haughtiness
credulity
specious
constraint
4. Stop giggling and wriggling around in the pew; such _____ is improper in church.
zealot
gravity
levity
belie
5. Matilda thought it was somewhat _____ of the young man to have addressed her without first having been introduced. Perhaps manners were freer here in the New World.
exacerbate
presumptuous
adulation
ironic
6. Everyone waited to see which one of the rival candidates for city council the mayor would _____.
eulogy
endorse
usurp
juxtaposition
7. The classic cowboy hero is a _____ figure - someone generally described as the strong - silent type.
specious
laconic
exemplary
sporadic
8. Whenever Sue was angry - she tried to avoid raising her voice because she had no wish to sound _____.
strident
extraneous
divergent
presumptuous
9. Stories in The New York Times often include _____ allusions to obscure people and events.
esoteric
zealot
incongruous
reserve
10. Though Widow Douglas had hopes of reforming Huck - Miss Watson considered him _____ and swore he would come to no good end.
digression
quandary
abstract
incorrigible
11. With its worn-out dialogue and predictable plot - the sitcom struck me as unbearably _____.
extraneous
superfluous
relegate
banal
12. Because Sal once had fallen asleep while reading War and Peace - he thought that all Russian novels were _____.
vacillate
substantiate
soporific
equivocal
13. Through the comments of the characters in his cartoon strip - Doonesbury - Gary Trudeau ridicules political corruption; his humor is _____ in nature.
satirical
rancor
redundant
altruistic
14. As far as I'm concerned - Apple's claims about its new computer are pure _____; no machine is that good!
debunk
hyperbole
ephemeral
feasible
15. In a fiery speech - Mario _____ his fellow students to go out on strike to protest the university's anti-affirmative action stand.
astute
incite
detachment
constraint
16. Although you can still hear _____ outbursts of laughter and signing outside - the Halloween parade has passed; the party is over till next year.
prudent
rectify
sporadic
eulogy
17. Covering the Olympic Games - the sportscasters _____ every American victory and grumbled about every American defeat.
acclaim
alleviate
preclude
recount
18. The uncrowned queen of the fashion industry - Diana was famous for her _____ taste.
partisan
corroborate
verbose
impeccable
19. Katya's _____ love of justice moved her to champion the cause of anyone she considered unfairly treated by society.
skeptic
astute
inherent
presumptuous
20. Flat prose and flat ginger are equally _____; both lack sparkle.
guile
exacerbate
superficial
insipid
21. Typically - partygoers are _____; hermits are not.
predilection
gregarious
incite
scrutiny
22. Mother was a _____ housekeeper - unwilling to allow a single speck of dirt to mar her perfect home.
prudent
inherent
compliance
meticulous
23. Jealous of Cinderella's beauty - her _____ stepsisters expressed their spite by forcing her to do menial tasks.
placate
scrutiny
malicious
opulence
24. By their use of the Internet - propagandists have been able to _____ their pet doctrines to new audiences around the globe.
disseminate
induce
dismiss
peripheral
25. Judy's great fear was that she might _____ omit a question on the exam and mismark her entire answer sheet.
inadvertently
extraneous
criterion
innocuous
26. After the quarrel - Gina said nothing could _____ her to talk to Pedro again.
expedient
reticent
gravity
induce
27. Paradoxically - _____ reasoning does not always produce incorrect results; even though your logic may be flawed - the conclusion you reach may still be correct.
nurture
fallacious
subside
reserve
28. The mayfly is an _____ creature; its adult life lasts little more than a day.
ephemeral
austere
insipid
turbulent
29. When I saw how Fred and his fraternity brothers had trashed the frat house - I decided to _____ my offer to let them use our summer cottage over spring break.
guile
substantiate
equivocal
retract
30. Every time Ermengarde made a mistake in class - she was terrified that she would receive a harsh _____ from Miss Minchin.
peripheral
reprimand
criterion
detachment
31. Michael's severe bout of the flue _____ him so much that for a week he was too tired to go back to work.
rancor
heresy
debilitate
resolution
32. Her wealthy suitors wooed her with _____ gifts.
debunk
impede
disparity
lavish
33. Although Georgia O'Keeffe painted subjects over the years - she had a definite _____ for painting flowers.
taciturn
predilection
cursory
superfluous
34. In a brief essay - describe a person you admire - someone whose virtues and achievements you would like to _____.
arbitrary
anarchy
emulate
vacillate
35. A miser hoards money - not because he is _____ - but because he is stingy.
ephemeral
whimsical
prudent
jocular
36. In the film Funny Face - the bookish heroine _____ fashion models for their lack of intellectual interests.
dismiss
disdain
exemplary
meticulous
37. Con artists take advantage of the _____ of inexperienced Internet users to gain access to their credit card information.
superfluous
reprimand
decorum
credulity
38. Looking for any inconsistency in the testimony that might exonerate his client - the defense lawyer pounced on a _____ between the two witnesses' versions of what had occurred.
discrepancy
digression
exuberance
opulence
39. The boss prefaced his speech by telling a pointless _____ about an encounter he'd had with former President Bush.
equivocal
incongruous
adulation
anecdote
40. The stereotypical cowboy is a _____ soul - answering lengthy questions with a simple 'yep' or 'nope.'
insipid
induce
taciturn
superfluous
41. Since both interpretations seemed possible - the judge could not decide which way to interpret a particularly _____ passage in the law.
coercion
guile
ambiguous
innate
42. The senator was _____ for behavior inappropriate to a member of Congress.
censure
reserve
scrupulous
garrulous
43. Although Nancy enjoyed Bill's _____ - lighthearted companionship - she sometimes wondered whether he could ever be serious.
ambivalence
immutable
ephemeral
frivolous
44. In providing college scholarships for economically disadvantaged youths - Eugene Lang performed a truly _____ deed.
altruistic
corroborate
extraneous
cursory
45. Though Aunt Bea at times had to _____ Opie for inattention in church - she believed he was at heart a God-fearing lad.
impair
reprove
acclaim
expedient
46. Without additional funding - it may not be _____ to build a new stadium for the team on the city's highly developed West Side.
equivocal
rectify
implement
feasible
47. There is a fine line between speech that is _____ and to the point and speech so abrupt that it verges on rudeness.
predilection
derision
terse
digression
48. I was bowled over by the _____ of Amy's welcome. What an enthusiastic greeting!
colloquial
discerning
disseminate
exuberance
49. The attorney came up with several far-fetched arguments in a vain attempt to _____ his weak case.
mundane
deprecate
buttress
constraint
50. Although the University of California at Berkeley is just one part of the state university system - in many ways - Cal Berkeley is _____ - for it runs several programs that are not subject to state control.
fastidious
furtive
autonomous
credulity