SUBJECTS
|
BROWSE
|
CAREER CENTER
|
POPULAR
|
JOIN
|
LOGIN
Business Skills
|
Soft Skills
|
Basic Literacy
|
Certifications
About
|
Help
|
Privacy
|
Terms
|
Email
Search
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. Someone mute cannot talk; someone _____ can hardly stop talking.
enhance
verbose
superficial
allusion
2. 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.
peripheral
insipid
autonomous
garrulous
3. After the quarrel - Gina said nothing could _____ her to talk to Pedro again.
hypothetical
induce
dismiss
obdurate
4. Towering over the nearby houses - the MacMansion looked wholly _____ in the historic neighborhood of small Craftsman bungalows.
prevalent
disdain
incongruous
eclectic
5. Don't bore your audience with excess verbiage; be _____.
meticulous
repudiate
deprecate
succinct
6. Their _____ in rank made no difference at all to the prince and Cinderella.
impeccable
disparity
detachment
explicit
7. When Johnny came down with a bad case of poison oak - the doctor recommended calamine lotion to _____ the itching.
alleviate
proliferation
insipid
astute
8. Tina was still angry despite Tony's soft and _____ words.
aesthetic
emulate
recount
conciliatory
9. The attorney came up with several far-fetched arguments in a vain attempt to _____ his weak case.
recluse
preclude
credulity
buttress
10. Politicians of both the extreme right and left annoy me because they do not sound like people but parrots mindlessly repeating _____ clich
surpass
dogmatic
capricious
inherent
11. Dirt poor and out of work - she did not give up but continued to fight against _____.
adversity
meticulous
pervasive
constraint
12. Although Georgia O'Keeffe painted many subjects over the years - she had a definite _____ for painting flowers.
repudiate
predilection
colloquial
endorse
13. The young princess made the foolish _____ that the regent would not object to her taking the reins of power.
zealot
elucidate
extol
assumption
14. In class - she tried to stay alert and listen to the professor - but the stuffy room made her _____; she felt as if she were about to nod off.
haughtiness
resigned
lethargic
prudent
15. Despite Tom's _____ of innocence - Aunt Polly suspected he had eaten the pie.
affirmation
compliance
apathy
rhetorical
16. When Amanda said to the ticket scalper - 'One hundred bucks? What do you want - a pound of flesh?' she was making an _____ to Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice.
whimsical
allusion
partisan
inherent
17. Although Georgia O'Keeffe painted subjects over the years - she had a definite _____ for painting flowers.
debunk
predilection
capricious
concise
18. When the boys first met their new stepmother - they felt some _____ - but eventually they lost that initial awkwardness and talked with her comfortably.
constraint
frivolous
cryptic
autonomous
19. Although her early poetry was clearly _____ in nature - the critics thought she had promise and eventually would find her own voice.
allusion
indifferent
derivative
impeccable
20. In a fiery speech - Mario _____ his fellow students to go out on strike to protest the university's anti-affirmative action stand.
reprove
ambivalence
incite
criterion
21. Shrewdly purchasing valuable plots of land for small sums - John Jacob Astor gained a reputation as an _____ investor.
vacillate
incite
astute
erudite
22. According to Sherlock Homes - the very point that appears to complicate a case - when duly considered and scientifically handled - is the one most likely to _____ it.
elucidate
refute
relegate
reserve
23. Every time Ermengarde made a mistake in class - she was terrified that she would receive a harsh _____ from Miss Minchin.
laconic
brevity
reprimand
adversary
24. Seeking the end of slavery - the abolitionists _____ freedom for the slaves.
predilection
abridge
anarchy
advocate
25. As far as I'm concerned - Apple's claims about its new computer are pure _____; no machine is that good!
arbitrary
hyperbole
retract
whimsical
26. Blind people sometimes develop a compensatory ability to sense the _____ of objects around them.
opulence
gravity
haughtiness
proximity
27. Tourists are urged not to _____ the sanctity of holy places by wearing immodest garb.
profane
assumption
pervasive
reserve
28. Instead of delivering a spoken _____ at Genny's memorial service - Jeff sang a song he had written in her honor.
inane
aesthetic
relegate
eulogy
29. This alleged fiscal crisis is no crisis at all. it is based on _____ claims about financial institutions and on scare stories about impending economic ruin.
zealot
specious
capricious
ascetic
30. Josh is such a greedy _____ that - as soon as the earthquake struck - he tripled the price of bottled water at his store.
skeptic
placate
opportunist
incorrigible
31. When you send a message on Twitter - be _____; a tweet cannot be more than 140 characters long.
concise
endorse
predilection
terse
32. To revise a textbook properly - you must do more than make a few _____ changes to the manuscript.
fervor
vacillate
immutable
superficial
33. Although Nancy enjoyed Bill's _____ - lighthearted companionship - she sometimes wondered whether he could ever be serious.
frivolous
digression
preclude
fervor
34. When both Harvard and Stanford accepted Laura - she was in a _____ as to which school she should attend.
quandary
delineate
superfluous
specious
35. Stop giggling and wriggling around in the pew; such _____ is improper in church.
levity
impede
indifferent
credulity
36. Suppose you are accepted by Harvard - Stanford - and Yale. Which one would you attend? Remember - this is only a _____ situation.
advocate
pervasive
hypothetical
inane
37. A firm believer in democratic government - she could not understand the _____ of people who never bothered to vote.
exuberance
apathy
allusion
pragmatic
38. She kept all the receipts form her business trip in order to _____ her expenses for the Internal Revenue Service.
decorum
guile
interpid
document
39. 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.
retract
innate
eclectic
erudite
40. Although Eric knew the boss had no sense of humor - he couldn't resist making one _____ remark.
fervor
concise
jocular
cryptic
41. The governor's appointment of his brother-in-law to the State Supreme Court was a _____ violation of the state laws against nepotism.
presumptuous
superficial
sporadic
flagrant
42. Since both interpretations seemed possible - the judge could not decide which way to interpret a particularly _____ passage in the law.
guile
opulence
ambiguous
cursory
43. Paradoxically - _____ reasoning does not always produce incorrect results; even though your logic may be flawed - the conclusion you reach may still be correct.
fallacious
mitigate
affirmation
instigate
44. Mother was a _____ housekeeper - unwilling to allow a single speck of dirt to mar her perfect home.
undermine
meticulous
volatile
zealot
45. The airline customer service agent tried to _____ the angry passenger by offering her a seat in first class.
venerate
rhetorical
mollify
garrulous
46. The conceited rap star relished the _____ he received from his groupies and yes-men.
opulence
adulation
predilection
abstract
47. The fact that the band was already booked to play in Hollywood on New year's Eve _____ their accepting the gig in London.
substantiate
satirical
preclude
equivocal
48. Although you can still hear _____ outbursts of laughter and signing outside - the Halloween parade has passed; the party is over till next year.
relegate
apathy
substantiate
sporadic
49. In a brief essay - describe a person you admire - someone whose virtues and achievements you would like to _____.
emulate
belie
specious
incorrigible
50. Flat prose and flat ginger are equally _____; both lack sparkle.
hierarchy
insipid
mollify
obdurate