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National Word Power
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1.
Nostalgia
is most commonly associated with:
a)
a runny nose.
b)
lip balm.
c)
old photographs.
d)
plastic surgery.
2. Your friend Maria is talking a mile a minute. The words could be said to be coming out in:
a)
torrents.
b)
tirades.
c)
tomes.
d)
trickles.
3. No matter how much we pleaded, the driver wouldn't let us bring our pet leopard onto the bus. He was:
a)
obligated.
b)
obliterated.
c)
obstinate.
d)
obsolete.
4. Members of the soccer team always hang out together. They are:
a)
a competent group.
b)
a cohesive group.
c)
a cooperative group.
d)
a coagulated group.
5. Byron's performance in the Word Power Challenge
extinguished
the other contestants' hopes for a victory. The contestants' hopes were:
a)
wiped out.
b)
unrealistic.
c)
stronger than ever.
d)
somewhat dampened.
6. The "I Love Chocolate Club" members were keen to tour the Hershey factory. They needed no:
a)
coaching.
b)
coaxing.
c)
coddling.
d)
cuddling.
7. Finding your car in the mall parking lot can be
bewildering
. It is:
a)
exciting.
b)
educational.
c)
confusing.
d)
confrontational.
8. If you have a
benevolent
disposition, you are:
a)
wealthy.
b)
charitable.
c)
sensitive.
d)
discerning.
9. Which gesture best describes a
nonchalant
attitude?
a)
a shrug
b)
rolling your eyes
c)
a wink
d)
giving a high-five
10. Which of the following would you
croon
?
a)
"Rock-a-Bye Baby"
b)
"The Star Spangled Banner"
c)
"Auld Lang Syne"
d)
"Jailhouse Rock"
11. The mad scientist's
cavernous
laboratory was:
a)
located underground.
b)
a tourist attraction.
c)
world-renowned.
d)
a convention center.
12. Which of the following would most likely be
gilded
?
a)
a Thoroughbred racehorse
b)
J. Lo's earrings
c)
fish eyeballs from Fear Factor
d)
an exotic flower
13. A boy named Equus likes horses. What might you expect a girl named
Flora
to like?
a)
birds and bees
b)
plants
c)
flamenco dancing
d)
animals
14. The
fallow
acreage was:
a)
unseeded land.
b)
dry and barren.
c)
unusable pasture.
d)
a flooded field.
15. Seward's purchase of Alaska was called
folly
because everyone thought it was a:
a)
clever acquisition.
b)
brilliant buy.
c)
foolish investment.
d)
crafty deal.
16. If you live in domestic
tranquility
, you have:
a)
a peaceful life.
b)
a life of strife.
c)
a summer home.
d)
no ZIP code.
17. A man and his dog could be said to have a
symbiotic
relationship. They:
a)
represent something.
b)
breathe in synchrony.
c)
depend on each other.
d)
have similar personalities.
18. To improve
ergonomics
, you might:
a)
rearrange a work area.
b)
open a bank account.
c)
paint a room.
d)
save your allowance.
19. The principal is a good sport. His performance in the school play was a hit because of his
absurd
appearance in spandex tights. He looked:
a)
ridiculous.
b)
embarrassing.
c)
frightening.
d)
inspirational.
20. The students were distressed by the
desultory
lesson because it was:
a)
random and disconnected.
b)
fatally inaccurate.
c)
dull and dated.
d)
culturally insensitive.
21. "Put away your books and take out your pens" is what your teacher says before a pop quiz. This is:
a)
a prequel.
b)
an interlude.
c)
a prelude.
d)
the kiss of death.
22. Follow me to
wallow
in the hollow, said the hippo to the swallow, and we shall…
a)
enjoy afternoon tea.
b)
share a mud bath.
c)
rest in the shade.
d)
go for a stroll.
23. Franklin has just delivered a
jest
. What do you do?
a)
send it back
b)
apply a bandage
c)
laugh out loud
d)
open it with care
24. Your grandmother says she used to take the old jitney to the store. She means she used to:
a)
take your grandfather along.
b)
ride her bike.
c)
take her own shopping cart.
d)
ride the bus.
25. Her
adaptation
to her new life in the Bahamas meant that she:
a)
rented an apartment.
b)
brought her own food.
c)
hated every minute.
d)
fit right in.
26. The herbalist sold the
cortex
of the medicinal plant, which was its:
a)
bark
b)
root
c)
seed
d)
leaf
27. The hospital was an
epicenter
in the fight against SARS. The hospital was:
a)
a safe place to be.
b)
a focal point.
c)
forced to close.
d)
centrally located.
28. If you won an election with a
plurality
, you received:
a)
mail-in votes.
b)
more votes than the other candidates.
c)
all the votes.
d)
more votes than last time.
29. Drinking from his half-empty can of soda, Algernon declares, "I am a
pessimist
." Algernon's outlook is:
a)
grim and gloomy.
b)
sound and profound.
c)
mad and sad.
d)
frilly and silly.
30. John Philip Sousa wrote
rousing
marches. When you hear them, you want to:
a)
catch some zzz's.
b)
tap your feet.
c)
pay attention.
d)
take a flyer.
31. The
meretricious
claims of the weight-loss product were:
a)
false
b)
well-researched
c)
praiseworthy
d)
appetizing
32. In which sentence is the word
inured
used correctly?
a)
Most of the class was
inured
by the exam.
b)
Inured
with the media attention, the candidate decided to leave the race.
c)
Working barehanded, the fishermen seem
inured
to the cold.
33. You are told not to take anything
frivolous
on your trip to Mexico. What should you leave at home?
a)
your plane ticket
b)
your I.D.
c)
your comic book collection
d)
your underwear
34. I don't want dessert now, but I will want it in the future. My desire is:
a)
dorsal.
b)
diurnal.
c)
decadent.
d)
dormant.
35. Alison's favorite rock star shaves his head, so Alison does, also. Her behavior is:
a)
fastidious.
b)
impetuous.
c)
sheepish.
d)
meticulous.
36. A
Pyrrhic victory
is:
a)
a first-time win.
b)
achieved at great cost.
c)
down and dirty.
d)
won by a few over many.
37. An
alacritous
stranger might say:
a)
I'll be glad to help.
b)
Your secret is safe with me.
c)
It's not about the money.
d)
I'm your worst nightmare.
