Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know » Week 32 - Day 5

When you can analyze a sentence and determine from the context the meaning of a previously unknown word, you are functioning at the best level. These words will become a permanent part of your ever-growing vocabulary.

Review Words

DEFINITIONS

  1. a. out of date
  2. b. concise, brief
  3. c. intense, deep
  4. d. annex, grab, seize
  5. e. wholesome, healthful
  6. f. degrading, humble
  7. g. rapidity, speed
  8. h. fantastic, odd
  9. i. humorous, comical, witty
  10. j. not belonging, foreign
  11. k. enormous, extraordinary
  12. l. pardon, excuse
  13. m. furious, mad, fanatical
  14. n. undefined, vague, not specific
  15. o. carry out promptly
  16. p. lighten, make easier
  17. q. respected, worshiped
  18. r. strive to equal, rival
  19. s. insignificant
  20. t. petty, worthless
  21. u. joining with the majority
  22. v. an event that predicts the future
  23. w. out of touch with life
  24. x. to enrich oneself at every opportunity

REVIEW WORDS

  1. alleviate __________
  2. ambiguous __________
  3. archaic __________
  4. bizarre __________
  5. celerity __________
  6. condone __________
  7. emulate __________
  8. expedite __________
  9. extraneous __________
  10. facetious __________
  11. menial __________
  12. paltry __________
  13. prodigious __________
  14. profound __________
  15. rabid __________
  16. salubrious __________
  17. succinct __________
  18. trivial __________
  19. usurp __________
  20. venerable __________

Idioms

IDIOMS

  1. to feather one’s nest __________
  2. ivory tower __________
  3. the writing on the wall __________
  4. on the bandwagon __________

Take that extra moment now to review and study the words you got wrong.

SELECTING ANTONYMS (From Weeks 29–32)

Here are fifteen words taken from the last four weeks of study. Select the correct antonym for each.

  1. adversary (partner, foe)
    • partner
    • foe
  2. dilettante (amateur, professional)
    • amateur
    • professional
  3. indolent (lazy, active)
    • lazy
    • active
  4. inebriated (drunk, sober)
    • drunk
    • sober
  5. candor (falsehood, honesty)
    • falsehood
    • honesty
  6. gaudy (conservative, showy)
    • conservative
    • showy
  7. zenith (acme, nadir)
    • acme
    • nadir
  8. prodigious (huge, tiny)
    • huge
    • tiny
  9. condone (condemn, approve)
    • condemn
    • approve
  10. ambiguous (clear, confusing)
    • clear
    • confusing
  11. spurious (authentic, false)
    • authentic
    • false
  12. innocuous (harmful, harmless)
    • harmful
    • harmless
  13. deleterious (harmful, helpful)
    • harmful
    • helpful
  14. succinct (concise, wordy)
    • concise
    • wordy
  15. rustic (rural, urbane)
    • rural
    • urbane

WORDSEARCH 32

Using the clues listed below, record separately using one of the new words you learned this week for each blank in the following story.

Clues
  1. 1st Day
  2. 2nd Day
  3. 1st Day
  4. 3rd Day
  5. 4th Day

A Formidable Opponent

One of the most interesting tests of a computer’s ability to “think” occurred in 1992. The world’s chess champion, a man of (1)__________ mental ability in this sport, was challenged to compete against the most powerful computer programmed to play chess. The question was, could a machine (2)__________ a human’s place as the best chess player in the world?

The match took place before hundreds of chess enthusiasts and was recorded on film. While the computer lacked the champion’s experience and emotional capacity, it worked with such (3)__________ that it could search ahead for many thousands of choices, well beyond what any human could envision. In fact, the computer had already defeated many (4)__________ chess masters in preparation for the contest.

The result of this test match was (5)__________ as far as human self-esteem was concerned. The champion won fairly easily. However, there is almost total agreement that it is only a matter of time before we have an electronic chess champion, one incapable of making a blunder. At that point it will be checkmate for all of us.

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