Vocabulary Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. A city plants shade trees to mitigate extreme summer heat. What is the intended effect?
Reduce the heat or lessen its impact
Measure the heat more accurately
Prevent residents from noticing the heat
Move the heat to another location
2. Faced with a small budget, Elena chose a pragmatic solution rather than an ideal but unaffordable one. What guided her choice?
A focus on what would work in practice
A preference for familiar traditions
A refusal to compromise on any detail
A desire to make the most impressive display
3. A reviewer calls a fictional story “plausible.” What is the reviewer saying?
It is based entirely on verified facts
It is unusually difficult to understand
It copies the plot of another story
It seems believable even if it is invented
4. Asked whether the plan would succeed, the expert gave an equivocal answer that sounded neither clearly positive nor negative. What was the answer like?
Confident and strongly supported
Ambiguous or uncertain
Brief but unquestionably positive
Detailed and openly critical
5. After months without rain, clean water became scarce. What does “scarce” mean here?
Unsafe because of contamination
Expensive despite being plentiful
Limited and difficult to obtain
Unnecessary for most residents
6. A once-popular device becomes obsolete after newer technology replaces it. What has happened to the device?
It has become more expensive to manufacture
It is outdated and no longer generally used
It has been temporarily removed for repairs
It is protected from further technological changes
7. Maya was reluctant to speak first at the meeting. How did Maya most likely feel?
Eager to control the discussion
Unable to hear the other speakers
Certain that everyone would agree
Hesitant or unwilling to begin
8. A resilient foam cushion quickly returns to its original shape after being compressed. Which quality does “resilient” describe?
An ability to recover after strain or change
Permanent stiffness after being shaped
A tendency to absorb liquid without damage
Resistance to any pressure being applied
9. If internet service is sporadic, what is it like?
Consistently slower than advertised
Permanently unavailable in one area
Occurring irregularly or at scattered intervals
Improving at a predictable rate
10. The directions were ambiguous, so two people interpreted them differently. What does “ambiguous” mean?
Presented in a deliberately rude manner
Open to more than one interpretation
Supported by extensive evidence
Repeated more often than necessary
11. Scientists describe an event as unprecedented. What does that indicate?
Earlier records of it have recently been corrected
It happens regularly but is difficult to predict
It was expected but arrived earlier than planned
Nothing like it has previously been known to occur
12. Which meaning is closest to “meticulous”?
Extremely careful about details
Quick to change an opinion
Willing to take major risks
Able to persuade other people
13. During a tense negotiation, Amir gave a diplomatic response that acknowledged both sides. How was his response delivered?
With deliberate vagueness to avoid participating
With tact and sensitivity
With enthusiasm for only one side
With strict authority and no compromise
14. Investigators seek a second source to corroborate a witness’s account. What do they want the source to do?
Replace the account with a more detailed story
Explain why the witness chose to speak
Support or confirm the account with additional evidence
Challenge every detail regardless of the evidence
15. Which word correctly completes the sentence: “The tart sauce will ___ the rich flavor of the dish”?
Compliment
Duplicate
Complement
Replace
16. An article hints that prices may rise, and a reader concludes that waiting to buy could cost more. What does the reader do?
Repeats a conclusion explicitly stated in the article
Implies the article without stating it directly
Predicts what the writer intended to research
Infers a possible consequence from the article