1.

As a teacher of young children, I always find the last few days before summer vacation trying, because
the students are especially _____.
a. Restive b. Coordinated c. Unruly
d. Ingenious e. Abnormal f. Charitable
2. Over the course of his life, Clif has worked in the circus, flown planes as a stunt pilot, and had a number
of other _____ jobs.
a. Unorthodox b. Commonplace c. Flamboyant
d. Unconventional e. Ordinary f. Charming
3. Always a _____ man, Richard had no patience with his brother’s get-rich-quick schemes and often
advised him to settle down with a respectable career.
a. Fatuous b. Practical c. Insipid
d. Florid e. Pragmatic f. Reckless
4. An only child whose parents were often away from home for work, Alison recalls her childhood as very
_____.
a. Sociable b. Solitary c. Friendless
d. Insular e. Anecdotal f. Authoritative
5. I think his employees would look on him more favorably if his emails to them were not always so
_____.
a. Terse b. Nonsensical c. Communicative
d. Abrupt e. Outrageous f. Colorful
6. Although some people find her ____ off-putting, I see her as delightfully odd.
a. Eccentricities b. Gregariousness c. Idiosyncrasies
d. Machinations e. Imbecility f. Frivolity
7. Although he had a(an) _____ career in academia, he decided to retire early and live as a recluse in a
cabin in the woods.
a. Failed b. Illustrious c. Esteemed
d. Comical e. Unproductive f. Fortunate
8. Years ago, before industries moved in and the population surged, this area was known for its ____
beauty.
a. Pasteurized b. Pastoral c. Urban
d. Surreal e. Bucolic f. Verdant
9. Ginger had always impressed me as a very able woman, but it was not until she experienced personal
difficulties that I realized how truly _____ she is.
a. Self-absorbed b. Apathetic c. Capable
d. Formidable e. Defenseless f. Lethargic
10. Michael was completely unprepared for notoriety when his bestselling memoir of life in Hollywood in
the 1960s _____ him to fame.
a. Catapulted b. Debunked c. Disoriented
d. Ambulated e. Thrust f. Acknowledged
 1. Hundreds of books have been written on the Allied war effort during World War II, but Professor
Gaughan has published what is considered to be the _____ account.
a. Definitive b. Lackluster c. Common
d. Authoritative e. Acceptable f. Researched
2. The longer the administrator spoke, the more clear it became that he was completely unprepared, and as
the hours passed, the entire meeting took on an air of _____.
a. Euphoria b. Absurdity c. Audacity
d. Enmity e. Ignominy f. Idiocy
3. Although they worked together harmoniously for years, many on the staff felt that Zack changed when
he took a supervisory role and he came to have a _____ relationship with many of his former coworkers.
a. Contemptible b. Contentious c. Tempestuous
d. Ceremonious e. Advantageous f. Lucid
4. Advertisers often use _____ sexual references to market their products.
a. Overt b. Subliminal c. Undisguised
d. Female e. Colorful f. Inane
5. Gloria was fond of talking loudly and often about her religious beliefs, but those of us who knew her
well found her false _____ to be quite annoying.
a. Piety b. Irreverence c. Duplicity
d. Holiness e. Earnestness f. Pretexts
6. Because it captures the spirit of the United States in the 1920s so authentically, many consider The
Great Gatsby to be the _____ American novel.
a. Ironic b. Quintessential c. Baroque
d. Parochial e. Bombastic f. Classic
7. During the damaging drought of last year, many farmers found it difficult to make it, even with
generous government _____.
a. Erosion b. Subsidies c. Patents
d. Grants e. Industries f. Marketing
8. The increasing gap between the very rich and the desperately poor is one of the most _____ economic
trends of our time.
a. Disturbing b. Pervasive c. Unrecognized
d. Asinine e. Worrisome f. Combustible
9. Professors are often pressured to increase the grades of star athletes, however, I simply cannot do this,
as I feel it violates my _____ as an instructor.
a. Worth b. Integrity c. Freedom
d. Constitution e. Ethics f. Provenance
10. Although she has led what many would consider a rather scandalous life, Nicole is unusually _____
about her past, even with people she has only just met.
a. Private b. Tightlipped c. Forthright
d. Onerous e. Arbitrary f. Candid