Level H, Unit 11: Choosing the Right Word

sine qua non 2

Although it may be true that hard work does not guarantee success, it is certainly a(n) ... for doing well in any endeavor

quagmire 2

after the downpour the first night, our camping trip became nightmarish, as we had to drag our supplies through fallen limbs and trudge through a ....

quagmire 3

as the disappointing results of the poll filtered in, the candidate sank into a ... of doubts about the future

consensus

as we learned to understand each other's needs and aspiration, a sort of unspoken .... developed that enabled us to work together harmoniously

parlous

despite the grave risks that the rescue attempt would entail, there was no shortage of volunteers for the ... undertaking

metamorphosis

diana spent a year abroad her junior year, and, when she returned, I immediately recognized a complete, and pleasantly surprising, ....

lugubrious

does it seem paradoxical that, like many other great comedians, she goes about with a characteristically ... expression on her face?

parlous 2

each episode in the silent movie serial the perils of pauline ended with the heroine facing another .. perdicament

mystique 2

ernest hemingway's death in the afternoon offers a rare insight into the ... of the bullring and the attitudes that surround that ancient blood sport

apostate

even though their son had abandoned the religion in which he had been brought up, his parents never thought of him as an ...

quixotic 2

every great president must combine various roles: the practical political, the persuasive advocate- and at least a touch of the ... visionary

impasse

for a long time we lived under the illusion that everything would come out all right, but inevitably, we arrived at the ... where we had to face relalities

punctilio 3

how can you concern yourself with the ... of protocol when your whole world is collapsing about your ears?

effusions

i wanted a direct, factual explanation of what had happened, but all i got were emotional ... describing in painful detail how much they had suffered

vendetta

in romeo and juliet, the hero's tragic death comes as the result of a long-standing ... between his family and Juliet's

quagmire

involvement in the long war in vietnam led the US into a ... from which it was extremely difficult to withdraw

euphoric

it is impossible for me to convey the intensity of emotion that I felt at ... moment when i learned that i had won the scholarship

metamorphsis 2

it took rome centuries to achieve the miraculous ... from a minor city state to the leading power in the Mediterranean world

raconteur

its laughable of you to think that you are an accomplished ... just because you have memorized an assortment of feeble old jokes

non sequitur

modern military power requires great industrial resources, but to conclude from this that industrialized nations are inherently militaristic is a ...

gothic

mr. ridley is fascinated by the middle ages and ... architecture; therefore, he plans to travel around Europe this summer

effusive 2

not until later did i realize that their ... expressions of interest in our welfare were insincere and self-serving

lugubrious 2

one look at the coach's ... expression, and I knew that all our misgivings about the outcome of the game had been borne out

mystique

our thesis was that, at this stage in their history, americans must eschew the ... of force and violence and develop new ideals of social cooperation

bravado

perhaps her volunteering to undertake the mission was mere ...,but the fact remains that she accomplished a great deal

constricting

space suits are designed to afford astronauts maximum protection without unduly ... their freedom of movement

raconteur 2

the man was a skilled ... whose repertory of amusing anecdotes was seemingly inexhaustable

euphoria

the mood of ... brought about by extraordinary good fortune caused us to realize our usual alertness

punctilio

the new assistant dean's adherence to avert... in the student code alienated both the faculty and the student body

metamorphosed

the ordeal of the civil war ... lincoln from an obscure small town lawyer into an historical personality of universal appeal

vendetta 4

the police investigation established that the victim was not an innocent bystander but the target of a gangland ...

gothic 3

the rugged landscape, with the severe vertical lines of the mountains in the background, lent an air of ... gloom to the entire scene

dichotomy 3

the speakers said that they could see little hope for world peace unless something could be done to bridge the ... between the "have" and the "have-not" nations

non sequiturs

their analysis of the problem seemed to me extremely fallacious- full of false assumptions, dubious generalizations, and ...

gothic 2

there are many times when i like to read a ... tale of gloom castles, mysterious strangers, and unhappy romances

sine qua non

there is no point in trying to decide exactly which of the factors is most important for victory in the election; every one of them is a ...

consensus 2

though everyone in our club agreed that we had a problem, there was no group... on how to solve it

quixotic

though your efforts to enact a program of ecological reform in the face of strong opposition were ... and doomed to failure, they were inspiring

constrict

to achieve an hourglass figure, fashionable ladies of the nineteenth centuries employed tight-fitting corsets to ... their waistlines

apostate 2

when he came to the throne, the ... renounced the religion and began a vigorous campaign to reestablish paganism

bravado 2

his challenge to fight was pure ...; inwardly he hoped that no one would take him on

dichotomy

very few of the world's problems can be understood in terms of a simple ... of right and wrong

impasse 3

you cannot duck your responsibility for negotiating an agreement simply by announcing that you have reached a hopeless ...

effusive

your prose is ..., heartfelt, and unrivaled- an absolute pleasure to read

vendetta 3

aaron burr, the their us president, concluded a ... against alexander hamilton, the first us secretary of the treasury, by killing him in a duel in 1804