Vocabulary Workshop Level H (Unit 1): Choosing the Right Word

Her unfailing courtesy to others is not a mere(___) of her personality; it reflects the essential values and standards by which she lives.

adjunct

We have lived to see the acceptance and enactment of reform programs that, when first proposed, were dismissed as absolutely (___).

chimerical

A lauded short story writer and novelist Ernest Hemingway was far from (___), as he also thrived in such endeavors as bullfighting, hunting, and skiing.

effete

By late imperial times, centuries of soft living had turned the once hardy Romans into an (___) and indolent people.

effete

They have confronted us not with a theoretical possibility but with a(n) (___); now we must decide what we can do about it.

fait accompli

He is so (___) in his own political views that he won't even listen to opinions that differ from his own.

hidebound

Martin Luther King, Jr. appealed to his countrymen to abandon the (___) stereotypes of racism and rise to a new level of understanding.

hidebound

A superintendent is at the head of the (___) of educators responsible for the schooling of our children and young people.

hierarchy

A policy of (___) economics make sense in a textbook, but certain governmental regulations and oversight are necessary in a mixed economy.

laissez-faire

Hiking in the woods, we came upon an expansive and impassable (___).

morass

How can you expect a prompt response from an agency that is bogged down in a veritable (___) of unnecessary red tape?

morass

(___) vapors from the manufacturing plant contributed to the overwhelming public outrage concerning disposal of waste in the community.

noisome

After a brief period of popularity, their cheap and vulgar novels lost their appeal and sank into well-deserved (___).

oblivion

Failure to stand up for your rights is not being "prudent" or "moderate"; it is the behavior of a (___).

poltroon

The (___) form of the sculpted figure suggests that the artist is interested in revealing-and drawing attention to-life's peaceful moments.

supine

As I listened to the talk of those unlettered people, suffused with love and reverence, I felt that their simple words were a (___) worthy of respect.

liturgy

The great historian Edward Gibbon sought to explain how and why the (___) efforts of the early Christian church met with such extraordinary success.

proselytizing

Although the old senator no longer holds any public office, her fame and prestige are so great that she is still regarded as a (___) public figure.

quasi

Overly sensitive to any suggestion of ridicule, young Rogers seemed to be hurt even by a friend's good-natured (___).

raillery

The lyrics of the song, presented as though they were devastating wit, were in my opinion no more than a coarse and (___) jest.

ribald

Almost incredibly, a formidable resistance movement had been organized by people whom we had always associated with (___) submission to authority.

supine

With penetrating insight and a marvelous ear for dialogue, the author gave us in a few words an unforgettable (___) of a confused but hopeful adolescent.

vignette

Financial analysts carefully watch the performance of certain stocks, which they regard as (___) for indications of economic trends.

bellwethers

As the family set up their tent, a distant (___) of an unseen and mysterious creature sent the children running for the comfort of their parent's arms.

caterwauling

I am willing to listen to any reasonable grievances you may have, but this constant (___) about trivia has exhausted my patience.

caterwauling