Context Clues #2

Michael is an ardent supporter of his presidential candidate. That became obvious to me when I found out how much time he's donated to the campaign. Perhaps Michael knows what he's doing. What does "ardent" mean in the context of the selection?

enthusiastic

Of course, I'm not saying that your plan is no good. I tend to be optimistic, so I won't be surprised when you succeed. What does "optimistic" mean?

expecting the best to happen

No one suspected that Jerry was a spy. On the surface he behaved like any normal citizen. When his covert activity was discovered and announced to the world, we were all shocked. What does "covert" mean?

hidden

We have rather lofty expectations for you, son. You will attend college. You will become rich and famous. You will be elected president of the United States before you turn forty. Which word is a synonym of "lofty"?

high

Ashlee was not happy with her friend Samantha. "I've been waiting here for an hour!" she growled into her cell phone. "You'd better hie yourself over here," she continued, "or we'll leave without you. What does "hie" mean?

hurry, or hasten

When your plan brings us great wealth, you will be rewarded for your sagacity. What does "sagacity" mean?

intelligence

Mr. Burke stood before his employees. They had never seen him in such a serious mood. "I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that your future with this company depends on how hard you work," he stated firmly. What does "remiss" mean?

irresponsible

It was a sad and haunting strain that met our ears as we entered the old theater. There was a beauty in the voice that we'd never forget. This would be a special concert. What does "strain" mean in the context of the selection?

melody

If you count all the votes in an area that heavily supports candidate A, and only some of the votes in an area that heavily supports candidate B, you'll skew the results in favor of candidate A. What does "skew" mean?

misrepresent

Kim was a very good substitute teacher. She liked working with third and fourth graders most of all. She especially liked discussing important current events issues with the kids. She had expected them to be indifferent to such grownup topics as taxes and social security. She was pleasantly surprised to discover that they were really interested in those issues and wanted to learn more about them. What does "indifferent" mean?

not caring

When Beth and Donna were fighting over a boy who didn't like either one of them, Shana stepped in as a mediator. She sat them both in a corner and kept them talking to each other. Finally, Shana's efforts resulted in her two friends making up. What is a "mediator"?

peacemaker

No matter what happens, I assure you that I will not forget how hard you have worked on this project. What does "assure" mean?

promise

There is a legal battle raging and the judges are concerned that time is running out. Lawyers are being asked to expedite the matter by getting their paperwork in early. What does "expedite" mean?

quicken

Mary, of course you're overweight. You eat too much junk food. Even worse, you exercise infrequently. What does "infrequently" mean?

rarely

Kathy was looking for a strong but light material to use for making her water jugs. Unfortunately, she chose noodelite. It proved to be too porous to hold jelly. A porous material _____.

allows liquids to flow through it

Only an hour or so had passed before a tremendous roar shook the ground. At that very moment, a strange grey creature materialized before our eyes. It resembled a lizard in shape. It was about ten feet high at the shoulders and at least fifty feet long. What does "materialized" mean?

appeared

Both sides in the election contest are throwing accusations at each other. The Gore supporters claim that Governor Bush is trying to thwart the will of the people. The Bush supporters say that Mr. Gore is trying to create votes or assign choices to people who did not really cast votes for president. What does "thwart" mean?

block

The workers stood in front of the factory and wondered what to do next. The doors were locked and the windows were boarded up. They doubted that they would even collect their final pay checks now that the company was insolvent. What does "insolvent" mean?

broke, or out of money

Some people believe that lawyers are always working to see that justice is done. On the other hand, some believe that lawyers only want to manipulate the legal system to get what they want. Could both sides be right? What does "manipulate" mean?

control in a dishonest way

If your plan fails, we'll have to find someone who can devise a better one. What does "devise" mean?

design

The home team made sure that the officials were on their side. They won a close game and the championship with many questionable decisions from the officials. However, no one from any other town would accept the winners as legitimate champions. What does "legitimate" mean?

real

"I am going to rescind the permission I gave you to use my toys!" T. J. announced angrily. "I thought you would take good care of them, but I was wrong!" What does "rescind" mean?

revoke

The Florida legislature believes that it has the power to choose the winner of the election if the courts haven't finished their work by December 12. Both houses are controlled by Republicans and they would surely resolve the matter in Bush's favor. What does "resolve" mean?

settle

Marsha is really an introvert. When I took her to Jason's party, she sat in a corner without speaking to anyone. All she did was eat most of the snacks. The only reason she hangs out with me is because I never try to force her to be sociable. She would never forgive me if I introduced her to anyone. An introvert is usually _____.

shy

The election could actually end up being decided in the U.S. Congress. Al Gore's vice presidential running mate, Joe Lieberman, and perhaps Mr. Gore himself, would be able to vote on the matter. Some would argue that they should recuse themselves, but they would probably exercise their right to vote. What does "recuse" mean?

step aside and not be involved

I am working very hard for the same candidate that you support. You are doing it for pay. I'm not doing this for money. I'm doing it out of conviction. What does "conviction" mean?

strong belief

I want you to weigh his words carefully. He seems sincere and presents his arguments well. There is, however, something that doesn't quite ring true about the candidate. What does "weigh" mean in the context of the selection?

to think about

Sunshine said, "Amber, why are you making such a big deal about Robert's hair? Yes, he did dye it purple. It is rather unusual for a guy to have purple hair. On the other hand, it's not exactly going to change the course of world history. It's really quite a trivial matter." What does "trivial" mean?

unimportant

Your uncle wouldn't even part with a dime to help the kids pay for their trip. That's just one more example of his penurious ways. In contrast, many people who have much less money have donated a great deal to the cause. What does "penurious" mean?

very stingy

We walked slowly down the trail with great trepidation. No one who had gone this way had ever been heard from again. Had they simply found a better place to settle on this dark planet? We doubted that. Which word is a synonym of "trepidation"?

worry