Quiz created: 120325

Vocabulary Quiz 21

Instructions: Answer the multiple choice questions, guessing if necessary; then click on the "Process Questions" button at the end of the quiz to see your score in the adjacent message box. The program will not reveal which questions you got wrong, only how many points you have. Go back and change your answers until you get them all right. (The message box will rejoice at that point and the page will change color to show it is tickled pink.)

Points to note: (1) Questions with only one possible answer are one point each. (2) Questions with one or more possible answers (represented by check boxes) give a point for each correct answer, but also subtract a point for each wrong answer! (3) The program will not attempt to score your efforts at all if you have not tried at least half of the questions. (4) This quiz is for your own use only. No record of your progress is kept or reported to anyone.

1. “Congress’ supercommittee conceded IGNOMINIOUS defeat Monday in its quest to conquer a government debt that stands at a staggering $15-trillion, unable to overcome deep and enduring political divisions over taxes and spending.” (Associated Press, 111122) Something “ignominious” is
anticipated 
unanticipated 
with far-reaching effects 
shameful 
with potentially beneficial side effects 
No Answer
2. “With narrow majorities in both chambers, Congress will remain hamstrung, riven by partisan bickering, and unable to pass any but the most ANODYNE measures.” (The Economist, yearend special issue, Dec. 2011, p. 42.) Something “anodyne” is
obvious 
inexpensive 
ineffective 
corrupt 
relaxing and pain-reducing 
log-rolling 
No Answer
3. “With narrow majorities in both chambers, Congress will remain hamstrung, RIVEN by partisan bickering, and unable to pass any but the most anodyne measures.” (The Economist, yearend special issue, Dec. 2011, p. 42.) The word “riven” is the past participle of the rare verb “to rive,” which means to
paralyze 
enrage 
bloat 
tear asunder 
sew 
harvest with a scythe 
No Answer
4. “Hu [Zhicheng]’s predicament highlights the potential perils of doing business in China, where commercial disputes can easily become criminal matters, especially when the politically well-connected use the country’s MALLEABLE legal system to bludgeon rivals.” (NYT News Service, 111127)
Something “malleable” is 
corrupt 
rigid 
impossible to understand 
partly secret 
susceptible of being reshaped 
No Answer
5. “Hu [Zhicheng]’s predicament highlights the potential perils of doing business in China, where commercial disputes can easily become criminal matters, especially when the politically well-connected use the country’s malleable legal system to BLUDGEON rivals.” (NYT News Service, 111127) One “bludgeons” one’s rivals by
outmaneuvering them 
having them put in prison 
out-producing or out-selling them 
pounding and beating them 
delaying them so that they cannot finish the race first 
No Answer
6. “[GOP] candidates have previously tended to use their early advertising to introduce themselves to voters in GAUZY terms. But this time around, Obama’s opponents are betting they can employ early attacks to define a narrative about him at the very beginning of the election season, …” (NYT News Service, 111127) “Gauzy” is an adjective form of “gauze,” and it is used in several ways. Here it means
vague and hazy 
thin 
medicinal 
able to bind and heal wounds 
overly flattering 
No Answer
7. “The job of a secretary of state has at least three parts: implementing foreign policy, acting as America’s global ambassador, and running the BEHEMOTH that is the State Department.” (The Economist 120324, p. 31) A “behemoth” is
an unruly child 
a disorganized mess 
a dangerous jungle 
an organized but complicate operation run on instinct, like a beehive 
a huge beast 
a Kindergarten 
No Answer
8. “Behind all the self-interested TERGIVERSATIONS of the politicians [about religion in politics], however, is a genuine enigma. In America more than two centuries ago, believers in God elected to live under the laws of man. The wars over religion [in the present election campaign] show that this great project is still a work in progress, and probably always will be.”(The Economist, 120303, p. 44.) If I “tergiversate,” I
feel uncomfortable speaking in public 
lie and mislead people 
change my mind or abandon a former position 
seek to change public opinion 
conceal my true views because they will prove embarrassing 
publically declare my faith in God 
No Answer
9. “To help revive growth, [Italy’s prime minister] Mr Monti wants to liberalise closed professions such as pharmacists and notaries, and to simplify bureaucracy. The next step is harder: reform of Italy’s SCLEROTIC two-tier labour market.” (The Economist 120310, p. 66.) By describing the Italian labor market as “sclerotic,” the author implies that it is
rigid and outdated 
way too complicated 
corrupt 
under the thumb of government bureaucrats 
dominated by organized crime 
No Answer

      Points out of 9:

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This consummately cool, pedagogically compelling, self-correcting,
multiple-choice quiz was produced automatically from
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Think Again Quiz Maker
of April 25, 2010.