AP Lit: Word Smart Quiz 4

Pages 42-52 in the Word Smart book. Revisit this set throughout the year to prepare yourself for the exam in May.

Atrophy (v.)

to wither away; to decline from disuse

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The weightlifter’s right arm was much thinner and less bulgy than his left; it had ______ied severely during the six weeks it had been in a cast.

Augur (v.)

to serve as an omen or be a sign; to predict or foretell

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The eleven touchdowns and four field goals scored in the first quarter _____ed victory for the high school football team.

Baleful (adj.)

menacing; threatening

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The students responded to the professor’s feeble joke by sitting in _______ silence.

Balk (v.)

to abruptly refuse (to do something); to stop short

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Vernon ____ed when the instructor told him to do a belly-flop from the high diving board; he did not want to do it.

Banter (n.)

an exchange of good-humored or mildly teasing remarks

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The handsome young teacher fell into easy ______ with his students, who were not much younger than he.

Bedlam (n.)

noisy uproar and chaos; a place characterized by noisy uproar and chaos

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A few seconds after Enron announced that it was going out of business, there was ______ on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Bemoan (v.)

to mourn about; to lament

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West ______ed the D he had received on his chemistry exam, but he didn’t study any harder for future tests.

Bivouac (n.)

a temporary encampment, especially of soldiers.

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The tents and campfires of the soldiers’ _______ could be seen from the top of a nearby mountain, and the enemy commander launched a devastating barrage.

Blanch (v.)

to turn pale; to cause to turn pale

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Margaret ______ed when Jacob told her their vacation house was haunted.

Bombast (n.)

pompous or pretentious speech or writing; high-sounding language with little meaning, used to impress people.

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If you stripped away the _______ from the candidate’s campaign speeches, you would find nothing but misconceptions and lies.