C2 Reading

jarring — shocking; unpleasantly surprising

renunciation — giving up; rejection

precursors of — things that come before and signal

animosities toward — feelings of hatred toward

dictate — determine; command

analogy — comparison between similar things

contingent on — dependent on

buttress — support; strengthen

scheme — plan; system

supposition — assumption

synopsis — brief summary

nullify — cancel; make invalid

denigrate — criticize unfairly; belittle

misconstrue — misunderstand; interpret wrongly

prevail — win; be widespread

succumb — give in to; die from

disparate — very different

verisimilitude — appearance of being true or real

quarrel about — argue about

paucity of — lack of; scarcity of

indulge — allow oneself to enjoy; satisfy

despise — hate; look down on

negating — canceling; denying

prefiguring — foreshadowing; predicting

entrenching — firmly establishing

substantiating — proving; supporting with evidence

subversive — intended to weaken or overthrow

susceptible to — easily affected by

contingent to — dependent on (less common; usually contingent on is preferred)

saturated with — filled completely with

depleted of — emptied of; lacking

indecipherable — impossible to understand or read

ornamental — decorative

endure — last through; tolerate

reprieve — temporary relief or delay of punishment

oddity — strange thing; peculiarity

protracted — lasting a long time

superseded — replaced by something newer or better

curtailed — reduced; cut short

obviated — removed the need for; prevented