BSEP Word Knowledge and Vocabulary 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which word means to make something less severe or intense?
- Alleviate (Correct answer)
- Aggravate
- Amplify
- Accelerate
Correct answer: Alleviate
'Alleviate' means to make pain, suffering, or a problem less severe.
Question 2: What does the prefix 'pre-' mean in the word 'preview'?
- Before (Correct answer)
- After
- Against
- Below
Correct answer: Before
The prefix 'pre-' means before, so a 'preview' is a viewing that happens before the main event.
Question 3: In context, which meaning of 'bank' is used here: 'She decided to bank on her skills to get the job'?
- To rely or depend on something (Correct answer)
- A financial institution
- The side of a river
- To tilt an aircraft
Correct answer: To rely or depend on something
In this context, 'bank on' is an idiom meaning to rely or depend on something.
Question 4: The word 'elaborate' can function as both an adjective and a verb. When used as a verb, it means:
- To explain in more detail (Correct answer)
- To be highly decorated
- To simplify a concept
- To repeat an idea
Correct answer: To explain in more detail
As a verb, 'elaborate' means to develop or present a theory or idea in further detail.
Question 5: Which word is a homophone of 'principal'?
- Principle (Correct answer)
- Principal
- Principled
- Principality
Correct answer: Principle
'Principle' (a rule or belief) and 'principal' (a school leader or main) sound the same but differ in spelling and meaning.
Question 6: What does 'inevitable' mean?
- Certain to happen and unable to be avoided (Correct answer)
- Possible but unlikely to occur
- Easily prevented with effort
- Dependent on outside circumstances
Correct answer: Certain to happen and unable to be avoided
'Inevitable' describes something that is certain to happen and cannot be prevented.
Question 7: Which pair of words are antonyms?
- Expand and contract (Correct answer)
- Happy and joyful
- Quick and fast
- Large and enormous
Correct answer: Expand and contract
'Expand' means to grow larger while 'contract' means to shrink, making them opposites.
BSEP Word Knowledge and Vocabulary 5
Which word means to make something less severe or intense?