NBT Academic Literacy: Vocabulary in Context Flashcards

"The professor's lecture was so **abstruse** that even doctoral students struggled to follow the argument." 'Abstruse' in this context means:

Answer: extremely difficult to understand

'Abstruse' means difficult to understand; the context of doctoral students struggling confirms this meaning.

"Scientists must remain **impartial**, resisting the temptation to selectively report results that support their hypothesis." The word 'impartial' most nearly means:

Answer: unbiased

'Impartial' means not favouring one side over another; unbiased.

"The CEO's decision to **divest** unprofitable divisions helped stabilise the company's finances." 'Divest' most closely means:

Answer: get rid of

'Divest' means to deprive or rid of; in a business context, it means selling off assets or divisions.

"The archaeologist made a **cursory** inspection of the site before the full excavation began." As used here, 'cursory' means:

Answer: hurried and not thorough

'Cursory' describes something done rapidly with little attention to detail — a quick preliminary look.

"The journalist's **tenacious** pursuit of the story, despite repeated legal threats, earned widespread admiration." 'Tenacious' most nearly means:

Answer: persistent

'Tenacious' means not readily giving up; persistent in maintaining a position or pursuing a goal.

"Economic inequality tends to **perpetuate** cycles of poverty, making social mobility increasingly difficult." The best replacement for 'perpetuate' is:

Answer: prolong

'Perpetuate' means to make something continue indefinitely; 'prolong' best captures this meaning.

"The politician offered a **conciliatory** statement, hoping to ease tensions between the two factions." 'Conciliatory' most closely means:

Answer: intended to achieve agreement

'Conciliatory' means intended to reduce hostility and bring about agreement or goodwill.