NBT NBT Academic Literacy: Vocabulary in Context 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: "The minister's speech was filled with **platitudes** — familiar phrases that sounded reassuring but offered no new insight." 'Platitudes' most nearly means:
- statistical data
- overused meaningless remarks (Correct answer)
- expert opinions
- controversial claims
Correct answer: overused meaningless remarks
'Platitudes' are remarks that have been overused to the point of meaninglessness despite sounding significant.
Question 2: "Scientists hope to **mitigate** the effects of climate change through a combination of renewable energy and carbon capture technology." The best replacement for 'mitigate' is:
- eliminate entirely
- make less severe (Correct answer)
- study more closely
- accelerate
Correct answer: make less severe
'Mitigate' means to make less severe, serious, or painful; to lessen the impact.
Question 3: "The film's **ambiguous** ending frustrated some viewers but delighted others who preferred open interpretation." As used here, 'ambiguous' means:
- unclear or open to more than one meaning (Correct answer)
- abrupt and unsatisfying
- technically flawed
- culturally insensitive
Correct answer: unclear or open to more than one meaning
'Ambiguous' means open to more than one interpretation; the context of 'open interpretation' confirms this.
Question 4: "The researcher was careful to **delineate** the boundaries of her study, explicitly stating what fell outside its scope." 'Delineate' most closely means:
- ignore
- clearly describe or define (Correct answer)
- expand beyond
- question
Correct answer: clearly describe or define
'Delineate' means to describe or indicate precisely; to mark out the boundaries of something.
Question 5: "Despite public protests, the board remained **intransigent**, refusing to reconsider the unpopular policy." 'Intransigent' most nearly means:
- receptive to change
- publicly accountable
- unwilling to compromise (Correct answer)
- overly cautious
Correct answer: unwilling to compromise
'Intransigent' means refusing to change one's views or to agree; stubborn and inflexible.
Question 6: "Her **pragmatic** approach to problem-solving focused on what worked in practice, rather than what seemed theoretically ideal." 'Pragmatic' most nearly means:
- idealistic
- dealing with things practically (Correct answer)
- overly analytical
- creatively innovative
Correct answer: dealing with things practically
'Pragmatic' means dealing with things sensibly and realistically, based on practical considerations.
Question 7: "The defendant's **contrition** was evident in his tearful apology to the victims and their families." The word 'contrition' means:
- deep regret for wrongdoing (Correct answer)
- legal admission of guilt
- calculated performance
- emotional instability
Correct answer: deep regret for wrongdoing
'Contrition' means the state of feeling remorseful and penitent; sincere regret for wrongdoing.
NBT NBT Academic Literacy: Vocabulary in Context 4
"The minister's speech was filled with **platitudes** — familiar phrases that sounded reassuring but offered no new insight." 'Platitudes' most nearly means: