RLA Vocabulary in Context 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The passage reads: 'The general's plan was *audacious* — a bold strike directly at the enemy's stronghold.' What does 'audacious' mean?
- Carefully cautious
- Recklessly bold and daring (Correct answer)
- Secretly planned
- Poorly organized
Correct answer: Recklessly bold and daring
'Audacious' describes someone showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks.
Question 2: In this excerpt: 'The budget cuts had a *detrimental* effect on the school's music and arts programs,' what does 'detrimental' mean?
- Positive and helpful
- Causing harm or damage (Correct answer)
- Unexpected
- Temporary
Correct answer: Causing harm or damage
'Detrimental' means causing harm, damage, or disadvantage.
Question 3: Read: 'The politician's speech was full of *rhetoric* but short on specific policy proposals.' What does 'rhetoric' mean here?
- Personal anecdotes
- Persuasive but often empty or exaggerated language (Correct answer)
- Statistical data
- Historical references
Correct answer: Persuasive but often empty or exaggerated language
In this context, 'rhetoric' refers to language designed to persuade that may lack substance.
Question 4: The sentence reads: 'The two scientists reached *disparate* conclusions despite using the same data.' What does 'disparate' mean?
- Similar and agreeable
- Essentially different or distinct (Correct answer)
- Clearly erroneous
- Carefully considered
Correct answer: Essentially different or distinct
'Disparate' means fundamentally different or unlike, with little in common.
Question 5: In the passage: 'The historian's claim that the war was *inevitable* has been challenged by recent scholarship,' what does 'inevitable' mean?
- Surprisingly sudden
- Impossible to prevent or avoid (Correct answer)
- Morally unjustified
- Widely misunderstood
Correct answer: Impossible to prevent or avoid
'Inevitable' means certain to happen and impossible to avoid.
Question 6: The memo states: 'Employees are expected to *adhere* to the company's code of conduct at all times.' What does 'adhere' mean?
- Criticize openly
- Stick firmly to or follow closely (Correct answer)
- Reinterpret as needed
- Report violations of
Correct answer: Stick firmly to or follow closely
'Adhere' means to follow something closely or stick to it, like rules or principles.
Question 7: Read: 'The activist's *impassioned* plea moved many audience members to tears.' What does 'impassioned' mean?
- Calmly delivered
- Filled with strong feeling and emotion (Correct answer)
- Logically argued
- Quietly spoken
Correct answer: Filled with strong feeling and emotion
'Impassioned' describes something expressed with intense emotion or deep feeling.
RLA Vocabulary in Context 4
The passage reads: 'The general's plan was *audacious* — a bold strike directly at the enemy's stronghold.' What does 'audacious' mean?