West B Test Reading: Word Meanings in Context 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The sentence reads: 'Her *avarice* led her to hoard resources even when colleagues desperately needed them.' What does 'avarice' mean?
- Extreme generosity
- Fear of losing power
- Excessive greed for wealth (Correct answer)
- Lack of empathy
Correct answer: Excessive greed for wealth
'Avarice' is an intense desire to acquire and accumulate wealth, often at others' expense.
Question 2: In the passage: 'The professor's lecture was *didactic*, walking students through every concept step by step.' What does 'didactic' mean?
- Intended to teach or instruct (Correct answer)
- Overly academic and dry
- Entertaining and informal
- Highly theoretical
Correct answer: Intended to teach or instruct
'Didactic' means designed or intended to teach, especially in a systematic and instructional way.
Question 3: The article states: 'Negotiators sought to *ameliorate* conditions in the refugee camp by increasing food and medical supplies.' What does 'ameliorate' mean?
- Document accurately
- Make worse deliberately
- Improve or make better (Correct answer)
- Monitor over time
Correct answer: Improve or make better
'Ameliorate' means to make something bad or unsatisfactory better.
Question 4: Read: 'The mayor adopted a *conciliatory* tone, hoping to ease tensions between the two community groups.' What does 'conciliatory' mean?
- Aggressive and confrontational
- Intended to reduce hostility and make peace (Correct answer)
- Politically neutral
- Legally binding
Correct answer: Intended to reduce hostility and make peace
'Conciliatory' means intended to gain goodwill and reduce conflict or anger.
Question 5: The text reads: 'Despite the *dearth* of evidence, prosecutors moved forward with the case.' What does 'dearth' mean?
- Abundance and surplus
- Questionable quality
- Scarcity or lack (Correct answer)
- Complexity
Correct answer: Scarcity or lack
'Dearth' means a scarcity or insufficient supply of something.
Question 6: The passage says: 'The whistleblower's *candor* caught executives off guard, as they had expected evasive answers.' What does 'candor' mean?
- Legal expertise
- Forthright honesty and openness (Correct answer)
- Strategic vagueness
- Emotional intensity
Correct answer: Forthright honesty and openness
'Candor' means the quality of being open, honest, and straightforward.
Question 7: The sentence reads: 'The new regulation was *anathema* to small business owners who relied on the practice it banned.' What does 'anathema' mean?
- A formal legal challenge
- Something greatly detested or cursed (Correct answer)
- A minor inconvenience
- An unexpected benefit
Correct answer: Something greatly detested or cursed
'Anathema' refers to something or someone that one strongly dislikes or loathes.
West B Test Reading: Word Meanings in Context 3
The sentence reads: 'Her *avarice* led her to hoard resources even when colleagues desperately needed them.' What does 'avarice' mean?