504 Essential Words slide 29, Lesson 8, slide 31 Fill in the Blanks, Matching

1) exaggerate; make something greater than it is; overstate

a. He wasn’t trying to deceive you when he said that his was the best car in the world, he was just exaggerating.
b. The bookkeeper exaggerated her importance to the company.
c. When he said that O’Neal was eight feel tall, he was undoubtedly exaggerating.

2) amateur; person who does something for pleasure, not for money or as a profession

a. The amateur cross-country runner wanted to be in the Olympics.
b. After his song, Don was told he wasn’t good enough to be anything but an amateur.
c. Professional golfers resent amateurs who think they are as good as the people who play for money.

3) mediocre; neither good nor bad; average; ordinary.

a. After reading my composition, Mrs. Evans remarked that it was mediocre and that | could do better.
b. Howard was a mediocre scientist who never made any unique discoveries.
c. The movie wasn’t a great one; it was only mediocre.

4) variety; lack of sameness; a number of different things

a. Eldorado Restaurant serves a wide variety of foods.
b. The show featured a variety of entertainment.
c. He faced unforeseen* problems for a variety of reasons.

5) valid; supported by facts or authority; sound; true

a. The witness neglected* to give valid answers to the judge’s questions.
b. Rita had valid reasons for denouncing* her father’s way of life.
c. When Dave presented valid working papers, the foreman consented to hiring him immediately.

6) survive; live longer than; remain alive after

a. twas uncertain whether we would survive the torrent of rain.
b. Some people believe that only the strongest should survive.
c. The space capsule* was built to survive a long journey in space

7) weird; mysterious; unearthly

a. She looked weird with that horrible makeup on her face.
b. Allen felt that weird things were starting to happen when he entered the haunted house.
c. Becky had a weird feeling after swallowing the pills.

8) prominent; well-known; important

a. My client is a prominent businessperson.
b. Napoleon is a prominent figure in the history of France.
c. Her violet eyes were the prominent feature of the model’s face.

9) security; freedom from danger, care, or fear; feeling or condition of being safe

a. Our janitor likes the security of having all doors locked at night.
b. When the president travels, strict security measures are taken.
c. Pablo wanted to preserve the security of his lifestyle.

10) bulky; taking up much space; large

a. Charley and Morty removed the bulky package from the car.
b. The massive desk was quite bulky and impossible to carry.
c. His client wanted an item that wasn’t so bulky, Olsen told us.

11) reluctant; unwilling

a. It was easy to see that Herman was reluctant to go out and find a job.
b. The patient was reluctant to tell the nurse the whole gloomy truth.
c. I was reluctant to give up the security of family life.

12) obvious; easily seen or understood; clear to the eye or mind; not to be doubted; plain

a. It was obvious that the lumberjack was tired after his day’s work.
b. The fact that Darcy was a popular boy was obvious to all.
c. The detective missed the clue because it was too obvious.

Fill in the Blanks

Place one of the new words in each of the blanks below.

  1. Most people agreed that he was a weird looking man because of the long red beard.
  2. Chuck’s reason for quitting his job was valid; he was not being paid.
  3. The answer to the question was so obvious that everyone knew it.
  4. The mediocre tennis player would never make the Olympics squad.
  5. She was reluctant to take on any more responsibilities at work.
  6. People often tend to exaggerate stories they hear.
  7. The bank is kept under very tight security.
  8. Because the box was so bulky it took two men to lift it.
  9. Even though he was not a professional, the amateur photographer entered the contest.
  10. A wide variety of shows is playing at the concert hall.
  11. Mrs. Meyers is a prominent member of the staff.
  12. We all hoped that the small boat would survive the storm.

Matching

  1. reluctant — f. unwilling
  2. mediocre — d. average, ordinary
  3. prominent — h. well-known, important
  4. obvious — g. easily seen or understood
  5. exaggerate — j. overstate, make something greater than it is
  6. bulky — a. large, taking up much space
  7. variety — l. a number of different things
  8. valid — b. true, supported by facts
  9. security — k. feeling or condition of being safe
  10. survive — i. remain alive, live on
  11. weird — e. mysterious, unearthly
  12. amateur — c. person who does something for pleasure, not as a profession