92 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT
Unit I Exercise Set I Answer Key
- B The colon (:) introduces an explanation.
Adeptlymeanswith great skill.A 5-year-old would
have to be pretty sharpto persuade reluctant
parents.
concise=brief and to the point
astute=shrewd, keen
verbose=wordy
recalcitrant=stubborn
capricious=whimsical - C The information after the semicolon (;) descri-
bes the word in the blank. If he reads it as if he
had written it himself, it implies that he knows it
very well, and perhaps can read it word for word.
loquaciously=in a talkative manner
insipidly=in a painfully dull way
verbatim=word for word
curtly=in an abrupt manner, rudely
diffidently=timidly, lacking confidence - C They did not like him at first, so the second
blank is a negative word. The first blank should
describe a speaking style that would cause some-
one to think that he is described by the second
word.
monosyllabic=one syllable; incisive=cogent
surly=rude;congenial=friendly
laconic=terse;brusque=rude, unfriendly
circumlocutory=talkative
garrulous=talkative;phlegmatic=sluggish - E Ricardo clearly changed from a shy person to
a talkative extrovert. The word that fits the blank
should mean change.
schism=rift, large gap
adjudication=judgment
benediction=blessing
soliloquy=speech to one’s self
metamorphosis=major change in form - E The second word is a verb that should com-
plement the first word. Only E presents a pair that
makes sense. Fickle people dotend to vacillate.
shrewd=clever;perjure=to lie under oath
magnanimous=generous;denigrate=to slander
pusillanimous=cowardly;admonish=to scold
surreptitious=sneaky;purge=to clear away
fickle=erratic;vacillate=to go back and forth
6. A Despiteindicates a contrast. So look for two
words that are nearly opposite.
pessimistic=negative;sanguine=optimistic
lethargic=sluggish;placid=calm
morose=sullen, gloomy; querulous=
complaining
prudent=wise, provident; verbose=wordy
succinct=concise, to the point; terse=concise
7. A The recipient of generosity is a beneficiary.
beneficiary=one who receives benefits
benefactor=one who supports or helps another
benediction=a blessing
patron=a customer, someone who protects
sanction=approval, permission
8. D A person short on time would likely appreci-
ate something that is quick, which makes brevity
a good choice.
circumlocution=speaking in circles
allegation=accusation
pontification=speaking in a pompous manner
brevity=briefness
lassitude=fatigue, torpor
9. E The presentation was vacuous,which means
lacking substance. This implies that the two
clauses in the sentence are parallel, so the missing
word must be similar to unimaginative.
dormant=inactive
unanimous=everyone agrees
amorphous=lacking shape
dolorous=causing pain or sorrow
prosaic=dull, unimaginative - A Use the parallelism in the sentence. The two
adjectives in the first clause are parallel to the two
ideas in the second clause. The first word de-
scribes something that makes one cry, and the
second word describes mirthfulscenes. Two sim-
ple words to complete the sentence would be
depressingandfunny.
melancholy=sadness;hilarious=funny
reprehensible=blameworthy;wistful=sad
somber=gloomy;bitter=unhappy
humorous=funny;jocular=joking
despicable=mean;whimsical=impulsive