BUILDING

VOCABULARY SKILLS
Fourth Edition

Sherrie L. Nist

2010 Townsend Press

Unit Four: Chapter 19

adapt reciprocate
dismay refute
exile retain
gesture revert
recede ritual
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

1 adapt verb
After many years of being a student, I found it hard to adapt to
the schedule of a full-time job.
Gina adapted well to California. She had no trouble adjusting to
living so far from her family and friends.

Adapt means
A. to return.
B. to become accustomed.
C. to travel.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

1 adapt verb
After many years of being a student, I found it hard to adapt to
the schedule of a full-time job.
Gina adapted well to California. She had no trouble adjusting to
living so far from her family and friends.

Adapt means
A. to return.
B. to become accustomed.
C. to travel.
Having been used to one type of life, it was hard to become
accustomed to a different kind of life. Gina would have to become
accustomed to living far away from family and friends. The word
adjusting is a clue.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

2 dismay verb
Aaron was dismayed when he realized that he wouldnt have
enough money to buy a special birthday present for his girlfriend.
The doctor knew it would dismay Karl to learn that his injured
leg would never regain its previous strength.

Dismay means
A. to discourage.
B. to relieve.
C. to delay.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

2 dismay verb
Aaron was dismayed when he realized that he wouldnt have
enough money to buy a special birthday present for his girlfriend.
The doctor knew it would dismay Karl to learn that his injured
leg would never regain its previous strength.

Dismay means
A. to discourage.
B. to relieve.
C. to delay.
It would be discouraging not to have enough money to buy a
birthday present for your girlfriend. It would discourage a person to
learn his injured leg will never again be as strong as it once was.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

3 exile noun
The political rebel decided to end his five-year exile and return to
his native land to oppose the government.
Fernando fled his native country thirty years ago and has lived in
exile ever since.

Exile means
A. a long vacation.
B. a bad attitude.
C. a separation from ones
homeland.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

3 exile noun
The political rebel decided to end his five-year exile and return to
his native land to oppose the government.
Fernando fled his native country thirty years ago and has lived in
exile ever since.

Exile means
A. a long vacation.
B. a bad attitude.
C. a separation from ones
homeland.
If the rebel decided to return to his native land, he must be ending
a five-year separation from his homeland. If Fernando fled his
native country, he has separated himself from his homeland.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

4 gesture noun
As a gesture of sympathy, the neighborhood association sent
flowers to Milly when her husband died.
The other workers gestures of friendship made Vic feel at home
on the first day of his new job.

Gesture means
A. a signal.
B. a request.
C. a report.

A gesture of greeting
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

4 gesture noun
As a gesture of sympathy, the neighborhood association sent
flowers to Milly when her husband died.
The other workers gestures of friendship made Vic feel at home
on the first day of his new job.

Gesture means
A. a signal.
B. a request.
C. a report.
Sending flowers to Milly would be a
signal of the associations sympathy.
The workers signals of friendship
would make a new employee feel at
A gesture of greeting home.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

5 recede verb
The heavy blanket of clouds finally began to recede, allowing
the sun to warm the crowd at the football game.
Walter had to wait until the flood waters receded before he could
get to his house to see the damage.

Recede means
A. to grow.
B. to go back.
C. to return.

A receding hairline
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

5 recede verb
The heavy blanket of clouds finally began to recede, allowing
the sun to warm the crowd at the football game.
Walter had to wait until the flood waters receded before he could
get to his house to see the damage.

Recede means
A. to grow.
B. to go back.
C. to return.
If the sun warmed the crowd, the
heavy blanket of clouds must have
moved back. Walter would have to
wait until the flood waters went back
A receding hairline
before he could get to his house.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

6 reciprocate verb
Ive done many favors for Anne, but she never reciprocates by
doing a favor in return.
Hakeem treated me to dinner, so Im going to reciprocate by
taking him to a movie.

Reciprocate means
A. to celebrate.
B. to pay back.
C. to disappoint.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

6 reciprocate verb
Ive done many favors for Anne, but she never reciprocates by
doing a favor in return.
Hakeem treated me to dinner, so Im going to reciprocate by
taking him to a movie.

Reciprocate means
A. to celebrate.
B. to pay back.
C. to disappoint.
Anne could pay back the favors done for her by doing favors in
returnbut she doesnt. One could pay back Hakeem by taking
him to a movie.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

7 refute verb
The lawyer was able to refute the defendants claim that she was
home the night of the murder. He had found a witness who saw
her in a mall store that night.
Some science-fiction fans were disappointed when photos of
Mars refuted the idea that intelligent life exists there.
Refute means
A. to support.
B. to repeat.
C. to show to be wrong.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

7 refute verb
The lawyer was able to refute the defendants claim that she was
home the night of the murder. He had found a witness who saw
her in a mall store that night.
Some science-fiction fans were disappointed when photos of
Mars refuted the idea that intelligent life exists there.
Refute means
A. to support.
B. to repeat.
C. to show to be wrong.
Finding a witness who saw the defendant at the mall would show her
claim that she was at home to be wrong. People who believed there
is intelligent life on Mars would be disappointed when photos showed
the belief to be wrong.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

8 retain verb
Plastic storage containers often retain the odors of foods. I have
one that still smells like spaghetti sauce after ten washings.
I can usually retain my sense of humor, Janice said. But I lose
it totally when Im laid off and break up with my boyfriend in the
same week.
Retain means
A. to hold onto.
B. to adjust to.
C. to lose.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

8 retain verb
Plastic storage containers often retain the odors of foods. I have
one that still smells like spaghetti sauce after ten washings.
I can usually retain my sense of humor, Janice said. But I lose
it totally when Im laid off and break up with my boyfriend in the
same week.
Retain means
A. to hold onto.
B. to adjust to.
C. to lose.
If ten washings dont get rid of the spaghetti sauce smell, the
container must hold onto the odors of foods. Janices loss of
her sense of humor is contrasted with the fact that she usually
holds onto her sense of humor.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

9 revert verb
After his release from jail, Sam reverted to his old habit of
stealing and ended up in jail again.
Helene gave up smoking while she was pregnant, but she
reverted to a pack a day after her daughter was born.

Revert means
A. to go back.
B. to refer.
C. to say no.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

9 revert verb
After his release from jail, Sam reverted to his old habit of
stealing and ended up in jail again.
Helene gave up smoking while she was pregnant, but she
reverted to a pack a day after her daughter was born.

Revert means
A. to go back.
B. to refer.
C. to say no.
If Sam ended up in jail again, he must have gone back to his old habit
of stealing. If Helene stopped smoking while she was pregnant but
later was smoking a pack a day, she must have gone back to smoking.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

10 ritual noun
Ritualsset practices that are repeated regularlyare important
in most religious traditions.
Each time Mary Ann must fly, she writes a check to a charity,
brings it with her on the plane, and mails it at her destination. She
believes this ritual guarantees a safe flight.
Ritual means
A. a lesson.
B. a ceremony.
C. a prayer.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

10 ritual noun
Ritualsset practices that are repeated regularlyare important
in most religious traditions.
Each time Mary Ann must fly, she writes a check to a charity,
brings it with her on the plane, and mails it at her destination. She
believes this ritual guarantees a safe flight.
Ritual means
A. a lesson.
B. a ceremony.
C. a prayer.
A set practice that is repeated regularly is a ceremony. Mary Ann
goes through the ceremony that she believes will guarantee her
a safe flight.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. adapt B. dismay C. exile D. gesture E. recede
F. reciprocate G. refute H. retain I. revert J. ritual

1. Getting a D on the first math test of the semester

_________(e)d Sean. He was sure hed done well.

2. If the shoreline continues to __________, there soon

wont be any sandy beach at all.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. adapt B. dismay C. exile D. gesture E. recede
F. reciprocate G. refute H. retain I. revert J. ritual

1. Getting a D on the first math test of the semester

____________
dismayed Sean. He was sure hed done well.
If Sean was sure hed done well but got a D, he would be discouraged.

2. If the shoreline continues to __________,

recede there soon
wont be any sandy beach at all.
If there soon will not be any sandy beach at all, the shoreline must
be moving back.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. adapt B. dismay C. exile D. gesture E. recede
F. reciprocate G. refute H. retain I. revert J. ritual

3. Antonio tried to __________ my argument, but I was

able to prove I was right.

4. In a(n) ________ of cooperation, the manager and the

head of the union shook hands.

5. To __________ her strength and energy, Mrs. Green does

push-ups, sit-ups, and leg-lifts three times a week.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. adapt B. dismay C. exile D. gesture E. recede
F. reciprocate G. refute H. retain I. revert J. ritual

3. Antonio tried to __________

refute my argument, but I was
able to prove I was right.
If the person was able to prove his or her argument was right,
Antonio must have been trying to prove the argument false.
4. In a __________
gesture of cooperation, the manager and the
head of the union shook hands.
Shaking hands would be a signal of cooperation.

5. To __________
retain her strength and energy, Mrs. Green does
push-ups, sit-ups, and leg-lifts three times a week.
Doing push-ups, sit-ups, and leg-lifts would help Mrs. Green keep
her strength and energy.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. adapt B. dismay C. exile D. gesture E. recede
F. reciprocate G. refute H. retain I. revert J. ritual

6. My brother vowed to eat only one Oreo a day, but Im

afraid hell __________ to his old habit of eating the
entire bag of cookies at a sitting.

7. As the Ice Age ended, some animals were able to

__________ to the new climate. Those who could not
adjust failed to survive.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. adapt B. dismay C. exile D. gesture E. recede
F. reciprocate G. refute H. retain I. revert J. ritual

6. My brother vowed to eat only one Oreo a day, but Im

afraid hell __________
revert to his old habit of eating the
entire bag of cookies at a sitting.
The brother may go back to his old habit of eating the entire bag.
7. As the Ice Age ended, some animals were able to
__________
adapt to the new climate. Those who could not
adjust failed to survive.
The word adjust tells you the meaning of adapt.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. adapt B. dismay C. exile D. gesture E. recede
F. reciprocate G. refute H. retain I. revert J. ritual

8. The countrys new dictator feared having certain political

enemies in the country, so he sent them into __________.

9. I always send Kiran a birthday card, but he doesnt bother

to __________ with a card or phone call on my birthday.

10. Homer always goes through the same baseball _________

before he bats: he twirls his bat three times, stretches his
arms, and says, Okay, okay, this one will be good.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. adapt B. dismay C. exile D. gesture E. recede
F. reciprocate G. refute H. retain I. revert J. ritual

8. The countrys new dictator feared having certain political

enemies in the country, so he sent them into __________.
exile
If the dictator feared the political enemies, he would send them into
forced separation from the country.
9. I always send Kiran a birthday card, but he doesnt bother
to __________
reciprocate with a card or phone call on my birthday.
Kiran does not bother to pay back the kindness of receiving a birthday
card.
10. Homer always goes through the same baseball _________ritual
before he bats: he twirls his bat three times, stretches his
arms, and says, Okay, okay, this one will be good.
Homer regularly does these actions in the same way before he bats.