Unit Two: Chapter 9

• concurrent • hypothetical

• confiscate • nominal

• constitute • predominant

• decipher • prerequisite

• default • recession

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

1 concurrent

Concurrent means A. occurring at the same time. B. resulting. C. noticeable.

• Having mistakenly registered for two concurrent classes, Joe had to drop one of them and choose a course that met at a different time.

– adjective

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

Concurrent means A. occurring at the same time. B. resulting. C. noticeable.

• Having mistakenly registered for two concurrent classes, Joe had to drop one of them and choose a course that met at a different time.

If the laid-off workers from the mill found jobs at the new factory, the closing of the mill must have occurred at the same time as the opening of the factory. In the second item, Joe would not be able to take the two classes if they occurred at the same time.

1 concurrent – adjective

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

2 confiscate – verb

Confiscate means A. to distribute widely. B. to take possession of. C. to overlook.

• “Hand ’em over,” my father said. Just as we were really starting to have fun, he confiscated our entire supply of water balloons.

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

Confiscate means A. to distribute widely. B. to take possession of. C. to overlook.

• “Hand ’em over,” my father said. Just as we were really starting to have fun, he confiscated our entire supply of water balloons.

If the father says, “Hand ’em over,” he is planning to take possession of the water balloons. In the second item, the word seized tells you that confiscate means “take possession of.”

2 confiscate – verb

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

3 constitute • In my opinion, a good movie, a pizza, and animated conversation

constitute a perfect night out.

– verb

Constitute means A. to repeat. B. to oppose. C. to form.

“You mean walking from the TV to the refrigerator doesn’t constitute a workout?”

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

• In my opinion, a good movie, a pizza, and animated conversation constitute a perfect night out.

Constitute means A. to repeat. B. to oppose. C. to form. A good movie, a pizza, and animated conversation would form a perfect night out. Twelve people would form the board of directors.

3 constitute – verb

“You mean walking from the TV to the refrigerator doesn’t constitute a workout?”

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

• If your teacher can’t decipher your handwriting, you’ll need to write your papers on a computer.

4 decipher

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

Decipher means A. to figure out. B. to find. C. to improve.

– verb

Handwriting that is hard to decipher

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT

• If your teacher can’t decipher your handwriting, you’ll need to write your papers on a computer.

Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

Decipher means A. to figure out. B. to find. C. to improve. The legal language used in contracts is difficult to figure out. If you need to write you papers on a computer, the teacher must not be able to figure out your handwriting.

4 decipher – verb

Handwriting that is hard to decipher

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

Default means A. to act as expected. B. not to do something

required. C. to begin.

5 default – verb

• Eli’s mother said, “I’ll co-sign on your car loan, but you have to make every payment. If you default, it will hurt my credit rating.”

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

Default means A. to act as expected. B. not to do something

required. C. to begin.

• Eli’s mother said, “I’ll co-sign on your car loan, but you have to make every payment. If you default, it will hurt my credit rating.”

By failing to appear in court, the repairman did not do something required of him—so he lost the case. Eli is required to make every payment on her car loan.

5 default – verb

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

Hypothetical means A. sure to happen. B. dangerous. C. imaginary.

• Imagine the hypothetical situation of going to live alone on an island. Which books and CDs would you take along?

6 hypothetical – adjective

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

Hypothetical means A. sure to happen. B. dangerous. C. imaginary.

• Imagine the hypothetical situation of going to live alone on an island. Which books and CDs would you take along?

Going to live alone on an island is an imaginary situation for most people. The word imagine is a clue. If the court sessions are pretend, the cases must be imaginary.

6 hypothetical – adjective

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

Nominal means A. enormous. B. very little. C. helpful.

• Except for a nominal registration fee, the camp for needy children is entirely free.

7 nominal – adjective

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

Nominal means A. enormous. B. very little. C. helpful.

• Except for a nominal registration fee, the camp for needy children is entirely free.

If the camp is for needy children, the registration fee must be very little. If Professor Banks wanted the grade to be based mainly on test scores, she would give very little extra credit for participating in experiments.

7 nominal – adjective

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

Predominant means A. rare. B. main. C. temporary.

• Rock is the predominant music on that radio station, but country music is also played.

8 predominant – adjective

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

Predominant means A. rare. B. main. C. temporary.

• Rock is the predominant music on that radio station, but country music is also played.

Although rock isn’t the only music on that station, it is the main music the station plays. If only a third of the cars ran on electricity, the main type of car was gasoline powered.

8 predominant – adjective

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

Prerequisite means A. a requirement. B. a penalty. C. a method.

• Since she was allergic to cigarette smoke, Kaylin told Troy that his quitting smoking was a prerequisite for their marrying.

9 prerequisite – noun

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

Prerequisite means A. a requirement. B. a penalty. C. a method.

• Since she was allergic to cigarette smoke, Kaylin told Troy that his quitting smoking was a prerequisite for their marrying.

Spanish III is a requirement in order to take Spanish Literature. If Kaylin is allergic to cigarette smoke, it would be a requirement for Troy to quit smoking in order for them to get married.

9 prerequisite – noun

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

Recession means A. a rapid growth. B. a sale. C. an economic setback.

10 recession • The department store laid off twenty workers during the

recession, but it rehired them when business improved.

– noun

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

Recession means A. a rapid growth. B. a sale. C. an economic setback.

• The department store laid off twenty workers during the recession, but it rehired them when business improved.

In contrast with doing very well from spring to fall, seashore business suffer an economic setback in the winter. In the second item, the words business improved suggest that recession means “an economic set back.”

10 recession – noun