Book Four

By Daniel A. Reed
Edited by Paul Moliken

ISBN-10: 1-58049-256-8
ISBN-13: 978-1-58049-256-0
Copyright 2004 by Prestwick House, Inc.
All rights reserved. No portion may be P.O. Box 658 Clayton, DE 19938
reproduced without permission in
(800) 932-4593 www.prestwickhouse.com
writing from the publisher.
Revised March, 2006
4
 Table of Contents

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Strategies for Completing Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Pronunciation Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Word List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Lesson One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Lesson Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Lesson Three . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Lesson Four . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Lesson Five . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Lesson Six . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Lesson Seven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Review Lessons 1-7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Lesson Eight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Lesson Nine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Lesson Ten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Lesson Eleven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Lesson Twelve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Lesson Thirteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Lesson Fourteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

5
 Review Lessons 8-14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Lesson Fifteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Lesson Sixteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

Lesson Seventeen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Lesson Eighteen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Lesson Nineteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

Lesson Twenty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Lesson Twenty-One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

Review Lessons 15-21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

Scoring Guides. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248

6
 INTRODUCTION
ocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT combines classroom-

V tested vocabulary drills with reading and writing exercises

designed to prepare students for the revised Scholastic
Assessment Test; however, Vocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT
is a resource for all studentsnot just those who are college
bound or preparing for the SAT I. This series is intended to
increase vocabulary, improve grammar, enhance writing, and
boost critical reading skills for students at all levels of learning.
Critical Reading exercises include lengthy passages and
detailed questions. We use SAT-style grammar and writing exer-
cises and have placed the vocabulary words in a non-alphabetical
sequence.
To reflect the changes to the Writing and Critical Reading por-
tions of the SAT I, Prestwick House includes inferential exercises
instead of the analogical reasoning sections. Coupled with words-
in-context activities, inferences cultivate comprehensive word
discernment by prompting students to create contexts for words
instead of simply memorizing definitions.
The writing exercises in Vocabulary Power Plus for the New
SAT are process-oriented, but they bring students a step closer to
SAT success by exposing them to rubrics that simulate those of
the SAT essay-writing component. This exposure to an objective
scoring process helps students to develop a concrete understand-
ing of writing fundamentals.
We hope that you find the Vocabulary Power Plus for the New
SAT series to be an effective tool for teaching new words and an
exceptional tool for preparing for the new SAT.

7
 Strategies for Completing Activities
Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes

A knowledge of roots, prefixes, and suffixes can give readers the ability to view
unfamiliar words as mere puzzles that require only a few simple steps to solve.
For the person interested in the history of words, this knowledge provides the
ability to track word origin and evolution. For those who seek to improve
vocabulary, this knowledge creates a sure and lifelong method; however, there
are two points to remember:

1. Some words have evolved through usage, so present definitions might dif-
fer from what you infer through an examination of the roots and prefixes.
The word abstruse, for example, contains the prefix ab (away) and the root
trudere (to thrust), and literally means to thrust away. Today, abstruse is
used to describe something that is hard to understand.

2. Certain roots do not apply to all words that use the same form. If you know
that the root vin means to conquer, then you would be correct in con-
cluding that the word invincible means incapable of being conquered;
however, if you tried to apply the same root meaning to vindicate or vindic-
tive, you would be incorrect. When analyzing unfamiliar words, check for
other possible roots if your inferred meaning does not fit the context.

Despite these considerations, a knowledge of roots and prefixes is one of the

best ways to build a powerful vocabulary.

Critical Reading

Reading questions generally fall into several categories.

1. Identifying the main idea or the authors purpose. Generally, the question will
ask, What is this selection about?

In some passages, the authors purpose will be easy to identify because the one
or two ideas leap from the text; however, other passages might not be so easily
analyzed, especially if they include convoluted sentences. Inverted sentences
(subject at the end of the sentence) and elliptical sentences (words missing)
will also increase the difficulty of the passages, but all these obstacles can be
overcome if readers take one sentence at a time and recast it in their own words.
Consider the following sentence:

8
 These writers either jot down their thoughts bit by bit, in short,
ambiguous, and paradoxical sentences, which apparently mean
much more than they sayof this kind of writing Schellings trea-
tises on natural philosophy are a splendid instance; or else they
hold forth with a deluge of words and the most intolerable diffu-
siveness, as though no end of fuss were necessary to make the
reader understand the deep meaning of their sentences, whereas it
is some quite simple if not actually trivial idea, examples of which
may be found in plenty in the popular works of Fichte, and the
philosophical manuals of a hundred other miserable dunces.

If we edit out some of the words, the main point of this sentence is obvious.

These writers either jot down their thoughts bit by bit, in short,
ambiguous, and paradoxical sentences, which apparently mean
much more than they sayof this kind of writing Schellings trea-
tises on natural philosophy are a splendid instance; or else they
hold forth with a deluge of words and the most intolerable diffu-
siveness, as though no end of fuss were necessary to make the
reader understand the deep meaning of their sentences, whereas
it is s[a] quite si

Some sentences need only a few deletions for clarification, but others require
major recasting and additions; they must be read carefully and put into the
readers own words.

Some in their discourse desire rather commendation of wit, in being

able to hold all arguments, than of judgment, in discerning what is
true; as if it were a praise to know what might be said, and not what
should be thought.

After studying it, a reader might recast the sentence as follows:

In conversation, some people desire praise for their abilities to

maintain the conversation rather than their abilities to identify what
is true or false, as though it were better to sound good than to know
what is truth or fiction.

2. Identifying the stated or implied meaning. What is the author stating or sug-
gesting?

The literal meaning of a text does not always correspond with the intended
meaning. To understand a passage fully, readers must determine which mean-
ingif there is more than oneis the intended meaning of the passage.
Consider the following sentence:

9
 If his notice was sought, an expression of courtesy and interest
gleamed out upon his features; proving that there was light within
him and that it was only the outward medium of the intellectual
lamp that obstructed the rays in their passage.

Interpreted literally, this Nathaniel Hawthorne metaphor suggests that a light-

generating lamp exists inside of the human body. Since this is impossible, the
reader must look to the metaphoric meaning of the passage to understand it
properly. In the metaphor, Hawthorne refers to the human mindconscious-
nessas a lamp that emits light, and other people cannot always see the lamp
because the outside mediumthe human bodysometimes blocks it.

3. Identifying the tone or mood of the selection. What feeling does the text
evoke?

To answer these types of questions, readers must look closely at individual

words and their connotations; for example, the words stubborn and firm share
almost the same definition, but a writer who describes a character as stubborn
rather than firm is probably suggesting something negative about the character.

Writing

The new SAT allocates only twenty-five minutes to the composition of a well-
organized, fully developed essay. Writing a satisfactory essay in this limited
time requires facility in quickly determining a thesis, organizing ideas, and pro-
ducing adequate examples to support the ideas.

An essay written in twenty minutes might not represent the best process writ-
ingan SAT essay might lack the perfection and depth that weeks of proofread-
ing and editing give to research papers. Process is undoubtedly important, but
students must consider the time constraints of the SAT. Completion of the essay
is just as important as organization, development, and language use.

The thesis, the organization of ideas, and the support make the framework of a
good essay. Before the actual writing begins, writers must create a mental out-
line by establishing a thesis, or main idea, and one or more specific supporting
ideas (the number of ideas will depend on the length and content of the essay).
Supporting ideas should not be overcomplicated; they are simply ideas that jus-
tify or explain the thesis. The writer must introduce and explain each
supporting idea, and the resultant supporting paragraph should answer the
why? or who cares? questions that the thesis evokes.

10
Once the thesis and supporting ideas are identified, writers must determine the
order in which the ideas will appear in the essay. A good introduction usually
explains the thesis and briefly introduces the supporting ideas. Explanation of
the supporting ideas should follow, with each idea in its own paragraph. The
final paragraph, the conclusion, usually restates the thesis or summarizes the
main ideas of the essay.

Adhering to the mental outline when the writing begins will help the writer
organize and develop the essay. Using the Organization and Development scor-
ing guides to evaluate practice essays will help to reinforce the process skills.
The Word Choice and Sentence Formation scoring guides will help to
strengthen language skillsthe vital counterpart to essay organization and
development.

Pronunciation Guide
a track
mate
father
care
e pet
be
i bit
bite
r steer
o job
wrote
port, horse, fought
proof
book
u pun
you
purr
about, system, supper, circus
oi toy

11
 Word List
Lesson 1 Lesson 3 Lesson 5
arable abstemious anomaly
camaraderie archaic compendium
desiccate atelier comprise
equanimity axiom consternation
frangible dulcet coterie
interminable expurgate disconcert
litany iniquity eidetic
lugubrious patronizing expiate
moratorium pellucid flippancy
replete peremptory foist
truncate perspicacious incongruous
ubiquitous scapegoat innocuous
vernacular talisman plethora
wrenching usurp preamble
zealous vacillate vitriolic

Lesson 2 Lesson 4 Lesson 6

brigand apocryphal accoutrement
carte blanche catharsis antediluvian
contemptuous crepuscular contrive
cosmopolitan efficacious haughty
donnybrook estrange hubris
incantation internecine imbroglio
interlocutor intrinsic peregrination
metamorphosis inundate platitude
nomenclature kudos prognosticate
nonchalant maxim quotidian
procrustean putrid sanctimonious
rife revere scullion
sophistry risible sectarian
stygian servile stringent
vestige sybaritic venerate

12
Lesson 7 Lesson 9 Lesson 11
anecdote benign bulwark
churlish blithe canard
coeval bumpkin cortege
cogent corroborate crescendo
convoluted culpable demotic
dilatory frenetic disingenuous
entreat hortatory dogged
gibberish indecorous etymology
incumbent orotund impresario
inimical penultimate intransigent
livid pervasive malaise
lurid provocative requisite
nexus recrimination simian
promulgate soporific solecism
staid toady wont

Lesson 8 Lesson 10 Lesson 12

aleatory circuitous assiduous
allay circumlocution bellicose
ameliorate depredate compunction
asperity indolent condescending
exegesis largesse epiphany
inveigh luminous panacea
lionize majordomo physiognomy
otiose perambulate propensity
pander perquisite pulchritude
profligate polemical revel
puerile probity rhapsodize
recalcitrant tacit sepulcher
renunciation timorous umbrage
unimpeachable untenable voluble
vitiate veneer wizened

13
 Lesson 13 Lesson 15 Lesson 17
analgesic appellation alimentary
conflagration autonomy ascetic
discretionary chthonian attenuate
draconian coagulate attribute
florid extirpate celerity
flummox gustatory congenital
fractious jurisprudence depravity
histrionics malevolent discourse
implicate misanthrope encomium
moribund peripatetic ethereal
noisome prominent megalomania
punctilious puissance mutable
turpitude scion primordial
unpalatable supercilious remuneration
veritable tutelary tactile

Lesson 14 Lesson 16 Lesson 18

artisan arcane cumulative
boondoggle bourgeois exhilaration
curmudgeon exculpate extricate
fiduciary indefeasible goad
inculcate matriculate impunity
indiscernible mercurial lithe
moiety nascent poignant
opprobrium paladin propriety
phlegmatic salubrious pundit
potentate sine qua non satiate
protg squelch superfluous
reciprocate tangential surfeit
repugnant trenchant trite
tenable tyro venial
virulent vicissitude vituperative

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Lesson 19 Lesson 20 Lesson 21
abjure acme abrogate
dissipate cerebral analects
extant conundrum anomie
fulsome deleterious apostasy
inchoate discerning cognizant
inveterate echelon extrinsic
propitious hypocrisy factotum
rescind idyllic febrile
schism malinger magniloquent
spurious nondescript outr
stentorian punitive parity
transient relegate propinquity
tremulous serendipity prosaic
unwieldy soluble supine
utilitarian waive surreptitious

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 Vocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT: Book Four

16
 Lesson One
1. camaraderie (k m r d r) n. rapport and goodwill
The coach attributed the teams success to the camaraderie among the
players.
syn: friendship; amity ant: enmity; hostility

2. frangible (fran j bl) adj. fragile; easy to break

Mom seldom used the frangible, antique dishes in the china cabinet.
syn: delicate; breakable ant: sturdy; strong

3. litany (li t n) n. any long, repetitive, or dull recital

The dissatisfied customer read a litany of complaints to the company
representative.

4. moratorium (mor tr m) n. a suspension of activity; an

authorized delay
The warring factions declared a moratorium on combat during the peace
talks.
syn: postponement; cessation ant: rush; continuation

5. zealous (zel s) adj. fervent; fanatical

The zealous gardener planted so many flowers that a number of
them did not have the necessary space in which to grow.
syn: passionate; enthusiastic ant: uninterested; indifferent

6. desiccate (des i kt) v. to dry out; to remove moisture

Janet desiccates flowers and then uses them to make wreaths.
syn: dehydrate ant: moisten; dampen

7. wrenching (rench ing) adj. causing mental or physical pain

The wrenching photographs of the starving children prompted Mike to
send a donation.
syn: distressing; agonizing ant: pleasant; comforting

8. replete (ri plt) adj. full; abundant

The anglers were happy to find their stream replete with trout.
syn: abounding; rife ant: lacking; empty

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 Vocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT: Book Four

9. interminable (in tr m n bl) adj. tiresome and long; seemingly

endless
The last few hours of school before the holiday vacation seemed
interminable.
syn: tedious ant: fleeting; limited

10. arable (ar bl) adj. suitable for cultivation of land

Death Valley and the Badlands are both characterized by their lack of
arable soil.
syn: fecund; fertile ant: barren; infertile

11. lugubrious (l g br s) adj. mournful; gloomy

The lugubrious funeral scene temporarily interrupted the comic tone of
the play.
syn: somber; depressing ant: joyful

12. truncate (trung kt) v. to shorten

The candidate truncated his campaign because of a family illness.
syn: abridge; abbreviate ant: lengthen; increase

13. ubiquitous (y bik wi ts) adj. occurring or seeming to occur

everywhere; omnipresent
The camping trip was horrible; the mosquitoes were ubiquitous and
hungry.
syn: universal ant: nonexistent

14. vernacular (vr nak y lr) n. everyday language

Using slang or vernacular in a formal term paper is usually inappropriate.

15. equanimity (k w nim i t) n. composure; calmness

Oddly enough, the plaintiff recounted the story of her attack with perfect
equanimity.
syn: sangfroid; poise ant: anxiety; agitation

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 Lesson One

EXERCISE IWords in Context

From the list below, supply the words needed to complete the paragraph. Some
words will not be used.

litany truncate lugubrious camaraderie

equanimity interminable zealous

1. Tony brushed the rain off his jacket as he walked through the glass doors
to the school. It was a[n] __________ Saturday morning, so Tony was
happy that the assessment test wouldnt cause him to forfeit a beautiful
spring day. He sat down with his answer booklet, and the test proctor
began the standard, twenty-minute __________ of instructions, as though
the __________, four-hour test were not long enough without the elabo-
rate instructions. Tony, not at all nervous after having taken the test three
times already, listened to the proctor with __________; however, some of
the more __________ test-takers anxiously tapped their #2 pencils, eager
to begin filling in the hundreds of tiny circles on their answer sheets.

From the list below, supply the words needed to complete the paragraph. Some
words will not be used.

frangible wrenching arable ubiquitous

replete vernacular zealous

2. Abby had taken Spanish in high school, but she had trouble understand-
ing the shopkeepers __________. The little shop was __________ with the
things that tourists often needed, such as film, medicine, and long-distance
phone cards; a shelf in front of the counter contained the keychains, cof-
fee mugs, and tee shirts __________ in every souvenir shop. A row of
__________ vases and pottery on a shelf behind the counter caught Abbys
eye, but she had actually come in to ask about the exotic plants growing in
the __________ plot outside, behind the store.

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 Vocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT: Book Four

From the list below, supply the words needed to complete the paragraph. Some
words will not be used.

litany truncate camaraderie wrenching

moratorium arable desiccate

3. The sporadic rain caused a[n] __________ in the stock car race until work-
ers could __________ the concrete track using large blowers pulled by
tractors. While the track dried, spectators watched the __________ among
members of the pit crews as they scrambled to make frantic adjustments to
cars in the minutes before drivers could return to the track. Despite the
excitement in the air, the whole scene was depressing for Miles, a former
driver who had to watch the race from the stands. The eight titanium pins
holding his leg bones together never let him forget the __________ injury
that had __________ his once-promising racing career.

EXERCISE IISentence Completion

Complete the sentence in a way that shows you understand the meaning of the
italicized vocabulary word.

1. When Angie complained about having to do chores for her allowance,

her dad began his usual litany about

2. Its difficult to maintain ones equanimity when

3. The cooler at the picnic was replete with

4. Dirk began to question the camaraderie of his teammates when one of

them

5. The actor became frustrated when the ubiquitous tabloid reporters

6. Anita wanted a home with an arable yard where she could

7. The interminable wait at the checkout line made Raymond decide

8. When you pack the boxes for the move, put the frangible items

9. Between innings, one of the zealous fans at the game

10. Bill likes comic poems, but Sylvia prefers lugubrious ones that

20
 Lesson One

11. The NCAA imposed a brief moratorium on football games when several
athletes

12. Shelly used common vernacular to identify the animals, but the zoology
professor wanted her to

13. You will need to truncate your award speech if you find out

14. Giles tried to suppress his wrenching memories of

15. The pioneers desiccated some of the fish so that they

EXERCISE IIIRoots, Prefixes, and Suffixes

Study the entries and answer the questions that follow.

The prefix ortho means straight or correct.

The prefix hetero means different.
The prefix homo means same.
The roots dogm and dox mean belief.
The root gen means type.
The suffix logy means word.

1. Using literal translations as guidance, define the following words without

using a dictionary.

A. dogmatic D. orthodox
B. heterodox E. doxology
C. homogenous F. heterogeneous

2. If para means beyond, then a paradox is something that is

____________.

3. List as many words as you can think of that begin with the prefix ortho.

4. What is homogenized milk?

5. Give an example of a dogma.

6. List as many words as you can think of that contain the root gen.

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 Vocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT: Book Four

EXERCISE IVInference

Complete the sentences by inferring information about the italicized word from its
context.

1. That is a ubiquitous species of tree, so dont be surprised if, during your

vacation abroad, you

2. If you have arable ground on your property, then you might consider

3. If you are bored, and the weather is lugubrious, you might

Exercise VWriting

Here is a writing prompt similar to the one you will find on the writing portion of
the SAT:

Plan and write an essay based on the following statement:

Books are the best type of the influence of the past,

and perhaps we shall get at the truthlearn the
amount of this influence more convenientlyby con-
sidering their value alone.

Ralph Waldo Emerson:

The American Scholar

Assignment: In an essay, explain whether you agree or disagree with Emersons

suggestion that books are the best type of influence of the past. Include a
comparison of books with other methods of gaining knowledge or under-
standing history, and explain why books do or do not have the value that
they did in 1837, the year of Emersons quote. Support your opinion using
evidence from your reading, studies, observations, and experience.

Thesis: Write a one-sentence response to the above assignment. Make certain

this sentence offers a clear statement of your position.

Example: Although books are excellent tools for presenting history, continual
advancements in practical technology are the best types of influences from the past.

22
 Lesson One

Organizational Plan: If your thesis is the point on which you want to end,
where does your essay need to begin? List the points of development that
are inevitable in leading your reader from your beginning point to your end
point. This is your outline.

Draft: Use your thesis as both your beginning and your end. Following your
outline, write a good first draft of your essay. Remember to support all of
your points with examples, facts, references to reading, etc.

Review and revise: Exchange essays with a classmate. Using the scoring guide
for Organization on page 248, score your partners essay (while he or she
scores yours). Focus on the organizational plan and use of language con-
ventions. If necessary, rewrite your essay to improve the organizational
plan and your use of language.

23
 Vocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT: Book Four

Identifying Sentence Errors

Identify the grammatical error in each of the following sentences. If the sentence
contains no error, select answer E.

1. Many individuals believe that if they are polite to their neighbors, they
(A) (B) (C)
can be impolite to their families. No error
(D) (E)

2. The commonly known expression that a dog is a mans best friend is

(A) (B)
frequently incorrect; all a person has to do is read the newspaper.
(C) (D)
No error
(E)

3. The home run Hal hit flew out of the stadium sailed into the parking lot,
(A) (B) (C)
and smashed the window of a brand-new car. No error
(D) (E)

4. Until one of the members of the rival gangs propose a truce, there will be
(A) (B)
no safety for honest citizens of this city. No error
(C) (D) (E)

5. No matter how hard Theresa tries, she cannot win the approval of her
(A) (B) (C)
field hockey coach. No error
(D) (E)

24
 Lesson One

Improving Sentences

The underlined portion of each sentence below contains some flaw. Select the
answer that best corrects the flaw.

6. Scientists think of the underwater world beneath the sea as a vast

laboratory, in which strange creatures do odd, unexplained things.
A. Scientists believe the underwater world beneath the sea is a vast
laboratory
B. Scientists feel that the underwater world beneath the sea is a vast
laboratory
C. Scientists think the underwater world is a vast laboratory
D. A vast laboratory is how scientists view the underwater world
beneath the sea
E. Beneath the sea lies a vast laboratory

7. Ben Franklin was a statesman, politician, printer, author, philosopher,

inventor, and Ambassador to France, yet most people studying history in
school only think of him as a man standing in a lightning storm with a
kite and a key.
A. yet only most people that study history in school think of him as a
man standing in a lightning storm with a kite and a key.
B. yet most people who studies history think of him as a man standing
in a lightning storm with a kite and a key.
C. yet most people with only a tiny knowledge of high school history
think of him as a man standing in a lightning storm with a kite and a
key.
D. yet most people who dont know much history only think of him as
a man standing in a lightning storm with a kite and a key.
E. yet most students think of him only as a man standing in a storm
with a kite and a key.

8. The reason I choose not to, said the potential customer to the car sales-
man, is because of the fact that you have not given me enough for my
trade-in.
A. Is because of the fact that you have not given me enough for my
trade-in.
B. is because of you having not given me enough for my trade-in.
C. is because you have not given me enough for my trade-in.
D. is that you have not given me enough for my trade-in.
E. is because of the fact that you arent giving me enough for my
trade-in.

25
 Vocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT: Book Four

9. There is only one prerequisite for the job; You must have a college degree
in Physics.
A. job: you must have a college degree in physics.
B. job; you must have a college degree in Physics.
C. job. That is that you must have a college degree in Physics.
D. job; You must have a college degree in physics.
E. job, and it is that a college degree in physics is necessary.

10. Ever since he has devoted himself entirely to helping the homeless.
A. Ever since he has devoted himself entirely to helping the homeless,
he has been happy.
B. Ever since, he has devoted himself entirely to helping the homeless.
C. He has devoted himself entirely to helping the homeless.
D. Ever since he has entirely devoted himself to helping the homeless.
E. Ever since helping the homeless, he has devoted himself entirely to
it.

26
 Lesson Two
1. metamorphosis (met mr f sis) n. a transformation or dramatic
change
That butterfly will experience a physical metamorphosis as it passes from
the pupa stage to the adult stage.
syn: mutation ant: stasis

2. donnybrook (don brk) n. a fight; an uproar

During the last minute of the close championship game, a referees
foolish decision caused a donnybrook among the fans of both teams.
syn: brawl; quarrel; altercation ant: agreement

3. nonchalant (non sh lnt) adj. unconcerned; indifferent

The nonchalant banker looked at the million-dollar check as though he
saw one every day.
syn: detached; relaxed ant: excited; concerned; alarmed

4. vestige (ves tij) n. a trace or evidence of something that once

existed
The rich vein of coal is a vestige of Earths lush, prehistoric forests.
syn: remnant; hint

5. interlocutor (in tr lok y tr) n. someone who participates in a

conversation
The delusional man wandered down the street, conversing with some
invisible interlocutor.

6. procrustean (pr krs t n) adj. strictly disregarding individual

differences or circumstances
The procrustean teacher warned the class that he would accept no
excuses for tardiness.
syn: ruthless; undiscriminating ant: sympathetic;
compassionate

7. stygian (sti j n) adj. dark and forbidding

The stygian house, empty for decades, was often the source of
unexplained phenomena.
syn: shadowy ant: bright; illuminated

27
 Vocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT: Book Four

8. sophistry (s f str) n. a deliberately deceptive or misleading

argument
The TV talk-show hosts convincing sophistry made his guests look
foolish for disagreeing with him.
syn: chicanery; ruse ant: truth

9. carte blanche (krt blnch ) n. boundless authority; unlimited power

to act
The secret agent had carte blanche to complete the extremely vital
mission.
syn: license; sanction; free rein ant: restriction

10. incantation (in kan t shn) n. a chant; a recited magical spell

The sorceress uttered a long incantation as she mixed the magic potion.
syn: invocation

11. cosmopolitan (koz m pol i tn) adj. worldly; sophisticated

Brett longed to have the cosmopolitan lifestyle of an international
investor.
syn: cultured ant: provincial

12. rife (rf) adj. abundant; prevalent

Be careful while shopping, because that part of the city is rife with crime.
syn: overflowing; rampant ant: lacking; limited

13. nomenclature (n mn kl chr) n. technical names or naming

system in an art or science
Students often spend hours memorizing the nomenclature of organic
chemistry.
syn: terminology

14. brigand (brig nd) n. a robber or bandit

The stagecoach driver kept a nervous watch for brigands while
transporting the heavy cash box.
syn: highwayman; outlaw

15. contemptuous (kn temp ch s) adj. haughty; scornful

The contemptuous bank loan officer was rude to the poorly dressed
applicants.
syn: arrogant; derisive ant: humble; polite

28
 Lesson Two

EXERCISE IWords in Context

From the list below, supply the words needed to complete the paragraph. Some
words will not be used.

donnybrook cosmopolitan carte blanche vestige

procrustean incantation metamorphosis

1. Mr. Trunk, the new manager, walked into his new, albeit antiquated,
office. The only __________ of the former manager was a dusty hotrod cal-
endar, three years out of date. Recruited for his __________ leadership
style and general lack of compassion, Mr. Trunk promised the company
president that production would experience a[n] __________ for the bet-
ter before the end of the year. Trunk had __________ to change operations
any way he saw fit, though he knew that his changes would not be taken
lightly; his revisions of break and lunchtime policies nearly got him into
a[n] __________ with angry workers, who felt that they had been
wronged.

From the list below, supply the words needed to complete the paragraph. Some
words will not be used.

rife nonchalant donnybrook interlocutor

contemptuous nomenclature brigand

2. The __________ sprang from the hedges, produced his saber, and
ordered the obviously wealthy couple to surrender their valuables, but the
couples __________ reaction to the threat bewildered the thief.
How __________ you aristocrats are, said the robber. An outlaw
threatens your lives, and you just stare with indifference?
Yes, because they have nothing to fear. Lower your weapon, highway-
man. The sudden voice of a new __________ startled the thief, but not as
much as the sharp tip of the dagger jabbing into his shoulder blade. The
thief dropped his sword, regreting he had not seen the watchman
approaching from behind. To reduce the crime that had become
__________ in the district, the king had recruited extra officers to patrol
the cobblestone streets.

29
 Vocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT: Book Four

From the list below, supply the words needed to complete the paragraph. Some
words will not be used.

stygian brigand incantation cosmopolitan

carte blanche nomenclature sophistry

3. In an effort to overcome the overwhelming boredom of his __________,

stone-floored prison cell, Tobias exercised his knowledge by identifying
each insect he saw by its Latin __________. The only alternative was to lis-
ten to the prisoner in the neighboring cell shout the same __________ that
had failed to convince the judge that he was innocent. In several weeks, the
repetitive, daily rant began to sound like a[n] __________ to Tobias, per-
haps a spell that would melt the bars of the noisy prisoners cell. The two
prisoners conversed occasionally. Tobias, a well-traveled, renowned
explorer, related tales from his __________ life, but the conversation
inevitably returned to the topic of the other mans wrongful imprisonment.

EXERCISE IISentence Completion

Complete the sentence in a way that shows you understand the meaning of the
italicized vocabulary word.

1. The brigands plotted to rob the train by

2. Paul experienced a total metamorphosis in his behavior after

3. The contemptuous child wondered why none of his classmates

4. A donnybrook erupted at the grocery store when

5. Many people know that H20 is the nomenclature for

6. The fans in the home crowd yelled a hilarious incantation when

7. The procrustean bus driver refused to

8. The stygian cave made a good hideout for the outlaw because

9. Kelly thought herself too cosmopolitan to

10. The lawn is rife with weeds this year because

30
 Lesson Two

11. The cement foundation, overgrown with weeds, and littered with charred
wood, is the only remaining vestige of

12. George was a great interlocutor in the debate because he

13. Ian had carte blanche when using the family car until he

14. Try to remain nonchalant and avoid looking desperate when we ask

15. The arch villain used sophistry to convince the hero to

EXERCISE IIIRoots, Prefixes, and Suffixes

Study the entries and answer the questions that follow.

The suffix escent means becoming or growing.

The prefix ob means toward or against.
The prefix con means totally or completely.
The root val means strong or healthy.
The root rub means red.
The roots irid and iris mean rainbow or brightly colored.
The root fac means make.

1. Using literal translations as guidance, define the following words without

using a dictionary.

A. rubefacient D. convalescent
B. iridescent E. iris
C. rubescent F. valor

2. What do you think the musical term crescendo means?

3. List some of the deeds that a valiant knight might do.

4. List as many words as you can think of that contain the root val.

31
 Vocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT: Book Four

EXERCISE IVInference

Complete the sentences by inferring information about the italicized word from its
context.

1. The forest around the house is rife with poison ivy, so we should

2. Mike used to be rebellious, but he experienced a metamorphosis that

3. If Nina behaved in a nonchalant manner when she saw her report card,
then she probably

EXERCISE VCritical Reading

Below is a reading passage followed by several multiple-choice questions similar to

the ones you will encounter on the SAT. Carefully read the passage and choose the
best answer to each of the questions.

Edward Sanford Martin (1856-1939) was a humor writer and one of the founders
of Life Magazine. The following passage is an excerpt from Martins essay, The
Tyranny of Things. In the essay, Martin discusses how easily people become slaves
to material goods, including even material things that are thought to be beneficial
or coveted, such as large homes.

There was a story in the newspapers the other day about a Massachusetts min-
ister who resigned his charge because someone had given his parish a fine house,
and his parishioners wanted him to live in it. His salary was too small, he said, to
admit of his living in a big house, and he would not do it. He was even deaf to the
5 proposal that he should share the proposed tenement with the sewing societies
and clubs of his church, and when the matter came to a serious issue, he relin-
quished his charge and sought a new field of usefulness. The situation was an
amusing instance of the embarrassment of riches. Let no one to whom restricted
quarters may have grown irksome, and who covets larger dimensions of shelter, be
10 too hasty in deciding that the minister was wrong. Did you ever see the house that
Hawthorne lived in at Lenox? Did you ever see Emersons house at Concord? They
are good houses for Americans to know and remember. They permitted thought.
A big house is one of the greediest cormoranst which can light upon a little
income. Backs may go threadbare and stomachs may worry along on indifferent
15 filling, but a house will have things, though its occupants go without. It is rarely
complete, and constantly tempts the imagination to flights in brick and dreams in
lath and plaster. It develops annual thirsts for paint and wallpaper, at least, if not
for marble and woodcarving. The plumbing in it must be kept in order on pain of
death. Whatever price is put on coal, it has to be heated in winter; and if it is rural

32
 Lesson Two

20 or suburban, the grass about it must be cut even though funerals in the family
have to be put off for the mowing. If the tenants are not rich enough to hire people
to keep their house clean, they must do it themselves, for there is no excuse that
will pass among housekeepers for a dirty house. The master of a house too big for
him may expect to spend the leisure which might be made intellectually or spiri-
25 tually profitable, in acquiring and putting into practice fag ends of the arts of the
plumber, the bell-hanger, the locksmith, the gas-fitter, and the carpenter. Presently
he will know how to do everything that can be done in the house, except enjoy
himself. He will learn about taxes, too, and water-rates, and how such abomina-
tions as sewers or new pavements are always liable to accrue at his expense. As for
30 the mistress, she will be a slave to carpets and curtains, wallpaper, painters, and
women who come in by the day to clean. She will be lucky if she gets a chance to
say her prayers, and thrice and four times happy when she can read a book or visit
with her friends. To live in a big house may be a luxury, provided that one has a
full set of money and an enthusiastic housekeeper in ones family; but to scrimp in
35 a big house is a miserable business. Yet such is human folly, that for a man to
refuse to live in a house because it is too big for him, is such an exceptional exhi-
bition of sense that it becomes the favorite paragraph of a day in the newspapers.
An ideal of earthly comfort, so common that every reader must have seen it, is
to get a house so big that it is burdensome to maintain, and fill it up so full of gim-
40 cracks that it is a constant occupation to keep it in order. Then, when the expense
of living in it is so great that you cant afford to go away and rest from the burden
of it, the situation is complete and boarding houses and cemeteries begin to yawn
for you. How many Americans, do you suppose, out of the droves that flock annu-
ally to Europe, are running away from oppressive houses?
45 When nature undertakes to provide a house, it fits the occupant. Animals which
build by instinct build only what they need, but mans building instinct, if it gets
a chance to spread itself at all, is boundless, just as all his instincts are. For it is
mans peculiarity that nature has filled him with impulses to do things, and left it
to his discretion when to stop. She never tells him when he has finished. And per-
50 haps we ought not to be surprised that in so many cases it happens that he does
not know, but just goes ahead as long as the materials last.
If another man tries to oppress him, he understands that and is ready to fight to
death and sacrifice all he has, rather than submit; but the tyranny of things is so
subtle, so gradual in its approach, and comes so masked with seeming benefits,
55 that it has him hopelessly bound before he suspects his fetters. He says from day
to day, I will add thus to my house; I will have one or two more horses; I will
make a little greenhouse in my garden; I will allow myself the luxury of anoth-
er hired man; and so he goes on having things and imagining that he is richer for
them. Presently he begins to realize that it is the things that own him. He has piled
60 them up on his shoulders, and there they sit like Sinbads Old Man and drive him;
and it becomes a daily question whether he can keep his trembling legs or not.
All of which is not meant to prove that property has no real value, or to rebut
Charles Lambs scornful denial that enough is as good as a feast. It is not meant to
apply to the rich, who can have things comfortably, if they are philosophical; but
65 to us poor, who have constant need to remind ourselves that where the verbs to
have and to be cannot both be completely inflected, the verb to be is the one that
best repays concentration.

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 Vocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT: Book Four

1. The tone of this passage is best described as

A. cynical.
B. supportive.
C. forlorn.
D. evasive.
E. supercilious.

2. As used in the first paragraph, charge most nearly means

A. accusation.
B. debt.
C. ridicule.
D. duty.
E. shock.

3. According to the context of the first paragraph, Emerson and

Hawthornes houses were probably
A. elaborate and expansive.
B. practical, plain residences.
C. constructed more than 200 years ago.
D. larger than the homes of their neighbors.
E. simple tents with dirt floors.

4. The cormorants in line 13 are probably

A. strike-anywhere matches.
B. feelings of doubt.
C. boulders.
D. bands of robbers.
E. voracious sea birds.

5. Which choice is the best interpretation of the following quotation?

Backs may go threadbare and stomachs may worry

along on indifferent filling, but a house will have things,
though its occupants go without.

A. The maintenance of a house always takes priority over the people

living in it, even if they are forced to go without proper food or
clothing.
B. Its a bad time to buy real estate because interest rates are rising and
the price of food and clothing is increasing.
C. The best house is one that includes a butler and a full wardrobe.
D. No matter how much money someone has, a house will ensure that
he or she will not be able to afford to eat or buy clothing.
E. People inevitably spend too much money on their homes.

34
 Lesson Two

6. According to paragraph 2, there is nothing wrong with living in a large

house if
A. the house contains no decorations or furniture.
B. the occupants are familiar with tax laws, painting, and mowing
grass.
C. the occupants have plenty of money and someone to maintain the
house.
D. the house is not in need of repairs.
E. the occupants have no friends.

7. As used in line 34, scrimp most nearly means

A. to live.
B. to economize.
C. to repair.
D. to eat.
E. to spend freely.

8. According to the author, people such as the minister are accused of hav-
ing an embarrassment of riches because
A. few people understand why someone would refuse to live in a large
house.
B. the house offered to the minister is bedecked with fine woodwork.
C. everyone wants a larger house than the one he or she currently
owns.
D. ministers generally have few possessions, so wealth embarrasses
them.
E. a modest, wealthy person would never accept a free house.

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 Vocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT: Book Four

9. Which choice best paraphrases the following quotation?

but to us poor, who have constant need to remind

ourselves that where the verbs to have and to be can-
not both be completely inflected, the verb to be is the
one that best repays concentration.

A. Those who cannot be happy simply existing, or being, become

disillusioned by wanting all the time.
B. The poor, who need more than they want, are usually happier to
think about what kind of people they are.
C. Material possessions are nothing compared to those things that
define a person.
D. The poor, who cannot claim to have or have had material things, are
better off considering what they are than what they have.
E. Wealthy people, who know who they are and what they want, have
little need to worry about owning a large house.

10. Which of the following statements best supports the theme of this passage?
A. Large houses require a lot of work.
B. A free house, small or large, is always better than no house.
C. People become slaves to their material possessions.
D. Being wealthy and owning a small house is a ridiculous situation.
E. Large families should reconsider whether they require large homes.

36
 Lesson Three
1. scapegoat (skp gt) n. one who bears the blame for others
Andy was frequently absent, so other workers made him the scapegoat
for their own mistakes.
syn: patsy; sucker

2. peremptory (p remp t r) adj. not allowing refusal or delay;

imperative
The guard issued a peremptory warning to step away from the fence or be
fired upon.
syn: authoritative; unconditional ant: roundabout; passive; equivocal

3. atelier (a tl y) n. an artists or a designers workshop

The painter converted his garage into an atelier to work on his creative
masterpieces.

4. axiom (ak s m) n. a universal truth; an established rule

According to some people, the most important axiom of all is, Do unto
others as you would have them do unto you.
syn: fundamental; theorem ant: absurdity

5. dulcet (dul sit) adj. melodious; pleasing to the ear

The opera singers dulcet voice earned her a prominent place in the
upcoming production.
syn: harmonic; melodic ant: cacophonous; dissonant

6. usurp (y srp ) v. to take over; to seize power

The evil heir planned to usurp the throne while the king was ill.
syn: commandeer; seize; co-opt ant: abdicate; relinquish

7. patronizing (p tr nz ing) adj. treating with condescension; acting

superior
Despite his patronizing treatment of the employees, the foreman was still
well liked.
syn: lofty; arrogant ant: humble; friendly

8. iniquity (i nik wi t) n. an evil or wicked act

He heartily repented his iniquity, but only after he faced a lifelong prison
sentence.
syn: abomination; injustice; sin

37