به کانون زبان پاسارگاد خوش آمدید.

1. Make sure the directions are very explicit so that no one makes a mistake.

Explicit means:

a. intricate, complex.

b. clearly and fully stated.

c. chronologically ordered.

d. ambiguous or implied.

e. factual, without expressing opinions.

2. The hotel is teeming with security personnel because the leaders of

several countries are here for a summit meeting.

To teem means:

a. to close down temporarily.

b. to lose business due to circumstances beyond one’s control.

c. to be full of, nearly overflowing.

d. to be under close scrutiny.

e. to enjoy the benefits of.

3. Karen was relieved to learn that the chemicals in her well water were

all benign.

Benign means:

a. natural.

b. dangerous.

c. of local origin.

d. undisturbed.

e. harmless.

4. Although it was futile because he didn’t meet half of the requirements,

Jensen applied for the job anyway because it was his dream position.

Futile means:

a. useless.

b. fruitful.

c. radical.

d. insane.

e. stubborn.

5. Although the plot of the film is admittedly trite, the characters are so

endearing that the movie is highly entertaining despite the old storyline.

Trite means:

a. original.

b. exciting.

c. complex.

d. overused.

e. tragic.

6. Ilka has always emulated her older brother, so it is no surprise that she is also pursuing a career as a neuroscientist.

To emulate means:

a. to support wholeheartedly.

b. to strive to equal, imitate, or outdo.

c. to be more successful than.

d. to regard as inferior.

e. to feel a strong bond with.

7. Everyone loved Ilona’s idea, and she quickly garnered enough support for her proposal to present it to the committee.

To garner means:

a. create.

b. propose.

c. demonstrate.

d. withhold.

e. gather.

8. Cy’s attempt to finally complete the marathon was thwarted when he twisted his ankle in the twenty-third mile.

To thwart means:

a. to injure seriously.

b. to prevent from accomplishing.

c. to support actively.

d. to be excessively competitive.

e. to set aside a long-awaited goal.

9. Aswad has such a caustic sense of humor that most people find his jokes upsetting rather than humorous.

Caustic means:

a. bitingly sarcastic.

b. relentlessly funny.

c. refreshingly honest.

d. original, cutting edge.

e. arrogant, vain.

10. Sandra is truly an enigma; although she’s lived here for years and everyone knows her, no one seems to know anything about who she is or where she came from.

An enigma is:

a. a stranger.

b. an enemy.

c. a newcomer.

d. a mystery.

e. an orphan.

Answers

1. b. Explicit means clearly and fully stated; straightforward, exact. The

context tells you that the directions need to be clear to prevent an

error. If the directions are clearly and fully stated, it will help

ensure that no one makes a mistake.

2. c. To teem means to be full of, to be present in large numbers.

Numerous security personnel typically surround the leader of a

country. If there is a meeting of several foreign leaders, there is

likely to be a great number of security officers in the hotel.

3. e. Benign means not harmful or malignant; gentle, mild, having a

beneficial effect. Choice e is the only answer that makes sense in

the context of the sentence; Karen would logically be worried

about chemicals in her water and relieved if she learned those

chemicals were harmless.

4. a. Futile means useless, producing no result, hopeless, vain. Jensen’s

application is useless because he does not meet the minimum

requirements for the job.

5. d. Trite means repeated too often, overly familiar through overuse.

The key context clue is the phrase “the old storyline,’’ which indicates

that the plot of the movie is overused.

6. b. To emulate means to try to equal or excel, especially by imitation.

The sentence tells you that Ilka is pursuing the same career as her

brother, which indicates that she is trying to equal or outdo him

through imitation.

7. e. To garner means to gather, amass, or acquire. The sentence tells

you that Ilona quickly found the support she needed to present

her idea to the committee; also since the sentence states that people

loved Ilona’s idea, it is logical to conclude that she would

gather their support.

8. b. To thwart means to prevent the accomplishment or realization of

something. Cy’s twisted ankle kept him from realizing his attempt

to complete the marathon.

9. a. Caustic means bitingly sarcastic, cutting; able to burn or dissolve

by chemical action. The main context clue is that people find

Aswad’s jokes upsetting rather than humorous; thus choice a is the

only option that makes sense.

10. d. Enigma means something that is puzzling or difficult to understand;

a baffling problem or riddle. The context tells you that

people know who Sandra is, but no one knows anything about

her; thus, she remains a mystery.