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3
Word Knowledge
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Terms youll need to understand:

Connotation
Context
Denotation
Synonyms
Prefix
Suffix
Root word

Techniques youll need to master:

Building your vocabulary
Understanding words according to their usage
Understanding words according to their construction
Knowing the differences between denotation and connotation
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In essence, we live in a communications-centric society. To cope in that soci-

ety, you must be able to read and understand what you are reading. The
beginning of overall reading comprehension lies within adept vocabulary
skillsunderstanding individual words as they appear in context. The Word
Knowledge and Paragraph Comprehension sections of the ASVAB assess
your ability in vocabulary skills and reading comprehension.
The Word Knowledge module contains 25 questions (the CAT-ASVAB has
16 questions), which you will need to answer in 11 minutes, or 8 minutes on
the CAT-ASVAB. To achieve your 70%, you need to answer 18 questions
correctly; to achieve 80%, you need to answer 20 questions correctly.
The Word Knowledge portion of the ASVAB tests your knowledge of both
common and not-so-common words. This section measures your ability to
choose the correct meaning of a word, in context, and choose an appropriate
synonym or meaning.
Much of the Word Knowledge module is simply word recognition and
knowing the meaning of words. Because vocabulary is an essential part of
reading comprehension, you need to get a good handle on this section to
prepare you for the Paragraph Comprehension module. In each question on
the test, you will see a sentence that contains one underlined word. Your job
is to select a word or phrase that has the closest meaning to the underlined
word. For example, a Word Knowledge question might look like the follow-
ing, wherein you must choose a word that means approximately the same as
the underlined word:
His behavior was atypical.
A. usual
B. abnormal
C. bizarre
D. calm

If you are an avid reader, or if you are simply adept at learning and using new
words, this section will not be too difficult. However, because we cant all be
familiar with all the words of the English language, we have to employ a few
tools and methods of discerning what unfamiliar words mean. The following
sections teach you about word usage and give you tips for maneuvering
through the murky waters of word usage.
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Building Your Vocabulary

There is nothing difficult about expanding and improving your word knowl-
edgeit is simply a matter of practice and deliberation. The most important
habit you can cultivate, if you havent already, is to start reading more, espe-
cially material that is a little difficult for you. That doesnt mean you have to
pick up a college-level physics book or a database programming manual. If
you currently read popular fiction, perhaps you can start reading other fic-
tion books in the same genre as those you enjoy, but that have a more
advanced writing style. For example, if enjoy adventure novels, you can try
some books by Tom Clancy or John Grisham, which contain more difficult,
and sometimes technical, words. By doing this, you will encounter words
that are new to you, but you can still keep up with the context as presented
in an enjoyable story line.
When you come across an unfamiliar word, look it up in the dictionary as
soon as possible. That way, you can derive the full meaning of the word.
After you look up the word, try to use it a couple of times so you understand
not only the meaning and spelling of the word, but how to use it correctly in
conversation, too.
If you want to score high on the Word Knowledge portion of the ASVAB,
you should develop habits of reading avidly, consulting a dictionary when
you need to, playing word gamessuch as Scrabbleand being aware of
other opportunities to improve your language and vocabulary skills through
usage.

Throughout this book, you will encounter words with which you may not be
familiar. This is an excellent opportunity to use your vocabulary building skills.

Understanding Context
When you are reading and come across an unfamiliar word, you can often
look at the context to help you figure out at least an approximate definition
for that word. The other words in the rest of the sentence or paragraph influ-
ence and clarify the unfamiliar word and provide its context. The context
provides a setting for the word. Further, context clues help provide meaning
and usage for the word. The most common context clues are discussed in
more detail later in the chapter, but they are listed as follows:
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Experience clues

Definition clues

Example clues

Comparison clues

Even if you dont know a certain term, you can put together clues from the
context, a clues tip-off phrase, or a suggested idea, to formulate a guess as to
the meaning of a particular word. In addition, a sample context is a sentence
or a part of a sentence that clarifies a definition, distinguishes similar mean-
ings, and illustrates the level and mode of usage. For example, the test might
present the following type of question:
The nice young man courteously opened the door.
A. Hastily
B. Rudely
C. Slowly
D. Politely

In this type of question, you need to find a synonym for the underscored
word. By understanding the rest of the words in the sentence, you can
assume that the young man was kind and polite in opening the door.
Although you might not always be able to look up a new word promptly, see-
ing the new word in its proper context is very important. You are more like-
ly to remember a new word presented in context than if you were to simply
study words from a list. The first couple of times you come across a new
word, you might ignore it and skim to the next familiar word. However, after
several encounters, you will begin to recall other times you have seen that
same word. You are also likely to start noticing incidences of the new word
when you hear it in conversation or on the radio or television. When you do
learn its definition, you are more likely to remember it because of your expe-
rience with that word.

Experience Clues
Sometimes, you can guess at the meaning of an unfamiliar word simply
because you have had a similar experience to the one the sentence or para-
graph discusses. We can all relate to a number of common experiences, such
as feelings you have upon receiving an award for commendable work, the
death of a loved one, or falling in love. For example, consider this sentence:
Not even the caterers late arrival could take away from the brides
euphoria. You might not understand the term euphoria, but you understand
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the extreme happiness that a bride feels on her wedding day, and you can
therefore vaguely understand that euphoria means an exaggerated buoyancy
and sense of bodily health.

Definition or Paraphrase Clues

Sometimes you can determine the meaning of a word by the way the writer
describes the word by defining or paraphrasing it. We call this description a
definition, or paraphrase, clue. A definition clue is one that actually defines a
term, and a paraphrase clue is a phrase that restates the term in question.
You will often find definition clues in science and technical books, where the
writers must constantly define new terms. Sometimes, commas set off the
definition or paraphrase, which immediately follows the target word. In
other instances, the definition or paraphrase comes later in the sentence or
paragraph. The phrase is called or the word is often indicates a definition clue.
For example, The set of rules that govern how Microsoft programs run is
called the Windows Operating System, shows how the phrase Windows
Operating System is defined in usage.

Example Clues
In some instances, writers provide you with examples of the unfamiliar word
that help you figure out its meaning. Often, parentheses, commas, or dashes
offset an example clue. For example, in this sentence, You can use almost
any legume such as black, navy, and kidney beansto make a rich and
hearty soup, the offset words tell you what a legume is, even if you have
never farmed or cooked and have no idea what a legume is.
Noticing examples can help you infer the meaning of a word, and expressions
like the following often precede an example clue:
such as

for example

for instance

to illustrate

including
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Comparison and Contrast Clues

You can also discern the meaning of a word through comparison clues, where-
in a writer compares or contrasts one word or point with another. A compar-
ison clue tells you how things are the same, whereas a contrast clue tells you
how things are different.
For example, examine this sentence, Mike is rather withdrawn and subdued
today and is rather lacking in his usual display of bonhomie and zeal. You
might not understand the word bonhomie, but you most likely understand the
word withdrawn. From this contrast, you can determine that Mike does not
want to socialize today and that bonhomie means that Mike is normally of a
genial, social nature and is very enthusiastic about life in general.
If you pay attention, you will see introduction words that tip you off that you
have a comparison clue, like these:
but

however

instead

although

though

on the other hand

still

Words like these, on the other hand, often introduce comparison clues:
and

another

like

as

Synonyms and Homonyms

When you look up a specific word in the dictionary, you often see three other
categories of words listed in addition to the word itself. Antonyms are words
that have an opposite meaning to the original word; however, because the
ASVAB test does not cover antonyms, neither will we. You will also see two
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other categories of words in the dictionary, synonyms and homonyms, which

the test does address. The following sections discuss each of these categories
and what to watch out for on the test.

Words and Their Synonyms

Synonyms are words that have similar, but not exactly the same, meanings.
The Word Knowledge section of the ASVAB will test your knowledge of
word meanings and synonyms. The test will present you with an underlined
word, and ask you to choose a synonym for that word from a list. As you
learn new words, ensure that you also learn the meanings and synonyms for
that word. For example, the test may give you this type of question:
The best synonym for irrigate is
A. moisten
B. aggravate
C. manuever
D. wade

You must choose the word with the nearest meaning to irrigate from the
list, which will be answer A, moisten.

Remember, a synonym matches the part of speech of the original word. This means
that a verb has another verb as a synonym, and a noun has a noun as its synonym.
For example, in the list above, irrigate is a verb, therefore, the synonym for irrigate
will also be a verb, which is moisten.

Although you can normally substitute a given word for its synonym, you
wont necessarily achieve a direct translation in meaning by doing so. In
these situations, the difference in meaning between synonyms is a matter of
specificity. Take, for instance, this sentence, The boy ate his supper, as
compared to The boy devoured his supper. Although the essence of both
sentences is the samethat the boy has, in some manner, ingested his
mealthe specificity and connotation of the two phrases are distinctly dif-
ferent because ate indicates a placid attitude toward consuming his meal,
whereas devoured indicates an urgency and speed to the same basic activ-
ity. Because of the variations in meaning between words, you cannot always
directly substitute synonyms.
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On the Word Knowledge module, you are presented with lists of words or meanings
from which to answer synonym questions. More than one of the choices might be a
viable answer; choose the one that has the closest meaning and context. In addition,
some of the choices might be very closely related in meaning. Make sure that you
understand the context, if one is provided, of the word and choose carefully.

Using a Thesaurus
You will often see two types of synonym-listing books: a dictionary of synonyms
and a thesaurus. The dictionary of synonyms is fairly straightforward; you
simply look up your target word from an extensive list of alphabetically
organized words to find synonyms of your target word. The word listing
does not necessarily keep contextual synonyms together.
Using a thesaurus is a bit different. Because Rogets International Thesaurus is
the most popular and most extensive thesaurus, we will use it as our example.
First, look up your target word in the index in the back of the book. The
index lists words alphabetically. Second, in the listing under your target
word, find the desired context. Last, follow the numerical reference to the
contextual listing. The book arranges the categories in numerical order, and
the numbers of the categories on each page are at the top outer corner of the
page. In this listing, you will find not only your target word, but also all the
synonyms within a specific context.

Confusing Homonyms
In addition to misunderstanding a words denotation, a writer can also make
mistakes in diction because he confuses the word he intends with a homo-
nym of that word. Homonyms are words that sound alike but have different
spellings and meanings.

Be sure that you can recognize homonyms and how they are spelled. A homonym
can change the entire context of a sentence.

For example, The hare on the back of his neck stood up, doesnt make a lot
of sense until you understand that hare should be its homonym, hair. To keep
from making the same, confusing mistake, you should consult your diction-
ary whenever you are unsure of a words exact meaning. Remember that both
meaning and spelling count in the Word Knowledge section of the test. Table
3.1 lists some common homonyms.
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Table 3.1 Common Homonyms

Word Homonym
accept (receive) except (other than)
affect (have an influence on) effect (result)
allude (refer to indirectly) elude (to avoid)
allusion (indirect reference) illusion (false perception)
bare (unclothed) bear (to carry; an animal)
board (plank of wood) bored (uninterested)
brake (stop) break (smash)
buy (purchase) by (next to)
cite (quote an authority) sight (to see); site (a place)
desert (abandon) dessert (after-dinner course)
elicit (bring out) illicit (illegal)
fair (average, lovely, or gala) fare (a fee)
fourth (after third) forth (forward)
gorilla (large primate) guerilla (type of warfare)
hear (perceive by ear) here (in this place)
heard (past tense of hear) herd (a group of animals)
hole (opening) whole (complete)
lead (heavy metal) led (to have guided)
lessen (make less) lesson (something learned)
meat (flesh) meet (encounter)
no (opposite of yes) know (be certain)
passed (past tense of pass) past (after, or time gone by)
patience (forbearance) patients (people under medical supervision)
peace (absence of war) piece (a portion)
plain (unadorned or clear) plane (carpenters tool, aircraft, or geometric
space)
presence (to be on hand) presents (gifts)
principal (most important; head principle (basic truth or law)
of a school)
rain (precipitation) reign (to rule); rein (a strap to control an animal)
raise (build or lift up) raze (tear down)
right (correct; opposite of left) rite (religious ceremony); write (enscribe)
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Understanding Denotation and

Connotation
Language is symbolic in that we use it to represent ideas, objects, and feel-
ings. Because language is only representative, you can interpret any given
statement in more than one way. Sometimes the difference is simply literal
versus figurative interpretation. Denotation and connotation are two more tools
you can employ to discern the meaning of an unfamiliar term. For a writer
to express herself precisely, she must understand both the denotations and
connotations of words, and use that understanding to convey to the reader
her exact intent.

Denotation
A words denotation is the strict dictionary definition of that word and refers
to the actual thing or idea it represents. In other words, a denotation is the
actual meaning of the word without reference to the emotional associations
it can arouse in a reader.
If a writer wants her readers to fully grasp her meaning, she must use words
according to their established denotations to avoid meaning something she
didnt intend and end up confusing the reader. An example of a misused word
is represented in this sentence, Her dissent was gradual and hesitating.
This is homonym confusionand subsequently denotation confusionat its
best. Although a dissent (disagreement) may be gradual and hesitating, the
most likely denotation is that of descent (travel downward), which makes a
lot more sense.
However, even with the apparent objectivity of a dictionary definition, you
will still encounter certain language challenges on the denotative level,
because a word can have multiple denotations. For example, the dictionary
lists more than 20 distinct meanings for the word low. As a result, you can say,
A low wall bordered the field, and you can also say, John was feeling low
today. The same word, used in two different contexts, has two distinctly dif-
ferent meanings. This ambiguity of word meanings can give you a bit of an
obstacle in understanding new words. Considering that, ensure that when
you read you understand both denotation and context to get the precise
meaning of the word as it is used.
In technical or scientific books you are less likely to find a great number of
words with multiple denotations than you are, for instance, in a fictional
work. In these kinds of books, you have a one-to-one correspondence
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between word and meaning. For example, if you see the term transistor or
operating system, you will perceive each of those terms in only one context
each, that being electronic circuitry (for transistor) or a set of governing
operating rules for your computer (for operating system).

Be aware that words can have more than one denotation and connotation. Be sure to
read the question in the correct context and then choose an answer based on the
most correct contextual meaning.

Connotation
Although writers can make mistakes in denotation, a writer is more apt to
miss the right word by misjudging its connotation. Connotation refers to the
emotional or psychological associations a word carries with it. The connota-
tion of a word goes beyond its strict meaning to express the feelings,
thoughts, and images the word suggests or evokes.
You can see an example of the difference between connotation and denota-
tion by examining the phrase United States of America. The denotation is as
follows: A federal republic of North America, including 50 states, and the
District of Columbia, the Canal Zone, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the
United States, American Samoa, Guam Wake, and several other scattered
islands of the Pacific. Pretty dry and neutral, huh? Now, compare the con-
notation of the same phrase, which includes government, patriotism, nation-
al pride, and a feeling of republic and oneness with other Americans. As you
can see, the connotation is quite different from the denotation.
Because of the subjective nature of language, it has the power to create
unpredictable psychological responses. Some connotations are personal,
deriving from ones particular experiences, whereas others carry emotional
overtones by virtue of the way the writer presents the word.
For example, the word home evokes a different response from someone who
came from a happy childhood and home than that evoked in someone who
had an unhappy home life. Several types of connotation can influence the
way you think about a word, which are as follows:
Positive (favorable) connotationWords that make people feel good

Negative (unfavorable) connotationWords that provoke a negative

emotional response
Neutral connotationWords that cause no emotional reaction at all
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Depending on the intent of the writer, he will choose either favorable or

unfavorable connotations to communicate his point. Most journalistic writ-
ing uses favorable connotations for the sake of political correctness and to
avoid alienating readers. Scientific or technical documents typically use a
neutral connotation. Politically motivated writing normally uses highly
charged connotations, both favorable and unfavorable, to achieve the desired
impact.
Words also have formal and informal connotations. When you speak with or
write to older people, people who are in a position of authority, or others you
do not know well, you are most likely to use words with formal connotations.
An example would be using the term grandmother instead of a denotative, yet
less formal, equal like gramma. Formal connotations tend to be either neu-
tral or favorable. When you speak with or write to your friends, you are most
likely to use words with informal connotations.

Finding Word Meaning Through

Structure
You can often determine the general meaning of a word by its structure.
Compound words have a root word, which might not be a whole word, either
preceded by a prefix or followed by a suffix.
Although the English language, especially in the United States, has consid-
erable influence from many different languages, most English root words
and prefixes come from Latin or Greek and still carry the same meaning they
did in the original language. Your job is to learn the most common prefixes
and roots so you can determine a words meaning from its structure. By
learning the most common standard prefixes, roots, and suffixes, you can
improve your vocabulary and spelling skills immensely.

Root Words
Root words generally keep the same meaning as they had in the original lan-
guage, whether it be Latin, Greek, or another mother language. Most of our
root words are derived from Latin and Greek; Table 3.2 provides a list of
some of the most common Latin and Greek roots, what they mean, and
examples of English words containing them.
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Table 3.2 Common Root Words

Root Meaning Example
anthrop man; human anthropomorphic
aster, astr star astronomy, astrology
audi to hear audible, audience
bene good, well benefit, benevolent
biblio book bibliography
bio life biology, autobiography
dic, dict to speak dictator, dictionary
equ; aequ equal, same equivalent
fer to carry transfer, referral
fix to fasten fix, suffix, prefix
geo earth geography, geology
gram written or drawn telegram
graph to write geography, photography
jur, jus law jury, justice
lingue language, tongue linguistics
log, logue word, thought, speech astrology, biology, neologism
manu hand manual, manuscript
meter, met measure metric, thermometer
op, oper work operation, operator
par equal parity
path feeling pathetic, sympathy
ped child pediatrics
phil love philosophy, anglophile
phon sound phonics
phys body, nature physical, physics
psych soul psychic, psychology
sci know science
scrib, script to write scribble, manuscript
tele far off telephone, television
ter, terr earth territory, extraterrestrial
vac empty vacant, vacuum, evacuate
verb word verbal, verbose
vid, vis to see video, vision, television
voc call, voice vocation
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Prefixes
Prefixes are standard syllables that attach to the front of root words to mod-
ify the root word and provide specificity and meaning. For example, the pre-
fix pro added to the beginning of the root logue, results in the word prologue,
which means before the word, thought, or speech. When you think of mul-
tisyllabic words as simply puzzle pieces, it becomes much easier to determine
their meanings. Table 3.3 provides a list of the most common prefixes you
will see in everyday language.

Table 3.3 Common Prefixes

Prefix Meaning Example
a- on, in aboard, asleep
a-, an- not, without achromatic
ab-, a-, abs- away, apart from abdicate, amoral
ad-, a-, ac-, af-, near to, toward, adhere, ascribe, allude,
ag-, al-, an-, without perceptible annex, append, attract
ap-, ar-, as-, at- force
ambi- both ambidextrous
amphi- both or all sides, amphichroic, amphibious
around, both kinds
ante- before anteroom, antenatal
anti- against antibiotic
bi- two biannually, biped
bio- life biophysical
circum- around circumvent
co-, com-, col-, with, together combine, collide, concur,
con-, cor- correspond
contra- against contradict
counter- opposite to counterclockwise
de- away, off, remove, depart, debark, derail,
completely, undo, debrief, detract, decline
opposite of, down
di- twice, double dichotomy, dipole
dia-, di- across, through diameter
dis- (di-, dif-) apart, away from disperse, digress
en-, em to cover, into encircle, empathy

(continued)
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Table 3.3 Common Prefixes (continued)

Prefix Meaning Example
epi-, ep-, eph- among, besides, upon epigram
ex- out, former exhale, ex-president
exo- outside exoskeletal
extra- outside of, beyond extrasensory, extralegal
fore- prior to forewarn
hyper- excessive, over hyperactive
hypo-, hyp- less than, under hypodermic
icon-, icono image iconographer
in-, il-, im-, ir- into, on, within include, immigrate
in-, il-, im-, ir- not, without inapt, impossible
infra- below, beneath infrastructure
inter- together, between intercultural
intra- within, inside of intracellular
juxta- near, next to juxtaposition
macro- large, long macroclimate
mega- large, powerful megalith
meta- changed, with, metabolic, metaphysics
beyond
micro- enlarges, one- microphone, microjoule,
millionth part of, microcosm
abnormally small
mini- small minibus, miniskirt
mid- middle point midsentence
mis- wrong, bad, amiss misbrand, miscreant
multi- much, many multitask, multitude
non- not nontoxic, nonduty
ob-, o, oc-, against, toward, to obstruct, omit
of-, op-
ortho- correct, straight orthopedics
out- external, surpass outcast, outrun
over- above, superior, overbuild, overlord,
excessive, move overdose, overthrow
down
peri- around, near perimeter

(continued)
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Table 3.3 Common Prefixes (continued)

Prefix Meaning Example
post- after, behind, postwar
later
pre- before prepaid, preempt
pro- before, on behalf prologue, propitiate,
of, favoring pro-life
pseudo- false, resembling pseudonym, pseudopod
re- back, again reexamine, reunify
retro- backward retrogression
semi- half, partly semiconductor
sub-, suc-, suf-, below, under, subfloor, subdermal,
sug-, sum-, sup-, nearly, lower, sublateral, subagent,
sur-, sus- division of subcouncil
subter- beneath, secretly subtend, subtitle
super- above, surpassing supersonic
supra- above, beyond supraorbital
syn-, syl-, together, with symbiosis
sym-, sys-
tele- distant, far away telephone, telepath
trans- across, surpassing transarctic, transphysical
un- not, reversal unadorned, unchain
under- beneath, inferior, undertow, under-god,
insufficient underpowered
ultra- surpasses, ultrasonic
excessive

Suffixes
Suffixes, yet another piece of the word structure puzzle, are standard syllables
attached to the end of a word to modify and further specify its meaning.
Although some suffixes add meaning to the root, most often the addition of
a suffix also changes the part of speech (that is, verb, adjective, adverb, or
noun) of the original word. In many cases, the suffix gives us clues to indi-
cate which part of speech a particular word is.
For example, if you add an -ist suffix to the word art, you have artist, or one
who displays the characteristics of art. In this case, both the root and the
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modified word are nouns. However, if you add an -istic suffix to the word art,
you have artistic, which demonstrates a change of the root from a noun to an
adjective. Table 3.4 demonstrates some common suffixes you should know.

Inflectional endings, such as the plural -s, possessive -s, past tense -ed, and com-
parative -er or -est, appear at the end of a word, but they do not change that words
grammatical function.

Table 3.3 Common Suffixes

Suffix Meaning Example
-able, -ble, -ible able to, fit to salable, edible
-al pertaining to betrayal
-cide killer or destroyer insecticide
-clasm, -clysm break, destroy cataclysm
-cracy government, rule by aristocracy
-er, -or, -ess, ist one who painter, artist
-escense, -escent becoming effervescent
-fer to bear, produce aquifer
-ful full of peaceful
-fy to make satisfy
-ish like, similar to piggish
-ism, istic characteristic of barbarism
-ize, ise to cause to be; to sterilize,
become; to engage in crystalize, theorize
-latry worship of idolatry
-less without dauntless
-mancy divination, prophecy necromancy
-mania excessive like of, pyromania
psychosis
-oid resembling humanoid
-ous full of, having zealous
-phobia dread of, fear of hydrophobia
-scope instrument for viewing telescope
-sect cut, divided bisect
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Exam Prep Questions

In the following questions, look at the underlined word and pick out the
most appropriate synonym or definition from the list. Pay attention to con-
text as you choose your answer.
1. When adults speak to children, they will often metaphorize.
A. Change form or structure
B. Use an allegory
C. Use colorful language
D. Condescend

2. Before the Geneva Convention, genocide was a frequent tool of war.

A. Massacre
B. DNA studies
C. Ancestry
D. Overthrow

3. The new recruits understood their subordinate status.

A. Conquered
B. Less
C. Underwater
D. Lower

4. The lieutenant declared that the soldiers behavior during the mission
was supererogatory.
A. Superfluous
B. Questioning
C. Bad
D. Good

5. The judge was compelled to proscribe the youths activities.

A. Assign
B. Support
C. Engrave
D. Prohibit

6. The pilot corrected the planes attitude in mid-flight.

A. Temperament
B. Bearing
C. Height
D. Loudness
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7. Tom saw the inanimate object through his binoculars.

A. Lively
B. Non-mammalian
C. Large
D. Lifeless

8. Marge studied the chronological listing meticulously.

A. Time-oriented
B. Chemical
C. Extensive
D. Alphabetical

9. The congressman proposed a bill to revamp immigration laws.

A. To leave a country
B. To enter a country
C. Pilgrimage
D. Submerge

10. The aurora borealis is phenomenonal.

A. Celestial
B. Mystical
C. Sense-oriented
D. Breathtaking
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Exam Prep Answers

1. The correct answer is B. Metaphorize means to liken one object to
another by speaking of it as if it were that other; an allegory. Answer A
refers to metamorphosis; C refers to animated conversation; D means
to talk down to. Therefore, answers A, C, and D are incorrect.
2. The correct answer is A. Genocide is the deliberate and systematic
massacre of a racial, political, or cultural group. Answer B refers to
genetics; C refers to genealogy; D refers to revolution. Therefore,
answers B, C, and D are incorrect.
3. The correct answer is D. Subordinate means lower in rank, order, or
class; secondary; inferior to; or controlled by an authority. Answer A
refers to being subjugated; B refers to being less in quantity or quality;
C refers to submerged. Therefore, answers A, B, and C are incorrect.
4. The correct answer is A. Supererogatory means an observation or
action that goes beyond what is necessary for the task (superfluous).
Answer B refers to interrogatory; C refers to derogatory; D refers to
exemplary. Therefore, answers B, C, and D are incorrect.
5. The correct answer is D. To proscribe something is to prohibit or for-
bid it as harmful. Answer A refers to prescribe; B refers to endorse; C
refers to inscribe. Therefore, answers A, B, and C are incorrect.
6. The correct answer is B. Attitude, in addition to meaning a persons
state of mind, can also mean physical position. Although A also means
attitude, you must look at the context to determine the correct denota-
tion. C refers to altitude, and D refers to audibility. Therefore, answers
A, C, and D are incorrect.
7. The correct answer is D. Inanimate means not endowed with life or
spirit. Answer A refers to animated, the antonym of inanimate; B refers
to other than fur-bearing animals; C refers to immense. Therefore,
answers A, B, and C are incorrect.
8. The correct answer is A. Chronological means an arrangement in
order of occurrence or time. Answer B deals with properties and com-
position of substances; C refers to a large listing; D refers to sorting
according to the first letter of a word. Therefore, answers B, C, and D
are incorrect.
9. The correct answer is B. Immigration is when a person enters a new
country to establish residency. A refers to emigration, which is when a
person leaves her birth country; C refers to a long journey; D refers to
immerse. Therefore, answers A, C, and D are incorrect.
10. The correct answer is C. Phenomenonal means something visible or
directly observable through the senses, such as an appearance, action,
change, or occurrence of any kind. A pertains to those things which are
heavenly or divine; B pertains to those things that have a spiritual char-
acter or reality beyond the comprehension of human reason; D means
astounding or overawing. Therefore, answers A, B, and D are
incorrect.