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Fill-in-the-Blank Essays
 
Answers to Word Exercises
 
Fill in the Blank
Provide the word that best completes the following sentences.
Set 1
1. Hardly the saint depicted in the textbooks, Lincoln’s ________ handling of the election of 1864 shows how shrewd a politician he could be.
2. There will always be those who consider a mere ________ sufficient to prove guilt.
3. The SAT has increasingly tested vocabulary knowledge in context, rather than in ________.
4. The cost of many classroom-based SAT courses is ________; only the well-off can afford such an investment.
5. One of the joys of reading Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels is the constant ________ from the main narrative flow.
6. Resistance to study often ________ when students are presented with concrete goals and rewards.
7. A ________ and complicated problem usually requires a proportionally thorough and ________ solution.
8. Wagner and Brahms were close ________; they jointly dominated nineteenth-century classical music.
9. Far from being arrogant, Juanita had a ________ estimate of her own abilities.
10. The greater part of language-learning consists of absorbing agreed-upon ________ that reflect long-standing use rather than consciously memorizing abstract rules.
11. On formal occasions, it’s wise to ________ all the social niceties.
12. ________ and ________ are the two poles in public life—there are always those who want to encourage strife and those who desire to end it.
13. Given the sensitivity of the issues being discussed at the conference, any seemingly friendly ________ runs the risk of igniting a fiery ________.
14. Between the unvarnished truth and the bold-faced lie you’ll find many gradations, from the merely ________, in which meaning can’t be pinned down, to the ________, where meaning is twisted, to the ________ where meaning is deliberately hidden.
15. “I’d like to hear more about that; could you ________ upon your last point?”
Set 2
1. In refusing to respond to the bullies’ taunts and insults, the little boy displayed considerable ________ for one so young.
2. The commander was convinced of the strategic importance of capturing the city, but his ________ colleagues and he were unable to reach a ________ on the matter.
3. The incumbent’s record on environmental protection was so strong that no other candidate dared to ________ her on the issue.
4. The hastily prepared meal was enough to ________ the gourmand’s hunger, but it fell far short of his culinary expectations.
5. Having no further use for the broken toy, the child ________ it in favor of her shiny new tricycle.
6. Determined to help remove the present administration from office, the activists ________ the neighborhood in an effort to garner support for their candidate.
7. The woman’s ________ for the sick cannot be questioned; she is a dedicated hospital volunteer and is considering a second career in nursing.
8. The amateur photographer was disappointed in her first attempt at processing film; the colors were dull and the figures lacked ________.
9. The college freshman found that maintaining an A-average, a spot on the varsity team, and an active social life ________ careful use of both time and energy.
10. ________ to secure high political office, Lyndon Johnson would often campaign during bouts of sometimes life-threatening illness to obtain popular support.
11. The boy attempted to ________ his neighborhood rival by placing the blame for the broken window on him.
12. Because the ________ was diagnosed at an early stage, the patient was able to receive timely treatment and make a full recovery.
13. Prior to meeting with the company president, Lisa collected past and present sales data to ________ her division’s improved performance.
14. The team’s ________ over the sport of baseball is evident in its accumulation of recent championship titles.
15. To the great surprise of his rescuers, the injured camper ________ several days with little water and no food.
16. Those who preach about the value of a hard day’s work but who have never performed one are guilty of ________.
17. Knitting, a textile craft thought to have originated in ancient Egypt, requires considerable ________ dexterity.
18. The monotonous hum of the shop-floor machinery began early in the morning and ________ late into the night.
19. The ________ children did as their parents requested, completing their chores and homework before going to their beds.
20. Vanity, jealousy, and pride are ________ emotions that affect all humans, regardless of race, culture, or nationality.
21. The cake recipe called for equal ________ of flour and sugar.
22. Orson Welles, the renowned actor, director, and screenwriter, also provided ________ and voice-overs for radio story-hours, commercials, and documentaries.
23. The young man ________ the elderly woman’s sense of religious etiquette by failing to remove his hat upon entering the church.
24. The ecologist has received many awards for his work in ________ the natural habitat of endangered species.
25. The glassworks of Louis Tiffany are praised for their intricate Art Nouveau designs and ________ colors ranging from deepest blue to palest pink.
26. Captured and ________ by the invading forces, the former king had little choice but to remain locked in the dungeons while his enemies determined his fate.
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