A1 Fall Vocabulary Set #3

Question 1

ANXIETY

Answer 1

ANXIETY is a feeling of nervousness or worry. (noun)

There is growing public ANXIETY over levels of air pollution in our cities.

Question 2

ARBITRARY

Answer 2

Something ARBITRARY is decided or arranged without any reason or plan, often unfairly. (adjective)

The old school rules seemed ARBITRARY to the new students.

Question 3

TRAIT

Answer 3

A TRAIT is a particular characteristic, quality, or tendency that someone or something has. (noun)

The desire to be happy is a universal human TRAIT.

Question 4

UNDERLIE

Answer 4

To UNDERLIE something is to be the cause of something, or be the basic thing from which something develops (verb)

A long ago conflict UNDERLIEs today’s war.

Question 5

ADMINISTER

Answer 5

ADMINISTER means to manage to direct the work of an organization or plan.

The money will be ADMINISTERED by local charities.

Question 6

ALLOCATE

Answer 6

To ALLOCATE means to use something for a particular purpose or to give something to a particular person etc, especially after an official decision has been made. (verb)

You should ALLOCATE the same amount of time to each question when you take the test.

Question 7

GROSS

Answer 7

If you describe something as GROSS, you think it is very unpleasant. (adjective)

She found the violence in the horror movie too GROSS to watch.

Question 8

GUARD

Answer 8

To GUARD means to watch over or protect someone or something. (verb)

The police GUARDED the president.

Question 9

SEGMENT

Answer 9

A SEGMENT of something is one part of it, considered separately from the rest. (noun)

This company control a large SEGMENT of the market.

Question 10

STAKE

Answer 10

A STAKE is a share or a financial involvement in something such as a business.(noun)

He holds a 40 percent STAKE of the company.

Question 10

LIBERAL

Answer 10

Someone who is LIBERAL is willing to respect or accept behaviour or opinions different from one’s own; open to new ideas. (adjective)

Her parents were broadminded, tolerant, and LIBERAL.

Question 11

MULTIPLE

Answer 11

You use MULTIPLE to describe things that consist of many parts, involve many people, or have many uses. (adjective)

The graduating student received MULTIPLE job offers.

Question 12

PURSUIT

Answer 12

The PURSUIT of an activity, interest, or plan consists of all the things that you do when you are carrying it out. (noun)

She travelled the world in PURSUIT of her dreams.

Question 13

PROVISION

Answer 13

PROVISION is the action of providing or supplying something for use. (noun)

The government is responsible for the PROVISION of education for all the children.

Question 14

LEGACY

Answer 14

A LEGACY is something that is a part of your history or that remains from an earlier time (noun)

The ancient Greeks left a rich LEGACY of literature.

Question 15

MODEST

Answer 15

Someone who is MODEST does not want to talk about their abilities or achievements. (adjective)

He’s a MODEST, mild-mannered man, without a trace of self-importance.

Question 15

URBAN

Answer 15

Things that are related to cities or towns are URBAN. (adjective)

She submitted his proposal for urban development to the city council.

Question 16

UTILITY

Answer 16

UTILITY is the state or quality of being useful. (noun)

Government documents are of the highest UTILITY to historians.

Question 17

OPTICAL

Answer 17

OPTICAL refers to things that are related to vision, light, or images. (adjective)

They sell OPTICAL equipment such as cameras and telescopes.

Question 18

UNDERMINE

Answer 18

UNDERMINE means to gradually make someone or something less strong or effective. (verb)

The political scandals could seriously UNDERMINE support for the government.

Question 19

RELIEF

Answer 19

RELIEF is a feeling of happiness that something unpleasant has not happened or has ended (noun)

The medicine gives RELIEF from headache pain, but does not make you sleepy.

Question 20

SUPREME

Answer 20

Something or someone that has the highest rank or authority is SUPREME. (adjective)

It required a SUPREME effort to stay awake.