Chapter 1. Unit 1 Humanities

Question 1

1. contemporary

Answer 1

adj. belonging to the same period or time as something else

concurrent, coexistent, modern

His work was a contemporary account of life in the nineteenth century.

Question 2

2. afford

Answer 2

1) v. to provide; to give
2) v. to be able to do something or to allow something to happen

1) provide, supply 2) be able, be rich enough

Wool blankets were used in the colder regions of the country because of the warmth they afforded.

Question 3

3. annually

Answer 3

adv. once a year; every year

yearly

One of the most notable rodeos in the country is held annually in Wyoming.

Question 4

4. ascribe

Answer 4

v. to believe something to be the result or work of

attribute, credit, assign

Tradition ascribes the epic poems to Homer, but little is known about him.

Question 5

5. imprint

Answer 5

n. a mark or impression made by pressure

mark, track, trace

Experts believe the origin of rice was in Asia due to the imprints that they found at the site in China.

Question 6

6. apace with

Answer 6

ph. keeping pace with

abreast with

The downtown business district did not grow apace with the city as a whole.

Question 7

7. cradle

Answer 7

n. a bed for a small baby, especially one that can be rocked; a place of origin

bassinet, cot, birthplace

The Nile River is the longest river in the world and the cradle of civilization.

Question 8

8. undoubtedly

Answer 8

adv. without any doubt; surely

certainly, doubtlessly, unquestionably

Undoubtedly, game animals were major components of human diets.

Question 9

9. cunning

Answer 9

adj. clever in deceiving

deceptive, shrewd, sly

Although they were cunning hunters, primitive humans were still threatened by certain animals.

Question 10

10. enigmatic

Answer 10

adj. mysterious and very hard to understand

obscure, ambiguous

The rise of Neanderthal man is somewhat enigmatic despite the relative abundance of fossils.

Question 11

11. abundant

Answer 11

adj. existing in large amounts

plentiful, profuse, ample

Some women specialized in the gathering of the abundant shellfish that lived closer to shore.

Question 12

12. account for

Answer 12

1) ph. to give a reason or explanation for something
2) ph. to constitute; to form

1) explain, clarify 2) make up

Various methods of spattering the glaze onto the ware account for the extremely wide variations in color.

Question 13

13. cast

Answer 13

v. to shape by pouring something into a mold and allowing it to set

form, mold, shape

Early civilizations used bronze, an alloy that could be cast in molds, to make tools and weapons.

Question 14

14. artifact

Answer 14

n. a handcrafted object, especially one that is of archaeological interest

remain, relic, antiquity

The archaeologists examined all of evidence from sites very closely and then determined the general age of the artifacts.

Question 15

15. accommodate

Answer 15

v. to provide someone with a place to stay

put up, house, lodge

The adjoining apartments could accommodate dozens of families.

Question 16

16. adorn

Answer 16

v. to make more beautiful, attractive, or interesting

decorate, ornament, embellish

In the past, men, women, and children adorned themselves with beads.

Question 17

17. abruptly

Answer 17

adv. in a sudden and unexpected manner; very quickly

unexpectedly, suddenly, instantly

They didn’t care for the play because it ended so abruptly.

Question 18

18. acclaim

Answer 18

v. to declare something with noisy enthusiasm

hail, applaud, cheer

The ballerina was acclaimed for her wonderful performance.

Question 19

19. bear

Answer 19

1) v. to have; to bring or take
2) v. to support a weight or load; to accept something without complaining

1) carry 2) sustain, endure

Alternative history bears some relation to historical fiction as well as to science fiction.

Question 20

20. by chance

Answer 20

ph. without cause or reason; by accident

accidentally, incidentally

The character gained his wealth by chance, not from hard work.

Question 21

21. abandon

Answer 21

v. to give something up completely

desert, cede, leave behind

Some rituals were abandoned, but the stories, later called myths, persisted and provided material for art and drama.

Question 22

22. abstraction cf. abstract

Answer 22

n. an idea of a quality considered separately from any particular object or case

conception, notion, representation

A number of sculptors have rejected the abstractions of minimalist artists.

Question 23

23. agile

Answer 23

adj. able to move or change quickly and easily

nimble, quick, swift

Acrobats must be extremely agile.

Question 24

24. surmount

Answer 24

v. to be above or on top of; to overcome

ascend, mount, defeat

She managed to surmount the obstacle.

Question 25

25. aesthetically cf. aesthetic

Answer 25

adv. in an aesthetic manner; in a highly developed sense of beauty

artistically, beautifully, tastefully

Satires are read because they are aesthetically satisfying works of art.

Question 26

26. akin (to)

Answer 26

adj. having the same appearance, character, or nature

similar, alike, related

Her fictitious world is strikingly akin to the real one people live in every day.

Question 27

27. diverse

Answer 27

adj. different from each other; showing variety

different, various, assorted

The artwork is diverse in form and includes sculptures, paintings and photographs.

Question 28

28. acquisition

Answer 28

n. the act of obtaining, developing, or acquiring something

gain, procurement, acquirement

Social-interactionists believe that adults play an important part in children’s language acquisition.

Question 29

29. outgoing

Answer 29

adj. eager to mix socially with others

friendly, sociable

Gregarious people are friendly and outgoing.

Question 30

30. nuisance

Answer 30

n. something or someone that causes trouble

annoyance, irritation, inconvenience

After the war, the robber became a small-scale rustler – it was more a nuisance than highway robbery.