lesson 1

Question 1

changing one’s mind quickly and often

Answer 1

capricious

Question 2

convincing or believable

Answer 2

cogent

Question 3

intended to teach, often in a moralising way

Answer 3

didactic

Question 4

calmness and composure, especially in difficult situations

Answer 4

equanimity

Question 5

very attentive to detail, often excessively so

Answer 5

fastidious

Question 6

unnecessary, without reason or cause

Answer 6

gratuitous

Question 7

difficult to understand or interpret, often used to describe people’s expressions or behaviour

Answer 7

inscrutable

Question 8

very careful and precise, paying close attention to detail

Answer 8

meticulous

Question 9

vague or unclear, often used to describe ideas or concepts

Answer 9

nebulous

Question 10

to exclude someone from a group or society

Answer 10

to ostracize

Question 11

overly concerned with minor details, often in a way that is annoying and tedious

Answer 11

pedantic

Question 12

a difficult situation or problem, often with no obvious solution

Answer 12

quandary

Question 13

bitter, long-lasting resentment or hatred

Answer 13

rancor

Question 14

having good judgement or wisdom

Answer 14

sagacious

Question 15

persistent, not easily giving up or letting go

Answer 15

tenacious

Question 16

present, appearing or found everywhere

Answer 16

ubiquitous

Question 17

to annoy or frustrate someone

Answer 17

to vex

Question 18

having a feeling of sadness or regret, often with a longing for something that can’t be obtained

Answer 18

wistful

Question 19

seeming or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so

Answer 19

ostensible

Question 20

overly concerned with minor details, often to the point of being annoying

Answer 20

pedantic

Question 21

ordinary, mundane or everyday

Answer 21

quotidian

Question 22

stubbornly resistant to authority or control

Answer 22

recalcitrant

Question 23

optimistic, cheerful and confident, often in the face of difficulty

Answer 23

sanguine

Question 24

weak or fragile, often used to describe a connection or relationship

Answer 24

tenuous

Question 25

to be indecisive, to waver back and forth between choices

Answer 25

to vacillate

Question 26

(of ink or a pen) making marks that cannot be removed, not able to be forgotten

Answer 26

indelible

Question 27

of crucial importance in relation to the development or success of something else

Answer 27

pivotal

Question 28

characterised by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood

Answer 28

mercurial

Question 29

a source of or quest for amusement or adventure

Answer 29

lark

Question 30

obscurity of sense, unintelligibility

Answer 30

opacity

Question 31

one who sells or advertises something in an aggressive, dishonest or annoying way

Answer 31

huckster