Improve and test your wordpower by matching each of the words below to one of the multiple possible definitions.
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14-15 correct | ………………….. | excellent |
12-13 correct | ………………….. | good |
9-11 correct | ………………….. | fair |
<b>(1) gridlock</b> <b>A:</b> computer error. <b>B:</b> immune reaction. <b>C:</b></b> traffic jam. <b>D:</b> wrestling move.C: Traffic jam in which major intersections are blocked and vehicles are unable to move because of their excessive numbers, Combination of grid and lock.
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<b>(2) machismo</b> {mack eez mo} <b>A:</b> leader. <b>B:</b> acuity. <b>C:</b> exaggerated manliness. <b>D:</b> aggression.C: Exaggerated sense of manliness and the attitude that men should dominate; as, the machismo of the dictator. Spanish macho (male).
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<b>(3) yuppie</b> <b>A:</b> tropical fish. <b>B:</b> young professional. <b>C:</b> fashion model. <b>D:</b> board game.B: Young urban professional, viewed as upwardly mobile, trendy and affluent. Acronym.
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<b>(4) masterclass</b> <b>A:</b> powerful group. <b>B:</b> top students. <b>C:</b> chess players. <b>D:</b> expert instruction.D: Session in which a distinguished expert gives instruction, typically to advanced learners in a particular field.
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<b>(5) franglais</b> {frahn glay} <b>A:</b> type of yoghurt. <b>B:</b> French use of English words. <b>C:</b> display of cool attachment. <b>D:</b> subtle banter.B: French use of English words and expressions; for example, “une cover girl avec beaucoup de sex appeal.” Blend of Francois (“French”) and Anglais (“English”).
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<b>(6) neo-colonialism</b> A. military invasion. <b>B:</b> exploitation of one country by another. <b>C:</b> territorial exploration. <b>D:</b> yearning for the past.B: The current exploitation of one nation by another through economic and political pressures. Greek neo- (new) and English colonialism (acquisition of a colony).
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<b>(7) refusenik</b> <b>A:</b> Soviet astronaut. <b>B:</b> rubbish tip. <b>C:</b> one refusing to co-operate. <b>D:</b> religious fanatic.C: Person who refuses to co-operate; originally, a Soviet Jew refused permission to emigrate. From Latin refusus and Russian -nik.
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<b>(8) flexitime</b> - system allowing <b>A:</b> planned holidays. <b>B:</b> routine exercise. <b>C:</b> variable work schedules. <b>D:</b> integration of lists.C: System allowing employees variable work schedules. Combination of flexible and time.
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<b>(9) streetwise</b> <b>A:</b> good navigator. <b>B:</b> careful with money. <b>C:</b> capable of dealing with danger. <b>D:</b> local-history expert.C: Capable of dealing with dangerous situations or rough people, especially in big cities.
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<b>(10) stonewall</b> <b>A:</b> to panic. <b>B:</b> be heavy-handed. <b>C:</b> insult. <b>D:</b> be uncooperative.D: To be uncooperative or evasive; hinder. “He stonewalled the prosecuting lawyer.” From the immovability of a stone wall.
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<b>(11) glitch</b> <b>A:</b> decorative knot. <b>B:</b> elf. <b>C:</b> malfunction. <b>D:</b> flash.C: Malfunction; as, a glitch in the bank’s computers. Origin unknown.
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<b>(12) newspeak</b> <b>A:</b> journalistic jargon. <b>B:</b> pidgin English. <b>C:</b> dialect. <b>D:</b> misleading language.D: Deliberately misleading, ambiguous language, especially by government officials; for example, “negative growth in the economy.” Combination of new and speak. Coined by George Orwell in his novel 1984.
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<b>(13) glasnost</b> <b>A:</b> democracy. <b>B:</b> restructuring. <b>C:</b> friendliness. <b>D:</b> openness.D: Openness in the divulging and discussion of official policy ; specifically as a reform measure in the Soviet Union. Russian.
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<b>(14) plea bargain</b> <b>A:</b> admission of a crime. <b>B:</b> wage negotiation. <b>C:</b> second chance. <b>D:</b> merciful decision.A: Agreement between a prosecutor and a defendant who pleads guilty to a crime so as to receive a lighter sentence. From American legal usage.
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<b>(15) bionics</b> - study of <b>A:</b> biology and technology. <b>B:</b> upper atmosphere. <b>C:</b> life in deep space. <b>D:</b> germs and viruses.A: Study of biology and technology to help solve engineering problems. From biology and electronics.
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<b>(16) des res</b> <b>A:</b> invitation requiring reply. <b>B:</b> table booking. <b>C:</b> nice house. <b>D:</b> computer termC: House with many features attractive to prospective purchasers. Abbreviation of desirable residence.
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<b>(17) champagne socialist</b> <b>A:</b> drunken revolutionary. <b>B:</b> hypocritical left-winger. <b>C:</b> cocktail. <b>D:</b> windbag politician.B: Person with an extravagant lifestyle at odds with his/her professed socialism.
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<b>(18) camp</b> <b>A:</b> outdoorsy. <b>B:</b> modern. <b>C:</b> exclusive. <b>D:</b> bizarre.D: So affected and exaggerated as to be bizarre; effeminate; as, to decorate with camp furnishings. Origin uncertain.
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<b>(19) troika</b> {troy kuh} <b>A:</b> Soviet bureaucrat. <b>B:</b> type of pastry. <b>C:</b> hang-gliding manoeuvre. <b>D:</b> group of three.D: Any group of three, especially in a position of authority. Russian (a vehicle drawn by three horses abreast).
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<b>(20) big-bang theory</b> -that which pertains to <b>A:</b> the universe's origin. <b>B:</b> an atomic explosion. <b>C:</b> humour. <b>D:</b> anger.A: Assertion that the universe began about 15 billion years ago with a huge explosion of super-dense mass
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