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Quiz on Last Month's Words

March 2008                                  Volume 9  No. 2

Here are the words that were featured last month:

For each of the ten examples below, select a word from the above list that best fits the blank. Then check your answers at the end. Note that the correct answer could be any of the word forms that were featured -- example: besmirch, besmirches, besmirching, and so on.

1. Everyone here is keeping their fingers crossed, hoping that Janice's plan will work. It's the . . . . . salvation for our department. If it fails, we'll all be out of a job.
2. For immigrants who are trying to learn English, one of the more . . . . . aspects must be the many inconsistencies in our language. For instance, the past tense of share is 'shared' and care is 'cared,' but for sing the past tense is 'sang' not 'singed,' and for ring it's 'rang' not 'ringed.' Bring and write are altogether a different species--their respective past tenses are 'brought' and 'wrote'!
3. The formula within our company's productivity index is much too simplistic. It's one-dimensional, and . . . . .. To make it more representative of what's going on, at least two or three more variables should be incorporated.
4. A . . . . . question for a city mayor during a hurricane watch: "Should I order the city to be evacuated, and if so, when?"
5. This author is invited to present his communication workshops at a wide range of industry gatherings, including dental, safety, security, accounting, and project management because his ideas and techniques are . . . . ..
6. The other day, when a coworker said that he likes all three that are running for president--John McCain, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama, I couldn't help commenting: "Oh, that's really very . . . . . of you!"
7. The archaeopteryx, which lived during the late Jurassic period, was, . . . . ., the first ever bird.
8. On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, as the first World Trade Center tower started to collapse, a . . . . . went through the millions of Americans who were watching the scene live on TV.
9. The principal characters in animated feature films sometimes have the . . . . . voices of famous Hollywood actors and actresses.
10. So as not to . . . . . the former U.S. presidents within their own "temples," most of the nation's presidential libraries make little or no mention of any scandals that plagued their respective administrations.

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Give yourself one point for each correct answer.

A score of 10 = excellent; 8-9 = very good; 6-7 = not bad; 5 or less = you may want to revisit these words.

Please let me know by e-mail or phone (toll-free 1-800-463-7750, or 281-463-2500) what you think about this quiz and how it can be improved.

© 2008 V.J. Singal

Copyright © 1999 - 2008 by V.J. Singal. Articulate is a registered trademark.
Questions or comments may be sent directly to the author.
Phone: 281-463-2500, P.O. Box 841155, Houston, TX 77284-1155