160 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT Vocabulary Lesson 48: Go Forth Today’s roots: supare scatter satur full vergere, vert to turn undare to flow ❑ disseminate (v) to spread information (dis- away + seminare to sow) The members of the band disseminated flyers that advertised their debut concert this coming weekend. Synonyms: circulate, publicize, distribute Antonym: suppress ❑ diverge (v) to go apart (dis- away + vergere to turn) After traveling together for nearly 100 miles, the two cars finally diverged. Synonyms: divide, branch Antonyms: converge, merge ❑ proliferate (v) to grow rapidly; to produce offspring at a rapid pace (proles offspring) The bacteria proliferated at an alarming rate, multiplying tenfold in just 30 minutes. Synonyms: expand, multiply Antonyms: wither, shrink ❑ amass (v) to accumulate; to gather together Over the years, Rick has amassed quite a collection of CDs, accumulating over 1,000 of them. Synonyms: collect, gather, hoard Antonyms: distribute, disperse ❑ distend (v) to swell; to increase in size (dis- apart + tendere to stretch) Malnutrition can cause the abdominal cavity to distend and produce a bloated look. Synonyms: expand, dilate Antonym: constrict ❑ propagate (v) to cause to multiply; to publicize; to travel through a medium ( pro- forth) Plants of all sizes and shapes propagate by forming seeds, which develop into new seedlings. Synonyms: procreate, breed ❑ inundate (v) to flood (in- into + undare to flow) After days without work, the lawyer was astonished to suddenly find himself inundated with paperwork. Synonyms: engulf, overwhelm, swamp, deluge ❑ diffuse (v) to spread out, as a gas (dis- apart + fundere to pour) Synonyms: circulate, disseminate ❑ germinate (v) to sprout; to grow (germen sprout) Synonyms: bud, burgeon, develop ❑ disperse (v) to spread apart (dis- apart + spargere to scatter) Synonyms: diffuse, disseminate ❑ rampant (adj) growing out of control (ramper to climb) Synonyms: rife, predominant, prevalent ❑ dissipate (v) to scatter (dis- apart + supare to scatter) Synonyms: dispel, disperse ❑ saturate (v) to fill completely, as with a liquid or solute (satur full) Synonyms: soak, imbue CHAPTER 3 / BUILDING AN IMPRESSIVE VOCABULARY 161 Vocabulary Lesson 49: Even More Today’s roots: ad- to scribere to write post- after augere to increase ❑ annex (v) to attach; to acquire land to expand an existing country (ad- to + nectare to attach) When Hitler annexed Poland, the dictator’s imperialist designs should have been clear. Synonyms: acquire, appropriate, append Antonyms: disengage, dissociate ❑ addendum (n) something added; a supplement to a book (ad- onto) After he completed the story, the author wrote an addendum explaining why he finished it the way he did. Synonyms: appendix, supplement ❑ postscript (n) a message added after the completion of a letter (P.S.) (post- after + scriber to write) After my wife signed the postcard, she remembered something else she wanted to say and wrote a postscript. ❑ epilogue (n) an extra chapter added onto the end of a novel (epi- Gr in addition + logia words) In the epilogue, the author described what the characters of the novel did 15 years after the main narrative. Synonyms: afterword, postlude Antonyms: prelude, forward, preface, prologue ❑ append (v) to affix something; to add on (ad- to + pendere to hang) The publishers appended an index to the end of the text to help the reader find things more easily. Synonym: annex ❑ adjunct (adj) added in a subordinate capacity (ad- to + jungere to attach) Although principally a biologist, Dr. Carter was also an adjunct professor in the zoology department. Synonyms: subordinate, subsidiary ❑ augment (v) to add onto; to make greater (augere to increase) One important way to augment your SAT score is to study vocabulary. Synonyms: enlarge, enhance, amplify, boost, strengthen Antonym: diminish ❑ cession (n) the act of surrendering or yielding (cessare to yield) Synonyms: capitulation, relinquishment ❑ affix (v) to attach (ad- to + figere to fasten) Synonyms: annex, append ❑ appropriate (v) to take another’s work or possessions as one’s own (ad- to + proprius one’s own) ❑ encore (n) an extra performance at the end of a show (encore Fr again) Synonym: curtain call ❑ appendix (n) supplementary material at the end of a text (ad- to + pendere to hang) Synonym: addendum ❑ supplement (v) to add something to complete or strengthen a whole (supplere to complete) ❑ circumscribed (adj) having distinct boundaries or limits (circum- around ϩ scribere- to write) 162 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT Vocabulary Unit 7 Exercise Set I Time—8 minutes For each question, select the best answer among the choices given. Note any vocabulary words to review on the Hit List below. 1. While most people would probably be in her position, Stacey somehow managed to remain upbeat and was convinced that things would get better. (A) elated (B) diminutive (C) defamed (D) anemic (E) despondent 2. Seemingly without scruples, the professor the work of his graduate students and published papers on topics he himself had not even researched. (A) isolated (B) relegated (C) appropriated (D) annexed (E) eulogized 3. It is shocking that someone who was once so by the public can so quickly become after just one social blunder. (A) belittled . . a malady (B) disparaged . . a pariah (C) saturated . . an exile (D) lionized . . an outcast (E) ostracized . . a recluse 4. The dearth of land in this region of the country makes it very difficult to maintain plentiful harvests. (A) desiccated (B) arable (C) fallow (D) celestial (E) arid 5. The entrance of the cavern was so that the indigenous tribes took advantage of its shelter to keep entire clans dry during the heavy rain season. (A) voluminous . . capacious (B) enormous . . scanty (C) cavernous . . meager (D) fecund . . spacious (E) astral . . copious 6. Although many consider “Deadman’s Run” to be the most ski trail on the mountain, Tommy was able to maneuver through the course without after having just learned to ski. (A) simple . . trouble (B) difficult . . speed (C) arduous . . exertion (D) pedestrian . . concern (E) pragmatic . . practical 7. Zach’s knowledge of helped him to identify and avoid the rare and poisonous African spit- ting beetle. (A) entomology (B) etymology (C) ethics (D) pathology (E) sociology 8. The spy was immediately back to his coun- try after he was caught attempting to pilfer information from the CIA database. (A) quarantined (B) secluded (C) disseminated (D) distended (E) deported 9. It is hard to imagine that this barren desert with little to no plant life was once with farms and wildlife. (A) doleful (B) replete (C) germinated (D) rarefied (E) afflicted 10. After finishing a good novel, I’m always eager to see if an follows to tell me what happened to the main characters after the conclusion of the narrative. (A) elegy (B) epitaph (C) epilogue (D) encore (E) eulogy HIT LIST CHAPTER 3 / BUILDING AN IMPRESSIVE VOCABULARY 163 Vocabulary Unit 7 Exercise Set II Write the meaning next to each root, and then write as many words as you can that contain the root. 1. EPI-______________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 2. AD-_______________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 3. SCRIBERE_______________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 4. COPIA____________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 5. LUNA____________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 6. ASTRUM_________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 7. PLERE___________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 8. SOLUS___________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 9. GENEA___________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 10. POST-____________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 11. ARKHAIOS_______________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 12. DEMOS__________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 13. VERT____________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 14. LOGOS___________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 15. CLAUDERE_______________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 164 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT Vocabulary Unit 7 Exercise Set III 1. Can a person be capacious? Y N 2. Is a pariah popular? Y N 3. Can a person be fecund? Y N 4. Is it fun to be despondent? Y N 5. Do people germinate? Y N Write the word with the given meaning. 6. a disease m____________________ 7. study of cultures a____________________ 8. to shun o____________________ 9. relating to the stars a____________________ 10. study of ancestry g____________________ 11. relating to the universe c____________________ 12. abundant c____________________ 13. one who lives alone r____________________ 14. lacking hope d____________________ 15. to accumulate a____________________ 16. able to be cultivated a____________________ 17. an extra chapter e____________________ 18. inadequate m____________________ 19. to flood i____________________ 20. unused, uncultivated f____________________ 21. to fill completely s____________________ 22. study of populations d____________________ 23. an extra performance e____________________ 24. excessive amount s____________________ 25. extreme suffering a____________________ Write the correct form of the italicized word. 26. having anemia _____________________________________________ 27. one who studies sociology _____________________________________________ 28. the act of ceding _____________________________________________ 29. in solitude _____________________________________________ 30. the act of proliferating _____________________________________________ Write the word with the given root. 31. relating to the sky (celum) _____________________________________________ 32. to swell (dis-) _____________________________________________ 33. a poem (legos) _____________________________________________ 34. an inscription (taphos) _____________________________________________ 35. study of insects (entomon) _____________________________________________ 36. a scarcity ( paucus) _____________________________________________ 37. tiny (minuere) _____________________________________________ 38. banishment (ex-) _____________________________________________ 39. high praise (eu) _____________________________________________ 40. to multiply ( pro-) _____________________________________________ 41. to make greater (aug) _____________________________________________ CHAPTER 3 / BUILDING AN IMPRESSIVE VOCABULARY 165 Unit 7 Exercise Set I Answer Key 1. E While indicates a contrast. If she is upbeat and optimistic, it must be that most people would be the opposite: depressed. elated = extremely happy diminutive = tiny defamed = slandered anemic = weak despondent = lacking hope 2. C The professor lacks scruples (moral stan- dards), so he must have done something bad to the work of his students. If he is publishing papers on topics that he has not researched, he is proba- bly stealing the work. isolated = secluded relegated = banished appropriated = taken as his own annexed = added on to eulogized = praised 3. D The fact that it is shocking implies that the two words should contrast with each other. belittle = to put down; malady = illness disparage = to put down; pariah = outcast saturate = to fill completely; exile = outcast lionize = to worship; outcast = someone excluded ostracize = to exclude; recluse = loner 4. B If it is difficult to maintain plentiful harvests, it must be because there is too little usable land. desiccated = dry arable = fertile fallow = unused celestial = relating to the sky arid = dry 5. A An entrance that can accommodate entire clans must be pretty large. voluminous = large; capacious = having lots of room enormous = huge; scanty = inadequate cavernous = large; meager = inadequate fecund = fertile; spacious = full of room astral = pertaining to stars; copious = abundant 6. C Although indicates contrast. Although many think it’s hard, Tommy must not have had diffi- culty with it. arduous = difficult, strenuous; exertion = effort, strain pedestrian = ordinary, mundane pragmatic = practical, concerned with results 7. A Zach had knowledge of insects that allowed him to identify the creature. Entomology is the study of insects. entomology = study of insects etymology = study of the origin of words ethics = study of moral choices pathology = study of disease sociology = study of social institutions 8. E If a country catches a spy pilfering (stealing) information, they will send the spy back to his country of origin. quarantined = isolated secluded = left alone disseminated = spread out distended = swollen deported = banished 9. B If the desert is now barren (infertile), it would be hard to imagine it filled with farms and wildlife. doleful = filled with grief replete = filled germinated = sprouted rarefied = thinned out afflicted = suffering 10. C The section of a novel that follows the main story is called an epilogue. elegy = song or poem about death epitaph = inscription found on a tombstone epilogue = extra chapter added at end of novel encore = an extra performance at the end of a show eulogy = high praise, speech given at funeral 166 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT Unit 7 Exercise Sets II and III Answer Key Exercise Set II 1. EPI-: over ephemeral, epitaph, epicenter, epidemic, epidermis, epilepsy, epitome 2. AD-: to, towards add, annex, adduct, adjure, adhere 3. SCRIBERE: to write inscribe, circumscribe, conscription, description, inscription, subscription 4. COPIA: abundance cornucopia, copious, copy 5. LUNA: moon lunacy, lunar, lunatic, lunate 6. ASTRUM: star astral, astronomy, astrology, disaster, astronaut 7. PLERE: to fill accomplish, complement, deplete, manipulate, replete, supplement 8. SOLUS: alone sole, soliloquy, solitaire, solitary, solitude, solo 9. GENEA: descent generation, genealogy, congenital 10. POST-: after posterior, posterity, post- humous, postpone, postscript 11. ARKHAIOS: ancient archaic, archaeology, archives 12. DEMOS: people demographics, democracy, epidemic, pandemic 13. VERT: to turn diverge, divert, revert, pervert, convert 14. LOGOS: study of psychology, anthropology, oncology, geology 15. CLAUDERE: to close claustrophobia, conclude, exclude, recluse, seclude Exercise Set III 1. N 2. N 3. Y 4. N 5. N 6. malady 7. anthropology 8. ostracize 9. astral 10. genealogy 11. cosmic 12. copious 13. recluse 14. despondent 15. amass 16. arable 17. epilogue 18. meager 19. inundate 20. fallow 21. saturate 22. demographics 23. encore 24. surfeit 25. anguish 26. anemic 27. sociologist 28. cession 29. solitary 30. proliferation 31. celestial 32. distend 33. elegy 34. epitaph 35. entomology 36. paucity 37. diminutive 38. exile 39. eulogy 40. propagate 41. augment CHAPTER 4 167 CRITICAL READING SKILLS 1. What SAT Critical Reading Is All About 2. Analyzing the Purpose and Central Idea 3. Finding Patterns in the Structure of the Passage 4. Simplifying the Passage 5. Connecting the Questions to the Passage 6. Finding Alternatives in Attacking the Questions 7. Thinking Logically About the Questions 8. Checking That You’ve Nailed the Answer ✓ Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Click here for terms of use. If you want to ace the SAT Critical Reading (CR) section, you need to know more than just a bunch of vocabulary words and a few test-taking tricks. You need solid analytical and critical reading skills to help you tackle any difficult hunk of prose the SAT can throw at you. The most important of these skills is “active reading,” which means reading with key ques- tions in mind. The Three Key Questions To ace SAT Critical Reading questions, read each passage with these questions at the front of your mind: 1. What is the purpose of this passage? 2. What is the central idea of this passage? 3. What is the general structure of this passage? SAT CR questions focus on these questions, so you should, too. Here’s a quick explanation of each of the three questions you should keep in mind: 1. The purpose of the passage can be either • to examine a topic objectively, • to prove a point, or • to tell a story. 2. The central idea of the passage is the single idea that provides the focus of the entire passage. 3. The general structure of the passage is the way the paragraphs work together to convey the central idea. Later we’ll discuss and practice strategies for find- ing all these things. Put the Horse before the Cart—and the Passage before the Questions A favorite trick of “test crackers” is to read the Critical Reading questions first, answering those that don’t require much reading, and then to scan using the line references to get the rest of the answers. This sounds like a great trick because it’s so simple. In fact, this trick usually hurts most test takers by forcing them to focus on details rather than the all-important “big picture.” If you want a score higher than 500 (and if you don’t want to struggle with your reading assign- ments when you get to college) learn how to analyze passages for the big picture. 168 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT Don’t read the questions first. Read the passage first (including the introduction), but read actively and briskly to answer the three key questions. You often can answer the first two questions after just reading the introduction and the first paragraph or two! At that point, read the remaining paragraphs just to note how they support the central idea. The big picture is what counts! If you practice, you will learn to read SAT passages briskly and confidently. These Aren’t Your English Teacher’s Questions SAT Critical Reading questions aren’t the same ques- tions your English teachers ask. English teachers like to ask you to explore symbolism, read between the lines, and interpret passages subjectively. But SAT questions must be objective—they must have answers that don’t depend on your point of view (otherwise, everyone would be arguing constantly about the answers). The SAT only asks questions about what the passage literally means and logically implies, not what the passage might suggest. SAT Critical Reading questions can’t ask you to draw on outside knowledge. Again, all the information you need to answer the question is in the passage. Therefore, you should be able to underline it. You won’t be asked to make creative connections, read between the lines, or explore your feelings about a passage. All you have to do is say what the passage, literally means or logically implies. Get Psyched Up, Not Psyched Out Don’t psyche yourself out on the Critical Reading sec- tion by thinking, “Oh, great—another boring, pointless reading passage!” This guarantees failure by creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you expect the passage to be boring and pointless, you won’t look for the interesting points, and you’ll miss the key ideas! How well you read depends enormously on your attitude. SAT Critical Reading passages are chosen because they discuss ideas that college professors teach in class. Tell yourself, “I’m going to learn something in- teresting and valuable from this passage!” This will help you to read actively—with relevant questions in mind—rather than passively, hoping to soak up infor- mation just by decoding the words. Lesson 1: What SAT Critical Reading Is All About Concept Review 1: Mapping What the SAT Critical Reading Is All About 1. What three key questions should be at the front of your mind as you read? 2. Why is it better to read the passage before reading the questions? 3. What is “active reading,” and why is it better than “passive reading”? 4. What does “objective” mean? 5. Why do SAT Critical Reading questions have to be “objective”? 6. What kind of reading questions do English teachers ask that the SAT can’t? CHAPTER 4 / CRITICAL READING SKILLS 169 . 160 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT Vocabulary Lesson 48: Go Forth Today’s roots: supare scatter satur full vergere, vert to turn undare to flow ❑ disseminate (v) to spread information (dis- away + seminare. gas (dis- apart + fundere to pour) Synonyms: circulate, disseminate ❑ germinate (v) to sprout; to grow (germen sprout) Synonyms: bud, burgeon, develop ❑ disperse (v) to spread apart (dis- apart. complete) ❑ circumscribed (adj) having distinct boundaries or limits (circum- around ϩ scribere- to write) 162 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT Vocabulary Unit 7 Exercise Set I Time—8 minutes For each question,