Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one.
1Her ............... review of the contract earned praise because it left no factual corrections for the legal team.
Wrong!
"Meticulous" fits because the sentence praises careful, exact work; "fussy" would suggest excessive concern with minor details.
2The journalist asked ............... questions about the minister’s finances without crossing into anyone’s private life.
Wrong!
"Probing" suggests thorough, purposeful questioning; "intrusive" suggests crossing personal boundaries, which the sentence explicitly says did not happen.
3After the hostile question, the CEO ............... out of the room with her head high and calmly returned to the podium.
Wrong!
"Strode" conveys confident, purposeful movement; "stomped" would imply anger or childish irritation, not the calm poise described.
4The director’s reputation for ............... grew after she cut ceremonial expenses and used the savings to fund student scholarships.
Wrong!
"Frugality" is appropriate because the savings fund scholarships; "stinginess" would imply ungenerous meanness, which the generous purpose contradicts.
5His ............... remark about the projector’s timing brought the room back to laughter after the presentation stalled.
Wrong!
"Witty" fits a clever comment that lightens the mood; "sarcastic" would imply cutting mockery, which the renewed laughter does not support.
6Maya’s ............... request for a decision was clear, respectful, and backed by a firm deadline.
Wrong!
"Assertive" means confident and direct without being improper; "pushy" suggests aggressive pressure, which is ruled out by the respectful wording and deadline.
7The new speaker has ............... metal legs, making the whole device look lighter and more elegant.
Wrong!
"Slender" gives a positive, elegant impression; "skinny" would suggest unattractive thinness and is unsuitable for praising the design.
8Her ............... explanation was only two sentences long, but everyone understood the revised timetable immediately.
Wrong!
"Concise" means brief but effective; "terse" suggests abruptness or unfriendly brevity, which conflicts with the audience understanding immediately.
9Although he remained ............... during the debate, he listened carefully and later helped both sides refine their proposals.
Wrong!
"Reserved" fits someone quiet but engaged; "aloof" implies distant superiority, which is contradicted by attentive listening and later help.
10In her first week, the trainee asked a few ............... questions about office procedure, but she learned the system quickly.
Wrong!
"Naive" suggests lack of experience, which fits a trainee asking basic questions; "gullible" means easily deceived, and no deception is involved.
11The committee’s ............... adjustment to the deadline reflected new evidence that the safety review would take longer than expected.
Wrong!
"Pragmatic" fits a practical response to evidence; "opportunistic" would imply self-serving exploitation, which the evidence-based reason does not support.
12The forecast sounded ............... because the pilot data were strong and the supplier had already secured the necessary components.
Wrong!
"Optimistic" fits confidence supported by credible evidence; "delusional" would mean irrationally disconnected from reality, which the pilot data contradict.
Done.
Score: 0/12
Answers
- Her meticulous review of the contract earned praise because it left no factual corrections for the legal team.
- The journalist asked probing questions about the minister’s finances without crossing into anyone’s private life.
- After the hostile question, the CEO strode out of the room with her head high and calmly returned to the podium.
- The director’s reputation for frugality grew after she cut ceremonial expenses and used the savings to fund student scholarships.
- His witty remark about the projector’s timing brought the room back to laughter after the presentation stalled.
- Maya’s assertive request for a decision was clear, respectful, and backed by a firm deadline.
- The new speaker has slender metal legs, making the whole device look lighter and more elegant.
- Her concise explanation was only two sentences long, but everyone understood the revised timetable immediately.
- Although he remained reserved during the debate, he listened carefully and later helped both sides refine their proposals.
- In her first week, the trainee asked a few naive questions about office procedure, but she learned the system quickly.
- The committee’s pragmatic adjustment to the deadline reflected new evidence that the safety review would take longer than expected.
- The forecast sounded optimistic because the pilot data were strong and the supplier had already secured the necessary components.
