Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one. Some sentences have two correct answers. Choose both.
1The minister’s apology was so carefully ............... that it sounded more like damage control than remorse.
Wrong!
"Scripted" means carefully planned and worded, often to control public reaction.
2Her praise was ............... enough to sound sincere, yet it still carried a faint sting.
Wrong!
"Oblique" means indirect rather than open or explicit.
3The report does not just summarise the findings; it ............... the assumptions behind them.
Wrong!
"Scrutinises" means examines something closely and critically.
4He did not deny the allegation outright; instead, he ............... the question and changed the subject.
Wrong!
"Parried" means avoided answering directly, especially by turning the question aside.
5The CEO’s statement was deliberately ............... so it could be interpreted in more than one way.
Wrong!
"Ambiguous" means open to more than one interpretation.
6The committee’s decision was ............... because it depended on a single dissenting vote.
Wrong!
"Tenuous" means weak, insecure, or not strongly supported.
7She did not raise her voice, but her ............... tone made it clear the discussion was over.
Wrong!
"Peremptory" describes a firm, commanding tone that does not invite discussion.
8He is not lying exactly; he is ............... the truth by leaving out the inconvenient parts.
Wrong!
"Skewing" means distorting information so that it gives a misleading impression.
9The witness’s account was ............... with the CCTV footage, down to the timing of the phone call.
Wrong!
"Consistent" means in agreement with something else and not contradictory.
10The editor asked her to ............... the paragraph because it wandered into irrelevant detail.
Wrong!
"Trim" means remove unnecessary words or details to make writing shorter and tighter.
11His argument seemed ............... at first, but it was ultimately unconvincing because it relied on a hidden assumption.
Wrong!
"Specious" describes an argument that seems convincing at first but is actually flawed.
12The memo was ............... in tone, yet it still managed to sound faintly threatening.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
"Dispassionate" and "clinical" can both describe a neutral, unemotional tone.
Done.
Score: 0/12
Answers
- The minister’s apology was so carefully scripted that it sounded more like damage control than remorse.
- Her praise was oblique enough to sound sincere, yet it still carried a faint sting.
- The report does not just summarise the findings; it scrutinises the assumptions behind them.
- He did not deny the allegation outright; instead, he parried the question and changed the subject.
- The CEO’s statement was deliberately ambiguous so it could be interpreted in more than one way.
- The committee’s decision was tenuous because it depended on a single dissenting vote.
- She did not raise her voice, but her peremptory tone made it clear the discussion was over.
- He is not lying exactly; he is skewing the truth by leaving out the inconvenient parts.
- The witness’s account was consistent with the CCTV footage, down to the timing of the phone call.
- The editor asked her to trim the paragraph because it wandered into irrelevant detail.
- His argument seemed specious at first, but it was ultimately unconvincing because it relied on a hidden assumption.
- The memo was dispassionate / clinical in tone, yet it still managed to sound faintly threatening.
