Word Zone – March 2013

Jazz up your vocabulary with new words that you can use in your day-to-day conversation.

French is one of the many languages that has influenced English. During the Middle English period, French was the language of the elite, of the court, of law and of literature, whereas English was the language of the common people. Even today, the English language contains many words of French origin.

Choose the option that is closest in meaning to the highlighted word and complete the sentence.

1. abattoir (ab-uh-twahr)
Many people opposed the proposal of building an ____ in the vicinity of thetemple.
(a) slaughterhouse (b) aviary (c) nursery

2. bric-a-brac (brik-uh-brak)
The children set up a stall to sell ____ to help raise funds for the benefit of stray dogs.
(a) cauldrons (b) muskets (c) knick-knacks

3. debacle (dey-bah-kuh l)
Tom’s science project resulted in a ____ when his balloon rocket failed to fly.
(a) transmutation (b) miracle (c) failure

4. gaffe (gaf)
The public relation department apologised to the customers for the bank’s ____ in mixing up the account statements.
(a) conformity (b) blunder (c) solidarity

5. impasse (im-pas)
The peace talks between the warring nations reached an ____ since neither of the nations was willing to change its stand.
(a) stalemate (b) proposition (c) breakthrough

6. liaison (lee-ey-zawn)
A ___ officer was appointed to solve the disputes between the management and the members of the labor union.
(a) substitute (b) connection (c) professional

7. milieu (mil-yoo)
The newly established naturopathy clinic aimed to create a therapeutic _____ for its
clients. (a) sectionalism (b) environment (c) reincarnation

8. naïve (nah-eev)
The guile politician successful swayed the ___ spectators with his empty promises.
(a) gullible (b) impudent (c) mature

9. panache (puh-nash)
The fashion designer was applauded for her creativity in showcasing simple clothes with _____.
(a) exuberance (b) frumpiness (c) style

10. protégé (proh-tuh-zhey)
It is often believed that the actions of the ____ reflect the teachings of the mentor.
(a) offspring (b) apprentice (c) liberator

 

Answers:

1. A   2. C   3. C   4. B   5. A
6. B   7. B   8. A   9. C  10. B

Volume 2 Issue 9