Question

1. humor should be clever and amusing but never so pungent that it hurts the feelings of other people.
2. the custom of putting erasers on pencils is one way of recognizing the fact that no one is infallible.
3. i did not realize how beautiful the twins were until they fell asleep and i saw their faces in complete repose.
4. he is not merely unpleasant but actually dangerous whenever he gets into one of his truculent moods.
5. your unfeigned joy when it was announced that i had won the scholarship meant more to me than all the polite congratulations i received.
6. what good are (select a word) principles if no real attempt is made to help people by putting those principles into practice?
7. history tells us that many men and women regarded as failures in their own lifetimes were actually major (select a word) of humanity.

Explanation:

• For question 4, "pungent" means having a strong, sharp smell or taste. In the context of humor, it implies that the humor is too harsh or biting.
• For question 5, "infallible" means never making mistakes or being wrong. The custom of putting erasers on pencils recognizes that people make mistakes.
• For question 6, "repose" means a state of rest or sleep. When the twins were asleep, their faces were in a state of repose.
• For question 7, "truculent" means eager or quick to argue or fight. When he gets into a truculent mood, he is dangerous.
• For question 8, "unfeigned" means not pretended or false. The joy was genuine.
• For question 9, "altruistic" means showing concern for the welfare of others. Altruistic principles are good, but they need to be put into practice.
• For question 10, "benefactor" means a person who gives help or money to someone. Many people regarded as failures were actually major benefactors of humanity.

Answer:

1. pungent
2. infallible
3. repose
4. truculent
5. unfeigned
6. altruistic
7. benefactor