Question

1. sully (sal e) (v.) to soil, stain, tarnish, defile, besmirch the nixon - era watergate scandal the image of politicians in the minds of many voters. 10. unflinching (ən flin chin) (adj.) firm, showing no signs of fear, not drawing back everyone admires the courage with which firefighters and other rescue workers carry out their dangerous jobs. using context for each item, determine whether the boldface word from pages 30 - 31 makes sense in the context of the sentence. circle the item numbers next to the six sentences in which the words are used correctly. 1. the handwriting in the old letter was illegible, so i could barely make out the words. 2. experts say that meditation is an effective way to sully your mind and ease anxious thoughts. 3. to compensate for my late arrival at my job this morning, i promised to work overtime. 4. none of us believed that my sister would make a living wage as a pet stylist, but she has had a surprisingly lucrative career. 5. as the earths natural resources continue to proliferate, we must increase our conservation efforts. 6. the quarterback was warned that if his grades continued to decline, he would face the possibility of expulsion from the football team. 7. the politician who was originally considered the underdog impressed many during the debate by discrediting her opponent with unflinching confidence. 8. shall we adjourn our conversation to the hallway so as not to disturb other patrons of the library? 9. the children were so well mannered and dissolute during the wedding ceremony that their parents praised their behavior. 10. the softball players unintentional feint was a mistake that caused the team to lose the championship.

Explanation:

1. "Illegible" means hard to read. If the handwriting was illegible, it makes sense that one could barely make out the words.
2. "Sully" means to soil or stain. Meditation is supposed to clear the mind, not sully it. So this usage is incorrect.
3. "Compensate" means to make up for. Working overtime to make up for late - arrival is a correct usage.
4. "Lucrative" means profitable. A pet - stylist having a lucrative career (making good money) makes sense.
5. "Proliferate" means to increase in number. Natural resources are depleting, not proliferating. So this usage is incorrect.
6. "Expulsion" means being forced out. A quarterback facing expulsion from the team due to bad grades is a correct usage.
7. "Unflinching" means firm, without fear. Using "unflinching confidence" to describe a politician in a debate is correct.
8. "Adjourn" means to move to another place (or suspend and continue later). Moving the conversation to the hallway to not disturb others is a correct usage.
9. "Dissolute" means immoral or lacking self - control. Well - mannered children cannot be dissolute. So this usage is incorrect.
10. "Feint" is a deceptive movement. An unintentional feint (a wrong move) causing a loss makes sense.

Answer:

1. Makes sense.
2. Does not make sense.
3. Makes sense.
4. Makes sense.
5. Does not make sense.
6. Makes sense.
7. Makes sense.
8. Makes sense.
9. Does not make sense.
10. Makes sense.