ACT Reading › Vocabulary In Context
As used in the highlighted line, “mistress” most nearly means
The following is an excerpt from Night and Day, a novel by Virginia Woolf that was first published in 1919. The novel tells the story of two main female characters in London in the early 20th century.
It was a Sunday evening in October, and in common with many other young ladies of her class, Katharine Hilbery was pouring out tea. Perhaps a fifth part of her mind was thus occupied, and the remaining parts leapt over the little barrier of day which interposed between Monday morning and this rather subdued moment, and played with the things one does voluntarily and normally in the daylight. But although she was silent, she was evidently mistress of a situation which was familiar enough to her, and inclined to let it take its way for the six hundredth time, perhaps, without bringing into play any of her unoccupied faculties. A single glance was enough to show that Mrs. Hilbery was so rich in the gifts which make tea-parties of elderly distinguished people successful, that she scarcely needed any help from her daughter, provided that the tiresome business of teacups and bread and butter was discharged for her.
victim
admirer
manager
supporter
If we look to the context, we can see that Katharine Hilbery is hosting a group of people and pouring tea. So, when the sentence in question uses the term “mistress,” the passage intends to say that she is “in charge of” the situation unfolding before her. This aligns most directly with “manager.” It would not make sense in context to say that she was an admirer or supporter of the situation, nor is she precisely the “victim” of the situation at hand. It’s important to keep in mind when tackling vocabulary in context questions that vocabulary in context is a context question, not a memorization question, so our job is generally to take common terms and find the meaning of those terms that best match the context.
As used in the highlighted portion, “discontinuity” most nearly means
The following is an excerpt from “Human Life and Migration - an Origin Story,” (2020)
It is now commonly accepted that human life originated in East Africa. There is less agreement as to whether the humans that left Africa in a final exodus as recently as 100,000 years ago replaced all other hominids (thus becoming ancestors to everyone now alive) or humans evolved independently in geographically separated regions. Recently, the replacement scenario, as it is sometimes called, has been lent support from genetic research.
Genetic investigations into the origins of human life most often focus on mitochondrial DNA. As opposed to nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA is transmitted only from the mother. This allows for the tracing of mutations that arise independently of changes that occur because of the combining of the mother’s and father’s DNA. As useful as this is, the high mutation rate of mitochondrial DNA allows scientists a look at only relatively recent prehistory. Nuclear DNA, on the other hand, has a low mutation rate, making it ideal for looking into the more distant past. Studying the nuclear DNA of fossils now shows a substantial decrease in population size in Europe and Asia approximately 50—80 thousand years ago. No such decrease happened in Africa. This supports the idea that migrants from Africa replaced all previous humans, and did not interbreed with earlier migrants.
Other research shows less genetic diversity the farther human populations are located from Africa. This difference in diversity, which continues to the present day, also supports the hypothesis that modern human life came from Africa and gradually spread throughout the world. It is worth noting that there is no discontinuity in the decrease of diversity as one travels from Africa; this points to less distinct ethnic and racial divisions than is popularly thought to be the case.
predictability
inconsistency
discontentedness
consistency
In this example, “discontinuity” is used in context to mean that the decrease of diversity is consistent, basically, that the described pattern continues without interruption. This aligns perfectly with our correct answer, “inconsistency.” “Consistency” and “predictability,” run counter to the meaning, and would change the interpretation of the sentence in question entirely, and discontentedness might *sound* similar to the given word, but would make no sense in the given context. So, by process of elimination, “inconsistency” is our only viable option in the context of the sentence.
As used in the highlighted portion, “tracing” most nearly means
The following is an excerpt from “Human Life and Migration - an Origin Story,” (2020)
It is now commonly accepted that human life originated in East Africa. There is less agreement as to whether the humans that left Africa in a final exodus as recently as 100,000 years ago replaced all other hominids (thus becoming ancestors to everyone now alive) or humans evolved independently in geographically separated regions. Recently, the replacement scenario, as it is sometimes called, has been lent support from genetic research.
Genetic investigations into the origins of human life most often focus on mitochondrial DNA. As opposed to nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA is transmitted only from the mother. This allows for the tracing of mutations that arise independently of changes that occur because of the combining of the mother’s and father’s DNA. As useful as this is, the high mutation rate of mitochondrial DNA allows scientists a look at only relatively recent prehistory. Nuclear DNA, on the other hand, has a low mutation rate, making it ideal for looking into the more distant past. Studying the nuclear DNA of fossils now shows a substantial decrease in population size in Europe and Asia approximately 50—80 thousand years ago. No such decrease happened in Africa. This supports the idea that migrants from Africa replaced all previous humans, and did not interbreed with earlier migrants.
Other research shows less genetic diversity the farther human populations are located from Africa. This difference in diversity, which continues to the present day, also supports the hypothesis that modern human life came from Africa and gradually spread throughout the world. It is worth noting that there is no discontinuity in the decrease of diversity as one travels from Africa; this points to less distinct ethnic and racial divisions than is popularly thought to be the case.
sketching
tracking
outlining
overlooking
In this example, the context suggests that the transmittal of mitochondrial DNA from the mother allows the origins of mutations to be “traced.” If we were to fill in the blank with another term that maintains this context, “tracking” aligns well, as it maintains the meaning that the origins of the mutations can be kept track of. While “tracing” can mean outlining or sketching in other contexts, it would be completely illogical here. Keep in mind with vocabulary in context, it’s important that we ensure that the chosen answer doesn’t just express “a” meaning of the term in question - we need the meaning that fits the context and maintains the given meaning.
In the context of the highlighted portion of the passage, “bias” most nearly means
The passage is excerpted from Carter G, Leffer L (2015) “Social Grooming in Bats: Are Vampire Bats Exceptional?” © 2015 Carter, Leffer
Alternatively, the apparent distinctiveness of vampire bat social grooming might stem from purely ecological factors. Social grooming may be more obvious in vampire bats due to higher levels of ectoparasite infestation. Bat fly density has been linked to species-level grooming rates and the two vampire species that were observed ranked 5th and 6th place out of 53 neotropical bats for the average number of parasitic streblid flies per bat. A sampling bias could also over-emphasize social grooming in vampire bats, because there is much effort focused on studying vampire bat social behavior and a lack of data on social grooming in other bats.
partiality
dislike
aversion
fairness
In this example, we’re tasked to use context to understand the meaning of “bias” in the term “sampling bias.” The context later in the sentence addresses that a sampling bias could over-emphasize a certain group. So, we’re meant to interpret that a sampling bias expresses a partial or unfair distribution in the sample. This aligns with our correct answer, “partiality.” This context directly contrasts with “fairness,” and while a bias could lead someone to have a preference for one component and an aversion to or dislike of another, the answers “dislike” and “aversion” also don’t fit the given context, as the bias has been said to over-emphasize a particular species. Keep in mind that even if you were uncertain of the meaning of the term “partiality,” the process of elimination is a great tool to eliminate clearly incorrect answers and arrive at our correct option!
In the context of the highlighted portion of the passage, “proliferation” most nearly means
Dr. Ginny Bolton, examining roundworm samples collected in Borneo, noticed that the heatworm’s tiny cilia (hairlike organelles) appeared to beat in a single direction, aiding in the expulsion of food. Dr. Bolton later determined that the cilia also made it much easier for the heatworm to live in the stifling confines of tree bark. The cilia project from a cuticle that is made of keratin, a protein that protects the worm’s epidermis from drying out and overheating. The cilia help regulate the proliferation of the keratin, and the force of the cilia’s movements varies as the external temperature changes, allowing for a highly responsive thermostatic system, constantly adjusting the amount of keratin so that the worm would be neither overexposed nor stifled.
regulation
size
force
production
In this example, we’re tasked to use context to understand the use of “proliferation” in the context of the highlighted sentence. Here, we’re told that the cilia aids the worm in understanding how much keratin is appropriate to produce given the temperature. So, the cilia help regulate the “production” of keratin. While force, regulation, and even size seem on-topic, none of them would fit the meaning if we simply replaced the term proliferation with any of those options. Be careful not to let similarity to the surrounding words trip you up - we’re looking for a term that would maintain the meaning if we directly swapped it with the word in question, and only “production” does so here.
In the context of the highlighted portion of the passage, “stifled” most nearly means
Dr. Ginny Bolton, examining roundworm samples collected in Borneo, noticed that the heatworm’s tiny cilia (hairlike organelles) appeared to beat in a single direction, aiding in the expulsion of food. Dr. Bolton later determined that the cilia also made it much easier for the heatworm to live in the stifling confines of tree bark. The cilia project from a cuticle that is made of keratin, a protein that protects the worm’s epidermis from drying out and overheating. The cilia help regulate the proliferation of the keratin, and the force of the cilia’s movements varies as the external temperature changes, allowing for a highly responsive thermostatic system, constantly adjusting the amount of keratin so that the worm would be neither overexposed nor stifled.
quieted
encouraged
extinguished
smothered
In this example, we’re tasked to use context to understand the use of “stifled” in the context of the highlighted sentence. The term is directly contrasted with the term “overexposed,” so contextually, we’re looking for a negative outcome that is the opposite of leaving the worm overexposed. If the keratin is providing balance to the worm, it’s ensuring the worm is neither overexposed, nor smothered. Essentially, the keratin ensures it doesn’t lack enough keratin, but also makes sure the keratin isn’t so abundant that it impedes the worm. So, “smothered” makes sense in this context. While “quieted” and “extinguished” fit other definitions of the word “stifled,” they don’t make sense in this context, and “encouraged” is completely misaligned with the context.
In the context of the highlighted portion of the passage, “inhibits” most nearly means
Genetic testing showed that the blueworm and the heatworm were not merely structurally similar; to the scientists’ surprise, the worms were identical. This was startling, not only because of their vastly differing habitats, but also because of the difference in size. The answer again was to be found in the keratin, a tough substance that normally inhibits growth, keeping the hydrostatic pressure very high within the worm. The relatively large worm found in the rainforest molts as it grows, allowing the worm to increase its volume a very small amount each time it does, but the smaller worm cannot afford this much exposure. The freezing temperatures trigger the production of keratin so quickly that the worm has little chance to grow, thus keeping its volume approximately one-fourth that of the larger worm.
impedes
accelerates
exhibits
reverses
In this example, we’re tasked to use context to understand the use of “inhibits” in the context of the highlighted sentence. If the substance, keratin, “inhibits” growth, and later context clarifies that keratin creates a situation in which “the worm has little chance to grow, thus keeping its volume approximately one-fourth that of the larger worm” we can see that inhibit must mean that it gets in the way of or “impedes” growth. While exhibits might sound similar, its meaning does not align with the context at all. Additionally, reverses and accelerates both take things too far, as the context does not imply that the keratin actively reverses the size of the worm, and instead just gets in the way of or “impedes” its further growth.
As used in the highlighted sentence, “just” most nearly means
The following passage is excerpted from a speech delivered by Susan B. Anthony in 1873. The speech was delivered after Anthony was tried and fined $100 for voting in the 1872 presidential election.
It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union. And we formed it, not to give the blessings of liberty, but to secure them; not to the half of ourselves and the half of our posterity, but to the whole people— women as well as men. And it is a downright mockery to talk to women of their enjoyment of the blessings of liberty while they are denied the use of the only means of securing them provided by this democratic-republican government—the ballot.
For any State to make sex a qualification that must ever result in the disfranchisement of one entire half of the people is a violation of the supreme law of the land. By it the blessings of liberty are forever withheld from women and their female posterity. To them this government had no just powers derived from the consent of the governed. To them this government is not a democracy. It is not a republic. It is an odious aristocracy; a hateful oligarchy of sex; the most hateful aristocracy ever established on the face of the globe; an oligarchy of wealth, where the right govern the poor. An oligarchy of learning, where the educated govern the ignorant, or even an oligarchy of race, where the Saxon rules the African, might be endured, but this oligarchy of sex, which makes father, brothers, husband, sons, the oligarchs over the mother and sisters, the wife and daughters of every household—which ordains all men sovereigns, all women subjects, carries dissension, discord and rebellion into every home of the nation.
partial
exact
confirmed
lawful
With vocabulary in context questions, we need to focus on the context used in the passage. In the sentence, if we were to take out the word “just,” and replace it with something else, “lawful” would be the best fit. The surrounding paragraph addresses that current voting laws are “unlawful,” so suggesting that the government has no “lawful” powers fits our context perfectly. While “exact” and “confirmed” match other meanings for the word just, they do not align with the context of the passage, and would change the meaning. Keep in mind, vocabulary in context is a context question, not a vocabulary memorization question, so our job is generally to take common terms and find the meaning of those terms that best match with the context.
As used in the highlighted sentence, “abridge” most nearly means
The following passage is excerpted from a speech delivered by Susan B. Anthony in 1873. The speech was delivered after Anthony was tried and fined $100 for voting in the 1872 presidential election.
For any State to make sex a qualification that must ever result in the disfranchisement of one entire half of the people is a violation of the supreme law of the land. By it, the blessings of liberty are forever withheld from women and their female posterity. To them, this government had no just powers derived from the consent of the governed. To them, this government is not a democracy. It is not a republic. It is an odious aristocracy; a hateful oligarchy of sex; the most hateful aristocracy ever established on the face of the globe; an oligarchy of wealth, where the right govern the poor. An oligarchy of learning, where the educated govern the ignorant, or even an oligarchy of race, where the Saxon rules the African, might be endured, but this oligarchy of sex, which makes father, brothers, husband, sons, the oligarchs over the mother and sisters, the wife and daughters of every household—which ordains all men sovereigns, all women subjects, carries dissension, discord, and rebellion into every home of the nation.
Webster, Worcester, and Bouvier all define a citizen to be a person in the United States, entitled to vote and hold office. The one question left to be settled now is: Are women persons? And I hardly believe any of our opponents will have the hardihood to say they are not. Being persons, then, women are citizens; and no State has a right to make any law, or to enforce any old law, that shall abridge their privileges or immunities. Hence, every discrimination against women are citizenswomen in the constitutions and laws of the several States is today null and void, precisely as is everyone against African Americans.
shorten
restore
diminish
enhance
With vocabulary in context questions, we need to focus on the context first and foremost. In the sentence, if we were to take out the word “abridge,” and replace it with something else, “lessen” or “take away from” would be the best fit. So, “diminish” makes a lot of sense in context, and is our correct answer. While “shorten” might be the most common association we would make with “abridge” without the context, it doesn’t fit what we’re looking for in context, as it would not make sense to “shorten” privileges or immunities. Finally, restore and enhance both directly conflict with the context, and cannot be our correct answers. Keep in mind, vocabulary in context is a context question, not a vocabulary memorization question, so our job is generally to take common terms and find the meaning of those terms that best match with the context.
As used in the highlighted sentence, “deliverance” most nearly means
The following is an excerpt from Agnes Grey, an autobiographical novel by Anne Bronte that follows the life of a governess working in wealthy British households in the 19th century.
To avoid trouble and confusion, I have taken my pupils one by one, and discussed their various qualities; but this can give no adequate idea of being worried by the whole three together; when, as was often the case, all were determined to ‘be naughty, and to tease Miss Grey, and put her in a passion.’
Sometimes, on such occasions, the thought has suddenly occurred to me—’If they could see me now!’ meaning, of course, my friends at home; and the idea of how they would pity me has made me pity myself—so greatly that I have had the utmost difficulty to restrain my tears: but I have restrained them, till my little tormentors were gone to dessert, or cleared off to bed (my only prospects of deliverance), and then, in all the bliss of solitude, I have given myself up to the luxury of an unrestricted burst of weeping. But this was a weakness I did not often indulge: my employments were too numerous, my leisure moments too precious, to admit of much time being given to fruitless lamentations.
unhappiness
appearance
arrival
liberation
With vocabulary in context questions, we need to focus on the context used in the passage. In the sentence, if we were to take out the word “deliverance,” and replace it with something else, “freedom” (or liberation) would fit our context nicely and maintain the original meaning of the sentence. While “unhappiness” matches the tone of the surrounding paragraph, it would not make sense to replace “deliverance” with “unhappiness,” as the passage is suggesting that this time is her only escape or freedom from the challenges of her job. Additionally, while “appearance” and “arrival” fit *a* meaning of the word deliverance, they would not make sense in the context of the highlighted sentence. Keep in mind, vocabulary in context is a context question, not a vocabulary memorization question, so our job is generally to take common terms and find the meaning of those terms that best matches with the context.