High School Placement Test v1.0 (HSPT Test)

Answer : A

Explanation:
"Vivacious" comes from the Latin root "viv," which means life. "Vivacious" literally means full of life. Therefore, "animated," a word that means energetic or vibrant, is going to be our best choice.

Answer : E

Explanation:
"Guile" means cleverness, but the word has a negative connotation ג€" someone who has "guile" is trying to outwit and outsmart other people, usually for personal gain. Therefore, "deceitfullness" will come the closest to our word's meaning.

Answer : C

Explanation:
The word ג€diffidenceג€ literally means ג€not having faithג€ in oneself. The ג€-fidenceג€ portion of the word is related to other English words pertaining to faith, such as
ג€fidelityג€ and ג€confidence.ג€ When someone does not have faith or trust in himself or herself, that person is often bashful or shy due to that lack of confidence. A related word, ג€diffidentג€ is the adjective form of the word.

Answer : E

Explanation:
The word ג€vociferousג€ is quite recognizably related to the words ג€voice,ג€ ג€vocal,ג€ and so forth. The ג€-ferג€ portion of the word is derived from the Latin for ג€to carry,ג€ as is found in the words ג€transferג€ (to carry across) and ג€aquiferג€ (something that carries water between two or more places). The word ג€vociferousג€ means
ג€carrying voiceג€ in the sense of being loud or outspoken. For example, one could say, ג€At the proposition that she should change her political affiliation, the young woman became particularly vociferous, arguing passionately for her beliefs.ג€

Answer : D

Explanation:
The word "impervious" properly means not letting liquids pass through. For example, a plastic bag can be said to be ג€impervious.ג€ Often, the sense of the word is extended to apply to any instance of not letting things through. It thus takes on the sense of being unaffected by. Someone could be said to be ג€impervious to distractionsג€ or many other such things. In these cases, the expression ג€impervious toג€ means ג€unaffected by.ג€

Answer : C

Explanation:
Although we think of ג€temperג€ as having to do with someoneג€™s disposition (or the state of being angry in particular), the word does have the additional use of to harden. The word is related to Latin roots meaning to mix. When one makes ג€tempered steel,ג€ it is heated and cooled in order to change its hardness. While it is heated, other materials might be added to the steel to alter its condition. Among the options, the only one that matches this sense is ג€strengthen.ג€ The other options appear to deal with ג€temperament,ג€ but none of them are general enough even to fit that usage.

Answer : B

Explanation:
The word ג€divertג€ comes from two root words that you may know. The ג€di-ג€ prefix can often mean away from. The ג€-vertג€ is found in words like ג€convert,ג€ ג€versatile,ג€
ג€advertiseג€ (as well as many other words). It comes from the Latin for to turn. To ג€divertג€ something means to turn something away from its course. Thus, one could think of it meaning something like to deflect or to redirect. For instance, one could say, ג€The city decided to divert the course of the stream in order to have it flow several miles to the west of the borders of the town.ג€ A ג€diversionג€ is something that is meant to take someoneג€™s attention away from another thing or event.
For example, in a crime, someone might play the role of ג€setting up a diversionג€ in order to allow the robber to do his illegal act without getting caught.

Answer : C

Explanation:
Among these options, ג€healג€ and ג€recoverג€ are attempting to get you to confuse this word with ג€convalesce,ג€ which means to recover or to regain strength. The word ג€coalesceג€ comes from the prefix ג€co-,ג€ meaning together or with, and ג€-alesce,ג€ which is derived from the Latin for to nourish or to grow up. When things
ג€coalesce,ג€ they come together, forming a larger whole. For instance, one could say, ג€All of the ingredients cooked down and coalesced into a single, homogeneous stew.ג€ The word ג€adolescenceג€ means a stage of growing to maturity, and is related to the word ג€coalesce.ג€

Answer : B

Explanation:
Although the word ג€pretentiousג€ is related to the word ג€pretend,ג€ do not be fooled. ג€Pretendג€ literally means to stretch forward in the sense of taking or claiming something. The ג€-tendג€ means stretch, as is found in ג€extend.ג€ The ג€pre-ג€ does not mean before in a temporal sense but instead in the physical sense ג€" e.g. ג€he stood before the magistrate.ג€ When someone is pretentious, he or she claims to be something that he or she is not, often doing so with much fanfare to draw attention. The word ג€ostentatiousג€ means much the same, itself being derived from Latin roots meaning to stretch out to show.

Answer : C

Explanation:
The word ג€edificeג€ comes from Latin roots either literally meaning ג€buildingג€ or also ג€to make a building.ג€ When we ג€edifyג€ someone, we ג€build them upג€ or improve them. The best option is the very general term ג€buildingג€ and none of the more specific building types mentioned.

Answer : E

Explanation:
In the word ג€accelerate,ג€ the ג€celerג€ portion means quick, coming from the Latin "celeriter," meaning quickly. The word ג€celerity,ג€ therefore means quickness. It would be used in sentence like, ג€I am often surprised by the celerity of the deadly tree squirrel, which can kill its prey more quickly than many other animals.ג€

Answer : A

Explanation:
Germinate means to grow or sprout. "Relish" means to enjoy or take delight in doing something. "Quell" means to subdue or put down. "Reinforce" means to support or strengthen. "Renounce" means to abandon or reject.

Answer : B

Explanation:
"Tirade" and "harangue" both mean an angry outburst. "Adulation" means overenthusiastic praise. "Endorsement" means support or authorization. "Transient" means something temporary or fleeting. "Tangent" means something touching or related.

Answer : D

Explanation:
"Enigma" means puzzle or something difficult to understand. "Accreditation" means providing credit or approval for an institution (usually a school). "Zealot" is a person who is passionate for something. "Fatigue" means exhausted and worn-out. "Herbivore" is an organism that eats only plants.

Answer : C

Explanation:
The word ג€alacrityג€ is related to the musical words ג€allegroג€ and ג€allegretto,ג€ which indicate quickness or briskness of tempo. Strictly speaking, ג€alacrityג€ means pleasant, quick readiness (to do something). Among the provided options, the best answer is ג€willingness.ג€