Directions: select the answer that best completes the sentence.
He's a ________ old man who will fly into a rage at the slightest ________.
(a) precocious...annoyance
(b) prudent...instigation
(c) tenacious...insult
(d) captious...amelioration
(e) querulous...provocation
Discussion: We can quickly rule out choice (d) -- no one flies into a rage upon being ameliorated. On the other hand, a "querulous" man certainly could fly into a rage with a slight "provocation." Choice (e) makes more sense than any of the other options.
Vocabulary:
- amelioration - improvement; the act of relieving ills
- annoyance - nuisance; something that is bothersome
- captious - faultfinding; picky
- instigation - incitement; something that goads
- insult - an affront
- precocious - unusually advanced or developed
- provocation - something that irritates or angers
- prudent - wise and practical
- querulous - discontented; full of complaints
- tenacious - persistent; stubborn; clinging
