Directions: select the answer that best completes the sentence.
My neighbor is both ________ and ________; he keeps to himself and has great fear of anyone who isn't from our town.
(a) callous...predisposed
(b) misanthropic...tolerant
(c) insular...xenophobic
(d) ignorant...biased
(e) prejudiced...obstinate
Discussion: Not all the vocabulary for this question is simple, but the solution is straightforward. The second half of the sentence (after the semicolon) parallels the first half. We're looking for two words that mean "keeps to himself" and "fear of anyone who isn't from our town." Answer (c), "insular" and "xenophobic" meet the requirement.
Vocabulary:
- biased - favoring one thing over another; having prejudice
- callous - insensitive or unsympathetic
- ignorant - lacking knowledge or experience
- insular - isolated, as if living alone on an island
- misanthropic - having a hatred or mistrust of people
- obstinate - stubborn
- predisposed - biased; being susceptible to something (such as being predisposed to get cancer because of family history)
- prejudiced - having a preconceived opinion (can be positive or negative)
- tolerant - accepting; respecting others who are different
- xenophobic - having extreme fear of strangers or foreigners
