17:英検対策1級(Eiken Grade 1)

48: Eiken Grade 1 Vocabularies Lesson 48

Part 1: Vocabulary words

1. elusive adjective [ih-loo-siv]

difficult to catch; difficult to mentally grasp or comprehend; difficult to describe or define

◼ Example: Recovery from spending is expected to become more and more elusive as unemployment remains high and wage growth remains stagnant.
◻ Note: Why do you think some thoughts by philosophers are elusive?

2. excruciatingly adverb [ik-skroo-shee-ey-ting-lee]

in an intensely or extremely painful manner

◼ Example: He excruciatingly endured all the heartaches his wife gave him for the sake of their children.
◻ Note: Another word for excruciatingly is agonizingly.

3. fraudulent adjective [fraw-juh-luhnt]

deceitful; cheating; dishonest

◼ Example: He lost a lot of money when he got involved in a fraudulent business.
◻ Note: Have you ever been a victim of any fraudulent activities?

4. irreparably adverb [ih-rep-er-uh-blee]

in a manner that can’t be repaired

◼ Example: Our old machines broke down irreparably, which means the company will have additional expenditures this year.
◻ Note: It comes from the Latin word ‘irreparabilis’: in-not + reparabilis-reparable.

5. lackluster adjective [lak-luhs-ter]

lacking brilliance, liveliness, vitality or radiance

◼ Example: The lackluster performance of the world’s renowned singer disappointed the audience.
◻ Note: Do you lead a dull, lackluster life or do you live an exciting one?

6. lurid adjective [loor-id]

ghastly, gruesome, shocking or causing horror; shining or glowing unnaturally and fierily

◼ Example: He has been attacked with lurid allegations about his private life in different write-ups that tarnished his credibility and integrity.
◻ Note: It comes from the Latin word ‘luridus’, which means ‘pale yellow or ghastly’.

7. roundabout adjective [round-uh-bout, round-uh-bout]

indirect; winding or circular; meandering

◼ Example: Before they concluded the meeting, they went on a roundabout discussion that seemed like it would never end.
◻ Note: Roundabout can also be a noun which means a circuitous or not direct road.

8. shrewd adjective [shrood]

having strong awareness and sharp intelligence that is often associated with a sense of practicality; quick in discerning

◼ Example: In this cruel industry, you’ve got to be shrewder than all the shrewd businessmen you’ll encounter.
◻ Note: This word was originally ‘shrewe' which meant ‘wicked, evil’.

9. voraciously adverb [vaw-rey-shuhs-lee, voh-, vuh-]

done in a manner that is marked by an insatiable appetite for food, activity or pursuit

◼ Example: She reads the novel voraciously as if there’s no tomorrow.
◻ Note: Have you ever indulged yourself in anything voraciously?

10. sedentary adjective [sed-n-ter-ee]

characterized by a sitting posture; used to sitting or resting or doing a little exercise

◼ Example: Perhaps, high technology led people to have a sedentary lifestyle.
◻ Note: Which do you prefer, an active or a sedentary lifestyle?

Part 2: Exercise 1

Give the word being asked for each number.

◼ elusive

◼ excruciatingly

◼ fraudulent

◼ irreparably

◼ lackluster

◼ lurid

◼ roundabout

◼ shrewd

◼ voraciously

◼ sedentary

__________ 1. done in a manner that is marked by an insatiable appetite for food, activity or pursuit

__________ 2. ghastly, gruesome, shocking or causing horror; shining or glowing unnaturally and fierily

__________ 3. deceitful; cheating; dishonest

__________ 4. characterized by a much sitting posture; used to sitting or resting or doing little exercise

__________ 5. lacking brilliance, liveliness, vitality or radiance

__________ 6. in a manner that can’t be repaired

__________ 7. having strong awareness and sharp intelligence that is often associated with a sense of practicality; quick in discerning

__________ 8. indirect; winding or circular; meandering

__________ 9. In an intensely or extremely painful manner

__________ 10. difficult to catch; difficult to mentally grasp or comprehend; difficult to describe or define

Part 2: Exercise 2

Choose the correct words to complete the sentences below.


1) In an interview, he attributed his loss in this year’s election to aggressive smear campaigns from his opponent’s side and a ___________ political campaign on their side. He then promised his supporters that in the next election, he’ll make sure that his political campaign will be more assertive and vigorous.

a. elusive

b. sedentary

c. lackluster

d. voracious

2) He is one of the few ___________ politicians who avoid offending the electorate unnecessarily. His craftiness and keenness won him the heart of the masses. However, a few people have expressed their disdain for the politician, claiming that he actually has oppressed people who have worked closely with him.

a. shrewd

b. fraudulent

c. lurid

d. sedentary

3) The most ____________ criminal of the state was finally captured after more than 8 years of pursuit. It was considered as one of the biggest captures of the police force, which was sensationalized by the media internationally. He is now detained in the most highly secured penitentiary of the state.

a. excruciating

b. elusive      

c. sedentary

d. voracious

4) Studies show that the burning of fossil fuels can ___________ harm the environment. The combustion of fossil fuels produces about 21.3 billion tons of pollution per year and also other air pollutants, like nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds and heavy metals.

a. irreparably

b. fraudulently

c. lackluster

d. shrewdly

5) A spasmodic attack is characterized by ______________ painful knock on the head with dizziness and nausea. Most of the time, the pain is agonizing and unbearable. There are times that even pain relievers do no good in alleviating the discomfort.

a. an irreparably

b. an excruciatingly

c. a fraudulently

d. a shrewdly

6) A low back strain, also known as a lumbar strain, is an injury to the large muscles in the lower back, which is very common among people with ________ occupations. They are then advised to do light standing and stretching exercises.

a. excruciating

b. lurid

c. sedentary

d. irreparable

7) A lawsuit was filed against him for making ____________ deals with many aspiring businessmen and businesswomen in some rural areas. All of his victims agreed that they will cooperate with the authorities to prove the deceit.

a. roundabout

b. voracious

c. fraudulent

d. lurid

8) The audience got bored of his long-winding and ____________ discussion on how the business will work in their area. In the end, nobody actually understood what the speaker was talking about. Everybody thought it was just a waste of time.

a. sedentary

b. shrewd

c. roundabout

d. lurid

9) The decade’s most renowned writer was __________ mobbed by his fans during his first public appearance ever in the city’s largest mall. He passionately attended to each and every avid supporter who tried to get even a glimpse of him.

a. voraciously

b. excruciatingly

c. elusively

d. shrewdly

10) Ten years have already passed but she still cannot recount the _____________ details of the accident where almost everyone, except for her, passed away. She said that that traumatic incident drew a permanent horrible image in her mind.

a. fraudulent

b. lurid

c. irreparable

d. lackluster