Answers

1. crimp – B: compress into small folds. For an 1980s-themed party, Mandy learned how to crimp her locks with a hair iron.

2. bung – A: stopper for a container. The shipment arrived safely, a bung keeping the precious antidote in the bottle.

3. cruller – C: small cake made from a twisted strip of dough. Vijay arrived at the party with a box of crullers from the local bakery.

4. avast – A: nautical command to stop. “Avast!” shouted the captain, but the crew ignored him and continued heading for shore.

5. beleaguered – A: subjected to constant trouble. The beleaguered principal received notice of yet another cut in the school’s funding.

6. polder – B: tract of low land reclaimed from the sea. Jan’s cattle grazed on a polder that was three metres below sea level.

7. maelstrom – C: powerful whirlpool. Faidra swam with all her strength, barely escaping the deadly maelstrom just off the shore.

8. freebooter – B: pirate. Legend has it that freebooters plundered most of the island’s treasures in the late 17th century.

9. bulwark – A: strong protection. The long-serving mayor, with his pro-environmental focus, was a bulwark against overdevelopment.

10. boodle – C: money. The robbery completed, the gang split the boodle five ways and made for the border.

11. bumpkin – B: unsophisticated person from the countryside. Declan’s folk songs about lovable bumpkins earned him legions of fans.

12. foist – A: impose something unwelcome. Shaun’s tendency to foist his own responsibilities on his colleagues made him unpopular.

13. bogart – C: use without sharing. Kym bogarted the popcorn, rarely passing the large bag to her friends sitting next to her in the movie theatre.

14. blunderbuss – B: careless person. Kareem resented his boss, a blunderbuss with a poor track record who wouldn’t be in charge were it not for nepotism.

15. bruin – A: bear. The librarian read the children a story about a friendly bruin who helped a girl find her way home.

VOCABULARY RATINGS 5- 8: Fair 9–11: Good 12–15: Word Power Wizard City Lights: 14. Starting at skyscraper 1, there is always one more light burning.