Word Power ANSWERS

1. affable (a) easygoing. Guillermo is always affable, even when facing big deadlines at work.

2. filial (b) of sons and daughters. “Is some filial respect too much to ask around here?” Mom joked.

3. edifice (c) large building. The Gothic edifice will be restored by a team of experts.

4. calcified (a) hardened. Mary’s political opinions only calcified as she grew older.

5. malleable (c) pliable. After her first yoga class, Emily found that her muscles weren’t all that malleable.

6. Gallic (b) French. Crepes are a classic Gallic dish.

7. allege (c) assert without proof. At the time you allege my dog dug up your azaleas, he was actually at the vet.

8. fallible (c) imperfect. The captain may think he’s always right, but even his judgment is fallible sometimes!

9. kalimba (b) thumb piano. My niece taught herself to play Mozart sonatas on the kalimba.

10. blackball (a) exclude socially. E.J. was blackballed from the gardening club after she missed four meetings in a row.

11. ebb (b) decrease. Tamika’s enthusiasm for knitting began to ebb after she made a few misshapen scarves.

12. jackal (a) wild dog. What is the mayor’s office going to do about the pack of jackals on the loose in our town?

13. addled (b) confused. Uncle Paul can get addled when he doesn’t take his medications.

14. imam (c) Muslim prayer leader. Local imams, rabbis, and priests formed a task force to promote religious tolerance.

15. fiddlehead (a) edible fern. We’re serving salmon on a bed of sautéed fiddleheads for lunch.