gce past year o level vocab questions, context and answers

1. Jiang Education Centre Pte Ltd Ace your “O” LeVeLs Sem 2 week 7
Try to ascertain the meaning of the words given below 
1997 Desolate
Grave Assailed
Devised Dictated
Dominated Stealthily
Conscious of Detection
Depicted Count on
Systematically Evidence
Decline Fade
Verge
2002
1998 Significant
Exaggerated Likely
Culminating Attracted
Interrupted Trace
Belt In abundance
Fitfully Promised
Monotonously Rivals
Shrouded Secret
Bear
2003
1999 Principally
Rich Fashioned
Spurred Flourish
Plausible Permanent
In the light of Turn to
Contemplated Lead
Imminent Reputation
Enticing Lead
Ominous Reputation
Cover
2000
Home in on 2004
Convey Impact
Readily Primitive
Range Banished
Making Angle
Futile Effectively
Credit
Arrogant 2005
Debility
2001 Voraciously
Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance. Samuel Johnson: 1

2. Jiang Education Centre Pte Ltd Ace your “O” LeVeLs Sem 2 week 7
Infernal Distinction
Embellishment Commonplace
Relic Boosted
Distinguish
2006 Eerie
Harnessing
Bid 2008
Intently Climax
Harvesting Manipulated
Pervasiveness Overwhelmed
Vibrant
2007 Gnarled
Did that exercise seem difficult?
How about when the Vocabulary words are in context?
1997
Despite this, there was a grave disadvantage in being a totem animal because if an animal
was the totem of some sacred tribe, it could be attacked or destroyed by their enemies
Grave
The most obvious example was n sheer strength. The lion and elephant were clearly
much stronger than humans so circus acts were devised in which the strength of the
animals was dominated by human intelligence;
Devised
The lion and elephant were clearly much stronger than humans so circus acts were
devised in which the strength of the animals was dominated by human intelligence;
Dominated
Conscious of their limitations, zoos have struggled to develop a style of zoo-keeping
which gives animals living conditions that are as close as possible to the way they would
live is still in the wild.
Conscious of
Animals were depicted in early films as savage killers attacking the hero or being gunned
down by brave hunters in the name of sport.
Depicted
Animals also suffered at the hands of man in that they were gradually but systematically
destroyed by Europeans to make way for agricultural land to provide food for a fast-
growing population.
Systematically
Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance. Samuel Johnson: 2

3. Jiang Education Centre Pte Ltd Ace your “O” LeVeLs Sem 2 week 7
Tourist pollution is considered the main cause in the dramatic decline of the numbers of
certain predatory animals like the cheetah and leopard.
Decline
Many fascinating species of animals are today on the verge of extinction and the list is
depressingly long.
Verge
1998
Somehow I convinced him that his fears were exaggerated.
Exaggerated
Above me towered a steep slope culminating in a sheer, grey cliff.
Culminating
Only to the west was the view interrupted by a bank of cloud.
Interrupted
Towards evening I reached a thick belt of jungle.
Belt
I slept only fitfully.
Fitfully
In its depths a bell-bird was calling monotonously.
Monotonously
Jungle once more shrouded the path I was following.
Shrouded
I stood and shouted, as loudly as my lungs would bear it, to the four points of the
compass.
Bear
Disasters at sea are rich in examples of superhuman skill and determination and on
occasion, criminal negligence, and sometimes more sinister behaviour.
Rich
1999
Competition for contracts in the prestigious and lucrative business of the transatlantic run
had spurred the major competition to build increasingly larger and faster vessels.
Spurred
Their claim that the Titanic was unsinkable was plausible but unfortunate in the light of
subsequent events.
Plausible
Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance. Samuel Johnson: 3

4. Jiang Education Centre Pte Ltd Ace your “O” LeVeLs Sem 2 week 7
Their claim that the Titanic was unsinkable was plausible but unfortunate in the light of
subsequent events
In the light of
This was originally contemplated by the builders, but they later rejected the idea.
Contemplated
At noon on 10 April 1912 a long blast on Titanic’s whistle signalled her imminent
departure.
Imminent
Although the owner had earlier declared that there was no point in driving the ship too
hard, the possibility of an early arrival in New York was too enticing to ignore;
Enticing
Meanwhile, as one of the lookouts neared the end of his watch, an ominous smudge
about the size of his loomed on the horizon dead ahead. Ominous
2000
Bats home in on flying insects that are their food by means of a sophisticated sound
system.
Home in on
Not that we don’t have other powers of communication. Our facial expressions convey
out emotions such as anger, or joy or disappointment.
Convey
Biologists can readily indicate that particular area of our human beings acquire this
amazing skills
Readily
The next phase in the growth of language would have been the way our bodies developed
to enable us to utter a growing range of varied sounds.
Range
The effortless was a child learns to talk and the automatic understanding that it prompts
in its listeners are masking a system of great richness and complexity.
Masking
Certainly they don’t attempt to provide basic grammar lessons for their infants; that
would be futile.
Futile
In fact, children themselves deserve most of the credit for the language they acquire.
Credit
Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance. Samuel Johnson: 4

5. Jiang Education Centre Pte Ltd Ace your “O” LeVeLs Sem 2 week 7
Yet the possession of the distinctive skill that is language should not make us too
arrogant.
Arrogant
2001
The first stage of our march lay through desolate and dangerous country called the Dead
Land.
Desolate
But it wasn’t the tsetse fly that now assailed us.
Assailed
Next morning, we set off, following the direction our map and compass dictated.
Dictated
We walked stealthily on until we caught sight of a river below and a harbour close by.
Stealthily
If we could only avoid detection in the dark woods until nightfall, or until the rain came
in the afternoon, we had a chance of getting away.
Detection
I count on you to get back with news of what we’ve discovered.
Count on
Even as I spoke, fresh evidence of the progress of our enemies was coming onto the
scene.
Evidence
Soon they began to fade into the distance.
Fade
2002
Then came other significant discoveries there – the fossilised remains of skulls, not
altogether human but with features markedly similar to those of humans.
Significant
Such finds, together with the strangely-shaped stones, were likely evidence of creatures
which were developing a primitive intelligence, and not replying just on jaws and teeth to
get their food.
Likely
When a creature died on the open plains of Africa, the scent of its decay sooner or later
attracted other animals of all kinds.
Attracted
Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance. Samuel Johnson: 5

6. Jiang Education Centre Pte Ltd Ace your “O” LeVeLs Sem 2 week 7
Hardly any trace of its existence would be left.
Trace
Two million years ago, the gorge at Olduvai would have held a great lake, and around its
shores animals would have swarmed in abundance.
In abundance
Circling vultures promised the remains of some animal killed not far away, a meal for
the taking of they got there soon enough.
Promised
This communication undoubtedly gave them the edge over many of their four-footed
rivals in prising out the secret scraps of energy-giving food that dotted the landscape.
Rivals
This communication undoubtedly gave them the edge over many of their four-footed
rivals in prising out the secret scraps of energy-giving food that dotted the landscape.
Secret
2003
A warrior’s armour could be worth a hundred oxen and even human beings, principally
those were employed as servants could be valued in terms of cattle.
Principally
Being fashioned out of metal, they had a special value, since it required a good deal of
labour to extract metal from the earth.
Fashioned
The emergence of this new money encouraged an increase in merchants and trades, who
in turn ensured that this use of coins would continue to flourish.
Flourish
These pieces of paper first appeared in general use in the 9th century AD and thereafter
found a permanent place in Chinese money.
Permanent
Other countries did not turn to this idea for another six hundred years.
Turn to
Later on, other countries were to follow the lead of China and produce metal coins.
Lead
Their value earned them a widespread reputation as money worth acquiring.
Reputation
Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance. Samuel Johnson: 6

7. Jiang Education Centre Pte Ltd Ace your “O” LeVeLs Sem 2 week 7
To cover some of the expenses, less of the precious metals would be included in their
production.
Cover
2004
Our behaviour, also, has felt the impact of modern technology.
Impact
Modern machinery has freed people from that primitive existence.
Primitive
The motor-car has been blamed for its polluting effects and see its demands for more and
more roads, but it has banished the time-consuming and uncomfortable journeys endured
in horse-drawn vehicles.
Banished
Initially they protested but then they saw things from my angle.
Angle
A flying elbow from him caught Zang in the stomach and that effectively ended the race
for Zang.
Effectively
2005
Next day came a further sign of our growing debility.
Debility
Nevertheless we drank it voraciously, sand, mud, and all.
Voraciously
At last we were certain that we had escaped from that infernal land.
Infernal
The butterfly’s colouring is not just for embellishment.
Embellishment
There is a theory that this is just a relic of the co-operative animal behaviour which we
learnt as hunters at an early stage in our evolution.
Relic
2006
Finally harnessing all its strength into one last bid for freedom, it thrashed again and
again until one o the chains snapped and an anchor broke free.
Harnessing
Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance. Samuel Johnson: 7

8. Jiang Education Centre Pte Ltd Ace your “O” LeVeLs Sem 2 week 7
Finally harnessing all its strength into one last bid for freedom, it thrashed again and
again until one o the chains snapped and an anchor broke free.
Bid
The humpback was struggling to obtain enough air but it watched the divers intently, one
black and white eye the size of a human fist following their every move.
Intently
However, these oceans also provide for life on earth in a more direct way, in the
harvesting of fish and other sea creatures for food.
Harvesting
The other man-made problem is the pervasiveness of marine litter from pole to pole.
Pervasiveness
Well, if that was frustrating, remember the range of words offered
to you during your O levels … to prevent further frustration, please
check your dictionaries for other meanings for the following
words!
2007
In those early days, there was no clear distinction between astrology – a belief in the
influence of the stars on our everyday lives – and astronomy – the scientific study of
them.
Distinction
Although there is no scientific evidence for these beliefs, it would once have been
commonplace for a ruler to consult his astrologer before deciding to go into battle, or for
a businessman to check whether the planets favoured a particular deal.
Commonplace
The rise of technology has, if anything, boosted our fascination with out neighbouring
planet.
Boosted
On their final approach to mars, they could just distinguish the curved outline of the
planet, shrouded in a luminous grey mist against the deep indigo of space beyond.
Distinguish
In the eerie silence, the muffled shapes they could see sitting around a guttering candle
materialised slowly into recognisable human forms.
Eerie
2008
Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance. Samuel Johnson: 8

9. Jiang Education Centre Pte Ltd Ace your “O” LeVeLs Sem 2 week 7
When witch-hunting, as it came to be known reached its climax, cats figured prominently
in most of the trials of the accused.
Climax
Today, the genetic make-up of the domestic cat has been manipulated by selective
breeding so that some felines seem to bear very little resemblance to the cats of ancient
Egypt’s homes and granaries.
Manipulated
The royal party was overwhelmed by the sudden presence of Mau, who, it seemed to
them, was a re-incarnation of the cat depicted on the tomb painting of a former pharaoh.
Overwhelmed
Here, giant statues towered over him, and great columns rose to the roof, where their tops
merged into paintings of reeds, papyrus flowers and lotus buds so vibrant that they
seemed to be bathed in sunlight.
vibrant
the light from their burning torches reflected off Mau’s collar and, as the gnarled fingers
of an elderly robber fumbled at the heavy clasp and snapped it open, Mau gathered all his
little remaining strength and emitted an ear-splitting screech.
Gnarled
Answers Fitfully intermittently, in
1997 short spells
Grave serious Monotonously without change
Devised made for the Shrouded concealed, hidden
purpose Bear take
Dominated overridden
Conscious aware of 1999
Depicted showed Rich abundant
Systematically deliberately done Spurred motivated
in planned steps Plausible seemingly
Decline decrease reasonable
verge on the brink, In the light of in view of
almost Contemplated considered
Imminent impending
1998 Enticing tempting
Exaggerated blown out of Ominous forbidding
proportion
Culminated adding up to 2000
Interrupted stopped Home in on locate
Belt strip Convey express
Readily straight away
Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance. Samuel Johnson: 9

10. Jiang Education Centre Pte Ltd Ace your “O” LeVeLs Sem 2 week 7
Masking hiding Primitive outdated
Futile useless Banished discarded
Credit acknowledgement Angle point of view
Arrogant conceited Effectively successfully
2001 2005
Desolate isolated Debility state of weakness
Assailed attacked Voraciously ravenously
Dictated showed Infernal hellish
Stealthily cautiously Embellishment decoration
Detection discovery Relic remnant
Count on place trust in
Evidence proof 2006
Fade die down Harnessing mustering
Bid attempt
2002 Intently keenly, closely
Significant considerable Harvesting catching
Likely probable Pervasiveness being widespread
Attracted drew
Trace evidence 2007
In abundance in large numbers Distinction difference
Promised guaranteed Commonplace normal and usual
Rivals competitors Boosted increased
Secret unknown Distinguish make out / make
clear
2003 Eerie strange and
Principally mainly unusual / frightening
Fashioned made
Flourish thrive 2008
Permanent fixed Climax intense and
Turn to take up exciting point
Lead pioneering Manipulated controlled in a
directions skilful manner
Reputation standing Overwhelmed filled with strong
Cover pay for emotion
Vibrant vivid, brightly
2004 coloured
Impact influence Gnarled rough and twisted
Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance. Samuel Johnson: 10