Vocabulary Studio 42: Maxim to misanthrope

3 questions. Choose the meaning or usage that best fits each situation. Try answering before reopening the passage.

1In the example "The critic dismissed the meretricious display of borrowed ideas.", what does meretricious mean?A. In an original, pure, or unspoiled condition.B. Attractively showy but lacking genuine worth.C. Especially suitable or relevant to the matter at hand.D. Playful and full of lively high spirits.

2In the example "A miasma of suspicion hung over the meeting.", what does miasma mean?A. A service or musical work for the dead, or a lament for something lost.B. A strong feeling of dislike or aversion.C. An unpleasant or oppressive atmosphere, sometimes imagined as a vapor.D. An urgent need or demanding circumstance requiring action.

3In the example "The novel's misanthrope avoids visitors but cares tenderly for stray animals.", what does misanthrope mean?A. A fixed or limited period of work or activity.B. An imagined hope or creation unlikely to be realized; also a mythical composite creature.C. An old-fashioned, disparaging term for a woman who sells sexual services.D. A person who dislikes or distrusts humankind.

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