“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Name:
Period:
Vocabulary Quiz In each sentence below from “Harrison Bergeron,” circle the best word from the underlined options. (The definition in parentheses can help you choose the right word.)
1. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing exuberance, vigilance, flamboyance of agents of the United States Handicapper General. (a state of watchfulness to detect danger) 2. Every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage, detriment, reputation of their brains. (any circumstance specially favorable to success; superiority) 3. A buzzer sounded in George's head. His thoughts fled in panic, like warriors, bandits, landlubbers from a burglar alarm. (thieves, robbers, outlaws) 4. They were burdened, liberated, situated ( to load oppressively; trouble) with sashweights and bags of birdshot, and their faces were masked, so that no one, seeing a free and graceful gesture, venture, injunction or a pretty face, would feel like something the cat drug in. (the use of such movements to express thought or emotion) 5. George was toying with the vague erratum, potency, notion that maybe dancers shouldn't be handicapped. (a general understanding; vague or imperfect idea)
6. "I'd think it would be real interesting, hearing all the different sounds," said Hazel a little prodigious, envious, ridiculous. "All the things they think up." (an expression of feeling covetousness or discontent in regards to thing possessed by others.) 7. Hazel saw him wince, vault, grasp. Having no mental handicap herself, she had to ask George what the latest sound had been. (to draw back or tense the body, as from pain; flinch) 8. Hazel, as a matter of fact, bore a strong distraction, resemblance, resolution to the Handicapper General, a woman named Diana Moon Glampers. (a state or fact of similarity) 9. He began to think glimmeringly, fondly, unequivocally (faintly) about his nonchalant, fetching, abnormal son who was now in jail, about Harrison, but a twenty-one-gun salute in his head stopped that. (not normal, average or typical) 10. "Two years in prison and two thousand dollars fine for every ball I took out," said George. "I don't call that a bargain, stipulation, indictment." (a purchase acquired at less than the usual cost) 11. It wasn't clear at first as to what the bulletin was about, since the announcer, like all announcers, had a serious speech disclosure, impediment, excursion. (obstruction; hindrance; obstacle) 12. Her voice was a warm, luminous, obscure, archaic timeless melody. (clear; readily intelligible) 13. The picture showed the full length of Harrison against a background guaranteed, introverted, calibrated in feet and inches. (divided or marked with gradations or other indexes of degree or quantity) 14. He had outgrown hindrances, improvements, melees faster than the H-G men could think them up. (anything that impedes, stops, or prevents) 15. Ordinarily, there was a certain intrigue, symmetry, mirth, a military neatness to the handicaps issued to strong people, but Harrison looked like a walking junkyard. (regularity of form or arrangements in terms of corresponding parts) 16. Screams and barking cries of rapture, serenity, consternation came from the television set. (a sudden, alarming amazement or dread that results in utter confusion) 17. Harrison and his Empress merely listened to the music for a while-listened gravely, as though synchronizing, overwhelming, rioting their heartbeats with it. (moving, operating, or working at the same rate and exactly together) 18. They reeled, whirled, swiveled, flounced, capered, lumbered, gamboled, traversed and spun. (to skip about, as in dancing or playing; frolic)
