7. In the 1940’s, when many of today’s astronauts hadn’t even been born, comic strip detective Dick Tracy fought crime in an atomic-powered space vehicle. In addition to that,

2. Glimpses into the prenatal world via ultrasound imaging occasionally show behavior such as

9. The word “highlighted” is closest in meaning to

10.The word “scores” is closest in meaning to

15. The word “tether” is closest in meaning to

16. The word “debate” is closest in meaning to

Many laws which have been passed in the various states of the United States over the years since their entrance into the Union are now out of date or seem just plain ludicrous.  For example, the laws in one state make it illegal for women to expose their ankles for men to go without their guns. Obviously, these laws are broken daily.  With current trends in fashion, every woman who walks down the street or goes to the beach of public swimming pool is committing a crime.  While it was once considered of utmost importance that a man be armed and ready for action on the frontier, it is hardly necessary for a man to tote his guns to work today.  However, a man without a gun is also technically breaking the law.  On the other hand, another law makes it illegal to tether one´s horse to the fence surrounding the capitol building.  It is hard to imagine anyone riding a horse into the city and leaving it tied outside of the capitol building today.  One would have to go to great lengths in order to break this law.

These outdated laws remain on the record because the time needed for state legislatures to debate the issues and make changes in the existing laws would keep the members from attending to more important current and relevant issues.  It would be hard to calculate the cost to the taxpayers for these laws to be purged or updated.  Consequently, it is likely that these laws will remain on the books.

13. The word “ludicrous” is closest in meaning to

8. The word “integral” is closest in meaning to

When Jessye Norman´s parents were knocking on the wall of their young daughter´s room as a signal for her to stop singing and to go to sleep, little did they dream that this small child who seemed to have been born singing would grow up to be an internationally renowned opera singer.

It is not surprising that Jessye loved to sing.  Music was an integral part of her family´s lifestyle.  Although Jessye remembers her mother singing spirituals, it was her grandmother who was always singing.  Every hour of her day and every mood was highlighted with a song that fit the occasion.  As Jessye was growing up, her piano-playing mother and trumpet- and trombone-playing brothers accompanied her when the family was called upon to provide special music for church services, parent-teaching meetings, and ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

During her childhood, Jessye knew only three operatic numbers, one that she learned from a recording and two others – the only opera scores she could find at the local music store.  Although singing was in her blood, it was not until she attended Howard University that Jessye Norman took her first voice lesson, with Carolyn Grant, who recognized her talent and knew how to channel it.  It was almost immediately after leaving the university in 1968, on her first visit to Europe, that Jessye won the singing prize in the International Music Competition of German Radio.  The following year, she was invited to go to Berlin to perform at the Deutsche Opera.  Since that time, Jessye Norman has become a world superstar whose singular voice reaches audiences all over the world.

 7. The word “renowned” is closest in meaning to

18. The word “purged” is closest in meaning to