Daily Vocabulary from International Newspapers (10 August 2025): DAILY QUIZ

This quiz features 5 MCQs based on 5 handpicked words from the article. Reading the post first will give you the context, examples, and nuances you need to ace the questions.

Think of it as a quick challenge to test your recall, sharpen your word sense, and boost your vocabulary retention—all in just a few minutes!

1. The ambassador’s imperial demeanor during the negotiations—characterized by his commanding presence and dismissive attitude toward smaller nations’ concerns—reflected his country’s dominant position in international affairs. In this context, “imperial” most nearly means:

relating to a system of measurement used in former British territories pertaining to the rule of an emperor or empress exhibiting a domineering, majestic, or commanding manner following traditional protocols of diplomatic conduct demonstrating excessive formality in official proceedings

2. The software engineer spent hours tweaking the algorithm’s parameters to optimize performance, making subtle adjustments that collectively improved efficiency by fifteen percent. Which word best captures the meaning of “tweaking” in this context?

overhauling fine-tuning disrupting scrutinizing calibrating

3. The cathedral’s magnificent architecture, with its soaring spires and intricate stonework, drew visitors from around the world to admire its beauty. Which word represents the best antonym for “magnificent”?

modest artificial contemporary deteriorated unremarkable

4. A graduate student pursuing a doctorate in linguistics would most likely be engaged in which of the following academic pursuits?

Analyzing the psychological factors that influence learning disabilities Investigating the systematic study of language structure, evolution, and usage Examining the relationship between literature and cultural identity Researching the cognitive processes underlying mathematical reasoning Studying the philosophical implications of communication theory

5. A researcher studying memory formation discovers that participants perform better on recall tasks when they engage in deliberate mental rehearsal compared to passive repetition. This finding most directly relates to which type of process?

Emotional processing, since memory formation involves feeling states Cognitive processing, since it involves conscious mental manipulation of information Behavioral conditioning, since it demonstrates learned response patterns Physiological adaptation, since it shows biological memory mechanisms Social learning, since it involves interaction with external stimuli