Lesson 16: SOPH

Practice 1: Multiple Choice

Choose the word that best completes each sentence.

1. The __________ humor of the boys involved mostly practical jokes.

a) sophomoric
b) philosophical
c) unsophisticated
d) sophisticated

2. Aristotle was a famous Greek __________ who wrote about logic and ethics.

a) philanthropist
b) sophomore
c) sophist
d) philosopher

3. She loves to __________ about the meaning of life late at night.

a) sophomore
b) philosophize
c) contact
d) sophistry

4. The computer system is highly __________, capable of processing millions of data points.

a) sphomoric
b) philosophical
c) unsophisticated
d) sophisticated

5. Don't be fooled by his __________; his arguments sound smart but they are actually false.

a) sophistication
b) theosophy
c) sophistry
d) philosophy

6. As a __________, she felt more confident than she did as a freshman.

a) philosopher
b) sophomore
c) junior
d) senior

7. He accepted the bad news with a __________ attitude, staying calm and thoughtful.

a) sophomoric
b) unsophisticated
c) sophisticated
d) philosophical

8. The country cottage was charming but __________; it didn't even have electricity.

a) sophisticated
b) sophist
c) unsophisticated
d) philosophical

9. "I love wisdom" is the literal translation of __________.

a) biology
b) sophistry
c) sophomore
d) philosophy

10. The gala was a scene of great __________, with everyone wearing tuxedos and gowns.

a) philosophy
b) sophistry
c) sophistication
d) sophomoric

11. A __________ creates arguments that are meant to deceive rather than inform.

a) scientist
b) sophomore
c) sophist
d) philosopher

12. __________ attempts to learn about God through mystical wisdom.

a) Geology
b) Theosophy
c) Philosophy
d) Biology

Practice 2: Fill in the Blank

Use each word from the word bank exactly once.

Word Bank: philosophy, philosopher, sophisticated, sophomore, unsophisticated, sophistry, sophist, philosophize, philosophical, theosophy, sophistication, sophomoric

1. My brother is a __________ in college, in his second year.

2. She decided to study __________ because she loved asking "why."

3. The new fighter jet is the most __________ plane in the air force.

4. Stop using __________ to twist my words around!

5. He tends to __________ about politics whenever he watches the news.

6. The __________ taught his students how to win arguments, not how to find truth.

7. Her __________ pranks got her sent to the principal's office.

8. Even though he was rich, he had simple, __________ tastes in food.

9. Plato is perhaps the most famous __________ of all time.

10. She handled the rejection with a __________ calmness, knowing something better would come along.

11. The level of __________ in the design of the watch was impressive.

12. She was interested in __________, wanting to explore spiritual wisdom.

Practice 3: Reading Passage

The Student

James was a sophomore at the university. He thought he knew everything. He took a class on philosophy and loved to philosophize with his friends at the coffee shop.

However, his ideas were often sophomoric—immature and half-baked. He argued just to hear himself talk, leaning on sophistry rather than facts. It would take a few more years for him to gain true wisdom, not just the appearance of it.

Reading PassageQuestions

1. James was a "sophomore," meaning he was:

a) A first-year student
b) A second-year student
c) A teacher
d) A graduate

2. He studied "philosophy," which is:

a) The study of rocks
b) The study of wisdom, knowledge, and reality
c) The study of stars
d) The study of sound

3. When he liked to "philosophize," he liked to:

a) Speculate and theorize about deep issues
b) Play sports
c) Cook food
d) Sleep

4. His "sophomoric" ideas were:

a) Wise and deep
b) Immature and foolish
c) Sophisticated
d) Scientific

5. Using "sophistry" means:

a) Using clever but deceptive arguments
b) Using math
c) Using logic
d) Using silence