Lesson 28: SPOND / SPONS

Practice 1: Multiple Choice

Choose the word that best completes each sentence.

1. The company was praised for being __________ to customer complaints.

a) spontaneous
b) despondent
c) responsive
d) espoused

2. After months of job rejections, he grew increasingly __________.

a) spontaneous
b) responsive
c) responsible
d) despondent

3. The Olympic athlete secured a major __________ deal with a sports brand.

a) correspondence
b) sponsorship
c) responsibility
d) response

4. Their laughter was completely __________—no one planned it.

a) responsible
b) responsive
c) spontaneous
d) despondent

5. How did the audience __________ to the controversial speech?

a) sponsor
b) respond
c) espouse
d) correspond

6. The candidate's views don't __________ to what she said last year.

a) respond
b) correspond
c) sponsor
d) espouse

7. As team leader, you are __________ for the final report.

a) spontaneous
b) despondent
c) responsible
d) espoused

8. The museum exhibit was made possible by generous __________.

a) sponsors
b) responses
c) correspondences
d) responsibilities

9. He publicly __________ the cause of educational reform.

a) responded
b) corresponded
c) espoused
d) sponsored

10. Please send your __________ to this address within two weeks.

a) sponsorship
b) responsibility
c) response
d) spontaneity

11. The __________ between them lasted decades, filling dozens of boxes with letters.

a) sponsorship
b) correspondence
c) spontaneity
d) despondency

12. Taking __________ for mistakes is a sign of maturity.

a) response
b) sponsorship
c) responsibility
d) spontaneity

Practice 2: Fill in the Blank

Use each word from the word bank exactly once.

Word Bank: respond, response, responsive, responsible, responsibility, correspond, correspondence, sponsor, sponsorship, spontaneous, despondent, espouse

1. She felt __________ after failing the exam she'd studied so hard for.

2. His __________ "I love you" caught her completely off guard.

3. The data points __________ closely to our initial predictions.

4. Please __________ to this email by Friday.

5. A major corporation agreed to __________ the charity event.

6. The presidential letters revealed fascinating __________ between world leaders.

7. The company's __________ made the entire conference possible.

8. Her __________ to the proposal was cautiously optimistic.

9. He chose to __________ environmental causes after visiting the rainforest.

10. The manager was __________ to the team's concerns.

11. Parents bear __________ for their children's well-being.

12. Everyone was __________ for cleaning up their own mess.

Practice 3: Reading Passage

Maya had always considered herself a spontaneous person—the kind who would agree to a road trip on two hours' notice or change career paths on a whim. But when her company asked her to sponsor an immigrant colleague's visa application, she hesitated.

"This is a serious responsibility," her supervisor explained. "You'd be responsible for ensuring he follows all visa requirements. The government holds sponsors accountable."

Maya spent the weekend in correspondence with friends who had sponsored family members. Their responses varied. Some said it was easy and rewarding. One was despondent about how complicated it had become. "Be responsive to every government request," she warned. "Don't let anything sit unanswered."

The colleague, Ahmed, was remarkably patient. "I understand if you can't respond yes," he said. "This is a big thing to ask."

But Maya's hesitation didn't correspond to her values. She'd always espoused the idea that community meant showing up for each other. What was the point of believing in something if she wouldn't take responsibility when it mattered?

She agreed to the sponsorship. It wasn't a spontaneous decision—it was a deliberate one, a pledge she made with her eyes open. And when Ahmed received his visa six months later, the response from her team was overwhelming: gratitude, admiration, and a reminder that sometimes responsibility is exactly the kind of burden worth carrying.

Questions

1. Why did Maya hesitate before becoming a sponsor?

a) She didn't like Ahmed
b) She was worried about the legal responsibility involved
c) She was spontaneous
d) She received no responses from friends

2. What does the word "correspondence" mean in this passage?

a) A relationship of matching
b) An exchange of written communication
c) A sponsor agreement
d) A government form

3. One friend was "despondent" about the process. This means:

a) Excited
b) Hopeless and discouraged
c) Spontaneous
d) Responsible

4. Maya's values didn't "correspond to" her hesitation. This means:

a) She wrote letters about her hesitation
b) Her hesitation didn't match what she believed
c) She sponsored her hesitation
d) Her hesitation was spontaneous

5. The final decision was NOT "spontaneous"—it was:

a) Accidental
b) Forced by her boss
c) Deliberate and considered
d) Made by Ahmed