Reader's Digest New Zealand - August/September 2025

1. catamaran n. (ka-tuh-muh-'ran) A burial chamber B twin-hulled boat C velvet footstool 2. obfuscate v. ('ahb-fuh-skayt) A make unclear B insult C drag out 3. scattershot adj. ('ska-tr-shot) A lightheaded B random C blunt 4. hepcat n. ('hep-kat) A bulldozer B MRI image C hipster The cat’s out of the bag: For this issue’s quiz, we’re cat ering to feline fans with a cat alog of vocabulary terms that include the word cat . Show off how edu cat ed (and dedi cat ed) you are by lo cat ing the correct answers, and then cat apult yourself to the next page for verifi cat ion. 9. scat v. (skat) A use a litter box B sneak around C sing nonsense syllables 10. ducat n. ('duh-kut) A brimless hat B gold coin C baby swan 11. cataclysm n. ('ka-tuh-kli-zm) A flood B earthquake C wildfire 12. desiccate v. ('deh-si-kayt) A completely destroy B single out C preserve by drying 13. vocation n. (voh-'kay-shuhn) A donation B congregation C profession 14. toccata n. (tuh-'kah-tah) A organ composition B Spanish cheese C fleet of ships 15. cathartic adj. (kuh-'thar-tik) A purifying B heart-related C freezing 5. evocative adj. (i-'vah-kuh-tiv) A obscene B well-spoken C affecting 6. caricature n. ('keh-ruh-kuh-chr) A self-portrait B imitation C china closet 7. staccato adj. (stuh-'kah-toh) A with drums B cut short crisply C topped with milk 8. inculcate v. (in-'kuhl-kayt) A extract B ingrain C compile BY Sarah Chassé 125 Brain Games WORD POWER READERSDIGEST.CO.NZ