Clovis North Educational Center English Department

10th Grade Essentials

Kinds/Types of Writing

Expository Persuasive Analysis Research Descriptive Narrative Summary
Technical/Business

Letter

explain/inform

argue for or against something

provide analysis (response to literature, author's purpose, AP/SAT essays) expository or persuasive
show/describe tells story/event 1/3 original text
directions, resume, proposal, manual

personal, business, complaint

Essay Terminology

Introduction	Attention Getter	Curb appeal	Hook

Identify title and author (if applies)

Thesis Statement	Controlling Idea	Subject + Position	Proposition

Body	Topic Sentence	Mini-thesis	Argument

Evidence

Analysis

Supporting Details Quotation

Commentary

Interpretation

Fact or Example Paraphrase

Opinion

Evaluation

Concrete Detail

Insight

Inference

Conclusion	Re-state thesis

Highlight	Final Commentary	"Tell'em what you already told'em"

Close

ESSAY TEMPLATE

The Introduction

Attention-Getter (1-2 sentences)

Funnel this idea to thesis statement (1-2 sentences)

Thesis

The Body Paragraph (2+)

Topic Sentence
	
Concrete Detail/ Evidence
	Commenta
	ry/Analysis
	
	Commenta
	ry/Analysis
	
Concrete Detail/ Evidence
	Commenta
	ry/Analysis
	
	Commenta
	ry/Analysis
	
Concluding Sentence

The Conclusion

3+ sentences

CLOVIS NORTH ESSAY RUBRIC
Essay Requirements: Components of an Essay
	6Clearly superior, excellent in all respects
	5 Displays a developing sense of style with some precision and insight
	4Adequate achievement
	3Demonstrates developing competence but is flawed
	2Attempts the assignment, but the essay is seriously flawed
	1Does not meet minimal standards for an essay
	
Prompt: Describes/outlines what is required of the essay writer. Good writers take time to fully understand the prompt before they begin reading or writing.
Thesis addresses prompt and guides the paper by stating the position of the author in direct response to the prompt
	•	Addresses all aspects of the prompt very well. Makes an insightful connection to the prompt.

•	Thesis statement guides development of ideas in support of a position - strong thesis that is repeatedly proved throughout the entire essay
	•	Addresses all aspects of the prompt efficiently.

•	Thesis statement guides development of ideas in support of a position -strong thesis that is proved throughout all or most of the essay
	•	Addresses most aspects of the prompt.

•	Thesis statement guides the essay but lacks depth
	•	Neglects prompt, or demonstrates inability to interpret and/or develop necessary aspects of the prompt

•	Thesis is simple and general, is mostly plot summary
	•	Indicates serious confusion/gross misread of the text/prompt or neglects important aspects of the prompt

•	An attempt is made to create a thesis, but it summarizes plot
	•      Essay is not legible

•	No thesis
	
Organization: The paper should include evidence that the author took time to structure the paper in a logical way to outline an idea that addresses the prompt.
	•	Organization and structure appropriate to purpose and paragraphs are well developed and logical.
	•	Creates an organization and structure appropriate to purpose and paragraphs are effectively argued.
	•	Demonstrates ability to reasonably organize and develop ideas by having definite separation of paragraphs from introduction to bodies to conclusion
	•	Organized minimally, probably has an introduction and body paragraphs but paragraphs themselves may be disorganized
	•	There is very little attempt to separate different thoughts. The paper appears to be written without any attempt at
pre-writing or drafting.
	•	There is no attempt to separate different thoughts. The paper appears to be written without any attempt at
pre-writing or drafting.
	
Introduction: Commences the paper with some kind of background familiarize the reader to the subject of the paper and includes a thesis (typically at the end).
	•	Introduction orients the reader to the situation in an engaging manner
•	Thesis appears in introduction of essay and is well- connected.
	•	Introduction orients the reader to the situation.

•	Thesis appears in introduction of essay and is well- connected.
	•	Introduction orients the reader to the situation, however briefly.
•	 Thesis appears in introduction of essay and is reasonably connected.
	•	Introduction limited and fails to orient the reader to the situation

•	Connection of introduction to thesis is disjointed
	•	Demonstrates very weak organization or very little development of ideas

•	Thesis may not appear in the introduction
	•	Essay far too brief (skeletal development, can be one or two paragraphs)

•	No thesis evident
	
Topic Sentences: The first sentence of a body paragraph (b.p.) that has an argument/opinion that supports/connects to thesis which guides the entire paragraph.
	•	Topic sentences guide paragraphs with strong opinion and clarify connections to thesis seamlessly.
	•	Topic sentences guide paragraphs with strong opinions and connect to thesis.
	•	Topic sentences support thesis but lack insight and/or connection to thesis.
	•	Topic sentences are mostly plot summary or quoted text and no connection to thesis.
	•	True topic sentence not present (see definition).
	•	True topic sentence not present (see definition).

Components of an Essay continued:
	6 Clearly superior, excellent in all respects
	5 Displays a developing sense of style with some precision and insight
	4 Good, adequate achievement
	3 Demonstrates developing competence but is flawed
	2 Attempts the assignment, but the essay is seriously flawed
	1 Does not meet minimal standards for an essay
	
Writing Style: sentence structure, elevated diction and a sense of voice is established in the paper and is interesting to read. Helps the audience understand the argument of the essay.
	•	Demonstrates sophistication of style, insightful analysis, with a seamless flow of ideas by using elements of creative writing such as extended metaphors, sophisticated lead-in to thesis, keen sense of audience, varied
•	sentence structures, precise language/excellent use of diction and virtually error free (e.g. mechanics, punctuation).
	•	Presents ideas clearly and a develops a sense of style and creativity.

•	Uses precise language/good use of diction .

•	Contains few errors that do not detract from meaning (e.g. mechanics, punctuation).
	•	Ideas are reasonably presented but lack a sense of style and creativity. Minimal awareness of audience.

•	Demonstrates adequate sentence control, but uses mostly simple sentences and average diction and/or misuses of effective diction.

•	Contains few errors that do not detract from meaning (e.g. mechanics, punctuation)
	•	Expresses ideas in an unclear and confusing manner.

•	Demonstrates a minimal sense of organization and/or lack of sentence control.

•	Diction is elementary.

•	Errors confuse the reader, interrupts the presentation of thought and/or detract from meaning (e.g. mechanics, punctuation)
	•	Shows inadequate sentence control and diction
	•	Shows inadequate or no sentence control and extremely limited diction
	
Concrete Details: Support the topic sentence with direct quotations and/or paraphrases from the prompt or text. Synonyms for concrete detail: evidence, facts
	•	Uses impressive, compelling and relevant supporting details, examples, evidence, facts
•	Uses logical and fluent transitions and lead ins to orient the reader to the evidence
	•	Uses effective and relevant details/evidence/examples /facts
•	Uses effective transitions and lead ins to orient the reader to the evidence
	•	 Uses sufficient general/adequate textual evidence/concret e details/examples /facts
•	Lacking or inconsistent transitions and lead ins
	•	 Uses some evidence but relies too much on paraphrasing and can be repetitious
•	Evidence does not consistently connect to topic sentence
	•	Uses little or no evidence that is often irrelevant; mostly plot summary
	•	Appears to not understand text
	
Commentary: Analyzes the evidence as it relates to the argument.
	•	Writes commentary/Analysis that is plentiful, insightful, persuasive, and original
	•	Writes commentary/analysis that is plentiful, insightful, and persuasive
	•	Writes Commentary/an alysis that can be plentiful, but also repetitive and/or commonplace
	•	Writes commentary/analysis that is primarily paraphrase, repetitive
•	Commentary does not connect or support the argument
	•	Writes minimal analysis/comm entary –almost all summary
	•	Little or no commentary
	
Conclusion:
final paragraph of an essay
	•	Creatively and/or sophisticatedly reinforces arguments and main idea of essay
	•	Effectively reinforces arguments and main idea of essay
	•	Adequately reinforces arguments and main idea of essay
	Restates or rewrites thesis/introduction
	•	Uses no conclusion
•	Uses a one sentence conclusion
	•	No conclusion

BEYOND THE FORMULA

Now that you are in high school and are in the process of elevating your writing, please consider omitting the following words from your essays:

1. Stuff 2. Thing
3. Every + thing, one, body, etc. (absolutes) 4. So
5. First, Second, Third…
6. In the beginning, in the middle, in the end… 7. Personal pronouns (I, you, etc. )
8. Contractions
9. Slang (uber, texting language 10. Should of, could of, would of 11. Symbols
12. Excessing ending punctuation 13. This shows that/this also shows 14.
15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

DURING READING
Annotation of a Text – Leaving Tracks of Thinking

Annotating is recording what a reader is thinking while reading—it helps a reader remember what s/he has read. Annotation also provides an opportunity for a reader to wrestle with the meaning of the text.

Nothing matters more than THINKING while reading.

Throw away the highlighter—underline and make notes with a pen or pencil. Highlighting can actually distract from the business of learning and dilute your comprehension. Highlighting only seems like an active reading strategy, but it can actually lull you into passivity rather than thinking about the text.

Mark up the margins of your text with WORDS or ILLUSTRATIONS. These are ideas that occur to you, notes about things that seem important to you, reminders of how issues in a text may connect with class discussion or course themes. This kind of interaction keeps you conscious of the reason you are reading and the purposes your instructor has in mind. Later in the term, when you are reviewing for a test or project, your margin notes may become useful memory triggers. Make a list of your ideas, write phrases or complete sentences—it is up to you! Just interact with the text by writing and marking it up! (Post-it notes work too!)

Get in the habit of hearing yourself ASK QUESTIONS. What does this mean? Why is the author drawing that conclusion? Why is the class reading this text? How would this happen? Where have I heard of this idea before? When will it happen? Who would it affect? Write the questions down in your margins, at the beginning or end of the reading, in a notebook, or elsewhere.
WHEN READING, STOP-THINK-REACT. (STRategy) I wonder…

Develop your own symbol system. Asterisk a key idea in the text, for example, or use an exclamation point for the surprising, absurd, bizarre, or question marks for unclear passages or straight lines or crooked lines beside certain passages… Like your margin notes, your hieroglyphs can help you reconstruct the important observations that you made at an earlier time, and they will be indispensable when you return to a text later in the term, in search of a passage, an idea for a topic, or while preparing for an exam or project.

Some annotation ideas:	When I annotate, what do I write? Sometimes I…
	
	Record a REACTION to the reading.
	
	Ask a QUESTION of the reading. What do I WONDER about?
	
	Give an OPINION of the reading.
	
	Make a CONNECTION to my own experiences, or local, national, or global situations, or other readings.
	
	PARAPHRASE or SUMMARIZE sections of the reading—a line or two of summary per paragraph, perhaps.
	
	Respond to how I would RELATE if I were in that situation.
	
	Record the “WHAT and WHERE and HOW and WHY and WHEN and WHO.” Describe what is significant about the process and what conditions make the event or situation possible, where it happens, how it happens, where else it could happen, and speculate about why it happens…
	
	Record an ANALOGY. Compare the reading to something that is already understood. (For example, lines of military defense compared to the lines of the immunity system’s defense)
	
	Circle WORDS that I need to define. Keep a list of new words.
	
Text Code Ideas:
	
	 for something known	?? for confusion	R for a connection (reminds me…)
L	for new learning	for important information
?	for a question	! for exciting or surprising information

Ideas adapted from Harvey Daniels, Stephanie Harvey, and Cris Tovani

10th Grade Vocabulary

Unit 1	Unit 2	Unit 3	Unit 4	Unit 5	Unit 6	Unit 7	Unit 8	Unit 9	Unit 10
asperity
	adjudicate
	curtail
	accolade
	acrimony
	ameliorate
	castigate
	adjacent
	cautionary
	attest
	
bane
	centennial
	discriminate
	adamant
	affinity
	baleful
	colloquial
	beset
	constrain
	axiom
	
buffoon
	countenance
	inalienable
	adulate
	ambivalent
	berate
	epitaph
	cede
	flotilla
	churlish
	
doleful
	disgruntle
	incarcerate
	altercation
	cessation
	circumvent
	exodus
	circuitous
	gossamer
	concoct
	
extrovert
	equilibrium
	indignity
	annals
	emaciated
	compunction
	inter
	desultory
	ignominious
	derivative
	
garish
	expedite
	indiscriminate
	assiduous
	enclave
	condone
	lacerate
	galvanize
	incur
	differentiate
	
hierarchy
	gird
	infamous
	chary
	engender
	diminutive
	largesse
	implement
	liquidate
	disparage
	
imbue
	gratuitous
	intercede
	clique
	exacerbate
	euphemism
	obituary
	inconsequential
	magnate
	dissipate
	
instigate
	illusory
	malign
	decrepit
	illicit
	expendable
	omnivorous
	magnitude
	misnomer
	esoteric
	
penchant
	implacable
	perpetrate
	endow
	indigenous
	heresy
	permeate
	materialize
	onerous
	olfactory
	
rambunctious
	luminary
	rampant
	ephemeral
	inexorable
	infirmity
	rendition
	muster
	pandemonium
	plethora
	
repertoire
	manifesto
	rancor
	ingratiate
	infatuated
	profane
	resurgence
	prohibitive
	quixotic
	refurbish
	
rudiment
	mesmerize
	reparation
	pantheon
	insatiable
	recompense
	stereotype
	reminisce
	tenacious
	secrete
	
undermine
	precedent
	smattering
	perverse
	poignant
	repast
	stipend
	vanguard
	vestige
	vagary
	
unremitting
	spurious
		tutelage
	proselytize
	servitude
	subservient
	visionary
	zephyr
	volatile

Roots

Unit 1	Unit 2	Unit 3	Unit 4	Unit 5	Unit 6	Unit 7	Unit 8	Unit 9	Unit 10
hept
	rupt
	sept
	tele
	dec
	cracy
	logical
	mill
	pan
	post
	
hepta
	re
	septem
	therm
	deca
	crat
	logist
	milli
	pass
	pre
	
hemi
		septi
	thermo
	decem
	cratic
	logy
	mile
	path
		
		septu
	thermy
	deci
		loquy
		pathy

Unit 11	Unit 12	Unit 13	Unit 14	Unit 15	Unit 16	Unit 17	Unit 18	Unit 19	Unit 20
agrarian
	aftermath
	adjunct
	aberration
	abominate
	aura
	aggregate
	acoustic
	amenable
	accost
	
burgeon
	aphorism
	belie
	antiquated
	abridge
	banal
	allocate
	assemblage
	ascribe
	avarice
	
cataclysm
	catharsis
	carnage
	celestial
	animosity
	bemuse
	augur
	august
	charisma
	bilk
	
culinary
	cohort
	dilemma
	certitude
	auspicious
	cognizant
	bastion
	auspices
	dearth
	consummate
	
denigrate
	culpable
	diverse
	disburse
	beleaguer
	conundrum
	decorum
	cavil
	demoralize
	conversant
	
gourmet
	diabolical
	eradicate
	galaxy
	confidant
	evanescent
	defunct
	curator
	ebullient
	credulous
	
grandiloquent
	enormity
	flout
	intractable
	constituent
	factotum
	disarray
	extant
	entrepreneur
	euphoria
	
hybrid
	gibe
	foment
	juncture
	iniquitous
	grandiose
	halcyon
	gamut
	fatuous
	fortuitous
	
manifold
	innocuous
	insurrection
	juxtapose
	inure
	induce
	homily
	ineffable
	harbinger
	hypothetical
	
palatable
	necessitate
	mandatory
	maelstrom
	inveigh
	intransigent
	hyperbole
	mellifluous
	homogeneous
	incoherent
	
panacea
	odyssey
	mitigate
	optimum
	predecessor
	laudatory
	importune
	mien
	incumbent
	minuscule
	
plebeian
	partisan
	pretext
	pillory
	sabotage
	panache
	jurisdiction
	nonpareil
	matriarchy
	pleasantry
	
scourge
	posterity
	singular
	proliferate
	sadistic
	picayune
	ruminate
	patina
	neophyte
	procrastinate
	
stalemate
	premeditated
	somnolent
	remiss
	scathing
	predilection
	temerity
	rapt
	prerogative
	qualm
	
temperate
	scurrilous
	stalwart
	titanic
	transpire
	promontory
	winnow
	resuscitate
	sibling
	stigma
	
								vitriolic

Roots

Unit 11	Unit 12	Unit 13	Unit 14	Unit 15	Unit 16	Unit 17	Unit 18	Unit 19	Unit 20
spir
	ject
	aut
	bi
	di
	hem
	hecto
	medi
	phon
	sub
	
spire
	kilo
	auth
	bio
	dia
	hemo
	hex
	meter
	phone
	vice
	
pir
		auto
	bious
	dict
	emia
	hexa
	metry
	phono
		
pire
								phony

10th Grade Vocabulary	Roots

Unit 1	Definitions	Words
hept
	seven
		
hepta
	seven
	heptagon
	
hemi
	half
	hemisphere

			
Unit 2
			
rupt
	to break or to burst
	rupture
	
re
	again or back
	reduce

Unit 3
			
sept
	seven
		
septem
	seven
	September
	
septi
	seven
		
septu
	seven

Unit 4
			
tele
	far or far off
	television
	
therm
	hot, warm, or heat
	thermal
	
thermo
	hot, warm, or heat
	thermometer
	
thermy
	hot, warm, or heat

Unit 5
			
dec
	ten or a tenth part
	decade
	
deca
	ten or a tenth part
	decagram
	
decem
	ten or a tenth part
	December
	
deci
	ten or a tenth part
	deciliter

Unit 6
			
cracy
	rule, gov't, power
	democracy
	
crat
		aristocrat
	
cratic
		autocratic

Unit 7
			
logical
	a science or study of
	zoological
	
logist
	a science or study of
	entomologist
	
logy
	a speech
	eulogy
	
loquy
	pertaining to speech
	soliloquy

Unit 8
			
mill
	a thousand
	millennium

Unit 11	Definitions	Words
spir
	to breathe or breath
	respiration
	
spire
	to breathe or breath
	inspire
	
pir
	to breathe or breath
	expiration
	
pire
	to breathe or breath
	expire

Unit 12
			
ject
	to throw or cast
	eject
	
kilo
	a thousand
	kilometer

Unit 13
			
aut
	of
	autopsy
	
auth
	by or for one's self
	author
	
auto
	self propelled
	automobile

			
Unit 14
			
bi
	life and living
	biopsy
	
bio
	life and living
	biology
	
bious
	life and living
	amphibious

			
Unit 15
			
di
	across or through
	diorama
	
dia
	across or through
	diameter
	
dict
	to say, to speak, to tell
	dictate

			
Unit 16
			
hem
	blood
		
hemo
	blood
	hemorrhage
	
emia
	blood
	lukemia

Unit 17
			
hecto
	a hundred
	hectometer
	
hex
	six
		
hexa
	six
	hexagon

			
Unit 18
			
medi
	in the middle
	intermediate

milli
	a thousand
	millimeter
	
mile
	a thousand

Unit 9
			
pan
	all or every
	panacea
	
pass
	suffering and feeling
	compassion
	
path
	suffering and feeling
	pathetic
	
pathy
	suffering and feeling
	sympathy

Unit 10
			
post
	after in time or place
	postpone
	
pre
	before in time or place
	predict

			

meter
	a measurement
	barometer
	
metry
	a measurement
	trigonometry

Unit 19
			
phon
	sound
	phonics
	
phone
	sound
	microphone
	
phono
	sound
	phonograph
	
phony
	sound
	symphony

Unit 20
			
sub
	under or below
	submerge
	
vice
	in place of
	viceroy

			

			

 Lesson 1

asperity

bane

buffoon

doleful

extrovert

garish

hierarchy

imbue

instigate

penchant

English 10

n. Sharpness or harshness of manner.
There as a noticeable asperity in her voice as she scolded the children for teasing Andrea.

n. A person or thing that destroys or causes harm. Jonathan’s little brother was the bane of our slumber party.

n. A person who often makes attempts to be funny; a clown; a fool. Although he acted like a buffoon at parties, Matt was usually rather serious.

adj. Mournful or full of sorrow; causing grief.
The doleful look on her face told me she has not gotten the grant to go to the summer program.

n. A person whose attention is focused on others and on what is going on around her or him, rather than on her or his own feels.
Ray is an extrovert now, but he was rather shy as a young child.

adj. Excessively bright and flashy; tastelessly glaring.

I told Henry that his tie was too garish to wear to a job interview.

n. A group or system in which potions of power are ranked, usually from lowest to highest.
In the state government hierarchy, the governor is at the top.

v. To fill completely with a feeling or idea; to inspire.
The really great athletes are imbued with a desire to excel.

v. To stir up or urge on; to provoke.
Because Joy was jealous of Dara’s friendship with Kim, she instigated an argument between them.

n. A strong attraction or leaning.
Susan and Carl shared a penchant for crossword puzzles and made a ritual of doing them together every Sunday morning.

rambunctious adj. Behaving in a wild and unruly manner.
When the puppies get too rambunctious in their play, the trainer separates the.

repertoire

rudiment

n. The list of pieces an actor, musician, etc., is ready to perform; the skills or accomplishments of a person or group.
The band knew most of the requests, but several songs were not part of its repertoire.

n. A basic principle or skill.

This book teaches the rudiments of cooking, but it will not make you a master chef.

undermine

unremitting

v. To attack by indirect, secret, or underhanded means.
During World War II, the French underground sought to undermine the Nazi occupation.

adj. Not stopping or slowing down; constant.
The unremitting sounds of the city kept me awake in my hotel room all night.

Lesson 2

adjudicate

centennial

countenance

disgruntle

equilibrium

expedite

gird

gratuitous

illusory

implacable

luminary

v. To hear and decide judicially; to judge.
Since her case was still being adjudicated, the defendant didn’t want to speak to the press.

n. A one-hundredth anniversary or its celebration.
The nation celebrated its centennial in 1876, one hundred years after the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776.

n. A person’s face; the expression on a person’s face.
Luke’s countenance was doleful when he heard the news that the class trip was cancelled.

v. To make dissatisfied; to put in a bad mood
The employees, who haven’t been given a raise in over two years, are disgruntled wit their wages and want to increase in pay.

n. A state of balance
The United States government is most effective when its executive, legislative, and judicial branches are all working in equilibrium.

v. To speed up a process; to facilitate
The company hired additional workers to expedite the delivery of holiday order.

v. To encircle, bind, or surround
He girded his waist with a wide leather belt

adj. No called for; unnecessary
The violence in that movie was gratuitous because it didn’t add to the plot.

adj. Unreal or imagined; deceiving
His chances of getting a raise were illusory since he had such a poor work record.

adj. incapable of being placated, soothed, or significantly changed; relentless. Despite Gina’s apologies, Karen still felt hurt by her friend’s betrayal and remained implacable.

n. A source of light, especially from the sky, such as the sun or moon

manifesto

mesmerize

precedent

spurious

The moon far outshines all other luminaries in the night sky.
n. A public statement explaining the intentions, motives, or views of an individual or group
In their 1848 Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels outlined their philosophies about class and economics.

v. To fascinate or hypnotize
The agile, death-defying moves of the trapeze artist kept the audience mesmerized during her performance.

n. The act of statement that may serve as an example or justification for a later one The successful revolt of the American colonies provided a precedent for the French Revolution.

adj. Not genuine; false
Spurious reports that Elvis Presley was alive kept appearing in the tabloids.

Lesson 3

curtail

discriminate

espionage

inalienable

incarcerate

indignity

v. To cut short or reduce
The performance was curtailed when a fire broke out in the theater.

v. The act of making a distinction in favor of or against a person or thing on the basis of the group or category rather tan according to actual merit.
Federal law prohibits discrimination based on race or creed.

n. The act of spying, especially a government spy obtaining secrets of another government.
Counterintelligence specialists use their knowledge of high-tech spying equipment to thwart acts of espionage.

adj. Not able to be taken or given away
United States citizens are promised certain inalienable rights that are spelled out in the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution.

v. To confine or to put in prison.
Maximum security prisoners were incarcerated on Alcatraz, an island in San Francisco Bay, until 1963.

n. An insult to one’s ride; offensive or humiliating treatment
His mother waited until they got home to reprimand her son, in order to spare him the indignity of being criticized in front of his friends.

indiscriminate adj. Not marked by careful distinctions; haphazard
She was an indiscriminate reader and devoured everything from comics to history books.

infamous	adj. Having a very mad reputation; notorious

The CIA’s infamous agent, Aldrich Ames, sold compromising information to the Soviets that cost the lives of many Soviet secret agents.

intercede

malign

perpetrate

rampant

rancor

reparation

smattering

v. To act or plead on another’s behalf; to try to smooth the differences between two parties.
Instead of interceding, my parents encouraged my brother and me to resolve our differences on our own.

v. To say negative and unfair things about; slander
The proprietor thought maligning his competitor’s products would boost his own sales.

v. To commit, as a crime or other antisocial act
The con artist was guilty of perpetrating a minor scam.

adj. Threateningly wild, without restraint or control; widespread.
The rampant vines covered the slope and began to climb the surrounding trees.

n. A deep, long-held feeling of hatred or bitterness.
His rancor for the group turned him into its implacable foe.

n. A mending or repair
The building needed major reparation after the tornado.

n. A small amount
She wrote thousands of letters, of which only a smattering have been published.

Lesson 4

accolade

adamant

adulate

altercation

annals

assiduous

n. An expression of approval or respect for special merit; a award.
In England, knighthood is a high accolade given for service to the state.

adj. Not yielding; firm.
I missed the TV show because of my mother’s adamant refusal to let me watch television before I’m done with my homework.

v. To flatter or admire excessively; to idolize.
Opera lovers adulate the Mexican singing sensation Rosaria Rosario; her performances are often sold out.

n. A loud and determined dispute; a noisy quarrel
After the hockey player purposely tripped a member of the opposing team, an altercation broke out .

n. A historical record of events, often arranged in a yearly sequence.
I can easily research the history of my town because its annals have been preserved consistently since 1685.
adj. Diligent and persistent.

Maureen was the most assiduous researcher in our biology lab.

chary

clique

decrepit

endow

ephemeral

ingratiate

pantheon

perverse

tutelage

adj. Exercising caution; hesitant
Be chary about making promises that you might not be able to keep.

n. A small, exclusive group; a group held together by like interests or purpose. The new student found it difficult to fit in at the high school because many of the students there belonged to cliques that didn’t welcome newcomers.

adj. Worn-out with use; broken-down
The decrepit buildings were torn down and replaced with a modern apartment complex.

v. To provide with a quality, a thing, or a gift or money Connie was endowed with a beautiful singing voice.

adj. Lasting a very short time.
The pleasures of our few days in the mountains were ephemeral, with only a faint memory remaining.

v. To work to gain the favor of someone
He attempted to ingratiate himself with his teacher by helping out after class.

n. A group of people held in high esteem for their great achievements.
Albert Einstein is one of the most famous figures in the pantheon of great scientists.

adj. turned away form what is right; wicked
He gets a perverse satisfaction from teasing the dog

n. Instruction, protection. Or guardianship
I prepared for the test under the tutelage of my math teacher.

Lesson 5

acrimony

affinity

ambivalent

n. Bitterness or sharpness of temper, manner, or speech; hostility.
The political debates were marred by the unremitting acrimony of the candidates.

n. Attraction for someone or something with which one feels a closeness or kinship. Rob and Luis developed an affinity for one another as soon as they met and have remained close friends ever since.

adj. Having mixed, often opposing, feeling about something or someone; indecisive.
He was ambivalent about hiss future; he couldn’t decide whether to go to college or join the Coast Guard.

cessation	n. A stopping, either final or temporary.
There was a cessation of mail delivery during the severe snowstorm.

emaciated

enclave

engender

exacerbate

illicit

indigenous

inexorable

infatuated

insatiable

poignant

proselytize

adj. Very thin or wasted away, especially from lack of nourishment; scrawny Sufferers from the eating disorder anorexia often starve themselves to the point of becoming emaciated.

n. A distinct region or community enclosed within a larger territory Chicago’s Chinatown is an enclave of Chinese American Residents.

v. To bring into being, to produce Honesty engenders trust in others.

v. To make more severe, bitter, or violent
Running in the race on Saturday exacerbated Marina’s knee injury.

adj. Not allowed, improper, or unlawful
During the days of Prohibition, bootlegging was one of Al Capone’s many illicit activities.

adj. naturally living or growing in a certain area; native. The turkey is indigenous to North America.

adj. Not to be persuaded, stopped, or moved by entreaty or plea; relentless
The inexorable move toward the rainforest’s destruction is a serous concern for environmentalists.

adj. filled with excessive, shallow, or foolish love or desire
My parents are infatuated with the idea of sailing around the world, so they attend every boat show they can.

adj. never satisfied; greedy
My nephew is endowed with an insatiable curiously and is constantly asking questions.

adj. Painfully moving, affecting, or touching.
The poignant ending of the movie brought tears to my eyes.

v. To convert someone to a faith, belief, or cause.
She’s an adamant socialist; she’s always trying to proselytize people she meets.

Lesson 6

ameliorate

baleful

berate

v. To make better; to become better; to improve
The snowplows were put to work to ameliorate the dangerous driving conditions that resulted from the storm.

adj. Expressing hatred or evil; harmful, ominous.
Roger gave me a baleful look when I accused him of lying.

v. To criticize vigorously; to scold vehemently.
Ms. Alanso told the older students to berate the younger ones when they made mistakes.

circumvent	v. To avoid through craftiness
She boasted that she was able to circumvent the tax laws by using every loophole she could find.

compunction n. A feeling of uneasiness or anxiety caused by guilt
Robin Hood had no compunction about stealing from the rich to give to the poor.

condone

diminutive

euphemism

expendable

heresy

infirmity

profane

recompense

repast

servitude

v. To overlook or accept without punishment; to pardon or excuse
Mr. Hagopian said that he could not condone keeping a library book for the whole school year, because that made it unavailable to other students.

adj. Very small; tiny
On the dollhouse kitchen table there was a diminutive bowl of fruit.

n. A polite term used to avoid directly naming something considered offensive or unpleasant
“Pass away” is a euphemism for “die.”

adj. Able to be used up and then discarded or replaced Paper, envelopes, and pencils, are expendable office items.

n. The expression of shocking or unacceptable views.
In the 1800’s the belief that women should vote was considered heresy by some.

n. Physical or mental weakness or defect
Brittle bones is a common infirmity of the elderly.

v. Disrespectful of sacred things
Dancing as considered profane by the Puritans

v. To pay or compensate
The insurance company recompensed us for the damage to the roof caused by the storm.

n. Food and drink; a meal.
His usual midday repast was a sandwich and a glass of milk.

n. A lack of freedom forced labor
The United States Constitution bans involuntary servitude except as a legally justified punishment for a crime.

Lesson 7

castigate

colloquial

epitaph

exodus

inter

lacerate

largesse

obituary

omnivorous

permeate

rendition

v. To punish by criticizing sharply; to berate
Our former principal used to castigate students in public; Ms. Abrosino would never do that.

adj. Characterized by informal language
Most of the lecturers were formal and boring, but the last one was more engaging and lively because of her colloquial speech.

n. The words carved on a tombstone in memory of the deceased
The gravestone had no epitaph, just the name Al Cott and the dates 1813-1865.

n. A mass departure
Poverty and political misrule caused the exodus of Haitians form their homeland to the United States.

v. To put in a grave; to bury
Soon after the funeral, his body was interred in its grave.

v. To tear or cut roughly
My legs were lacerated by the rocks as we climbed to the peak.

n. The act of giving generously; gifts
After donating a large amount of money to a homeless shelter, the ma received an award in recognition of his largesse.

n. A notice of someone’s death, such as in a newspaper, usually with a brief summary of that person’s life.
I didn’t know she’d died until I saw her obituary in the local paper.

adj. Eating all kinds of food, including both animal and vegetable food
Even though some people are vegetarians, the human species is classified as omnivorous, because humans may eat both animal and vegetable products.

v. To spread throughout; to pass through The smell of garlic permeated the kitchen.

n. An interpretation or translation; a performance
The choir’s poignant rendition of the hymn was the high point of the concert.

resurgence

stereotype

stipend

subservient

Lesson 8

adjacent

beset

cede

circuitous

desultory

galvanize

implement

n. A rising again to life. Use. Acceptance. Or prominence; a revival
A resurgence in ballroom dancing got everyone rushing to learn the tango and the fox-trot.

n. A generalization that is used to characterize a person without acknowledging individual differences.
Some people believe the stereotype that football players are unintelligent and insensitive.

n. A regular and fixed amount of pay for work done or to help cover living or work expenses.
My part-time summer job as a lifeguard carried with it a weekly stipend of ninety dollars.

adj. Serving or acting in a subordinate manner; servile.
The host tried to ingratiate himself with his guests by acting in a subservient manner, attending to their every whim.

adj. Near or next to; adjoining.
The two couples requested adjacent rooms when they checked into the boat.

v. To surround or attack repeatedly
Mosquitoes beset the campers as soon as they entered the woods.

v. To give up or transfer, especially by treaty or formal agreement
France ceded vast territories to the United States as part of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase.

adj. Roundabout; indirect
Before the Panama Canal was completed in 1914, ships had to travel circuitous route around South America.

adj. Proceeding or carried out in an aimless or random way
After my best friend moved away, our phone conversations became more and more desultory.

v. To excite or arouse action.
The discovery of gold in California galvanized Easterners to West to seek their fortunes.

v. To carry out
The governor implemented his plan for health care reform as soon as he took office.

inconsequential	adj. Lacking importance or worth; unable to make an impact; trivial
The issue of cafeteria hours seemed so inconsequential that I didn’t brother to raise it as the meeting.

magnitude

materialize

muster

prohibitive

reminisce

vanguard

visionary

Lesson 9

cautionary

constrain

flotilla

gossamer

ignominious

incur

liquidate

magnate

n. Greatness of size, power, or influence
The magnitude of the success of her book thrilled the author.

v. To appear in physical form, especially suddenly
The trapped miners were about to abandon hope when the rescue crew materialized.

v. To summon or call forth; to gather
Sam wanted to ask for a raise but couldn’t muster the courage to ask his boss.

adj. Serving to restrain action or discourage use of
Many students couldn’t attend the concert because the ticket prices were prohibitive.

v. To think or talk about one’s past
My grandparents like to reminisce about when they were our age.

n. The leading or forwards position in a movement
Andy Warhol was in the vanguard of the pop art movement.

adj. Able to see what might be accomplished in the future
President Kennedy had the visionary goal of landing people on the moon.

adj. Offering or serving as a warning
Aesop’s fables are cautionary tales; their morals are intended to teach lessons.

v. To confine, inhibit, or hold back by force or necessity Abraham Lincoln was not constrained by his humble birth.

n. A fleet of boats or small ships
A flotilla of tall ships sailed into Baltimore’s Inner Harbor as part of the city’s celebrations.

n. Thin, sheer fabric resembling gauze.
Her veil was gossamer and revealed her radiant face.

adj. Marked by, deserving, or causing shame or disgrace
The off-key singer made an ignominious exit from the stage, foregoing the encore he had planned.

v. To bring upon oneself something undesirable, such as a debt.
When she voted against giving out raises this year, the supervisor further incurred the hostility of her disgruntled workers.

v. To settle the affairs of a business; to convert into cash
They liquidated their assets by selling almost all of their possessions, and used the proceeds to pay their debts.

n. An important, often wealthy, person prominent in a large industry or business

Andrew Carnegie was the steel magnate who endowed 2,800 libraries across the country.

misnomer

onerous

n. A name that does not fit
“Vegetable” is sometimes considered to be a misnomer for the tomato, since tomatoes are actually classified as fruits.
adj. Burdensome; oppressive.
After working hard all day, my mother considers cleaning up after us an onerous task.

pandemonium	n. a state or place of great confusion or uproar.
A shout of “Fire!” created pandemonium in the crowded theater.

quixotic

tenacious

vestige

zephyr

adj. Romantic and idealistic, but impractical.
Creating a huge public park in the middle of Manhattan must have seemed a quixotic notion when it was first proposed.

adj. Holding fast; persistent in adhering to something valued or habitual.
Bulldogs are known for their tenacious grip once they seize something in their jaws.

n. A trace of something that once was present.
These ancient bones are the vestiges of a once-mighty dinosaur.

n. A light, gently breeze.
An afternoon zephyr carried the scent from the rose garden through the open window.

Lesson 10

attest

axiom

churlish

concoct

derivative

differentiate

disparage

v. To declare or be evidence of something as true, genuine, or accurate The constant long lines at Romolo’s bakery attest to its popularity.

n. A statement or principle that requires no proof because ints truth is obvious My pleasure-loving aunt believes in the axiom that no one lives forever.

adj. Lacking good manners; rude, impolite Barrett’s churlish remarks started an altercation.

v. To make up, prepare, or invent

We were able to concoct a delicious meal from the leftovers in the refrigerator.

n. Something that grows out of or results from an earlier form or condition The artificial sweetener saccharin is a derivative of coal tar.

v. To see the difference; to distinguish
The twins looked so much alike I could not differentiate between them.

v. To criticize in a negative, disrespectful manner.
I didn’t mean to disparage your relationship with Corey when I said that he was not a loyal person.

dissipate

esoteric

olfactory

plethora

refurbish

secrete

vagary

volatile

v. To break up and spread out so thinly as to disappear; to scatter or be scattered. The sun dissipated the morning fog.

adj. Not generally known or understood; familiar to only a relatively small number of people.
Arabic used to be so esoteric that almost no one in America studied it, but it has become much more popular recently.

adj. Relating to the sense of small
His olfactory sense told him that he was close to a chocolate factory.

n. Too great a number; an excess
Of the plethora of suggestions, there were a few that were useful.

v. To make like new; to renovate
We refurbished the guest room before our cousins came to stay with us.

v. To produce and give off.
Enzymes secreted by the stomach aid in digestion.

n. a departure from the normal, expected course; a whim or unpredictable action.
The vagaries of the marketplace make it difficult to predict how well the stock market will perform each year.

adj. Evaporating quickly Gasoline is a volatile substance.

Lesson 11

agrarian

burgeon

cataclysm

culinary

denigrate

adj. Having to do with farming or agriculture
At the state fair, everyone was talking about the grain harvest and other agrarian concerns

v. To grow and expand rapidly; to flourish
The burgeoning population of Las Vegas puts a strain on the area’s resources.

n. A sudden and violent change; a catastrophe
It would take a long time to rebuild the city of New Orleans fully after the cataclysm of 2205’s Hurricane Katrina.

adj. Having to do with cooking
Julia Child, a well-known cookbook author and chef, had a great deal of culinary expertise.

v. To attack the reputation of; to criticize in a derogatory manner The sales manager denigrated his competitors’ products.

gourmet	n. A person who likes fine food an is a good judge of its quality
To his great satisfaction, the meal Tom had spend hours preparing was fir for a gourmet.

grandiloquent	adj. Using lofty or pompous speech or expression
He began in grandiloquent fashion by addressing his listeners as “My fellow toilers In the vineyard of scientific truth.”

hybrid

manifold

palatable

panacea

plebeian

scourge

stalemate

temperate

n. The offspring of two animals or plants of different species or varieties. The sweet corn hybrid is disease resistant.

adj. Having many different kinds, forms, or parts
As head of the student council, her duties were manifold: she did everything from stuffing
envelopes to addressing the PTA.

adj. Acceptable or pleasing, especially to the sense of taste
Although raw fish didn’t sound very appetizing to me, it was, in fact, surprisingly palatable.

n. Something that is supposed to cure all ills or difficulties; a cure-all
Nuclear power plants were once hailed as the panacea for the world’s energy problems.

adj. Of or pertaining to the common people; common; unrefined
Although she was from a plebian family, she was highly educated and had managed to travel a great deal.

n. Something that causes great pain and suffering; a social evil. The scourge of AIDS affects populations worldwide.

n. A halt in a struggle because both sides are equally strong and neither side will give in; a deadlock
Both parties left the room when the negotiations turned into a stalemate.

adj. Mild, moderate; restrained
Josh doesn’t like living in a temperate climate; he prefers the extreme heat of the tropics

Lesson 12

aftermath

aphorism

catharsis

n. A consequence or result, often a negative one
Thousands of people were left without shelter in the aftermath of the earthquake.

n. A short of truth or principle; an adage
My mother often warned me to slow down, citing the aphorism, “Haste makes waste.”

n. A releasing of the emotions, often through the arts, that brings about spiritual renewal or a relieving of tension.

By drawing pictures reflecting their traumatic experiences, children often experience catharsis.

cohort

culpable

diabolical

enormity

gibe

innocuous

necessitate

odyssey

partisan

posterity

n. One who assists another, especially in a dubious or criminal activity; an accomplice He denied being a cohort of a crime boss.

adj. Deserving blame or censure
Because of his negligence, the driver of the car that crashed was found culpable.

adj. Devilish; wicked or evil
The diabolical plot to assassinate the chief justice was discovered before it could be implemented.

n. The state or quality of being monstrous or outrageous
After the dictator was toppled from power, the enormity of his crimes was revealed.

v. To utter taunting, sarcastic words
The fans gibed at the referee for ignoring the deliberate foul.

adj. Harmless; unlikely to offend
The reporter’s questions seemed innocuous, yet I was chary of giving out any information.

v. To require; to make necessary
This new situation necessitates a different approach to the problem.

n. A long, adventurous journey
My South American odyssey took me through half a dozen countries and lasts almost six months.

n. A strong supporter or advocate.
The young volunteers were partisans of the newest candidate for mayor.

n. A person’s descendants; future generations
Is it quixotic to want to make the world a better place for posterity?

premeditated adj. Fully planned beforehand; deliberate.
The lawyer argued that the defendant’s action was impulsive and not premeditated.

scurrilous	adj. Vulgar; coarsely abusive
These scurrilous rumors were perpetrated by someone trying to denigrate your character.

Lesson 13

adjunct	 n. Something or someone joined or added to something else but not essentially a part of it.

The roadside stand was an adjunct to the orchard’s pick-your-own apples business.

belie

carnage

dilemma

diverse

eradicate

flout

foment

insurrection

mandatory

mitigate

pretext

singular

somnolent

stalwart

v. To give a false impression of; to contradict
His temperate tone belied the inflammatory content of his speech.

n. Great destruction of life; slaughter
An entire generation recoiled in horror from the carnage of World War 1

n. A problem that seems to have no satisfactory solution; a difficult choice
His dilemma was whether to go to his daughter’s play or his son’s recital, both of which were on the same right.

adj. Differing from one another; having various or distinct parts
The fair had a diverse selection of food; everything from Italian and French to Ethiopian and Indian cuisine was available.

v. To get rid of; to uproot
The goal of the literacy project is to eradicate illiteracy.

v. To ignore in a disrespectful or scornful way
Miranda flouted convention by wearing jeans to graduation.

v. to stir up, to rouse; to instigate
In the 1960’s, anti-war activists fomented student demonstrations and strikes that shook the Johnson and Nixon administrations.

n. An open revolt against legal authority; a rebellion
According to Lincoln, the Confederacy’s withdrawal from the Union was an insurrection.

adj. Ordered by an authority; required
Courses in English, math. And science are mandatory for all first-year students.

v. To make or become less serious or severe; to ameliorate
The unusually warm weather mitigated the effects of the ice storm by melting all the ice and snow.

n. An effort to conceal the real intention or state of affairs; an excuse
He always went to that restaurant because he was infatuated with the waitress, but he made a pretext of going because of the food.

adj. Extraordinary; exceptional
Audiences were captivated by the singular beauty of Hermann Prey’s voice.

adj. Tending to cause sleepiness
The motion of the train had a somnolent effect, and I had to shake myself to stay alert.

adj. Strong; sturdy

The football squad was a stalwart a group as I’d seen in a long time.

Lesson 14

aberration

antiquated

celestial

certitude

disburse

galaxy

intractable

juncture

juxtapose

maelstrom

optimum

pillory

proliferate

remiss

n. A departure from the norm or what is considered right, natural, or normal; a flaw or defect.
The mid-April snowstorm was an aberration that is unlikely to recur next year.

adj. Grown old; out-of-date
Kirsten tends to dismiss her parents’ views as hopelessly antiquated.

adj. Of or relating to the skies or heavens.
The appearance of a comet s a dramatic celestial occurrence.

n. The state of being certain of the truth or rightness of something
I can say with certitude that the stock market will continue to be unpredictable.

v, To distribute something or pay out money, especially from a public or other fund At Midtown Auto, paychecks are disbursed every Friday.

n. A vast cluster of stars and other matter, billions of which make up the known universe. Our galaxy is known as the Milky Way.

adj. Hard to manage, tame, or control; stubborn; not easily cured That horse is too intractable to be ridden by a beginner.

n. A joining or coming together; the place where such a connection occurs. There is a traffic light at the juncture of 55tgh Street and Hyde Park Boulevard.

v. To place side by side
The original sketch and the finished portrait were juxtaposed to show the artist’s technique.

n. A large and violent whirlpool or something resembling a whirlpool.
It is believed that the solar system was formed over five billion years ago out of a great maelstrom of whirling dust.

adj. Best or most favorable
Clear skies at night provided optimum conditions for viewing Mars through the telescope.

v. To expose to public scorn or contempt
The press pilloried the First Lady for taking part in important policy matters.

v. To grow, expand, or multiply at a rapid rate
College courses on women’s studies have proliferated since the 1980’s.

adj. Negligent; careless; lax

A late notice reminded me that I was remiss in paying my electric bill.

titanic	adj. Marked by great strength, size, or influence
The titanic winds of the tornado hurled the car through the air.

Lesson 15

abominate

abridge

animosity

auspicious

beleaguer

confidant

constituent

iniquitous

inure

inveigh

predecessor

sabotage

v. To hate or loathe intensely

Many who abominated slavery worked unremittingly for its cessation.

v. To shorten in duration or extent; to diminish
The publishers plan to abridge the 900-page novel to a more-manageable 600 pages.

n. Intense ill will.
His animosity was clear from the baleful looks he gave them.

adj. Favorable, promising.
The speaker felt he was off to an auspicious beginning when the audience laughed at his opening anecdote.

v. To surround with troubles; to harass
The actress was beleaguered by the freezing theatre, the small audience and her costar’s cold.

n. A person to whom secrets are told
Not even the governor’s closest confidants knew whether or not he would run for reelection.

n. One of the parts that make up a whole
Oxygen the nitrogen are the main constituents of the air we breathe.

adj. Unjust; wicked
The iniquitous practice of making young children work long hours has been banned in some countries but is still in effect in others.

v. To adjust to and accept unpleasant or undesirable conditions
People living on Blakeslee Street soon became inured to the smells form the nearby paper mill.

v. To complain or protest strongly
The newspaper’s education columnist inveighed against the school’s decision to institute an additional testing program.

n. A person or thing that has held a position or office before another President Clinton’s predecessor was George H.W. Bush.

n. Acts that intentionally damage, hinder, or seek to discredit

Hiding the notes for my final report wasn’t a practical joke, it was sabotage.

sadistic

scathing

transpire

adj. Taking pleasure in causing pain
Some sadistic person thought it amusing to tie tin cans to the cat’s tail.

adj. Harshly critical
The author was devastated by the scathing reviews of his book; his previous book had been a best-seller.

v. To become apparent; to come to light
It transpired that the two senators knew about the planned invasion all along.

Lesson 16

aura

banal

bemuse

cognizant

conundrum

evanescent

factotum

grandiose

induce

intransigent

n. A distinctive atmosphere or feeling that seems to surround someone or something; a distinctive appearance or impression.
There was an aura of serenity about the woman sitting quietly in the corner. adj. Lacking freshness; trite.
The plot of that movie was so banal, I predicted the ending within the first half hour.

v. To confuse or bewilder
The noise and hubbub of Times Square bemused the tourists, who had come form a rural areas for their first trip to New York City.

adj. Fully aware; taking notice.
Janine was so mesmerized by the clown at the fair that she was not cognizant of her surroundings.

n. A riddle whose answer is a play on words
Answer this conundrum: “What’s the difference between an engineer and a professor?”

adj. Short-lived; staying temporarily
Evening showers are an evanescent phenomenon in the tropics.

n. A helper or assistant with a wide range of duties and responsibilities The studio head made the decisions, and his factotum handles the details.

adj. Impressive because of large size or scope
Gothic cathedrals are grandiose structures that continue to attract tourists.

v. To influence or persuade
We finally induced my grandmother to use the air conditioner we put in her bedroom.

adj. Refusing to compromise or change one’s position on an issue
The new committee’s intransigent attitude made it impossible to work out any sort of compromise with the veteran employees.

laudatory

panache

picayune

predilection

promontory

Lesson 17

aggregate

allocate

augur

bastion

decorum

defunct

disarray

halcyon

adj. Full of praise
A laudatory review in the St. Louis Post-dispatch guaranteed a successful run for the new play.

n. Dash or flamboyance in style or action
The chef chopped and diced the vegetables with awe-inspiring panache.

adj. Petty or insignificant; concerned with trifling maters
When evaluating the house, the inspector looked at the most picayune details, practically checking.

n. An inclination; preference
I have a predilection for Thai food and eat it or at least once a week.

n. A high point of land that juts out into water
We had a beautiful view of the whole surrounding bay form the rocky promontory.

n. A group of things gathered into a whole; sum total.
The aggregate of human experience had been compressed into that one extraordinary volume.

v. To set aside for a specific purpose; to allot.
Courtney allocated at least one hour a day for exercise.

v. To predict future events, especially from omens
From the animal’s strange behavior, the farmer could augur the imminent arrival of bad weather.

n. A fortified area or position; a person, place, or thing that is a source of strength
The math advisor was a bastion of strength for students who were taking the advanced placement test.

n. Suitable, proper behavior or speech
Talking loudly during a movie shows a lack of decorum.

adj. No longer existing or functioning
The typewriter store, once a thriving business, is defunct now that computers have become popular.

n. A lack or order; confusion
It was hard to find anything on Sonje’s desk because it was in complete disarray.

adj. Calm, peaceful, and happy; prosperous
Cassandra remembered the halcyon days when she was a little girl. Playing with her best friend, Anissa.

homily

hyperbole

importune

jurisdiction

ruminate

temerity

winnow

Lesson 18

acoustic

assemblage

august

auspices

cavil

curator

extant

n. A lecture usually long, on how to behave morally.
Ms. Perkins was known for frequently delivering homilies to students who treated others rudely.

n. Extravagant exaggeration
Charisse was using hyperbole when she described Ted as being as tall as a giraffe.

v. To plead for persistently
Lynette repeatedly importuned Chrissy to go shopping with her.

n. Legal authority to govern of control
The federal government has jurisdiction over the nation’s air traffic control system.

v. To think over again and again; to ponder
I spent weeks ruminating about the meaning of Kafka’s novella Metamorphosis.

n. Reckless boldness without regard to danger or opposition
Desmond did not have the temerity to correct the French teacher’s faulty pronunciation.

v. To separate and remove what is undesirable and leave what is desirable; to blow away the chaff from again
I was Nadia’s job to interview potential employees, winnow out the unqualified candidates, and recommend the qualified candidates for a second interview.

adj. Relating to sound or hearing
A tiny acoustic device improved Grandfather’s hearing.

n. A collection or gathering of people or things
The assemblage at Camp Tamarack included people from all over the country.

adj. Inspiring great respect or admiration; noble
Thomas Jefferson’s august presence made a deep impression on those privileged to know him.

n. Protection, support, or guidance; patronage
The concert is being given under the auspices of the town’s arts foundation.

n. A minor criticism
My only cavil with the restaurant is that they don’t warm the bread.

n. A person in charge of an exhibition; an overseer of a museum or library collection The curator wrote brief explanations for all the works in the Picasso exhibit.

adj. Still existing; not lost or destroyed

I had an opportunity to view one of the few extant copies of the first edition of Middlemarch.

gamut

ineffable

mellifluous

mien

nonpareil

patina

rapt

resuscitate

n. The entire range of something
Stars run the gamut from Earth-sized white dwarfs to red giants, which are hundreds of times bigger than the truth.

adj. Incapable of being expressed in words

They sat gazing at the ineffable beauty of the Green Mountains.

adj. Sweetly flowing; pleasant to the ear
The mellifluous sound of a cello filled the rehearsal room.

n. A person’s manner, appearance, or expression; bearing
Although Sandro was worried about all the work he had to do, you couldn’t tell that from his untroubled mien.

n. A person or thing without an equal
Claire followed her brother’s example of how to behave at the function because he was considered the nonpareil of decorum.

n. A green film that forms on copper exposed to the elements

The patina of the building’s roof indicates that it is sheathed with copper.

adj. Fully absorbed; engrossed
We listen with rapt attention to her song.

v. To revive from unconsciousness or apparent death; to revive or restore to health or vigor
Our first aid class taught us how to resuscitate someone who has nearly drowned.

Lesson 19

amenable

ascribe

charisma

dearth

adj. Responsive; willing to be controlled or to take advice.
The director was amenable to out suggested changes in the schedule and implemented them promptly.

v. To attribute to a source or a cause
The Passionate Pilgrim is a collection of poems, some of which are ascribed to Shakespeare; the authorship of the others is unknown.

n. A special quality in a person that inspires devotion or fascination in others Charisma is a definite asset if you’re running for office.

n. Scarcity; a shortage
There was a dearth of good restaurants around the waterfront until the city extended the subway there.

demoralize

ebullient

v. To destroy the morals or morale of someone; to weaken the spirit or courage of someone
The band members were demoralized by the poor attendance at their final concert.

adj. Bubbling with enthusiasm or high spirits
Ebullient fans, ecstatic over their team’s victory, carried the captain of the team off the field in triumph.

entrepreneur n. An individual who manages and takes the risk of a business
The Small Business Administration gives loans and advice to entrepreneurs starting new businesses.

fatuous

harbinger

adj. Foolish; silly; stupid
Jenna was getting annoyed at Malcolm for the fatuous grin with which he greeted her every suggestion.

n. A person or thing that is a symbol of what is to come
According to American tradition, the appearance of a groundhog’s shadow on February 2 is a harbinger of six more weeks of winter.

homogeneous	adj. Of a similar kind or nature; uniform throughout
The walking club was made up of a homogeneous group of middle-class, working mothers.

incumbent

matriarchy

neophyte

prerogative

sibling

n. One who occupies an office or position
George Washington was the first incumbent of the U.S. presidency.

n. A society that is headed by a female
African elephants live in a matriarchy that excluded males from the herd when they reach about five years old.

n. A beginner; a novice
Most students in the playwriting class were neophytes who had never written a play before.

n. A special right limited to a person, group, or office; a privilege It is the governor’s prerogative to pardon convicted felons.

n. One of two or more people who have the same parents; brother or sister Sila had seven siblings: three sisters and four brothers.

Lesson 20

accost	v. To approach and speak to in an aggressive or challenging way
When Greta was leaving the store, the owner accosted her and asked her what was in her tote bag.

avarice

bilk

consummate

conversant

credulous

euphoria

fortuitous

hypothetical

incoherent

minuscule

pleasantry

n. Greed for wealth
Corey’s avarice led her to overcharge her customers for her services as a consultant.

v. To cheat our of what is due
Michael hired a neighbor to mow his lawn, and then bilked him out of the fee they had agreed upon.

adj. Extremely skilled; complete or perfect
Devin was a consummate cook who had received several awards for her culinary creations.

adj. Having knowledge or experience; well-informed Are you conversant with Einstein’s theory of relativity?

adj. Willing to believe things with only slight or no evidence; easily conviced
The credulous crowd listened with rapt attention to the reports of UFO abductions.

n A feeling of great happiness or well-being
Jared was overcome with euphoria when he found out that he was going to be cast in a movie.

adj. Happening by lucky chance; accidental
The old friends ran into each other at the bookstore, and after their fortuitous meeting, they decided to go to a movie together.

adj. Based on something that is not actual but assumed or supposed
Zoe considered the hypothetical question of what she would wish for if she were granted three wishes.

adj. Not connected; confused; rambling
Because the lecturer had not time to prepare for her talk, she delivered an incoherent speech that was hard to follow.

adj. Very small in size or importance
Tyrone added just a minuscule amount of chili pepper to the soup because his mother doesn’t like it when it’s too spicy.

n. An agreeable, casual remark
Whitney and Yvette didn’t know each other very well, so when they ran into each other on the street, they would simply exchange pleasantries about their families and the weather.

procrastinate v. To put off until later
Instead of starting her homework as soon as she came home, Meredith usually procrastinated by watching TV or calling friends first.

qualm	n. A feeling of uneasiness as to whether what one id doing is right or wise; a misgiving.

Noah had qualms about accepting money for shopping for his elderly neighbor.

stigma	n. A mark of shame or disgrace
After she was caught cheating on the Spanish test, Sasha had to deal with the stigma of being seen as dishonest.