I

14. instantaneous (adj) d o n e in an instant; immediate

( i n stan t' n~ as) Most computer software is d e s i g n e d so that users can

obtain nearly responses.

SYNONYMS prompt, q u i c k , speedy

ANTONYMS delayed, slow, g r a d u a l

15. irk ( v. ) to annoy, t ro u b l e , make weary

(ark)
Questions that show a student's lack of attention

_________ the teacher.

SYNONYMS: bother, irritate, vex

ANTONYMS: please, d e l i g h t , c h e e r

16. libel ( n . ) a written statement that unfairly or falsely harms the

(Ii' bal) reputation of the person about whom it is made; ( v. ) to write or

p u b l i s h such a statement

The y o u n g celebrity accused her unauthorized b i o g r a p h e r

of _

It is a crime to others, no matter

how you feel about t h e m .

SYNONYMS: ( n . ) s l u r ; ( v ) smear, defame

1 7. misgiving ( n . ) a f e e l i n g of fear, d o u b t , or uncertainty

(mis giv' in)

They had about j o i n i n g the chorus

because of its d e m a n d i n g s c h e d u l e .

SYNONYMS: worry, q u a l m , hesitation

ANTONYMS: f e e l i n g of confidence, assurance

18. oaf ( n . ) a stupid person; a b i g , clumsy, slow i n d i v i d u a l

(60)
He generally moved like an , S O l

was surprised to see how graceful he was on the dance floor.

SYNONYMS: b o n e h e a d , d u n c e , c l o d , lout

19. recede ( v. ) to go or move backward; to become more distant

(ri sed')
The town residents must wait for the flood waters to

_________ before they can deal with the

t e r r i b l e mess left b e h i n d .

SYNONYMS: retreat, go back, back up

ANTONYMS: advance, come c l o s e r

20. repast ( n . ) a meal, food

(ri past')
Let's get together after the show at C al l i e' s Caf~ for a

late-night _

SYNONYM: Victuals

16 ■ Unit 1
 Select the boldface word that better completes each sentence.
Choosing the
You might refer to the passage on pages 1 2 -- 1 3 to see how most

Right Word of these words are used in context.

1. H i s notebooks show that Leonardo da V i n c i

was not o n l y a m a s t e r f u l artist but an ( i n e p t ,

i n g e n i o u s ) i n v e n t o r as w e l l.

2. We can (compress, besiege) the

m e s s a g e of the s e r m o n i n t o o n e s h o r t

sentence: "Do unto others as you would

have others do unto y o u . "

3. He may c l a i m that we have (libeled, doused)

h i m , b u t we have facts to back u p every

statement m a d e i n the c o l u m n about h i m .

In the fifteenth century, da Vinci drew

a design for the first armored tank,

4. T h e beauty of the G r a n d C a n y o n i s so which had guns and was powered by

men t u rn i n g crankshafts.
(immense, instantaneous) that it is absolutely

i m p o s s i b l e to capture its g r a n d e u r on fi l m .

5. W h i c h j o b w o u l d you take-one that is more ( i n g e n i o u s , g a i n f u l ) r i g h t now or

o n e that pays a small salary but offers a chance for valuable t r a i n i n g ?

6. Her c o n s c i e n c e forced her to (denounce, libel) the conspirators to the authorities.

7. Tom may not be as p o l i s h e d and clever as some of the other boys, but I t h i n k it is

unfair of you to call h i m an (apparel, oaf).

8. The story I am r e a d i n g features a ( n ) ( i n e p t , doused) detective who cannot solve

a case a n d c o n t i n u a l l y loses t h i n g s .

9. We were pleasantly s u r p r i s e d to see that she completed the d i ff i c u l t task we had

g i v e n h e r with neatness and (irk, dispatch).

10. As soon as she took over the office of Mayor, s h e was (besieged, dispatched) by

dozens of p e o p l e eager to get city j o b s .

11. (Famished, Compressed) for a chance to see her work i n p r i n t , the young writer

b e g g e d the m a g a z i n e editor to p u b l i s h her story.

12. H i s conceit is so ( i m m e n s e , gainful) that he cannot i m a g i n e anyone voting against

h i m in the election for class president.

1 3 . I w i l l never (recede, forsake) the people who h e l p e d me i n my hour of n e e d !

14. After a l l the bad t h i n g s he has d o n e , I feel no (dispatches, m i s g i v i n g s ) about

t e l l i n g h i m that I d o n ' t want h i m to be my " fr i e n d " anymore.

15. My sister is l e a rn i n g F r e n c h , taking cooking classes, and participating in other

(inept, gainful) pursuits that w i l l allow her to become a master chef.

Unit 1 17
9J11 •
Read the following passage, taking note of the boldface words and their contexts.

These words are among those you will be studying in Unit 2. It may help you to

complete the exercises in this Unit if you refer to the way the words are used below.

West End School Has Comestible Curriculum

< Interview>

h e S c r u m p t i o u s Schoolyard i s a of stamina and e n t h u s i a s m to keep the

T grassroots program that t r a n s f o r m s gardens g ro w i n g , but everyone works

concrete p l a y g r o u n d s into f u n c t i o n a l together.

f a r m l a n d . Part of the S c r u m p t i o u s
Interviewer: What are some favorite
Schoolyard Project, it is the b r a i n c h i l d of
experiences and things you've learned?
contemporary food-education p i o n e e r
Rosa: I was excited when the blossoms
C l a r i s s a Z. O c h o a . Students e x p l o r e the
on the s q u a s h e s and p u m p k i n s appeared.
c o n n e c t i o n between what they eat
We made p u m p k i n pancakes and sauteed
and where it comes from t h r o u g h hands­
z u c c h i n i b l o s s o m s , so I actually cooked
on o r g a n i c g a r d e n i n g and c o o k i n g
a n d ate a flower! R u l e n u m b e r o n e for
c l a s s e s . The " c o m e s t i b l e c u r r i c u l u m "
gardeners is smart p l a n n i n g , and we need
encompasses math, s c i e n c e , history,
to get maximum use from our plot. Have
geography, s o c i a l s t u d i e s , and m o r e .
you heard of c o m p a n i o n p l a n t i n g ? Plants
Interviewer: Rosa, you're a sixth grade
are l i k e p e o p l e - s o m e e x i s t together
student gardener in the Scrumptious
better than others, so we manipulate the
Schoolyard at T.R. Middle School in West
plants, materials, and space to get the
End. Have you tried growing anything
best harvest. We also extend the natural
before?
g ro w i n g seasons by mimicking Mother

Rosa: N o , t h i s is my first t i m e , and now I Nature with grow l i g h t s a n d

have a green t h u m b . I m i g h t become a mini-greenhouses.

farmer or a chef, or both!

Interviewer: I heard that the Scrumptious

Schoolyard concept was somewhat

controversial in the beginning.

Rosa: It ruffled a few

feathers. Some people were

disinterested, w h i l e others

were s u s p i c i o u s , depicting

it as p l a y i n g instead of

l e a rn i n g . I think their
4

complaints are groundless, N

and they really don't know
oa et
what they're m i s s i n g . s plant, @i i6
It's a m a z i n g to watch ok and g2@Hi"

something grow from a

w. $fF

tiny seed. It takes a lot z.

...

22 ■ Unit 2
Interviewer: Have you encountered any Interviewer: Do you have a secret for

stumbling blocks so far? attracting butterflies and bees to the

garden?
Rosa: We d e v e l o p tools a n d strategies

for overcoming adverse conditions. Our Rosa: We grow flowers that draw

climate i s n ' t extremely arid, but sometimes beneficial insects. Honeybees pollinate

it's pretty dry, so we p r a c t i c e water o u r p l a n t s , but the bees are i n t r o u b l e

conservation by u s i n g rain b a r r e l s . Also, because of C o l o n y C o l l a p s e Disorder, so

the first t i m e we tried to make compost, it we try to do our part. S i n c e our gardens

was u n b e l i e v a b l y s m e l l y . You have to get are o r g a n i c , we w o u l d be hypocrites if

the i n g r e d i e n t s and layers r i g h t . The we u s e d p e s t i c i d e s , so we're s t u d y i n g

s e c o n d t i m e , it t u rn e d out great. O n e of all-natural pest control. One raised bed

o u r teachers c a l l s compost " b l a c k g o l d . " has a koinobori, a Japanese fish kite that

billows in the breeze and scares off

scavengers.

Interviewer: What would you say to other

schools or kids interested in the program?

Rosa: Confront obstacles and go for i t !

You may t h i n k o n e k i d c a n ' t do m u c h

to h e l p the e n v i r o n m e n t or c h a n g e

how p e o p l e eat, but w o r k i n g in t h e

S c r u m p t i o u s S c h o o l y a r d has m a d e me

b e l i e v e we can make a b i g d i ff e r e n c e .

Interviewer: Finally, I have to ask--do

you r e a l l y eat all the vegetables you're

growing? I thought kids were supposed to

hate vegetables.

One of the best parts of the Scrumptious Schoolyard

Rosa: There's no way I ' m g o i n g to eat
program is eating what you've grown.
t u rn i p s . But it's good to try new t h i n g s ,

according to my s c i e n c e teacher. We're

still waiting to see him try t u rn i p s I

For Words and

audio passages,

snap the code, or

 vocabularyworkshop.com: Words audio program ' interactive word games

Note the spelling, pronunciation, part(s) of speech, and definition(s)

f ·ach of the following words. Then write the appropnate form of

Definitions j ord in the blank spaces in the illustrative sentence(s) following.

Finally, study the lists of synonyms and antonyms.

(adj.) with a s h a r p p o i n t ; keen and a l e r t ; sharp and severe;

1. acute
r i s i n g q u i c k l y to a h i g h p o i n t and l a s t i n g for a short t i m e
(a ky~t')

One who is an observer of human

nature may notice s u b t l e c h a n g e s i n people's behavior.

SYNONYMS: clever, penetrating

ANTONYMS: b l u n t e d , m i l d , s t u p i d , obtuse

2. bluster (v.) to talk or act in a noisy and threatening way; to blow in

(blas' tar) stormy g u s t s ; ( n . ) speech that is loud and threatening

When we saw harsh w i n d s around

our tent, we d e c i d e d to c h a n g e o u r plans for the weekend.

Dad's m a n n e r is a l l ---------, but beneath it

a l l , he's really a kind-hearted m a n .

SYNONYMS: ( v: ) spout, rant, brag, swagger; ( n . ) bravado

3. bungle ( v. ) to act or work c l u m s i l y and awkwardly; to r u i n something

(ban' gal) through c l u m s i n e s s

If we this project, we may never get

another chance to prove ourselves as a worthy team.

SYNONYMS: b l u n d e r , mess u p

4. commentary ( n . ) a series of notes c l a r i f y i n g or e x p l a i n i n g s o m e t h i n g ; an

(k~m' an ter ~) expression of o p i n i o n

O u r s p i r i t u a l leader gave us a on

the true m e a n i n g of charity.

SYNONYMS: explanation, narration, description, account,

review, analysis

5. duration ( n . ) the length of time that something continues or lasts

(du r~' shon)

Even t h o u g h the story was hard to follow, my fr i e n d s

d e c i d e d to stay for the of the opera.

6. eerie (adj.) c a u s i n g fear because of strangeness; w e i r d , mysterious

(e' re)
It is a lot of fun to t e l l _ g h o s t stories

around a campfire.

SYNONYMS: fr i g h t e n i n g , spooky, creepy

62 ■ Unit 5
 7. facet (n.) one aspect or s i d e of a subject or problem; one of the cut

(fas' st) surfaces of a gem

One important Of p r o b l e m s o l v i n g

i s to r e c o g n i z e w h e n a s o l u t i o n makes no s e n s e .

SYNONYMS: a n g l e , characteristic, factor, e l e m e n t

8. fidelity (n.) the state of b e i n g faithful; accuracy i n details, exactness

(fi d e l ' a te)

The of scratchy old records can't

match the clarity of C D s .

SYNONYMS: loyalty, faithfulness; ANTONYMS: disloyalty, treachery

9. fray (n.) a brawl, a noisy q u a r r e l ; (v.) to wear away by r u b b i n g ; make

(fr@a) ragged or worn; to strain, irritate

After the two loudest students began a r g u i n g , the whole

c l a s s j u m p e d into the _

A faucet that d r i p s c o n t i n u o u s l y can _

anyone's nerves.

SYNONYMS: (n.) s c u ff l e ; ( v ) unravel

10. headstrong (adj.) w i l l f u l , stubborn

(hed' stron)
Even the most patient caregiver may feel c h a l l e n g e d when

faced with a child.

SYNONYMS: obstinate, m u l i s h , u nr u l y

ANTONYMS: obedient, docile, submissive

11. inhabitant (n.) one l i v i n g permanently i n a g i v e n place

(in hab' a tont)

A l t h o u g h she enjoys t r a v e l i n g to exotic p l a c e s , s h e ' s a

lifelong of t h i s s m a l l town.

SYNONYMS: resident, native, tenant

ANTONYMS: stranger, outsider, visitor

12. numb (adj.) having lost the power of f e e l i n g or movement; ( v. ) to d u l l

(nam) the f e e l i n g s of; to cause to lose f e e l i n g

Bitter cold may leave your toes _

T h i s i n j e c t i o n w i l l the area so that

the doctor can stitch the cut painlessly.

SYNONYMS: (adj.) u n f e e l i n g , i n s e n s i b l e ; (v.) deaden

ANTONYMS: (adj.) sensitive, alert

13. pacify ( v. ) to make peaceful or c a l m ; to soothe

(pas' s f1)
The factory owners h o p e to the

a n g r y protesters with p r o m i s e s of h i g h e r w a g e s .

SYNONYMS: mollify, placate

ANTONYMS: anger, arouse, stir u p , foment, i g n i t e

Unit S 63
 vocabularyworkshop.com: Words audio program Q interactive word games

l Note the spelling, pronunciation, part(s) of speech, and definition(s)

of each of the following words. Then write the appropriate form of

Definitions the word in the blank spaces in the illustrative sentence(s) following.

Finally, study the lists of synonyms and antonyms.

1. agenda ( n . ) the program for a m e e t i n g ; a list, o u t l i n e , or plan of t h i n g s to

(a jen' da) be considered or done

The for today's a s s e m b l y i n c l u d e s

a plan for recycling in the classroom.

SYNONYMS: s c h e d u l e , docket

2. amiable (adj.) f ri e n dl y, good-natured

(~' me a bal)
Marty, whose sense of h u m o r and good spirits never f a i l ,

is an companion.

SYNONYMS: pleasant, agreeable

ANTONYMS: u n fr i e n d l y , i l l - h u m o re d , h o s t i l e

3. befuddle ( v. ) to confuse, make s t u p i d

(bi fad' al)

A d i ff i c u l t scientific e x p e r i m e n t with many steps is l i k e l y to

_________ most b e g i n n e r s .

SYNONYMS: bewilder, b o g g l e , stupefy

ANTONYMS: e n l i g h t e n , set straight

4. blight ( n . ) a disease that causes plants to wither and d i e ; a condition

(blit) of disease or r u i n ; ( v. ) to destroy, ruin

Dutch e l m disease was a that

forever changed the look of my n e i g h b o r h o o d .

T h o u g h she received several letters of rejection, she

d e t e r m i n e d not to let them her

hopes of g o i n g to c o l l e g e .

SYNONYMS: ( n. ) eyesore; ( v. ) s p o i l , n i p

ANTONYMS: ( v. ) foster, promote, n o u r i s h , encourage

5. boisterous (adj.) rough and noisy i n a cheerful way; high-spirited

(boi' stras)
The s c h o o l c h i l d r e n made it clear to

t h e i r teacher how much they enjoyed the class t r i p .

SYNONYMS: l o u d , unruly, d i s o r d e r l y

ANTONYMS: q u i e t , c a l m , peaceful, well-behaved

6. clarity ( n . ) clearness, accuracy

(klar' a te)
The vet explained w th i g reat ho w

best to housebreak our new puppy.

SYNONYMS: lucidity , precision

ANTONYMS: confusion, murkiness , ambiguity

72 ■ Unit 6
 7. compliant (adj.) w i l l i n g to do what someone else wants; o b e d i e n t

(kam pli' ant)

A c h i l d is easy to d i s c i p l i n e , even

when i n an u n f a m i l i a r e n v i r o n m e n t.

SYNONYMS: meek, d o c i l e , s u b m i s s i v e

ANTONYMS: d i s o b e d i e n t , obstinate, r e b e l l i o u s , perverse

8. conserve ( v.) to preserve; to keep from b e i n g d a m a g e d , lost, or wasted;

(kon sarv') to save

R e s p o n s i b l e c i t i z e n s try to our

p re c i o u s natural resources.

SYNONYMS: g u a r d , care tor; ANTONYMS: waste, squander, d i s s i p a t e

9. debut ( n . ) a first p u b l i c a p p e a r a n c e ; a formal entrance into society;

(d~' by~) ( v. ) to make a first appearance

The talented flute player i n the m a r c h i n g band f i n a l l y made

her as a soloist today.

Many theaters w i l l the f i l m tonight.

SYNONYM: ( n. ) c o m i n g - o u t ; ANTONYMS: ( n . ) retirement, departure

10. gory (adj.) marked by b l o o d s h e d , slaughter, or violence

(g6r' e)
The C i v i l War battle of Antietam i s , to t h i s day, the most

_________ one-day tight in o u r history.

SYNONYMS: bloody, g r u e s o m e ; ANTONYM: bloodless

11. gross (adj.) coarse, v u l g a r ; very n o t i c e a b l e ; total; overweight; ( n. ) an

(gr~s) overall total (without d e d u c t i o n s ) ; twelve d o z e n ; (v.) to earn

They r e s p o n d e d to the injustice i n

an unsatisfactory manner.

A of p e n c i l s lasts a l l year.

She expects to $3,000 in t i p s .

SYNONYMS: (adj.) sheer, utter, flagrant, tat

ANTONYMS: (adj.) d e l i c a t e , tine, partial, slender, t h i n ; ( n . , v.) net

12. induce ( v.) to c a u s e , b r i n g about; to persuade

(in d ~ s ' )
Can d r i n k i n g warm m i l k _ S l e e p' ?

SYNONYMS: prevail u p o n , i n fl u e n c e

ANTONYMS: prevent, deter, h i n d e r

13. leeway ( n . ) extra space tor moving along a certain route; allowance tor

(le' w~) mistakes or i n a c c u r a c i e s ; m a r g i n of error

Experienced p l a n n e r s allow of a

week or so in case a project runs into s n a g s or delays.

SYNONYMS: latitude, e l b o w room

Unit 6 73
 ( v: ) to l i e , tell an untruth; to m i s l e a d on purpose
14. prevaricate

(pri var' s k~t) H i s reputation has suffered because of h i s unfortunate

t e n d e n c y to _

SYNONYMS: stretch the truth, equivocate

ANTONYM: tell the truth

15. quash ( v: ) to c r u s h , put down completely

(kw~sh) Swift military action was required to _

the revolt before anyone was injured.

SYNONYM: suppress

ANTONYMS: start, k i n d l e , i g n i t e , encourage

16. relish ( n . ) enjoyment or satisfaction; something that adds a p l e a s i n g

(rel' ish) flavor; ( v.) to enjoy greatly

She opened the tiny box with _

knowing that it contained a piece of jewelry.

Now that I've learned about Japan in class, I

Tf chance to travel there.

SYNONYMS: ( n . ) pleasure, gusto; (v.) take d e l i g h t in

ANTONYMS: ( v. ) loathe, hate, despise

1 7. reminisce ( v: ) to recall one's past thoughts, f e e l i n g s , or experiences

(rem a nis')
At the family r e u n i o n , we got to hear 94-year-old Tia Luzia

_________ about life in old Havana.

SYNONYMS: remember, recollect

18. scour ( v: ) to clean or p o l i s h by hard r u b b i n g ; to examine with great

(ska~r) care; to move about quickly in search of

The pot roast was d e l i c i o u s , but it won't be any fun to

_________ the burned roasting pan.

SYNONYMS: s c r u b , search, comb

ANTONYMS: dirty, soil

19. testimonial ( n . ) a statement that speaks to a person's character or

(tes' ta m' n~ al) to the benefits of a product; expressing the value and worth of

someone or something

The famous athlete's about the

t h i r s t - q u e n c h i n g d r i n k made an impression on TV viewers.

SYNONYMS: memorial, tribute, e v i d e n c e , statement

20. writhe (v.) to make twisting or t u rn i n g movements i n a way that

(rith) suggests pain or struggle

It's so sad to see an injured b i r d _

in pain.

SYNONYMS: twist, s q u i r m , thrash

92 ■ Unit 7
 Select the boldface word that better completes each sentence.
Choosing the
You might refer to the passage on pages 88--89 to see how most

Right Word of these words are used in context.

1. Th o u g h he was l o s i n g h i s h e a r i n g , Beethoven

(authorized, immersed) h i m s e l f in h i s m u s i c .

2. We were i m p r e s s e d with E l l a ' s ( t e s t i m o n i a l ,

culprit), as she d e s c r i b e d how a new s h a m p o o

made her h a i r grow faster.

3. The charges against the suspected m u g g e r w i l l

probably not h o l d u p i n court, so the district

attorney has d e c i d e d to (authorize, q u a s h ) t h e m .

4. D e s p i t e several rejection letters from p u b l i s h e r s ,

the young writer (prevaricated, persevered) and

c o n t i n u e d to write stories.

5. I n spite of a l l your talk about how hard it is to get Though plagued by illness, family

difficulties, and the loss of his

into medical s c h o o l , I intend to (persevere, relish)
hearing, Ludwig van Beethoven
i n my p l a n s to become a doctor.
created some of the world's greatest

musical compositions.

6. I s there any s i g h t more (pathetic, i ll i c i t ) than a

kitten s t r a n d e d i n a tree?

7. When the class comedian imitated my way of s p e a k i n g , it was all I c o u l d do not to

(writhe, reminisce) with embarrassment.

8. What good does it do for the president of the Student C o u n c i l to issue (fatalities,

memorandums) if no one takes the trouble to read them?

9. We learned i n our social s t u d i e s class that the Constitution (dissects, authorizes)

the p r e s i d e n t to arrange treaties with foreign c o u n t r i e s .

10. She is so worried about a p p e a r i n g (inflammatory, gullible) that she sometimes

refuses to b e l i e v e t h i n g s that are well supported by facts.

11. The more he tried to protect h i m s e l f by ( s c o u r i n g , prevaricating), the more he

became entrapped i n h i s own web of l i e s .

12. W h e n e v e r my Aunt Joan hears a hit from the 1 9 9 0 s on the r a d i o , she starts to

(reminisce, expend) about her days in h i g h school.

13. H i s sticky fingers and the crumbs around h i s mouth convinced us that he was the

(culprit, r e l i s h ) i n the Case of the Empty Cookie Jar.

14. Although our coach can s p e n d hours (writhing, reminiscing) about h i s victories,

he doesn't have an e q u a l l y good memory for h i s defeats.

15. S h e (expends, dawdles) so m u c h t i m e and e n e r g y on s m a l l matters that s h e

can't p r e p a r e p r o p e r l y for the t h i n g s that are r e a l l y i m p o r t a n t .

Unit 7 ■ 93
 vocabularyworkshop.com: Words audio program Q interactive word games

Note the spelling, pronunciation, part(s) of speech, and definition(s)

of each of the following words. Then write the appropriate form of

Definitions the word in the blank spaces in the illustrative sentence(s) following.

Finally, study the lists of synonyms and antonyms.

1. avenge ( v. ) to get revenge for, get even for, settle a score; to p u n i s h

(a venj') someone or get satisfaction for a wrong or injury

I n Shakespeare's Hamlet, the title character vows to

_________ h i s father's death.

SYNONYM: retaliate

2. cede (v.) to give u p , s u r r e n d e r ; to hand over to another

(s~d)
Spain territory to France.

SYNONYMS: d e l i v e r u p , transfer

3. deluge ( n. ) a great f l o o d ; a heavy fall of r a i n ; anything that comes in a

(del' y~j) vast quantity ( l i k e a flood); ( v ) to flood

Owners are h o p i n g t h i s s u m m e r w i l l b r i n g a

_________ of visitors to their new theme park

in Minneapolis.

A torrential d o w n p o u r the

entire town.

SYNONYMS: ( v ) swamp, inundate

ANTONYMS: ( n . ) trickle, d r i b b l e

4. discretion ( n . ) good j u d g m e n t ; care i n speech and action; freedom to

(dis kresh' an) j u d g e or choose

I
My teacher suggested I use in

d e a l i n g with my d i ff i c u l t classmate.

l
SYNONYMS: p r u d e n c e , tact, discrimination

5. giddy (adj.) dizzy; l i g h t - h e a d e d ; lacking s e r i o u s n e s s

( g i d ' e)
After the long and g r u e l i n g race, the marathoner felt

_________ and exhausted.

SYNONYMS: faint, frivolous, f l i g h t y

ANTONYMS: levelheaded, s e r i o u s , earnest, sober

6. impact ( n . ) the striking of one object against another; the shock caused

(n., im' pakt; by a c o ll i si o n ; ( v. ) to affect, e s p e c i a l l y forcefully

v., im pakt') The of the car crash destroyed both

v e h i c l e s , but m i r a c u l o u s l y no one was hurt.

Budget cuts w i l l the n u m b e r of

hours the p u b l i c l i b r a r y can stay o p e n .

SYNONYMS: ( n . ) c o ll i s i o n , blow, effect

11 0 ■ Unit 9
 7. i n ti m i d a t e ( v. ) to make t i m i d or fr i g h t e n by threats; to use fear to get

(in ti m ' a dat) someone to do (or not to do) s o m e t h i n g

B u l l i e s may try to u s , but if we act

brave and stand t a l l , we can d i m i n i s h t h e i r threats.

SYNONYMS: browbeat, hector

8. liberate ( v. ) to free from bondage or d o m i n a t i o n ; to release

(l i b ' a r~t) The p o l i c e the anxious hostages

after sixteen h o u r s of c o n f i n e m e n t.

SYNONYMS: u n t i e , un s h a c k l e

ANTONYMS: i m p r i s o n , fetter, s h a c k l e , b i n d

9. logical (adj.) reasonable; m a k i n g use of reason and good sense

(l~j' a kal)
O u r parents are constantly e n c o u r a g i n g us to look for

_________ s o l u t i o n s to our p r o b l e m s .

SYNONYMS: rational, s e n s i b l e

ANTONYMS: a b s u r d , r i d i c u l o u s , u n s o u n d , preposterous

10. misrepresent (v.) to give a false or untrue idea

(mis rep ri zent') If witnesses the facts, the defense

attorney has proof to s u p p o r t o u r story.

SYNONYMS: falsify, twist, exaggerate

11. optional (adj.) left to one's own c h o i c e ; not required

(~p' she nal)

The hotel w i ll charge us for breakfast and d i n n e r , but l u n c h

is _

SYNONYMS: voluntary, discretionary

ANTONYMS: r e q u i r e d , mandatory, c o m p u l s o r y

12. outright (adj.) c o m pl e t e ; instantaneous; without reservation,

(au~t'rit) t h o r o u g h g o i n g ; (adv.) completely, instantaneously

When the teacher asked her why s h e d i d n ' t do h e r

homework, she told an lie.

Even t h o u g h they had already heard it several t i m e s , the

h i l a r i o u s joke made them l a u g h _

SYNONYMS: (adj.) total, out-and-out; ( a d v ) utterly, instantly

ANTONYMS: (adj.) p a r ti al , i n c o m p l e t e ; (adv.) by degrees

13. rendezvous ( v. ) to meet i n accordance with a p l a n ; ( n . ) a meeting by

(r~n' d~ v~) agreement; a meeting place

Let's all agree [O _ D y the fountain on

Saturday afternoon.

They kept t h e i r a secret.

SYNONYMS: ( n. ) date, a s s i g n a t i o n

Unit 9 11 1
 J
Read the following passage, taking note of the boldface words and their contexts.

These words are among those you will be studying in Unit 1 1 . As you complete the

exercises in this Unit, it may help to refer to the way the words are used below.

Here I Am: Gal~pagos Log

<Log>

Written by Samantha Z. Rosenstern,

marine biologist with the Center for 4 p a C i f i C

Island Research
1 tu

ed., Apr. 12 After a d e l a y at the

W I �
airport, o u r research team arrived at

the Gal~pagos. I often th i nk that a good

1
0 C e a n
farehena

--W I

4
alias for these i s l a n d s would be " r e p t i l e San Salvador
t
heaven." No land b r i d g e ever l i n k e d the

G a l ~ p a g o s with the coast of South 4 Santa Ce

A m e r i c a , over 600 m i l e s away. As an ion Cristobal

i Ayon

unavoidable and inevitable consequence, Santa Fe

']
•
Po Vdtard

reptiles prevailed over mammals in these

! hsabela
�
spots of land straddling the equator. Only I
reptiles such as the giant tortoise and the Santa Maria
R
1 """"''"'" �
land i g u a n a possess the e n d u r a n c e to
� ... 5i3 ----- iii,
.. d

make l o n g ocean crossings with no fresh

water. The dogged persistence of these

creatures made it p o s s i b l e for them to Sat., Apr. 15 My t h i r d day of fi e l d work

establish themselves h e r e . on San Crist~bal I s l a n d at the eastern

e d g e of the G al ~ p a g o s a r c h i p e l a g o . I n
The n a m e G a l ~ p a g o s refers to the
m i d afternoon, I amble down the b e a c h .
i s l a n d s ' most prominent creatures. I n old
My l e i s u r e l y pace would leave most of the
S p a n i s h , gal~pago means " t o r t oi s e . "
Gal~pagos giant tortoises dumbfounded.
Different giant tortoises have different s h e l l s .
I calculated that the burly giants move at
Some are dome-shaped, while others have
about 0 . 2 m i l e s per hour. That's barely ten
an arched shell that looks like a saddle.
percent of the rate of a h u m a n walker!

It really is true that human nature is

Coolopus the same the world over. This m o rn i n g ,

I saw tour groups representing seven

Subcvistous
different nationalities. All were equally in

awe of the animals of the Gal~pagos.

Thurs., Apr. 20 The p o p u l a t i o n of

s a d d l e b a c k s on San Cristobal has

been estimated at 1 , 8 0 0 . Long a g o ,

there were tortoises at the southern

e n d of the i s l a n d . That p o p u l a t i o n is

now extinct. The relic of a s p e c i m e n

of t h i s race poses a new q u e s t i o n :

Were these tortoises the same as

today's a n i m a l s , named Geochelone weeks. Many of the d o m i n a n c e contests

chathamensis, or were they a different take place in p l a i n view. As yet, I have

s u b s p e c i e s of giant tortoise? w i t n e s s e d o n l y a few.

O n e of my g o a l s is to measure t h e Fri., Apr. 28 Whatever the causes for

i m p a c t of predators on tortoise h a t c h l i n g s . their ingrained hostility, it is clear that

The first n e w b o rn s e m e r g e d t h i s week s u p e r i or height gives the w i n n i n g tortoise

after s i x months of i n c u b a t i o n . I cannot its key advantage, as i n the s p a r r i n g

h e l p a d m i r i n g t h e i r d e t e r m i n a t i o n and grit. c o n t e s t I w i t n e s s e d t h i s m o rn i n g .

Feral d o g s and goats, as well as hawks, S a d d l e b a c k s can be e s p e c i a l l y

are t h e i r c h i e f e n e m i e s . If y o u n g s t e r s aggressive toward one another. I s this

survive, however, they w i l l enjoy a life on because they have to skimp on sparse

an epic scale. When fully grown, the males resources w i t h i n t h e i r habitat, such as

w i l l w e i g h up to 800 p o u n d s and measure food, p l a n t s , water, and shade? Some

over s i x feet from end to e n d . A m a z i n g l y , more sleuthing d u r i n g my next month

the tortoises have the l o n g e s t life span of here s h o u l d answer these questions, as

any creature on Earth-an estimated w e l l as a few I haven't yet asked!

1 5 0 years. No w o n d e r there are so many

g a p s i n the s c i e n t i f i c l i t e r a t u r e a b o u t

these a n i m a l s . It is u n d e r s t a n d a b l e that

s c ie n t i s t s' reports m i g h t be distorted.

No one s c i e n t i s t c o u l d ever observe the

tortoises' entire natural l i f e s p a n .

Wed., Apr 26 Another goal of m i n e is to

For Words and
d o c u m e n t d o m i n a n c e contests among
audio passages,
adult s a d d l e b a c k s . Last n i g h t I rummaged
snap the code, or
through my f i e l d notes from the last few
go to vocabularyworkshop.com.

Unit 11 ■ 137