Transcript Ch. 20

ADVANCING
VOCABULARY SKILLS
Fourth Edition
Sherrie L. Nist
© 2010 Townsend Press
Unit Four: Chapter 20
• atrophy
• mitigate
• deplore
• objective
• deprivation
• panacea
• exacerbate
• unprecedented
• imperative
• utilitarian
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 atrophy
– verb
• Since unused muscles atrophy, an arm or a leg that remains in a
cast for some time becomes thinner.
• “If you watch any more of those mindless television programs,”
my father said, “your brain will atrophy.”
Atrophy means
A. to grow.
B. to waste away.
C. to cause pain.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 atrophy
– verb – verb
• Since unused muscles atrophy, an arm or a leg that remains in a
cast for some time becomes thinner.
• “If you watch any more of those mindless television programs,”
my father said, “your brain will atrophy.”
Atrophy means
A. to grow.
B. to waste away.
C. to cause pain.
If the arm or leg becomes thinner, it has wasted away. If the television
programs are mindless, they will make the brain waste away.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 deplore
– verb
• Bernie deplored his coworkers’ habit of taking home paper clips,
Scotch tape, pens, and stationery from the office, a practice he
felt was dishonest.
• Many people deplore some of the content on the Internet but feel
they must tolerate it, because they disapprove just as strongly of
censorship.
Deplore means
A. to condemn.
B. to ignore.
C. to make worse.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 deplore
– verb
• Bernie deplored his coworkers’ habit of taking home paper clips,
Scotch tape, pens, and stationery from the office, a practice he
felt was dishonest.
• Many people deplore some of the content on the Internet but feel
they must tolerate it, because they disapprove just as strongly of
censorship.
Deplore means
A. to condemn.
B. to ignore.
C. to make worse.
If Bernie felt the practice was dishonest, he would condemn it. In the
second item, the words disapprove . . . strongly suggest that deplore
means “to condemn.”
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 deprivation
– noun
• Children who spend their early years in institutions where they
receive no love may suffer throughout life from the effects of this
deprivation.
• Weight-loss programs typically claim that their members
experience no sense of deprivation. “You’ll never be hungry!”
they promise.
Deprivation means
A child suffering
from food
deprivation
resulting from
a famine
Photo: US Dept of Health & Human Services
A. a deficiency.
B. a feeling of disapproval.
C. a strong desire.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 deprivation
– noun
• Children who spend their early years in institutions where they
receive no love may suffer throughout life from the effects of this
deprivation.
• Weight-loss programs typically claim that their members
experience no sense of deprivation. “You’ll never be hungry!”
they promise.
Deprivation means
A child suffering
from food
deprivation
resulting from
a famine
Photo: US Dept of Health & Human Services
A. a deficiency.
B. a feeling of disapproval.
C. a strong desire.
Children who receive no love have
a deficiency of love. If you are
never hungry, you have no sense of
a deficiency of food.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 exacerbate
– verb
• Scratching a mosquito bite only makes it worse: the scraping
exacerbates the itching and may even cause an infection.
• Instead of soothing the baby, the sound of the music box seemed
only to exacerbate his crying.
Exacerbate means
A. to find the cause of.
B. to relieve.
C. to make worse.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 exacerbate
– verb
• Scratching a mosquito bite only makes it worse: the scraping
exacerbates the itching and may even cause an infection.
• Instead of soothing the baby, the sound of the music box seemed
only to exacerbate his crying.
Exacerbate means
A. to find the cause of.
B. to relieve.
C. to make worse.
In the first item, the words makes . . . worse tell you the meaning
of exacerbate. In the second item, in contrast with soothing the
baby, the music box only makes his crying worse.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 imperative
– adjective
• It is imperative that I renew my driver’s license today—it
expires at midnight.
• “It is imperative for this letter to reach Mr. Rivera tomorrow.”
the boss said, “so please send it by Express Mail.”
Imperative means
A. impossible.
B. difficult.
C. essential.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 imperative
– adjective
• It is imperative that I renew my driver’s license today—it
expires at midnight.
• “It is imperative for this letter to reach Mr. Rivera tomorrow.”
the boss said, “so please send it by Express Mail.”
Imperative means
A. impossible.
B. difficult.
C. essential.
If the license expires at midnight, it is essential to renew it today. Since
the boss wants the letter sent by Express Mail, it must be essential that
the letter reach Mr. Rivera tomorrow.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 mitigate
– verb
• The disabilities resulting from Mr. Dobbs’s stroke were
mitigated by physical therapy, but he still has difficulty using his
right arm.
• Time usually mitigates the pain of a lost love. When Richard’s
girlfriend broke their engagement, he was miserable, but now the
hurt is much less.
Mitigate means
A. to relieve.
B. to worsen.
C. to reveal.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 mitigate
– verb
• The disabilities resulting from Mr. Dobbs’s stroke were
mitigated by physical therapy, but he still has difficulty using his
right arm.
• Time usually mitigates the pain of a lost love. When Richard’s
girlfriend broke their engagement, he was miserable, but now the
hurt is much less.
Mitigate means
A. to relieve.
B. to worsen.
C. to reveal.
Physical therapy would relieve the disabilities resulting from a stroke.
Since Richard’s pain is much less now that time has passed, time must
relieve the pain of lost love.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 objective
– adjective
• Scientists must strive to be totally objective in their observations
and experiments, putting aside their personal wishes and
expectations.
• All too often, we let our own prejudices prevent us from being
objective in judging others.
Objective means
A. personal.
B. fair.
C. persuasive.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 objective
– adjective
• Scientists must strive to be totally objective in their observations
and experiments, putting aside their personal wishes and
expectations.
• All too often, we let our own prejudices prevent us from being
objective in judging others.
Objective means
A. personal.
B. fair.
C. persuasive.
If scientists put aside their personal wishes and expectations, they are
trying to be fair in their observations. One’s prejudices can prevent one
from being fair in judging others.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 panacea
– noun
• My aunt considers vitamins a panacea. She believes that they
can cure everything from chapped lips to heart disease.
• Ravi thinks his troubles would be over if he just had plenty of
money. But money isn’t a panacea; it wouldn’t solve all his
problems.
Panacea means
A. a belief.
B. a basic necessity.
C. a complete solution.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 panacea
– noun
• My aunt considers vitamins a panacea. She believes that they
can cure everything from chapped lips to heart disease.
• Ravi thinks his troubles would be over if he just had plenty of
money. But money isn’t a panacea; it wouldn’t solve all his
problems.
Panacea means
A. a belief.
B. a basic necessity.
C. a complete solution.
If the aunt believes vitamins can cure everything, she considers them
a complete solution. If money won’t solve all of Ravi’s problems, it
isn’t a complete solution to his troubles.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 unprecedented
– adjective
• When Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama ran against each other for
the 2008 Democratic nomination for president of the United States,
the situation was unprecedented. All the previous major-party
nominees for president had been white men.
• The spring concert was “standing room only.” This was
unprecedented, the first time in our school’s history that the concert
had been sold out.
Unprecedented means
A. unheard-of.
B. unprejudiced.
C. controversial.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 unprecedented
– adjective
• When Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama ran against each other for
the 2008 Democratic nomination for president of the United States,
the situation was unprecedented. All the previous major-party
nominees for president had been white men.
• The spring concert was “standing room only.” This was
unprecedented, the first time in our school’s history that the concert
had been sold out.
Unprecedented means
A. unheard-of.
B. unprejudiced.
C. controversial.
Because neither a white woman or a black man had run for the
nomination for president, the situation in 2008 was unheard-of.
If it was the first time in the school’s history that the concert
was sold out, the situation was unheard-of.
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 utilitarian
– adjective
• One difference between “arts” and “crafts” is that crafts tend to
be more utilitarian. They are generally created to serve a
specific purpose.
• I prefer utilitarian gifts, such as pots and pans, to gifts that are
meant to be just ornamental or beautiful.
Utilitarian means
A. unique.
B. practical.
C. inexpensive.
A utilitarian object
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 utilitarian
– adjective
• One difference between “arts” and “crafts” is that crafts tend to
be more utilitarian. They are generally created to serve a
specific purpose.
• I prefer utilitarian gifts, such as pots and pans, to gifts that are
meant to be just ornamental or beautiful.
Utilitarian means
A. unique.
B. practical.
C. inexpensive.
A utilitarian object
If “crafts” are created to serve a
specific purpose, they are more
practical than “arts.” Pots and pans
are practical gifts.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. atrophy
B. deplore
C. deprivation D. exacerbate
F. mitigate
G. objective
H. panacea
E. imperative
I. unprecedented J. utilitarian
1. When families go camping and decide to spend a whole
weekend without video games and TV, some kids think
they are experiencing a great __________.
2. The last time I had a migraine headache, I tried draping
a cold, wet cloth over my eyes to __________ the pain
and nausea, but my symptoms only got worse.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. atrophy
B. deplore
C. deprivation D. exacerbate
F. mitigate
G. objective
H. panacea
E. imperative
I. unprecedented J. utilitarian
1. When families go camping and decide to spend a whole
weekend without video games and TV, some kids think
they are experiencing a great __________.
deprivation
For some kids, no video games or TV would be a lack of basic necessities.
2. The last time I had a migraine headache, I tried draping
a cold, wet cloth over my eyes to __________
mitigate the pain
and nausea, but my symptoms only got worse.
The cold cloth should relieve the pain and nausea, but in fact it
made them worse.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. atrophy
B. deplore
C. deprivation D. exacerbate
F. mitigate
G. objective
H. panacea
E. imperative
I. unprecedented J. utilitarian
3. First-aid instructions usually advise against moving an
accident victim, because movement can _________ an injury.
4. The election of Barack Obama to the presidency was
____________ in American history—he was the first African
American president.
5. No one could __________ drinking and driving more than
Lin; her son was killed by a drunk driver.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. atrophy
B. deplore
C. deprivation D. exacerbate
F. mitigate
G. objective
H. panacea
E. imperative
I. unprecedented J. utilitarian
3. First-aid instructions usually advise against moving an
accident victim, because movement can _________
exacerbate an injury.
Movement can make a victim’s injuries more severe.
4. The election of Barack Obama to the presidency was
____________ in American history—he was the first African
unprecedented
American president.
Obama’s election was the first instance of an African American president.
5. No one could __________
deplore drinking and driving more than
Lin; her son was killed by a drunk driver.
Lin’s experience would make her feel strong disapproval of drinking
and driving.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. atrophy
B. deplore
C. deprivation D. exacerbate
F. mitigate
G. objective
H. panacea
E. imperative
I. unprecedented J. utilitarian
6. Although an Academy Award is not meant to be __________,
one winner uses his as a paperweight.
7. Our city has many different crime-related problems, but
the mayor has only one solution to offer: more police
officers on the streets. She believes an enlarged police
force is a _________.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. atrophy
B. deplore
C. deprivation D. exacerbate
F. mitigate
G. objective
H. panacea
E. imperative
I. unprecedented J. utilitarian
6. Although an Academy Award is not meant to be __________,
utilitarian
one winner uses his as a paperweight.
A paperweight is a practical item.
7. Our city has many different crime-related problems, but
the mayor has only one solution to offer: more police
officers on the streets. She believes an enlarged police
force is a _________.
panacea
If the mayor offers only one solution, she must believe that solution
is a cure-all.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. atrophy
B. deplore
C. deprivation D. exacerbate
F. mitigate
G. objective
H. panacea
E. imperative
I. unprecedented J. utilitarian
8. If you find it difficult to be __________ about your own
writing, try asking a classmate to read it and give you an
unbiased opinion.
9. When told that Ms. Thomas was in conference and could
not be disturbed, the caller said urgently, “It’s __________
that I speak to her. Her house is on fire.”
10. In Burma, some women lengthen their necks by stretching
them with copper coils. This practice damages the muscles,
causing them to __________: they become thin and weak.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. atrophy
B. deplore
C. deprivation D. exacerbate
F. mitigate
G. objective
H. panacea
E. imperative
I. unprecedented J. utilitarian
8. If you find it difficult to be __________
objective about your own
writing, try asking a classmate to read it and give you an
unbiased opinion.
The word unbiased tells you that the word objective is called for here.
9. When told that Ms. Thomas was in conference and could
not be disturbed, the caller said urgently, “It’s __________
imperative
that I speak to her. Her house is on fire.”
If her house is on fire, it would be urgent for the caller to speak to her.
10. In Burma, some women lengthen their necks by stretching
them with copper coils. This practice damages the muscles,
causing them to __________:
they become thin and weak.
atrophy
The words become thin and weak tell you the word atrophy is needed
here.