Ten Words in Context



Vocabulary Unit Five

Exercise 1. Due: ______________________.

Below are your vocabulary words for this week’s unit. Locate the handout containing these words and their dictionary entries, and copy the entries onto a separate sheet of paper. Copy everything everything everything E V E R Y T H I N G in each entry. Leave N O T H I N G out. Use the same spacing and line breaking used on the handout (except for the two columns; you don’t have to do that). Make sure you keep this work in your notebook because you will need it to complete Exercises 2, 3, and 4 throughout the week.

• A MINIMUM of half credit will be deducted from your grade if you fail to copy over ALL of any entry or if you fail to use the same spacing and line-breaking used on the handout.

• DO NOT use a word processor. Credit will be given for handwritten work only.

|affinity |hackneyed (adjective) |opulence |sagacious |unassailable |

|fledgling |incessant |proximity |supplant |voluminous |

Exercise 2 A and B. Due: ______________________.

A. Write the letter of the word whose meaning is closest to that of the boldfaced word in each sentence. (Use the context clues!)

1. affinity. It is hard for someone with an affinity for warm weather to be happy living in Alaska.

My cat has an affinity for small, dark hiding places – I’ve often found her asleep in my dresser drawer, under the footstool, and inside my suitcase.

affinity means ______ A. a preference B. a fear C. ignorance

2. fledgling. The short-story class is full of fledgling writers. They’re all enthusiastic, but since they’re beginners, they’re shy about sharing their work.

Myra and her sisters are excited about their fledgling catering service, which was booked for three parties during its first week of business.

fledgling means ______ A. old and worn out B. inexperienced C. different

3. hackneyed. The hackneyed phrase “Have a nice day!” is heard so often that it has become almost meaningless.

The worst part of our family reunions is hearing my uncle’s hackneyed jokes – the one’s he’s been telling since about 1950.

hackneyed means ______ A. over-used and stale B. insulting but funny C. funny yet sad

4 . incessant. Mrs. Raglan finally insisted that her husband see a doctor about his incessant snoring – it didn’t bother him, but she wasn’t getting any sleep.

The children nearly drove their parents crazy on the long car trip with their incessant complaining: “Are we there yet? Is it much further?

incessant means ______ A. silent B. wise C. constant

5. opulence. The opulence of the magnificent, luxurious resort was in stark contrast to the poverty of the little fishing village at its gates.

The writer Thoreau had no liking for opulence. He wrote in his journal, “That man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.”

opulence means ______ A. closeness B. luxury C. permanence

6. proximity. The proximity of the railroad tracks worries neighborhood parents when their children play outside.

I don’t drive a car, so when I was apartment hunting, I had to consider the proximity of public transportation.

proximity means ______ A. similarity B. contrast C. nearness

7. sagacious. The Bible tells the story of King Solomon, who was so sagacious that he knew what to do when two women came to him, both claiming to be the mother of the same child.

Often when you are faced with a difficult situation, the sagacious thing is to do nothing right away, but wait to see what happens.

sagacious means ______ A. silly B. wise C. strong

8. supplant. Acme Company fired its entire accounting staff today. It intends to supplant these employees with part-time workers.

An idealistic young revolutionary overthrew the dictator and set up a democratic government, but he too was soon supplanted when the military seized power.

supplant means ______ A. to replace B. to restore C. to support

9. unassailable. The Evanses’ claim that their house is the oldest in town is unassailable. They have a deed dated 1804, and a copy was filed that same year.

“My opponent may try to attack me,” said the candidate, “but my record is unassailable. On every issue, I’ve voted for the benefit of this city.”

unassailable means ______ A. untrue B. undeniable C. unimportant

10. voluminous. Denise chose a wedding dress in a “Southern belle” style, with a long, voluminous skirt. Now she’s worried she’ll trip over all those yards of material.

In the weeks before Christmas, each issue of our newspaper is voluminous, swollen enormously by all the ads. After the holidays, the paper shrinks back to its normal size.

voluminous means ______ A. valuable B. cut short C. bulky

2B. Complete each item below with a vocabulary word from this unit. Use each word once.

1. Irene knew her roommate’s family was wealthy, but nothing had prepared her for the ______________________ of their home – it was like a palace.

2. During the 1960s, the Beatles held a(n) ________________________________ position as the world’s most popular rock group. They sold more records and won more fame than any other band.

3. In her ____________________________ tote bag, my mother carries money, credit cards, photos, makeup, a mirror, and tons of other stuff.

4. It would not be ___________________________ to go out today without an umbrella – look at those black clouds!

5. Crows have a(n) __________________________ for bright, shiny things, so they sometimes pick up bits of metal or glass and carry them back to their nests.

6. “You’ll always be my best friend,” Christy told Carole when Carole moved away. “I may have other friends, but no one will ever ________________________ you in my heart.”

EXERCISE #2B CONTINUES ON THE OTHER SIDE

7. Mr. Engelhardt finally told his daughter to stop jogging in her upstairs bedroom; the ______________________ pounding noise was giving him a headache.

8. While visiting Hollywood, Sayda was excited by the __________________________ of movie stars. “You could be standing right beside one and never know it!” she said.

9. I get my hair done cheaply by going to a beauty school, where ______________________hairdressers do cuts and coloring for half of what more experienced beauticians charge.

10. Alvin decided to stop using the _________________________ phrase “What’s happening?!” when he sees friends and acquaintances. Now, he says: “Greetings, friend!”

Exercise 3 A and B. Due: ______________________.

3A. Write each word over its synonym or synonymous phrase. (The sentences in Exercises 2A and 2B above can help.)

1. _______________________________________

new; unpracticed; inexperienced

2. _______________________________________

luxuriousness; lavishness

3. ______________________________________

nearness

4. _______________________________________

overused and stale; trite

5. _______________________________________

impossible to deny

6. _______________________________________

big; bulky

7. _______________________________________

to replace

8. _______________________________________

preference

9. _______________________________________

wise; sensible

10. _______________________________________

constant

3B. Fill in the blanks with vocabulary words from this unit. Use each vocabulary word once.

“An American classic” is a(n) ____________________ phrase, overused to describe everything from meatloaf to the latest hairstyle. But at least one thing has a(n) _____________________ right to be called an American classic. Blue jeans were born in the United States during the great California gold rush of 1849. They were created by Levi Strauss, a German who sold dry-goods to the cowboys and gold miners of San Francisco. Strauss realized that the _____________________ of all those workingmen created an opportunity for him. He considered what all those miners and cowboys would be likely to buy, and he was ______________________ enough to realize that they needed tough, inexpensive pants. He founded the Levi Strauss Company to manufacture what he called “waist trousers.” At first, the ___________________ company did make mistakes. But the mistakes were few, and Levi Strauss’s pants became so popular that they soon __________________(ed) almost every other kind of pants among the workingmen of the West. Strauss was able to retire and live in __________________. Since then, the general public has developed such a(n) ___________________ for blue jeans that they have never gone out of style. However, they have been constantly changed by the __________________, never-ending tides of fashion. During the 1950’s, teenagers wore them straight and tight. In the 1960’s, the look was __________________ bell-bottoms that swept the ground. Since then, jeans have been tie-dyed, acid-washed, ripped, cutoff, and made of every imaginable material. Still, they all have a common ancestor: the tough “waist trousers” invented by Strauss so long ago.

Exercise 4. Due: ___________________________:

In a separate document, write original sentences for the unit words. Follow the detailed instructions in the handout: “Instructions for Writing Sentences with Vocabulary Words.” The instructions explain how to use context clues, how to complete proper underlining, and how to write sentences in pairs using synonyms or synonymous phrases from Exercise #2 of this worksheet (ONLY!).

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