Extra Word(s) You Learned in this Lesson _______________________________________
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A N S W E R S
P ra c t i c e 1 : M a t c h i n g Wo rd s a b o u t Wo rd s w i t h t h e i r M e a n i n g 1. d
2. h 3. j 4. g 5. b 6. i 7. a 8. c 9. e 10. f
P ra c t i c e 2 : Wo rd s a b o u t Wo rd s C ro s s wo rd P u z z l e
Across Down
1analogy 1ambiguous
2cliché 2circumlocution
3simile 4epigram
6superfluous 5redundant
ambiguous analogy circumlocution cliché
epigram epigraph non sequitur
onomatologist orthography redundant
rhetorical question simile
superfluous verbiage
CONGRATULATIONS ON REACHINGthe last lesson in the book! If you’ve read carefully, done the practice exercises, and remembered to use your new words in your everyday life, you’ve done a wonderful job of acquiring hun- dreds of new words.
By now, you’ve also gained an appreciation of how powerful words can be. They help you communicate ideas, thoughts, feelings, and opinions; they help you persuade, and they help you amuse. Words can also help you gain higher grades; compliments from teachers, parents, and friends; and an increased sense of confidence in your reading, writing, and speaking.
In this last lesson, you will find a list of words that are particularly pow- erful. They’re noteworthy for their efficiency: they condense complicated thoughts into single words. Use these words when you want to avoid the cir- cumlocutions and redundancies—those bad speaking and writing habits you learned about in the previous lesson. All the words in this lesson are adjec- tives, the most versatile part of speech. You might want to look back at Lesson 11 to review some other powerful adjectives you‘ve learned. As you learn
L E S S O N 30
words with extra power
Be simple in words, manners, and gestures. Amuse as well as instruct. If you can make a man laugh, you can make him think and make him like and believe you.
ALFRED. E. SMITH, JR. (1873–1944) NEWYORK GOVERNOR AND CANDIDATE FORU.S. PRESIDENT
In this lesson, you’ll learn some words that carry extra punch. They deliver a lot of meaning and power all by themselves.
these new adjectives, stop to think about how many additional words it might take to convey the meaning of just one well-chosen adjective.
TIP:Words with extra power convey complicated meanings in a small space, an ideal goal for anyone seeking true vocabulary breadth and power.
WO R D S W I T H E X T R A P OW E R
1. cacophonous. Describes loud, confusing, and disagreeable sound or noise. My parents consider my favorite hip hop music nothing but cacophonous noise.
2. demure. Modest, reserved, and even shy. Cinderella is a classic example of a demure young woman.
3. esoteric. Understood by or meant for only the special few who have private or secret knowledge. The study of prehistoric fish is quite an esoteric field, but one that is truly fascinating.
4. feminist. Refers to the philosophy or political doctrine that holds that social, political, and all other rights of women should be equal to those of men. The feminist movement has con- tinued its struggle over the past 150 years to gain equal rights for women.
5. glib. Said of speaking or writing that is fluent and smooth, but is also superficial and shows little preparation or sincere con- cern. The candidate’s glib responses to all the reporter’s questions made me suspicious about her real qualifications for office.
6. ironic. Seeking to communicate a meaning that is actually the opposite of its literal meaning; a contradiction between what is said and what is meant. The story’s title, A Happy Ending, was clearly ironic since almost all the characters were disappointed or dead by the end.
7. obsequious. Acting submissive and flattering to someone per- ceived to be more powerful. In my math class, there is one obse- quious boy who is always trying to win favor with the teacher; he figures he can do less work if he becomes the teacher’s pet.
8. ominous. Threatening, or seeming to promise evil or harm. Our teacher’s ominous suggestion that we should get a good night’s sleep before our next test scared us into studying harder.
9. pompous. Puffed up with vanity and pretending to be grand and elegant. The political candidate lost the race because of his huge promises and pompous speeches that voters felt were insincere.
10. sadistic. Finding pleasure in being cruel. Billy, our class bully, was feared because of his sadistic delight in making fun of weaker boys.
11. sardonic. Ironically humorous; sarcastically mocking. Homer Simpson is a sardonic husband, making fun of his wife and kids all the time.
12. sophisticated. Worldly wise, educated, and experienced. A stu- dent with a sophisticated vocabulary is assured easier essay writing as well as higher grades.
P R AC T I C E 1 : I D E N T I F Y I N G P OW E R F U L A D J E C T I V E S
Fill in each blank with the adjective from this lesson that fits the description.
The first letter of each correct answer has been provided.
1. John always seems to speak easily and know
what he is talking about. g_________________
2. The band forgot to tune their instruments,
and the result was a horrible kind of noise. c _________________
3. Sally was determined to improve the rights
of women, and believed in this set of beliefs. f _________________
4. Billy was known for his cruelty and was often
accused of enjoying insulting others. s _________________
5. Jeremy was always trying too hard to please
the people he wanted for friends. o_________________
P R AC T I C E 2 : WO R D S W I T H E X T R A P OW E R C R O S S WO R D P U Z Z L E
Across Down
3always too willing to please 1speaks fluently and maybe too easily 5saying the opposite of what is meant 2educated, worldly wise
6enjoys being cruel 4speaks with false grandness 7belief in women’s rights
Word Bank 3
4 5
2
1
6
7
feminist glib ironic obsequious
pompous sadistic sophisticated