UNIT3

Word List

absurd [əbsə:rd] adj.

If something or someone is absurd, they are ridiculous.

That group of people making animal noises sounds completely absurd.

anemia [əní:miə] n.

Anemia is a blood condition that causes a person to be pale and tired.

→ When she first developed anemia, she became tired often.

aristocracy [arəstákrəsi] n.

The aristocracy is the highest class of people in certain societies.

Most members of the aristocracy were very well-fed.

aristocrat [əristəkræt] n.

An aristocrat is a person who is of the highest class in certain societies.

The aristocrat did not need a job because his family was wealthy.

→

attire [ǝtaier] n.

Attire is nice or special clothing.

Everyone wore their best attire to the president's daughter's wedding.

-

craze [kreiz] n.

A craze is a brief and popular activity or object.

Wearing bright red socks was a craze when I was in high school.

enlarge [enlárd3] v.

To enlarge something means to make it bigger.

The classrooms were enlarged over the summer to make room for more students.

excess [ékses] n.

An excess is an amount of something that is more than needed or wanted.

Because it never got cold that winter, many stores had an excess of coats.

feminine [femanin] adj.

If something is feminine, then it has qualities that are commonly related to women.

Many of the older people thought his long hair made him look too feminine.

-

hallmark [hó:Ima:rk] n.

A hallmark is a unique characteristic of something.

Different types of pasta and tomato sauces are hallmarks of Italian food.

pad [pæd] n.

A pad is a thick piece of soft material used to protect or clean things.

→ Football players wear shoulder pads to keep them safe.

predominant [pridámənənt] adj.

If something is predominant, then it is the most important, common or strongest.

→ Before cars were invented, horses were the predominant method of travel.

reputable [repjǝtəbəl] adj.

If someone or something is reputable, then they have a good reputation.

The service from the less than reputable company made her angry.

rouge [ru:3] n.

Rouge is a red powder or cream used as makeup on the cheeks or lips.

→ Even when she didn't wear rouge, her cheeks appeared red.

signify [signǝfai] v.

To signify means to be a symbol of something.

→ A red octagon is used to signify to stop.

strap [stræp] n.

A strap is a thin long piece of fabric used to fasten, carry, or hold something.

She put the strap of her purse over her shoulder and walked out of the door.

→

tangle [tængǝl]

A tangle is something or many things twisted together.

→ The laces of his shoes were in such a tangle that he could not untie them.

UNIT

3

vanity [vænəti] n.

Vanity is excessive pride or love of one's own appearance or things one has done.

Her vanity won't allow her to pass a mirror without looking at herself.

→

vie [vai] v.

To vie for something means to compete against others for it.

→ The three boys vied for the prize in the chemistry contest.

vulgar [válger] adj.

If something or someone is vulgar, then they are rude or lacking in style.

Her vulgar behavior got her into trouble with her parents.

-21

The Fossil Hunters

Tim and Dean were great fossil hunters. They were the very best at finding dinosaur

bones. Although Tim and Dean were quite similar, they were outright enemies. The two men

got into vicious arguments all the time. They couldn't coexist peacefully because their egos

were too large. Tim thought he was the best fossil hunter, while Dean was sure that he was

much better than Tim.

One day, Tim was searching for fossils on the periphery of the city when he discovered a

huge bone. He had never seen anything like it! He took his shovel and carefully excavated

the dirt around it. As he dug, he uncovered more jagged bones. He realized that he had

found an entire dinosaur skeleton! Tim couldn't conceive a plan to remove the huge

skeleton all by himself. Such an endeavor would be too arduous. He needed help. He

tried to think of people who would be capable of helping him remove the skeleton without

breaking it. The only person Tim could think of was Dean, his enemy.

Tim ran into the city to find Dean. Tim found him and said, “Dean, I've found the skeletal

remains of a huge terrestrial animal. But I can't get the skeleton out by myself. Will you

please help me?

Dean thought that Tim's claim might be dubious. He replied, "If you're serious about the

skeleton, I'll help."

Tim excitedly showed Dean the skeleton's locale. They worked together to carefully remove

each bone. And to keep the bones together, they tied them with elastic strips. When they

were finished, they had attained a perfect skeleton. They used plaster to make a mold of

the dinosaur's skull. They engraved their initials into it and gave it to the curator of a local

museum.

Tim and Dean found out that they could work very well together.

They decided to end their feud and become friends. By combining

their talents, the men became even greater than they were before.

UNIT 2 (19Word List)

orth Star

arduous [ardzus adj.

When something is arduous, it demands great effort or labor.

The explorers began their arduous hike up the steep mountain.

→

attain [ǝtein] v.

To attain something means to gain or achieve it, often after a lot of effort.

In two more years, I will attain my high school diploma.

coexist [köuigzist) v.

To coexist with something means to exist with it in the same time and place.

Our pets coexist at our home with little or no problems.

conceive [kənsi v] v.

To conceive something means to be able to imagine or believe it.

→ The child could not conceive the actual size of the Earth.

dubious (dubies] adj.

When something or someone is dubious, they are not considered honest.

The police thought that the man's description of the crime was dubious.

->

ego [igou] n.

An ego is a person's sense of their own worth.

Kelly's ego made her think that she was some kind of a superhero.

-

elastic [læstik) adj.

Elastic is a rubber that stretches when it is pulled.

He attached the elastic bungee to his legs before he jumped off the platform.

endeavor [endevər] n.

An endeavor is an attempt to do something, especially something new or original.

The company's new advertising endeavor ended in a horrible failure.

-

engrave [ingreiv] v.

To engrave means to cut a design or words into the surface of something.

The couple engraved their names onto the old pine tree.

→

excavate [ekskaveit] v.

To excavate means to dig on land and remove dirt to look for something.

The team wishes to excavate the site in hopes of finding fossils.

jagged Idzægid) adj.

When something is jagged, it has a tough, uneven shape or edge.

The swimmer was hurt when he fell on the jagged rocks.

locale [loukæl] n.

A locale is a small area or place where something specific happens.

The spa was the perfect locale for my mother to relax and enjoy her vacation.

mold [mould] n.

A mold is a hollow container that is used to make certain shapes.

Using a cupcake mold will ensure that they come out just right.

outright [autrait] adj.

When something is outright, it is open and direct.

Everyone knew that the boy's story was an outright lie.

→

periphery [pəri:fəri] n.

The periphery of an area, place, or thing is the edge of it.

→A beautiful floral pattern is on the periphery of the stationery.

plaster [plæster] n.

Plaster is a smooth paste that gets hard when it dries.

He used plaster to fill in the cracks in the old walls.

shovel (fival) n.

A shovel is a tool with a long handle that is used for digging.

The boy grabbed his shovel and got all of the snow off of the sidewalk.

-

skeletal [skeleti] adj.

When something is skeletal, it relates to bones in the body.

→ We studied the skeletal system in anatomy class.

terrestrial [terestriǝl] adj.

If something is terrestrial, it relates to Earth.

There are billions of terrestrial life forms.

UNIT

2

vicious [vifəs] adj.

When something or someone is vicious, they are violent and cruel.

→The vicious dog tried to bite the small child.