In class: some folks are writing the essay they missed on December 13, some are finishing the thematic graphic organizers and the rest are reading and working on the textually-based study question for The Scarlet Letter.
Homework: follow the handout that was given last week. All material for The Scarlet Letter is due on the Wednesday we return to school. Expect an assessment.
Vocabulary 6 is being handed out, for those who wish to get ahead. It is due on Friday, December 4 copy below; handout in class
1.
Vocabulary 6
1. abject (adjective) degraded; base, contemptible; cringing, servile; complete and unrelieved; wretched, utter
2. agnostic (noun)- one who believes that nothing can be known about God; a skeptic; (adj) without faith, skeptical; doubter
3. complicity (noun)- involvement in wrongdoing; the state of being an accomplice; connivance, collusion
4. derelict (noun) – someone or something that is abandoned or neglected; (adj) left abandoned; neglectful of duty; remiss, delinquent
5. diatribe (noun)- a bitter and prolonged verbal attack; harangue, tirade
6. effigy (noun)- a crude image of a despised person; likeness
7. equity (noun) – the state or quality of being just, fair or impartial; the money value of a property above and beyond any mortgage or claim; justice, fairness, impartiality
8. inane (adj)- silly, empty of meaning or value; vapid, idiotic, moronic, fatuous
9. indictment (noun)- the act of accusing; a formal accusation; charge, accusation
10. indubitable (adj) – certain, not to be doubted or denied; unquestionable, indisputable
11. intermittent (adj)- stopping and beginning again; sporadic; fitful, spasmodic, random
12. moot (adj) – open to discussion and debate, unresolved; (verb) to bring up for discussion; debatable, questionable.
13. motif (noun) – the principle idea, feature, theme or element, a repeated or dominant figure in a design
14. neophyte (noun)- a new convert, beginner, novice; tenderfoot, tyro, rookie
15. perspicacity (noun)- keenness in observing and understanding; acuity, acumen, discernment
16. plenary (adj)- complete in all aspects or essentials, absolute, attended by all qualified members; unlimited, unrestricted.
17. surveillance (noun)- a watch kept over a person, careful, close and disciplined observation; scrutiny, monitoring
18. sy lvan (adj)- pertaining to or characteristic of forests, wooded, woody; forested, arcadian
19. testy (adj)- easily irritated, characterized by impatience and exasperation; irritable, peevish, waspish, petulant
20. travesty (noun)- a grotesque or grossly interior imitation, a disguise; (verb) to ridicule by imitating in a broad or burlesque fashion; parody, caricature, farce
Vocabulary 6, exercise 1
1. Though some writers have emphasized Jefferson’s human weaknesses, his greatness is also a(n) ________________________ part of the historic record.
2. Since he neither affirms nor denies the existence of God, I’d classify him as a(an) _______________________ rather than an atheist.
3. During the emergency, the mayor assumed ______________________ authority and did whatever was needed to provide essential services.
4. It was such a(n) ___________________ remark that I couldn’t keep myself from laughing derisively when I heard it.
5. “Simple _______________________ demands that we distribute the tax burden as fairly as possible among the populace,” the Senator remarked.
6. How can you call that a(n) ________________________ question when it is quite a simple matter of right and wrong.
7. I would be ________________________ in my duty to you if I did not warn you against the bad effects of smoking cigarettes.
8. Since the accused was never really given a chance to defend himself, his so-called “trial’ was nothing but a(n) ____________________________ of justice.
9. The overthrown dictator was hanged in ______________________ before a vast throng in the town square.
10. Those who saw the young woman being assaulted and did nothing to help her were guilty of ______________________ in the crime.
11. At the slightest sound of thunder, my dog Rover dives under the bed in a state of ______________________ terror.
12. In her garland of leaves and acorns, the child looked very much like some ___________________ spirit from an Arthurian myth.
13. Throughout the period that the spy thought he had gone undetected, he was actually under __________________________________ by the CIA.
14. For years, we carried on a(n) _________________________________ correspondence, sometimes allowing months to pass before a letter was answered.
15. Every time we did something to anger him, he delivered an intemperate ______________________ lambasting our “hopeless irresponsibility.’
16. In Wagner’s operas, brief musical ________________________ associated with the characters and their actions recur again and again.
17. The fact that so many released prisoners returned to a life of crime is in itself a terrifying ______________________________ of our penal system.
18. How could a mere __________________________ in the teaching profession question the judgment of so experienced an educator?
19. I’d say that the phrase “having a short fuse” aptly describes my boss’s decidedly ____________________ personality.
20. The ___________________________ of her analysis not only clarified the nature of the problem but also suggested its most promising solution.
Vocabulary 6, exercise 2
1. The senator’s speech was more of a _________________________ than a reasoned address.
2. If you know a crime is going to be committed but do nothing to prevent it, you may be accused of ________________________.
3. In the American dream, those who work hard can escape lives of _____________________ poverty.
4. The Restoration dramatists ______________________________ the snobbery of the upper classes in their satirical comedies.
5. Once upon a time Hansel and Gretel walked down a ______________________ path, leaving only breadcrumbs in their wake.
6. Because of its importance, the case was presented at a ________________________ session of the Superior Court.
7. In comparison to an experienced wilderness hiker, he is a mere _______________________ in the woods.
8. Prompted by the considerations of _____________________ , the father decided to divide his estate equally among his children.
9. The Grand Jury delivered the __________________________ for murder after deliberating in secret for two weeks.
10. The pulled muscle in her back gave her __________________________ pains for about a week.
11. The collector admired the unusual Asian ________________________ that was woven into the fabric of the tapestry.
12. Her _____________________ tendencies made it difficult for her to subscribe to any set of religious beliefs.
13. The family complained about the unsightly collection of __________________________ cars in their neighbor’s driveway.
14. The night before the battle, the troops burned the despised enemy leader in ____________________________.
15. The lawyer’s _______________________ remarks during cross-examination probably affected her credibility with the jury.
16. The police kept the suspect under strict __________________________ after she was released due to lack of evidence.
17. The birdwatcher scans the surrounding trees and fields with the same _______________________ as a hawk looking for prey.
18. The class agreed that the question of whether Jefferson should have retaliated sooner against the Barbary Pirates was a _____________________ point.
19. You cannot argue with _______________________________ truths.
20. The politician made an _________________________ reply to the interviewer’s probing question.
Vocabulary 6, exercise 3
Synonyms
1. a crude likeness __________________________________
2. a familiar theme in her poetry ___________________________________
3. put under scrutiny ___________________________________
4. a mere parody of fair play ___________________________________
5. the forested slopes of the Rockies ____________________________________
6. announced the formal charge to the press ___________________________________
7. admired for his uncommon acuity ____________________________________
8. was given unlimited power to govern ____________________________________
9. indoctrinated the rookie ____________________________________
10. a doubter in every aspect ____________________________________
11. remiss in discharging her responsibilities ___________________________________
12. guilty of collusion ___________________________________
13. could not contain her own tirade ____________________________________
14. the vapid chatter of thoughtless critics ____________________________________
15. a debatable issue ____________________________________
Antonyms
16. the continuous flow of water _____________________________________
17. a history of injustice ______________________________________
18. the dubious strength of the foundation _____________________________________
19. calmed the even-tempered child ______________________________________
20. her lofty plea for understanding ______________________________________
Vocabulary 6, exercise 4
1. Today’s forecast calls for variable cloudiness with (abject, intermittent) periods of rain.
2. Only an (intermittent, abject) coward would stand idly by while a defenseless old woman was mugged in the street.
3. All of a sudden, a strange young man rushed onto the speaker’s platform and launched into a (travesty, diatribe) against “big government.”
4. After over 30 years in Congress, he retains the idealism of the (agnostic, neophyte) but has gained the practical wisdom of the veteran.
5. As he sat before the fire absentmindedly puffing on his pipe, Grandfather seemed the very epitome of (plenary, sylvan) contentment.
6. According to voodoo belief, one can get rid of an enemy by making a tiny (effigy, motif) of him and sticking it full of pins.
7. My studies have convinced me that the one dominant (motif, diatribe) in American history has been the expansion of democracy.
8. The picture shows the three Graces dancing in a forest clearing, while nymphs, satyrs and other (sylvan, indubitable) creatures cavort among the trees.
9. “I vetoed that idea when it was first (mooted, indicted) years ago,” the Governor said, “and I have never regretted my decision.”
10. The awkward pause in the conversation became even more painful when he interjected his (plenary, inane) attempts at humor.
11. His extraordinary ability to (moot, travesty) the works of popular writers is largely due to his keen eye for the ridiculous.
12. What qualities will he have to fall back on when his (indubitable, testy) charm and good looks begin to wear thin?
13. Though the book was written by an avowed (agnostic, derelict), it enjoyed a certain popularity with the faithful.
14. How can I be accused of (indictment, complicity) in that plot when I did not even know the conspirators?
15. Bag ladies and other homeless (neophytes, derelicts) roam our streets in increasing numbers.
16. Observers on the ground keep close (surveillance, equity) on air traffic at a busy airport by means of various electronic devices, such as radar.
17. Though I can sometimes be as (testy, derelict) as an irate wasp, I normally do not lose my temper very easily.
18. The historian had long been noted for the soundness of his scholarship and the (complicity, perspicacity) of his judgment.
19. His disgraceful behavior since he left college is in itself a(n) (indictment, surveillance) of the lax, overindulgent upbringing he received.
20. Since she is a fair-minded woman, I’m sure she will present both sides of the controversy with admirable (equity, effigy.
