LESSON 8 ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL WORDS

 

ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL WORDS LESSON 8

 

1 exaggerate (eg zaj' ər ãt) make something greater than it is; overstate a He wasn’t trying to deceive* you when he said that his was the best car in the world; he was just exaggerating. b The bookkeeper exaggerated her importance to the company. c When he said that O’Neal was eight feet tall, he was undoubtedly* exaggerating. 2 amateur (am' e tə) person who does something for pleasure, not for money or as a profession a The amateur cross-country runner wanted to be in the Olympics. b After his song, Don was told that he wasn’t good enough to be anything but an amateur. c Professional golfers resent* amateurs who think they are as good as the people who play for money. 3 mediocre (mē di ȏ' kər) neither good nor bad; average; ordinary a After reading my composition, Mrs. Evans remarked that it was mediocre and that I could do better. b Howard was a mediocre scientist who never made any unique* discoveries. c The movie wasn’t a great one; it was only mediocre.     Words in Use Read the following passage to see how the new words are used in it. The Guitar It is impossible to exaggerate the popularity* of the guitar. One out of every four amateur musicians in the United States plays the guitar. Even a mediocre player can produce a variety of music with this unique* instrument. Trying to find valid reasons for the guitar’s ability to survive through the years isn’t hard. One weird theory* by a prominent musician states that guitarists find security hiding behind the bulky instrument. But most people are reluctant to accept this idea because there are more obvious reasons for playing a guitar. It can be carried anywhere, it is inexpensive* to buy, and only a few lessons are required to learn to play it well.     Picture It Which of the words studied in this lesson is suggested by the picture?     Fill in the Blanks Place one of the new words in each of the blanks below. 1 Most people agreed that he was a ________ looking man because of the long red beard. 2 Chuck’s reason for quitting his job was ________ ; he was not being paid. 3 The answer to the question was so ________ that everyone knew it. 4 The ________ tennis player would never make the Olympic squad. 5 She was ________ to take on any more responsibilities at work. 6 People often tend to ________ stories they hear. 7 The bank is kept under very tight ________ . 8 Because the box was so ________ it took two men to lift it. 9 Even though he was not a professional, the ________ photographer entered the contest. 10 A wide ________ of shows is playing at the concert hall. 11 Mrs. Meyers is a ________ member of the staff. 12 We all hoped that the small boat would ________ the storm.   Matching Match the 12 new words in Column I with the definitions in Column II. Column I Column II 1 reluctant a large; taking up much space 2 mediocre b true; supported by facts 3 prominent c person who does something for pleasure, not as a profession 4 obvious d average; ordinary 5 exaggerate e mysterious; unearthly 6 bulky f unwilling 7 variety g easily seen or understood 8 valid h well-known; important 9 security i remain alive; live on 10 survive j overstate; make something greater than it is 11 weird k feeling or condition of being safe 12 amateur l a number of different things   Spotlight On obvious—Like so many of our words, this one comes from Latin roots—ob meaning against and via meaning way. Something that met you on the way, therefore, was obvious. Look up the meanings of the Latin roots of some of the other words in Lesson 8 such as exaggerate, survive, and prominent.

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