LESSON 15 ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL WORDS

 

ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL WORDS LESSON 15

 

1 expand (ik spand') increase in size; enlarge; swell a We will expand our business as soon as we locate a new building. b Present laws against people who pollute* the air must be expanded. c Expanding the comic strips, the editor* hoped that more people would buy his paper. 2 alter (ôl’ tər) make different; change; vary a I altered my typical* lunch and had a steak instead. b Dorothy agreed to alter my dress if I would reveal* its cost to her. c It’s absurd* to spend money to alter that old candy store. 3 mature (mə cho͝or’ or mətur’) ripe; fully grown or developed a I could tell that Mitch was mature from the way he persisted* in his work b Only through mature study habits can a person hope to gain knowledge.* c It is essential* that you behave in a mature way in the business world.     Words in Use Read the following passage to see how the new words are used in it. John Dewey High School; Brooklyn, New York The high school of the future may be New York City’s John Dewey High School. Located in Brooklyn, this unique* school offers an expanded, altered course of study for mature students. The sacred 40 minute period has been abolished* and replaced with 20 minute units, so that some classes are 20, 40, 60 or even 80 minutes long. Courses have been revised into seven-week units. In honor study halls, students pledge themselves to quiet study. Generally, the teachers’ attitude toward students is casual. Pupils may utilize* the cafeteria any time they have no class. Pupils pursue courses they choose themselves. So far the positive reaction is unanimous; everyone senses that the fortunate students at John Dewey High School are pioneers in the thrust* to find new ways of teaching and learning. We salute this innovative school.     Fill in the Blanks Place one of the new words in each of the blanks below. 1 Dominick was ________ to have such good friends 2 Rhonda didn’t believe in divorce because she felt that marriage is ________ . 3 The pilot had to ________ his course when he ran into bad weather. 4 Everyone approved of Dave’s ________ proposal.* 5 David wanted to ________ medicine as a career. 6 He moved out of the house when he became a ________ young man. 7 The vote to make Jim president of the camera club was ________ . 8 When his mother died of cancer, the young doctor decided to _______ his life to finding a cure for it. 9 They had to ________ their plans when a third person decided to join them for lunch. 10 My grandfather was a ________ in the field of sports medicine. 11 The relaxed friends spoke in a ________ manner as they talked on the street. 12 I can feel my stomach ________ when I breathe deeply.   Creativity Exercise Now make up your own sentences, one for each of the new words you have just been taught. 1 ____________________________________________________________________ 2 ____________________________________________________________________ 3 ____________________________________________________________________ 4 ____________________________________________________________________ 5 ____________________________________________________________________ 6 ____________________________________________________________________ 7 ____________________________________________________________________ 8 ____________________________________________________________________ 9 ____________________________________________________________________ 10 ____________________________________________________________________ 11 ____________________________________________________________________ 12 ____________________________________________________________________   Picture It Which of the words studied in this lesson is suggested by the picture?   Spotlight On Pioneer - Originally derived from an old French word for a foot soldier, peonier, the word has come to mean much more than the first to settle a region. It now also refers to those who open new fields of inquiry, even new worlds. Thus, we have space pioneers and pioneers in cancer research. Ecologists, who deal with the adaptation of life to the environment, even call a plant or animal that successfully invades and becomes established in a bare area a pioneer.

ANSWER KEY