LESSON 16 ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL WORDS

 

ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL WORDS LESSON 16

 

1 slender (slen’dər) long and thin; limited; slight a Carlotta’s slender figure made her look somewhat taller than she was. b There was only a slender chance that you could conceal* the truth. c The slender thief was able to enter the apartment through the narrow window. 2 surpass (sər pas’) do better than; be greater than; excel* a The machines of the twentieth century* surely surpass those of earlier times. b Most farmers believe that rural* life far surpasses urban* living. c It is undeniable* that a cold lemonade in July cannot be surpassed. 3 vast (vast) very great; enormous* a Daniel Boone explored* vast areas that had never been settled. b Our campus* always seems vast to new students. c Vast differences between the two sides were made clear in the debate.*     Words in Use Read the following passage to see how the new words are used in it. A Valuable Discovery The laser is a marvelous device that sends out a slender, concentrated beam of light, a light that surpasses the light at the sun’s surface. So vast is the laser beam’s power that it has without a doubt the capacity to vaporize* any substance located anywhere on earth. The laser can penetrate steel, pierce a diamond, or make an accurate die for wire so thin that it can be seen only with a microscope. Grateful eye surgeons report that they have used laser beams to repair the retinas in some fortunate* patients by creating tiny scars that joined the retina to the eyeball. Pioneering* medical men are making cautious exploration* into cancer cures with the laser, confident that they will alter* the course of this brutal* disease.     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 Little Paul was ________ that he got the Christmas present he asked for. 2 I ________ that you can break Michael’s scoring record. 3 My mother used to say that I was as ________ as a toothpick. 4 Be ________ about swimming right after eating a meal. 5 The map he drew of our neighborhood was not very ________ . 6 In Superman comics, the only thing Superman couldn’t ________ was lead. 7 When my family went to look for a new house, we had a ________ choice. 8 Modern highways far ________ the old dirt roads of yesterday. 9 The jar was filled to ________ . 10 We were all very ________ that Duane would pass his exams. 11 The ________ used by my biology teacher is very expensive. 12 The music was so loud that I thought that it would ________ my eardrums.   Synonym Search Circle the word that most nearly expresses the meaning of the word printed in orange type. 1 penetrate the skin a pass through b moisten c burn d protect 2 electron microscope a rangefinder b reflection mirror c optical enlarging instrument d three-dimensional focuser 3 confident speaker a certain b aboveboard c reasonable d well informed 4 slender forms a round and curvy b bright and shiny c colorful and attractive d long and thin     Spotlight On confident—Have you ever wondered why the name Fido is often given to a dog? The root of the word confident tells you. Fidere meant “trust” in Latin, and the dog, man’s best friend, has been traditionally considered trusty and faithful to his master. However, too much trust can bring trouble: look up the meaning of confidence man.

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