LESSON 18 ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL WORDS

 

ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL WORDS LESSON 18

 

1 tragedy (traj’ ə dē) a very sad or terrible happening; a sad play a It was a tragedy that some pioneers* were killed on their way west. b If you had your choice between seeing a comedy or a tragedy, which play would you choose? c Harry’s enormous* jealousy* led to the tragedy in their family. 2 pedestrian (pə des’ tri ən) person who goes on foot; walker a After driving a bus all day, Norris liked to be a pedestrian and take long, casual* walks in the evening. b The police say it is urgent* that pedestrians stay on the sidewalk. c I don’t doubt* that a pedestrian can get places faster than a car in downtown traffic 3 glance (glans) to look at quickly; a quick look a The observant* driver glanced at the accident at the side of the road. b I took one glance at the wretched* animal and turned away. c Thompson identified* the burglar after a glance at the photograph in the police station.     Words in Use Read the following passage to see how the new words are used in it. The Challenge* of the Small Car The auto makers in Detroit barely survived* the tragedy of 1956.That was the year the consumer became aware* of the Volkswagen, and the auto market was forever altered.* Once Americans got a glance at this low-priced, nimble, small car that one could manipulate so easily, they frequently* refused those horrid Detroit monsters with eight cylinders and ten miles to each gallon of gasoline. Many pedestrians, previously uninterested in owning a car, began to purchase small foreign cars. Conservative as well as reckless drivers found the price within their budget and became customers. Volkswagen owners would rave about their economical cars, telling everyone how little gas they used and how infrequently* they needed to be lubricated. Volkswagen, once one of the most popular* small cars sold in America, has now fallen behind the autos of the ingenious Japanese manufacturers.     Fill in the Blanks Place one of the new words in each of the blanks below. 1 Try not to be ________ when you drive a car, especially at night. 2 The brilliant investigator found an ________ answer to the problem. 3 I find it more ________ to buy a monthly train ticket than to pay for each ride each day. 4 If you continue to ________ about the play, everyone will think you are a relative of the author. 5 I took one ________ and I knew it was Frank Sinatra. 6 Every week Mrs. Evans made a ________ covering the essential* sums she would have to spend. 7 The coach knew how to ________ the players to do what he wanted. 8 Bobby’s job at the gas station was to ________ all the cars after they had been worked on. 9 When someone you love dies, it is a ________ . 10 Journalists* reported that the dropping of the bombs was a ________ act. 11 The car leaped up on the sidewalk, struck a ________, and then crashed into the bakery’s window. 12 Whirling* across the stage, the ________ ballet dancer captured our hearts.   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 pedestrian—You have learned the use of this word as a noun, but the word undergoes an interesting change when it is used as an adjective. A pedestrian speech, for example, is very dull and commonplace. It moves along very slowly. Can you see how this meaning is related to “going on foot”? Another uncomplimentary use of the same root is pedant. Find the meaning.

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