LESSON 29 ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL WORDS

 

ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL WORDS LESSON 29

 

1 toil (toil) hard work; to work hard; move with difficulty a The feeble* old man toiled up the hill. b After years of toil, scientists disclosed* that they had made progress in controlling the dreaded* disease. c Despite* all his toil, Fred never succeeded in reaching his goal. 2 blunder (blun’ dər) stupid mistake; to make a stupid mistake; stumble; say clumsily a The exhausted* boy blundered through the woods. b Bert’s awkward* apology* could not make up for his serious blunder. c The general’s blunder forced his army to a rapid* retreat. 3 daze (dāz) confuse a The severity* of the blow dazed the fighter and led to his defeat. b When he ventured* out of the house at night, the child was dazed by the noise and the lights. c Dazed by the flashlight, Maria blundered* down the steps.     Picture It Which of the words studied in this lesson is suggested by the picture?   Words in Use Read the following passage to see how the new words are used in it. Camp Safety For years a furniture salesman from Connecticut, Mitch Kurman, has toiled ceaselessly* for the passage of a youth summer camp safety bill. Why? Because his son David was drowned when his canoe overturned in the raging* waters of the Penobscot River. The camp counselors leading the trip were inexperienced, had blundered into dangerous waters, and had no life jackets for the canoers. Mr. Kurman was naturally dazed by the tragedy.* But rather than merely mourn his loss and wait for the painful memory to subside, he began a campaign that took him on hundreds of journeys to speak to governors, senators, and congressmen. He had learned that 250,000 children are injured or maimed annually* in camp accidents. It was hard for him to comprehend why we have laws that outlaw* mistreatment of alligators, coyotes, birds and bobcats, but we have no law to prevent disasters* to children in summer camps. Wherever he went, Mr. Kurman was commended for his efforts, but he received only trifling* support from the lawmakers. One bill, requiring people to put on life preservers when they took to the water, died in the final reading. Another such bill exempted private ponds and lakes, exactly the waters where most summer camps are located.* Even a bill calling for a survey of camp safety conditions was at first defeated. Mr. Kurman’s struggle so far has been in vain, but he continues his battle to avoid* a repetition of the accident that took his son’s life.   Fill in the Blanks Place one of the new words in each of the blanks below. 1 There is a tendency* to ________ politicians from keeping campaign promises. 2 A ________ of such a blunder* could be disastrous. 3 The guide* was compelled* to admit he had ________ far from the intended route. 4 A miserly* person cannot ________ the joy of sharing. 5 Though doctors ________ to cure the undernourished* child, he never regained his full health. 6 Three workers were ________ when the ladder collapsed.* 7 The policeman was ________ for his bravery in capturing the armed outlaw.* 8 The perfect attendance of our class illustrated* the importance of this ________ exam. 9 Friend and foe united* in ________ the death of the leader, for she was respected by all. 10 The drowning man’s cries were uttered* in ________, because no one was near to hear them. 11 Miguel’s fever ________ after he took the medicine. 12 My brother was in such a ________ over the tragedy* that he could hardly respond* to questions.   Matching Match the 12 new words in Column I with the definitions in Column II. Column I Column II 1 comprehend a grieve 2 repetition b hard work 3 exempt c sink to a lower level 4 vain d coming last 5 commend e stupid mistake 6 maim f act of doing or saying again 7 toil g praise 8 final h make free from 9 blunder i understand 10 mourn j disable; cripple 11 daze k confuse 12 subside l having too much pride in one’s ability, looks, etc.   Spotlight On maim—When you buy a car, read the insurance policy carefully. Insurance companies don’t use words like maim carelessly, because this word has a very specific meaning. Maim suggests the loss or destruction of an arm or leg or both; to be maimed a person would have to suffer permanent injury. Would the insurance company use the word mutilate?  CLICK HERE TO GO TO LESSON 28

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