LESSON 31 ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL WORDS

 

ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL WORDS LESSON 31

 

1 commuter (kəˈmyo͞odər) one who travels regularly, especially over a considerable distance, between home and work a The average commuter would welcome a chance to live in the vicinity* of his or her work. b Have your commuter’s ticket verified* by the conductor. c A novel* educational program gives college credit to commUuters who listen to a lecture while they are traveling to work. 2 confine (kənˈfaɪn) keep in; hold in a The fugitive* was caught and confined to jail for another two years. b A virus that was circulating* in the area confined Al to his house. c Polio confined President Roosevelt to a wheelchair. 3 idle (ˈaɪdl) not doing anything; not busy; lazy; without any good reason or cause; to waste (time) a Any attempt to study was abandoned* by the student, who idled away the morning. b The idle hours of a holiday frequently* provide the best time to take stock. c Do not deceive* yourself into thinking that these are just idle rumors.     Words in Use Read the following passage to see how the new words are used in it. Record Holders The Guinness Book of World Records is full of fascinating facts. For example, the champion commuter is Bruno Leuthardt of Germany, who traveled 370 miles each day for ten years to his teaching job and was late only once because of a flood. The record for being buried alive is held by Emma Smith of Ravenshead, England. She was confined in a coffin for 100 days. What a way to spend the idle hours! Peter Clark of London collected 1276 autographed pictures of famous men and women. Obviously* not all were his idols, but he did set a record. What drives people to these unusual practices? Some are simply done in jest, some for patriotic reasons. Certainly no one would dispute the valor of the “record-makers,” even if the records themselves may be no more lasting than a popular* song. While one need not be a lunatic, he must have a vein of recklessness* to participate in such activities as bungee-jumping, high diving, or parachute jumping. If you are tired of leading a dull, uneventful life, remember the mortais* whose fertile imaginations have found novel* ways to add excitement to their lives.   Fill in the Blanks Place one of the new words in each of the blanks below. 1 Celia was left ________ after working so hard all her life. 2 I would ________ that claim if I did not know you were jesting.* 3 This site* will attract many home buyers because of the advantages for the ________ . 4 The early pioneers exhibited* great ________ in braving the hardships* of the new frontiers. 5 A ________ of caution* helped Mr. Samler to avoid* the obvious* risks in his new job. 6 It is no misfortune* to spend a few ________ days without excitement and conflict.* 7 The ________ element of society ignores* the warnings about the dangers of drugs. 8 Since the statement was made in ________ it is not a valid* point to argue. 9 I asked my opponent* in the debate* to ________ his remarks to the subject under discussion. 10 How can we transmit* a healthy ________ view to the next generation? 11 People have always wanted to inhabit* the land where the soil is most ________ . 12 People still worship the ________ of greed* and power.   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 lunatic—Here’s an old word for an old idea; the Romans believed that our minds are affected by the moon—luna means “moon” in Latin—and that lunatics grew more crazy as the moon became fuller. In primitive civilizations, fear of the full moon was not unusual.

 CLICK HERE TO GO TO LESSON 30

ANSWER KEY