LESSON 35 ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL WORDS

 

ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL WORDS LESSON 35

 

1 vague (veɪɡ) not definite; not clear; not distinct a Joe’s position was vague because he wanted to remain neutral* in the dispute.* b When asked her opinion, Gladys was tactful* enough to give a vague answer that did not hurt anyone. c The vague shape in the distance proved to be nothing more weird* than a group of trees. 2 elevate (ˈelɪveɪt) raise; lift up a Private Carbo was elevated to higher rank for his valor.* b Reading a variety* of good books elevates the mind. c The candidate* spoke from an elevated platform. 3 lottery (ˈlɑːtəri) a scheme for distributing prizes by lot or chance a The merit* of a lottery is that everyone has an equal chance. b We thought that a lottery was an absurd* way of deciding who should be the team captain. c The rash* young man claimed the lottery prize only to find he had misread his number     Words in Use Read the following passage to see how the new words are used in it. Summer Travel If you are tired of making vague excuses for another dull summer at home, here is a thought to elevate your spirits. You do not need anything so radical* as winning a lottery to finance a trip to Europe. A student identity card that can be obtained for a few dollars from the Council on International Educational Exchange entitles you to discount tickets on certain charter flights to London and Paris, as well as reduced admission to many museums, cinemas, and musical events. Once in Europe, you can stretch your budget by staying at approved* youth hostels for about ten dollars a night. So don’t discard your hopes of becoming an international traveler. Soon you can be soaring into the skies or skimming* over the waves to new adventures that you will subsequently relate to your stationary friends.   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 Our club consented* to hold a ________ as a means of raising money. 2 If you want to ________data* on employment opportunities, a good source* is the Bulletin of the Department of Labor. 3 Some call it a ________ but I call it a movie. 4 Our team excelled* in the last ________ of the track meet. 5 As I watched the huge jet ________ into the sky, I wished that I were on board. 6 Since Margaret has become his neighbor, Bud’s progress in school has been practically ________ . 7 ________ to his phone call, I received a confirmation* in the mail. 8 We are compelled* to ________ this outdated theory.* 9 How does that evidence* ________ to the case? 10 Tim’s argument may be logical* but it is too ________ to be convincing. 11 With no one to ________ the project, the entire scheme collapsed.* 12 This feeble* speech will do little to ________ the spirits of the audience.   Word Detective From the list of 12 new words that follows, choose the one that corresponds to each definition below. elevate obtain soar vague relate stationary lottery discard cinema subsequent finance event   1 raise; lift up ______________________________ 2 later; following; coming after ______________________________ 3 moving picture ______________________________ 4 important happening ______________________________ 5 fly upward or at a great height; aspire ______________________________ 6 not definite; not clear; not distinct ______________________________ 7 not moving ______________________________ 8 a scheme for distributing prizes by lot or chance ______________________________ 9 tell; connect in thought or meaning ______________________________ 10 get; be in use ______________________________ 11 money matters; to provide money for ______________________________ 12 throw aside ______________________________   Spotlight On cinema—French words like cinema are common in English, and the French have adopted many of our words as well. Our words weekend and drugstore are heard every day in France. In our country French words are often used to imply high quality. When you pay eight dollars, you go to the cinema, not the movies.

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