About the fox who called the grapes sour because he could not reach them)

Marcia said that she didn’t want to be on the Principal’s Honor Roll anyway, but we knew

that it was just sour grapes on her part.

N EW W ORDS

Malnutrition

mal´ nü trish´ ən

Afflict

ə flikt´

Besiege

bi sēj´

Privation

prī vā´ shən

Sinister

sin´ ə stər

W EEK 8 D AY 2

DOOLEY’S MISSION

Aboard the refugee ship, Dooley’s destiny took shape. He became painfully cognizant* of the

malnutrition, disease, ignorance, and fear that afflicted the natives. In addition, he discerned*

how active the Communists had been in spreading their anti-American propaganda. Tom

Dooley pitched in to build shelters in Haiphong, and to comfort the poor Vietnamese there

before that besieged city fell to the powerful Viet Minh forces. He was seemingly

unconcerned by the many privations he had to endure. For his services, Dooley received the

U.S. Navy’s Legion of Merit. He told the story of this exciting experience in Deliver Us from

Evil, a best seller that alerted America to the plight of the Vietnamese as well as to the sinister

menace of communism.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the following sentences.

1. The stool pigeon, the detective’s confidant,* told him about the ________________

plot.

2. By running up a white flag, the ________________ troops indicated their desire to

withdraw from the fray.*

3. Citizens of several Kentucky mountain communities are ________________ by the

worst poverty in the nation.

4. The emaciated* prisoners were obviously suffering from advanced

________________.

5. Albert Schweitzer endured considerable ________________ as a jungle doctor.

Definitions Match the new words with their meanings.

6. malnutrition a. lack of necessities

7. afflict b. faulty or inadequate diet

8. besiege c. evil, ominous

9. privation d. to surround, hem in

10. sinister e. to trouble greatly, to distress

T ODAY ’ S I DIOM

to swap horses in midstream —to vote against a candidate running for reelection, to

Change one’s mind

The mayor asked for our support, pointing out how foolish it would be to swap horses in

midstream.

N EW W ORDS

Ubiquitous

yü bik´ wə təs

Remote

ri mōt´

Thwart

thwôrt

Harbinger

här´ bən jər

Malignant

mə lig´ nənt

W EEK 8 D AY 3

STYMIED* BY PERSONAL SICKNESS

After an extensive lecture tour in 1956, Dr. Dooley returned to Laos to set up a mobile

medical unit. Because the Geneva Agreement barred the entrance of military personnel to the

country, he resigned from the Navy and went to work as a civilian. That story is told in The

Edge of Tomorrow. Next year, despite a growing illness, the ubiquitous Dooley turned up in

the remote village of Muong Sing, attempting to thwart his traditional enemies—disease, dirt,

ignorance, starvation—and hoping to quell* the spread of communism. But his trained

medical eye soon told him that the pain in his chest and back was a harbinger of a malignant

cancer.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the following sentences.

1. Sprinting all over the court, the ________________ referee called one foul after

another.

2. Ben’s reprehensible* table manners led his fraternity brothers to seat him in a

________________ corner of the dining room.

3. The excellent soup was a ________________ of the delicious meal to follow.

4. In an attempt to ________________ the voracious* ants, he surrounded his house with a

moat of burning oil.

5. The surgeon finally located the ________________ tumor that had afflicted* his patient

for many months.

Definitions Match the new words with their meanings.

6. ubiquitous a. distant, hidden away

7. remote b. being everywhere at the same time

8. thwart c. likely to cause death

9. harbinger d. to hinder, defeat

10. malignant e. a forerunner, advance notice

T ODAY ’ S I DIOM

to cool one’s heels —to be kept waiting

The shrewd mayor made the angry delegates cool their heels in his outer office.

N EW W ORDS

Excruciating

ek skrü´ shē ā ting

Respite

res´ pit

Reverberating

ri vėr´ bə rāt´ ing

Fretful

fret´ fəl

Succumb

sə kum´

W EEK 8 D AY 4

“PROMISES TO KEEP”

From August, 1959 until his death in January, 1961, Dooley suffered almost continuous,

excruciating pain. His normal weight of 180 was cut in half, and even the pain-killing drugs

could no longer bring relief. Knowing that he did not have long to live, Dr. Dooley worked

without respite on behalf of MEDICO, the organization he had founded to bring medical aid

and hope to the world’s sick and needy. The lines of Robert Frost kept reverberating in his

mind during those fretful days: “The woods are lovely, dark and deep/ But I have promises to

keep/ And miles to go before I sleep.” When he finally succumbed, millions throughout the

world were stunned and grief-stricken by the tragedy.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the following sentences.

1. With ________________ slowness, the minute hand inched its way around the clock.

2. The rescue team heard the miner ’s voice ________________ through the caves.

3. Around income tax time ________________ faces are ubiquitous.*

4. The voluble* insurance salesman gave my father no ________________.

5. Besieged* by debts, the corporation finally had to ________________ to bankruptcy.

Definitions Match the new words with their meanings.

6. excruciating a. an interval of relief, delay

7. respite b. worrisome, irritable

8. reverberating c. reechoing, resounding

9. fretful d. agonizing, torturing

10. succumb e. to give way, yield

T ODAY ’ S I DIOM

a red herring —something that diverts attention from the main issue

(a red herring drawn across a fox’s path destroys the scent)

We felt that the introduction of his war record was a red herring to keep us from

inquiring into his graft.

W EEK 8 D AY 5

REVIEW

Shortly before his death, Dr. Dooley was selected by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as one

of America’s ten most outstanding young men. There may be no connection between success

of that type and an expanded vocabulary—but one never knows.

Match the twenty words with their meanings. *Reminder: Record answers on a sheet of paper.

REVIEW WORDS DEFINITIONS

1. afflict a. lack of necessities

2. ascend b. inadequate diet

3. besiege c. being everywhere at once

4. emaciated d. to trouble greatly

5. excruciating e. agonizing

6. fretful f. wasted away

7. harbinger g. distant

8. malignant h. evil

9. malnutrition i. to rush suddenly

10. privation j. place of protection

11. remote k. forerunner

12. respite l. to rise

13. reverberating m. to hinder

14. sanctuary n. yield

15. sinister o. postponement

16. succumb p. to surround

17. surge q. becoming progressively worse

18. thwart r. reechoing

19. tranquil s. worrisome

20. ubiquitous t. peaceful

IDIOMS

21. sour grapes u. a diversion

22. swap horses in midstream v. to be kept waiting

23. to cool one’s heels w. to change one’s mind

24. a red herring x. claiming to despise what you cannot have

Make a record of those words you missed.

*For reference only

WORDS FOR

FURTHER STUDY MEANINGS

1. _________________________ _________________________

2. _________________________ _________________________

3. _________________________ _________________________

SENSIBLE SENTENCES?

(From Week 8)

Choose the word that makes sense in each of the sentences below.

1. Eric was (afflicted, besieged) with an inoperable ailment.

2. The octogenarian refused to (succumb, surge) to pneumonia.

3. The (remote, ubiquitous) mayor was photographed in four different parts of the city

yesterday.

4. We were worried lest the hostages be suffering from (sanctuary, malnutrition).

5. The (tranquil, sinister) tone of the spring morning was suddenly broken by the loud

explosion.

6. I heard his voice (excruciating, reverberating) through the corridors.

7. The senator ’s bid for a second term was (thwarted, respited) by the electorate.

8. After the king’s death, his son (ascended, succumbed) to the throne in the normal order

of succession.

9. The (privations, harbingers) that the poor people endured in their ghetto apartments

were reprehensible.

10. The children were (emaciated, fretful) when awakened from their nap.

11. We were asked to (swap horses in midstream, cool our heels) while waiting for the bus.

PARTS OF SPEECH

(From Weeks 2–8)

Choose the noun, verb, or adjective that answers each of the questions.

a. affluent i. indigent

b. arbitrary j. precocious

c. avid k. pugnacious

d. cajole l. reprimand

e. elicit m. skirmish

f. euphemism n. sour grapes

g. fray o. wrest

h. harbinger

1. Which noun tells you that something is on the way?

2. Which verb means to extract, to get something out of?

3. Which adjective describes an action that is based on a whim?

4. Which adjective tells you about children who are very bright for their age?

5. If a wealthy family moved into your neighborhood, which adjective would be suitable

for them?

6. Which adjective can be substituted for enthusiastic?

7. If you had to coax someone into doing something, which verb would be appropriate?

8. When we call a garbage collector a sanitary engineer, which noun comes to mind?

9. In seizing control, which verb is appropriate?

10. Which adjective describes a combative, quarrelsome person?

11. Which verb is a good synonym for scold?

12. What do you indulge in when you belittle that which you cannot possess?

13. Which adjective describes a poverty-stricken person?

14. Which two nouns are almost synonymous?

WORDSEARCH 8

Using the clues listed below, record separately using one of the new words you learned this

week for each blank in the following story.

Clues

4th Day

1st Day

3rd Day

1st Day

2nd Day

Aftermath of an Earthquake

The Egyptian earthquake in October 1992 killed 600 residents of Cairo and hospitalized

thousands of others, many of whom were expected to as a result of their injuries.

Especially hard hit were the people who inhabited the city’s slums, who had to seek

in those government buildings, schools, and factories that remained standing.

Muslim fundamentalists were active in providing relief to the survivors in the form of food,

water, blankets, and tents to house the more than 300 families made homeless by the disaster.

In the midst of a rubble-strewn street, a large tent was set up, bearing the banner, “Islam is the

Solution.” Believers took the opportunity to spread the message that the earthquake was a

of worse things to come, and that a wayward population must follow God’s laws if

they expected to to heaven.

Throughout history, following volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, tidal waves, and other

calamities that periodically mankind, religious leaders have used such occurrences

to bring the people back to their faith.

“Unless we return to Allah,” said a priest, “we can expect more divine punishment.”

Since many Egyptians had expressed unhappiness about their government prior to the

earthquake, there was a good chance for Muslim fundamentalists to seize the opportunity to

win new converts by showing that the answer to recovery was not through man’s efforts but

through God’s.

N EW W ORDS

Impresario

im´ prə sär´ ē ō

Extortion

ek stôr´ shən

Adverse

ad´ vėrs

Asset

as´ et

Bigot

big´ ət

W EEK 9 D AY 1