To give a falsely virtuous appearance to something

Although a committee was appointed to investigate the corruption, many citizens felt that

their report would be a whitewash of the culprits.*

N EW W ORDS

Persevere

pėr´ sə vir´

Landmark

land´ märk´

Extrinsic

ek strin´ sik

Declaim

di klām´

Fetter

fet´ ər

W EEK 15 D AY 3

AN HISTORIC SUPREME COURT RULING

Lawyer Kroll persevered in his defense of Danny Escobedo. The case was argued before the

Supreme Court, and in 1964, in a landmark decision, the Court reversed Danny’s conviction.

Legal aid, said the judges, must be instantly available to a suspect. “A system of law

enforcement that comes to depend on the confession,” one Justice declared, “will, in the long

run, be less reliable than a system that depends on extrinsic evidence independently secured

through skillful investigation.” A Justice who declaimed against the decision said, however, “I

think the rule is ill-conceived and that it seriously fetters perfectly legitimate methods of

criminal enforcement.”

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the following sentences.

1. Collectors avidly* sought the rare coin for its ________________ value.

2. If we ________________, we can overcome many of our inhibitions.*

3. The Battle of Midway was a ________________ victory in the U.S. campaign for

ultimate* victory over the Japanese in World War II.

4. I knew that my father would ________________ against Mother ’s choice of

ostentatious* fabrics.

5. The senator inveighed* against the policy because he felt it would ________________

our Air Force.

Definitions Match the new words with their meanings.

6. persevere a. to hamper

7. landmark (adj.) b. foreign, coming from outside

8. extrinsic c. speak loudly

9. declaim d. persist

10. fetter (v.) e. historic, turning point of a period

T ODAY ’ S I DIOM

to break the ice —to make a start by overcoming initial difficulties

The auto salesman had a poor week, but he finally broke the ice by selling a fully

equipped Cadillac.

N EW W ORDS

Paragon

par´ ə gon

Nomadic

nō mad´ ik

Asperity

a sper´ ə tē

Epithet

ep´ ə thet

Controversial

kon´ trə ver´

W EEK 15 D AY 4

THE EFFECTS OF THE ESCOBEDO DECISION

After Danny Escobedo’s release from prison, hundreds of inmates began suits for their

freedom on the grounds that their rights had been violated, too. Each case was heard on its

merits, and in numerous instances people who had been convicted of serious offenses were

freed because of the new standards established in the Escobedo case. After getting out, Danny

was not a paragon of virtue, according to the police. He led a nomadic existence, drifting

from job to job, and was arrested frequently. With asperity, and a few choice epithets, Danny

referred to police harassment.* Although the Escobedo case was a controversial one, most

agree that it inspired better police training, better law enforcement procedures, and improved

scientific crime detection.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the following sentences.

1. In the desert, ________________ tribes wander back and forth, enduring much

privation.*

2. The town planners looked upon their utopia* as a ________________ for other

communities.

3. Some school principals attempt to repress* the publication of ________________

editorials.

4. We were amazed at the display of ________________ from our normally phlegmatic*

neighbor.

5. A bitter quarrel was precipitated* when both politicians hurled vile ________________

at each other.

Definitions Match the new words with their meanings.

6. paragon a. harshness of temper

7. nomadic b. model of excellence

8. asperity c. wandering

9. epithet d. debatable

10. controversial e. descriptive name

T ODAY ’ S I DIOM

the grapevine —a secret means of spreading information

The grapevine has it that Ernie will be elected president of the school’s student council.

W EEK 15 D AY 5

REVIEW

Police who have resorted to wire-tapping have been able to get evidence that was useful in

gaining convictions. In a sense, everyone who listens to you is wire-tapping your

conversation. Are the “detectives” impressed with the extent of your vocabulary? By the end

of this week you will have gained a greater familiarity with 300 words and 60 idioms—

enough to educate a conscientious wire-tapper.

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

(Numbers 1 and 13 are close in meaning.)

REVIEW WORDS DEFINITIONS

1. abrogate a. descriptive name

2. access b. coming from outside, foreign

3. accomplice c. supposed, reported

4. alleged d. deserving blame

5. asperity e. destruction, disposal of

6. complicity f. an associate in crime

7. controversial g. model of excellence

8. culpable h. bitterness of temper

9. declaim i. persist

10. epithet j. repeal by law

11. extrinsic k. prevent

12. fetter (v.) l. speak loudly

13. invalidate m. partnership in wrongdoing

14. landmark (adj.) n. to deprive of legal force, cancel

15. liquidation o. renounce previous statements

16. nomadic p. to hamper, to chain

17. paragon q. admittance

18. persevere r. wandering

19. preclude s. historic

20. recant t. debatable

IDIOMS

21. woolgathering u. a means of spreading information

22. to whitewash v. absentmindedness

23. break the ice w. to conceal defects

24. the grapevine x. make a start

Make a record of those words you missed.

*For reference only

WORDS FOR

FURTHER STUDY MEANINGS

1. _________________________ _________________________

2. _________________________ _________________________

3. _________________________ _________________________

WORDSEARCH 15

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

2nd Day

1st Day

4th Day

1st Day

4th Day

Questionable Advertisements

The Nostalgia Factory, a Boston art gallery, staged an exhibit of advertisements that had

outraged various segments of the community. For example, one of the fast food chains ran a

TV commercial that showed unattractive school cafeteria workers in hairnets, making that

experience less tasty than a visit to Roy Rogers. Another ad that drew criticism from

psychiatrists and groups such as the Alliance for the Mentally Ill suggested to readers that, if

they had paid $100 for a dress shirt, they were fit candidates for a straitjacket. Similar

sensitivity had restricted ad writers from using terms such as “nuts” or “crazy.”

Why such protests and where do they come from? Who is asking companies to

contracts with those agencies that are in creating racist types of commercial

messages? Parents who took exception to the Burger King spot that announced, “Sometimes

You Gotta Break the Rules,” said no to it because it gave the wrong message to their children.

And when a potato chip maker ’s ad featured a “bandito,” angry Mexican-Americans used

some choice in denouncing such a stereotype.

The conclusion to be reached is that segments of the population have become increasingly

vocal about “insensitive” ads, demanding that corporations and never again

commission advertisements that are clearly, provocative, and harmful to good

human relationships.

N EW W ORDS

Indigenous

in dij´ ən əs

Gregarious

grə ger´ ē es

Habitat

hab´ ə tat

Cursory

kėr´ sər ē

Interloper

in´ tər lō´ per

W EEK 16 D AY 1

MEET THE BEES

One of the most interesting inhabitants of our world is the bee, an insect that is indigenous to

all parts of the globe except the polar regions. The honeybee is a gregarious insect whose

habitat is a colony that he shares with as many as 80,000 bees. Although the individual bees

live for only a few days, their colony can be operative for several years. A cursory study of

the activities of these insects reveals an orderliness and a social structure that is truly amazing.

For example, bees in a particular hive have a distinct odor; therefore, when an interloper

seeks access* they can identify him quickly and repulse* his invasion.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the following sentences.

1. Sherlock Holmes took a ________________ glance at the cryptic* message and

decoded it instantly.

2. The forest was replete* with the kind of wildlife that is ________________ to Africa.

3. Electric eyes, watchdogs, and other nuances* were there to keep out an

_______________.

4. The alcoholic was found supine* in his favorite __________—Ryan’s Bar.

5. At the party, the ________________ hostess scurried* from group to group, making

friends and influencing people.

Definitions Match the new words with their meanings.

6. indigenous a. hasty, not thorough

7. gregarious b. native

8. habitat c. natural environment

9. cursory d. sociable

10. interloper e. an unauthorized person

T ODAY ’ S I DIOM

in a bee line —taking the straightest, shortest route (that’s the way a bee flies back

to the hive after he has gathered food)

When the couple left, the babysitter made a bee line for the refrigerator.

N EW W ORDS

Prolific

prə lif´ ik

Bulwark

b l´ wərk

Sedentary

sed´ n ter´ ē

Frugal

frü´ gəl

Antithesis

an tith´ ə sis

W EEK 16 D AY 2

QUEENS, WORKERS, DRONES

Each colony of honeybees consists of three classes: a) the queen who is a prolific layer of

eggs; b) the worker who is the bulwark of the colony; and c) the sedentary drone whose only

function is to mate with a young queen. The queen lays the eggs that hatch into thousands of

female workers; some queens live as long as five years and lay up to one million eggs. The

frugal worker builds and maintains the nest, collects and stores the honey, and is the antithesis

of the lazy drone, or male honeybee, who does not work and has no sting. When the drone is

no longer needed, the workers, in effect, liquidate* him by letting him starve to death. It’s a

cruel, cruel world!

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the following sentences.

1. The usually ________________ novelist was frustrated* by her failure to come up with

a good plot.

2. Len, the gregarious* twin, was the ________________ of Lon, the reticent one.

3. The typist shook off the fetters* of her ________________ life and joined a mountain

climbing expedition.

4. ________________ shoppers occasionally badger* supermarket managers for

bargains.

5. Some feel that the United States should be a ________________ to the inchoate*

democracies around the world.

Definitions Match the new words with their meanings.

6. prolific a. producing abundantly

7. bulwark b. thrifty

8. sedentary c. protection

9. frugal d. exact opposite

10. antithesis e. largely inactive, accustomed to sitting

T ODAY ’ S I DIOM

the world, the flesh, and the devil —temptations that cause man to sin

By entering the monastery he sought to avoid the world, the flesh, and the devil.

N EW W ORDS

Altruistic

al´ trü is´ tik

Embellish

em bel´ ish

Cache

kash

Coterie

kō´ tərē

Cupidity

kyü pid´ ə tē

W EEK 16 D AY 3

SPOTLIGHT ON THE WORKER

Let us examine the activities of the altruistic workers in greater detail. After the workers have

constructed a hive of waterproof honeycomb (made from beeswax), the queen begins to lay

eggs in the first cells. While some workers embellish the hive, others fly out in search of

nectar and pollen. With their long tongues they gather nectar and use their hind legs to carry

the pollen from the flowers. They fly directly back to the hive and then dance around the

honeycomb, their movements indicating the direction of the flowers. Meanwhile, other

workers have been cleaning cells, caring for the young, and guarding the precious cache of

nectar. Another special coterie is entrusted with heating or cooling the hive. Dedicated to the

welfare of the queen and the entire insect community, all of these workers display a complete

absence of cupidity.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the following sentences.

1. Through a fortuitous* remark, the ________________ of the art thieves was

discovered.

2. We warned him that his reprehensible* ________________ would eventuate* in a loss

of all his friends.

3. The good-hearted doctor went into the jungle purely for ________________ reasons.

4. A ________________ of bridge players made our clubroom their permanent habitat.*

5. Everytime the irate* motorist told about the accident he had a tendency to

________________ the story.

Definitions Match the new words with their meanings.

6. altruistic a. secret hiding place

7. embellish b. unselfish

8. cache c. small group having something in common

9. coterie d. adorn, touch up

10. cupidity e. greed

T ODAY ’ S I DIOM

to make bricks without straw —to attempt to do something without having the