Necessary materials (In the Bible we read that the Egyptians commanded the

Israelites to do so)

My uncle’s business schemes always fail because he tries to make bricks without straw.

N EW W ORDS

Virtuosity

vėr´ chü os´ ə tē

Temerity

tə mer´ ə tē

Amorous

am´ ər əs

Progeny

proj´ ə nē

Saturate

sa-chə-rāt

W EEK 16 D AY 4

THE SAGA OF THE QUEEN BEE

Although the virtuosity of the workers is remarkable, the queen bee is really the main story.

Workers choose a few larvae to be queens, feeding them royal jelly, a substance rich in

proteins and vitamins. While the queen is changing from a larva to a pupa, a team of workers

builds a special cell for her. Soon the young queen hatches, eats the prepared honey, and

grows strong. After she kills any rivals who have the temerity to challenge her, an amorous

note is injected. She flies from the hive and mates with one or more drones on her first flight.

Then the process of egg laying begins. When her progeny saturate the hive, scouts are

dispatched to find a new location, and the bees swarm after their leader to begin the amazing

cycle again.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the following sentences; remember, past tenses may

be required.

1. A landmark* in the history of ________________ drama is Romeo and Juliet.

2. The eminent* artist, famous for his ________________, was admired by classicists

and beatniks alike.

3. The Bantu chief and all his ________________ were noted for their valor.*

4. For having the ________________ to declaim* against the majority leader, the

freshman senator was given the worst committee assignments.

5. Television in the new century was ________________ with the rebirth of the old quiz

shows.

Definitions Match the new words with their meanings.

6. virtuosity a. descendants

7. temerity b. full of love

8. amorous c. soak, fill up completely

9. progeny d. foolish boldness

10. saturate e. great technical skill

T ODAY ’ S I DIOM

to have the upper hand —to gain control

I had him at my mercy, but now he has the upper hand.

W EEK 16 D AY 5

REVIEW

Even if you are as busy as the proverbial bee, you can always manage the fifteen to twenty

minutes that are required for these daily vocabulary sessions.

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

REVIEW WORDS DEFINITIONS

1. altruistic a. secret hiding place

2. amorous b. thrifty

3. antithesis c. enjoying the company of others

4. bulwark d. exact opposite

5. cache e. adorn

6. coterie f. unselfish

7. cupidity g. small exclusive group

8. cursory h. greed

9. embellish i. not thorough, hasty

10. frugal j. descendants

11. gregarious k. an unauthorized person

12. habitat l. native

13. indigenous m. largely inactive

14. interloper n. natural environment

15. progeny o. foolish boldness

16. prolific p. fill up completely

17. saturate q. protection

18. sedentary r. full of love

19. temerity s. great technical skill

20. virtuosity t. fertile

IDIOMS

21. in a bee line u. directly

22. the world, the flesh, and the devil v. gain control

23. make bricks without straw w. attempt something without necessary materials

24. have the upper hand x. temptations

Make a record of those words you missed.

*For reference only

WORDS FOR

FURTHER STUDY MEANINGS

1. _________________________ _________________________

2. _________________________ _________________________

3. _________________________ _________________________

WORDSEARCH 16

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

3rd Day

1st Day

4th Day

3rd Day

Cheating a Cheater

“Our neighborhood was so tough,” the comedian joked, “that two guys held up a bank and

were mugged as they ran to their getaway car.”

Later that evening, as Roy and Timmy were discussing the comic’s routine, Roy was

reminded of a true (he said) story that went like this:

Mr. D., the gang kingpin in our community, loved money. Like Silas Marner, the

weaver of George Eliot’s novel, he enjoyed counting his treasure each Friday night. Mr. D’s

was concealed in a wall safe behind a painting in his office. The $50 and $100 bills

made his hands dirty as he counted them but Mr. D didn’t mind. The filth of the lucre did not

disturb him at all.

One Friday evening, Roy continued, a brash had the to try to steal the illgotten

gains. Having bought the combination from a relative who had installed Mr. D’s safe,

he stuffed his loot into a laundry bag and was halfway out the door when he spied a $10 bill

on the floor. His made him go back for that small change, and in that moment, Mr.

D. arrived on the scene.

The quick-thinking thief blurted out, “I’ll have the shirts back on Friday.” Hoisting the laundry

bag over his shoulder, he was out the door before the confused mobster could figure out what

had happened.

Timmy, who had listened patiently, said, “I don’t believe a word of that story because it would

take a guy with a great deal of starch to pull it off!”

N EW W ORDS

Perpetrate

pėr´ pə trāt

Consummate

kən sum´ it

Subterfuge

sub´ tər fyüj

Concoct

kon kokt´

Fallacious

fə lā´ shəs

W EEK 17 D AY 1

A PLAN TO FOOL THE NAZIS

One of the truly remarkable stories of World War II concerns a ruse* that was perpetrated

with such consummate skill that it saved the lives of many Allied troops and helped to shorten

the war. The simple, bold, and ingenious subterfuge which British officers concocted is the

subject of Ewen Montagu’s classic, The Man Who Never Was. In short, the idea was to plant

fallacious documents concerning the Allied invasion of Europe upon a dead officer, have his

body recovered by agents who would transmit the false information to Germany, and then

observe the effects of the plan.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the following sentences.

1. Because the inspector had given only cursory* attention to the reports, I surmised* that

his conclusion would be ________________.

2. Johnny Cochrane, the famous and controversial* lawyer, gave ________________

attention to the preparation of every case.

3. It was necessary for the interloper* to ________________ a convincing story in order

to gain access* to the exhibit.

4. In order to ________________ the swindle, the jaunty* confidence man adopted an

amorous* approach toward the wealthy widow.

5. The experienced teacher realized that Ricky’s stomachache was merely a

________________ to keep him from taking the French test.

Definitions Match the new words with their meanings.

6. perpetrate a. devise

7. consummate b. complete, of the highest degree

8. subterfuge c. commit

9. concoct d. ruse, trick

10. fallacious e. misleading

T ODAY ’ S I DIOM

to draw in one’s horns —to check one’s anger, to restrain oneself

The performer drew in his horns when he saw that his critic was an eight-year-old boy.

N EW W ORDS

Manifold

man´ ə fōld

Assiduous

ə sij´ ü əs

Impeccable

im pek´ ə bəl

Fraught

frôt

Resourceful

ri sôrs´ fəl

W EEK 17 D AY 2

“MAJOR MARTIN” GOES TO WAR

After Commander Montagu and his colleagues had been given official approval for their

dangerous escapade, they encountered manifold problems. First, they conducted an assiduous

search for a body that looked as though it had recently been killed in an airplane disaster.

Then, a detailed history of the man had to be invented that would be so impeccable that the

enemy would accept its authenticity. This meant documents, love letters, personal effects,

keys, photographs, etc. Each step was fraught with difficulty, but the schemers were

unbelievably resourceful. As a result, in the late spring of 1942, “Major Martin” was prepared

to do his part for his country.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the following sentences.

1. Burdened by her ________________ responsibilities, the young executive was

precluded* from enjoying her new wealth.

2. Fear permeated* the crippled airplane as the passengers realized that their situation was

________________ with danger.

3. Although basically frugal,* his taste in clothing is ________________.

4. The store owner was ________________ enough to run a sale the day after his building

had been razed* by the flames.

5. Florence Nightingale was a paragon* of mercy in her ________________ care for the

wounded soldiers.

Definitions Match the new words with their meanings.

6. manifold a. able to meet any situation

7. assiduous b. faultless

8. impeccable c. complex, many

9. fraught d. devoted, attentive

10. resourceful e. filled

T ODAY ’ S I DIOM

to put the cart before the horse —