The Roach Lives On

Cockroaches are the oldest extant winged insects, having been traced back over 350 million years. They have endured the vicissitudes of weather, natural disasters, war, and planned liquidation.* They reside comfortably in caves in South America, in transcontinental airplanes, on mountain tops, in Park Avenue edifices, and in television sets. The climate may be sultry or frigid but roaches persevere.* In the words of one writer, "The miraculous survival of the roach is explained by its inherent* adaptability." In fact, a trenchant analysis made the point that any forthcoming nuclear war will be won by roaches, not Russians, Chinese, or Americans.

Sample Sentences: Use the new words in the following sentences.

1. Hundreds of ———————— copies of Shakespeare's signature came from the same prolific* forger.

2. The ——————— of life in the Medical Corps are not for the squeamish.*

3. We originally planned on a skyscraper but had to settle for a truncated *_______.

4. When he learned that the movie was to be replete* with______________ scenes, the cautious banker refused to underwrite* its cost.

5. General Fox submitted a______________ report on the enemy's latent* strength.

Definitions: Match the new words with their meanings.

6. extant ______________ a. keen, incisive*

7. vicissitudes__________ b. difficulties

8. edifice______________ c. extremely hot and moist, torrid

9. sultry_______________ d. still existing

10. trenchant___________ e. a building

Today's Idiom tongue in cheek— insincerely

Speaking with his tongue in his cheek, the parsimonious* employer promised to double everyone's wages.

20th Week / 4th Day

NewWords;

puissant unabated maudlin levity lugubrious

Tongue in Cheek*?

The U.S. Public Health Service admits to frustration* in its attempts to destroy the cockroach. As soon as the scientists devise a puissant chemical, some bugs succumb.* But the hardy ones survive and breed a resistant strain. Since the average female produces close to three hundred descendants, little hope is held out for a final solution to the roach problem. Nevertheless, extermination campaigns continue unabated., Surprisingly, some sentimental souls become maudlin as they consider the persecution of the insects. A writer noted for his levity made a lugubrious plea for a crash program of aid for the cockroach, calling him "a victim of his slum environ­ment."

Sample Sentences: Use the new words in the following sentences.

1. She advocated *______________ music as appropriate background for the funeral scene.

2. Although the debater's rebuttal was __________,it was totally irrelevant.*

3. The plague continued ________________ and the hapless* Friar John was unable to

deliver the note to Romeo.

4. A good barometer* of the reunion's success was the number of _________songs that the alumni sang.

5. Dean FIanigan admonished * us for our ___________________at the graduation exercises.

Definitions: Match the new words with their meanings,

6. puissant 7. unabated 8. maudlin 9. levity 10. lugubrious

a. sentimental

b. very sad

c. lightness of disposition

d. without subsiding

e. powerful

Today's Idiom to take the wind out of one's sails— to remove someone's ad­vantage

Although Edna was bristling* with anger when she stormed in, I took the wind out of her sails by voicing my own dis­pleasure at the way she had been treated.

21st Week / 1st Day

New Words: scion indoctrinate opulence obsequious fulsome

Locked in an Ivory Edifice*

Prince Siddhartha Gautama was the scion of a family of warrior-kings in northern India. He was being indoctrinated for the time when he would assume his father's throne. Grow­ing up in an atmosphere of opulence, the young prince was constantly shielded from the cruel realities of the world. An army of obsequious servants and tutors catered to his every desire, providing Siddhartha with instruction in riding, fenc­ing, dancing, and painting—while lavishing fulsome praise upon him. It wasn't until the prince was thirty that he took the first step that led to his becoming the Buddha, one of the world's greatest spiritual leaders.

Sample Sentences: Use the new words in the following sentences. (Which two words are almost synonymous?)

1. It was not until the wreckers began to dismantle* the old edifice * that they dis­covered its real _________.

2. As the ————————— of a family of wealthy bankers, Rothschild never had to face the vicissitudes* of life.

3. Uriah Heep's ______________ manner nettled * all but the most gullible. *

4. In order to _________ the captive, his jailers repeatedly reviled ' capitalism

while praising communism.

5. The actress received _________ compliments from her friends but trenchant*

criticism from the reviewers.

Definitions: Match the new words with their meanings.

6. scion _______ a. seeking favor, fawning

7. indoctrinate _____ b. child, descendant

8. opulence ________c. wealth, riches

9. obsequious ——— d. excessive, insincere

10. fulsome ——— e. to teach certain principles

Today's Idiom two strings to one's bow— two means of achieving one's aim

The salesman had two strings to his bow— if a phone call didn't get results, he would appear in person.

21st Week / 2^nd Day

New Words: lush destitution ponder supplication decadence

Siddhartha's EyesAre Opened

One day, Prince Siddhartha expressed the desire to leave his lush surroundings and ride out among his people. He was profoundly shaken by the misery, destitution, disease, and excruciating* pain with which his people were constantly afflicted. * Retiring to his room to ponder over what he had seen, he remained there for several days, deaf to the sup­plication of those who pleaded with him to come forth. It seemed to Siddhartha that his life had been redolent* with decadence, and he was determined to make amends.

Sample Sentences: Use the new words in the following sentences.

1. The ———————— stage setting drew applause from the theater buffs.*

2. In the hospital, the alcoholic had time to ___________ over the need to be abstemious.*

3. As the traveler followed the tortuous* path up the Kentucky mountain, he was sickened by the _________ which he saw.

4.Through —————————, the fraternity head hoped to end the strife* among the

members.

5. Rumors of Rome's ————————— were rife* among the barbarian tribes.

Definitions: Match the new words with their meanings.

6. lush _____________ a. decay

7. destitution ___________ b. extreme poverty

8. ponder ____________ c. to consider carefully

9. supplication___________ d. earnest prayer

10. decadence __________ e. luxurious, elaborate

Today's Idiom on tenter hooks— in a state of anxiety (cloth used to be stretched or "tentered" on hooks)

The indicted * clerk was kept on tender hooks by the district attorney.

21st Week / 3rd Day

New Words: penance ascetic desultory disciple metamorphosis

Дата добавления: 2015-10-30