LESSON 8: POPULAR CULTURE – BODY LANGUAGE

CONTRADICT, vb. [kŏn'trə-dĭkt]
(Sometimes a person’s body language contradicts his words.)

Meanings:

· (1) to be opposed to (2) to say the opposite of what someone else has said
· e.g. It's unwise to contradict your boss.

Synonyms: (1) clash, conflict, disaccord (2) oppose, gainsay, negate, controvert, deny, oppugn
Antonyms: agree, correspond
Idiom: go (or run) counter to

REPRIMAND, vb. [rěp'rə-mānd']
(If a person is reprimanded for being late, she may cross her arms.)

Meanings:

· To criticize a person severely
· e.g. The soldier was severely reprimanded for being drunk.

Synonyms: censure, condemn, reprehend, upbraid, admonish, reprove, reproach, rebuke, castigate, chastise, chide, call down, [infl./slang] dress down, rap, bawl out, lambaste, chew out, light into, tick off
Antonyms: commend, praise
Idioms: bring/call/take to task, call on the carpet, haul/take over the coals, let someone have it

DEFENSIVE, n. [dĭ-fěn'sĭv]
(That shows she feels defensive.)

Meaning:

· (1) self-protective attitude (2) ready to reject criticism
· e.g. he had the attitude that work was fun

INDIFFERENCE, n. [ĭn-dĭf'ər-əns]
(They shrug their shoulders to show indifference.)

Meanings:

· lack of interest
· e.g. We were shocked by their indifference toward poverty; he showed complete indifference to the cries of the baby.

Synonyms: unconcern, listlessness, apathy, insensibility, [infl./slang] cold shoulder
Antonym: eagerness, responsiveness

UNIVERSAL, adj. [yōō'nə-vûr'səl]
(However, some gestures, such as a smile, are universal.)

Meaning:

· present or happening everywhere
· e.g. English may become a universal language that everyone can learn and use.

Synonyms: general, catholic, cosmic, common, worldwide, global, omnipresent, ubiquitous
Antonym: confined, local

UNIQUE, adj. [yōō-nēk']
(Every person has his or her own unique gestures.)

Meaning:

· (1) being the only one of its kind (2) very unusual
· e.g. His style is unique.

Synonyms: singular, exceptional, extraordinary, unrivaled, anomalous, utmost
Antonyms: like, similar, standard, trite
Idioms: first and last, one and only

LESSON 7: ENVIRONMENT – OIL SPILL AT SEA

TRANSPORT, vb. [trāns-pōrt']
(The ship, which was built to transport oil, left the port of Valdez, Alaska on the evening of March 23.)

Meanings:

· to carry from one place to another

· e.g. the goods were transported by air; A bus transported us from the airport to the city.

Synonyms: carry, convey
Antonyms: idle, remain, stay

REEF, n. [rēf]
(The ship hit rocks on a reef.)

Meanings:

· rocks or coral near the surface of the sea

· e.g. coral reef

MARINE, adj. [mə-rēn']
(Floating oil blocks sunlight and oxygen from reaching the marine life below.)

Meaning:

· something to do with the sea

· e.g. marine plants and animals such as seaweed and whales

Synonyms: maritime, oceanic

INSULATE, vb. [ĭn'sə-lāt']
(Their feathers no longer insulate them from the cold.)

Meanings:

· to cover or protect from heat, cold, or noise

· e.g. Rubber and plastic are used for insulating electric wires and cables.

Synonyms: block, disconnect, halt, intervene
Antonym: allow, encourage, permit

REMOTE, adj. [rĭ-mōt']
(The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in a remote area that is home to many sea animals.)

Meaning:

· (1) far away (2) secluded

· e.g. the remote jungles of Brazil; a remote village; a remote mountaintop

Synonyms: (1) far, distant (2) sequestered, isolated
Antonym: (1) close, near

REDUCE, vb. [rĭ-dōōs', -dyōōs']
(Until we reduce the amount of oil we use, oil spills will continue to pollute the ocean.)

Meaning:

· To make smaller or less

Synonyms: abate, decrease, diminish, dwindle
Antonyms: enlarge, increase

LESSON 6: WILDLIFE – TIGERS IN TROUBLE

PRE+DICT, vb. [prĭ-dĭkt']
(People predicted that tigers would be extinct by 2000.)

Meanings:

· figure out and make a statement about the future

· e.g. the astronomers can predict an eclipse; she read the sky and predicted rain

Synonyms: (1) anticipate, call, forecast, foresight, foretell, forebode, prognosticate, prophesy, project (2) [indicate by signs] augur auspicate, bode, foreshadow, omen, portend, presage, prefigure
Antonyms: be amazed, be surprised, doubt, suppose

EX+TINCT, adj. [ĭk-stĭngkt']
(People predicted that tigers would be extinct by 2000.)

Meanings:

· no longer existing

· e.g. mammoths became extinct in prehistoric times; an extinct species of fish

Synonyms: deceased, defunct, gone, vanished, nonextant, nonexistent
Antonyms: alive, existing, living, thriving, extant

HABITAT, n. [hāb'ĭ-tāt']
(Hunting and loss of habitat threaten their survival.)

Meaning:

· the place where an animal or plant lives or grows in nature

· e.g. a marine habitat, a tropical habitat; the Antarctic is the penguin's natural habitat

Synonyms: haunt, home, stamping ground, territory

BAN, n. [bān]
(The worldwide ban on tiger skins stopped much of the fur trade.)

Meanings:

· an official order that forbids something

· e.g. to ban nuclear weapons; the dictator banned all newspapers and books that criticized his regime; the government banned publication of his book

Synonyms: (1) debar, disallow, enjoin, forbid, inhibit, prohibit, proscribe, taboo, interdict (2) [to keep from being published] censor, stifle, suppress, back out, hush (up)
Antonym: allow, approve, legalize, permit, sanction, endorse
Idiom: keep (or put) a lid on

CONSERVATION n. [kŏn'sûr-vā'shən]
(Many countries have set up conservation areas.)

Meaning:

· to preserve and protect

· e.g. conservation of wildlife; conservation of human rights

Synonyms: care, husbandry, protection, preservation
Antonym: destruction, spending, squandering, waste

PLIGHT, n. [plīt]
(Publicity about their plight improves their chances for survival.)

Meaning:

· a bad condition

· e.g. she was in a terrible plight, as she had lost all her money; Dorothy shedding a few tears by the way at the sad plight of her old friend

Synonyms: predicament, quandary

LESSON 5: HEALTH - SHIFT WORK

ESSENTIAL, adj., n. [ĭ-sěn'shəl]
(Society depends on the essential services they provide.)

Meanings:

· absolutely necessary

· e.g. food and shelter are essential of life; discipline is essential in an army; oxygen and hydrogen are essential in water

Synonyms: basic, vital, indispensable, necessary
Antonyms: inessential, secondary, peripheral, unimportant

ALTER, vb. [ôl'tər]
(Because shift workers alter their sleep times, their sleep-wake cycle is disturbed.)

Meanings:

· to change partly but no completely

· e.g. will you alter this dress (to fit me)?; he town has altered a lot in the last two years; the discussion has altered my thinking about the issue

Synonyms: change, adjust, modify, amend
Antonyms: continue, keep, maintain, preserve, retain

RESTORE, vb. [rĭ-stōr']
(Sleep rests and restores our bodies so that we can function properly.)

Meaning:

· to put or bring back to an earlier or original stage

· e.g. the week at the spa restored me; the government restores the forest to its original pristine condition; restore the stolen painting to its rightful owner

Synonyms: regenerate, rejuvenate, reconstruct, restitute, reestablish, reinstate
Antonyms: exhaust, neglect, damage

FUNCTION, vb. [fəngk'shən]
(Sleep rests and restores our bodies so that we can function properly.)

Meanings:

· work; to serve a certain purpose

· e.g. the computer isn't functioning no; he rarely functions before noon; the table functions as a desk

Synonyms: operate, perform, serve
Antonyms: malfunction

ALERT, adj. [ə-lərt']
(Shift workers often struggle to stay alert on the job.)

Meaning:

· watchful and ready to take action

· e.g. you must be alert to danger; the patient is now awake and alert; she's very old but still very alert; an alert and responsive baby is a joy

Synonyms: awake, wary, observant, wakeful, vigilant
Antonym: unalert, unaware, asleep, drowsy, sluggish, inattentive

ACTIVATE, vb. [āk'tə-vāt]
(For instance, sunlight activates the daytime clock.)

Meaning:

· to make active or bring into action

· e.g. the smoke activated the fire alarms

Synonyms: trigger, motivate, cause
Antonyms: extinguish, stop, deter, impede

Lesson 4: Popular Culture – Bread

STAPLE, adj. [stā'pəl]
(Bread is a staple food.)

Meanings:

· necessary foods or commodities; principal; main

· e.g. wheat is a staple crop; a staple topic of conversation

Synonyms: essential, basic, chief, fundamental, important, in demand, key, popular, predominant, primary, standard
Antonyms: unstaple

ANCIENT, adj. [ān'shənt]
(People began making bread in ancient times.)

Meanings:

· a time long ago

· e.g. an ancient history; an ancient custom; an ancient folk tale

Synonyms: antiquated, antique, old-fashioned; antediluvian, archaic
Antonyms: current, cutting edge, fresh, modern, new, recent, up-to-date

OVERTHROW, vb. [ōvər-thrō']
(He believed that if you kept people well fed and happy, they would not overthrow the government.)

Meaning:

· to cause the fall or end of

· e.g. a plot to overthrow the government; the Czar was overthrown

Synonyms: overturn, subvert, topple, tumble

HOSPITALITY, n [hŏspĭ-tāl'ĭ-tē]
(In Russia, the word for “hospitality” translates into “bread and salt.”)

Meanings:

· friendly and generous treatment of guests

Synonyms: warm, cordiality, geniality, friendliness
Antonym: inhospitality, unfriendliness

PRAIRIES, n [preər'ē]
(For example, the Prairies are called the “bread basket of the world.”)

Meaning:

· a large area of flat or rolling grassland that is treeless

SIGNIFICANT, adj. [sĭg-nĭf'ĭ-kənt]
(Bread also plays a significant role in many religious ceremonies.)

Meaning:

· important and having a special meaning

· e.g. a significant event/development

Synonyms: consequential, considerable, important, substantial, momentous, pregnant
Antonyms: insignificant, minor, unimportant

Lesson 3: Environment - Mount St. Helen

ERUPTION, n [ĭ-rŭp'shən]
(It is an active volcano that is famous for a huge eruption in 1980.)

Meanings:

1. A sudden, often violent outburst.

2. (of volcanoes) pouring out fumes or lava (or a deposit so formed)

Synonym: eructation, extravasations, explosion, outbreak, outburst

PRESSURE, n, vb. [prěsh'ər]
(Pressure built up inside the mountain, and its north side bulged out.)

Meanings:

· a steady force applied to an area

· he used pressure to stop the bleeding; blood pressure; he doesn't work well under pressure;

Synonyms: compression, strain, tension

BULGED, vb., n [bŭlj]
(Pressure built up inside the mountain, and its north side bulged out.)

Meaning:

· v. to swell or curve outward

· e.g. pockets bulging with coins; his eyes bulged with surprise;

Synonyms: extrude, jut, protrude, swell, protuberate

Antonyms: cave in, contract, deflate, flatten, shrink

TRIGGER, vb [trĭg'ər]
(Then, on May 18, a large earthquake triggered the volcanic eruption.)

Meanings:

· vb. an event that caused a reaction; to set off; initiate

· e.g. remarks that triggered bitter debates; trigger a reaction; trigger a gun

Synonyms: activate, actuate, cause, generate, induce, set off, provoke,

Antonym: block, check, halt, stop, extinguish

LAVA, n [lä'və]
(Ash and lava poured out for nine hours.)

Meaning:

· n. (1) melted rock coming from a volcano (2) lava that has cooled and hardened into rock

SWEPT, vb. [swěpt] -- Past tense and past participle of sweep
(It swept across the landscape.)

Meaning:

· vb. moved over or across quickly with force or destruction

· e.g. the wind swept over the plain; the flood waters swept away everything

Review: Lesson 1 & 2

Tense	agitated	restive	stiff	taut
Anxiety	apprehension	concern	disquiet	solicitude
Pump	inflate	fill	inject	push
Conclusion	deduction	inference	supposition	finale
Optimistic	sanguine	roseate	positive	hopeful
Practice	exercise	rehearsal	pursue	do
Venom	toxin	spite	malice	malevolent
Debris	detritus	trash	friction	wreckage
Prey	quarry	raven	victim	hunt
Puncture	perforation	hole	penetrate	pierce
Numb	dead	insensitive	indifferent	dull
Resistant	immune	proof	impervious	insusceptible
Affable	cordial	friendly	easy-going	amiable
Amenable	tractable	acquiescent	responsive	receptive
Amiable	genial	amicable	good-natured	affable
Apt	suitable	appropriate	inclined	intelligent
Semi-	semiconscious	semipermeable	semimonthly	semitrailer
Demi-	demigod	demitasse	demi-island	demi-evil
Hemi-	hemicycle	hemisphere