ADVANCING VOCABULARY SKILLS Fourth Edition Sherrie L. Nist © 2010 Townsend Press

Unit Four: Chapter 20 • atrophy • mitigate • deplore • objective • deprivation • panacea • exacerbate • unprecedented • imperative • utilitarian Page 114 in textbook.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 1 atrophy – verb Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 1 atrophy – verb • Since unused muscles atrophy, an arm or a leg that remains in a cast for some time becomes thinner. • “If you watch any more of those mindless television programs,” my father said, “your brain will atrophy.” Atrophy means A. to grow. B. to waste away. C. to cause pain. Page 114 in textbook. Answer: B The next slide explains the answer.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 1 atrophy 1 atrophy – verb – verb Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 1 atrophy 1 atrophy – verb – verb • Since unused muscles atrophy, an arm or a leg that remains in a cast for some time becomes thinner. • “If you watch any more of those mindless television programs,” my father said, “your brain will atrophy.” Atrophy means A. to grow. B. to waste away. C. to cause pain. Page 114 in textbook. If the arm or leg becomes thinner, it has wasted away. If the television programs are mindless, they will make the brain waste away.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 2 deplore – verb Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 2 deplore – verb • Bernie deplored his coworkers’ habit of taking home paper clips, Scotch tape, pens, and stationery from the office, a practice he felt was dishonest. • Many people deplore some of the content on the Internet but feel they must tolerate it, because they disapprove just as strongly of censorship. Deplore means A. to condemn. B. to ignore. C. to make worse. Page 114 in textbook. Answer: A The next slide explains the answer.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 2 deplore – verb Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 2 deplore – verb • Bernie deplored his coworkers’ habit of taking home paper clips, Scotch tape, pens, and stationery from the office, a practice he felt was dishonest. • Many people deplore some of the content on the Internet but feel they must tolerate it, because they disapprove just as strongly of censorship. Deplore means A. to condemn. B. to ignore. C. to make worse. Page 114 in textbook. If Bernie felt the practice was dishonest, he would condemn it. In the second item, the words disapprove . . . strongly suggest that deplore means “to condemn.”

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 3 deprivation – noun Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 3 deprivation – noun • Children who spend their early years in institutions where they receive no love may suffer throughout life from the effects of this deprivation. • Weight-loss programs typically claim that their members experience no sense of deprivation. “You’ll never be hungry!” they promise. Deprivation means A. a deficiency. B. a feeling of disapproval. C. a strong desire. Page 114 in textbook. Answer: A The next slide explains the answer. A child suffering from food deprivation resulting from a famine Photo: US Dept of Health & Human Services

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 3 deprivation – noun Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 3 deprivation – noun • Children who spend their early years in institutions where they receive no love may suffer throughout life from the effects of this deprivation. • Weight-loss programs typically claim that their members experience no sense of deprivation. “You’ll never be hungry!” they promise. Deprivation means A. a deficiency. B. a feeling of disapproval. C. a strong desire. Page 114 in textbook. A child suffering from food deprivation resulting from a famine Children who receive no love have a deficiency of love. If you are never hungry, you have no sense of a deficiency of food. Photo: US Dept of Health & Human Services

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 4 exacerbate – verb Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 4 exacerbate – verb • Scratching a mosquito bite only makes it worse: the scraping exacerbates the itching and may even cause an infection. • Instead of soothing the baby, the sound of the music box seemed only to exacerbate his crying. Exacerbate means A. to find the cause of. B. to relieve. C. to make worse. Page 114 in textbook. Answer: C The next slide explains the answer.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 4 exacerbate – verb Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 4 exacerbate – verb • Scratching a mosquito bite only makes it worse: the scraping exacerbates the itching and may even cause an infection. • Instead of soothing the baby, the sound of the music box seemed only to exacerbate his crying. Exacerbate means A. to find the cause of. B. to relieve. C. to make worse. Page 114 in textbook. In the first item, the words makes . . . worse tell you the meaning of exacerbate. In the second item, in contrast with soothing the baby, the music box only makes his crying worse.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 5 imperative – adjective Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 5 imperative – adjective • It is imperative that I renew my driver’s license today—it expires at midnight. • “It is imperative for this letter to reach Mr. Rivera tomorrow.” the boss said, “so please send it by Express Mail.” Imperative means A. impossible. B. difficult. C. essential. Page 114 in textbook. Answer: C The next slide explains the answer.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 5 imperative – adjective Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 5 imperative – adjective • It is imperative that I renew my driver’s license today—it expires at midnight. • “It is imperative for this letter to reach Mr. Rivera tomorrow.” the boss said, “so please send it by Express Mail.” Imperative means A. impossible. B. difficult. C. essential. Page 114 in textbook. If the license expires at midnight, it is essential to renew it today. Since the boss wants the letter sent by Express Mail, it must be essential that the letter reach Mr. Rivera tomorrow.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 6 mitigate – verb Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 6 mitigate – verb • The disabilities resulting from Mr. Dobbs’s stroke were mitigated by physical therapy, but he still has difficulty using his right arm. • Time usually mitigates the pain of a lost love. When Richard’s girlfriend broke their engagement, he was miserable, but now the hurt is much less. Mitigate means A. to relieve. B. to worsen. C. to reveal. Page 114 in textbook. Answer: A The next slide explains the answer.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 6 mitigate – verb Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 6 mitigate – verb • The disabilities resulting from Mr. Dobbs’s stroke were mitigated by physical therapy, but he still has difficulty using his right arm. • Time usually mitigates the pain of a lost love. When Richard’s girlfriend broke their engagement, he was miserable, but now the hurt is much less. Mitigate means A. to relieve. B. to worsen. C. to reveal. Page 114 in textbook. Physical therapy would relieve the disabilities resulting from a stroke. Since Richard’s pain is much less now that time has passed, time must relieve the pain of lost love.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 7 objective – adjective Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 7 objective – adjective • Scientists must strive to be totally objective in their observations and experiments, putting aside their personal wishes and expectations. • All too often, we let our own prejudices prevent us from being objective in judging others. Objective means A. personal. B. fair. C. persuasive. Page 115 in textbook. Answer: B The next slide explains the answer.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 7 objective – adjective Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 7 objective – adjective • Scientists must strive to be totally objective in their observations and experiments, putting aside their personal wishes and expectations. • All too often, we let our own prejudices prevent us from being objective in judging others. Objective means A. personal. B. fair. C. persuasive. Page 115 in textbook. If scientists put aside their personal wishes and expectations, they are trying to be fair in their observations. One’s prejudices can prevent one from being fair in judging others.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 8 panacea – noun Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 8 panacea – noun • My aunt considers vitamins a panacea. She believes that they can cure everything from chapped lips to heart disease. • Ravi thinks his troubles would be over if he just had plenty of money. But money isn’t a panacea; it wouldn’t solve all his problems. Panacea means A. a belief. B. a basic necessity. C. a complete solution. Page 115 in textbook. Answer: C The next slide explains the answer.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 8 panacea – noun Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 8 panacea – noun • My aunt considers vitamins a panacea. She believes that they can cure everything from chapped lips to heart disease. • Ravi thinks his troubles would be over if he just had plenty of money. But money isn’t a panacea; it wouldn’t solve all his problems. Panacea means A. a belief. B. a basic necessity. C. a complete solution. Page 115 in textbook. If the aunt believes vitamins can cure everything, she considers them a complete solution. If money won’t solve all of Ravi’s problems, it isn’t a complete solution to his troubles.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 9 unprecedented – adjective Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 9 unprecedented – adjective • When Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama ran against each other for the 2008 Democratic nomination for president of the United States, the situation was unprecedented. All the previous major-party nominees for president had been white men. • The spring concert was “standing room only.” This was unprecedented, the first time in our school’s history that the concert had been sold out. Unprecedented means A. unheard-of. B. unprejudiced. C. controversial. Page 115 in textbook. Answer: A The next slide explains the answer.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 9 unprecedented – adjective Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 9 unprecedented – adjective • When Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama ran against each other for the 2008 Democratic nomination for president of the United States, the situation was unprecedented. All the previous major-party nominees for president had been white men. • The spring concert was “standing room only.” This was unprecedented, the first time in our school’s history that the concert had been sold out. Unprecedented means A. unheard-of. B. unprejudiced. C. controversial. Page 115 in textbook. Because neither a white woman or a black man had run for the nomination for president, the situation in 2008 was unheard-of. If it was the first time in the school’s history that the concert was sold out, the situation was unheard-of.

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 10 utilitarian – adjective Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 10 utilitarian – adjective • One difference between “arts” and “crafts” is that crafts tend to be more utilitarian. They are generally created to serve a specific purpose. • I prefer utilitarian gifts, such as pots and pans, to gifts that are meant to be just ornamental or beautiful. Utilitarian means A. unique. B. practical. C. inexpensive. Page 115 in textbook. Answer: B The next slide explains the answer. A utilitarian object

TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 10 utilitarian – adjective Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. 10 utilitarian – adjective • One difference between “arts” and “crafts” is that crafts tend to be more utilitarian. They are generally created to serve a specific purpose. • I prefer utilitarian gifts, such as pots and pans, to gifts that are meant to be just ornamental or beautiful. Utilitarian means A. unique. B. practical. C. inexpensive. Page 115 in textbook. If “crafts” are created to serve a specific purpose, they are more practical than “arts.” Pots and pans are practical gifts. A utilitarian object

SENTENCE CHECK 1 Complete each item with the correct word from the box. A. atrophy B. deplore C. deprivation D. exacerbate E. imperative F. mitigate G. objective H. panacea I. unprecedented J. utilitarian 1. When families go camping and decide to spend a whole weekend without video games and TV, some kids think they are experiencing a great __________. 2. The last time I had a migraine headache, I tried draping a cold, wet cloth over my eyes to __________ the pain and nausea, but my symptoms only got worse. Page 116 in textbook. Answers: 1. deprivation; 2. mitigate The next slide explains the answers.

SENTENCE CHECK 1 Complete each item with the correct word from the box. A. atrophy B. deplore C. deprivation D. exacerbate E. imperative F. mitigate G. objective H. panacea I. unprecedented J. utilitarian 1. When families go camping and decide to spend a whole weekend without video games and TV, some kids think they are experiencing a great __________. deprivation For some kids, no video games or TV would be a lack of basic necessities. 2. The last time I had a migraine headache, I tried draping a cold, wet cloth over my eyes to __________ the pain and nausea, but my symptoms only got worse. mitigate Page 116 in textbook. The cold cloth should relieve the pain and nausea, but in fact it made them worse.

SENTENCE CHECK 1 Complete each item with the correct word from the box. A. atrophy B. deplore C. deprivation D. exacerbate E. imperative F. mitigate G. objective H. panacea I. unprecedented J. utilitarian 3. First-aid instructions usually advise against moving an accident victim, because movement can _________ an injury. 4. The election of Barack Obama to the presidency was ____________ in American history—he was the first African American president. Page 116 in textbook. Answers: 3. exacerbate; 4. unprecedented; 5. deplore The next slide explains the answers. 5. No one could __________ drinking and driving more than Lin; her son was killed by a drunk driver.

SENTENCE CHECK 1 Complete each item with the correct word from the box. A. atrophy B. deplore C. deprivation D. exacerbate E. imperative F. mitigate G. objective H. panacea I. unprecedented J. utilitarian 3. First-aid instructions usually advise against moving an accident victim, because movement can _________ an injury. exacerbate Movement can make a victim’s injuries more severe. 4. The election of Barack Obama to the presidency was ____________ in American history—he was the first African American president. unprecedented Page 116 in textbook. Obama’s election was the first instance of an African American president. 5. No one could __________ drinking and driving more than Lin; her son was killed by a drunk driver. deplore Lin’s experience would make her feel strong disapproval of drinking and driving.

SENTENCE CHECK 1 Complete each item with the correct word from the box. A. atrophy B. deplore C. deprivation D. exacerbate E. imperative F. mitigate G. objective H. panacea I. unprecedented J. utilitarian 6. Although an Academy Award is not meant to be __________, one winner uses his as a paperweight. 7. Our city has many different crime-related problems, but the mayor has only one solution to offer: more police officers on the streets. She believes an enlarged police force is a _________. Page 116 in textbook. Answers: 6. utilitarian; 7. panacea The next slide explains the answers.

SENTENCE CHECK 1 Complete each item with the correct word from the box. A. atrophy B. deplore C. deprivation D. exacerbate E. imperative F. mitigate G. objective H. panacea I. unprecedented J. utilitarian 6. Although an Academy Award is not meant to be __________, one winner uses his as a paperweight. utilitarian A paperweight is a practical item. 7. Our city has many different crime-related problems, but the mayor has only one solution to offer: more police officers on the streets. She believes an enlarged police force is a _________. Page 116 in textbook. panacea If the mayor offers only one solution, she must believe that solution is a cure-all.

SENTENCE CHECK 1 Complete each item with the correct word from the box. A. atrophy B. deplore C. deprivation D. exacerbate E. imperative F. mitigate G. objective H. panacea I. unprecedented J. utilitarian 8. If you find it difficult to be __________ about your own writing, try asking a classmate to read it and give you an unbiased opinion. 9. When told that Ms. Thomas was in conference and could not be disturbed, the caller said urgently, “It’s __________ that I speak to her. Her house is on fire.” Page 116 in textbook. Answers: 8. objective; 9. imperative; 10. atrophy The next slide explains the answers. 10. In Burma, some women lengthen their necks by stretching them with copper coils. This practice damages the muscles, causing them to __________: they become thin and weak.

SENTENCE CHECK 1 Complete each item with the correct word from the box. A. atrophy B. deplore C. deprivation D. exacerbate E. imperative F. mitigate G. objective H. panacea I. unprecedented J. utilitarian 8. If you find it difficult to be __________ about your own writing, try asking a classmate to read it and give you an unbiased opinion. objective The word unbiased tells you that the word objective is called for here. 9. When told that Ms. Thomas was in conference and could not be disturbed, the caller said urgently, “It’s __________ that I speak to her. Her house is on fire.” imperative Page 116 in textbook. If her house is on fire, it would be urgent for the caller to speak to her. 10. In Burma, some women lengthen their necks by stretching them with copper coils. This practice damages the muscles, causing them to __________: they become thin and weak. atrophy The words become thin and weak tell you the word atrophy is needed here.