Unit 5: Reality Check – Persuasive Essay Set A: addendum, aghast, cower, epitaph, ethical, inaudible, intrigue, plausible, prodigal, volatile z Unit 5: Reality Check – Persuasive Essay

z Addendum (n): something that is added; an appendix or addition to a book or written document An addendum was added to the novel by the author to thank his family members for their contributions and support. The attorney placed an addendum to the contract.

Aghast (adj.): filed with amazement, disgust, fear, or terror The first responders were aghast at the destruction caused by the hurricane. The audience was aghast at the terrifying ending to the movie.

Cower (v): to crouch or shrink away in fear or shame z Cower (v): to crouch or shrink away in fear or shame The frightened dog cowered in the corner of her cage as the rescue worker approached. The little boy cowered in fear as the bully stood over him.

Epitaph (n): a brief statement written on a tomb or gravestone z Epitaph (n): a brief statement written on a tomb or gravestone The stone mason used a hammer and chisel to carve an epitaph on the gravestone. Reverend Martin Luther King's epitaph reads, "Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I'm free at last."

z Ethical (adj.): having to do with morals, values, right and wrong; in accordance with standards of right conduct; requiring a prescription for purchase New discoveries in modern medicine lead to many ethical questions about life and death. As members of a religion, people are asked to follow high moral and ethical principles.

Inaudible (adj.): not able to be heard z Inaudible (adj.): not able to be heard Very high-frequency sounds are inaudible to humans, but animals can clearly hear them. Cindy's voice was inaudible because of poor cell phone reception.

The television show Game of Thrones is full of mystery and intrigue. z Intrigue (n): crafty dealings; underhanded plotting (v): to plan and carry out plots and schemes; to puzzle or excite the curiosity The television show Game of Thrones is full of mystery and intrigue. The disappearance of aviator Amelia Earhart has intrigued investigators for many years.

Plausible (adj.): appearing true, reasonable, fair; believable z Plausible (adj.): appearing true, reasonable, fair; believable The suspect's story didn't sound plausible to the detective. NASA is still searching for a plausible explanation to the strange lights in the night sky.

z Prodigal (adj.): wastefully extravagant; lavishly or generously abundant (n): one who is wasteful and self-indulgent Many lottery winners live a prodigal life and have very little money left after a few years. Chris will never save money if she continues her prodigal life style buying very expensive cars and clothes.

Some chemicals are quite volatile and must be handled very carefully. z Volatile (adj.): highly changeable, fickle; tending to be violent or explosive; readily changing from liquid to gas Some chemicals are quite volatile and must be handled very carefully. The star baseball player has a volatile temper and often argues with umpires.

Unit 5: Reality Check – Persuasive Essay z Unit 5 – Set B: ample, apparition, assert, disdain, facetious, indiscriminate, jurisdiction, plebeian, proximity, pulverize Unit 5: Reality Check – Persuasive Essay

Ample (adj.): more than enough; large, spacious z Ample (adj.): more than enough; large, spacious Be sure to pack ample food and water before starting your camping trip. New security rules require that all airline passengers leave ample time to get to the airport. We have a large family, so we will need ample space for everyone.

z Apparition (n): a ghost or ghostly figure; an unexplained or unusual appearance The neighbors claim an apparition of an old woman appears in the window of the abandoned house each night. Ghost Hunters is an example of a reality show that investigates haunted places and reports of apparitions. Ghost Hunters is an example of a reality television show that investigates reports of apparitions and haunted places.

z Assert (v): to declare or state as truth; maintain or defend; put forward forcefully The Bill of Rights asserts our basic human freedoms as citizens of the United States. The essay asserted that children should not be part of television reality shows.

z Disdain (v): to look upon with scorn; to refuse scornfully; (n): a feeling of contempt The teacher expressed her disdain for those who cheated on the exam. Pacifists disdain the use of violence to settle disobedience.

Facetious (adj.): humorous; not meant seriously z Facetious (adj.): humorous; not meant seriously The audience laughed hysterically at the comedian's facetious remarks. Danny's offer may sound facetious, but he really wants to help you study for your social studies test.

Indiscriminate (adj.): without restraint or control; unselective z Indiscriminate (adj.): without restraint or control; unselective The indiscriminate hunting of bald eagles led to near extinction of the species. Alex indiscriminately ate every piece of Halloween candy in his bag.

z The court's jurisdiction covered traffic and parking violations. Jurisdiction (n): an area of authority or control; the right to administer justice The court's jurisdiction covered traffic and parking violations. The athletic director's responsibilities include jurisdiction over team schedules and budgets.

z Plebeian (adj.): common, vulgar; belonging to a lower class; (n): a common person; member of a lower class The plebeians of ancient Rome were considered members of a lower class and had limited rights. My little brother ordered a plebeian dish of chicken fingers in the elegant French restaurant.

Proximity (n): nearness, closeness z Proximity (n): nearness, closeness A key factor for many families in choosing a new home is proximity to a good school. Flooding is a risk that people take when living in proximity to a river.

z Pulverize (v): to grind or pound into powder or dust; to destroy or overcome Huge mill stones were used to pulverize grain into flour during the colonial period. The Autobots pulverized the Decepticons in an epic battle.