Level C - Unit 1

adage

noun a proverb or wise saying

revert

verb to return to a previous state, practice or topic After four months of eating healthy, I reverted to my old ways and ate three donuts for breakfast.

discordant

adjective disagreeable in sound ; conflicting

preclude

verb to make impossible, prevent, or shut out

collaborate

verb to work with or work together Tina and Mike collaborated on a project for the science fair.

churlish

adj lacking good manners, politeness, or sensitivity Churlish remarks to your parents may preclude you from going to the game this Friday.

decree

noun an order having the force of law The king ruled by decree. verb to issue such an order; to command firmly Why does nature seem to decree nasty weather for our annual picnic?

laggard

adj falling behind; slow to move or act The laggard children were late to class. n a person who moves slowly or falls behind The laggards in the hall were late to class.

servile

adj of or relating to a slave; having or showing an excessive willingness to please others Most serious performers prefer constructive criticism to servile flattery.

wrangle

v to quarrel or argue in a noisy, angry way; to obtain by argument My brother and I used to wrangle over whose turn it was to take out the trash. n a noisy argument The customer got into a nasty wrangle with the shopkeeper.

bonanza

noun a large amount of something good a situation that creates a sudden increase in wealth or good fortune The movie The Hunger Games was a box office bonanza.

citadel

Noun A fortress that overlooks or protects a city; any strong or commanding place A medieval citadel once guarded the capital city of the Greek island of Rhodes.

evolve

Verb To develop gradually; to rise to a higher level J.K. Rowling’s scribbled notes on napkins evolved into the Harry Potter series.

evolve

excerpt

Noun a passage taken from a book, article, etc. verb To take a passage from the text If you excerpt a quote from the text, make sure to enclose it in quotation marks.

excerpt

grope

verb To search blindly and uncertainly To feel about hesitantly with hands When the power failed, we had to grope in the dark to find a working flashlight.

hover

verb To move back and forth uncertainly over or around A large group of vultures hovered in the air above the wounded animal.

Hoverboard from Back to the Future

jostle

verb to make or force one’s way by pushing or elbowing; to bump or shove; to compete for I jostled my way through the crowd to see One Direction perform live in Time Square.

plaudits

noun applause; enthusiastic praise or approval The U.S. gymnastics team gratefully accepted the plaudits of their fans.

rubble

noun broken stone or bricks; ruins Bulldozers and wrecking balls soon reduced the damaged building to a heap of smoking rubble.

vigil

noun a watch, especially at night; any period of watchful attention Thousands attended the solemn vigil at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.