Vocabulary Quiz this Friday, September 20th

Disclose: to make known; reveal or uncover "I regret that I am unable to disclose that information, as it is confidential.“ We will not sell, rent or otherwise disclose your details to anyone.

Concede: to admit to something Our aunt hates to admit an error. She will never concede that she might be wrong. Even after Stuart listed scientific facts that support his theory, the teacher refused to concede that Stuart might be right.

Superficial: lacking depth or meaning; shallow. Sal and Anita are interested only in appearances. They are so superficial that it’s impossible to have a deep friendship with them. I try to judge people by their character, not by something as superficial as physical appearance.

Transition: A change from one activity, condition, or location to another. “The transition from being childless to being a parent is extreme,” said the new father. “Last week, only two quiet people lived at our house. Suddenly, we’re sharing space with a third, noisy person.” Make the transition from her own apartment to a nursing home has been difficult for my grandmother.

Conservative: Tending to resist change; favoring traditional values and views. Dawn brought home a boyfriend with a Mohowk and several body piercings, her conservative parents, nearly fainted. When the mayor suggested a new method of recycling garbage, a conservative member of the audience called out, “What we’ve done in the past is good enough. Why change things?”

Contrary: totally different; opposite; conflicting. Contrary to popular belief, Columbus was probably not the man who discovered America. Though Gina and Tom are happily married, they cast contrary votes in almost every election-she’s a Republican and he’s a Democrat.

Denounce: to openly condemn; express disapproval of In Nazi Germany, anyone who publicly denounced Hitler as cruel or mad risked imprisonment, torture, and death. The environmental group denounced a local chemical company for polluting the river.

Deter: to prevent or discourage A childhood stutter didn’t deter Leo. He overcame his speech handicap and reached his goal of being a radio announcer. Beth’s parents disapproved of her dating someone from a different culture, but their prejudice didn’t deter her.

Sustain: to keep something going; continue; maintain. An opera singer can sustain a high note for a long period of time. To sustain a high grade-point average throughout school requires much studying!

Scapegoat: Someone blamed for the mistakes of others Several girls put dye into their high school swimming pool. In need of a scapegoat, they blamed another student who knew nothing about the prank. Because the manager wanted a scapegoat for his own mistake, he fired an innocent employee.