1. The Humpback Whale: A Whale of a Singer
Vocabulary Lesson 1
Unit 1: #’s 1-10
Amazing Nature
The Humpback Whale: A Whale of a Singer

2. Lesson 1 :Context: Amazing Nature
Last winter, my family and I went on a whale watch. The small boat we were in moved slowly across the water. Suddenly, a huge humpback whale sprang from the water, curved its back, and disappeared into the waves. When it was underwater, we could hear it singing. How? The boat had an underwater microphone called a hydrophone, which picked up sounds from deep in the water.

3. Definite
Definite is an adjective describing something that is known for certain or having limits.
This word is from the Latin definitus meaning "defined" or "limited." Definite can also be used to mean something is very clearly planned or certainly defined.
Sentence:
Although whale songs are still being studied, some facts are now clear: It is definite that only male humpbacks sing, and that all those in the same group sing the same tune.

4. Deny Verb: To deny means refuse to accept, recognize, or believe.
Deny is rooted in the Latin word denegare, which means “to deny, reject, refuse.”
-declare untrue; contradict refuses to have or let have
Sentence:
Whale experts do not deny that it is still a mystery why the complicated arrangement of certain tones and sounds changes from year to year.

5. Doubtful
Adjective: When you're doubtful about something, you're not sure about it.-not clear, uncertain.
Doubtful means "full of doubt," and doubt is from the Old French doter, "doubt or be afraid," with a Latin root, dubitare, "to question, hesitate, or waver in opinion.“
Sentence:
I had heard about whale songs, but when the guide said we would hear them, I was doubtful. How could that possibly happen?

6. Reliable
Adjective : Calling something reliable means you can count on it to come through when you need it; it's dependable,
worthy of trust, credible, & authentic.
Sentence:
Yet, we felt that people in charge of the whale watch were reliable. We knew we could depend on them for accurate information.

7. Navigator
Noun: A navigator is the person whose job it is to steer the ship or airplane.
A more old fashioned meaning of navigator is an ocean explorer. In fact, in Latin, navigator simply means "sailor," from navis, "ship," and agere, "drive.“
Sentence:
The navigator of our boat talked to us as he directed our course to keep us within sight of the humpback. He told us that baleen whales are some of the largest animals in the world.

8. Majority Noun: Majority means “most of,” or the biggest part.
Sentence:
Baleen whales, including the humpback, are toothless. However, more than half-that is, the majority- of whale species have teeth.

9. Descendant Noun: Something that comes from an earlier form; offspring
Sentence:
Humpbacks spend their summers in polar waters in warm seas, where their calves are born. As the older humpbacks die off, their descendants continue to return to the same areas year after year.

10. Twilight Noun: the period of sunset to dark;
Adjective: pertaining to the period from sunset to dark.
Sentence: Just after sunset, we headed back to shore. In the twilight, I looked at the water for one last sight of the magnificent whale we had been watching.

11. Symbol
Noun: A symbol can be an object, shape, sign, or character used to represent something else.
Sentence: Once, whales represented only economic gain. Now many people see the whales as a symbol of the need to protect the oceans’ environment. Whales stand for beauty and wonder of all ocean life.

12. Vivid
Vivid is an adjective that describes a bold and bright color, an intense feeling, or an image in your mind that is so clear you can almost touch it.
Vivid comes from the Latin vivere, which means “to live,” and vivid memories do seem to live on.
Sentence: Seeing and hearing the humpback is one of the most vivid experiences of my life. Because it is so unforgettable, I am going to do all that I can do to help protect whales from extinction.