Words to Learn This Week
tradition
rural
burden
campus
majority
assemble
explore
topic
debate
evade
probe
reform
Read the following story to see how the new words are used in it.
Each summer at the Shaker Work Group, a special school in rural Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where teenagers learn by working, it has been a tradition to have the teenagers take on the burden of setting their own rules and living by them. Although there are some adults on the campus, teenagers are a majority.
One summer the group assembled to explore the topic of lights-out time. There was little debate until 10:30 P.M. was suggested. Why? Everyone at the Shaker Work Group works a minimum of several hours each morning on one project and several hours each afternoon on another. Since everyone has to get up early, no one wanted to stay up later at night anyway.
Few teenagers at the Shaker Work Group try to evade the rules. When one does, the entire group meets to probe the reasons for the "villain's" actions. Their aim is to reform the rule breaker. However, at Shaker Village, the theory is that teenagers who are busy working will have no time to break rules.
Place one of the new words in each of the blanks below.
01. I left the city for a peaceful _rural_______ farm.
02. Professor Dixon liked the atmosphere of the university _campus________ .
03. He tried to _evade_______ questions he didn't know how to answer.
04. The majority_______ of people wanted him to be president.
05. The guests began to __assemble______ for Thanksgiving dinner.
06. Christmas trees are a popular __tradition_______ for many people.
07. Making a living for his family was too much of a _burden_________ .
08. I want to explore all the cities I haven't visited. --------
09. If Gene doesn't __reform______ , he will get into serious trouble.
10. He had to do research on the _topic________ of biology for a school report.
11. Historians will probe the causes of the war in Bosnia. --------
12. Whether or not eighteen-year-olds should be allowed to vote was in __debate_________ for a long time.
Exercise
Now make up your own sentences, one for each of the new words you have just been taught.
You may enjoy the rural life if you visit the village.
He is living in a dorm on campus.
He is trying to evade his responsibily on this matter.
She devotes the majority of her spare time to the forum.
Little kids enjoy assembling plastic bricks made my Lego.
Eating mooncakes is a popular tradition for Mid-Autumn festival. To do the translation homework daily is too much of a burden for me. To explore cities abroad is more and more popular for Chinese. To reform a new policy is not easy for Obama's administration. It is to sing an English song for the topic of this Mid-Autumn activity organized by Wenqing. They are going to probe the reason why so many people quit the job at the same time. To increase bonus instead of salary is still in debate.
