'We tie knots and bind up words in double meanings and then try to untie them."
Seneca, Epista/ae ad Lucilium
Words to Learn This Week
evidence
solitary
vision
frequent
glimpse
recent
decade
hesitate
absurd
conflict
minority
fiction
Read the following story to see how the new words are used in it.
The Famous Monster of the Lake
There seems to be more and more evidence that the enormous monster in Loch Ness, a solitary lake in Scotland, is more than a vision. Each year there are numerous glimpses of the monster by visitors and neighborhood people; also recent films, not easy to ignore, are making even scientists hesitate. The story of frequent visits by a monster once seemed absurd to them but now they are not so sure.
Yet the conflict is far from over. Those who believe the monster exists are still in the minority, and they are constantly competing for more information to prove that the Loch Ness monster is not a fiction. Even now they are trying to get more and clearer moving pictures of what has become the famous inhabitant of the lake. Perhaps the question of whether the monster exists or not will be answered in this coming decade.
Place one of the new words in each of the blanks below.
1. The old man had lived for seven -decades-------.
2. He had the _vision_______ that some day there would be peace on earth.
3. Only a _minority_______ of the senators were against welfare.
4. No one has ever had even a glimpse of the future.
5. People used to think it was an __absurd_______ idea that human beings could ever fly.
6. We make -frequent------- visits to Florida in the winter.
7. If you have any questions, don't _hesitate________ to ask.
8. There was only a _solitary________ man on the beach.
9. The _conflict______ was over the high cost of bread.
10. _Recent_______ studies have shown that the cost of living has gone up rapidly.
11. The gun alone was _evidence_______ enough to convict the killer.
12. The stories Henry told people about his adventures turned out to be merely _fiction_________ .
Matching
Match the 12 new words in Column I with the definitions in Column II.
Column I 1. vision 2. fiction 3. frequent 4. absurd 5. minority 6. evidence 7. conflict 8. decade 9. glimpse 10. recent 11. solitary 12. hesitate |
Column II a. ten years b. happening often c. alone d. that which makes clear the truth or falsehood of something e. occurring not long ago f. a short, quick view g. that which is imagined or made up h. sense of sight i. smaller number or part j. direct opposition k.plainly not true or sensible I. fail to act quickly |
