Learningexpress Vocabulary Spelling Success 4e

Vocabulary List 1: Prefixes

antecedent antipathy circumvent consensus controversy decimate demote disinterested euphemism exorbitant illegible intermittent malevolent precursor prognosis retrospect subordinate synthesis transcend trivial

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13integration

14inferior

17hindsight

18predecessor

19sinister, venomous

antecedent (an·ti· se¯d·ənt)

circumvent (sər·kəm· vent) prefix: circum and circ mean around

(verb)

to go around; to catch in a trap; to gain superiority over; to prevent from happening

I tried to any ill will between my two employees by giving them both a promotion.

consensus (kən· sen·səs) prefix: con means with, together

(noun)

agreement, especially in opinion

The family finally reached a and decided to adopt a dog from the pound.

controversy ( kon·trə·ver·se¯) prefix: contr means against

(noun)

a discussion of a question in which opposing views clash

There is a in my building about whether or not to implement a flip tax.

decimate ( des·i·ma¯ t) prefix: dec means ten

(verb)

to destroy or kill a large portion of something, to take or destroy a tenth part of something

Humans continue to the rainforest every day.

demote (di· mo¯ t)

prefix: de means down, away from

(verb)

to lower in grade or position

The company had to the vice president due to an economic downturn.

disinterested (dis· in·tər·est·ed) prefix: dis means not, opposite of

(adj.)

not motivated by personal interest or selfish motives He is the most politician running for

office this term.

euphemism ( u·fə·mizm) prefix: eu means good, well

(noun)

the use of a word or phrase that is considered less distasteful or offensive than another

“Bachelorette” is a for “spinster.”

exorbitant (ek· zor·bi·tənt) prefix: ex means out of, away from

(adj.)

going beyond what is reasonable and proper

The cost of real estate in the big cities forces many people to move to the suburbs.

illegible (i· lej·ə·bəl) prefix: il means not, opposite

(adj.)

not able to be read

Because my handwriting is , I always type my papers.

intermittent (in·tər· mit·ənt) prefix: inter means between

(adj.)

stopping and starting again at intervals storms made for a turbulent flight.

malevolent (mə· lev·ə·lent) prefix: mal means bad

(adj.)

having an evil disposition toward others

After losing her job, she became toward those who became successful.

precursor (pre· kər·sər) prefix: pre means before (noun)

a forerunner, a harbinger, one who or that which goes before

My boss’s left the department in shambles.

prognosis (pro · no¯ ·sis) prefix: pro means before (noun)

a forecast; especially in medicine

Even though my dog is old, her for recovery is excellent.

prefix: retro means back, again (verb)

to think about the past (noun)

looking back on or thinking about things past

In , I realized that perhaps I was too harsh with her.

subordinate (sub· or·din·it) prefix: sub means under

(adj.)

inferior to or placed below another in rank, power, or importance

(noun) (sub· or·din·it)

a person or thing of lesser power or importance than another

(verb) (sub· or·din·a¯ t)

to treat as inferior or less important

No one wanted to work for her because she treated

synthesis ( sin·thə·sis)

prefix: syn, sym means with or together (noun)

putting of two or more things together to form a whole

transcend (tran· send) prefix: trans means across (verb)

to go beyond the limits of; to overstep; to exceed Knowing him, he will this setback and

still win the marathon.

prefix: tri means three (adj.)

of little worth or importance

Although everyone was excited about the new development, it became clear that it was

and would not benefit the company

in any way.

Words in Context

The following exercise will help you figure out the meaning of some words from Vocabulary List 1 by reading context clues. After you have read and understood the paragraph, explain the context clues that helped you with the meaning of the vocabulary word. Refer to the answer section at the end of this chapter for an explanation of the clues.

In our country, the use of nuclear power as a viable source of energy has been an ongoing controversy. During the gas and oil shortages of the 1970s, energy prices were exorbitant. The federal government supported nuclear power as a new energy source that would be cost effective. Now, the president’s National Energy Policy Report lists nuclear power as a safe and affordable alternative. Today, however, as in the past, many people have voiced their antipathy toward nuclear power plants, especially in the wake of the 1979 partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant. At that time, scientists scrambled to circumvent a total meltdown in a facility that was designed to be fail-safe. There was great fear that the meltdown would be complete and decimate the area. Now, the federal government is once again promoting this alternative energy source.

Sentence Completion

Insert the correct word from Vocabulary List 1 into the following sentences.

1.World leaders and anti-globalization protesters are at odds in the continuing

about how to assist sluggish world economies.

2. At the Cradle of Aviation Museum, a

of man’s first trip to the moon in 1969 will include a restored lunar module.

3.Soon after the war began in Bosnia in April 1992, the damaged buildings and burned homes reduced the country to ruins and

the landscape.

4. Scientists have discovered what could be the closest to man, an upright ape-like creature.

5. The stock market has on average declined over the past year, with periods of growth.

6. Oprah Winfrey was able to

her humble roots to become one of the nation’s most respected, wealthy, and powerful women.

7.The police department’s crime stopper’s unit placed a drawing and description of the

kidnapper in the

newspaper.

8. Errors caused by physicians’

handwriting have sparked proposals to add handwriting courses to medical school curricula.

9. After the implantation of a heart pacemaker, the patient’s was good.

10. “Downsizing a company” is a

for letting go or firing

employees.

20. What some may consider

or unimportant ideas sometimes blossom into good business ventures.

Synonyms

The following exercise lists vocabulary words from this chapter. Each word is followed by five answer choices. Four of them are synonyms of the vocabulary word in bold. Your task is to choose the one that is NOT a synonym.

21.controversy

a.dispute

b.quarrel

c.consensus

d.debate

e.disputation

22.disinterested

a.selfish

b.impartial

c.neutral

d.objective

e.unbiased

23.antipathy

a.aversion

b.dislike

c.hatred

d.sympathy

e.abhorrence

24.exorbitant

a.reasonable

b.excessive

c.overpriced

d.inflated

e.steep