chapter
5
Learning Word Parts from Context Clues
1. phil
■
■
Philosophy is an excellent major for students who love to study wisdom and
reasoning.
People who admire England and revere anything English are known as
anglophiles.
phil means (a) intelligence (b) love
.
2. mal
■
■
Malicious gossip has harmed his reputation in the community.
Thomas Jefferson suffered from migraine headaches, a malady that would
disable him for days.
mal is associated with (a) harmful (b) mysterious
.
3. spec
■
■
I always inspect my car before I take a long trip.
At our college baseball games, the spectators are knowledgeable and well
mannered.
spec has to do with (a) viewing (b) assisting
.
4. omni
■
■
Young children often believe their parents are omniscient, but as they grow
older, they realize their parents don’t know everything after all.
Dogs seem to be omnipresent at any picnic.
omni means (a) large (b) limitless
.
5. hyper
■
■
Gail is hyperactive, so she enjoys jogging four miles every evening.
Alex is hypersensitive, so be tactful when you offer your suggestions.
hyper means (a) excessive (b) lacking
.
47
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6. anti
■
■
The scientist’s watch is antimagnetic, so its accuracy is unaffected by
experiments involving magnets.
The development of antibiotics—effective against harmful bacteria—has
contributed significantly to the average life span.
anti means (a) increasing (b) opposing
.
7. voc, vok
■
■
A convocation was called by the college dean to discuss the new graduation
requirements.
The unexpected letter evoked memories of her old friend.
voc and vok relate to (a) a calling (b) an arrival
.
8. bi
■
■
The United States bicentennial in 1976 celebrated the country’s two hundredth anniversary.
One of my neighbors has been accused of bigamy; apparently, his divorce
was not finalized before he remarried.
bi means (a) two (b) luxury
.
9. path
■
■
The newspaper’s picture of the pathetic puppy brought many offers for
adoption.
The movie was full of pathos, and a number of people in the audience cried.
path has to do with (a) imagination (b) feelings
.
10. ben
■
■
As the result of a generous contribution from an unannounced benefactor,
our college will be able to complete its building plans.
Hazel was the beneficiary of her aunt’s insurance policy, so she can now
afford to open a florist shop of her own.
ben means (a) disagreeable (b) favorable
.
48 Part One • Word Parts and Challenging Words
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Matching Word Parts and Definitions
Match each definition with the word part it defines.
1. phil
a.
2. mal
b.
3. spec
c.
4. omni
d.
5. hyper
e.
6. anti
f.
7. voc, vok
g.
to call, voice
good, well
to love
two
to look
feelings
over, excessive, beyond what
is normal
h. all
i. opposite, against
j. bad
8. bi
9. path
10. ben
Fill-Ins with Word Parts
Select the appropriate word part so the proper word is formed in each sentence.
phil
mal
spec
omni
hyper
anti
1. I felt no sym
from the restaurant.
voc
bi
path
ben
y for the rude young man when he was expelled
2. Lately, my husband has been
social—he refuses to go anyplace
where he might have to mingle with other people.
3. Carlos is pleased with the physical and emotional
exercise has brought him.
efits regular
4. The airport is equipped with a(n)
directional device capable of
transmitting or receiving signals in all directions.
5. The
anthropist’s concern and generosity were deeply appreciated
by those left homeless by the fire.
6. Coach Page admits she was
critical when she first began coaching, but now she offers suggestions in a positive, encouraging way.
7. Sofia is unsure what
ation she should pursue.
8. Unfortunately, a great amount of
filing for divorce.
9. Lucia brought
grandstand.
10. Turell says that in retro
happiest years of his life.
ice exists between the couple
noculars to the game, as our seats were high in the
t, his high school years were some of the
Chapter 5 • Word Parts and Challenging Words 49
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Learning Challenging Words from Context Clues
1. philanthropy (fə LAN thrə pē)—noun
■
■
As a result of the Webbs’ philanthropy, the college was able to build a new
student union.
The famous athlete’s philanthropy included generous financial contributions
to the Salvation Army, the YWCA, and the United Way.
philanthropy has to do with a love of (a) publicity (b) humankind
.
2. malicious (mə LISH əs)—adjective
■
■
A malicious rumor began circulating that the defendant had been found
innocent because he had bribed a witness to lie for him.
The police have just arrested the people responsible for the malicious attack
on the elderly couple.
malicious is related to (a) wicked (b) bold
.
3. specter (SPEK tər)—noun
■
■
The swiftly moving fog was like some sort of specter one would see in a
horror movie.
A shimmering, blinding figure burst into view, a specter that filled us
with dread.
specter is similar to a (a) storm (b) ghost
.
4. omnipotent (om NIP ə tent)—adjective
■
■
The arrogant supervisor felt she was omnipotent, so she was shocked when
the company’s president took away much of her authority.
Although the Supreme Court justices may appear to be omnipotent, their
power is limited by the Constitution.
omnipotent means (a) all-powerful (b) everywhere
.
5. hypertension (HĪ pər TEN shən)—noun
■
■
After checking the middle-aged patient’s blood pressure a number of times,
the doctor gave him a prescription for his hypertension.
My neighbor is watching her diet and exercising more in an effort to reduce
her hypertension.
hypertension is (a) lack of muscular strength (b) high blood pressure
.
50 Part One • Word Parts and Challenging Words
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6. antithesis (an TITH ə sis)—noun
■
■
She was the antithesis of a spoiled celebrity: she graciously signed autographs, posed for pictures with the children, and stayed to answer the reporters’ questions.
The sales representative first showed me a four-door blue sedan—the antithesis of what I was looking for—so I told him I wasn’t interested in taking it
for a test drive.
antithesis means (a) model of (b) opposite of
.
7. vociferous (vō SIF ər əs)—adjective
■
■
Our team’s hockey fans have the reputation for being rowdy and vociferous.
City council members have heard vociferous complaints about the rise in
property taxes.
vociferous means (a) adventurous (b) loud
.
8. bilingual (bī LING gwəl)—adjective
■
■
Sandra’s bilingual ability was helpful to us all, as she was able to speak to
the waiter in French and then translate into English what he said.
One of the requirements for that particular position with the Border Patrol is
to be bilingual or, to be more specific, to have the ability to speak Spanish
and English.
bilingual is the ability to (a) speak two languages (b) offer sound advice
.
9. empathy (EM pə thē)—noun
■
■
My empathy for my young nephew was genuine because I can distinctly
remember how upset I felt when my dog died during my childhood.
I can generate no empathy for the striking ballplayers because they make so
much more money than I do.
empathy is most closely related to (a) impatience (b) sympathy
.
10. benign (bə NĪN)—adjective
■
■
My ferocious-looking dog actually has a benign disposition, so you have
nothing to fear from him.
I thought the food might be too spicy for my tastes, but it actually had a
benign flavor.
benign means (a) mild (b) interesting
.
Chapter 5 • Word Parts and Challenging Words 51
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Matching Challenging Words and Definitions
Write each word before its definition.
philanthropy
malicious
specter
omnipotent
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
hypertension
antithesis
vociferous
bilingual
empathy
benign
noisy, blaring, disruptive
harmless, mild, inoffensive
brutal, cruel
opposite, other extreme
helpfulness, generosity, charity
identification with the feelings of another person
almighty, all-powerful
able to speak and/or write two languages
high blood pressure
ghost, spook
Fill-Ins with Challenging Words
In each space, write the appropriate word from those listed below.
philanthropy
malicious
specter
omnipotent
hypertension
antithesis
vociferous
bilingual
empathy
benign
1. What started out as a friendly snowball fight between members of the two
fraternities escalated into a(n)
brawl, resulting in a number
of injuries and arrests.
2. Antonio’s high-strung personality is the
back older brother.
of that of his laid-
3. The proceeds from the exhibition game were given to a charity; this
on the part of the promoters and players was wildly
applauded by those in attendance.
4. The television ad stressed that untreated high blood pressure can lead to heart
attacks and strokes, so everyone should be checked for
.
5. My boss usually has a calm,
personality, but she becomes
extremely upset with her employees if they are late to work or ignore customers in the store.
complaints of the coach, which could be heard through6. The
out the gym, led to his dismissal from the game.
7. The man quietly responded, “Only God is immortal and
.”
52 Part One • Word Parts and Challenging Words
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until I heard her carry on a long con8. I didn’t know Julie was
versation in Italian with her grandparents.
9. Steve has always enjoyed studying history, so he has no
those who complain that it is a dry, uninteresting subject.
for
10. I had never believed in ghosts until I saw some type of eerie
late one night when I drove by a graveyard.
Checking Your Word Power
After selecting your response, put the letter in the space provided.
1. The opposite of benign is
a. nonthreatening
b. deadly
c. costly
d. inexpensive
2. The opposite of philanthropy is
a. good health
b. sickness
c. generosity
d. stinginess
3. The opposite of hypertension is
a. low blood pressure
b. high blood pressure
c. uncaring
d. uptight
4. Empathy suggests
a. misunderstanding of
b. anger within
c. identification with
d. nervousness about
5. The word most closely associated with vociferous is
a. infection
b. insecurity
c. intensity
d. information
6. Bilingual is most closely associated with
a. mathematics
b. social sciences
c. biological sciences
d. languages
Chapter 5 • Word Parts and Challenging Words 53
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
7. If a person thinks he or she sees a specter, he or she likely feels
a. frightened
b. delighted
c. unconcerned
d. confident
8. malicious : vicious :: a.
b.
c.
d.
laughing : crying
rebelling : obeying
kindliness : compassion
loss : tragedy
9. antithesis : identical :: a.
b.
c.
d.
10. omnipotent : weak :: a.
b.
c.
d.
captivating : interesting
opposite : same
alter : change
seek : search
weak : feeble
feeble : powerful
powerful : strong
strong : mighty
Completing a Passage
After reading the selection, fill in each space with one of the words listed below.
bilingual
malicious
specter
vociferous
empathy
hypertension
benign
omnipotent
philanthropy
antithesis
Currency for the Visually Impaired
Of the many daily challenges that the over one million visually impaired citizens of
our country face, at least one could be eliminated: dealing with our present currency.
Because ones, fives, tens, twenties, and the other denominations of U.S. paper money
have the same size, shape, and feel, it is impossible for the blind to make distinctions
among the various bills. This uniformity in our currency, a federal judge ruled in 2006,
amounts to discrimination against the visually impaired. Because discrimination is the
of equality, he ordered the U.S. Treasury Department to alter the
bills in some manner so that the blind will also have ways of identifying them.
However, some top Treasury officials and others, while expressing
for the plight the blind face regarding this issue, nevertheless made
objections to the judge’s ruling, loudly arguing that it would be much too difficult and
expensive to implement the major currency changes necessary to accommodate the
visually impaired. These objections bring back the
of similar protests
made decades ago when some people voiced—often in hurtful,
54 Part One • Word Parts and Challenging Words
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
ways—their disapproval for proposals designed to provide the physically challenged
with special parking spots, bathrooms, doors, and ramps. But soon after these proposals
objections to them
were enacted into law, the public seldom had even
as people with wheelchairs, walkers, baby strollers, and the like benefited from these
special accommodations. To help those for whom English is a second language, these
accommodations are increasingly being identified with
made possible by the
signs, often
of individuals and charitable organizations.
The government maintains that to alter currency sizes would cost nearly $180 million initially and up to $50 million annually for the necessary new printing plates. However, one need not be
to know that there are much less expensive
ways to accomplish this goal, including the use of Braille dots, foil strips, raised numbers, rounded edges, and punched holes.
Most of the nations in the world have already adopted one or more of the methods
mentioned to enable the blind to make currency distinctions; there is simply no need for
our government officials to develop
or other stress-induced ailments
to comply with the judge’s orders. Our visually challenged citizens deserve to live in a
society that is as accessible to them as possible, and changing our currency would be a
major contribution toward that objective.
MASTERING CONFUSING WORDS
a
a / an
an article that is used before words that begin with a consonant sound:
A car was stuck in front of our driveway.
an
an article that is used before words beginning with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) sound:
Mark ate two peanut butter sandwiches and an apple before heading back to his afternoon classes.
Circle the correct answer:
1. On weekends, Holden works as a / an parking attendant.
2. My uncle drove a / an Audi for years.
Write original sentences using these words:
1. a:
2. an:
Chapter 5 • Word Parts and Challenging Words 55
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Idioms to Know
Hit the hay: To go to bed or to sleep.
I was exhausted at eight o’clock, so I decided to hit the hay.
Write an original sentence using hit the hay:
Graveyard shift: To work late hours, such as from midnight to 8:00 A.M.
I work the graveyard shift at the plant so I can take classes in the
morning hours.
Write an original sentence using graveyard shift:
56 Part One • Word Parts and Challenging Words
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