Lesson 10 Flashcards
excel
be better than; do better than
a. Because he was so small, Larry could not excel in sports.
b. At least Hannah had the security* of knowing that she excelled in swimming.
c. Clarence Darrow wanted to become a prominent* lawyer, but he felt that he must first excel in the study of history.
feminine
of women or girls
a. When my sister wants to look feminine she changes from dungarees into a dress.
b. Aunt Sarah can always be counted on to give the feminine viewpoint.
c. My brother is ashamed to cry at a sad movie because people might think he is behaving in a feminine manner.
mount
get up on
a. Congressman Jones mounted the platform to make his speech.
b. The watchman mounted the tower to see if there were any people in the vicinity.*
c. My sister couldn’t mount the horse so they gave her a pony instead.
compete
try hard to get something wanted by others; be a rival
a. The former champion was challenged * to compete for the tennis title.
b. The runner was reluctant* to compete in front of his parents for the first time.
c. When the amateur* became a pro he had to compete against better men.
dread
look forward to with fear; tear greatly; causing great fear
a. The poor student dreaded going to school each morning.
b. He had a dread feeling about the challenge* he was about to face.
c. I dread going into that deserted house.
masculine
of man; male
a. The boy became more masculine as he got older.
b. It is undeniable* that his beard makes him look masculine.
c. The girls liked Jerry because of his masculine ways.
menace
threat
a. Irv’s lack* of respect made him a menace to his parents.
b. The torrents* of rain were a menace to the farmer’s crops.
c. Sergeant Foy’s raw language was an obvious* menace to the reputation of the entire police department.
tendency
leaning; movement in a certain direction
a. My algebra teacher has a tendency to forget the students’ names.
b. His tendency was to work hard in the morning and then to take it easy in the afternoon.
c. The tendency in all human beings is to try to survive.*
underestimate
set too low a value, amount, or rate
a. I admit that I underestimated the power in the bulky* fighter’s frame.
b. Undoubtedly* the boss underestimated his employee’s* ability to work hard.
c. The value of our house was underestimated by at least two thousand dollars.
victorious
having won a victory; conquering
a. Playing in New Jersey, the Jets were victorious two years in a row.
b. Terry faced the challenge* with the bad attitude that he could not be victorious.
c. Our girls’ volleyball squad was victorious over a taller team.
numerous
very many; several
a. Critics review numerous movies every week.
b. Dr. Fischer had resisted* accepting money from the poor woman on numerous house calls.
c. The debater* used numerous documents* to back up his statements.
flexible
easily bent; willing to yield
a. The toy was flexible, and the baby could bend it easily.
b. Remaining flexible, Nick listened to arguments from both sides
c. A mouse’s flexible body allows it to squeeze through narrow openings
