Lesson 4 Flashcards
vapor
moisture in the air that can be seen; fog; mist
a. Scientists have devised* methods for trapping vapor in bottles so they can study its make-up.
b. He has gathered data* on the amount of vapor rising from the swamp.
c. A vapor trail is the visible* stream of moisture left by the engines of a jet flying at high altitudes.
eliminate
get rid of; remove; omit
a. When the railroad tracks are raised, the danger of crossing will be eliminated.
b. When figuring the cost of a car, eliminate such extras as air conditioning.
C. If we were to eliminate all reclining* chairs, no one would fall asleep while watching television.
villain
a very wicked person
a. A typical* moving picture villain gets killed at the end.
b. The villain concealed* the corpse* in the cellar.
c. When the villain fell down the well, everyone lived happily ever after.
dense
closely packed together; thick
a. The dense leaves on the trees let in a minimum* of sunlight.
b. We couldn’t row because of the dense weeds in the lake.
c. His keen* knife cut through the dense jungle.
utilize
make use of
a. No one seems willing to utilize this vacant* house.
b. The gardener was eager to utilize different flowers and blend* them in order to beautify the borders.
c. Does your mother utilize leftovers in her cooking?
humid
moist; damp
a. It was so humid in our classroom that we wished the school would buy an air conditioner.
b. New Yorkers usually complain in the summer of the humid air.
c. Most people believe that ocean air is quite humid.
theory
explanation based on thought, observation, or reasoning
a. Einstein’s theory is really too difficult for the average person to understand.
b. My uncle has a theory about the effect of weather on baseball batters.
c. No one has advanced a theory explaining the beginnings of writing.
descend
go or come down from a higher place to a lower level
a. If we let the air out of a balloon, it will have to descend.
b. The pilot, thinking his plane was in peril,* descended quickly.
c. Knowing her beau* was waiting at the bottom of the staircase, Eleanor
circulate
go around; go from place to place or person to person
a. A fan may circulate the air in summer, but it doesn’t cool it.
b. My father circulated among the guests at the party and made them feel comfortable.
c. Hot water circulates through the pipes in the building, keeping the room warm.
enormous
extremely large; huge
a. The enormous crab moved across the ocean floor in search of food.
b. Public hangings once drew enormous crowds.
c. The gallant* knight drew his sword and killed the enormous dragon.
predict
tell beforehand
a. Weathermen can predict the weather correctly most of the time.
b. Who can predict the winner of the Superbowl this year?
c. Laura thought she could predict what I would do, but she was wrong.
vanish
disappear; disappear suddenly
a. Even in California the sun will sometimes vanish behind a cloud.
b. Not even a powerful witch can make a jealous* lover vanish.
c. Give him a week without a job and all his money will vanish.
