Semester 2 Vocabulary Flashcards by Jason Gilmore

Mr. Gilmore wants his students to become not only successful, but also __________. After all, the best part of success is selflessly sharing it with others.

altruistic (adj) Selfless, unselfish Noun form = altruism

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Christian learned that staying up all night can have a __________ effect on your exam grades. Unable to focus, he failed every subject.

detrimental (adj) negative, injurious, harmful causing harm or injury noun form = detriment

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During the Ebola outbreak, many doctors and nurses placed themselves in harm’s way to help patients. Refusing to think of themselves, they proved to be some of the most __________ people alive.

altruistic (adj) Selfless, unselfish Noun form = altruism

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Mr. Gilmore tries to __________ the impact of technology on his students’ attention span by asking that phones be put away.

mitigate (verb) reduce, diminish, lessen, take the edge off noun form = mitigation

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Many scientists argue that, in order to __________ the effect of climate change, it’s important to act now rather than later.

mitigate (verb) reduce, diminish, lessen, take the edge off noun form = mitigation

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Jason was snowmobiling in the woods when, in his __________ vision, he glimpsed a monstrous bear charging at him. He turned toward it just in time to scream as it leaped atop him.

peripheral (adjective) Meaning A Meaning A: on or near an edge Meaning B: irrelevant, minor, unimportant noun form = periphery

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Ava argued to Mr. Gilmore that her quiz score was low because she had a stomach ache. “That’s a __________ issue, Ava,” Mr. Gilmore replied. “The real problem is that you slept through the entire quiz.”

peripheral (adjective) Meaning B Meaning A: on or near an edge Meaning B: irrelevant, minor, unimportant noun form = periphery

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After major wars, many countries erect statues and monuments to __________ the memory of fallen soldiers.

perpetuate (verb) keep (something) alive, keep (something) going, preserve (something), cause (something) to continue or prevail

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After the Civil War, Jim Crow laws - designed to limit the rights of African Americans - __________ the conditions that former slaves lived in.

perpetuated (verb) keep (something) alive, keep (something) going, preserve (something), cause (something) to continue or prevail

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“Dan, are you awake?” Mr. Gilmore asked. Dan lifted his head from his desk and gave Mr. Gilmore a __________ nod. “Yeah, sorry. I’m just tired.”

sluggish (adj) slow, lazy, lethargic, unenergetic adverb form = sluggishly

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“If I see one more phone,” Mr. Gilmore began, his tone __________, “I will confiscate it and grind it beneath my heel.”

terse (adj) brusque, abrupt, blunt, short Often said in a brief, commanding sort of way that suggests the speaker is a bit pissed off or impatient. adverb form = tersely (similar to brusquely, shortly)

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Tired of Gilmore’s constant verbal attacks, Charles issued a him a __________ warning. “You need to stop messing with me,” he said. “I am DONE.”

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The standoff between Iran and the United states was undoubtedly tense, and the whole world watched the __________ situation with held breath.

volatile (adj) unpredictable, unstable, tense, in turmoil, volcanic, back-and-forth noun form = volatility

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Phil was one of Mr. Gilmore’s most __________ students. One day he would laugh at his teacher’s jokes, and the next he would jump kick the poor Mr. Gilmore in the face.

volatile (adj) unpredictable, unstable, tense, in turmoil, volcanic (explosive), back-and-forth noun form = volatility

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Shay had a penchant for breaking out into song halfway through class. Though some thought it odd, her classmates thought it was an entertaining __________.

idiosyncrasy (noun) plural = idiosyncrasies. an odd personal trait, quirk, peculiarity, eccentricity, oddity, adjective form = idiosyncratic

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One of Mr. gilmore’s most visible __________ is the way he procrastinates in getting a haircut. His hair is far too long, but his shabby looks are one of the things that make him unique!

idiosyncrasies (noun) singular = idiosyncrasy an odd personal trait, quirk, peculiarity, eccentricity, oddity, adjective form = idiosyncratic

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When faced with an impossible exam, some students resort to __________ to get by. Sneakily marking the answers on their forearms or on the bottom of their shoes, they avoid detection and succeed.

guile (noun) Sneakiness, cleverness, cunning, craftiness, slyness, deception

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One of the most enjoyable parts of teaching is the ongoing battle of wits between honest teacher and sneaky student. The greatest opponents Mr. Gilmore faces are those who possess ______, for it is a challenge to catch them in the act of misbehaving.

guile (noun) Sneakiness, cleverness, cunning, craftiness, slyness, deception

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Mr. Gilmore knows just how much his students look up to him because he is a trend setter. After he began wearing flannel every Friday, his students started to __________ him. Before long, everyone celebrated Flannel Friday.

emulate (verb) mimic, imitate, copy, take as an example

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Some gamers don’t own a particular console, so they use a computer to _________ it. The computer imitates the console and they can play whatever game they choose.

emulate (verb) mimic, imitate, copy, take as an example

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There is great __________ in Congress regarding whether or not to impeach the president.

dissent (noun) disagreement, difference of opinion, argument, debate Connotation: Dissent is often used to describe unfriendly disagreement, but sometimes the disagreement can be friendly

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In this class, we practice listening to differing opinions during Socratic without becoming defensive or frustrated with one another. In this way, we learn to tolerate __________.

dissent (noun) disagreement, difference of opinion, argument, debate Connotation: Dissent is often used to describe unfriendly disagreement, but sometimes the disagreement can be friendly

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Last summer, when I was camping, we placed our tent too close to the fire and a stray spark landed on it. In moments, the entire camp was afire. The __________ spread through the woods, forcing everyone to evacuate.

conflagration (noun) an uncontrolled fire, an inferno, a firestorm

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Relax! You’re doing well!

Seriously, nerd. Chill out. Everything’s fine!

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Whenever I have a headache, I take painkillers to _______________ my pain.

Alleviate (verb) to lessen or MITIGATE suffering/a problem

When Mr. Gilmore was in school, the primary reason he underperformed in classes was because he was disorganized. To _______________ the issue, his teachers forced him to carry everything in a binder. Once he stopped losing work, his grades rose.

Alleviate (verb) to lessen or MITIGATE suffering/a problem

Charles sometimes grew frustrated with the scatterbrained Mr. Gilmore because his expectations were so very unclear. When Charles compared his paper to Charlotte's, the difference was \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, but the papers had earned very different grades.

Ambiguous (adj). Unclear or inexact. Uncertain.

One of the hardest parts of growing up is realizing that the world is far less simple than you once believed it to be. Right and wrong aren't as clear as the difference between black and white, and the "right thing" can sometimes be \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.

Ambiguous (adj). Unclear or inexact. Uncertain.

Mr. Gilmore started class with one of his famous _______________ about his childhood. "When I was a kid," he said, "we roller bladed all around town with sticks and had giant battles in the middle of the street."

anecdotes (noun) A short, true story about a person a short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.

"It's time we get to the bottom of this," Mr. Gilmore said, glowering at the two students who had been caught fighting. "Tell me what happened." Though he did his best to figure out the truth of what happened, the _______________ between the two students' stories made it impossible to figure out the actual events.

Discrepancy (noun) A difference between facts, especially when trying to figure out the truth between two different versions of events.

Ava felt nothing but _______________ for Mr. Gilmore. He spent so much time trying to make his class laugh that he inevitably taught them little, and she felt he was an utter waste of her time.

disdain (noun) the feeling that someone or something is unworthy of one's consideration or respect; contempt. Synonyms: disrespect, contempt, to look down upon disdain can also function as a verb: meaning: to consider to be unworthy of one's consideration.

Mr. Gilmore _______________ incomplete work, as it does not represent what students are actually capable of. Whenever he encounters it, he snorts in derision and throws it in the trash.

Disdains (verb) meaning: to consider to be unworthy of one's consideration. disdain (noun) the feeling that someone or something is unworthy of one's consideration or respect; contempt. Synonyms: disrespect, contempt, to look down upon

I came to a fork in the road where two _______________ paths continued in two very different directions.

divergent (adj) Developing in different directions Verb form = diverge

Apes and humans are examples of _______________ evolution, where two species that were once the same developed in radically different directions.

divergent (adj) Developing in different directions Verb form = diverge

At the end of second quarter, Tony was _______________ with work. There was so much to do that he sometimes felt as if he might drown.

inundated (verb) **Meaning 1: overwhelm (someone) with things or people to be dealt with.** Meaning 2: flood

Last Autumn, intense rains _______________ my front yard, and I was forced to paddle a canoe to the bus stop.

inundated (verb) Meaning 1: overwhelm (someone) with things or people to be dealt with. **Meaning 2: flood**

Hanny rolled her eyes as Mr. Gilmore strode into class wearing a leopard-print suit and a matching fedora. His _______________ dress was obviously a plea for attention. How pathetic.

ostentatious (adj) Designed to impress or attract notice Can refer to either behavior or dress

Ever the sycophant, Christian did whatever Joe asked of him without question. "Do, like, forty backflips" Joe ordered. "Yes, sir," Christian said, bowing his head in a _______________ manner.

servile (adj) having or showing an excessive willingness to serve or please others. The kind of behavior that a SYCOPHANT might show

The _______________ deadline for our next project is March 22nd. Stay tuned, though, because it may very well change.

tentative (adj) **Meaning 1: Not certain, undecided** Meaning 2: Uncertain, hesitant, showing lack of confidence or decisiveness

Darin took a _______________ step into the classroom. He had ninja senses and was sure that he detected a trap. Sure enough, a poison arrow shot through the space where his heart would have been had he taken that step.

tentative (adj) Meaning 1: Not certain, undecided **Meaning 2: Uncertain, hesitant, showing lack of confidence or decisiveness. Can also refer to carefulness.**

Today was the day. Bella had long dreamed of this. After half a year of torment, she would finally _______________ Mr. Gilmore's position as head of the classroom. Once she was in control, she would surely change the way things ran around here.

usurp (verb) take (a position of power or importance) illegally or by force.

Chill out, nerd!

Keep it up!

Darin and his classmates attempted to _______________ Ash by telling her that the "thneeds" in The Lorax were real.

hoodwink (verb) tricked, deceived

Jonny showed up to homecoming and attempted to steal the show by moonwalking across the dance floor. His attempt was a complete \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_; he broke his ankle and ended up sobbing uncontrollably while the entire school watched.

fiasco (noun) A complete failure - usually humiliating or embarrassing

One Friday, Zach left a bag of dog crap under Mr. Gilmore's desk just before the end of the day. When he returned on Monday, Mr. Gilmore stepped into his class, sniffed, and covered his mouth. The classroom _______________ so bad that he almost threw up.

reeked (verb) smells bad/smells terrible

Prior to homecoming, Jonny spent at least two hours in front of the mirror. When he was done _____________ himself, he patted his hair. He was convinced that hair was a work of art, and that Leonardo DaVinci himself would be impressed by it.

primping = gerund form (noun) usually written as "primping himself" or "primping herself." "Primping" is more common than primp or primped. Primp, primped, primping to spend time making minor adjustment's to one's appearance or clothes

Due to his \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, Tony was convinced that his teachers secretly conspired to fail him in all his classes. No, it couldn't possibly be his fault. There was *definitely* a conspiracy against him. In fact, it surely wasn't limited to his teachers! Maybe the government was in on it as well...

paranoia (noun) persistent feelings of fear - usually extreme. More than just mere anxiety. paranoid (adjective)

Jason decided that he really didn't feel like going to class, but he knew he would get in trouble if Mr. Gilmore marked him as absent. In an attempt to hoodwink Mr. Gilmore, Jason created a _______________ to distract him. It was a mannequin that was the same size as Jason, and if angled it the right way then Mr. Gilmore wouldn't realize that Jason wasn't even there. It was a brilliant plan.

Decoy (noun) A person, thing, or event meant to distract someone or something Can also function as a verb (decoy, decoyed, decoying)

When Mr. Gilmore found out that his class was cheating on their vocab quizzes by using sign language to communicate answers, he was absolutely \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. He spent at least fifteen minutes yelling and screaming before, exhausted, he took a nap at his desk.

Livid (adjective) Extremely angry

Mr. Gilmore told his class that there would be homework, but as the bell rang it was clear he had forgotten. The class was ecstatic - no homework! What a treat! And then, unprompted, Payton gasped. "Mr. Gilmore! You said there would be homework!" The class groaned in unison, their hopes dashed. Payton was such a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_...

Killjoy (noun) Someone who ruins others' fun. Someone who **kills** the **joy** of others.

Phil took a deep breath. It was time for class, and he'd forgotten his homework. He sat in his seat and waited for Mr. Gilmore to come around. He knew he couldn't tell the truth - that he was up late playing really lame phone games. Mr. Gilmore was a real gamer, and he wouldn't respect that. "Homework?" Mr. Gilmore asked. "I accidentally flushed it down the toilet," Phil \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. "It's... a long story." Mr. Gilmore blinked. "I don't even want to know."

bluffed (verb) bluff - to lie can also be a noun (a bluff) Alternatively, it's a word that describes a land feature.

Mr. Gilmore walked back and forth in front of the class. "Your mission, whether or not you choose to accept it, is as follows. You will create a statue of me. Your _______________ is to create a piece of art that captures my majesty. If you fail to meet that \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, I will know that you don't admire me as much as you should and you will consequently fail my class."

objective (noun) task or goal

There is an art to drinking coffee, and an expert like Mr. Gilmore knows that the first cup brewed is the best, because it is free of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. If you get the last cup, you'll be forced to chew the tiny coffee grounds that inevitably make it through the filter.

dregs (noun) 1. The leftover parts of material in a liquid, such as coffee dregs or tea dregs 2. The most worthless parts of something (ie: "the dregs of society" is a derogatory term used to refer to the lower classes)

I just wanted to let you know that you're a nerd.

Yes, you!

One of the highlights of Mr. Gilmore's day is getting to watch students _______________ on quizzes. There's just something so satisfying about the confused looks on their faces and the way they mutter, "What the heck does this even mean?" to themselves. Yes, students' confusion truly is the best part of teaching.

flounder (verb) ``` to struggle (mentally) to show lots of confusion ```

Mr. Gilmore always reminds his students that it's not enough to share your opinion. You have to ____________________ your opinion with facts.

Substantiate (verb) To provide evidence that supports or proves your point

To be an artist, you need to develop an eye for what is appealing to a viewer. Unfortunately, a strong ____________________ sense is something that is difficult to teach. Many believe that great artists are born with this sense.

aesthetic (adj) Having to do with beauty An "aesthetic sense" is a sense of what is beautiful or appealing to the eye

One of my favorite things to do is to rearrange the furniture and decorations in my house. I find that arranging things in an appealing way gives me great ____________________ pleasure.

aesthetic (adj) Having to do with beauty An "aesthetic sense" is a sense of what is beautiful or appealing to the eye

The class was divided about Mr. Gilmore. "On the one hand," said Bella, "he gives us way too much homework. I can't stand the guy." "On the other hand," said Phil, "he's hilarious. I love the guy." "I'm kind of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_," said Zach. "I see both sides."

ambivalent (adj.) To have mixed feelings about To have contradictory feelings about To be stuck in the middle because you get both sides

Some people feel that, in order for mankind to be truly happy, our society has to develop. Since there have been few big changes lately, they fear that our society is instead \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, and that we need to work harder to find new ways of looking at things.

static (adj.) Unchanging (in a bad way) Not moving (in a bad way)

No matter how many assignments I make up, it seems like my grade remains \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. I need to find a way to bring it up before the end of the quarter.

static (adj.) Unchanging (in a bad way) Not moving (in a bad way)

Mr. Gilmore's freshman classes were \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. Things were never the same day-to-day, and he always looked forward to trying new activities they'd never tried before.

``` dynamic (adj.) Constantly changing (in a good way) ``` Energetic and active (used to refer to a person)

Many people have wracked their brains to come up with ways to take on global warming. One ____________________ solution is to capture carbon in the soil. This would be possible because it's a solution that could work not only for the environment, but also for business.

viable (adj.) Possible, feasible, capable A solution that is viable is one that COULD ACTUALLY WORK!

I kicked the log and it split open. Inside, it was ____________________ with innumerable ants. They swarmed all over me and ate me alive. How am I writing this if I was eaten by ants? Good question.

teeming (verb - gerund) to be full or swarming with to teem

Some people don't have a strong reaction to coffee, but for Mr. Gilmore it is more ____________________ than an energy drink. He becomes so hyperactive that he is unable to sleep for days on end.

potent (adj.) Powerful, influential, effective

When you're a new teacher, it's easy to be idealistic. You think that every lesson you teach will be inspirational, every assignment a creative masterpiece. As the years go on, you become increasingly \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. Some assignments will go over well, but there will be some days that you have to adjust to challenges you didn't anticipate. Eventually, this realistic approach proves to be far more effective than mere idealism.

pragmatic (adj.) Practical, realistic, sensible Can describe a person as well as a solution, an approach, etc.

Mr. Gilmore seemed ____________________ on the first day of school. He wore a tie and a jacket, as well as shiny black shoes that reflected the fluorescent lights of the classroom. In fact, he was so well-put-together that he was rather intimidating. Eventually, his students learned that he's actually a bit of a bum. On most days, he wears ugly flannels and lame sneakers. Indimidating? Perhaps not.

imposing (adj.) Intimidating, grand and impressive in appearance

At the start of the quarter, it's normal for your grade to ____________________ a great deal. When there are only a few assignments in the grade book, each one can move your grade up or down more easily than were they later in the quarter.

Fluctuate (verb) To frequently rise and fall

When the phones went down, Mr. Gilmore ____________________ a student to the office to deliver his attendance.

dispatched (verb) To send someone off with a message, to send a messenger

Q: What has two thumbs and is studying Brainscape right now?

A: A nerd.