VocabularyWeek Four

Welcome, Word Workers!

ADJECTIVES

The part of speech that describes a person, place, thing, or idea

[Esperanza] woke up to Lupe’s whimpering and an atrocious smell. Brown liquid leaked from her diaper (141).

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Synonyms My own sentence

atrociousvery bad;extremely evil or cruel;ugly to look at

The sour milk had an atrocious smell.

Did you see her atrocious dress? I can’t believe she paid for that!

terribleawfulhorrible

Noun => atrocityDef. a cruel actEx. The Holocaust was an atrocity.

There was no relief from the heat in the closed room and soon the air was hazy (149).

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Synonyms My own sentence

hazyunclear, especially because of a mist, cloud, or smoke

unclearmistyfoggycloudy

The teacher’s explanation was hazy.

It was a hazy morning in London, England.

Marta walked into the cabin, her skin covered with an eerie brown chalkiness… (150)

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Synonyms My own sentence

eeriecreepy or unusual in a way that suggests a connection with the supernatural

creepystrangeghostlyscary No one could convince me to go

inside the eerie mansion.

“For those who live here most of their lives, they are naturally immunized. It is hardest on adults who move here and are not accustomed to the agricultural dirt”(156).

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Synonyms My own sentence

immune

Noun => immunityVerb => immunize

safe from disease;not affected by something

Now that I got a shot, I am immune to the flu.

Go ahead and call me names!I am immune to all insults.

protectedsafeuntouchableinvulnerable

• The __________ teacher gave Timmy the worst punishment.

• A. atrocious• B. eerie• C. hazy• D. immune

Check for Understanding

• Timmy had only asked a question to make sense of the teacher’s _______ lesson.

• A. atrocious• B. eerie• C. hazy• D. immune

Check for Understanding

Check for Understanding

• Timmy surely would not be __________ to the tiger’s sharp claws.

• A. atrocious• B. eerie• C. hazy• D. immune

• The __________ classroom was haunted by ghosts of children that had been fed to the tiger.

• A. atrocious• B. eerie• C. hazy• D. immune

Check for Understanding

NOUNS

The part of speech that names a person, place, thing, or idea

[Valley Fever] is a disease of the lungs … some people will have no symptoms at all. Some will feel like they have the flu for a few days. And others, for whatever reason, cannot fight the infection and get very sick (156).

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Synonyms My own sentence

symptoma warning sign of disease, experienced by the patient

Some symptoms of meningitis include a serious headache, a stiff neck, and disliking bright lights.

indicationsign

Some symptoms of a cheating partner include excuses, emotional disconnect, and a need for privacy.

Esperanza stared straight into the alley of light made from the truck’s headlamps, feeling as if she were in a trance (163).

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Synonyms My own sentence

trancea state in which someone is mesmerized and does not respond to world around them

entrance = mesmerize

dazespelldaydream

The snake charmer put the snake into a trance.

“We have heard that they have sent people whose families have lived here for generations, those who are citizens and have never been to Mexico” (171).

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Synonyms My own sentence

generation1. one step in the descent of a family

“People try to put us down… talkin’ ‘bout my generation!”

I am the first generation in my family’s history to be born in the United States.

2. a group of people about the same age, having similar ideas and problems

1. step in family history

2. age group contemporaries

Alfonso and Hortensia offered to help but they had done so much already and they did not have much to spare. Besides, she could not accept their charity forever.

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Synonyms My own sentence

charitymoney, materials, or help given to people in need

an organization that gives money to people in need

aiddonationshelpassistance

aid organization

I gave part of my pay check to a charity that helps kids with cancer.

Adjective => charitable

Check for Understanding

• If Tony dies from the swine flu, he may be the last ______________ of his family.

• A. symptom

• B. trance

• C. generation

• D. charity

Check for Understanding

• One ______________ of the swine flu is growing a snout. (Just kidding!)

• A. symptom

• B. trance

• C. generation

• D. charity

Check for Understanding

• Would you be interested in donating money to a _____________ that helps people who have swine flu?

• A. symptom

• B. trance

• C. generation

• D. charity

Check for Understanding

• When the doctors first saw Tony’s snout, they were stuck in a _______________.

• A. symptom

• B. trance

• C. generation

• D. charity

VERBS

The part of speech that represents an action or state of being

[Esperanza] let the babies have their fill [of [plums] until they started fussing and reaching for their bottles of milk (140).

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Synonyms My own sentence

fussto keep moving or touch something nervously

to worry about detailsfiddle with

fretworry The woman would not stop

fussing about her dress.

As a noun, fuss means commotion

The wind stopped, but the dust still swirled as if propelled by its own power (149).

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Synonyms My own sentence

propelto move or push somebody forward

pushdriveforceboostthrust

propellerThe motor propelled the jet ski.

The teacher propelled the students to success.

It is a lot of strain on the body to cope with so many emotions at a time (163).

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Synonyms My own sentence

copeto deal with a difficult problem

managehandledeal with

To cope with his stress, James took a break from studying and went to the gym to exercise.

[Esperanza] repeated Hortensia’s recipe and as she sat for the second time with her hands smothered, she realized that it wouldn’t matter how much avocado she put on them, they would never look like the hands of a wealthy woman (182).

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Synonyms My own sentence

smotherto cover something with a thick layer of something else

I smothered my pancakes in syrup.

put oncover

Check for Understanding

• For Noah, the most difficult animal to ___________ with was the woodpecker.

• A. fuss

• B. cope

• C. propel

• D. smother

• Maybe Noah should have __________ more about who should be allowed on the ship.

• A. fussed

• B. coped

• C. propelled

• D. smothered

Check for Understanding

• After Noah caught the woodpecker, he ______________ it with a pillow.

• A. fussed

• B. coped

• C. propelled

• D. smothered

Check for Understanding

• Did Noah’s ark even have a motor to ___________ it forward?

• A. fuss

• B. cope

• C. propel

• D. smother

Check for Understanding