WORD DEFINITION LATIN ROOT/MEANING
acronym– (n) a word formed from the initial acro– top, height, beginning
letters or groups of letters of words
ambivalence– (n) uncertainty, especially when ambi– both
caused by inability to make a choice
equanimity– (n) mental or emotional stability anim– life, spirit
or composure
aphorism– (n) a terse saying embodying a apo– away, separate
general truth, or astute observation
hydrophobia– (n) intense fear of water hydr– liquid, water
fallacious– (adj) deceptive; misleading fall– deceive
placate– (v) to appease or pacify plac– please
derision– (n) ridicule; mockery resi– laughter
vicarious– (adj) taking the place of another vic– change
person or thing
malevolent– (adj) wishing evil or harm to voi- will
another or others
Practice your command of the vocabulary words by using the words to complete the following story; a selection can only be used once.
The Underlings
Catan and Damian were twin brothers who lived in an obscure valley far below the rest of their neighbors in a remote rural village. The boys, now in their teenage years, had lived on their own since their parents left them when they were young. Some of the village children used _1_ to make fun of the boys who they called the underlings because they lived so far removed from the village. Catan was a _2_ boy who was preoccupied with terrible plans on how to seek revenge on his tormentors. Damian, on the other hand, was always attempting to _3_ his brother’s ill-manner with advice such as, “Don’t listen to those kids” or “Try to think of something nice.” Catan was fond of cats perhaps because the first three letters of his name spelled C-a-t, but whatever the reason he was preoccupied with the domestic felines. Whenever Catan wrote he would deliberately use words that would form the _4_ CAT, such as “Call any time”, or “Crawly antelope’s tongue” and other such nonsense. The boy was undeniably strange.
Damian had a friend from the village, a lovely girl who would sneak away to visit Damian. In time Damian came to love the fair-haired matron from the village. Her name was Eloise. Eloise also came from a troubled past but her _5_ impressed Damian; she was always, it seemed, in control of her emotions and feelings. Poor Eloise, however, had an intense case of _6_ and even on the warmest days she refused to swim in the lake or wash her beautiful long golden hair in the stream. She could only drink water if her eyes were closed and she would only bathe with a blindfold over her eyes and cotton in her ears.
Catan was jealous of Eloise’s relationship with her brother and Catan devised a ruthless
and _7_ plan to get rid of Eloise once and for all. One day when Damian was sent away by Catan on a wild goose chase the troubling brother, in a _8_ manner assumed his brother’s identity and as he was walking Eloise near the lake Catan shoved the poor girl into the water. Eloise was terrified and shock that Damian would do such a terrible deed and she uttered a piercing _9_, “You are not the Damian that I grew to love.” She emerged from the lake weeping hysterically and never returned to visit poor Damian ever again.
Years later Damian too grew to be as angry as his brother. When he threatened on the day that Eloise was married “Eloise will pay for being so cruel!”
Catan replied, with a villainous smirk, “Brother do not fault her _10_ towards you, she likely had good reason to refuse you. Did you ever steal her umbrella from her on a rainy day?”
