Short Story Unit

Prep English I –  Short Stories ( “The Lady or the Tiger”)  – Vocabulary List – #1

 1. barbaric (adjective) – brutal, savage, harsh, uncivilized – living like an animal or a “cave-man” –

2. florid  (adjective) – flowery, ornate or full of strange designs and patterns –

3. untrammeled  (adjective) – unrestrained or uncaged (nothing is “holding it back”)

4. exuberant (adjective) – full of energy and pep; excited, enthusiastic –

5. fancies (noun)  – preferences, fondness for; wild, far-fetched desires like in daydreams

6. bland  (adjective) – mild, calm, easy-going, not too hot or spicy, not pushy or over-bearing

7. genial (adjective) – friendly, hospitable, welcoming, cordial, amiable, down-to-earth –

8. impartial (adjective) – neutral, unbiased, objective, fair-minded

9. doleful (adjective) – sad, melancholy, in a “down” mood

10. retribution (noun) – punishment or pay-back for evil

11. choristers (noun) – singers in a chorus or choir

12. courtiers (noun) – advisors to the king; flatterers

13. aesthetic  (adjective) – relating to beauty or beautiful objects (Art)

14. imperious (adjective) – bossy, arrogant

15. ardor (noun) –  deep affection for someone or something

16. waver (verb) – to go back and forth in a state of indecision

17. moiety (noun) – half of something

18. tribunal (noun) – panel of judges or courtroom trial presided over by judges

19. parapet (noun) – a low wall or railing

20. deliberation (noun) – the process of deciding something

 

Prep English I  – Short Stories – Vocabulary List #2

1. squint (verb) – to glance at sidewise

2. embryo (noun) – an organism at the beginning stages of life

3. stupor (noun) – unconscious or exhausted, stupefied, virtually unconscious and unresponsive

4. artery (noun) – blood vessel carrying blood to various parts of the body

5. implacable (adj) – relentless, inflexible, intractable, iron-fisted, pitiless, not easily appeased or satisfied

6. leisure (noun) – time free from work or chores

7. periphery (noun) – the edge or boundary of something

8. tint (noun) – a shade or gradation of color

9. reticent (adj) – non-talkative, quiet, reserved, taciturn, laconic, using only a few words at a time –

10. reverence (noun)  – deep respect and admiration for; holding someone or something in awe –

11. sanctimonious (adj) – acting morally self-righteous; showy, hypocritical, overly pious; acting “holier than thou” –

12. tattered (adj) – ragged, ripped up, torn to shreds

13. splayed (adj) spread out (as in on the floor); expanded, prone, prostrate –

14. tentative (adj) – hesitant, wavering, not fully decided or committed to

15. vigilance (noun) – watchful, attentive, standing guard over –

16. impediments (noun) – obstacles, hindrances, things that “get in the way” –

17. calibrate (verb) to mark, set or determine the correct range of a measuring instrument

18. symmetry (noun) – balance and proportion in size and shape; equal on both sides, not oblong or lop-sided –

19. cower/ing (verb/adj) – to hide or draw back in fear

20.  flounce (verb) – to throw one’s body about in a wild and irregular manner –

 

“The Jam” by Henry Slesar

squinting         embryo            stupor

artery              clot                   reptile

chorus            implacably       accumulated

whimpered    sopping            hoarsely

 “The Lady or the Tiger” by Frank Stockton

barbaric         florid                untrammeled

exuberant      fancies             bland

genial            impartial           doleful

retribution     choristers         courtiers

aesthetic       imperious         ardor

waver            moiety                tribunal

parapet         deliberation

“The Beginning of Grief” by Larry Woiwode

leisure           periphery           sheen

tint                 reticent              maneuver

reverence     sanctimonious

tattered         splayed            tentative/ly

“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut

vigilance       impediments       luminous

squawk        calibrate              symmetry

cowering      flounce                gambol

hindrances