1. Unit Five: Chapter 23 • ameliorate • negate • assent • potent
• haphazard • rigorous
• incontrovertible • spurious
• intangible • therapeutic
Page 128 in textbook.

2. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 1 ameliorate – verb Ameliorate means
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 ameliorate
– verb
• The precinct Outreach Committee was established to ameliorate troublesome police-community relations.
• Strained communication between parents and kids can often be ameliorated by just a few meetings with a family therapist.
Ameliorate means
A. to improve.
B. to make worse.
C. to end.
Page 128 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.
Photo: Environmental Protection Agency

3. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 1 ameliorate – verb Ameliorate means
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 ameliorate
– verb
• The precinct Outreach Committee was established to ameliorate troublesome police-community relations.
• Strained communication between parents and kids can often be ameliorated by just a few meetings with a family therapist.
Ameliorate means
A. to improve.
B. to make worse.
C. to end.
Page 128 in textbook.
The police precinct would want to improve troublesome relations with the community. A family therapist’s goal is to improve strained communication among family members.
Photo: Environmental Protection Agency

4. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 2 assent – verb Assent means
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 assent
– verb
• A doctor wrote a book advising parents to let their kids live on candy if that’s what the kids wanted. Most parents would not assent to this proposal, though.
• When a motion is voted on in a formal meeting, the “ayes,” or “yes” votes, are those who assent. The “nays,” or “no” votes, are those who disagree.
Assent means
A. to express agreement.
B. to have a different opinion.
C. not to care.
Page 128 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.
Photo: U.S. Navy – Erica R. Gardner

5. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 2 assent – verb Assent means
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
2 assent
– verb
• A doctor wrote a book advising parents to let their kids live on candy if that’s what the kids wanted. Most parents would not assent to this proposal, though.
• When a motion is voted on in a formal meeting, the “ayes,” or “yes” votes, are those who assent. The “nays,” or “no” votes, are those who disagree.
Assent means
A. to express agreement.
B. to have a different opinion.
C. not to care.
Page 128 in textbook.
Most parents would not express agreement with advice to let their children live on candy alone. Saying “yes” is one way to express agreement.
Photo: U.S. Navy – Erica R. Gardner

6. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 3 haphazard – adjective Haphazard means A. happy.
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 haphazard
– adjective
• I never make a shopping list; I just wander through the grocery store, picking up items in a haphazard manner.
• Dan did a haphazard job of proofreading his term paper. Consequently, he caught some errors but missed many others.
Haphazard means
A. happy.
B. carefully planned.
C. unplanned.
Page 128 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.

7. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 3 haphazard – adjective Haphazard means A. happy.
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
3 haphazard
– adjective
• I never make a shopping list; I just wander through the grocery store, picking up items in a haphazard manner.
• Dan did a haphazard job of proofreading his term paper. Consequently, he caught some errors but missed many others.
Haphazard means
A. happy.
B. carefully planned.
C. unplanned.
Page 128 in textbook.
Preparing a shopping list ahead of time is contrasted with wandering through a store in an unplanned manner. If Dan caught errors only randomly, then he probably proofread his paper in an unplanned, hit-and-miss fashion.

8. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 4 incontrovertible – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 incontrovertible
– adjective
• It’s incontrovertible that Jeffrey is Paul’s son; he looks exactly like his dad.
• Even in mathematics, there is not always one incontrovertible answer to a problem—sometimes two or more answers can be defended.
Incontrovertible means
A. unknown.
B. mistaken.
C. unquestionable.
Page 128 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.

9. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 4 incontrovertible – adjective
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
4 incontrovertible
– adjective
• It’s incontrovertible that Jeffrey is Paul’s son; he looks exactly like his dad.
• Even in mathematics, there is not always one incontrovertible answer to a problem—sometimes two or more answers can be defended.
Incontrovertible means
A. unknown.
B. mistaken.
C. unquestionable.
Page 128 in textbook.
In the first item, the speaker thinks the identity of the boy’s father is unquestionable because the boy looks exactly like Paul. If more than one answer can be defended, then sometimes there isn’t a single, unquestionable answer to a math problem.

10. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 5 intangible – adjective Intangible means
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 intangible
– adjective
• Although Grandpa died with little money, he left us an intangible legacy: his strength, his warmth, and his honesty.
• As a child, I thought of Christmas in terms of the gifts I’d get. Now I focus on its intangible aspects—family closeness and sharing.
Intangible means
A. not permanent.
B. not important.
C. not touchable.
Page 128 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.

11. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 5 intangible – adjective Intangible means
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
5 intangible
– adjective
• Although Grandpa died with little money, he left us an intangible legacy: his strength, his warmth, and his honesty.
• As a child, I thought of Christmas in terms of the gifts I’d get. Now I focus on its intangible aspects—family closeness and sharing.
Intangible means
A. not permanent.
B. not important.
C. not touchable.
Page 128 in textbook.
Grandpa’s failure to leave his children hard cash is contrasted with his legacy of personality traits that are not touchable—his strength, warmth, and honesty. Material gifts that children receive at Christmas are contrasted with emotional aspects (family closeness and sharing) that are not touchable.

12. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 6 negate – verb Negate means A. to make invalid.
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 negate
– verb
• The jury awarded a million dollars to the accident victim, but the judge later negated that award, reducing it to only a few thousand.
• The board of elections had to negate the results of the mayoral race when it was discovered that many voting machines weren’t working properly.
Negate means
A. to make invalid.
B. to demonstrate.
C. to confirm.
Page 128 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.
Photo: U.S. Department of State

13. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 6 negate – verb Negate means A. to make invalid.
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
6 negate
– verb
• The jury awarded a million dollars to the accident victim, but the judge later negated that award, reducing it to only a few thousand.
• The board of elections had to negate the results of the mayoral race when it was discovered that many voting machines weren’t working properly.
Negate means
A. to make invalid.
B. to demonstrate.
C. to confirm.
Page 128 in textbook.
A judge can override a jury’s decision and make invalid an excessively high award. Malfunctioning voting machines would be a good reason to make election results invalid.
Photo: U.S. Department of State

14. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 7 potent – adjective Potent means A. pure.
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 potent
– adjective
• A child can easily overdose on pills meant to reduce pain and fever—they are potent medicines that need to be given carefully and in the right dosage.
• Alcohol is potent stuff—just as with drugs, one can die from an overdose.
Potent means
A. pure.
B. strong.
C. expensive.
Page 129 in textbook.
Answer: B
The next slide explains the answer.
Photos: tums.com

15. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 7 potent – adjective Potent means A. pure.
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
7 potent
– adjective
• A child can easily overdose on pills meant to reduce pain and fever—they are potent medicines that need to be given carefully and in the right dosage.
• Alcohol is potent stuff—just as with drugs, one can die from an overdose.
Potent means
A. pure.
B. strong.
C. expensive.
Page 129 in textbook
When taken in excess, either medicine or alcohol is strong enough to cause a dangerous, or even deadly overdose.
Photos: tums.com

16. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 8 rigorous – adjective Rigorous means A. easy.
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 rigorous
– adjective
• There are several hiking trails in this area, ranging from easy ones for beginners to rigorous ones for experts.
• Erin is going through rigorous fitness training to get ready to run a marathon next month.
Rigorous means
A. easy.
B. difficult.
C. unfair.
Page 129 in textbook.
Answer: B
The next slide explains the answer.
Photos: Haley Neal from USA (left); U.S. Navy - Brien Aho (right)

17. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 8 rigorous – adjective Rigorous means A. easy.
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
8 rigorous
– adjective
• There are several hiking trails in this area, ranging from easy ones for beginners to rigorous ones for experts.
• Erin is going through rigorous fitness training to get ready to run a marathon next month.
Rigorous means
A. easy.
B. difficult.
C. unfair.
Page 129 in textbook
Photos: Haley Neal from USA (left); U.S. Navy - Brien Aho (right)
Easy beginners’ trails are contrasted with difficult trails for experts. Difficult fitness training programs can help athletes prepare to run marathons.

18. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 9 spurious – adjective Spurious means A. false.
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 spurious
– adjective
• “I asked for real cream for my coffee,” said the customer in the restaurant, “not some spurious, tasteless chemical substitute.”
• When a supposed new work by Beethoven was discovered, music experts came from all over the world to decide if it was real or spurious.
Spurious means
A. false.
B. improved.
C. left over.
Page 129 in textbook.
Answer: A
The next slide explains the answer.

19. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 9 spurious – adjective Spurious means A. false.
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
9 spurious
– adjective
• “I asked for real cream for my coffee,” said the customer in the restaurant, “not some spurious, tasteless chemical substitute.”
• When a supposed new work by Beethoven was discovered, music experts came from all over the world to decide if it was real or spurious.
Spurious means
A. false.
B. improved.
C. left over.
Page 129 in textbook
Real cream is contrasted with a false substitute. Experts were asked to determine if the discovery was a real work by Beethoven or a false imitation.

20. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 10 therapeutic – adjective Therapeutic means
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 therapeutic
– adjective
• Liza had always heard that the “milk” in milkweed gets rid of warts, so she wrote to the Board of Health about it. The reply stated: “Its therapeutic properties, if any, have not been proved.”
• Diego’s insurance company would not pay for his surgery. The company ruled that the operation was experimental and not yet shown to be therapeutic.
Therapeutic means
A. dangerous.
B. magical.
C. healing.
Page 129 in textbook.
Answer: C
The next slide explains the answer.
Photos: U.S. Navy - Christopher L. Clark (left); National Library of Medicine (right)

21. TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT 10 therapeutic – adjective Therapeutic means
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
10 therapeutic
– adjective
• Liza had always heard that the “milk” in milkweed gets rid of warts, so she wrote to the Board of Health about it. The reply stated: “Its therapeutic properties, if any, have not been proved.”
• Diego’s insurance company would not pay for his surgery. The company ruled that the operation was experimental and not yet shown to be therapeutic.
Therapeutic means
A. dangerous.
B. magical.
C. healing.
Page 129 in textbook
Photos: U.S. Navy - Christopher L. Clark (left); National Library of Medicine (right)
Liza asked whether milkweed had the healing effect of removing warts. A procedure is considered “experimental” until it’s proven to have healing benefits.

22. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. ameliorate B. assent C. haphazard
D. incontrovertible
E. intangible
F. negate G. potent H. rigorous
I. spurious
J. therapeutic
1. “You did a really _________ job of mowing the lawn,” Mr. Dixon told his son. “Look—you left strips of tall grass all over the yard.”
2. Exercise not only has salutary° physical effects, improving your health and fitness, but it also has a(n) _________ advantage: it raises your spirits.
Page 130 in textbook.
Answers: 1. haphazard; 2. intangible
The next slide explains the answers.

23. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. ameliorate B. assent C. haphazard
D. incontrovertible
E. intangible
F. negate G. potent H. rigorous
I. spurious
J. therapeutic
1. “You did a really _________ job of mowing the lawn,” Mr. Dixon told his son. “Look—you left strips of tall grass all over the yard.”
haphazard
His mowing was careless since he missed cutting parts of the yard.
2. Exercise not only has salutary° physical effects, improving your health and fitness, but it also has an __________ advantage: it raises your spirits.
intangible
Page 130 in textbook.
A person’s spirits cannot be perceived by touch.

24. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. ameliorate B. assent C. haphazard
D. incontrovertible
E. intangible
F. negate G. potent H. rigorous
I. spurious
J. therapeutic
3. Good study skills are a(n) ________ tool for any student, so schools that create study skills courses have made a judicious° curriculum decision.
4. Sandra wasn’t sure she would make it through the ________ computer programming class, but when it was over, she felt very proud of herself.
Page 130 in textbook.
Answers: 3. potent; 4. rigorous; 5. spurious
The next slide explains the answers.
5. When he was caught with the stolen jewels, the thief made up a(n) ________ story about having found them in an alley. He insisted he had nothing to do with the heist°.

25. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. ameliorate B. assent C. haphazard
D. incontrovertible
E. intangible
F. negate G. potent H. rigorous
I. spurious
J. therapeutic
3. Good study skills are a __________ tool for any student, so schools that create study skills courses have made a judicious° curriculum decision.
potent
It’s wise to teach study skills because they’re powerful tools for success.
4. Sandra wasn’t sure she would make it through the ________ computer programming class, but when it was over, she felt very proud of herself.
rigorous
Page 130 in textbook.
The class must have been challenging if she wondered whether she’d pass.
5. When he was caught with the stolen jewels, the thief made up a ________ story about having found them in an alley. He insisted he had nothing to do with the heist°.
spurious
Since he was caught with the jewels, his story was probably fake.

26. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. ameliorate B. assent C. haphazard
D. incontrovertible
E. intangible
F. negate G. potent H. rigorous
I. spurious
J. therapeutic
6. Jerry is diffident° and shy with women, so he was nervous about asking Zoe to go out with him. He wasn’t sure if she would __________ to the suggestion.
7. The evidence against the accused man is _____________. Even his lawyers admit that he’ll be indicted° and then found guilty.
Page 130 in textbook.
Answers: 6. assent; 7. incontrovertible
The next slide explains the answers.

27. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. ameliorate B. assent C. haphazard
D. incontrovertible
E. intangible
F. negate G. potent H. rigorous
I. spurious
J. therapeutic
6. Jerry is diffident° and shy with women, so he was nervous about asking Zoe to go out with him. He wasn’t sure if she would __________ to the suggestion.
assent
He was nervous because he wasn’t sure she’d agree to go out with him.
7. The evidence against the accused man is _____________. Even his lawyers admit that he’ll be indicted° and then found guilty.
incontrovertible
Page 130 in textbook.
If his lawyers expect him to be found guilty, then the evidence must be undeniable.

28. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. ameliorate B. assent C. haphazard
D. incontrovertible
E. intangible
F. negate G. potent H. rigorous
I. spurious
J. therapeutic
8. “I said I’d let you have the car next weekend,” Tom’s mother said, “but I’ll _________ that agreement if your behavior doesn’t improve between now and then.”
9. “This procedure is diagnostic, not __________,” the doctor explained. “That is, it’s used just to find out what’s wrong with you, not to treat you.”
Page 130 in textbook.
Answers: 8. negate; 9. therapeutic; 10. ameliorate
The next slide explains the answers.
10. “Settlement houses” such as the famous Hull House in Chicago were established to _________ conditions in the slums by providing social services to indigent° residents.

29. SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. ameliorate B. assent C. haphazard
D. incontrovertible
E. intangible
F. negate G. potent H. rigorous
I. spurious
J. therapeutic
8. “I said I’d let you have the car next weekend,” Tom’s mother said, “but I’ll _________ that agreement if your behavior doesn’t improve between now and then.”
negate
She warns that she may void their previous agreement about the car.
9. “This procedure is diagnostic, not __________,” the doctor explained. “That is, it’s used just to find out what’s wrong with you, not to treat you.”
therapeutic
Page 130 in textbook.
A diagnostic procedure differs from one serving to treat, cure, or heal.
10. “Settlement houses” such as the famous Hull House in Chicago were established to _________ conditions in the slums by providing social services to indigent° residents.
ameliorate
Providing social services is one way to make slum conditions better.