1. Lesson 12 Vocabulary
English I H

2. 1. appreciable- sufficient to be noticed or measured
The injured woman lost an appreciable amount of blood before the paramedics arrived.
2. autocratic- absolute in power or authority
For many years, the island was under the autocratic control of a dictator
3. blanch- to remove the color from; to make or turn pale; to parboil
Even the veteran rescue worker blanched upon seeing the crash site.

3. 4. blasphemy- an act, utterance, or writing showing contempt for something sacred
Galileo was accused of blasphemy for asserting that the sun, and not the earth, is the center of the universe.
5. brawny- strong, muscular
In Arthurian legend, one brawny knight after another tries to pull the sword Excalibar from the stone but none succeeds.

4. 6. concerted- planned or performed in cooperation with others
Teenagers an adults, northerners and southerners alike, participated in a concerted drive to register new voters.
7. contend- to fight, struggle; to compete; to argue
I enjoy watching the four major tennis tournaments in which brilliant players contend for the “grand slam” titles.

5. 8. humane- kind, merciful
The humane legal code of Hammurabi, king of Babylonia was ahead of its time in seeking justice for the weak and oppressed.
9. illustrious- very famous, distinguished
As a student of world politics, I would be thrilled to meet an illustrious member of Parliament.
10. intolerable- unbearable
To a perfectionist, mediocrity is more than unacceptable; it is simply intolerable.

6. 11. irreverent- disrespectful
The student’s irreverent comments show a lack of respect for people in authority.
12. laborious- not easy, requiring hard work; hard working
After cleaning the gutters, we moved on to the laborious task of raking and bagging the leaves.
13. lithe- bending easily, limber
The burly linebacker was as lithe and agile as a ballet dancer.

7. 14. maltreat- to abuse, use roughly or crudely
The candidate pledged to shut down any factory or manufacturing plant found to maltreat workers.
15. ponder- to consider carefully, reflect on
I need time to ponder all of my options before deciding how to spend the summer.
16. subversive- intended to undermine or overthrow; one who advocates or attempts to undermine a political system
The underground movement circulated subversive pamphlets that criticized government.

8. 17. synthetic- made or put together by people; something artificial
Sometimes only a jeweler can detect the difference between an expensive synthetic gem and a natural stone.
18. temperate- mild, moderate
It is impossible to have a temperate discussion with a hotheaded person.

9. 19. venomous- poisonous; spiteful, mean
It was only after we had rushed the child to the emergency room that we learned he’d been bitten by a venomous spider.
20. wily- sly, shrewd, cunning
The fur trappers of colonial North America were known to be wily traders.

10. Sentences
1. While a weight lifter generally has a muscular build, a gymnast typically is slim and_.
Lithe
2. The bite of the rattlesnake and the sarcastic words of a supposed friend can be equally_.
Venomous
3. Only when the new drug was administered did the patient begin to show_ signs of improvement.
Appreciable
4. The years had_ the auburn from her hair. Which now resembled a crown of snowy white.
Blanched

11. Assignment
Choose 10 words from the vocabulary list. Write a sentence using each word. You are not allowed to use the following words:
1. lithe
2. venomous
3. appreciable
4. blanched