Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know » Bonus Week B - Day 3

Word List
  • pathological [path´ ə loj i kal]
    disordered in behavior
    → “A pathological liar is one whose lies are suggestive of a mental disorder.” Webster’s Medical Dictionary
  • articulate [ar tik´ yə lit]
    well-spoken
    → “The senator’s supporters were upset by the adjectives used to describe him: clean and articulate.” Editorial, The New York Times
  • grandeur [gran´ jər]
    magnificence
    → “I have studied the glories of Greece but am more impressed by the grandeur of Rome.” Rainer Maria Rilke
  • polemic [pə lem´ ik]
    controversial argument
    → “My greatest problem here, in a polemic-loving America, is my dislike of polemics, of belligerence, of battle.” Anais Nin, The Diaries of Anais Nin
  • impasse [im´ pas]
    deadlock
    → “We expect the impasse between Britain and Iran to be resolved this weekend.” United Nations Press Release

The pathological yet articulate Booth had rounded up several co-conspirators and shared his delusions of grandeur with them. He had produced a polemic that convinced his crew that it would be a patriotic thing to capture the President. One of them was assigned to shut off the master gas valve at Ford’s Theatre when Mr. and Mrs Lincoln were seated there at the play. With all the lights out, Booth would bind and gag the President. Two men would lower Lincoln onto the stage, and then carry him out the rear door to a covered wagon waiting in the alley. They would head for Port Tobacco and then ferry across the Potomac to their ultimate* destination, Richmond, Virginia.

Several dry runs* had not worked out for the cabalists* who were about to reach an impasse when Booth learned that Lincoln would be celebrating General Grant’s victories with a party at Ford’s Theater on the night of April 14. He promised the small group that destiny was at hand; their bold act, he said, would make their names famous forever in the annals of U.S. history.

In the late afternoon of April 14, Booth watched a rehearsal of the play that would be performed that evening. He had reviewed his action plan and the escape route, and he believed it to be foolproof. He mouthed the phrase he would use after killing Lincoln, “Sic Semper Tyrannis” (“Thus always to tyrants”).

The curtain was about to go up on one of the darkest days in the country’s history.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the following sentences

  1. The __________ was broken when the union agreed to management’s offer.
  2. In history class, we studied the __________ of Greece and the glory of Rome.
  3. Hal was surprisingly __________ for a high school freshman.
  4. The defense lawyer admitted that his client was a __________ liar.
  5. The team captain’s __________ led to a fist fight in the locker room.

Definitions Match the new words with their meanings.

  1. a. well-spoken
  2. b. magnificence
  3. c. disordered in behavior
  4. d. deadlock
  5. e. controversial argument
  1. pathological __________
  2. articulate __________
  3. grandeur __________
  4. polemic __________
  5. impasse __________

Answer Key
an axe to grind—to pursue a selfish aim
Senator Smith was in favor of the bill, but we knew that he had an axe to grind.

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