Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know » Week 16 - Day 1

Word List
  • indigenous [in dij´ ən əs]
    native
    → “A MacArthur Foundation grant was given to Dennis A. Moore for helping to preserve the language and culture of indigenous groups in Brazil.” Announcement of MacArthur Grants, 6/23/99
  • gregarious [grə ger´ ē es]
    sociable
    → “We will take with us one thing alone that exists among porpoises as among men; an ingrained gregariousness.” Loren Eiseley, “Man and Porpoise”
  • habitat [hab´ ə tat]
    natural environment
    → “Billy begins to be happy about life only in an artificial but cozy habitat on another planet.” William Bly, Barron’s Book Notes, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
  • cursory [kėr´ sər ē]
    hasty, not thorough
    → “Even a cursory glance at the text of the peace agreement shows that the Yugoslav leader has accepted NATO’s demands in full.” Tim Judah, “What Do We Do With Serbia Now?,” New York Times, 6/4/99
  • interloper [in´ tər lō´ per]
    an unauthorized person
    → “Indeed, the magazine managers are treated as foreign interlopers.” Michael Woolf, “Tribune and Tribulation,” New York, 7/5/99

One of the most interesting inhabitants of our world is the bee, an insect that is indigenous to all parts of the globe except the polar regions. The honeybee is a gregarious insect whose habitat is a colony that he shares with as many as 80,000 bees. Although the individual bees live for only a few days, their colony can be operative for several years. A cursory study of the activities of these insects reveals an orderliness and a social structure that is truly amazing. For example, bees in a particular hive have a distinct odor; therefore, when an interloper seeks access* they can identify him quickly and repulse* his invasion.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the following sentences.

  1. Sherlock Holmes took a __________ glance at the cryptic* message and decoded it instantly.
  2. The forest was replete* with the kind of wildlife that is __________ to Africa.
  3. Electric eyes, watchdogs, and other nuances* were there to keep out an __________ .
  4. The alcoholic was found supine* in his favorite __________ Ryan’s Bar.
  5. At the party, the __________ hostess scurried* from group to group, making friends and influencing people.

Definitions Match the new words with their meanings.

  1. a. hasty, not thorough
  2. b. native
  3. c. natural environment
  4. d. sociable
  5. e. an unauthorized person
  1. indigenous __________
  2. gregarious __________
  3. habitat __________
  4. cursory __________
  5. interloper __________

Answer Key
in a bee line—taking the straightest, shortest route (that’s the way a bee flies back to the hive after he has gathered food)
When the couple left, the babysitter made a bee line for the refrigerator.

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