Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know » Week 2 - Day 3

Word List
  • pretext [prē´ tekst]
    an excuse
    → “Our mother had been expressly enjoined by her husband to give Madame Cornouiller some plausible pretext for refusing.” Anatole France, “Putois”
  • fabricate [fab´ rə kāt]
    to lie; to construct
    → “Perhaps the dialogues that you fabricate are nothing more than monologues.” Miguel Unamuno, “Mist”
  • adroit [ə droit´]
    skillful
    → “Amazingly adroit in building model airplanes while he was in junior high, Eric moved on to an aeronautic career in his twenties.” Val Bakker, “Early Decision” [adapted]
  • gesticulate [je stik´ yə lāt]
    move the arms energetically
    → “‘Three times’ was still all he could say, in his thick, angry voice, gesticulating at the commissaire and glaring at me.” Francis Steegmuller, “The Foreigner”
  • vigilant [vij´ ə lən]
    watchful
    → “I deny not but that it is of great concernment in the church and commonwealth to have a vigilant eye how looks demean themselves.” John Milton, “Aereopagitica”

Under the pretext of being a surgeon he gained entry to the hospital. When interviewed by the director, he had to fabricate a tale of his medical experience, but he was so adroit at lying that he got away with it. It was not until the phony “doctor” began to gesticulate wildly with his scalpel, that a vigilant nurse was able to detect the fraud. In the annals* of medical history there have been a number of such cases.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the following sentences.

  1. The shootings at Columbine High School made educators much more __________.
  2. My nephew is quite __________ at making model airplanes.
  3. Most fishermen can __________ a story about the size of the one that got away.
  4. Her __________ of being tired did not fool us for an instant.
  5. I often marvel as I watch the traffic officer __________ at the onrushing cars.

Definitions Pick the letter of the definition that matches your new word.

  1. a. to lie; to construct
  2. b. skillful
  3. c. an excuse
  4. d. watchful
  5. e. move the arms energetically
  1. pretext __________
  2. fabricate __________
  3. adroit __________
  4. gesticulate __________
  5. vigilant __________

Answer Key
a wet blanket—one who spoils the fun
Everyone wanted the party to go on, but Ronnie, the wet blanket, decided to go home to bed.

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