Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know » Week 24 - Day 1

Word List
  • anthropologist [an´ thrə pol´ ə jist]
    an expert in the study of the races, beliefs, customs, etc. of mankind
    → “Burning tobacco, anthropologists have found, was a religious practice over 2000 years ago in the Mayan culture.” Journal of Urban Health, 9/99
  • bizarre [bə zär´]
    an object made by hand, rather than a thing as it occurs in nature
    → “The police claim they were responding to the bizarre behavior of the man when they were forced to shoot him.” New York Post, 9/27/99
  • inanimate [in an´ ə mit]
    odd, peculiar, strange, weird
    → “We assumed that the inanimate body in the rubble was dead but the dog, trained to distinguish between live and dead bodies, knew better.” Stephen Kinzer, “Turkish Earthquake Relief,” New York Times, 8/21/99
  • fetish [fet´ ish]
    an object that is thought to have magic powers
    → “Today the automobile has become a fetish for one’s standing and accomplishments.” Mark Twain, Autobiography
  • artifact [är´ tə fakt]
    lifeless
    → “In caves in Chile, remains of horses have been found along with human artifacts.” A. Hyatt Verrill, The Strange Story of Our Earth

In the course of their studies of other cultures, anthropologists have reported numerous customs and practices that seem bizarre to the average American. Many primitive people believe that certain inanimate objects have a will of their own and possess some magical powers. These fetishes may be simple things like a particular feather of a bird or a unique pebble. The fetish might have derived its power, according to members of some tribes, from a god who lives within the object and has changed it into a thing of magic. Fetishes need not only be natural objects, however. An artifact such as a sculpture or carving is also believed to possess supernatural powers.

Sample Sentences Now use your new words in the following sentences.

  1. Stones are __________ objects that have no life of their own.
  2. It has been suggested that the man who builds a better mousetrap will find the world beating a path to his door to possess this __________ .
  3. The explorers saw the golden statue and thought of how much money it would bring them. But their lives would be in danger if they moved it because it was a powerful __________ to the natives.
  4. Margaret Mead, the famous __________ , fascinated thousands of readers with her studies of South Seas islanders.
  5. It would be rather __________ for a young man to come to school wearing a dress.

Definitions If you have studied the reading selection and the sample sentences, now try your hand at matching your new words with their definitions.

  1. a. an object made by hand, rather than a thing as it occurs in nature
  2. b. lifeless
  3. c. an object that is thought to have magic powers
  4. d. an expert in the study of the races, beliefs, customs, etc. of mankind
  5. e. odd, peculiar, strange, weird
  1. anthropologist __________
  2. artifact __________
  3. bizarre __________
  4. fetish __________
  5. inanimate __________

Answer Key
to get down off a high horse—to act like an ordinary person
When Susan discovered that the young man who was trying to make conversation with her was the son of a millionaire, she immediately got down off her high horse.

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