Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know » Week 28 - Day 1

Word List
  • vulnerable [vul´ nər ə bəl]
    open to attack, susceptible
    → “Any vulnerable area in an otherwise strong person or structure is known as an Achilles heel.” Barbara G. Walker, The Women’s Encyclopedia
  • bedlam [bed´ ləm]
    confusion, uproar
    → “There was bedlam as the crowd awoke to the relief of victory.” Dick Thatcher, Against All Odds
  • cacophony [kə kof´ ə ni]
    discord, harsh sound, dissonance
    → “At his side he had a battery run radio blasting forth a sickening cacophony of noise.” Freeman Tilden, The National Parks
  • exploit [eks´ ploit]
    profit by, utilize
    → “He has not wanted to exploit his fame as a basketball star for political advantage.” Boston Globe, 7/27/99
  • propinquity [prō ping´ kwə ti]
    nearness in time or place
    → “It occurred to him that Varick might be talking at random to relieve the strain of their propinquity.” Edith Wharton, The Desert of Man

Racing car drivers are vulnerable to dangers that other sportsmen seldom face. Drivers agree that controlling a car at top speeds on a winding course is a singularly* awesome* experience. There is the bedlam caused by the roaring motors that move the car from a standing start to 100 miles an hour in eight seconds. One is shaken by the cacophony of the brakes, larger than the wheels and producing during the course of a 350-mile race enough heat to warm an eight-room house through a hard winter. The driver needs to be on the alert to exploit any mistake by an opponent, and he must be constantly aware of the propinquity of sudden death. All of this makes car racing one of the most demanding games of all.

How was your recall today? Did you spot vulnerable as a reintroduced word?

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the sentences.

  1. Astronauts are alert to the __________ of sudden accidents.
  2. The egotist* is __________ to slights and insults.
  3. Electronic music is considered nothing more or less than __________ by many.
  4. Advertisers spend large sums to __________ the lucrative* teenage market.
  5. The winning team’s dressing room was a scene of __________.

Definitions Match your new words to their definitions.

  1. a. discord, harsh sound, dissonance
  2. b. open to attack, susceptible
  3. c. profit by, utilize
  4. d. nearness in time or place
  5. e. confusion, uproar
  1. vulnerable __________
  2. bedlam __________
  3. cacophony __________
  4. exploit (v.) __________
  5. propinquity __________

Answer Key
a white elephant—a costly and useless possession
When he discovered the 30-volume encyclopedia, dated 1895, in his attic, he knew he had a white elephant on his hands.

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