Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know » Week 36 - Day 1

Word List
  • genre [zhän´ rə]
    a certain form or style in painting or literature
    → “There is a certain difference between a work called a romance and the genre known as the novel.” Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • candid [kan´ did]
    frank, open, honest
    → “Sweepstakes companies must be more candid about the chances of winning a prize.” AARP Bulletin, 9/99
  • unsavory [un sā´ vər ē]
    disagreeable, offensive, morally bad
    → “Punishing students by assigning them more work, has made education unsavory and unappealing to the average student.” H. C. McKown, “The Three R’s Today”
  • degrade [di grād´]
    make contemptible, lower
    → “The world is weary of statesmen who have become degraded into politicians.” Benjamin Disraeli
  • venial [vē´ nē əl]
    pardonable, forgivable
    → “The coach tried to overlook the venial errors of his players and concentrated on the serious ones.” Sports Illustrated, 5/12/99

The nineteenth century saw the woman novelist attain the same prestige* as men. England was prolific* in producing women writers. One of the foremost in this genre was Charlotte Brontë. In Jane Eyre she presented a candid portrait of a woman caught up in a clandestine* affair with a married man. Miss Bronte’s readers were engrossed* in this story. She took this unsavory subject and presented it in a way that did not degrade the relationship. She showed that true passion can be healthy. Miss Brontë did not disparage* Jane’s feelings or besmirch* her character. The author was generous in her verdict. The affair was considered merely a venial sin because Jane was never false in her feelings or her actions.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in these sentences.

  1. Harry held the fallacious* belief that the menial* job would __________ him in the eyes of his friends.
  2. Betty’s childish fabrications* were judged __________ sins, although they mortified* her mother.
  3. Modern abstract painting is a highly lucrative* __________ .
  4. It is reprehensible,* but it doesn’t require much gossip to give a person a(n) __________ reputation.
  5. In my __________ opinion he is a sanctimonious* fool.

Definitions Match the new words with their definitions.

  1. a. make contemptible, lower
  2. b. disagreeable, offensive, morally bad
  3. c. a certain form or style in painting or literature
  4. d. pardonable, forgivable
  5. e. frank, open, honest
  1. genre __________
  2. candid __________
  3. unsavory __________
  4. degrade __________
  5. venial __________

Answer Key
keep a stiff upper lip—keep up courage, stand up to trouble
When he heard through the grapevine* that the fat was in the fire,* he knew he had to keep a stiff upper lip so as not to spill the beans.*

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