Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know » Week 9 - Day 3

Word List
  • loath [lōth]
    unwilling, reluctant
    → “Still I am loath simply to join the conspiracy.” “The Happy-Parents Conspiracy,” New York Times, 5/23/99
  • solicit [sə lis´ it]
    to beg, seek earnestly
    → “The police chief said that Commissioner Safir had not yet solicited his opinion on the question.” “Police Chief Says Officers Deserve Raise,” New York Times, 6/15/99
  • astute [ə stüt´ or ə styüt´]
    keen, shrewd
    → “From an astute standpoint, that’s exactly what the ballplayers should do instead of running out to mob the other guy.” Tim McCarver, Baseball for Brain Surgeons
  • advocate [ad´ və kāt]
    to be in favor of, to support
    → “Advocates of marriage classes contend that giving teens these tools could eventually curb the divorce rate.” Jodie Morse, “Hitched in Home Room,” TIME, 6/21/99
  • ineffectual [in´ ə fek´ chü l]
    not effective
    → “Medicare officials told the White House that the proposed drug plan is unrealistic and would be ineffectual.” Robert Pear, “Drug Plan Worries Democrats,” New York Times, 6/25/99

Suppose a bigot wished to organize a meeting in your neighborhood. Since we cherish freedom of speech, we are loath to deny the request, even if he preaches hatred. As a result, hate-mongers are given the opportunity to rent halls, conduct meetings, publish abusive literature, and solicit contributions. What can be done about them? One astute observer, Prof. S. Andhil Fineberg, advocates the “quarantine method.” His plan is to give such groups no publicity and to ignore them completely. Without the warmth of the spotlight, he feels that the bigot will freeze and become ineffectual. Debating with such warped minds is not feasible* and only tends to exacerbate* the situation.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the following sentences.

  1. Since we felt that the ruling was arbitrary,* we were __________ to obey it.
  2. Daily the volunteers went out to __________ funds for the indigent* families.
  3. My neighbor was __________ enough to discern* the adverse* features of the mortgage.
  4. The general was sure to __________ that we give the enemy no respite* from the bombings.
  5. The play was so blatantly* bad that the impresario* fired its __________ director.

Definitions Match the new words with their definitions.

  1. a. keen, shrewd
  2. b. to be in favor of, to support
  3. c. not effective
  4. d. unwilling, reluctant
  5. e. to beg, seek earnestly
  1. loath __________
  2. solicit __________
  3. astute __________
  4. advocate (v.) __________
  5. ineffectual __________

Answer Key
to have cold feet—to hesitate because of fear or uncertainty
My cousin was all set to join the paratroops, but at the last moment he got cold feet.

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