"In words as fashions the same rule will hold, Alike
fantastic if too new or old;
Be not the first by whom the new are tried, Nor
yet the last to lay the old aside."
AlexanderPope, Essay on Criticism
Words to Learn This Week
reptile
rarely
forbid
logical
exhibit
proceed
precaution
extract
prior
embrace
valiant
partial
Read the following story to see how the new words are used in it.
Handling Poisonous Snakes
How do the Indian snake charmers handle those live poisonous reptiles without being poisoned? Visitors to the Hopi Indians rarely leave the reservation without asking. Because Indians forbid any white person from taking part in such a ceremony, scientists could come to one logical answer: before the Indians exhibit the snakes, they proceed to remove the fangs. Yet some scientists verify the fact that all the snakes have fangs. They have a different theory. The Indians take an important precaution: they extract most of the poison prior to the snake dance. Now the Indian can embrace the snake without being poisoned. He will appear valiant because he knows that the snake has only a partial supply of its deadly poison.
Place one of the new words in each of the blanks below.
1. I _____________ my daughter when she came home from camp.
2. We __________ you to leave the area.
3. Did you ____________ along the hall until you got to the room?
4. A turtle is a very common ___________ .
5. We made a _________ Jisting of the people who owed the library books because it would take too long to copy all the names.
6. Betty Sue is always very ___________ when she prepares her arguments for a debate.
7. I _________ if ever go to the movies.
8. Have you seen the cave dweller ___________ in the museum?
9. I went to high school ___________ to entering the army.
10. Be sure to take the __________ not to swim after eating.
11. Sergeant York got a medal for being _________ in war.
12. Did you _________ the splinter from his foot?
