五百基础词汇的使用和练习（31）

"All my best is dressing old words new."
Shakespeare. Sonnet Ixxvi

Words to Learn This Week

commuter
confine
idle
idol
jest
patriotic
dispute
valor
lunatic
vein
uneventful
fertile

Read the following story to see how the new words are used in it.

Record Holders

The Guinness Book of World Records is full of fascinating facts. For example, the champion commuter is Bruno Leuthardt of West Germany, who traveled 370 miles each day for ten years to his teaching job and was late only once because of a flood. The record for being buried alive is held by Emma Smith of Ravenshead, England. She was confined in a coffin for 100 days. What a way to spend the idle hours! Peter Clark of London collected 1276 autographed pictures of famous men and women. Obviously not all were his idols, but he did set a record.

What drives people to these unusual practices? Some are simply done in jest, some for patriotic reasons. Certainly no one would dispute the valor of the "record-makers," even if the records themselves may be no more lasting than a popular song. While one need not be a lunatic, he must have a vein of recklessness to participate in such activities as bungee-jumping, high diving, or parachute jumping.

If you are tired of leading a dull, uneventful life, remember the mortals whose fertile imaginations have found novel ways to add excitement to their lives.


Place one of the new words in each of the blanks below.

01. Celia was left __________after working so hard all her life.

02. I would _________ that claim if I did not know you were jesting.

03. This site will attract many home buyers because of the advantages for the __________ .

04. The early pioneers exhibited great __________ in braving the hardships of the new frontiers.

05. A __________ of caution helped Mr. Samler to avoid the obvious risks in his new job.

06. It is no misfortune to spend a few _________ days without excitement and conflict.

07. The __________ element of society ignores the warnings about the dangers of drugs.

08. Since the statement was made in __________ it is not a valid point to argue.

09. I asked my opponent in the debate to __________ his remarks to the subject under discussion.

10. How can we transmit a healthy ________ view to the next generation?

11. Men have always warned to inhabit the land where the soil is most _________ .

12. People still worship the _________ of greed and power.