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Terse (adj) - describes when someone speaks abruptly and rudely
Calumny (n) - defamation; slander/libel; false accusations meant to ruin someone
Arbitrate (v) - mediate; negotiate; to act as an impartial judge in order to settle a
dispute
Inculcate (v)- to convince someone of something through frequent repetition and
persistent urging; brainwash
Blasphemy (n)- sinful act or remark
Abomination (n)- something that causes great horror or disgust
Contentious (adj)- argumentative
Deposition (n)- the testimony of a witness
Deferential (adj) – extremely respectful to authority
Prodigious (adj)- describes someone/something with great size or power
Imperceptible (adj)- barely noticeable; subtle; slight
Effrontery (n)- extreme boldness, often without concern for the opinion of others
Using all the words on List 3, write sentences
that relate to literature from 9th or 10th grade
English.
 Suggestions: Of Mice and Men, To Kill a
Mockingbird, Romeo & Juliet, Lord of the Flies,
Antigone, 12 Angry Men, anything else you can
think of.
 Feel free to use more than one word in a
sentence and to change the part of speech if you
know how.

Using all the words from List 2, complete one of the
following creative options:
-A story about anything you want. (Suggestions: turtles, fast
food, piñatas, small children)
-A letter of any kind: love, hate, break-up, complaint,
resignation, etc.
-A song or a poem
-An article about a crime that was committed
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Terse (adj)  tersely (adv); terseness (n)
Calumny (n)  calumnious (adj); calumniously (adv)
Arbitrate (v)  arbitrator (n); arbiter (n); arbitration (n); arbitrary (adj);
arbitrarily (adv)
Inculcate (v)  inculcation (n)
Blasphemy (n)  blasphemous (adj); blasphemously (adv)
Abomination (n)  abominable (adj); abominably (adv); abominate (v)
Contentious (adj)  contentiously (adv); contention (n); contentiousness
(n); contend (v)
Deposition (n)  depose (v)
Deferential (adj)  deferentially (adv); deference (n); defer (v)
Prodigious (adj) prodigiously (adv); prodigiousness (n); prodigy (n)
Imperceptible (adj)  imperceptibly (adv); perception (n); perceive (v)
Effrontery (n)
It turns out that McDonald’s, in an act of pure effrontery, has been
manufacturing piñatas filled with fast food. They have not made many –
they are basically imperceptible in Party City, but now the word is
spreading and they are quickly becoming prodigious. Why is this such a
contentious topic? Well we all know the dangers of fast food. The idea that
it is now being marketed in party supply stores seems blasphemous to
many, even bordering on an abomination. The arbitrator for McDonald’s
has tersely explained that the bad rap fast food has gotten in terms of lack
of nutritional value is calumny, but depositions have given by health and
advertising experts to prove otherwise. They have many statistics to prove
that childhood obesity is in large part due to young Americans being
inculcated to believe that fast food is fun and cool at a young age. Putting
it in piñatas will only worsen the situation. McDonald’s needs to defer to
the obvious evidence that will never go away – fast food is not good for
you.

Using all the words from List 3, write
sentences describing events in The Crucible or
The Catcher in the Rye.
For each question, write a sentence in response that uses the vocabulary
word in the question.
1. What is a situation where someone might be terse?
2.Why might someone commit calumny against someone else?
3. What is a situation where an arbitrator might be needed?
4. Name something the American public has been inculcated about at some point
in history.
5. What is something you consider to be blasphemy?
6. Describe a scene that you would consider to be abominable.
7. Why might someone become contentious toward someone else?
8. Where might someone give a deposition?
9. Why is it generally important to be deferential?
10. Name someone or something that is prodigious nowadays.
11. Describe a situation wherein you might attempt to be imperceptible.
12. Name someone who has the quality of effrontery.