UNIT 9 VOCABULARY
impalpable
taut
incredulity
cynicism
skepticism
derision
WORDS IN CONTEXT: In the space provided, write the letter of the meaning closest to that of each boldfaced word. Use the context of the sentences to
help you figure out each word’s meaning.
1.) impalpable [adjective]

“The word "alcohol" is of Arabic origin, being derived from the particle al and the word kohl, an impalpable powder used in the East for painting
the eyebrows.”

“Defoe possessed genius, and his secret is at the last as impalpable as the secret of genius always is.”
impalpable means
a. believable
b. imperceptible c. tangible
2.) taut [adjective]

Both the students and the teacher had taut nerves before the AP exam.

The famous actress has caught flak for her taut skin, remarkably smooth and lineless for a 70-year-old grandmother.
taut means
a. flabby; relaxed b. firm; tense
c. droopy
3.) incredulity [noun]

“The main source of the incredulity: that comedian George Lopez would be willing to move his talk show to midnight.”

“The first news of the gold discoveries of January 1848 was received with incredulity at San Francisco.”
incredulity means
a. confidence
b. belief
c. amazement
4.) cynicism [noun]

Some people have experienced so many disappointments in life that they approach every new situation with cynicism.

Sometimes teachers start approaching their profession with cynicism after dealing with disrespectful students for too long.
cynicism means
a. confidence
b. pessimism
c. certainty
5.) skepticism [noun]

The mom showed skepticism toward her daughter because she had a difficult time believing that her room that had looked like a pigsty five
minutes earlier was now impeccably clean.

The teacher felt skepticism toward Faisal for claiming that his essay was done when he had done nothing but goof around in class. 
skepticism means
a. belief
b. trust
c. reluctance
6.) derision [noun]

The first year high school teacher almost quit his job because of all the derision he received from the students.

The young husband was ready to give up on his marriage because of his wife’s constant derision toward him.
derision means
a. contempt
b. admiration
c. praise
______________________: incapable of being perceived by the sense of touch; difficult for the mind to grasp easily
______________________: tense; emotionally or mentally strained
______________________: inability or unwillingness to believe
______________________: distrusting or disparaging the motives of others; showing contempt for accepted standards of honesty and morality
______________________: inclined to doubt or question accepted opinions, ideas, beliefs, etc.
______________________: ridicule or mockery
SENTENCE CHECK 1: Using the answer lines provided, complete each item below with two words from the box. Use each word once.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Because she was so angered by her daughter’s _____________concerning the need to listen to rules and do well in school, she informed her
daughter that she needn’t even think of planning for the prom.
The relationship between the daughter and mother became even more ______________ after the daughter was grounded from the prom.
The ____________ she received from her friends angered her even more, for she had never enjoyed being at the center of everyone else’s joke.
All day she dwelled on her behavior and grades, but the thought of staying home on prom night was so ____________that she pushed it from her
thoughts.
The prom date approached, and her _______________ grew so much that she decided to buy a prom dress anyway. After all, it was her senior
year. How could her mom ground her from her last prom?
Nevertheless, _______________ began to build in regards to her prom plans when her mother informed her that they would be flying out of state
the weekend of the prom.
FINAL CHECK –Read the following selection carefully. Fill in each blank with the correct vocabulary word. Context clues will help you figure out which
word goes in which blank. Use each word once.
1. Melly was sitting in her 10th grade English class. There were two boys in her class named Kobe and Kareem who treated her with
____________________ every day.
2. At first Melly felt __________________. This really could not be happening to her. She was such a nice young girl. How could be people be so
unkind?
3. Even though Melly was quiet about her constant struggle and tried to put a smile on her face, the teacher had this _________________ feeling that
Melly was unhappy.
4.
5.
6.
When the teacher finally found out what these two awful boys had been doing, she confronted them and made them apologize. Unfortunately, the
damage was done and Melly felt _______________ toward these two boys and their apologies for the rest of the school year.
What is even worse is that she became known for her __________________. She had a difficult time trusting others for the rest of her high school
career.
A few days after graduating from high school, she reflected on her time as a student and regretted having had such a(n) ____________ experience
when she should have had fun. And all of this because of these two mean boys.
VOCABULARY STORY – Write a story that makes sense using all of the words from unit 1. Use one word per sentence and underline or highlight
each vocabulary word. Be sure to use the correct part of speech for each word. Each sentence should have context clues/synonyms that help explain what
the word means.
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VOCABULARY PICTURES – Write the vocabulary word and copy the definition exactly, including the part of speech. Then write the definition in
your own words. Finally, create a drawing to represent the definition and color it. If the picture is not colored the highest possible grade is a C.