7thL6
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Vocabulary Lesson 06
Words in Context:
The First Americans- The Meanings of American Indian Art
Magnificent Pueblo pottery and dazzling silver work attract buyers and collectors alike. Today's American
Indian artists create works that are modern but that preserve traditional values and character. In museums
everywhere, traditional American Indian works can be found. What is often not known about many traditional
works is their deep meaning. Few people know that the use of a ceremonial pipe was not a custom that had to be
observed, but a sacred act.
Read the ten vocabulary words below and decipher each word's definition based on its context within the
sentences below.
1) Adjacent- Adjacent to some empty display cases in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of
the American Indian, you will see a small white card. The card next to the case states that an object has
been removed.
2) Artisan- Each of these objects was made by an American Indian artisan, a person with a special ability
to make that particular object.
3) Attain- Out of respect, the museum has removed objects considered sacred by American Indians. The
museum is now trying to learn how to show the pieces properly. With this knowledge, the museum will
attain its goal of a respectful display.
4) Deceased- These special items are the creations of long- deceased people. However, the holy power that
the objects represent is still very much alive in the hearts of many American Indians.
5) Fragile- Far from being fragile, these beliefs have remained strong for countless years. One of the most
valued objects is the ceremonial pipe, which you may know as a peace pipe.
6) Glorify- For Plains Indians, these pipes are sacred. Some highly decorated pipes especially glorify, or
honor, centuries- old beliefs.
7) Harmonious- Even the simple and agreeable design of an undecorated pipe may represent the
harmonious communication between human beings and a divine spirit.
8) Incomparable- According to ancient belief, to place the stem and bowl of the pipe together is to release
an incomparable power. To display a pipe this way shows disrespect for the matchless force and the
people who honor it.
9) Multicolored- In traditional European art, different colors are usually used to create a certain mood or
feeling. In American Indian art, multicolored designs have more specific meanings.
10) Pulverized- The effect of European settlement in the Americas was to pulverize many aspects of
American Indian culture. Perhaps museums will succeed in protecting them from being crushed further.
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Vocabulary Lesson 06
Scan the definitions in Column A. Then, think about how the boldface words are used in the sentences in
Column B. To complete the exercise, match each definition in Column A with the correct Vocabulary
Word from Column B. Write the letter of your choice on the line provided. Finally, write the Vocabulary
Word on the line before the definition.
COLUMN A
_____ 01. word:
adj. easily broken or damaged; delicate; frail
COLUMN B
(A) Multicolored sand paintings are among the most
interesting creations of Navajo culture. The brightly colored
designs fascinate viewers.
_____ 02. word:
adj. made up of parts that are orderly and pleasing;
agreeable; showing agreement in attitudes, feelings,
and so on
(B) Actually, sand paintings are usually not made of sand as
we know it. Rather, their creators have pulverized various
minerals of different colors, grinding them into powder.
_____ 03. word:
v. to grind or crush to powder; to break into small
pieces; to demolish
(C) Among the Navajo, these fragile works of art are most
often made indoors, away from the wind that can so easily
destroy them.
_____ 04. word:
v. to give glory to; to honor; to make something
seem better than it actually is
(D) A sand painting may be only a foot or so across, or it may
attain a width of twenty feet, but each one, large or small,
tells a story.
_____ 05. word:
v. to gain by hard work; to achieve; to reach
(E) Each sand painting displays a delicacy that cannot be
matched. Over eight hundred of these incomparable designs
exist.
_____ 06. word:
adj. not capable of being compared; incapable of
being equaled; matchless
(F) Many have been handed down from ancestors long
deceased.
_____ 07. word:
adj. adjoining; close to
(G) The story a design tells may be about people, animals, or
plants. For the Navajo, a harmonious life, a life of order and
agreement, results from living a certain way.
_____ 08. word:
n. a worker with a special manual skill in trade or
industry; an artist
(H) The artisans use traditional stories to illustrate these rules.
These craftspeople create sand paintings that are not only
beautiful but tell a story as well.
_____ 09. word:
adj. dead; n. a dead person or persons
(I) Sand paintings are made to glorify the concept of harmony,
because harmony is highly honored by the Navajo. The
paintings are also believed to have healing powers.
_____ 10. word:
adj. having many colors
(J) A person who is ill sits directly on the sand painting, not
adjacent to it. In this way, the person becomes a part of the
story.
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Vocabulary Lesson 06: Like Meanings and Opposite Meanings
Directions. For each item below, circle the letter of the choice that means the same, or about the
same, as the boldface word.
pulverize the competition
D) very old
A) get to know
multicolored sand painting
A) having two colors
B) cheerful
C) having many colors
D) long
B) closely study
C) beat soundly
D) join together
attain perfection
A) plan for
B) describe
C) reach
D) dream of
an artisan at work
A) ambitious person
B) clever person
C) skilled person
D) foreign people
in the adjacent building
A) next-door
B) remodeled
C) newly constructed
Directions. For each item below, circle the letter of the choice that means opposite, or about the
opposite, of the boldface word.
incomparable art
A) beautiful
B) easily matched
C) without rival
D) harmful
friends of the deceased
A) any living person
B) person giving a party
C) very elderly person
D) guest
fragile bowls
A) cheap
B) ugly
C) broken
D) sturdy
harmonious atmosphere
A) not harmful
B) disorderly
C) nonmusical
D) kindly
glorify the past
A) remember
B) write stories about
C) dishonor
D) record