AUGUST VERBAL THREAD

1. Overture - An introductory section or part, as of a poem; a prelude; to present as an introduction or proposal; introduction, approach

2. Sanctimonious - Feigning piety or righteousness; of or practicing hypocrisy; self-righteous, hypocritical about one’s own holiness

3. Inanity - Something empty of meaning or sense; total lack of ideas, meaning, or substance

4. Vulgarian - A vulgar person, especially one who makes a conspicuous display of wealth; an unrefined, rude person; a vulgar person (especially someone who makes a vulgar display of wealth)

5. Miscreant - An evildoer; a villain; an infidel; a heretic; evil, immoral; a villain

6. Wretched - So objectionable as to elicit despisal or deserve condemnation; terrible, very bad; of very inferior quality; miserable

7. Epic - An extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, celebrating the feats of a legendary or traditional hero; a literary or dramatic composition that resembles an extended narrative poem celebrating heroic feats

8. Mendacious - Lying; untruthful; false; untrue; dishonest; given to or marked by deliberate concealment or misrepresentation of the truth

9. Narrative - A narrated account; a story; the art, technique, or process of narrating; a recounting of past events

10. Appease - To bring peace, quiet, or calm to; soothe; satisfy, pacify

11. Defiant - Marked by defiance; disobedient, disregardful

12. Raucous - Rough-sounding and harsh; boisterous and disorderly; rowdy; noisy; harsh and unpleasant

13. Meager - Deficient in quantity, fullness, or extent; scanty. Deficient in richness, fertility, or vigor; feeble
14. Flirtatious - Full of playful allure; provocative, teasing; given to flirting

15. Bumptious - Crudely or loudly assertive; pushy; self-assertive offensively self-assertive

16. Assertive - Inclined to bold or confident assertion; aggressively self-assured

17. Trite - Lacking power to evoke interest through overuse or repetition; hackneyed

16. Panegyric - A formal eulogistic composition intended as a public compliment. Elaborate praise or laudation; an encomium

17. Impecunious - Lacking money; penniless

18. Armageddon - The scene of a final battle between the forces of good and evil, prophesied to occur at the end of the world; a decisive or catastrophic conflict

19. Intrigue - A secret or underhand scheme; a plot; arouse curiosity

20. Gullible - Easily deceived or duped; easily imposed on or tricked; naive, trusting

21. Daguerreotype - An early photographic process with the image made on a light-sensitive silver-coated metallic plate

22. Musket - A smoothbore shoulder gun used from the late 16th through the 18th century

22. Hieroglyphic - Of or relating to representation by drawings or pictures

23. Papyrus - The writing paper of the ancient Egyptians, and later of the Romans

24. Pastiche - A mixture of materials, forms, motifs, and/or styles; often incongruous; dramatic, literary, or musical piece openly imitating the previous works of other artists, often with satirical intent; an artistic effort that imitates or caricatures the work of another artist

25. Bust - A sculpture representing a person’s head, shoulders, and upper chest

26. Sacrilege - Desecration, profanation, misuse, or theft of something sacred; irreverence

27. Conscientious - Guided by or in accordance with the dictates of conscience; principled; thorough and assiduous; moral, upright; thorough, careful

28. Daft - Mad; crazy; foolish; stupid; scots; frolicsome

29. Reagent - A substance used in a chemical reaction to detect, measure, examine, or produce other substances

30. Temerity - Foolhardy disregard of danger; recklessness; nerve, audacity; rash or presumptuous daring

31. Menial - Work pertaining to servants; work that is demeaning or insulting to the person performing it; lowly, low-status

32. Miscreant - A wicked or evil person; a scoundrel; something said to be the cause of particular trouble or an evil; a mean, worthless character in a story or play

33. Stultify - To render useless or ineffectual; cripple; to cause to appear stupid, inconsistent, or ridiculous; to allege or prove insane and so not legally responsible

34. Lambast - Censure severely or angrily; beat with a cane

35. Pique - A state of vexation caused by a perceived slight or indignity; a feeling of wounded pride

36. Vociferous - Making, given to, or marked by noisy and vehement outcry; loud, insistent

37. Pariah - An outcast; a member of a low caste or class

38. Raft - A flat structure, typically made of planks, logs, or barrels, that floats on water and is used for transport or as a platform for swimmers; a flat buoyant structure of timber or other materials fastened together, used as a boat or floating platform

39. Buoyant - Having the ability to float; light in weight; lighthearted; gay

40. Unrealizable - Impossible to achieve

41. Renegade - common vagabond; a worthless or wicked fellow; one who deserts from a military or naval post; a deserter; one faithless to principle or party; an apostate from Christianity or from any form of religious faith

42. Ferocious - Extremely savage; fierce; marked by unrelenting intensity; extreme

43. Prolixity - Words or the use of words in excess of those needed for clarity or precision; boring verboseness

44. Mortify - To deprive of esteem, self-worth, or effectiveness; to cause (a person) to be self-consciously distressed; embarrass

45. Pusillanimous - Lacking courage; cowardly; lacking courage and resolution; marked by contemptible timidity; without spirit or bravery

46. Percipient - Having the power of perceiving, especially perceiving keenly and readily; astute; characterized by ease and quickness in perceiving

47. Anachronistic - Something that is out of place and time; erroneous in date

48. Fervor - Great warmth and intensity of emotion; intense heat; excitement, enthusiasm

49. Disinfectant - An agent, such as heat, radiation, or a chemical, that destroys, neutralizes, or inhibits the growth of disease-carrying microorganisms 180. Terseness - Brief and to the point; effectively concise; brief, short

50. Hoarse - Rough or grating in sound; having or characterized by a husky, grating voice; raspy in voice

51. Effusive - Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy; profuse; overflowing

52. Obliterate - To destroy all traces of; to wipe out, rub off, or erase; to remove completely (a body organ or part), as by surgery, disease, or radiation

53. Index - An alphabetized list of names, places, and subjects treated in a printed work, giving the page or pages on which each item is mentioned; something that serves to guide, point out, or otherwise facilitate reference

54. Laconic - Using or marked by the use of few words; terse or concise; short, to the point

55. Nimble - Quick, light, or agile in movement or action; deft; dexterous, smart

56. Clumsyness - Lacking dexterity and grace in physical movement; not agile; awkward; clumsily lacking in the ability to do or perform

57. Partisan - A fervent, sometimes militant supporter or proponent of a party, cause, faction, person, or idea; one who supports and adheres to another; exhibiting bias; interested, factional

58. Recuperation - A return to normal health; gradual healing (through rest) after sickness or injury; recovery

59. Doldrums - A period of stagnation or slump; period of depression or unhappy listlessness; region of the ocean near the equator, characterized by calms, light winds, or squalls; feeling or spell of dismally low spirits; depression

60. Cow - To frighten with threats or a show of force; browbeat, intimidate;
any of various chiefly domesticated mammals of the genus Bos, including cows, steers, bulls, and oxen, often raised for meat and dairy products

61. Lop - To decrease, as in length or amount, by or as if by severing or excising; to hang limply, loosely, and carelessly; cut off from a whole

62. Fluvial - Of, relating to, or inhabiting a river or stream. Produced by the action of a river or stream

63. Jejune - Not interesting; dull; lacking maturity; childish; lacking in nutrition

64. Indespensible - Not to be dispensed with; essential; obligatory; unavoidable; necessary

65. Hubris - Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance

66. Vigilance - Alert watchfulness; carefulness

67. Enfeeble - To deprive of strength; make feeble; make very weak

68. Ethereal - Characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; intangible; highly refined; delicate; of the celestial spheres; heavenly; spiritual; so light and insubstantial as to resemble air or a thin film

69. Laggard - One that lags; a straggler; hanging back or falling behind; dilatory; falling behind

70. Tarpaulin - Material, such as waterproofed canvas, used to cover and protect things from moisture; a waterproof cloth, esp. one used in large sheets for covering anything exposed to the weather

71. Mottled - Spotted or blotched with different shades or colors; speckled

72. Vault - A room or compartment, often built of steel, for the safekeeping of valuables; a burial place or receptacle for human remains; to move off the ground by a muscular effort of the legs and feet; act of jumping

73. Allay - To reduce the intensity of; relieve; to calm or pacify; set to rest

74. Stature - The natural height of a human or animal in an upright position; achieved level; status; importance

75. Infinitude - The state or quality of being infinite; an immeasurably large quantity, number, or extent; an infinite quantity

76. Hellion - A mischievous, troublesome, or unruly person

77. Lunge - A sudden thrust or pass, as with a sword; a sudden forward movement or plunge; pounce; dive for

78. Garish - Marked by strident color or excessive ornamentation; gaudy. loud and flashy
79. Piquant - Pleasantly pungent or tart in taste; spicy. appealingly provocative: a piquant wit. charming, interesting, or attractive

JULY VERBAL THREAD

HI FREINDS… HERE ARE SOME JULY WORDS AND JUNE LAST WEEKS WORDS

1. Odium - The state or quality of being odious. Strong dislike, contempt, or aversion. A state of disgrace resulting from hateful or detestable

2. Glut - To fill beyond capacity, especially with food; satiate

3. Nervy - Arrogantly impudent; brazen. Showing or requiring courage and fortitude; bold.

4. Pallid - Having an abnormally pale or wan complexion; lacking intensity of color or luminousness

5. Diaphanous - So light and insubstantial as to resemble air or a thin film; fine, see-through

6. Dishevelled - Being in loose disarray; unkempt, as hair or clothing; marked by disorder; untidy; wrinkled, unkempt in appearance

7. Disconsolate - Seeming beyond consolation; extremely dejected; cheerless; gloomy; depressed, unhappy

8. Batten - Grow fat,thrive upon others

9. Conch - Large seashell

10. Ingenue - An artless girl;an actress who plays such parts

11. Orison - Prayer

12. Rambunctious - Boisterous and disorderly

13. Hellion - A mischievous, troublesome, or unruly person

14. Carpophagous - Feeding on fruit; fruit-eating

15. Rancor - Bitter, long-lasting resentment; deep-seated ill will

16. Derivative - Resulting from or employing derivation; copied or adapted from others

17. Spurn - To be unwilling to accept, consider, or receive; to kick at or tread on disdainfully

18. Quatrain - A stanza or poem of four lines

19. Fustian - A coarse sturdy cloth made of cotton and flax; pretentious speech or writing; pompous language; pompous, bombastic, and ranting

20. Bombastic - Pompous, grandiloquent; boastful in speech or writing

21. Bootless - Without advantage or benefit; useless; unproductive of success

22. Futile - Having no useful result; trifling and frivolous; idle

23. Debase - To lower in character, quality, or value; degrade; adulterate

24. Compunction - A strong uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt; a feeling of regret for one’s sins or misdeeds; a feeling of uncertainty about the fitness or correctness of an action; regret, sorrow

25. Yokel - An uneducated country person; clumsy, unsophisticated persona rustic; a bumpkin

26. Bumptious - Crudely or loudly assertive; pushy; self-important, conceited; offensively self-assertive

27. Chimera - A fantastic, impracticable plan or desire; dream, fantasy (see pictionary)

28. Circumspect - Heedful of circumstances and potential consequences; prudent; trying attentively to avoid danger, risk, or error; cautious, discreet

29. Turpitude - Depravity; baseness; a base act

30. Infinitude - The state or quality of being infinite; an immeasurably large quantity, number, or extent

31. Cistern - A receptacle for holding water or other liquid, especially a tank for catching and storing rainwater ( SEE PICTIONARY)

32. Dulcet - Pleasing to the ear; melodious; having a soothing, agreeable quality; archaic; sweet to the taste

33. Phlegmatic - Without emotion or interest; having or suggesting a calm, sluggish temperament; unemotional

34. Heresy - A controversial or unorthodox opinion or doctrine, as in politics, philosophy, or science; adherence to such controversial or unorthodox opinion; unorthodoxy

35. Anarchic - Lacking order or control; without law or control

36. Current - A steady, smooth onward movement; a general tendency, movement, or course; the amount of electric charge flowing past a specified circuit point per unit time; running; flowing

37. Gall - The quality or state of feeling bitter; the state or quality of being impudent or arrogantly self-confident; to make (the skin) raw by or as if by friction; to trouble the nerves or peace of mind of, especially by repeated vexations

38. Hirsute - Having a hairy covering

39. Malady - Any physical disease or disorder; a disease, a disorder, or an ailment; an unwholesome condition

40. Fickleness - The quality of being fickle; instability; inconsonancy

41. Resonant - Echoing; full in sound; vibrant in sound; having or producing a full, deep, or rich sound

42. Glacier - A huge mass of ice slowly flowing over a land mass, formed from compacted snow in an area where snow accumulation exceeds melting and sublimation

43. Saga - A long detailed report; epic tale, long story

44. Afferent - Carrying inward to a central organ or section, as nerves that conduct impulses from the periphery of the body to the brain or spinal cord; transmitting impulses from sense organs to nerve centers

45. Castigate - To inflict severe punishment on; to criticize severely

46. Lull - To make or become calm; pause, calm; ease off; to cause to sleep or rest

47. Malevolent - Having or exhibiting ill will; wishing harm to others; malicious

48. Imminent - About to occur; impending; at hand, on the way

49. Abate - To lessen; to subside; in metalwork, to cut away or beat down so as to show a pattern or figure in low relief

50. Stultify - To allege or prove insane and so not legally responsible; cause to appear foolish; deprive of strength or efficiency; make useless or worthless; cripple

51. Demur - To express opposition, often by argument; disagree; to delay

52. Munificent - Very liberal in giving; generous; showing great generosity

53. Tractable - Easily managed or controlled; governable; willing to carry out the wishes of others; manageable

54. Obsequious - Full of or exhibiting servile compliance; fawning; excessively eager to serve or obey; submissive

55. Slothful - Disinclined to work or exertion; lazy

56. Assiduity - Persistent application or diligence; unflagging effort; great and constant diligence and attention

57. Impel - To urge to action through moral pressure; drive; to drive forward; propel; prompt, incite

58. Prescience - Knowledge of actions or events before they occur; foresight; unusual or creative discernment or perception

59. Unswerving - Constant; steady

60. Vacillate - To sway from one side to the other; oscillate

61. Cajole - To urge with gentle and repeated appeals, teasing, or flattery; wheedle; attempt to coax; flatter

62. Obdurate - Stubborn and unfeeling

63. Allay - To reduce the intensity of; relieve; to calm or pacify; set to rest

64. Pelf - Wealth or riches, especially when dishonestly acquired

65. Effuse - To cause (a liquid) to flow in a steady stream; give out or emit; to spread or flow out

66. Bootless - Without advantage or benefit; useless; unproductive of success

67. Legerdemain - The use of skillful tricks and deceptions to produce entertainingly baffling effects; manual dexterity in the execution of tricks

68. Instate - To establish in office; install; to admit formally into membership or office, as with ritual

69. Blanket - To extend over the surface of; cover; a layer that covers or encloses

70. Denude - To divest of covering; make bare; to expose (rock strata) by erosion

71. Shrivel - To become or make much less or smaller; dwindle; to become or make shrunken and wrinkled, often by drying; to lose or cause to lose vitality or intensity; dehydrate, dry up

72. Grovel - To behave in a servile or demeaning manner; cringe; abase, demean oneself

73. Referee - One to whom something is referred, especially for settlement, decision, or an opinion as to the thing’s quality

74. Caginess - Having or showing a clever awareness and resourcefulness in practical matters; secretive; wary; careful; shrewd

75. Excise - An internal tax imposed on the production, sale, or consumption of a commodity or the use of a service within a country; a licensing charge or a fee levied for certain privileges; remove, delete

76. Conciliatory - Tending to conciliate; pacific; mollifying; propitiating; placid, yielding

77. Prolixity - Words or the use of words in excess of those needed for clarity or precision; using or containing an excessive number of words; long-winded; wordy

78. Semitic - Of, relating to, or constituting a subgroup of the Afro-Asiatic language group that includes Arabic, Hebrew, Amharic, and Aramaic; of or relating to the Semites or their languages or cultures

79. Cadge - To beg or get by begging

80. Futon - A thin mattress of tufted cotton batting or similar material, placed on a floor or on a raised, foldable frame; mattress consisting of a pad of cotton batting that is used for sleeping on the floor or on a raised frame

81. Toady - A person who flatters or defers to others for self-serving reasons; a sycophant; tray to gain favor by cringing or flattering

82. Rapprochement - A reestablishing of cordial relations, as between two countries; the state of reconciliation or of cordial relations; restoration of harmony

83. Obliterate - To destroy all traces of; to wipe out, rub off, or erase

84. Timorous - Full of apprehensiveness; timid; easily frightened

85. Ecumenical - Of worldwide scope or applicability; universal; non-denominational; of or relating to the worldwide Christian church; concerned with establishing or promoting unity among churches or religions

86. Bibulous - Given to or marked by the consumption of alcoholic drink; very absorbent, as paper or soil; inclined to drink; of or relating to drink or drinking

87. Fustian - Pretentious, pompous speech or writing; a coarse sturdy cloth made of cotton and flax; pompous or pretentious talking or writing

88. Impugn - To attack as false or questionable; challenge in argument; criticize, challenge

89. Pristine - Remaining in a pure state; uncorrupted by civilization. Remaining free from dirt or decay; clean

90. Vociferous - Offensively loud and insistent

91. Convoy - The act of accompanying or escorting, especially for protective purposes; an accompanying and protecting force, as of ships or troops; a group, as of ships or motor vehicles, traveling together with a protective escort or for safety or convenience; to accompany, especially for protection; escort

92. Belie - To give a false representation to; misrepresent; to show to be false; contradict; deceive

93. Nullify - To make null; invalidate; to counteract the force or effectiveness of; cancel, revoke

94. Dissembler - One who dissembles; one who conceals his opinions or dispositions under a false appearance; a hypocrite

95. Forthright - Direct and without evasion; straightforward; directly and frankly; manifesting honesty and directness, especially speech

96. Abhorrence - One that is disgusting, loathsome, or repellent; an object of extreme dislike; the act of detesting extremely; hate coupled with disgust

97. Allegory - The representation of abstract ideas or principles by characters, figures, or events in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form; a story, picture, or play employing such representation; a symbolic representation

98. Gossamer - So light and insubstantial as to resemble air or a thin film; gauzy, thin; soft light delicate material

99. Flag - To lose strength or power; droop

100. Thunderous - Producing thunder or a similar sound; loud and unrestrained in a way that suggests thunder; extremely ominous

101. Tempestuous - Violently disturbed or agitated, as by storms; tumultuous; stormy; wild

102. Haughty - Scornfully and condescendingly proud; arrogant

103. Chastise - To punish, as by beating; to criticize severely; rebuke; scold, discipline; to purify

104. Abhorrence - One that is disgusting, loathsome, or repellent; a feeling of repugnance or loathing; hate coupled with disgust; the act of detesting extremely

105. Irascible - Prone to outbursts of temper; easily angered. Characterized by or resulting from anger

106. Appendix - A collection of supplementary material, usually at the end of a book

107. Sumptuous - Of a size or splendor suggesting great expense; lavish; luxurious, splendid; rich and superior in quality

108. Fallow - Land left unseeded during a growing season; inactive; plowed but left unseeded during a growing season: fallow farmland

109. Plummet - To decline suddenly and steeply; to fall straight down; plunge; fall hard and fast

110. Benign - Of a kind and gentle disposition; having little or no detrimental effect; harmless

111. Immure - To confine within or as if within walls; imprison; lock up or confine, in or as in a jail

112. Voluble - Marked by a ready flow of speech; fluent; turning easily on an axis; rotating; talkative

113. Berate - To rebuke or scold angrily and at length; to reprimand loudly or harshly; criticize hatefully

114. Stolid - Having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; impassive; apathetic, stupid; without emotion or interest

115. Delineate - To draw or trace the outline of; sketch out. To represent pictorially; depict

116. Fracas - A noisy, disorderly fight or quarrel; a brawl; disturbance, fight

117. Gall - To become irritated, chafed, or sore; nerve, brashness; upset, irritate

118. Lampoon - A work, as a novel or play, that exposes folly by the use of humor or irony; ridicule, make fun of

119. Dwell - To live as a resident; reside; to fasten one’s attention; to speak or write at length; expatiate; live in

120. Vicissitudinous - Full of, or subject to, changes

121. Martinet - A rigid military disciplinarian; one who demands absolute adherence to forms and rules; one who demands strict obedience

122. Lenient - Inclined not to be harsh or strict; merciful, generous, or indulgent; not strict or severe; not harsh or strict in dealing with others

123. Anecdote - A short account of an interesting or humorous incident; an entertaining and often oral account of a real or fictitious occurrence; a short, interesting, and amusing story

124. Voluptuous - Giving, characterized by, or suggesting ample, unrestrained pleasure to the senses; well-developed, erotic; having fullness of beautiful form

ANALOGIES

1. quatrain:stanza
2. bootless:futile
3. fustian:bombastic
4. infinitude:measure
5. cistern:liquid
6. lock:secure
7. vivid:intensity
8. debase:status
9. glacier:ice
10. resonant:sound
11. judge:laws
12. unswering:vacillate
13. cajoling:reluctance
14. slothful:assiduity
15. fence: livestock
16. reliable:fail
17. frill:superfluity
18. obsequious:toady
19. allay:relieve
20. exhaust:energy
21. dissembler:forthright
22. mirror:reflectivity
23. bolster:support
24. book:appendix
25. still:movement
26. stolid:impassive
27. martinet:lenient
28. school:learn
29. overture:introduction
30. futon:bed
31. miscreant:wretched
32. epic:poem
33. saga:anecdote
34. raucous:harsh
35. orchestra:musician

ISSUE TOPIC

1. Laws should not be rigid or fixed. Instead, they should be flexible enough to take account of various circumstances, times, and places.

2. Success, whether academic or professional, involves an ability to survive in a new environment and, eventually, to change it.

3. The purpose of many advertisements is to make consumers want to buy a product so thatthey will 'be like' the person in the ad. This practice is effective because it not only sellsproducts but also helps people feel better about themselves.

4. Money spent on research is almost always a good investment, even when the results of that research are controversial

5.The most effective way to communicate an idea or value to large groups of people is through the use of images, not language.

6. The primary goal of technological advancement should be to increase people's efficiency so that everyone has more leisure time

7. The study of an academic discipline alters the way we perceive the world. After studying the discipline, we see the same world as before, but with different eyes

8. The most essential quality of an effective leader is the ability to remain consistently committed to particular principles and objectives. Any leader who is quickly and easily influenced by shifts in popular opinion will accomplish little

9. The surest indicator of a great nation is not the achievements of its rulers, artists, or scientists, but the general welfare of all its people

10. With the growth of global networks in such areas as economics and communication, there is no doubt that every aspect of society—including education, politics, the arts, and the sciences—will benefit greatly from international influences


ARGUMENT TOPIC

1. The following report appeared in a memo from the vice president of the Southside Transportation Authority.
"We should abandon our current five-year plan to purchase additional buses to serve the campus of Southside University, because students there are unlikely to use them. Consider the results of the recent campaign sponsored by the Environmental Club at Southside University: in a program on the campus radio station, the club asked students to call in and pledge that they would commute to school by bus instead of by automobile at least one day per week. Only ten percent of the students called in and pledged. In view of the campaign's lack of success, we can assume that the bus service we currently offer will continue to be sufficient to serve the university."

2. The following is a letter that recently appeared in the Oak City Gazette, a local newspaper.
"Membership in Oak City's Civic Club — a club whose primary objective is to discuss local issues — should continue to be restricted to people who live in Oak City. People who work in Oak City but who live elsewhere cannot truly understand the business and politics of the city. It is important to restrict membership to city residents because only residents pay city taxes and therefore only residents understand how the money could best be used to improve the city. At any rate, restricting membership in this way is unlikely to disappoint many of the nonresidents employed in Oak City, since neighboring Elm City's Civic Club has always had an open membership policy, and only twenty-five nonresidents have joined Elm City's Club in the last ten years."

3. The following appeared as an editorial in the local newspaper of Dalton.

"When the neighboring town of Williamsville adopted a curfew four months ago that made it illegal for persons under the age of 18 to loiter or idle in public places after 10 p.m., youth crime in Williamsville dropped by 27 percent during curfew hours. In Williamsville's town square, the area where its citizens were once most outraged at the high crime rate, not a single crime has been reported since the curfew was introduced. Therefore, to help reduce its own rising crime rate, the town of Dalton should adopt the same kind of curfew. A curfew that keeps young people at home late at night will surely control juvenile delinquency and protect minors from becoming victims of crime."

4. The following appeared as an editorial in the local newspaper of Dalton.

"When the neighboring town of Williamsville adopted a curfew four months ago that made it illegal for persons under the age of 18 to loiter or idle in public places after 10 p.m., youth crime in Williamsville dropped by 27 percent during curfew hours. In Williamsville's town square, the area where its citizens were once most outraged at the high crime rate, not a single crime has been reported since the curfew was introduced. Therefore, to help reduce its own rising crime rate, the town of Dalton should adopt the same kind of curfew. A curfew that keeps young people at home late at night will surely control juvenile delinquency and protect minors from becoming victims of crime."

JUNE VERBAL THREAD

1. Glib - Marked by ease and fluency of speech or writing that often suggests or stems from insincerity, superficiality, or deceitfulness.
2. Gregarious - Seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable
3. Altruistic - Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness
4. Exacting - Making severe demands; rigorous; requiring great care, effort, or attention
5. Ensue - To follow as a consequence or result
6. Infirm - Not strong or stable; shaky; irresolute; feeble
7. Noxious - Harmful to the mind or morals; corrupting; injurious to health
8. Ensnare - To gain control of or an advantage over by or as if by trapping
9. Remiss - Exhibiting carelessness or slackness
10. Vivacious - Full of animation and spirit
11. Dire - Warning of or having dreadful or terrible consequences; calamitous
12. Cron - A time unit equal to 1000000 years; used in reference to evolutionary processes
13. Votary - One zealously devoted to a religion
14. Reek - To have or give off a foul odor; to smoke, steam, or fume; to be pervaded by something unpleasant
15. Germane - Related to the matter at hand; appropriate
16. Nocturnal - Of, relating to, or occurring in the night
17. Obfuscate - To render indistinct or dim; darken; to make so confused or opaque as to be difficult to perceive or understand
18. Discern - To perceive or recognize as being different or distinct; distinguish
19. Inconspicuous - Not readily noticeable
20. Croon - To sing softly or in a humming way
21. Accrue - Accumulate or increase; increasing by addition of growth, often financial
22. Imprudence - A lack of caution in practical affairs
23. Indelible - Indestructible
24. Quisling - A traitor who serves as the puppet of the enemy occupying his or her country
25. Termagant - A person, traditionally a woman, who persistently nags or criticizes
26. Wilt - Sag, fail; to become limp or flaccid
27. Bromide - A tiresome person; a bore; a commonplace remark or notion; a platitude
28. Proscribe - To denounce or condemn; to prohibit; forbid.
29. Haughtiness - Overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors; scornfully and condescendingly proud
30. Evanescent - Vanishing or likely to vanish like vapor
31. Fetid - Having an offensive odor; foul, rancid
32. Pariah - A social outcast; an untouchable
33. Tort - Law. damage, injury, or a wrongful act done willfully, negligently, or in circumstances involving strict liability, but not involving breach
34. Surly - bad tempered; unfriendly
35. Culpable - Deserving of blame or censure as being wrong, evil, improper, or injurious
36. Motley - Having elements of great variety or incongruity; heterogeneous
37. Coterie - A small, often select group of persons who associate with one another frequently
38. Protuberance - Something, such as a bulge, knob, or swelling, that protrudes. The condition of being protuberant
39. Perspicuity - The quality of being perspicuous; clearness and lucidity
40. Succinct - Characterized by clear, precise expression in few words; concise and terse
41. Digress- To turn aside, especially from the main subject in writing or speaking; stray
42. Aphorism - A brief statement of a principle; a tersely phrased statement of a truth or opinion; an adage
43. Eulogy - A laudatory speech or written tribute, especially one praising someone who has died; high praise or commendation
44. Fallacious - Tending to mislead; deceptive
45. Solemn - Deeply earnest, serious, and sober; gloomy; somber; performed with full ceremony; invoking the force of religion; sacred
46. Dissention - Difference of opinion; disagreement
47. Suture - The fine thread or other material used surgically to close a wound or join tissues; a seam used in surgery; thread of catgut or silk or wire used by surgeons to stitch tissues together; join with a suture, as of a wound in surgery
48. Sangfroid - A stable, calm state of the emotions
49. Humdrum - Lacking variety or excitement; dull; boring , dull; monotonous talk or routine.
50. Untenable - Incapable of being defended or justified
51. Inexpungeable - Not capable of being expunged
52. Expunged - To erase or strike out
53. Obliterate - To do away with completely so as to leave no trace
54. Happenstance - An unexpected random event
55. Charisma - The power or quality of attracting
56. Bore - One that is wearingly dull, repetitive, or tedious
57. Muster - To assemble, prepare, or put into operation, as for war or a similar emergency; a number of persons who have come or been gathered together
58. Crew - A group of people organized for a particular purpose; serve as a crew member on
59. Cord - To pile (wood) in cords; a line made of twisted fibers or threads
60. Polymorphous - Having, or assuming, a variety of forms, characters, or styles
61. Incontrovertible - Impossible to dispute; unquestionable
62. Pulchritude - Great physical beauty and appeal
63. Flounder - To make clumsy attempts to move or regain one's balance
64. Nugatory - Of little or no importance; trifling. having no force; invalid
65. Hull - Dry outer covering of a fruit or seed or nut; the frame or body of ship
66. Succinct - Marked by or consisting of few words that are carefully chosen; brief, to the point; briefly giving the gist of something
67. Diazepam - A tranquilizer (trade name Valium) used to relieve anxiety and relax muscles; acts by enhancing the inhibitory actions of the neurotransmitter GABA
68. Sagitta - A constellation in the Northern Hemisphere near Aquila and Vulpecula
69. Amity - Peaceful relations, as between nations; friendship
70. Decimate - To destroy or kill a large part of (a group)
71. Fecund - Capable of producing offspring or vegetation; fruitful. Marked by intellectual productivity
72. Tawdry - Gaudy and cheap in nature or appearance; cheap, tasteless
73. Marrow - The most central and material part; the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience
74. Cognizant - Fully informed; conscious
75. Fiasco - A complete failure
76. Folly - A lack of good sense, understanding, or foresight; an act or instance of foolishness: regretted the follies of his youth
77. Forage - Food for domestic animals; fodder. The act of looking or searching for food or provisions
78. Quart - A unit of volume or capacity in the US Customary System, used in liquid measure, equal to / 4 gallon or 32 ounces
79. Shuck - A husk, pod, or shell, as of a pea, hickory nut, or ear of corn. The shell of an oyster or clam
80. Green - Lacking training or experience
81. Furrow - A long shallow trench in the ground; make wrinkled or creased;
a deep wrinkle in the skin, as on the forehead
82. Trite - Lacking power to evoke interest through overuse or repetition; hackneyed
83. Suture - The process of joining two surfaces or edges together along a line by or as if by sewing
84. Furor - A general commotion; public disorder or uproar. Violent anger; frenzy; a fashion adopted enthusiastically by the public; a fad
85. Castigate - To inflict severe punishment on; to criticize severely
86. Pique - A state of vexation caused by a perceived slight or indignity; a feeling of wounded pride
87. Sanctimonious - Excessively or hypocritically pious; feigning piety or righteousness; of or practicing hypocrisy
88. Evacuant - Of, relating to, or tending to eliminate; tending to cleanse or purge, especially causing evacuation of the bowels
89. Striate - Marked with striae; striped, grooved, or ridged; to mark with a line or band, as of different color or texture
90. Legerdemain - A show of skill or deceitful cleverness; the use of skillful tricks and deceptions to produce entertainingly baffling effects
91. Overture- An instrumental composition intended especially as an introduction to an extended work, such as an opera or oratorio
92. Opera - A theatrical presentation in which a dramatic performance is set to music; the score of such a work
93. Chasten - To castigate for the purpose of improving; to correct using punishment or suffering
94. Hirsute - Covered with hair; having a hairy covering
95. Chortle - To laugh quietly; a snorting, joyful laugh or chuckle
96. Topical - Of or belonging to a particular location or place; local; currently of interest; contemporary
97. Perfunctory - Hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
98. Terrestrial - Earthly
99. Livestock - Domestic animals, such as cattle or horses, raised for home use or for profit, especially on a farm
100. Gall - The quality or state of feeling bitter; the state or quality of being impudent or arrogantly self-confident; to trouble the nerves or peace of mind of, especially by repeated vexations; nerve, brashness; upset, irritate
101. Frisky - Playful
102. Quatrain - A stanza or poem of four lines
103. Hubris - Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance
104. Kudos - Acclaim or praise for exceptional achievement
105. Exodus - A departure from a place or country, especially of many people; act of leaving
106. Vulgaris - Being of the usual type; common
107. Frill - Something costly and unnecessary
108. Superficiality - Trivial; insignificant
109. Void - An empty space
110. Swath - A path or strip; the space created by the swing of a scythe or the cut of a mowing machine
111. Haughty - Scornfully and condescendingly proud; arrogant
112. Vaporous - Extravagantly fanciful; high-flown; so light and insubstantial as to resemble air or a thin film
113. Saga - Epic tale, long story; a long detailed report
114. Sagittal - Of or relating to the suture uniting the two parietal bones of the skull;
115. Eyesore - Something, such as a distressed building, that is unpleasant or offensive to view
116. Vim - Ebullient vitality and energy; an imaginative lively style
117. Formulaic - Being of no special quality or type
118. Budge - To move very slightly; overformal; pompous
119. Superfluity - Overabundance; excess
120. Pelf - Wealth or riches, especially when dishonestly acquired
121. Impecunious - Lacking money; penniless
122. Confinement - Imprisonment; restriction
123. Rostrum - A stage or raised platform for public speaking
124. Denude - To divest of covering; make bare
125. Stultify - Deprive of strength or efficiency; make useless or worthless; cause to appear foolish; prove to be of unsound mind or demonstrate someone's incompetence
126. Faradic - Of, relating to, or using an intermittent asymmetrical alternating electric current produced by an induction coil
127. Martinet - A strict disciplinarian, especially in the armed forces; one who demands absolute adherence to forms and rules
128. Vulgar - Common, general; rude, offensive
129. Aesthetic - Showing good taste
130. Cistern - A receptacle for holding water or other liquid, especially a tank for catching and storing rainwater
131. Wanton - Careless; cruel, malicious
132. Grovel - To support slavishly every opinion or suggestion of a superior; to behave in a servile or demeaning manner
133. Shoal - A shallow part of a body of water: shallow; measuring little from bottom to top or surface
134. Sylvan - Relating to or characteristic of woods or forest regions; abounding in trees; wooded

ANALOGIES

1) refridgerator:food
2) fan:cable
3) schedule:time
4) splurge:money
5) peripheral:edge

6) church:state - Ans must be B
A.confusion:adaption
B.priest:officer
C.time:minutes
D.team player
E.breeze:sunshine

7) needle : sew - Ans must be D
A.pencil:papaer
B.radio:electricity
C.picture :color
D.towel:dry
E.book:cover

8) tag:identity
9) car:wheel
10) careless:punctual
11) theatre:play
12) pariah:ostracize
13) vindicated:blame
14) culpable:condemnation
15) coterie:intimates
16) schedule:time
17) bulge:protuberance
18) resignation:office
19) attentive:officious

20) barrage: explosives - Ans must be B
A.cacophony :sound
B.deluge:rain is the answer
C.vista:signs
D.grenade:bombs
E.volcano:lava

21) ruffle:shirt - Ans must be B
A.rafter:roof
B.molding:cabinet
C.gate:path
D.curb:sidewalk
E.shade:window

22) ineradicable:eliminate
23) vaccinate:disease
24) untenable:defend
25) charisma:bore
26) muster:crew
27) incontrovertible:dispute
28) carefree:responsibilities
29) beckon:hand
30) matter:hardness
31) arrogant:defer
32) experience:green
33) date:calender
34) overture:opera
35) striate:grooved
36) magician:legerdemain
37) chasten:humbled
38) knot:solve
39) chortle:glee
40) perfunctory:depth
41) topical:currency
42) fence:livestock
43) terrestrial:earth
44) lock:secure
45) frilll:superfluity
46)saga:poem
47) vivid:intensify
48) infinite:measure
49) judge:laws
50) pelf:impecunious
51) cell:confinement
52) cistern:liquids

ISSUE TOPICS

1. The primary goal of technological advancement should be to increase people's efficiency so that everyone has more leisure time
2. The arts (painting, music, literature, etc.) reveal the otherwise hidden ideas and impulses of a society.
3. To be an effective leader, a public official must maintain the highest ethical and moral standards.
4. Governments should focus more on solving the immediate problems of today rather than trying to solve the anticipated problems of the future
5. While some leaders in government, sports, industry, and other areas attribute their success to a well-developed sense of competition, a society can better prepare its young people for leadership by instilling in them a sense of cooperation
6. Both parents and communities must be involved in the local schools. Education is too important to leave solely to a group of professional educators
7. Many of the world's lesser-known languages are being lost as fewer and fewer people speak them. The governments of countries in which these languages are spoken should act to prevent such languages from becoming extinct
8. It is impossible for an effective political leader to tell the truth all the time. Complete honesty is not a useful virtue for a politician
9. In any profession—business, politics, education, government—those in power should step down after five years. The surest path to success for any enterprise is revitalization through new leadership
10. In any given field, the leading voices come from people who are motivated not by conviction but by the desire to present opinions and ideas that differ from those held by the majority
11. For the growth of professions and academic fields imagination is more important than knowledge
11. The way people look, dress, and act reveals their attitudes and interests. You can tell much about a society's ideas and values by observing the appearance and behavior of its people
12. Some educational systems emphasize the development of student's capacity for reasoning and logical thinking, but students would benefit more from an education that also taught them to explore their own emotions

ARGUMENT TOPICS

1. In a study of reading habits of Leeville citizens conducted by the University of Leeville, most respondents said they preferred literary classics as reading material. However, a follow-up study conducted by the same researchers found that the type of book most frequently checked out of each of the public libraries in Leeville was the mystery novel. Therefore, it can be concluded that the respondents in the first study had misrepresented their reading habits.

2. The following appeared in a letter to the editor of the Clearview newspaper.
"In the next mayoral election, residents of Clearview should vote for Ann Green, who is a member of the Good Earth Coalition, rather than for Frank Braun, a member of the Clearview town council, because the current members are not protecting our environment. For example, during the past year the number of factories in Clearview has doubled, air pollution levels have increased, and the local hospital has treated 25 percent more patients with respiratory illnesses. If we elect Ann Green, the environmental problems in Clearview will certainly be solved."

3. The following appeared as an editorial in a wildlife journal.

"Arctic deer live on islands in Canada's arctic region. They search for food by moving over ice from island to island during the course of a year. Their habitat is limited to areas warm enough to sustain the plants on which they feed, and cold enough, at least some of the year, for the ice to cover the sea separating the islands, allowing the deer to travel over it. Unfortunately, according to reports from local hunters, the deer populations are declining. Since these reports coincide with recent global warming trends that have caused the sea ice to melt, we can conclude that the decline in arctic deer populations is the result of deer being unable to follow their age-old migration patterns across the frozen sea."

4. The following appeared as an editorial in a local newspaper.
"In order to attract visitors to Central Plaza downtown and to return the plaza to its former glory, the city should prohibit skateboarding there and instead allow skateboarders to use an area in Monroe Park. At Central Plaza, skateboard users are about the only people one sees now, and litter and defaced property have made the plaza unattractive. In a recent survey of downtown merchants, the majority supported a prohibition on skateboarding in the plaza. Clearly, banning skateboarding in Central Plaza will make the area a place where people can congregate for fun or for relaxation."

5. As people grow older, an enzyme known as PEP increasingly breaks down the neuropeptide chemicals involved in learning and memory. But now, researchers have found compounds that prevent PEP from breaking neuropeptides apart. In tests, these compounds almost completely restored lost memory in rats. The use of these compounds should be extended to students who have poor memory and difficulty in concentrating — and therefore serious problems in school performance. Science finally has a solution for problems neither parents nor teachers could solve.

6. The following is a memorandum from the sales director to the president of the Healthy-and-Good food company.
"A recent study indicates that Venadial, a new margarine currently produced only in the country of Alta, actually reduces cholesterol levels. Derived from the resin of pine trees, Venadial works by activating a metabolic response that is not yet well understood. However, cholesterol levels fell ten to fifteen percent among participants in the study who consumed Venadial daily, and the risk of heart attack by one-third. In addition, the new margarine is so popular that stores in Alta are unable to keep it on their shelves. Therefore, if our company obtains the exclusive right to sell Venadial internationally, our profits are sure to increase substantially within a very short time."

7. Recent study shows that people living on the continent of North America suffer 9 times more chronic fatigue and 31 times more chronic depression than do people living on the continent of Asia. Interestingly, Asians, on average, eat 20 grams of soy per day, whereas North Americans eat virtually none. It turns out that soy contains phytochemicals called isoflavones, which have been found to possess disease-preventing properties. Thus, North Americans should consider eating soy on a regular basis as a way of preventing fatigue and depression.

8. Due to the declining profits we have to reduce the operating expenses of the ten rental vedio stores we have. We have to not increase the profits because we are famous for special bargains. By reducing the operating hours..is a good idea. Last month our vedio-store in downtown have reduced the working time to 6:pm rather than 9:pm which is our usual time. It ha also reduced the inventory by excluding the stock two years from now. So, we have to do the same..for all the rental stores

9. The following is a letter from an editor at Liber Publishing Company to the company's president.
"In recent years, Liber has unfortunately moved away from its original mission: to publish the works of regional small-town authors instead of those of big-city authors. Just last year, 90 percent of the novels we published were written by authors who maintain a residence in a big city. Although this change must have been intended to increase profits, it has obviously backfired, because Liber is now in serious financial trouble. The only way to address this problem is to return to our original mission. If we return to publishing only the works of regional small-town authors, our financial troubles will soon be resolved"