5 • Lesson 9 Word List

(adj) So unreasonable as to be laughable; foolish or silly.
You?d look absurd in a suit and tie at the beach.

(v) To do something by making an effort; to complete successfully.
I know I will accomplish these errands by noon.

accomplishment (n) Something requiring skill and determination that is completed successfully.
Anne Sullivan?s great accomplishment was to teach a child who was deaf and blind to speak and to read.

(v) To rise, usually in a steady way.
The rocket ascended to a height of five hundred feet before falling to Earth.

(adj) 1. Tightly packed; crowded close together.
The tired explorers hacked their way through dense vines and bushes to reach the coast.

2. Thick; hard to see through.
At the airport there was such dense fog that planes couldn?t take off.

3. Stupid, thickheaded.
I don?t want to seem dense, but I don?t understand your question.

(n) A test to prove or discover something.
The experiment shows that oxygen and hydrogen combine to form water.

(v) 1. To carry out experiments.
Benjamin Franklin experimented with a kite to show that lightning was a form of electricity.

2. To try out new ideas or activities.
A good cook experiments with different herbs and spices to create new dishes.

(adj) 1. Easily damaged or broken; not strongly made.
The cart was too flimsy to carry such a heavy load.

2. Not believable.
Saying you lost your pen is a flimsy excuse for not doing your homework.

(adj) 1. Very brave; showing great courage.
The teenager dove into the pond and made a heroic rescue of the child who couldn?t swim.

2. Showing great determination; requiring enormous effort.
Firefighters made a heroic effort to put out the blaze.

(n) Wood that has been sawed into boards.
Have you ordered the lumber for the deck you are building?

(v) To move in a clumsy or heavy way.
The old dog lumbered toward me.

(v) 1. To copy or imitate closely.
The parrot fascinated us because it could mimic human speech so well.

2. To make fun of by imitating.
I got upset when you mimicked my friend?s singing.

(n) One who can imitate sounds, speech, or actions.
A good mimic carefully studies the person being imitated.

(adj) Important; full of meaning.
July 4, 1776, is a significant date in American history.

significance (n) The quality of being important or of giving meaning.
The significance of the Bill of Rights is that it spells out important freedoms that should be enjoyed by all Americans.

(v) 1. To fly high in the sky.
We watched the eagles soar until they were just specks in the sky.

2. To rise suddenly and rapidly.
The cost of a college education is expected to soar during the next few years.

(n) A person who watches an activity; an onlooker.
The spectators jostled each other as they rushed onto the field at the end of the game.

(v) 1. To hang while attached to something above.
The hammock was suspended from the porch ceiling.

2. To stop for a while before going on.
The subway suspended its main route for two days while the track was repaired.

3. To bar from working, attending, or taking part for a while.
The students caught cheating were suspended from school for one week.

(v) To bring or to come to an end.
Heavy rain terminated the tennis match after only ten minutes of play.

(adj) Hard to handle or control because of large size or heaviness.
The sofa was so unwieldy that getting it up three flights of stairs was a real challenge.