PAGE 14
brusque adj., abrupt; blunt in manner or speech. With a brusque sweep of her hand, she brushed the crumbs from the table.
de • mea • nor n., behavior toward others; outward manner. They chose the kitten with the calmest demeanor.
gaunt adj., excessively thin. The stray dog was gaunt and dirty.
PAGE 15
pan • de • mo • ni • um n., wild uproar. After the basketball team won the championship, pandemonium broke out in the gym.
jo • vi • al adj., jolly, merry. The department store was looking for a jovial, chubby man to play Santa.
pal • lid adj., dull, lacking liveliness or color. The rain and the pallid decor of the room depressed him.
un • du • late v., move in waves. The wind caused the stadium banners to undulate.
PAGE 16
sul • len adj., gloomy, somber. After hearing the bad news on the radio, everyone at the party became sullen.
saun • ter v., move in a leisurely manner, stroll. He had planned to saunter over to the group of girls, but instead he tripped on his untied shoelace.
PAGE 17
pul • sate v., throb rhythmically. When she got to the top of the hill, her heart was pulsating at a much faster pace.
PAGE 18
mo • no • ton • ous adj., marked by unvarying pitch and intensity. The lecturer’s voice was monotonous, making even the most interesting topics sound boring.
ap • pre • hen • sive adj., fearful; anxious; unsure. The student felt apprehensive about meeting her teacher after class. apprehensively, adv.
PAGE 19
qua • ve • ry adj., trembling. The first few notes of her flute solo were quavery.
PAGE 23
cal • lused adj., hardened. Running every day gave him callused feet.
PAGE 24
de • fi • ant adj., resistant; bold; unyielding. The activists’ freeing of the lab animals was looked upon as a defiant action. defiantly, adv.
PAGE 25
im • po • tence n., powerlessness, helplessness. Trapped under the fallen tree, May screamed in frustration at her impotence.
pro • logue n., preface, introduction. Heavy rain was the prologue to the devastating storm.
PAGE 27
ca • dence n., rhythmic sequence. The veterans in the parade marched to the cadence set by the drummers behind them.
il • lu • mine v., make bright or shining. Hundreds of tiny white lights illumine the trees in the garden.
sub • lime adj., lofty, grand, spiritual. Jenna saw the mayor nodding as she finished her speech and felt a sublime confidence in having changed his mind.