VOCABULARY VOCABULARY 66

Austin Austin

English 11English 11

AspersionAspersionDoes Does aspersionaspersion

mean:mean:

Damaging or false Damaging or false statementstatement

High praiseHigh praise Unkind remarksUnkind remarks true evaluations true evaluations

Deprecate Deprecate Does Does deprecatedeprecate

mean:mean:

To lower oneselfTo lower oneself To express To express

pessimismpessimism To belittleTo belittle To lessenTo lessen

Deride Deride Does Does deridederide mean: mean:

To be incompetentTo be incompetent To argue To argue To investigateTo investigate To mock To mock

Execrable Execrable Does Does execrableexecrable

mean:mean:

Extremely inferior Extremely inferior Important Important Easily explainedEasily explained Emotional Emotional

Ostracize Ostracize Does Does ostracizeostracize mean: mean:

To include To include To shunTo shun To rotateTo rotate To confess guilt To confess guilt

Rebuke Rebuke Does Does rebukerebuke mean: mean:

ThreatenedThreatened PraisesPraises Reprimand sharplyReprimand sharply Ignores Ignores

Scurrilous Scurrilous Does Does scurrilousscurrilous mean: mean:

quick movementquick movement To wrongly accuseTo wrongly accuse Foul mouthed attack Foul mouthed attack To exciteTo excite

Spurn Spurn Does Does spurnspurn mean: mean:

To begTo beg To commandTo command To flatterTo flatter To rejectTo reject

Vitriolic Vitriolic Does Does vitriolicvitriolic mean: mean:

Mild Mild HarshHarsh Humorous Humorous Unnecessary Unnecessary

Vituperation Vituperation Does Does vituperationvituperation

mean:mean:

Sustained, bitter Sustained, bitter attackattack

The highest pointThe highest point Punishment Punishment Payment as a rewardPayment as a reward

Go Tell It on the MountainGo Tell It on the MountainJames Baldwin James Baldwin

Go Tell It on the Mountain, Go Tell It on the Mountain, James Baldwin's first novel, James Baldwin's first novel, describes the course of the describes the course of the fourteenth birthday of John fourteenth birthday of John Grimes in Harlem, 1935. Grimes in Harlem, 1935. Baldwin also uses extended Baldwin also uses extended flashback episodes to recount flashback episodes to recount the lives of John's parents and the lives of John's parents and aunt and to link this urban aunt and to link this urban boy in the North to his slave boy in the North to his slave grandmother in an earlier grandmother in an earlier South. The first section follows South. The first section follows John's thoughts, the second John's thoughts, the second mostly his aunt's, the third his mostly his aunt's, the third his father's, the fourth his father's, the fourth his mother's, and the fifth again mother's, and the fifth again mostly John's. mostly John's.

The Good EarthThe Good EarthPearl S. BuckPearl S. Buck

Pre Rev China The story begins on Pre Rev China The story begins on Wang LungWang Lung's wedding day and follows 's wedding day and follows the rise and fall of his fortunes. The the rise and fall of his fortunes. The House of Hwang, a family of wealthy House of Hwang, a family of wealthy landowners, lives in the nearby town, landowners, lives in the nearby town, and Wang Lung's wife is a slave there. and Wang Lung's wife is a slave there. As the House of Hwang slowly declines As the House of Hwang slowly declines due to due to opiumopium use, frequent spending, use, frequent spending, and uncontrolled borrowing, Wang and uncontrolled borrowing, Wang Lung, through his own hard work and Lung, through his own hard work and the skill of his wife, O-Lan, slowly earns the skill of his wife, O-Lan, slowly earns enough to buy land from the Hwang enough to buy land from the Hwang family. family. O-O-LanLan delivers two sons and two delivers two sons and two girls, the first becomes mentally girls, the first becomes mentally handicapped as a result of severe handicapped as a result of severe malnutrition brought on by famine. Her malnutrition brought on by famine. Her father greatly pities her and calls her father greatly pities her and calls her "Poor Fool," a name by which she is "Poor Fool," a name by which she is addressed throughout her life. The addressed throughout her life. The second baby girl O-Lan kills second baby girl O-Lan kills immediately and is left out to be eaten immediately and is left out to be eaten by a dog by Wang Lung.by a dog by Wang Lung.

Lord JimLord Jim by Joseph Conrad by Joseph Conrad Jim (his surname is never disclosed), a Jim (his surname is never disclosed), a

young British seaman, becomes first young British seaman, becomes first mate on a ship full of pilgrims mate on a ship full of pilgrims travelling to travelling to MeccaMecca. In a momentary . In a momentary lapse (whether from courage, lapse (whether from courage, judgement, instinct or other) during an judgement, instinct or other) during an accident, Jim joins his captain and accident, Jim joins his captain and other crew members in abandoning other crew members in abandoning the ship and its passengers. A few the ship and its passengers. A few days later, they are picked up by a days later, they are picked up by a British ship. However, the British ship. However, the PatnaPatna and and its passengers are later also saved, its passengers are later also saved, and the reprehensible actions of the and the reprehensible actions of the crew are exposed. The other crew are exposed. The other miscreants evade justice, leaving Jim miscreants evade justice, leaving Jim to face a court of inquiry alone. The to face a court of inquiry alone. The court strips him of his navigation court strips him of his navigation command certificate for his dereliction command certificate for his dereliction of duty. Jim is angry with himself, both of duty. Jim is angry with himself, both for his moment of weakness, and for for his moment of weakness, and for missing an opportunity to be a 'hero'.missing an opportunity to be a 'hero'.

Invisible Man Invisible Man by Ralph by Ralph EllisonEllison

ThThe narrator beginse narrator begins telling his story telling his story with the claim that he is an with the claim that he is an “invisible man.” His invisibility, he “invisible man.” His invisibility, he says, is not a physical condition—says, is not a physical condition—he is not literally invisible—but is he is not literally invisible—but is rather the result of the refusal of rather the result of the refusal of others to see him. He says that others to see him. He says that because of his invisibility, he has because of his invisibility, he has been hiding from the world, living been hiding from the world, living underground and stealing underground and stealing electricity from the Monopolated electricity from the Monopolated Light & Power Company. He burns Light & Power Company. He burns 1,369 1,369 light bulbs simultaneously light bulbs simultaneously and listens to Louis Armstrong’s and listens to Louis Armstrong’s “(What Did I Do to Be So) Black “(What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue” on a phonograph. He and Blue” on a phonograph. He says that he has gone says that he has gone underground in order to write the underground in order to write the story of his life and invisibility.story of his life and invisibility.

Frankenstein Frankenstein by Mary by Mary ShelleyShelley

In a series of letters,In a series of letters, Robert Robert Walton, the captain of a ship Walton, the captain of a ship bound for the North Pole, bound for the North Pole, recounts to his sister back in recounts to his sister back in England the progress of his England the progress of his dangerous mission. Successful dangerous mission. Successful early on, the mission is soon early on, the mission is soon interrupted by seas full of interrupted by seas full of impassable ice. Trapped, Walton impassable ice. Trapped, Walton encounters Victor Frankenstein, encounters Victor Frankenstein, who has been traveling by dog-who has been traveling by dog-drawn sledge across the ice and drawn sledge across the ice and is weakened by the cold. Walton is weakened by the cold. Walton takes him aboard ship, helps takes him aboard ship, helps nurse him back to health, and nurse him back to health, and hears the fantastic tale of the hears the fantastic tale of the monster that Frankenstein monster that Frankenstein created. created.

Lilaposophobia Lilaposophobia

A fear of tornadoes and hurricanes