Lesson 2
1. corpse /kɔːps/ (n) [ C ] a dead body, usually of a person
a. When given all the data on the corpse, Columbo was able to solve the murder.
b. The corpse was laid to rest in the vacant coffin.
c. An oath of revenge was sworn over the corpse by his relatives.
2. conceal /kənˈsiːl/ (v) [ T ] hide
a. Tris could not conceal his love for Gloria.
b. Count Dracula concealed the corpse in his castle.
c. The money was so cleverly concealed that we were forced to abandon our search for it.
3. dismal /ˈdɪz.məl/ (adj) dark and depressing
a. When the weather is so dismal, I sometimes stay in bed all day.
b. I am unaccustomed to this dismal climate.
c. As the dismal reports of the election came in, the senator’s friends tactfully made no mention of them.
4. frigid /ˈfrɪdʒ.ɪd/ (adj) very cold
a. It was a great hardship for the men to live through the frigid winter at Valley Forge.
b. The jealous bachelor was treated in a frigid manner by his girlfriend.
c. Inside the butcher’s freezer the temperature was frigid.
5. inhabit /ɪnˈhæb.ɪt/ (v) live in
a. Eskimos inhabit the frigid part of Alaska.
b. Because Sidney qualified, he was allowed to inhabit the vacant apartment.
c. Many crimes are committed each year against those who inhabit the slum area of our city.
6. numb /nʌm/ (adj) without the power of feeling; deadened
a. My fingers quickly became numb in the frigid room.
b. A numb feeling came over Mr. Massey as he read the telegram.
c. When the nurse stuck a pin in my numb leg, I felt nothing.
7. peril /ˈper.əl/ (n) danger
a. The hunter was abandoned by the natives when he described the peril that lay ahead of them.
b. There is great peril in trying to climb the mountain.
c. Our library is filled with stories of perilous adventures.
8. recline /rɪˈklaɪn/ (v) lie down; stretch out; lean back
a. Richard likes to recline in front of the television set.
b. After reclining on her right arm for an hour, Maxine found that it had become numb.
c. My dog’s greatest pleasure is to recline by the warm fireplace.
9. shriek /ʃriːk/ (v) scream
a. The maid shrieked when she discovered the corpse.
b. With a loud shriek, Ronald fled from the room.
c. Facing the peril of the waterfall, the boatman let out a terrible shriek.
10. sinister /ˈsɪn.ɪ.stə r / (adj) evil; wicked; dishonest; frightening
a. The sinister plot to cheat the widow was uncovered by the police.
b. When the bank guard spied the sinister-looking customer, he drew his gun.
c. I was frightened by the sinister shadow at the bottom of the stairs.
11. tempt /tempt/ (v) try to get someone to do something; test; invite
a. A banana split can tempt me to break my diet.
b. The sight of beautiful Louise tempted the bachelor to change his mind about marriage.
c. Your offer of a job tempts me greatly.
12. wager /ˈweɪ.dʒə r / (n) bet
a. I lost a small wager on the Super Bowl.
b. After winning the wager, Tex treated everyone to free drinks.
c. It is legal to make a wager in the state of Nevada.
Words in Use
Read the following passage to see how the new words are used in it
Terror in the Cemetery
I like to bet on anything that is exciting, so when my friends tried to tempt me with an offer, I took it. The
idea was for me to spend a frigid December night in a cemetery, all alone, in order to win twenty dollars. Little did
I realize that they would use dirty tricks to try to frighten me into abandoning the cemetery, therefore losing my
wager.
My plan was to recline in front of a large grave, covered by a warm blanket, with a flashlight to help me
cut through the dismal darkness.
After midnight, I heard a wild shriek. I thought I saw the grave open and a corpse rise out of it! Although I
was somewhat numb with fear, I tried to keep my senses. Using good judgment, I knew that no peril could come
to me from that sinister figure. When I did not run in terror, my friends, who had decided to conceal themselves
behind the nearby tombstones, came out and we all had a good laugh. Those spirits that may inhabit a cemetery
must have had a good laugh, too.
Fill in the Blanks
Place one of the new words in each of the blanks below.
1. The chances of my winning the election were so ________ that I decided to quit before the
votes were counted.
2. I won the ________ that my bachelor* friend would be married by June.
3. Kit Carson’s keen* eyesight protected him from the ________ in the forest.
4. While escaping from the bank, the robbers forced the teller to ________ on the floor of their
car.
5. Since the shack was vacant,* we did not expect to hear the terrible ________ which came
from it.
6. With a ________ smile, the gangster invited Martha into his Cadillac.
7. You cannot ________ the truth when you are questioned by the keen* lawyer.
8. It is said that many ghosts ________ the old Butler house.
9. In ________ weather I always wear three or four sweaters.
10. After standing guard duty for four hours, I became completely ________ .
11. As the closet was opened, the ________ fell out, frightening the janitor out of one year’s
growth.
12. With the promise of a raise in pay, my boss tried to ________ me to stay on in the job.
