The file you specified does not exist.

amusing:  causing laughter, funny
That was an amusing story he told at the party.
Watching the kittens play was very amusing.

contagious:  able to spread from one person to another
Chickenpox is a contagious disease, so keep your child home.
AIDS is only contagious through body fluids

domestic:  in the home, on the farm, in the country
Pigs, sheep and cows are domestic animals.
She left her husband because of domestic violence.

flammable:  able to catch on fire easily
Natural gas is a highly flammable substance.
Don’t smoke around any flammable liquid.

horizontal:  positioned from side to side, lying
Draw a horizontal line across the middle of the page.
She stayed in a horizontal position until her back pain got better.

intense:  of an extreme kind, strong
They had to find shelter from the intense heat of the sun.
He won the video game with intense concentration.

junior:  with less experience, younger
He is only a junior partner in the law firm.
They met each other in junior high school.

mobile:  able to be carried or moved
Everyone I know has a mobile phone.
The family lives in a mobile home outside the city.

rebellious:  fighting against authority, disobedient
At the age of sixteen, he entered a rebellious stage in his life.
England tried to maintain control over the rebellious colonies in America.

senior:  of an older age or higher rank
He is senior vice president of sales at Microsoft.
That seating is for handicapped people or senior citizens.

typical:  usual, common, normal
It is typical of him to forget his keys.
The typical reader will find this book hard to read.

vertical:  positioned up and down, standing
The spaceship rose vertical to the horizon.
The vertical movements of the needle on the page indicate an earthquake.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

 

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

The file you specified does not exist.

absolute:  100 percent, complete
No teacher has absolute control over her students.
He pushed his body to the absolute limit to win the race.

awesome: excellent, outstanding
That movie was awesome; I think I’ll go see it again.
The view from the top of the mountain was awesome.

desperate:  having an urgent need
She was desperate to find a summer job before school ended.
The fireman gave a desperate attempt to save the life of the child.

firm:  solid, unchanging
He had a firm belief that people would help when asked.
The seller was firm in his asking price.

illegal:  against the law
It’s illegal to smoke in any public building in Canada.
Gambling is illegal in that country.

nutritious:  having good food value, healthy
They always start their day with a nutritious breakfast.
Junk food is not very nutritious.

patriotic:  loyal to your country
The soldier feels a patriotic sense of duty.
They played patriotic music at his funeral.

romantic:  very loving, passionate
They had a romantic dinner by candlelight.
On a summer’s evening you can see many romantic couples walking hand in hand.

sore:  hurting a little
His legs were sore after a long hike in the mountains.
Lemon tea is a good cure for a sore throat.

thrifty:  not wasting money
Both she and her sister are thrifty shoppers.
Since he lost his job, they’ve had to be more thrifty.

tidy:  neat, clean, organized
Everything in her bedroom is tidy, including her closet.
I’m afraid my work space is not very tidy.

widespread:  happening in many places, over a wide area
There is widespread poverty in that part of the world.
Tsunamis can cause widespread destruction.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

 

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

The file you specified does not exist.

allergic: making the body react badly
He had an allergic reaction to his medication.
Many people are allergic to nuts.

awful: very bad, terrible
When he entered the room, he smelled something awful.
That’s an awful restaurant; the food is terrible and the place is dirty.

cruel: hurting (someone) physically or mentally
Saying she was fat was a cruel thing to say to your sister!
Don’t be so cruel to your dog. Bring him inside on this rainy night.

dizzy: feeling like falling down
This medication can make you feel dizzy, so don’t drive.
I have to sit down; I’m feeling a little dizzy.

fierce: wild and dangerous, violently strong
The fights that couple has are sometimes fierce.
A fierce storm battered the coast for three days.

heroic: done without regard for your safety, bold
Saving that drowning child was very heroic of you.
Firemen often do heroic deeds bringing people to safety.

humble: having a feeling of not being important.
In my humble opinion, I think you should go to the police.
In the presence of these famous writers, I feel quite humble.

inevitable: certain to happen
If he continues to drink and drive, an accident is inevitable.
No matter how long we manage to live, death is inevitable.

insane: not mentally normal, crazy
It’s insane to think that you’ll be a millionaire by the end of the year.
The jury found the man insane and therefore not responsible for the crime.

popular: liked by many people
She’s the most popular girl in school.
I mostly listen to popular music.

responsible: having the duty (to do something)
Nobody else is responsible for the way you feel.
He is responsible for buying the boss a birthday present.

temporary: for a short time
She got a temporary job for the summertime.
The aspirin gave him only temporary relief from his pain.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

 

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

The file you specified does not exist.

addictive:  so pleasurable you can’t stop
Cigarettes are so addictive because of the nicotine.
Coffee can be addictive to some people.

customary:  traditional, always done in the same way
It’s customary to remove your shoes at the front door.
Shaking hands is a customary greeting.

federal:  of the nation as a whole
The federal government is located in Ottawa.
Bank accounts are insured under a federal program.

harsh:  unpleasant, uncomfortable
Winters in the north are harsh.
Early Canadian settlers had a harsh life.

ignorant:  not knowing, unaware
He was ignorant of the police car following him.
On the subject of biology, I’m totally ignorant.

maximum:  the most, highest
He’s locked up in maximum security.
The maximum amount I can lend you is $800.

minimum:  the least, lowest
The minimum tip you should leave is 10%.
There was a minimum number of people at the meeting.

pure:  with nothing extra
Her favorite drink is pure orange juice.
Our grandmother breathes pure oxygen from a tank.

sincere:  truthful, honest
I’m being sincere when I tell you I’ll miss you.
Please accept our sincere apologies.

thorough:  complete, 100%
The dogs made a thorough mess of the living room.
The police did a thorough search of the apartment.

unique:  unlike anything else, one of a kind
He has a unique way of tying his shoe laces.
There is something unique about everyone.

wholesale:  in large amounts
Wholesale sales rose in the first quarter of the year.
What is the wholesale price if I buy ten of them?

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

The file you specified does not exist.

affectionate:  showing love
That little kitten is so affectionate.
The affectionate couple walked hand in hand.

constant:  all the time
The noise from the construction project next door is constant during the day.
I have a constant pain in my lower back.

deliberate:  with a plan, not accidental
His meeting her was deliberate.  He had planned it for days.
She made a deliberate mistake so that he would help her.

economical:  inexpensive, cheap
Driving to work everyday and paying for parking is not economical.
He thought it would be more economical to stay with his parents while at university.

expensive:  costing a lot of money
It’s becoming more and more expensive to buy a house in this city.
That engagement ring he gave you must have been expensive.

frigid:  very cold
The Yukon is a frigid place in winter.
The ocean off the coast of Argentina can get very frigid.

grateful:  thankful, showing gratitude
She was grateful for his help after the fire that destroyed her home.
His son was grateful that he could have his own room in the new house.

identical:  exactly the same
Julia and Gillian are identical twins with identical likes and dislikes.
The knife used in the murder was identical to those in the kitchen drawer.

mature:  like an adult, not childish
Stealing her smart phone was not a mature thing to do.
Jonathan, although he’s only eight, is very mature for his age.

negative:  bad, not good
I hope you have no negative feelings towards me.
The students’ attitude toward their substitute teacher was negative.

present:  happening now
I can’t tell you her present address because she recently moved.
Don’t daydream in class.  You need to be present to learn anything.

sensitive:  emotional, showing emotions easily
Their son’s suicide is a sensitive topic in that family.
I think that sometimes your sister is too sensitive.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study. 

 

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

The file you specified does not exist.

approximate:  near but not exact
The approximate time is 3:00.
I don’t know exactly, but the approximate distance is 800 kilometers.

bulky:  very large and hard to carry
That piano is too bulky to move by yourself.
A bulky package arrived just before her birthday.

capable:  able to do something
I don’t believe he’s capable of murder.
She’s a capable mother of three.

eventual:  happening slowly
The eventual result of his smoking habit was lung cancer.
His carelessness with money caused his eventual bankruptcy.

fortunate:  lucky
It was fortunate that you were there to help her.
We all felt fortunate to meet the President.

humid:   with water vapor in the air
It’s not a good idea to exercise in hot, humid weather.
It feels very humid after a storm.

intelligent:  smart, quick to understand
Your dog is pretty intelligent.
She is highly intelligent, but not a genius.

jealous:  wanting what someone else has
He was jealous of his brother’s wealth.
She was jealous of his relationship with his sister.

loyal:  always ready to support (someone), faithful
He is a loyal friend whom I’ve known for years.
Dogs have been man’s loyal companions for thousands of years.

nude:  without any clothes on, naked
She stood in the doorway completely nude.
At some beaches in the world, you can go nude.

particular:  one and only, not general
They have a particular interest in old movies.
There’s a particular way she likes to brush her hair.

raw:  uncooked
The children love to eat raw carrots.
He tries to eat as much raw food as possible.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

 

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

 

The file you specified does not exist.

alert:        awake and ready for action
As an air traffic controller, he has to stay alert for hours at a time.
Get some sleep tonight if you want to be alert for your test in the morning.

constant:    continuing without stopping
There is constant noise coming from the worksite.
In the end their arguing became constant, so they broke up.

edible:        okay to be eaten
I don’t think those berries are edible; the birds aren’t eating them.
The brilliant thing is that the ice cream cone is entirely edible.

exhausted:    very very tired
After a double shift at the hospital, he was mentally exhausted.
At the end of the game, everyone was exhausted.

fatal:        causing death
There was a fatal shooting at the mall this morning.
He made the fatal mistake of not being prepared.

immense:    very large, huge
The Canadian north is an immense land with few people.
There is immense interest in the discovery of life off the earth.

occasional:    rarely happening
He has the occasional cigarette and only when he’s at a party.
Once in a while she’ll have the occasional glass of white wine.

obvious:    easy for anyone to see or understand
It’s obvious she’s not going to finish the race after that fall.
The obvious choice for club secretary is Julianna because she’s had experience.

portable:    able to be carried
There were four portable toilets at the worksite.
She has a portable sewing machine at home.

rare:        uncommon, unusual
His grandfather’s collection of rare 18th century coins was put in the safe.
Yellow diamonds are especially rare.

repulsive:    causing you to feel sick about it, disgusting
The car accident was a repulsive sight.
The odor in the carpet is repulsive.

severe:        strong, powerful
There were severe winds last night that blew over several trees.
I’m sorry; she has a severe headache and can’t come to the phone.

suitable:    proper, correct
Go back and change your clothes; that is not suitable for high school.
There is no suitable explanation for why you cheated.

tardy:        late
The twins have been tardy to class everyday this week.
As a child, he was a tardy reader.

urgent:        needing immediate action
Your sister wants you to call her right away; it’s urgent.
The Prime Minister is giving an urgent message in 30 minutes.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study. 

 

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

The file you specified does not exist.

approximate:  general, a good guess, not exact
Those numbers are approximate; nobody knows exactly how many people saw it.
I can only give you an approximate time; I didn’t have my watch on.

counterfeit:  not real, made to look like a real one
The police seized $2.4 million in counterfeit $100 bills.
They bought several hundred counterfeit CDs in Singapore.

courteous:  polite
She has always been courteous when I’ve been with her.
It’s important to be courteous with others, especially those in your neighborhood.

efficient:  getting a good result in a short time
I know he’s expensive, but he’ll do the job in half the time; he very efficient.
That’s not the most efficient way to deal the cards.  Here, let me show you.

imperfect:  having something wrong with it, not perfect
He’s had imperfect vision since he was a child.
All systems of government are imperfect in some way.

magical:  as if produced by magic, fantastic
The change from the person she used to be was magical. 
His proposal to her was a magical moment she will never forget.

massive:  really really big and heavy
It took four of them to move the massive sofa to the other side of the room.
Your grandmother had a massive stroke and died within minutes.

patient:  able to wait or do boring things without getting upset
She runs an excellent daycare because she’s patient with the children.
She’s in a coma now, so we must be patient.

priceless:  unable to be bought for any amount of money
My daughter’s joy on her wedding day was priceless.
The Mona Lisa is a priceless work of art.

prompt:  on time, not late
The meeting starts at 8:30, and the manager wants us to be prompt.
His reply was prompt; he refused the man’s invitation and walked away.

ridiculous:  really really stupid
You’ve just been arrested; wipe that ridiculous smile off your face!
Don’t be ridiculous; I would never lie to you.

strict:  following the rules exactly, without choice
She is on a strict diet of fruits and vegetables.
There are strict laws against smoking in any public building.

trivial:  of very little importance
It is no trivial matter that she got accepted at Yale University.
The brothers are always arguing over trivial things, like which channel to watch.

vital:  absolutely necessary for life
It is vital that you tell your brother to come say goodbye to his father.
Her surgery is near some of her vital organs, including the heart.

worthy:  deserving, as good as or better
She has worked hard and she’s worthy of your support, so please vote.
I don’t know if Peter will win today; he’s up against a worthy opponent.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

 

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

The file you specified does not exist.

forbidden:    not allowed, against the rules or law
Smoking anywhere in this building is forbidden.
In some religions pork is a forbidden food.

fragrant:    having a nice smell
I only buy fragrant flowers that make my apartment smell nice.
This is one of the most fragrant wines I have drunk in a long time.

furious:     extremely angry
She was furious with him for lying to her.
They were furious that their table had been given to someone else.

greedy:    wanting all of it and not willing to share
Eating the whole pie is a greedy thing to do.
Don’t be greedy.  Leave me some of those potato chips.

hearty:    healthy or strong
We had a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, and pancakes.
They gave the soldier a hearty welcome when he arrived back home.

inferior:    not as good, poor in quality
Don’t buy that smart phone.  It’s inferior to the one I have.
Last year they put inferior tires on my car, and now I need new ones.

isolated:    separated from others, alone
The girl felt isolated in her new school.
There was one isolated tree in the middle of the field.

monotonous:    always the same, repeating and boring
His job in the box factory is monotonous.
She doesn’t enjoy the music because she feels it’s monotonous.

noticeable:    easily seen
The scar on his face is more noticeable in the morning.
The stain wasn’t very noticeable, so she didn’t have to change her dress.

outstanding:    better than all the others, excellent
Everyone agrees he’s an outstanding athlete.
The job you did on your last project was outstanding.

peculiar:    unusual and strange
She has a peculiar habit of twisting her hair with her fingers.
I think it’s peculiar that Susan missed our 4:00 meeting.

similar:     generally the same
The boys have a similar attitude toward their studies.
They both had similar experiences when they were young.

superior:    better in quality
That company builds cars that are superior in quality to other cars.
His writing is superior to his classmate’s.

unfamiliar:    not knowing about
We are unfamiliar with the customs of this country.
They found themselves in unfamiliar surroundings.

visual:    about seeing or sight
He will always carry a visual image of her in his mind.
It’s been a long time, and I have no visual memory of her face.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

 

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercises.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

The file you specified does not exist.

anxious:    greatly worried / wanting very much
Many students are anxious about the final exams.
We’re anxious to know the results of the election.

ambitious:    wanting very much to be successful
Olympic athletes have to be ambitious to win
I know he’ll do well in life because he’s ambitious

awkward:  not able to move very well
He’s not fun to dance with because he’s too awkward.
These golf clubs are awkward to use.  They’re for left-handed people.

capable:    having the ability
My brother is a capable carpenter who can build almost anything.
I swear I didn’t kill her.  I’m not capable of murder.

delicate:    easily damaged, fragile
She can never be a dancer.  She has delicate feet.
He noticed a spider’s delicate web in the corner of the room.

drowsy:    sleepy
This medicine makes me drowsy.
I studied all night and felt drowsy all during the test.

essential:    absolutely necessary
It is essential that you tell him to call me as soon as he arrives.
Banks are essential to the economy.

eternal:    unending, lasting forever
Their love for each other is eternal
The origin of life is an eternal question among scientists.

flexible:    bending or changing easily
Dancers have flexible bodies.
He has a job where he works flexible hours.

leisure:    free from work or other duties
They enjoy many leisure activities together, such as playing poker.
She spends her leisure time reading novels.

punctual:    on time, at the correct time
Your son has been punctual to class everyday this term.
I didn’t have to wait for our meeting.  He was punctual.

solid:    hard, strong, not hollow
This beautiful table is solid oak.
They built the house on solid rock.

violent:    with uncontrolled rough force
The violent storm is expected to hit the coast of Florida on Friday.
Stay away from him when he drinks because he gets violent.

visible:    able to be seen
He has a visible scar on his cheek.
On a clear night many stars are visible.

weird:    strange, very unusual
She has a weird habit of pulling on her left earlobe.
She felt weird when she saw her ex-husband kiss her sister.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

 

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot