Active Vocabulary General and Academic Words - Amy E. Olsen 2013

Chapter 17. Political Science
Part 2 Academic Words

Politics Overseas

Predicting

For each set, write the definition on the line next to the word to which it belongs. If you are unsure, return to the reading on page I 14, and underline any context clues you find. After you’ve made your predictions, check your answers against the Word List on page I 19. Place a checkmark in the box next to each word whose definition you missed. These are the words you’ll want to study closely.

Set One

charm

a person

in a position of leadership who has no real power

about to happen

an empire

the highest point

□ 1. figurehead (line 6) ...

□ 2. charisma (line 9) ...

□ 3. zenith (line 11) ...

□ 4. realm (line 15) ...

□ 5. impending (line 30) ...

Set Two

foundations countries depend on

to remove from an important position

government

to take through force

overthrow of the government

□ 6. regime (line 31) ...

□ 7. depose (line 31) ...

□ 8. infrastructure (line 32) ...

□ 9. coup (line 35) ...

□ 10. wrest (line 36) ...

Self-Tests

l Put a T for true or F for false next to each sentence.

1. The Orpilla family has an impending vacation—the couple plan to travel to Europe when they retire in twenty years.

2. A king who makes sure his people are well fed and educated is one the public would want to depose.

3. A person usually reaches the zenith of his or her career the second day on a job.

4. An interest in the stars could lead someone into the realm of astronomy.

5. You can often wrest the meaning from a story if you think carefully about it.

6. Most notable leaders possess charisma (e.g., Franklin D. Roosevelt, Gandhi, Cleopatra).

7. There have been three coups in the last ten years in the United States.

8. A regime that doesn’t care if most of its people are poor would be called kind.

9. Being a figurehead would likely frustrate a person who wanted to make real changes in an organization.

10. To make sure a city’s infrastructure does not fall apart, it should be checked regularly.

2 Match each vocabulary word with its synonym in Set One and its antonym in Set Two.

Synonyms

Set One

1. charisma

a. territory

2. infrastructure

b. allure

3. regime

c. extract

4. wrest

d. government

5. realm

e. foundation

Antonyms

Set Two

6. impending

f. install

7. figurehead

g. peace

8. coup

h. lowest.

9. zenith

 i. distant

10. depose

j. organizer

3 Fill in each blank with the appropriate vocabulary word. Use each word once.

Vocabulary list

regime

infrastructure

charisma 

realm

zenith

depose

wrest

figurehead

impending

coup d’etat

1. The board decided it was finally time to ... the president of the company. He had begun acting like a king and not part of a team.

2. In the ... of sports, Venus Williams, Hank Aaron, Michelle Kwan, and Lance Armstrong are considered among the greats.

3. My ... biology midterm is making me nervous. I haven’t opened the text­book all semester.

4. The small African nation is being governed by a military ... .

5. The voters have approved a tax to improve the water plant, bridges, streets, and other parts of the ... of their city.

6. Despite the financial scandal, the mayor was elected to another term because of his ... .

7. The children tried to ... control of the company from their father when they felt his mental health was failing.

8. Although Gavin was a union representative, he was just a(n) ... . He had no real power.

9. The government changed hands overnight in a sudden political ... .

10. The actor felt he had reached the ... of his career after he won an Academy Award.

Collocations

I am bewildered by Tatiana's actions. She is usually a smart woman, but lately she has been doing dumb things like forgetting to put gas in her car and replying to suspi­cious e-mails. (Chapter 16)

The charismatic leader persuaded the people to re­volt against the military regime and start a democracy. (Chapter 17)

It is within the realm of possibility to fix our city's crum­bling infrastructure if our taxes are used wisely. Our roads, pipes, and bridges have not been properly main­tained for years. (Chapter 17)

Word Pairs

Zenith/Nadir: Zenith (Chapter 17) means "the highest point," while nadir means "the lowest point." Helen felt she had reached the zenith of her professional life when she was awarded a Nobel Prize. It was a far cry from the nadir when she was an alcoholic living on the streets.

Connotations and Denotations

Charisma (Chapter 17): denotation—"special quality of leadership that inspires devotion." Who do you picture as a charismatic leader? People often see the word as applying to leaders such as John F. Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, and Eleanor Roosevelt (normally considered good people fighting for worthy causes). When someone is said to have charisma, it is generally considered a positive trait; however, the word can equally apply to Adolph Hitler, who is usually not highly regarded as a person. Yet Hitler had the ability to inspire the devotion of thousands of people, which fits the denotation of charisma.

Interesting Etymologies

Figurehead (Chapter 17) comes from the ornamental figureheads found on the front of sailing ships. These decorative figures (often of women's heads or upper bodies) did not serve any purpose in the operation of the ship, leading to the definition of figurehead as "a person in a position of leadership who has no real power."

Interactive Version: Imagine it is election time. Complete the sentence starters to reflect messages you might read on signs or in fliers, or hear on television or at rallies. Use at least one vocabulary word in each sentence, and try to use all ten words in total. Add word endings (i.e., -s, -ed) as needed.

Example: The time is ripe for a candidate who is more than a figurehead!

1. Our city needs ...

2. It is time that ...

3. Vote to ...

4. Our candidate ...

5. This election means ...

6. Join us ...

7. Your vote ...

8. Without a new leader ...

9. With change comes ...

10. Democracy means ...

Word part reminder

Below are a few exercises to help you review the word parts you have been learning. Fill in the missing word part from the list, and circle the meaning of the word part found in each sentence. Try to complete the questions without returning to the Word Parts chapter, but if you get stuck, look back at Chapter 14.

am 

don 

mit 

ia

1. I need to contact my sister, and I think the fastest way to trans ... my news is to send her a text message.

2. If Hiro is willing to give me a break and par ... my bad mood last night, I promise I will be a better house guest.

3. l am in love with my new car. I am so en...ored of it that I slept in it last night.

4. Luckily, my husband’s condition isn’t serious. He usually only experiences insomn... when he is really stressed at work.

Word List

Words to Watch

Which words would you like to practice with a bit more? Pick 3-5 words to study, and list them below. Write the word and its definition, and compose your own sentence using the word correctly. This extra practice could be the final touch to learning a word.