VOCABULARY FOR THE BET CHEKHOV AND THE JEWELS

VOCABULARY FOR “THE BET” (CHEKHOV) AND “THE JEWELS” (MAUPASSANT)

• frivolous – light-minded; lacking seriousness • compulsory – required; enforced • caprice – sudden notion or desire • capricious – acting on a sudden desire or impulse • zealous – fervent; enthusiastically devoted • indiscriminate – without making careful distinctions; random • ethereal – light and delicate; unearthly • renounce – formally give up; reject • unpretentious – modest; without airs; unassuming • assuage – ease; calm • incur – bring upon oneself • surreptitiously – in a secret or sneaky manner • contemptuous – scornful; hateful; disapproving

FORCED CHOICE (A HYPOTHETICAL) Faced with only two options for a life partner, would you choose a partner who loves you truly and makes you very happy, but is regularly unfaithful to you (though you will never know), OR would you choose a partner who is unquestionably faithful to you but with whom you will always be somewhat unhappy? (not choosing is not one of your choices)

Inference … inferring An inference in a reasoned conclusion about meaning in a text based on the text details and the readers prior knowledge/experience. Text details + Prior knowledge/experience ________________________ = reasoned conclusion (aka inference)

VOCABULARY FOR “THE BET” (CHEKHOV) AND “THE JEWELS” (MAUPASSANT) PRACTICE SENTENCES

• Some teachers seem so _______ of their students that you wonder why they chose this profession. If you really do despise teenagers, maybe you should be doing something else for a living. • Word Bank: capricious, incur, contemptuous, frivolous, compulsory, assuage; zealous

• We went to the Town Center, and I tried to keep up with her, but her desires were so _______, I never knew where we’d end up next. First she wanted to go look for black pumps for the graduation ceremony, then she suddenly needed a Starbucks caramel macchiato, then she wanted some nice earrings, then suddenly we were stopping at Natural Life and buying a painted coffee mug. Word Bank: capricious, incur, contemptuous, frivolous, compulsory, assuage, zealous

• Anticipating their graduation more and more each day, some seniors find it hard to stay serious about school, and indulge in ________ behaviors like going to the beach or IHOP, or just goofing off instead of going to class, so that some of them will actually fail to graduate in the end. If we were in Dr. Son’s class, he’d probably ask us what kind of irony that is. Word Bank: capricious, incur, contemptuous, frivolous, compulsory, assuage, zealous

• Students who have not carefully thought through their financial situation, and who get bad advice from others, will sometimes take out loans indiscriminately, and repeatedly, to pay for four years of college until they _______ so much debt that it will literally take them decades to pay it all off. Word Bank: capricious, incur, contemptuous, frivolous, compulsory, assuage, zealous

• Participation in the graduation rehearsal is _______; if you don't attend the rehearsal, you’ll be excluded from the ceremony. Word Bank: capricious, incur, contemptuous, frivolous, compulsory, assuage, zealous

VOCABULARY FOR “THE BET” (CHEKHOV) AND “THE JEWELS” (MAUPASSANT) PRACTICE SENTENCES

• Every night at the stroke of midnight the _______ image floats through the room, and I could swear I hear it crying. I never believed in ghosts until I moved into this dorm room. • a. assuage; b. indiscriminate; c. zealous; d. compulsory; e. unpretentious; • f. surreptitiously; g. renounce; h. ethereal

• When it came to choosing my roommate, I made an ________ choice, and now I’m paying for it. Yesterday, I found a peanut butter and jelly sandwich under my pillow. After the misery of this first semester, I wish I’d taken more time to consider my options. • a. assuage; b. indiscriminate; c. zealous; d. compulsory; e. unpretentious; • f. surreptitiously; g. renounce; h. ethereal

• Can you believe there is actually a curfew in this dorm? Last night after partying late with some new friends, I had to enter the building ________ to avoid being seen by the security guard. • a. assuage; b. indiscriminate; c. zealous; d. compulsory; e. unpretentious; • f. surreptitiously; g. renounce; h. ethereal

• Who knew? Report cards don’t end with the end of high school; we have them in college too. After my mother opened mine and began to cry, it took every promise I could think of to ________ her fears that I would flunk out after the first year. • a. assuage; b. indiscriminate; c. zealous; d. compulsory; e. unpretentious; • f. surreptitiously; g. renounce; h. ethereal

• I’ve decided it’s finally time to _______ the partying lifestyle. If I hope to ever graduate from college, I need to become more ______ about my major and my classes. • a. assuage; b. indiscriminate; c. zealous; d. compulsory; e. unpretentious; • f. surreptitiously; g. renounce; h. ethereal

• During my first year of college I was an arrogant fool. I was always talking to my family and my old friends about how smart I was. During my second year I’ve actually become more ________; I finally realize how little I actually know. Maybe now I can start learning for real. • a. assuage; b. indiscriminate; c. zealous; d. compulsory; e. unpretentious; • f. surreptitiously; g. renounce; h. ethereal