consumed by

contagious

epidemic

generate

get a hold of

go a long way toward

hold

maven

profiled

root

transmission

trigger

vandalize

win over

word-of-mouth

abundance

alter

blight

counterpart

countless

depicted

hardship

insidious

misfortune

prosperous

puzzled

specter

stricken

surroundings

consumed by (adj)

contagious (adj)

epidemic (n)

generate (v)

get a hold of

go a long way

    toward

hold (v)

a maven (n)

profiled (adj)

the root of (n)

transmission (n)

trigger (v & n)

vandalize (v)

win over (v)

word-of-mouth

abundance (n)

alter (v)

a blight (n)

a counterpart (n)

countless (adj)

depicted (adj)

a hardship (n)

an infection (n)

insidious (adj)

misfortune (n)

prosperous (adj)

puzzled (adj)

the specter of (n)

stricken with (adj)

surroundings (n)

PART ONE:  Find a word or expression in the list that means …

a)      be true – hold

b)      catching – contagious 

c)      cause, make happen – trigger

d)     convince – win over

e)      damage – vandalize

f)       described – profiled

g)      obsessed with – consumed by

h)      passing from one to another – transmission

i)        person to person communication – word-of-mouth

j)        produce, create – generate

k)      reach, contact – get a hold of

l)        source – root

m)    widespread disease – epidemic

n)      adversity – hardship

o)      affliction – blight

p)      bad luck – misfortune

q)      confused – puzzled

r)       corresponding person/situation – counterpart

s)       described – depicted

t)       environment – surroundings

u)      frightening image – specter

v)      innumerable – countless

w)    modify – alter

x)      plenty – abundance

y)      subtle and dangerous – insidious

z)      suffering – stricken

aa)   wealthy – prosperous

PART TWO:  Find the opposite of these words in the vocabulary list.

a)      few – countless

b)      good luck – misfortune

c)      impoverished – prosperous

d)     scarcity – abundance

PART THREE:  Which words or expressions in the list have positive connotations?

a maven, win over, abundance, prosperous

Which have negative connotations?

contagious, epidemic, vandalize, blight, hardship, infection, insidious, misfortune, puzzled, stricken, stricken
PART FOUR:  Complete the sentences with words or expressions from the list.

1.      I was very upset by what he said, but his apology ____________________ making me feel better. went a long way toward

2.      The ____________________ of long-term unemployment made Sally reconsider her plan to quit her job before she found a new one. specter

3.      Illegal drugs are a ____________________ on our society. blight

4.      I haven’t been able to ____________________ my boss. I think he’s in an area with no cell phone service. get a hold of

5.      If you’re looking for a good restaurant, you should ask Sally. She’s a real food ____________________. maven

PART FIVE:  Give one or two examples of …

1.      a contagious disease

2.      an epidemic

3.      a method of disease transmission

4.      a hardship you have had to deal with

5.      a prosperous businessman/woman

6.      something about the U.S. or about Americans that puzzles you

PART SIX:  Complete the sentences.

1.      I’ve been trying to get a hold of …

2.      Last night someone vandalized …

3.      He was stricken with …

4.      Money is the root of …

PART SEVEN:  Which word in each pair is stronger, bigger, or more intense?  

_____ win over

_____ convince

_____ misfortune

_____ disaster

_____ vandalize

_____ damage

_____ many

_____ countless

_____ insidious

_____ harmful

_____ illness

_____ epidemic

consumed by (adj)

contagious (adj)

epidemic (n)

generate (v)

get a hold of

go a long way

    toward

hold (v)

a maven (n)

profiled (adj)

the root of (n)

transmission (n)

trigger (v & n)

vandalize (v)

win over (v)

word-of-mouth

abundance (n)

alter (v)

a blight (n)

a counterpart (n)

countless (adj)

depicted (adj)

a hardship (n)

an infection (n)

insidious (adj)

misfortune (n)

prosperous (adj)

puzzled (adj)

the specter of (n)

stricken with (adj)

surroundings (n)

PART ONE:  Find a word or expression in the list that means …

a)      be true –

b)      catching –

c)      cause, make happen –

d)     convince –

e)      damage –

f)       described –

g)      obsessed with –

h)      passing from one to another –

i)        person to person communication –

j)        produce, create –

k)      reach, contact –

l)        source –

m)    widespread disease –

n)      adversity –

o)      affliction –

p)      bad luck –

q)      confused –

r)       corresponding person/situation –

s)       described –

t)       environment –

u)      frightening image –

v)      innumerable –

w)    modify –

x)      plenty –

y)      subtle and dangerous –

z)      suffering –

aa)   wealthy –

PART TWO:  Find the opposite of these words in the vocabulary list.

a)      few –

b)      good luck –

c)      impoverished –

d)     scarcity –

PART THREE:  Which words or expressions in the list have positive connotations?

Which have negative connotations?

PART FOUR:  Complete the sentences with words or expressions from the list.

1.      I was very upset by what he said, but his apology ____________________ making me feel better.

2.      The ____________________ of long-term unemployment made Sally reconsider her plan to quit her job before she found a new one.

3.      Illegal drugs are a ____________________ on our society.

4.      I haven’t been able to ____________________ my boss. I think he’s in an area with no cell phone service.

5.      If you’re looking for a good restaurant, you should ask Sally. She’s a real food ____________________.

PART FIVE:  Give one or two examples of …

1.      a contagious disease

2.      an epidemic

3.      a method of disease transmission

4.      a hardship you have had to deal with

5.      a prosperous businessman/woman

6.      something about the U.S. or about Americans that puzzles you

PART SIX:  Complete the sentences.

1.      I’ve been trying to get a hold of …

2.      Last night someone vandalized …

3.      He was stricken with …

4.      Money is the root of …

PART SEVEN:  Which word in each pair is stronger, bigger, or more intense?  

_____ win over

_____ convince

_____ misfortune

_____ disaster

_____ vandalize

_____ damage

_____ many

_____ countless

_____ insidious

_____ harmful

_____ illness

_____ epidemic