Fiske 250 Words Every High School Graduate Needs to Know - Softcover

Fiske, Edward; Mallison, Jane; Hatcher, Dave

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1402260814 ISBN 13: 9781402260810

Publisher: Sourcebooks, 2011

Synopsis

Learn the words you need to succeed in college

Applying to colleges and preparing for the next leg of your academic career is a stressful and chaotic time for everyone. But knowing these 250 words will help you prepare for a new world of academic rigors.

Using this book as a key learning tool in your college prep process, you will...

• expand your toolkit of words for standardized tests and application essays
• prepare for demanding essay and writing assignments
• supplement homeschool vocabulary curriculum
• bolster skills with English as a second language
• build a life-long appreciation for words

Every year, tens of thousands of families trust Edward Fiske, author of the #1 bestselling Fiske Guide to Colleges and the former education editor of the New York Times, as their guide for honest advice on creating the best educational experience possible. Together with vocabulary experts Jane Mallison and David Hatcher, Fiske 250 Words Every High School Graduate Needs to Know teaches students the most important words they will encounter in college, across a wide range of subjects and skill levels.

About this title

About the Author:

Edward B. Fiske served for 17 years as education editor of the New York Times and is the author of the Fiske Guide to Colleges. Bruce G. Hammond co-authored the Fiske Guide to Getting into the Right College, and was editor in chief of The Insider's Guide to the Colleges.

Bruce G. Hammond co-authored The Fiske Guide to Getting into the Right College and Fiske Countdown to College, and was editor in chief of The Insider's Guide< to the Colleges. He is the author of Discounts and Deals at the Nation's 360 Best Colleges and is the school and college expert at Parent Soup, a division of iVillage.com.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Excerpt from Chapter 1: Aggressive Words

"Comin'-at-ya!" That's, more or less, the literal meaning of "aggressive." Whether actual or just implied, the words below all involve some form of attack.

1. Scathe (rhymes with bathe)
This means "to harm or injure" and comes into English from Old Norse; those Vikings knew a thing or two about scathing. Today, you'll see it mostly in the two forms illustrated below.

• While Henrik would never hit a member of his family, his scathing comments are brutal enough.
• The powerful force of Hurricane Katrina left no resident of New Orleans unscathed.

2. Lacerate (LASS-er-ate)
This word refers to ripping or tearing, whether literal or figurative.

• The pit-bull attack left Jeff with deep lacerations on his shin.
• The English translation of Jonathan Swift's self-written Latin epitaph refers to death as the only place where his heart would not be lacerated by a fierce indignation.

3. Disparage (dis-PAIR-idge)
Though not as cruel as scathe or lacerate, this verb refers to a withering belittlement of someone or something. (The root word is related to the word peer, so if you're dis-peered, you're being made less of an equal than the speaker.)

• Because Angela is insecure about her abilities, she finds it important to disparage the ideas of others, even before they've been given a hearing.
• Martin's disparagement of Bethany's attempts to make him happy gradually led to their break-up.

4. Deride (de-RIDE)
Akin in meaning to disparage, this verb contains the additional tinge of meaning "scornful laughter."

• In Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream, Helena, ignorant of the magic potion put onto the eyes of Lysander and Demetrius, feels sure their declarations of love are attempts to deride her.
• "I'd rather have you make a straightforward attack on me than to treat my ideas with such derision in our staff meetings," asserted Randolph nervously to his supervisor.

5. Temerity (tem-ER-it-ee)
From the Latin word meaning rash, this noun means "extreme boldness." Someone with temerity exhibits a foolish disregard for danger. There is actually an adjective form of the word, temerarious, but using this uncommon form would be a little bit audacious.

• Oliver Twist had the temerity to ask for some more porridge when he knew the directors of the orphanage were determined to feed the boys as little as possible.
• It took a lot of temerity for the soldier to cross No Man's Land in the middle of a skirmish.

6. Diatribe (DYE-ah-tribe)
The root of the Greek word diatribe or "learned discourse" is diatribein, which means "to consume or wear away." In English, the noun means "a bitter, abusive lecture."

• Stalin's speech was a furious diatribe, harshly critical of his political opponents.
• Xiao Xiao's cutting humor and brutal sarcasm made each of her movie reviews a hilarious diatribe against contemporary culture.

7. Animus (AN-i-muss)
In its general meaning this noun expresses the idea of a hostile disposition, ill will toward someone. (In Jungian psychology the word describes masculine aspects of a female's unconscious.) The noun form is animosity.

• "Why do all of your remarks to me have such an animus? I haven't done anything to deserve this jeering," said the fed-up Malcolm.
• The comic book character Animus deserves his name, for he is indeed a hatemonger and expresses animosity toward others.

About this edition

• Publisher: Sourcebooks
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1402260814
• ISBN 13: 9781402260810
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 176