Grade 11-12: Vocabulary Lesson for Monday, Week 6

Word List 6

1. precocious: manifesting or characterized by unusually early development or maturity, especially in mental aptitude
2. pompous: characterized by excessive self-esteem or exaggerated dignity; pretentious; full of high-sounding phrases; bombastic
3. plethora: a superabundance; an excess
4. prattle: to talk or chatter idly or meaninglessly; babble; to utter or express by chattering foolishly or babbling; idle or meaningless c
5. prosaic: matter-of-fact; straightforward; lacking in imagination and spirit; dull
6. prevalent: widely or commonly occurring, existing, accepted, or practiced
7. precedent: an act or instance that may be used as an example in dealing with subsequent similar instance; a judicial decision that may be u

Monday Activities

1. On Week One, we suggested you purchase a notebook. You will be keeping your weekly words, definitions and assignments in this notebook.
2. Write the words and definitions in your vocabulary notebook.
3. Create your own sentence using each word and write this in your vocabulary notebook. We have provided samples below to get you started.

Other Help

If you need more information on your words, click on the link to use a on-line dictionary.

Use the daily activities to help you remember words that you learn each week. It is much easier to remember what the words mean if you do something with them and use them frequently in talking with your parents, family and friends.

Sample sentences:

Mozart was extremely precocious, composing music when he was only five years old.
Unfortunately the serial killer was intellectually precocious yet emotionally stunted with no morals.

The pompous referee enjoyed giving orders, blowing his whistle, and issuing fouls.
In the second before the torpedo hit the second in command told the captain, "You pompous fool, you've killed us all.^

The problem with an unfocused Internet search is that it brings up a plethora of websites.
The month leading up to election seems to bring forth a plethora of advertising.

As we took a walking tour of Washington DC I had to listen to my friend's incessant prattle about hundreds of trivia facts about the city.
Grandma meant well but each day after school my sister had to listen to her unending prattle.

Everyone wanted to believe that the old house was haunted but the fact of the matter was a much more prosaic explanation.
The marvelous stained glass window seen very close up has a much more prosaic appearance.

The prevalent opinion seems to be that daily portions of dark chocolate will be good for you.
Two centuries ago bloodletting was a prevalent medical practice.

Allowing cheating to happen sets a dangerous precedent for academic achievement.
There is no precedent for negotiating with terrorists.

 
 

For more vocabulary, reading and other language arts resources, please visit our interactive skillbuilders.