Want to Run for Office?

Want to Run for Office?
In recent years, we have seen the phenomenon of incumbent pliticians retiring in record numbers. When interviewed, many of them admitted that they had lost their taste for the job because of the abuse to which an aspirant for office is subjected.
"My last campaign was a sordid affair in which my opponents did everything to belittle my record and air scurrilous charges about my private life, " said one congressman. " I don't have to stand still for such treatment ," he added, "which was terribly embarassing to me and my entire family."
Citizen groups, apalled by the candidates' mudslinging, have sought to do something about the situation. Committees have been formed in a number of states to study ways to elevate the tone of the process , reduce the emotionalism , and eliminate the frenzy of name calling that is generated as election day draws near.
"Unless we clean up this mess," said the chairman of an Illinois caucus, "we will lose the best and the brightest from the political arena.After all, who but a masochist wants to be a punching bag, the subject of daily vilification in the media, and a target for every malcontent in town?"

unit 2

unit 2

kleptomania : A mental illness in which a person has a strong desire to steal things
dipsomaniac : A person with an extreme and uncontrollable desire for alcohol
megalomaniac : A mental disorder marked by feelings of great personal power and importance
egomaniac : Someone who is extremely selfcentered and ignores the problems and concerns of others
psyche : Soul,personality,mind
psychedelic : (1) Of or relating to a drug (such as LSD) that produces abnormal and often extreme mental effects such as hallucinations (2) Imitating the effects of psychedelic drugs
psychosomatic : Caused by mental or emotional problems rather than by physical illness
psychotherapist : One who treats mental or emotional disorder or related bodily ills by psychological means
reception : (1) The act of receiving (2) A social gathering where guests are formally welcomed
intercept : To stop , seize, or interrupt(something or someone) before arrival
perceptible : Noticeable or able to be felt by the senses
susceptible : (1) Open to some influence;responsive (2) Able to be submitted to an action or process
confine : (1) To keep (someone or something) within limits (2) To hold (someone) in a location
definitive : (1)Authoritative and final (2) Specifying perfectly or precicely
finite : Having define limits
infinitesimal : Extremely or immeasurably small
interject : To interrupt a conversation with a component or remark.
conjecture : To guess
projection : An estimate of what might happen in the future based on what is happening now
trajectory : The curved path that an object makes in space, or that a thrown object follows as it rises and fall to earth
traction : The fiction that allows a moving thing to more over a surface without slipping
retract : (1)To pull back (something) into something larger (2) To take back (something said or written)
protracted : Drawn out,continued, or extended
intractable : Not easily handled,led , taught, or controlled
conductive : Tending to promote, encourage, or assist;helpful
dedection : (1)Subtraction (2) The reaching of a conclusion by reasoning
induce : (1) Persuade, influence (2)Bring about
seduction : (1)Temptation to sin ,especially temptation to sexual intercourse (2) Attraction or charm
sequential : (1) Arranged in order or in a series.(2)Following in a series
subsequent : Following in time, order, or place;later
consequential : (1)Resulting (2)Important
non sequitur : A statement that does not follow logically from anything previously said
Apollonian : Harmonious, ordered, rational, calm
bacchanalian : Frenzied, orgiastic
delphic : Unclear, ambiguous, or confusing
Dionysian : Frenzied, delirious
jovial : Jolly, good-natured
mercurial : Having paid and unpredictable changes of mood
Olympian : Lofty, superior, and detached
venereal : Having to do with sexual intercourse or diseases transmitted by it

week 4 day 1/ day 2/ day 3 / day 4

day 1
alacrity : briskness, lively action
disdain : contempt
belligerent : warlike
intimidate : to overawe
feint : a false attack

day 2
pugnacious : quarrrelsome
promulgate : to make known officially
brash : impudent
scoff : to sneer at
belittle : to make seem less important

day 3
tangible : having actual form
laceration : jagged wound
castigate : to correct by punishing
sordid : dirty, base
octogenerian : person in his or her eighties

day 4
solace : easing of grief
aspirant : candidate for high position
dregs : most worthless part
frenzy : wild fit
scurrilous : coarse

to thrown doun the gauntlet : to challenge someone
feeling no pain : drunk
Hobson's choice : to have no choice at all
to rule the roost : to be in charge, to be master

week 3 day 5

Desert Storm Decision
In the 1991 Persian Gulf War, where the United Nations forces, led by Americans, ousted the invading Iraqi army from Kuwait's soil, the cessation of combat took place in short order after the Allies were able to wrest control of the skies from the infamous Saddam Hussein's air force.
General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the U.S. field commander , tended to bristle when asked by the media why he hadn't pursued the enemy all the way to Bagdad,saying:
"It would have been foolhardy for us to try to occupy that the capital city and pile up American casualties from sniper attacks by Iraq's guerillas. That may be hard for you Monday morning quarterbacks to understand but I thoroughly agreed with the president who was convinced that such an action would have sent a bad message to the Arab world and would have splintered the Allied partnership."
Schwarzkopf reiterated that it was his mission to hurl back the invaders with a minimumum of bloodshed but not , he added in a caustic tone, "to splatter Saddam over the desert sands. That dictator's days are numbered," the general concluded, "but I expect his end is likely to come at the hands of his own people." As it happens, the general was wrong about that.

week 3 day 1 / day 2 /day 3 /day 4 / day 5

day 1
loathe : to hate
reprimand : to show sharp disapproval
lackluster : dull
caustic : sarcastic,biting
wrest : take by force
day 2
infamous : having a bad reputation
jostle : to shove hard
dupe : a person easily tricked
incipient : just beginning to exist
inadvertent : heedless, not attentive
day 3
ominous : threatening
tremulous : quivering
repudiate : to reject, decline
cessation : a stopping
bristle : stiffen with fear or anger
day 4
euphemism : a less offensive term
mundane : worldly
incongruous : inappropriate
condolence : pity
stipulate : to specify a condition
day 5
crocodile tears : insincere tears
to carry the day : to win the approval of the majority
Skid Row : disreputable part of town ,inhabited by derelicts and people "on the skid"
to go up in smoke : to come to no practical result

week2 day 1 / day 2 / day 3 / day 4 /day 5

week2 day 1
laconic : expressing much in few words
throng : crowd
intrepid : brave
accost : to approach and speak to
reticent : silent
week2 day 2
furtive : secret,stealthy
felon : a person guilty of a major crime
plethora : excess
hapless : unfortunate
irate : angry, incensed
week2 day 3
pretext : an excuse
fabricate : to lie ; to construct
adroit : skillful
gesticulate : move the arms energetically
vigilant : watchful
week2 day 4
avid : eager
cajole : coax
rudimentary : elementary
enhance : intensify, heighten
nuance : slight variation in meaning, tone, etc.
week2 day 5
the sword of Damocles : any imminent danger
Pyrrhic victory : a too costly victory
a wet blanket : one who spoils the fun
to beard the lion : to visit and oppose a person on his own grounds

The Best Laid Plans
Gloria Rogers overslept and then had to sprint to catch the same Greyhound Bus that she boarded on the last Thursday of every month. After a three-hour uneventful ride, she finally arrived at the bus terminal where a courtesy van was ready to transport bus passengers to Visitors Day at the State Penitentiary.
Although Gloria tried to act casual , she was more than a little nervous. Her boyfriend,Art, a convicted felon, had managed to gain admittance to the prison's hospital on the pretext of having a gall bladder attack. Under her own slacks and bulky sweater , Gloria was wearing a set of clothes that she removed in the hospital bathroom and passed on to Art. He planned to use them after making his escape in the back of the prison ambulance that was packed outside his ward.
Art had spelled out his escape plan during Gloria's last visit, spending an hour trying to cajole her into being his accomplice. All that she had to do was appear to have a seizure. Then she would fabricate a story about her epilepsy while Art, with the smuggled clothes concealed under his prison bathrobe, would slip out of the ward during the excitement. Unfortunately for the schemers,a vigilant hospital guard spotted Art climbing into the rear of the ambulance and quickly foiled the escape attempt. The result was that Art had three years added to his sentence and Gloria was imprisoned for her role in the misadventure.

unit 1

benediction : A prayer that asks for God's blessing, especially a prayer that concludes a worship service.
benefactor : Someone who helps another person or group,especially by giving money.
beneficiary : A person or organization that benefits or is expected to benefit from something, especially one that receives money or property when someone dies.
benevolence : Kindness,generosity.
amicable : Friendly,peaceful.
enamored : Charmed or fascinated; inflamed with love
amorous : Having or showing strong feelings of attraction or love
paramour : A lover, often secret, not allowed by law or custom
antebellum : Existing before a war, especially before the American Civil War(1861-65)
bellicose : Warlike, aggressive, quarrelsome
belligerence : Agressiveness, combativeness
rebellion : Open defiance and opposition, sometimes armed, to a person or thing in authority
pacify : (1)To soothe anger or agitation. (2) To subdue by armed action.
pacifist : A person opposed to war or violence, especially someone who refuses to bear arms or to fight, on moral or religious grounds.
pact : An agreement between two or more people or groups; a treaty or formal agreement between nations to deal with a problem or to resolve a dispute
pace : Contrary to the opinion of
criminology : The study of crime,criminals,law enforcement, and punishment
decriminalize : To remove or reduce the criminal status of
incriminate : To show evidence of involvement in a crime or a fault
recrimination : (1)An accusation in answer to an accusation made against oneself (2) The making of such an accusation
approbation : A formal or official act of approving;praise ,usually given with pleasure or enthusiasm
probate : The process of proving in court that the will of someone who has died is valid, and of administering the estate of a dead person
probity : Absolute honesty and uprightness
reprobate : A person of thoroughly bad character
grave : (1)Requiring serious thought or concern (2) Serious and formal in apperarance or manner
gravitas : Great or very dignified seriousness
gravitate : To move or be drawn toward something,especially by natural tendency or as if by an individual force
aggravate : (1) To make (an injury, problem,etc.)more serious or severe(2)To annoy or bother
alleviate : To lighten ,lessen,or relieve, especially physical or mental suffering
elevation: (1) The height of a place(2)The act or result of lifting or raising someone or something
cantilever : A long piece of wood,mental,etc.,that sticks out from a wall to support something about it
levity : Lack of appropriate seriousness
cicerone : A guide , especially one who takes tourists to museums, monuments, or architectual sites and explains what is being seen
hector : To bully or harass by bluster or personal pressure
hedonism : An attitude or way of life based on the idea that pleasure or happiness should be the chief goal
nestor : A senior figure or leader in one's field
spartan : Marked by simplicity , avoidance of luxury, and often strict self-discipline ore self-denial
stentorian : Extremely loud , often which especially deep richness of sound
stoic : Seemingly indifferent to pleasure or pain
sybaritic : Marked by a luxurious or sensual way of life