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What Are You Talking About?

October 18, 2012 by

Prattle | Vocabulary from the Cool Word Club

Believe it or not, there are more than six billion cell phone subscribers around the world.

While some people believe that cell phones are an annoyance and distraction, others think that they increase the owner’s safety and offer other important benefits.

You do have to wonder, though, what are all those cell phone owners talking about?

Perhaps you see an accident and need to call 911. Or maybe you just want to tell your friends about your plans for the weekend. Oftentimes, you may just prattle (see definition below) on about trivial matters that don’t really matter at all.

So you might say that sometimes cell phones are real lifesavers, but other times—well, not so much!

 

Speak your mind: What do you consider to be the advantages and disadvantages of owning a cell phone?

PRATTLE: To chatter idly, babble or utter in a meaningless or childish manner.

 

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Not Just for Climbing…

October 15, 2012 by

Dendrology | Vocabulary from the Cool Word Club

Oak. Maple. Redwood. Dogwood. Elm. Eucalyptus.

These are just a few of the more commonly known trees.

But did you know that there are more than 23,000 different types of trees in the world?

Now consider these additional facts, reported by the North Carolina State University’s Department of Horticultural Science:

  • Trees are the largest living organism on earth. For example, giant sequoia trees can weigh more than 2,000 tons (the equivalent of four million pounds).
  • Hundreds of food products (such as fruit, coffee and nuts) and food additives (for ice cream and chewing gum, for example) come from trees.
  • Each year, one person uses wood and paper products equivalent to a 100-foot tree, 18 inches in diameter.

If you keep learning facts such as these, you’ll soon be an expert in dendrology (see definition below).

 

Speak your mind: What are the most common trees in your area, and what role do they play in your environment?

DENDROLOGY: The study of trees.

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Ouch…Ouch…Ouch!

October 11, 2012 by

Intractable | Vocabulary from the Cool Word Club

Do you have a favorite sport? Basketball, football, tennis or soccer? The list could go on and on. Some people even play more than one sport.

But no matter how much fun you may have playing one of these games, it’s always important to remember that you can get hurt.

Believe it or not, most injuries occur during practice—and not during actual games. It may be something as simple as tripping when you’re running down the field. Before you know it, you’re enduring intractable (see definition below) pain.

So whatever you do, take it easy out there! There’s no sense in turning something that is fun into a real pain!

 

Speak Your Mind: Why do you think some people are more likely than others to get hurt when playing a sport?

INTRACTABLE: Difficult to manage, manipulate or relieve.

 

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Headed for an “A”!

October 8, 2012 by

Copious | Vocabulary from the Cool Word Club

The longer we’re in school, the better we get at learning.

Whether we’re studying geometry, science or English literature, most of us use a variety of techniques to truly master the new material.

For example, you might learn best by listening to a podcast. Others may find it helpful to see the information written on a blackboard. Most students also benefit by verbally explaining the material to another person. You might want to even take copious (see definition below) notes to enhance your learning.

Regardless of your preferred method of learning, it’s always a good idea to combine as many of these techniques as possible. The more areas of the brain that you use to store the data, the more likely you are to have really learned something new!

 

Speak Your mind: What is the most effective way for you to learn new material—and why?

COPIOUS:  Abundant, plentiful, existing in large quantities.

 

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This Way or That Way?

October 4, 2012 by

Addled | Vocabulary from the Cool Word Club

If you’re traveling in an unfamiliar area, it’s fairly easy to get lost.

Without a landmark that helps you get your bearings, you may wander around without knowing whether you’re headed north, south, east or west.

These days, you may have access to a GPS in a car or on a smartphone. But some people still rely on good, old-fashioned paper maps when they don’t know where they are.

Looking at a map can be reassuring. You can get a sense of where you are, so you don’t feel so addled (see definition below). Once you know where you’re going, you can let out a sigh of relief!

 

Speak Your Mind: When is the last time that you got lost—and how did you finally find your way to your destination?

 

ADDLED: Confused, confounded.

 

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That’s So Funny!

October 1, 2012 by

Guffaw | Vocabulary from the Cool Word Club

Here’s a fun question: How many times per day do you think you laugh?

We’re not talking about a simple smile, but rather a nice, big belly laugh.

If you’re anything like the average adult, you probably laugh about 20 times day, according to research.

So think about it: Maybe your first laugh today happened when your friend told you a joke. Perhaps later in the day you guffawed (see definition below) when you watched a funny video.

What’s really amazing is that some scientists think that laughing is actually good for your health. How could that be? For one thing, laughing may improve blood flow in your arteries to help keep your heart strong.

So the next time you get a chance, go ahead and laugh out loud!

 

Speak Your Mind: What makes you guffaw—and why do you find those things so funny?

 

GUFFAW: To utter a loud, boisterous laugh.

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Ah, That Sounds So Nice…

September 27, 2012 by

Mellifluous | Vocabulary from Cool Word Club

Have you ever heard the saying “That’s music to my ears”?

It’s a common remark when someone hears a piece of good news.

But if you think about it, we sometimes encounter sounds in nature that are as lovely as music. Birds singing softly in the morning. Leaves rustling in the wind. Or the mellifluous (see definition below) flow of water cascading down a river. It’s not the kind of music you’ll hear on the radio, but it’s definitely worth listening to as often as you can!

 

Speak Your Mind: What can you think of that’s mellifluous?

 

MELLIFLUOUS: Sweet or pleasant sounding.

 

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Wait a Minute—Don’t Give Up!

September 24, 2012 by

Apathetic | Cool Word Club

There are times when all of us feel like giving up on a particular goal. You may have worked hard to get better grades. Or perhaps you practiced extra hours to help you score more points on the basketball court or the football field. Or maybe you tried to improve your voice so you could sing in a school concert or play. But if things didn’t work out as you had hoped, you may have gotten discouraged. Over time, you may have even decided that it didn’t really matter if you reached your goal. You stopped caring and became apathetic (see definition below). But most people will tell you that it’s usually better to keep working at your goal until you reach it. That’s because it really doesn’t feel very good to be apathetic about something that once meant so much to you!

 

Speak Your Mind: Have you ever become apathetic about something that was important to you at one time—and how did you snap yourself out of it?

 

APATHETIC: Showing little interest or concern, indifferent.

 

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Catch Me If You Can!

September 20, 2012 by

Nimble | Vocabulary from the Cool Word ClubWhen is the last time you ran as hard as you can?

Maybe you went running on a track.

Perhaps you ran as fast as you could to catch a fly ball on a baseball field.

Or maybe you were playing soccer and ran down the field to block your opponent’s shot.

But if your friends were playing a game that involved chasing you around obstacles, you would definitely need to be nimble (see definition below) to stay ahead of the crowd.

So think fast—and move those feet!

 

Speak Your Mind: Can you name three activities that require you to be nimble?

 

NIMBLE: Agile, moving with ease and quickness.

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Oh, So Tiny…

September 17, 2012 by

Diminutive | Vocabulary from the Cool Word Club

Kittens are so adorable!

Part of what makes them so cute is their size.

It’s not uncommon to be able to hold a kitten in the palm of your hand.

That’s because the kitty is so diminutive (see definition below).

A full-grown cat usually weighs about eight to 10 pounds. Some adult cats can even tip the scales at more than 20 pounds.

A newborn kitten, on the other hand, can weigh less than a pound!

 

Speak Your Mind: What’s your favorite diminutive animal or object—and what makes it special to you?

 

DIMINUTIVE: Exceptionally small.

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