Learning new English words: text and exercise

Expanding Your Vocabulary: Learn New Words with Exercises

Building a strong vocabulary is a crucial step in mastering the English language. The more words you know, the easier it becomes to express your thoughts, understand texts, and communicate effectively with native speakers. In this article, we’ll explore 12 useful words that can be applied in various situations. Each word is accompanied by its meaning, examples of usage, and explanations for better understanding.

Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the words, you can solidify your knowledge by completing a fill-in-the-blank exercise. This will not only help you memorize the new vocabulary but also teach you how to use it in context.

New Words with Pronunciations, Meanings, and Examples

1. Unearth /ʌnˈɜːrθ/
   Meaning: to dig up, discover, or uncover.
   Examples:
   • The archaeologists unearthed an ancient tomb during the excavation.
   • The investigation unearthed some shocking secrets about the company.
2. Depart /dɪˈpɑːrt/
   Meaning: to leave, go away, change course, or die.
   Examples:
   • The train departs at 6:30 AM sharp.
   • She decided to depart from the traditional methods of teaching.
3. Coincide /ˌkoʊɪnˈsaɪd/
   Meaning: to happen at the same time, agree, or correspond exactly.
   Examples:
   • The celebrations coincided with her birthday.
   • Our opinions on the matter coincide perfectly.
4. Cancel /ˈkænsl/
   Meaning: to call off, invalidate, or cross out.
   Examples:
   • Due to the storm, they had to cancel the outdoor event.
   • Please cancel my subscription starting next month.
5. Debtor /ˈdetər/
   Meaning: a person who owes something to another.
   Examples:
   • The debtor promised to repay the loan within a week.
   • The company filed a lawsuit against the debtor for non-payment.
6. Legible /ˈledʒəbl/
   Meaning: able to be read; clear and easy to read.
   Examples:
   • Her handwriting was neat and legible.
   • The text on the old sign was barely legible.
7. Placard /ˈplækɑːrd/
   Meaning: a poster or notice displayed in public.
   Examples:
   • The protesters carried colorful placards with bold slogans.
   • The announcement was written on a large placard and displayed at the entrance.
8. Contagious /kənˈteɪdʒəs/
   Meaning: capable of spreading from one person to another.
   Examples:
   • The doctor warned that the disease is highly contagious.
   • His enthusiasm was contagious, and soon everyone joined in.
9. Clergy /ˈklɜːrdʒi/
   Meaning: people trained for religious work; members of the clergy as a group.
   Examples:
   • The clergy gathered to discuss the new church reforms.
   • Many members of the clergy also served as teachers in rural areas.
10. Customary /ˈkʌstəmeri/
    Meaning: usual or traditional.
    Examples:
    • It is customary to exchange gifts during the holiday season.
    • She followed the customary practices of her community.
11. Transparent /trænsˈpærənt/
    Meaning: clear or obvious; easily seen through.
    Examples:
    • The glass wall was completely transparent, offering a beautiful view of the garden.
    • His intentions were transparent from the beginning.
12. Scald /skɔːld/
    Meaning: to burn with hot liquid or steam.
    Examples:
    • She accidentally scalded her hand while pouring tea.
    • The chef always scalds the tomatoes before peeling them.

Read the following passage to see how the new words are used in it.

A little digging will unearth the roots of our language and habits. For instance, our word “sandwich” is derived from the Earl of Sandwich, who lived in the time of George III. This gentleman would not depart  from the gambling table for hours on end. If his play happened to coincide with dinner, he would cancel his regular meal and order a slice of meat to be served to him between two pieces of bread.

The biography of the Earl claims that we are his debtors  for his discovery of the sandwich. Charles Dickens later used the phrase “sandwich man” to describe someone who walks about with a clearly legible  message on placards  hung on his chest and back.

An example of a superstition is the fear of walking under a ladder. This must have been a contagious  fear for it seems to have started with the ancient belief that spirits lived in trees or wood. “Knocking on wood” was a way of calling up the friendly spirit to protect one from harm.

Today, a member of the clergy might sneer at this custom, expecting that by this time such superstitions would have receded into the past with witches and ghosts.

Another expression, “giving someone the cold shoulder,” has been traced to the Middle Ages, when a host would serve his guests a cold shoulder of mutton or beef instead of the customary  hot food. This was a transparent  attempt to show the guest he was no longer welcome. The host had thus found a more charitable yet effective way of expressing his feelings without using a scalding  remark.

Task: Fill in the blanks with new words

Use the words below to fill in the blanks in the text. Remember, words may need to change form depending on the context.

Word list: clergy, cancel, contagious, coincide, debtor, depart, legible, placard, scalding, transparent, unearthed, customary

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