Lesson 24
En Français
1. coiffure : a style of hair arrangement
2. demarche : a line of action ; change of policy. Demarche comes from the French marcher (« to walk »)
3. denouement: the final outcome of the intricacies of a plot. The French meaning is “the untying of a knot”
4. éclat: acclaim; brilliant success. The French word eclater means “to burst out”
5. élan: enthusiasm; ardor; vigor. Its original meaning was “to throw a lance.”
6. entrepreneur: one who organizes and manages a business undertaking
7. impasse: difficulty without a solution; stalemate; blind alley
8. ingénue: actress playing an innocent, inexperienced young woman
9. malaise: a feeling of discomfort or uneasiness. In French, mal mean “bad” and aise means “ease”
10. mélange: mixture; hodgepodge. The French verb meter means “to mix.”
11. repartee: quick, witty reply, wit. The French meaning is The quick return of a thrust or blow.
12. sangfroid: composure; equanimity. In French it means “cold blood”
13. tete-a-tete: intimate conversation between two people. The literal meaning is “head-to-head”
14. tour de force: a feat of strength or skill
15. vignette: an anecdote; a brief literary composition.
Exercises
I. Which Word Come to Mind?
In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind.
1. A cold-blooded killer
(vignette, sangfroid, mélange)
2. There is a loud applause for the star of Hamlet
(tour de force, demarche, malaise)
3. You get together with your brother for a serious conversation.
(denouement, entrepreneur, tete-a-tete)
4. Two rival hostesses emerge abashed after some sharp word play
(repartee, coiffure, éclat)
5. A producer advertises his search for a 14-year old Juliet
(élan, impasse, ingénue)
6. The surprise ending was a stroke of genius
(demarche, éclat, denouement)
7. The non-stop 120hour session failed to produce an agreement
(élan, impasse, vignette)
8. A feeling that things are going wrong
(sangfroid, malaise, demarche)
9. Hard to identify but easy to recognize
(mélange, vignette, élan)
10. An idea worth trying
(demarche, coiffure, melange)
II. True or False?
In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false.
____ 1. The denouement of a mystery story should satisfy every one of the readers’ questions.
____ 2. In order for success in most projects, a certain degree of élan is required
____ 3. The bargainers reached an impasse, and everyone went home satisfied with the way the strike had been concluded
____ 4. A man with sangfroid could stare a gunman in the eye and not show his fear
____ 5. Madame de Pompadour was noted for her coiffure
____ 6. The entrepreneur attributed his success to his long years of experience
____ 7. The newly appointed general suggested a demarche that had eluded his predecessors
____ 8. The starring role of the ingénue was played with éclat by the young actress
____ 9. The vignette caught our attention but its inordinate length eventually put us to sleep
____ 10. Repartee may be compared to a duel without swords.
III. Fill in the Blank
Insert one of the new words in the proper space in each sentence below
1. The novel was spiced with a(n) _________________ of saucy tales, personal recollections, and outrageous exaggerations
2. The octogenarian __________________ had only a fifth grade education, but he had outsmarted the most savvy competitors
3. Mischa, not blessed with the gift of __________________, could only answer the insult with an embarrassed stammer
4. We were all enraptured with the _______________ about the little girl and the red baboon
5. With her wide blue eyes and diffident smile, Carol was a natural for the _____________ role.
6. The peace talks reached a(n) ______________ when neither side would budge an inch since their last confrontation.
7. I can vouch for his __________________ but not for his honesty.
8. The actor’s ______________ in his first film was followed by a disappointing series of failures.
9. Marie Antoinette set the pattern for women’s ______________ throughout the realm
10. President Carter’s declaration that the feeling in the country was one of _____________ was a faux pas that may have cost him a second term.
IV. What’s the Antonym?
Which of the new words is most nearly opposite in meaning to the one provided?
1. failure ____________________
2. settlement ____________________
3. agitation ____________________
4. sage ____________________
5. well-being ____________________
6. ennui ____________________
7. a flop in business ____________________
8. building events in a story to a climax ____________________
9. a veteran actress who has seen better days ____________________
10. a relatively unimpressive act ____________________
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