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Get the Party Started!
August 22, 2008
Photo credit:
AP Photo/Ron Edmonds
August 27, 2008 — keynote:
Pronunciation: 'kee-noht| Function: noun
an important speech or presentation

August 27, 2008 — running mate:
Pronunciation: 'ruhn-ing meyt| Function: noun
the presidential candidate’s selection for vice president

August 26, 2008 — primaries and caucuses:
Pronunciation: 'prahy-mer-ees and 'kaw-kuhs-es| Function: noun
state elections that pick the delegates and candidates for a political convention

August 25, 2008 — roll call:
Pronunciation: 'rohl kawl| Function: noun
a vote at the convention during which every state, one-by-one, announces its choice

August 22, 2008 — delegates:
Pronunciation: 'del-i-gits| Function: noun
people at a political convention who represent voters from their home states



Gold Medal Advice
August 15, 2008
Photo credit:
Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images
August 21, 2008 — relay:
Pronunciation: 'ree-ley| Function: noun
a team race in which each team member covers a certain part of the course

August 20, 2008 — adrenaline:
Pronunciation: uh-'dren-l-in| Function: noun
a body chemical that can help with performance

August 19, 2008 — technical:
Pronunciation: 'tek-ni-kuhl| Function: adjective
having special skills needed for a sport

August 18, 2008 — challenge:
Pronunciation: 'chal-inj| Function: noun
a task that requires special effort

August 15, 2008 — advantage:
Pronunciation: ad-'van-tij| Function: noun
a good position



Game Time
August 8, 2008
Photo credit:
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
August 14, 2008 — transparent:
Pronunciation: trans-'pair-uhnt| Function: adjective
see-through, clear

August 13, 2008 — massive:
Pronunciation: 'mas-iv| Function: adjective
huge

August 12, 2008 — astound:
Pronunciation: uh-'stound| Function: verb
amaze, impress

August 11, 2008 — venues:
Pronunciation: 'ven yoo| Function: noun
settings, locations

August 8, 2008 — reigning:
Pronunciation: 'ran-ing| Function: adjective
leading, ruling



Future Camp
August 1, 2008
Photo credit:
Courtesy of the Young Americans Center for Financial Education
August 7, 2008 — accountant:
Pronunciation: uh-'koun-tnt| Function: verb
a person trained to maintain and check business and financial records

August 6, 2008 — navigate:
Pronunciation: 'nav-i-geyt| Function: verb
to steer a course

August 5, 2008 — aviation:
Pronunciation: ey-vee-'ey-shuhn| Function: noun
the design, manufacture, or use of aircraft

August 4, 2008 — conservation:
Pronunciation: kon-ser-'vey-shuhn| Function: noun
protection

August 1, 2008 — paleontologist:
Pronunciation: pey-lee-uhn-'tol-uh-jist| Function: noun
a scientist who studies fossils



One Horseshoe Crab,
Two Horseshoe Crab

July 25, 2008
Photo credit:
AP Photo
July 31, 2008 — sturdy:
Pronunciation: 'stur-dee| Function: adjective
strong, firmly built

July 30, 2008 — fearsome:
Pronunciation: 'feer-suhm| Function: adjective
frightening

July 29, 2008 — ecosystem:
Pronunciation: 'ek-oh-sis-tuhm | Function: noun
a community of living things that depend on one another and act as a unit

July 28, 2008 — recruited:
Pronunciation: ri-'krooted | Function: verb
enrolled, enlisted

July 25, 2008 — census:
Pronunciation: 'sen-suhs | Function: noun
an official population count



Taming the Fires
July 11, 2008
Photo credit:
AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli
July 24, 2008 — extinguish:
Pronunciation: ik-'sting-gwish | Function: verb
to put out or bring to an end

July 23, 2008 — fatigue:
Pronunciation: fuh-'teeg | Function: noun
tired feeling caused by hard work

July 22, 2008 — pervasive:
Pronunciation: per-'vey-siv | Function: adjective
to be spread throughout

July 21, 2008 — unprecedented:
Pronunciation: uhn-'pres-i-den-tid | Function: adjective
not like anything that came before

July 18, 2008 — flammable:
Pronunciation: 'flam-uh-buhl | Function: adjective
easily set on fire



A Ginormous Addition
July 11, 2008

July 17, 2008 — radical:
Pronunciation: 'rad-i-kuhl | Function: adjective
Severe or sweeping

July 16, 2008 — propelled:
Pronunciation: pruh-'peld | Function: verb
moved forward

July 15, 2008 — devotee:
Pronunciation: dev-uh-'tee, -tey | Function: noun
a devoted fan

July 14, 2008 — convey:
Pronunciation: kuhn-'vey | Function: transitive verb
express, explain

July 11, 2008 — wordsmiths:
Pronunciation: wûrd'smiths' | Function: noun
experts on words



Summer Movies
July 4, 2008
Photo credit:
Disney/PIXAR

July 10, 2008 — heroine:
Pronunciation: her'o-in | Function: noun
a story’s lead female character

July 9, 2008 — spree:
Pronunciation: spre | Function: noun
a sudden outburst of activity

July 8, 2008 — apprentice:
Pronunciation: uh-pren'tis | Function: noun
a student of a particular trade

June 7, 2008 — adored:
Pronunciation: uh-dohrd| Function: verb
loved

June 4, 2008 — crusader:
Pronunciation: kroo-sad'er | Function: noun
someone who fights for justice or peace



Rotten Tomatoes
June 27, 2008
Photo credit:
Getty Images

July 3, 2008 — originated:
Pronunciation: 'uh-rij-uh-neyt | Function: verb
began or started off

July 2, 2008 — consumption:
Pronunciation: 'kuhn-suhmp-shuhn | Function: noun
the eating or drinking of something

July 1, 2008 — contaminated:
Pronunciation: 'kuhn-tam-uh-neyt-ed | Function: verb
infected

June 30, 2008 — outbreak:
Pronunciation: 'out-breyk | Function: noun
a sudden increase in activity or occurrence

June 27, 2008 — salmonella:
Pronunciation: 'sal-muh-nel-uh | Function: noun
type of bacteria that causes severe stomach pain and can lead to hospitalization or death



Secrets of the Soil
June 20, 2008
Photo credit:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Texas A & M

June 26, 2008 — sublimate:
Pronunciation: 'suhb-luh-meyt | Function: verb
to change directly from a solid to a gas

June 25, 2008 — minerals:
Pronunciation: 'min-er-uhl | Function: noun
the solid materials that make up rocks

June 24, 2008 — instruments:
Pronunciation: 'in'stre-ment | Function: noun
tools or devices

June 23, 2008 — geology:
Pronunciation: 'jee-ol-uh-jee | Function: noun
the study of Earth’s structure

June 20, 2008 — analyze:
Pronunciation: 'an-l-ahyz | Function: verb
to closely study and evaluate



Super Summer Reading
June 13, 2008
Photo credit:
iStockPhoto

June 19, 2008 — harrowing:
Pronunciation: 'har-oh-ing | Function: adjective
upsetting

June 18, 2008 — dismay:
Pronunciation: 'dis-mey | Function: verb
disappointment

June 17, 2008 — flourishing:
Pronunciation: 'flur-i-shing | Function: adjective
growing, blossoming

June 16, 2008 — correspondence:
Pronunciation: 'kawr-uh-spon-duhns | Function: noun
written communication

June 13, 2008 — legend:
Pronunciation: 'lej-uhnd | Function: noun
famous person



Gas Prices Soar
June 6, 2008
Photo credit:
Getty Images

June 12, 2008 — efficient:
Pronunciation: 'i-fish-uhnt | Function: adjective
not wasteful

June 11, 2008 — strains:
Pronunciation: 'streyn | Function: verb
stresses, overworks

June 10, 2008 — rapidly:
Pronunciation: 'rap-id-ly | Function: adjective
quickly

June 9, 2008 — consumers:
Pronunciation: 'ken-soo'mer | Function: noun
people who buy products or services

June 6, 2008 — grumble:
Pronunciation: 'gruhm-buhl | Function: verb
complain



Winging It!
May 30, 2008
Photo credit:
Getty Images

June 5, 2008 — engineer:
Pronunciation: 'en-juh-neer | Function: noun
to make or design

June 4, 2008 — incredible:
Pronunciation: 'in-kred-uh-buhl | Function: adjective
unbelievable or amazing

June 3, 2008 — liberty:
Pronunciation: 'lib-er-tee | Function: noun
freedom

June 2, 2008 — resistant:
Pronunciation: 'ri-zis-tuhnt | Function: adjective
unaffected by

May 30, 2008 — fusion:
Pronunciation: 'fyoo-zhuhn | Function: noun
a combination or mixture



Sloths Aren't Sleepyheads
May 23, 2008
Photo credit:
Corbis

May 29, 2008 — indicated:
Pronunciation: 'in-di-keyt | Function: verb
made known

May 28, 2008 — accurate:
Pronunciation: 'ak-yer-it | Function: adjective
without mistakes

May 27, 2008 — habitat:
Pronunciation: 'hab-i-tat | Function: noun
the natural home of a plant or animal species

May 26, 2008 — captivity:
Pronunciation: 'kap-tiv-i-tee | Function: noun
for an animal, being kept by people rather than living in the wild

May 23, 2008 — previously:
Pronunciation: 'pree-vee-uhs | Function: adjective
at an earlier time



Pencil-Tip Picasso
May 16, 2008
Photo credit:
Sloan Howard

May 22, 2008 — grain:
Pronunciation: 'greyn | Function: noun
the arrangement of fibers in a piece of wood

May 21, 2008 — medium:
Pronunciation: 'mee-dee-uhm | Function: noun
the type of material that is used to create something

May 20, 2008 — graphite:
Pronunciation: 'graf-ahyt | Function: noun
a soft black material used in pencils

May 19, 2008 — intricate:
Pronunciation: 'in-tri-kit | Function: adjective
very detailed or complicated

May 16, 2008 — miniature:
Pronunciation: 'min-ee-uh-cher | Function: noun
little or tiny



Help Is On the Way
May 9, 2008
Photo credit:
AP Images

May 15, 2008 — purify:
Pronunciation: 'pyoor-uh-fahy | Function: verb
to make clean and free of dangerous or harmful substances

May 14, 2008 — isolated:
Pronunciation: 'ahy-suh-ley-tid | Function: adjective
kept apart from others

May 13, 2008 — delta:
Pronunciation: 'del-tuh | Function: noun
a triangular or fan-shaped piece of land formed at the mouth of a river

May 12, 2008 — cyclone:
Pronunciation: 'sahy-klohn | Function: noun
a rotating wind storm bringing a large amount of rain

May 9, 2008 — contaminated:
Pronunciation: 'kuhn-tam-uh-neyt | Function: verb
spoiled, unfit for use



Earn to Learn
May 2, 2008
Photo credit:
Photospin

May 8, 2008 — attendance:
Pronunciation: 'e-ten-den(t)s | Function: noun
To go to a place or event.

May 7, 2008 — foundation:
Pronunciation: 'faun-da-shen | Function: noun
A group that helps pay for special projects; a charity.

May 6, 2008 — economist:
Pronunciation: 'i-kä-ne-mist\ | Function: noun
A person who studies the science of money and the economy.

May 5, 2008 — motivated:
Pronunciation: 'mo-te-vat | Function: transitive verb
Having an inner drive or impulse to do something or act.

May 2, 2008 — incentives:
Pronunciation: 'in-sen-tiv | Function: noun
Money or prizes that make a person take action or work harder.



Food Fear
April 25, 2008
Photo credit:
AP Images

May 1, 2008 — poverty:
Pronunciation: 'pov-er-tee | Function: noun
the state of not having enough money to pay for basic needs

April 30, 2008 — tsunami:
Pronunciation: 'tsoo-nah-mee | Function: noun
a huge ocean wave usually caused by an underwater earthquake

April 29, 2008 — spike:
Pronunciation: 'spahyk | Function: noun
sharp increase

April 28, 2008 — pledged:
Pronunciation: 'plej | Function: noun
promised

April 25, 2008 — urgent:
Pronunciation: 'ur-juhnt | Function: adjective
critical, requiring immediate action



Wild Finds
April 18, 2008
Photo credit:
AP Images

April 24, 2008 — crevices:
Pronunciation: 'krev'is | Function: noun
narrow cracks or openings

April 23, 2008 — extinct:
Pronunciation: 'ik-stingkt | Function: adjective
no longer in existence

April 22, 2008 — bittersweet:
Pronunciation: 'bit-er-sweet | Function: adjective
both happy and sad

April 21, 2008 — biologists:
Pronunciation: 'bahy-ol-uh-jist | Function: noun
scientists who study animal and plant life

April 18, 2008 — snout:
Pronunciation: 'snout | Function: noun
a long, projecting nose



Unearthing Stonehenge
April 11, 2008
Photo credit:
AP Images

April 17, 2008 — trauma:
Pronunciation: 'trou-muh | Function: noun
a body wound produced by sudden injury

April 16, 2008 — artifacts:
Pronunciation: 'är'te-fakt | Function: noun
objects, such as tools or weapons, produced by humans throughout history

April 15, 2008 — excavated:
Pronunciation: 'eks-kuh-veyt | Function: verb
dug out and removed

April 14, 2008 — massive:
Pronunciation: 'mas-iv | Function: adjective
extremely big or heavy

April 11, 2008 — origin:
Pronunciation: 'awr-i-jin | Function: noun
the point at which a thing comes into existence



A Night to Recite
April 4, 2008
Photo credit:
James Kegley

April 10, 2008 — project:
Pronunciation: 'proj-ekt | Function: noun
to send something (in this case, words) out strongly, with added emphasis

April 9, 2008 — interpret:
Pronunciation: 'in-tur-prit | Function: verb
to act or perform something (a song, a monologue or a poem), expressing your own ideas about the work

April 8, 2008 — slam:
Pronunciation: 'slam | Function: noun
gatherings where people recite their own poetic works, then are rated by the audience or by judges

April 7, 2008 — recitation:
Pronunciation: 'res-i-tey-shuhn | Function: noun
the act of repeating something, usually memorized, out loud in front of others

April 4, 2008 — finale:
Pronunciation: 'fi-nal-ee | Function: noun
the concluding part of a process or work of art



Lost
March 28, 2008
Photo credit:
AP Images

April 3, 2008 — vulnerable:
Pronunciation: 'vuhl-ner-uh-buhl | Function: adjective
capable of being hurt or damaged

April 2, 2008 — mite:
Pronunciation: 'mahyt | Function: noun
tiny, eight-legged animals related to spiders that often infest animals and plants

April 1, 2008 — predator:
Pronunciation: 'pred-uh-ter | Function: noun
a living thing that kills and eats others

March 31, 2008 — fungus:
Pronunciation: 'fuhng-guhs | Function: noun
a type of organism that absorbs its food from living or dead matter

March 28, 2008 — collapse:
Pronunciation: 'kuh-laps | Function: verb
a drop or decline



Moko to the Rescue!
March 21, 2008
Photo credit:
AP Images

March 27, 2008 — distress:
Pronunciation: 'di-stres | Function: noun
mental suffering, such as anxiety or grief

March 26, 2008 — disoriented:
Pronunciation: 'dis-awr-ee-en-tid | Function: adjective
confused

March 25, 2008 — sandbar:
Pronunciation: 'sand'bär | Function: noun
a ridge of sand formed by tides or currents

March 24, 2008 — stranded:
Pronunciation: 'stran-did | Function: adjective
trapped, stuck

March 21, 2008 — snout:
Pronunciation: 'snout | Function: noun
a long nose



Five Years at War
March 14, 2008
Photo credit:
Getty Images

March 20, 2008 — surge:
Pronunciation: 'surj | Function: noun
a rise or an increase

March 19, 2008 — stoke:
Pronunciation: 'stohk | Function: verb
to add fuel to a fire; to strengthen

March 18, 2008 — regime:
Pronunciation: 'ruh-zheem | Function: noun
a system of government

March 17, 2008 — dictator:
Pronunciation: 'dik-tey-ter | Function: noun
a leader who rules by force

March 14, 2008 — milestone:
Pronunciation: 'mahyl-stohn | Function: noun
a significant event



Going Green
March 7, 2008
Photo credit:
The Ross School

March 13, 2008 — utilizes:
Pronunciation: 'yoot'l-iz | Function: transitive verb
uses, employs

March 12, 2008 — optimal:
Pronunciation: 'op-tuh-muhl | Function: adjective
ideal, best

March 11, 2008 — entirely:
Pronunciation: 'en-tahyuhr-lee | Function: adverb
completely, in full

March 10, 2008 — artificial:
Pronunciation: 'ahr-tuh-fish-uhl | Function: adjective
made by human beings; unnatural

March 7, 2008 — renewable:
Pronunciation: 'ri-noo'e-bel | Function: adjective
able to be used again



Wii Wonders
February 29, 2008
Photo credit:
AP Images

March 6, 2008 — precise:
Pronunciation: 'pri-sahys | Function: adjective
exact

March 5, 2008 — simulated:
Pronunciation: 'sim-yuh-leyt-ed | Function: verb
pretend; artificial

March 4, 2008 — physical therapy:
Pronunciation: 'fiz-i-kuhl-ther-uh-pee | Function: noun
treatment for disease, injury, or pain by physical means

March 3, 2008 — console:
Pronunciation: 'kuhn-sohl | Function: noun
a unit for controlling an electronic device

February 29, 2008 — rehabilitation:
Pronunciation: 'ree-huh-bil-i-teyt-ion | Function: noun
recovery



Decoding Dog Barks
February 22, 2008
Photo credit:
iStockPhoto

February 28, 2008 — dreaded:
Pronunciation: 'dred-d | Function: adjective
feared

February 27, 2008 — distinguishing:
Pronunciation: 'di-sting-gwi-shing | Function: adjective
telling apart; separating

February 26, 2008 — accurate:
Pronunciation: 'ak-yer-it | Function: adjective
free from error, correct

February 25, 2008 — ethologist:
Pronunciation: 'E-'thäl-&-j&st | Function: noun
someone who studies animal behavior

February 22, 2008 — Aggressive:
Pronunciation: 'uh-gres-iv | Function: adjective
forceful or pushy



After the Storm
February 15, 2008
Photo credit:
AP Images

February 21, 2008 — meteorologists:
Pronunciation: 'me'te-rol'i-jist | Function: noun
scientists who study the weather

February 20, 2008 — rotating:
Pronunciation: 'roh-tat-ing | Function: verb
turning around an axis or a center

February 19, 2008 — rapidly:
Pronunciation: 'rap-id-ly | Function: noun
very quickly

February 18, 2008 — extends:
Pronunciation: 'ik-stends | Function: verb
stretches out across a distance

February 15, 2008 — federal:
Pronunciation: 'fed-er-uhl | Function: adjective
national; of the central government of the United States



The Incredible Shrinking Planet
February 8, 2008
Photo credit:
NASA/AP

February 14, 2008 — diameter:
Pronunciation: 'dahy-am-i-ter | Function: noun
the length of a straight line through the center of an object

February 13, 2008 — subtle:
Pronunciation: 'suht-l | Function: adjective
faint, light, not obvious

February 12, 2008 — contracts:
Pronunciation: 'kon'trakt's | Function: noun
becomes smaller, shrinks

February 11, 2008 — magma:
Pronunciation: 'mag-muh | Function: noun
hot, liquid rock under a planet’s surface

February 8, 2008 — orbit:
Pronunciation: 'awr-bit | Function: noun
a planet’s path around the sun