"Simon's Saga," Vocabulary from Episode 20

Philip Geer's "Simon's Saga" includes 820 SAT-level words and gives students an entertaining glimpse into college life.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12, Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15, Episode 16, Episode 17, Episode 18, Episode 19, Episode 20, Episode 21, Episode 22, Episode 23, Episode 24, Episode 25, Episode 26, Episode 27, Episode 28, Episode 29, Episode 30, Episode 31, Episode 32, Episode 33, Episode 34, Episode 35, Episode 36, Episode 37
20 words 522 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. transpire
    come about, happen, or occur
    All of this transpired so quickly that Simon was hardly cognizant of it.
  2. cognizant
    having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization
    All of this transpired so quickly that Simon was hardly cognizant of it.
  3. fundamental
    serving as an essential component
    The conversation in the outside world continued, though deep inside Simon something fundamental had changed.
  4. iota
    a tiny or scarcely detectable amount
    He shrugged, but looked like a person whose deepest secrets had just been revealed—and didn’t care one iota.
  5. clairvoyant
    perceiving things beyond the natural range of the senses
    It’s like she’s clairvoyant. She seems to practically read my thoughts, my feelings.
  6. abstract
    not representing or imitating external reality
    “Well, it’s kind of abstract,” Simon said.
  7. corroborating evidence
    a collection of facts that backs up someone's story
    Dr. Robinson says they have very interesting data, but they need more corroborating evidence before they can publish their conclusions.
  8. spurious
    plausible but false
    If there’s any spurious data, he wants to know about it.
  9. controversial
    marked by or capable of causing disagreement
    The subject is so controversial, he wants to be really careful.
  10. altruistic
    showing unselfish concern for the welfare of others
    If there weren’t people altruistic enough to sacrifice their personal interests for the objective truth, a species ... I mean, the species, couldn’t advance.
  11. objective
    undistorted by emotion or personal bias
    If there weren’t people altruistic enough to sacrifice their personal interests for the objective truth, a species ... I mean, the species, couldn’t advance.
  12. contravene
    go against, as of rules and laws
    He published his findings that confirmed the Copernican theory of the solar system—the theory that the planets revolve around the Sun—even though it contravened the dogma of the Church.
  13. dogma
    a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative
    He published his findings that confirmed the Copernican theory of the solar system—the theory that the planets revolve around the Sun—even though it contravened the dogma of the Church.
  14. censure
    rebuke formally
    I mean, he was quite aware of the fact that he would probably be tried by the Inquisition and censured.
  15. irrefutable
    impossible to deny or disprove
    She thinks the evidence for it is irrefutable.
  16. vestigial
    not fully developed in mature animals
    Right now, she’s trying to build a case for her thesis that ESP is a vestigial ability that for some reason fell into disuse as mankind evolved.
  17. suppress
    put out of one's consciousness
    She thinks that maybe for language to evolve this method of communication had to be suppressed.
  18. dormant
    inactive but capable of becoming active
    “So people—at least some people—could have ESP abilities that are dormant?”
  19. phenomenon
    any state or process known through the senses
    “Why do you think Jasmine is so interested in ESP phenomena?”
  20. motif
    a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work
    But maybe there is some sort of a motif to what she studies. I can’t put my finger on it, but it seems like she’s looking for something—a common denominator, I guess—in myths, religions, dreams, science ... many things.
Created on Mon Aug 18 21:28:56 EDT 2014 (updated Tue Aug 19 15:33:34 EDT 2014)

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