Unit 5: Independent Reading

This list covers "The Planet Hunters," "Excursion to Mars," "The Hero and the Minotaur," and "The A-MAZE-ing Tale of Theseus and the Minotaur."
17 words 1 learner

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions on each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real-time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. galaxy
    a collection of star systems
    If you look up into the night sky, most of the points of light you see are stars in our own galaxy.
  2. conservative
    avoiding excess
    But some bright dots are other galaxies—each of which scientists conservatively estimate to be home to billions of stars.
  3. drone
    make a monotonous low dull sound
    A giant air-condition system drones constantly to keep it cool.
  4. ultimately
    as the end result of a succession or process
    That's how scientists ultimately discovered the first rocky world outside of our solar system: Kepler-10b.
  5. colleague
    an associate that one works with
    "Kepler-186f is an Earth cousin rather than an Earth twin. It has many properties that resemble Earth," says Thomas Barclay, a scientist who helped discover the planet with other colleagues.
  6. sustain
    supply with necessities and support
    With so much space out there, scientists have innumerable places to look for planets that could sustain life.
  7. verify
    confirm the truth of
    “Unfortunately, scientists are unable to verify the source of the contamination since even the strongest of them is very weak. Given the circumstances, you should return to your home planet.”
  8. deduction
    something that is inferred
    “Anisisbro has made a fascinating deduction,” Dominic said as he and Clara looked at the findings.
  9. desolate
    providing no shelter or sustenance
    Though the rocky path wound among desolate green hills and through rugged, lonely forests, Theseus felt only the thrill of adventure as he made his way to meet his father.
  10. valiant
    having or showing heroism or courage
    "Who performs these daring deeds?" Aegeus asked. "Let me meet the valiant champion."
  11. steadfast
    marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
    Aegeus pleaded with him to stay in Athens, but Theseus remained steadfast and prepared for the voyage to Crete.
  12. somber
    serious and gloomy in character
    From a bluff, Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos, stood with her friend Icarus and gazed down at the somber ship.
  13. deception
    a misleading falsehood
    To punish the inventor for his deception, the king locked both Daedalus and Icarus high up in a tower.
  14. oblivious
    lacking conscious awareness of
    Oblivious to the terrible fate of Icarus, Ariadne and Theseus stopped their ship to rest on the isle of Naxos, unaware that the god Dionysus was following them.
  15. audacity
    fearless daring
    In the next town, people soon heard about this amazing event. "What audacity!" they cried.
  16. exploit
    a notable achievement
  17. parody
    humorous or satirical mimicry
Created on November 19, 2020 (updated November 30, 2020)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.