Extensive Reading-Book C Unit 76 (E)

blues

slow jazz music about sad feelings
blues music is very popular in New Orleans.

brief

short
Our meeting was very brief, it only lasted 30 minutes.

distinguished

for excellent achievement
He was a very distinguished gentleman who's uncle was the king of Norway.

diverse

different from each other
San Francisco has a very diverse ethnic population.

emotive

causing strong feelings
Child abuse is a highly emotive issue.

encompass

to include
This is a home medical reference book encompassing remedies for most common health problems.

etymologist

an expert in the origin and history of words
She is an etymologist and is fascinated by the new words being developed in the computer world.

exodus

departure or withdrawal of large numbers of people
The exodus of the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land took 40 years.

fuse

to melt together
The conductor tried to fuse together rock and classical music without much success.

improvisation

something improvised, especially a musical passage or a dramatic skit.
Jazz musicians rarely use music; most of their performances are improvisations.

incorporate

to include
The master plan incorporated ideas from the students and the teachers.

induce

to cause something to happen
Sleeping pills often induce long term side effects.

morph

to change one thing to another
She took a volunteer position at the radio station which morphed into a full time job.

offshoot

a new development
Gmail is an offshoot of Google.

pioneer

person who is one of the very first in an area or field
Florence Nightingale was a pioneer in hospital reform.

ragtime

a type of American jazz
ragtime was developed by black musicians in North America in the early 1900s.

reluctant

concerned or afraid
I was very reluctant to agree to the contract because it required me to travel extensively.

spawn

give life to
The school shooting spawned a flurry of safety reforms for the city.

subservient

acting like a servant
The husband is subservient to his wife because he's afraid of her.

usher

bring into being
The two countries agreed to discontinue fighting and ushered a new era of peace.