Vocabulary

Severe- very bad

Athenian- people of the Greek city of Athens
Drama- excitement; his speeches were not dull anymore
Pleaded his case- argued in the court of law to prove that his
guardians had been unfair to him
Assembly- A group of people meeting for a particular
purpose
The speech was full of power and purpose- It had a clear
message and made a strong effect on people’s minds
In despair- loss of hope
Inspired- was encouraged, motivated and full of admiration
Injustice- without fairness
Awkwardness- the speech was delivered poorly and with
difficulty as Demosthenes did not have the confidence or skill
Tone- the strength and quality of the voice
Applaud- clap
To recover- To get back (the same amount of money that was
given to them by Demosthenes’ father)
Pericles- A famous Greek orator, and an experienced, highly
respected political leader
Cellars- Underground rooms used to store things
Keenly- with sharp eyes
Address- a speech given to an audience, usually on a serious
subject
Glorious deeds- great and heroic actions
Gestures- movement of head and hands while giving a
speech
Bitterly- with a feeling that he had failed and could not
succeed
Orators- people who make speeches in public and are very
good speakers
Delicate- not strong; easily injured
A great trial- the examination of a case by a judge
Jeer- make rude comments in a loud voice
Stammered- spoke with pauses, repeating the same sound
To press on- to try to continue, with difficulty
Impressed- was amazed by the speech and admired the orator
Notorious- known by everyone for some bad quality or doing
something bad
Handsome reward- a large reward
Locksmith- a person who makes, fits, and repairs locks
Wares- things that someone is selling, especially in the street
or at a market
Rare species- an unusual type (this term is usually usen in
scientific topics)
Ecosystem- the way in which living things in an area relate to
each other and their surroundings
Environment- the natural surroundings or world in which
plants, animals and humans live
Habitat- the place where a particular type of animal/plant is
normally found
Envied- felt jealous of (someone)
Ornithologist- a person who studies birds or is an expert in
them
Birdwatchers- people who watch birds in their natural habitat
and recognize different varieties of birds.
Nature-friendly atmosphere- a situation where people
appreciate nature and mean no harm to it.
Trails- paths followed in the forest for a particular purpose
Temper- the way someone feels at a particular point of time
Dive- jump in a certain direction (used humorously)
Croaky- deep and rough like a frog’s
Robbed us of our sleep- did not allow someone to sleep
Give us away- to show or tell someone something that one
wants to keep a secret
Grumble- complain about someone or something
Peered at- looked closely/carefully at something
Natural history- the study of plants, rocks, animals and so on
Drongo- a small, black or grey bird, that has a forked tail
Conservation- protection of the natural environment
Bee eater- a small bird, usually chestnut colored with a long
beak, that eats insects
Ring out- ring the bell as if to move something out
Ring in- ring the bell as if to move something in
Grief- sadness
Saps- takes away strength from someone or something
especially over a long period of time
Dying cause- refers to old fashioned customs/practices that
come in the way of progress
Strife- a violent/angry disagreement
Feud- a bitter quarrel that has existed for a long time between
two people or groups causing a lot of anger/violence
Redress- to set right something that has gone wrong
Sent for- Miss O Shay asked Nancy Lee to see her
Familiar- well known
Was always direct- she always spoke what was on her mind
clearly and honestly
Slender- thin and delicate
Beamed with pride- smiled with pleasure, for she was happy
Nancy Lee had done so well
Acceptance speech- a speech mad to thank people and show
how grateful you are for being given an award, honor and so
on
Went over it in her mind- learned so that she could repeat it
to herself
Colored- describes a person who does not have white skin
Discouraged- made to feel less confident about themselves
Race- a group of people who have share same skin color,
language, culture, history and so on.
Fairness- a situation where people are treated equally
Committee- a group of people who make decisions about
something in particular.
Deny- refuse to allow someone to have something
the stars in our flag- the stars in the American flag. They are
a symbol for goals like justice and equality that people have
tried to achieve.
It is up to us to make them know- we need to get them to
understand this (as no one else will)
Keep me down- make me feel defeated
Tame- wild, cheerless- happy, living- dying, strengthens- saps,
harmony- feud, peace- strife
Bells ringing- jingle heavy object hitting- thud
Sound of birds- chirp closing of door- click
Liquid hitting object- splash teeth in cold- chatter
Hitting door/window with closed hand- knock  
Related to water- drizzle, splash, dip
Related to voice- hum, grunt, mumble
Related to collisions- bang, thud clang
Related to air- swish, whoosh