abandon (verb) to give up; to leave behind

• Sample Sentence: Last year Jamal broke his arm and had to abandon his hopes of playing on the baseball team. 

• Turn and Talk: Why might someone abandon a pet?

*abandon (noun) carefree freedom

• Sample Sentence: Although Janice is normally shy, she sang with abandon at the karaoke party.

• Turn and Talk: What is an activity that you do with abandon? 

frivolous (adjective) not important; silly

• Sample Sentence: Some people think buying expensive designer clothes is frivolous and a waste of money. 

• Turn and Talk: What is the last item you bought that you would consider frivolous? Why?

contemporary (adjective) modern; current

• Sample Sentence: Many parents think that contemporary songs lack good lyrics.

• Turn and Talk: Do you prefer the style of contemporary or classic cars? 

dramatic (adjective) exciting; full of emotion; extreme

• Sample Sentence: Newscasters fear that people will not watch their programs if the stories are not dramatic enough. 

• Turn and Talk: Are teenagers more dramatic than adults, or does it just depend on the person?

exploit (verb) to take advantage of

• Sample Sentence: Karla exploited her sister’s weakness for chocolate when she offered her a candy bar in exchange for help with a school project.

• Turn and Talk: Have you ever exploited a friend's or sibling’s weakness to get them to do something for you?

*exploit (noun) something exciting and daring; an adventure

• Sample Sentence: Cynthia's and Pamela’s exploits included camping and telling ghost stories.

• Turn and Talk: Describe your latest exploit.