Word Power

Here at Reader’s Digest, we’re always ready to look on the bright side. So this month we’ve chosen words related to light. Once you’ve had a chance to shine, turn to the next page for answers

1. luminary – A: heat lamp. B: brilliant person. C: film projector.

2. gloaming – A: dawn. B: noon.

C: twilight.

3. refract – A: bend. B: scatter.

C: dim.

4. parasol – A: glowworm. B: sunshade. C: waxy glow.

5. translucent – A: allowing light through. B: blocking light. C: producing light.

6. scintillate – A: polish until glossy. B: extinguish. C: give off sparks.

7. beacon – A: guiding light. B: camera flash. C: sunbeam.

8. sconce – A: unit of renewable electricity. B: light fixture. C: firework launcher. 9. incandescent – A: white-hot. B: candlelit. C: reflective.

10. heliotropic – A: turning towards the sun. B: tan. C: near the equator.

11. diurnal – A: in a shaded area. B: twice a day. C: active in daytime.

12. foxfire – A: controlled burn. B: glow from a fungus.

C: fire involving gases.

13. filament – A: flickering ember. B: wire in a light bulb. C: constellation.

14. spectrum – A: total eclipse. B: band of colours. C: light transmitted by a cable wire.

15. effulgent – A: flashing intermittently. B: fading to black. C: shining brilliantly.

1. luminary – (B) brilliant person. Her photographic memory has helped Barbara become a luminary in the world of bridge.

2. gloaming – (C) twilight.

As I walked in the grey gloaming, I heard an owl hooting in the distance.

3. refract – (A) bend.

The sunlight refracted through the prism in the window, splashing tiny rainbows on the walls.

4. parasol – (B) sunshade. In addition to wearing SPF 50 daily, Lorraine often carries a parasol.

5. translucent – (A) allowing light through. Cook the onions until they’re translucent, removing them before they brown.

6. scintillate – (C) give off sparks. When the campfire starts to scintillate, we can settle in for an evening of sing-alongs and stories.

7. beacon – (A) guiding light. Bring a good beacon to set up at your base camp.

8. sconce – (B) light fixture. Elijah looked at dozens of sconces before settling on ones he liked. 9. incandescent – (A) white-hot. A glassblower can turn incandescent liquid glass into a piece of art.

10. heliotropic – (A) turning towards the sun. Young sunflowers are heliotropic, facing east at dawn and following the light westward.

11. diurnal – (C) active in daytime. After working the night shift for a year, Anjali asked to switch to a diurnal schedule.

12. foxfire – (B) glow from a fungus. Certain kinds of mushrooms produce foxfire, an eerie blue-green light.

13. filament – (B) wire in a light bulb. Inventor Thomas Edison chose a type of bamboo for his electric light’s filament.

14. spectrum – (B) band of colours. Ellen Jean’s beautiful paintings use every hue in the spectrum.

15. effulgent – (C) shining brilliantly. The effulgent full moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the forest.

VOCABULARY RATINGS 5-9: Fair 10–12: Good 13–15: Word Power Wizard