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Instead, Robinson gained revenge in another way. To the amazement of his critics, he succeeded brilliantly in the major leagues. Although not a flamboyant man, it was apparent that he was a marvelous ballplayer. In his first year in the majors, he achieved a batting average of .297, the team high, and was named Rookie of the Year. In his ten years in baseball, his superior playing helped his team win the pennant six times. He must have been elated when he was elected the first black member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Robinson is perhaps best remembered for his daring base stealing. Sleepy pitchers had to beware, for Robinson could steal a base at a moment’s notice. As he ran from base to base, he confused infielders into making mistakes and losing control of the ball. A fellow player gave a concise description of Robinson as “a hard out.” He stole home base eleven times! Although many have tried to emulate him, this feat has never been equaled. In his later years Robinson became ill with diabetes. Although he left baseball, he never stopped fighting for a just society. He championed civil rights and made investments to help build good housing in slums. Jackie Robinson’s name lives on in history. We all owe a debt to a brave man who bore the burdens of a prejudiced society. No one could thwart the ambitions of this great baseball player and civil rights pioneer. @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Source: The World of Words Vocabulary for College Success By: Margaret Ann Richek Northeastern Illinois University

Reading Passage with New Words: Make sure to look up the new words: @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Appalling: dreadful: shocking: horrendous Undermine: weaken Condemn: censure: denounce Bland: tasteless: insipid @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Skeptic: doubter: cynic Contend: state: argue Contemplate: consider Harassment: annoyance Boisterous: noisy: lively @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Elicit: provoke: stimulate: obtain: bring about Belligerent: aggressive: quarrelsome Articulate(v.): state: utter Flamboyant: showy: flashy Elated: thrilled: overjoyed Concise: short: terse @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Emulate: imitate Thwart: hinder: obstruct: stop Jackie Robinson, Baseball Hero As incredible as it may seem today, at one time African Americans were forbidden to play baseball in the major leagues. The ban was first broken by Jackie Robinson, a star athlete from the “Negro Leagues” who went on to enrich major league baseball with his exciting and competitive style. This is Robinson’s story, but as you read it, you should also think of Satchel Paige, “Smokey” Joe Williams, Rube and Willie Foster, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, “Bullet” Joe Rogan, and other African American greats who were long denied the chance to play major league baseball. Almost sixty years ago, a quiet man made baseball history. In 1947 Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play major league baseball in the twentieth century. He bravely faced appalling persecution and helped undermine racial prejudice in the United States. Jackie Robinson “broke the color line.” For years before Robinson’s brave act, blacks could not play in the majors. Although they had their own leagues, the games were not well publicized. So, although many black players were as good as, or better than, white major league players, blacks were condemned to receive almost no national attention. But in 1947, the Dodgers’ management made a historic decision to sign an African-American player—Jackie Robinson. The team issued a purposely bland announcement: “The Brooklyn Dodgers today purchased the contract of Jackie Roosevelt Robinson from the Montreal Royals.” The baseball world reacted strongly. Some applauded the move to end discrimination. Skeptics, though, predicted disaster. How could an African American succeed in white baseball? Some critics contended that Robinson would never be able to live peacefully with white teammates or tolerate the insults of fans. Still others doubted Robinson’s ability as a baseball player. All the doubters were wrong. The Dodgers’ general manager, Branch Rickey, had contemplated the problems before he acted. Rickey ensured Robinson’s success in the major leagues by working with him on how to respond to harassment. “Hey,” he would say, impersonating a hotel clerk. “You can’t eat here.” He imitated a prejudiced white ballplayer and charged into Robinson, saying, “Next time get out of my way, you bastard.” Robinson was puzzled. Rickey explained, “I’m looking for a ballplayer with guts enough not to fight back. Those boisterous crowds will insult you, harass you, do anything to make you start a fight. And if you fight back, they’ll say, ‘Blacks don’t belong in baseball.’ ” Of all the struggles Robinson was to have, the hardest one would be to keep calm in the face of insults. Nobody would be able to elicit an outburst from Jackie Robinson. This fiercely proud man, who had refused to sit in the back of an army bus, found the ultimate courage—the courage to be quiet. In the 1947 season, Robinson was to face trouble that would have defeated a lesser man. Roars of “Go home!” and “Kill him!” were heard from belligerent crowd members. Robinson was hit in the head by more “beanballing” pitchers than any other player in the major leagues. Sometimes it became too much for his friends. Robinson’s teammate Pee Wee Reese once challenged some harassers by shouting at them to take on somebody who could fight back. But Robinson never articulated his grievances publicly.

Today, companies produce sneakers in every imaginable color, shape, and finish. Rappers have become designers. Figures like Kanye West and 50 Cent sell their ideas to such companies as Louis Vuitton and Reebok. Prices have skyrocketed as designers have issued “limited editions.” The diamond-encrusted Solitare Kicks, for example, go for $50,000. Used sneakers that have been worn by famous athletes have become collector’s items. One pair that belonged to basketball great Wilt Chamberlain sold for $55,000. Teenaged “sneakerheads” collect pairs by the hundreds, spending countless hours in specialty stores. They beg their parents for ever more liberal allowances so they can buy the most desirable pairs. (8) Some defer wearing their new shoes, storing them in closets until they become rare and valuable. But is all of this a good thing? Some of the effects of sneaker popularity have been. When “fly” sneakers became desirable, teens started stealing them from each other. There have even been incidents of people who were killed for their shoes. School administrators have intervened by requiring dress codes limiting what studentscan wear. But in a truly ominous sign, the hit song “My Adidas” was sung by pallbearers, wearing matching white Adidas sneakers, for the funeral of Run DMC’s murdered Jam Master Jay. It has also been reported that several big sneaker companies employ workers in poor nations at low wages and under harsh working conditions. The Christian Aid society has worked to reach accords between producers and factories to ensure that workers are treated fairly. Despite these problems, new sneakers continue to set fashion trends—and record-breaking prices. A style largely popularized by urban teenagers has become a multibillion-dollar business. Thanks to them, conservative middle-aged people throughout the United States wear sneakers to business lunches, to the opera, and to formal dinners. Some of us even “put on our high-heeled sneakers” when “we’re going out tonight.” Source: The World of Words: Vocabulary for College Success EIGHTH EDITION Margaret Ann Richek Northeastern Illinois University

Reading Passage with New Words Make sure to look up the new words: Sneakers: A Multibillion-Dollar Industry Accord: harmony: agreement Corroborate: verify: confirm @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Entrepreneur: someone who starts a new business or arranges business deals in order to make money, often in a way that involves financial risks Conservative: conformist: traditional Renegade: traitor Epitome: embodiment Radical: extremist: fanatic @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Thrive: flourish: prosper Supplant: replace Liberal: open-minded Defer: delay @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Catastrophic: disastrous Ominous: ill-omened: gloomy Intervene: interfere: intrude @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Once used only for sports, sneakers are now everywhere. Urban teenagers, sports figures, and rap stars have changed the lowly athletic shoe to a world cultural symbol and luxury item. Back in 1964, Motown rocker Tommy Tucker’s hit song “Put on Your High-heeled Sneakers” for “going out tonight” seemed ridiculous. But today high-heeled sneakers are a well-accepted dress-up shoe. In fact, nearly everybody wears some form of sneakers, whether they are at the gym or at a party. Within the business community, there is general accord that sneaker sales are a powerful market force. People buy about $10 billion dollars worth every year, although sales reports can be difficult to corroborate. Sneakers were invented in 1899, when Humphrey O’Sullivan got a patent for a rubber heel that could be hardened through a new heating process. These new heels were more durable than leather ones. The first rubber-soled shoes were produced by Keds, a company that is still in business. They were called “sneakers” because the heels were so quiet that wearerscould “sneak up” on other people. After World War I, the German Dassler brothers started making the sneakers in their backyard. When Jesse Owens, the African-American runner, stunned the world by winning the 1936 Olympics, he was wearing Dasslers. The two Dassler brothers separated, and each became a successful entrepreneur. Rudolf started the Puma Company. Adolf became head of Adidas. For years, sneakers were used only as sports shoes, but slowly, things began to change. The 1950s were a conservative time with rigid fashions in clothes and shoes. So people were thrilled when renegade James Dean appeared in the movie Rebel without a Cause wearing sneakers on the street. Suddenly, the shoe was in fashion, and by the 1970s, People were commonly using sneakers as everyday shoes. Clever promotion turned sneakers into a multimillion-dollar business. In 1980 Philip H. Knight founded a company named Nike, after the Greek goddess of victory, and imported a shoe from Japan. He paid an Oregon artist $35 for the now-famous “swoosh” design. Then he hired Michael Jordan, the epitome of a great basketball player, to promote the shoe, and coined the phrase “Just do it.” Overnight, Air Jordan™ shoes became a sensation. Local neighborhood traditions also helped to popularize sneakers. Basketball was, and continues to be, an important sport in urban neighborhoods. And the new music of rap and hip-hop emerged from these very same neighborhoods. Words and music were clever, radical, and at times violent. Neighborhood kids often imitated great basketball players by buying the shoes they wore. No longer just a shoe, sneakers became an important status symbol. As rap and hip-hop thrived, their music and fashion spread to the rest of America. What the artists wore was hot! When a famous Paris fashion house started designing “Ghetto Fabulous” clothes, they became best-sellers. Soon everyone was listening to rap and hip-hop—and wearing sneakers. Popular musicians celebrated sneakers in such songs as Nelly’s “Air Force Ones.” Run DMC’s “My Adidas” thanked the company that introduced new sneakers named after their favorite Cadillacs: the Eldorado, Brougham, and Fleetwood. Gradually, sneakers supplanted leather shoes as the most popular footwear in the United States.

But, like Jimmy John, the shops have their frivolous side. Signs posted on the wall give advice about life. One reads, “If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.” Guides to behavior are also posted. The DOs include “Say please and thank you,” “Disable dorky ring tones on your cell phone,” and “Remember to smile.” The DON’Ts contain: “Don’t play with your food” and “Don’t take stuff too seriously.” Jimmy John also believes in cordiality. Staff members tell customers to, “Come back soon.” All employees, including office executives, wear T-shirts saying “Your mother wants you to eat at Jimmy John’s.” This gives a fraternal feeling to all parts of the business. Jimmy John also believes in listening to his employees. His early struggles taught him that a dogmatic boss is a bad boss. So he requires all managers to hold weekly sessions that discuss employee complaints and suggestions. Good pay helps to keep employees loyal, but so does Jimmy John’s concern for them. He named a sandwich for a manager who was killed in an accident. Look for the “Billy Club” on the menu. Success has enabled Jimmy John to be altruistic. In 2008, he donated a million dollars to his former school for a new building. He insisted that the building must bear the name of the venerable dean of discipline who helped him: Jim Lyons. Today the Liautaud-Lyons upper grade center stands on the campus of Elgin Academy, the high school where Jimmy John struggled. It was built by the sandwich king, John Liautaud, who combined hard work with fun to build a food empire. @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Source: The World of Words Vocabulary for College Success by Margaret Ann Richek

The Sandwich King Key Words: Affluence: wealth Disdain: scorn: contempt Candid: frank @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Intrepid: courageous Alien: unfamiliar: foreigner Gauche: ill-mannered Aficionado: fan, supporter @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Novice: beginner: Astute: shrewd: smart Hypocrisy: Insincerity Stoic: tolerant Capriciousness: changeability @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Adroit: skillful Frivolous: flippant: childish Cordiality: Friendliness: warmness Fraternal: friendly Dogmatic: inflexible Altruistic: unselfish Venerable: respected @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Jimmy John’s high school years were spent largely in the discipline office, but through hard work and a sense of fun he became a business success. Almost no one would have predicted a life of affluence for this guy. He graduated next to last in his high school class. He didn’t have an easy time socially, either. Awkward and overweight, he felt he was the object of disdain from his classmates, who were often from more affluent families. To add to his problems, he often embarrassed himself by saying things that were too candid. He got in so much trouble for smoking, fighting, and skipping class that the school staff considered kicking him out. Yet today, more than twenty years later, Jimmy John Liautaud runs a chain of over 900 sandwich shops that proudly bears his name: Jimmy John’s. How did he do it? The answer is lots of hard work, and some help from friends and family. His father was an intrepid business owner and inventor who was willing to risk going broke to test a good idea. His mother too had made it through difficult times. Originally from Lithuania, she had escaped from Communism, lived in camps, and finally immigrated to an alien land, the United States. The family expected children to be hardworking and self-supporting. Jimmy John also received some important help in high school. Dean of Discipline Jim Lyons recognized that inside the gauche teenager there was a gentle giant. The dean asked Jimmy John what things interested him. There were two answers: a good-looking female classmate and food. Lyons told his student to concentrate on the food! So Jimmy John decided to open up a sandwich shop, partially funded by a loan from his father. For research, he ate in all the sandwich places he could find within a five-state area. The sandwich aficionado soon became an expert judge. His family evaluated his proposed creations, voting down his favorite—liver sausage and mayonnaise. The novice businessman had just completed high school when he opened a shop in a garage near Eastern Illinois University. Since he sold only two sandwiches the first day, he was astute enough to try a marketing plan: distributing free sandwiches. Giving away food proved to be a hit. People started streaming into the shop to buy lunch. Soon Jimmy John hired two helpers—and assigned them all the difficult jobs. Sensing his hypocrisy, both employees quit. Jimmy John learned a valuable lesson: the boss must work hard. He is now affluent, but he stoically continues to put in long hours. Starting in one store, Jimmy John developed a chain. He now has shops in large cities throughout the Midwest and Southeast. There are many reasons for the success of the chain. The food and service are dependable and fast. There is no room for capriciousness in Jimmy John’s stores. His motto is “Make a Deal, Keep a Deal.” All ingredients are fresh. In fact, the adroitly made sandwiches are often delivered within seconds. The menu also accommodates different needs. People who are concerned about their weight may order the “unwich,” ingredients wrapped in lettuce without the bread. The management of the shops is very systematic. Employees get a detailed “to do” list, which includes such tasks as turning out the lights at closing time.

Word of the Day: PRUDENT (PROO-dint) Cautious, careful, planning wisely, exercising sound judgment in practical matters. Synonyms include discreet (di-SKREET), judicious (joo-DISH-us), and circumspect (SUR-kum-spekt). Prudent may also mean spending carefully, using one's resources wisely. Synonyms of prudent in this sense include thrifty, economical, and frugal. Prudent and circumspect both refer to people who proceed cautiously. Circumspect comes from the Latin circum-, around, and specere, to look, observe. The circumspect person looks around carefully to make sure that no unforseen circumstance will frustrate a plan of action. Prudent comes from the same Latin source as the verb to provide. Prudent people are concerned with protecting their personal interest and providing for a rainy day. They are characterized by their sound, careful judgment in handling practical matters, especially money.

A reading passage with new words: Make Sure to look up the new words: @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Hazards Trend To name a few Conscious Alternative Object(v.) at the expense of ingest pesticide residues coated with @aalaeeTOEFLiBT peeling Bugs Combat Disrupt premature puberty genetically modified tampered with comprise contamination @aalaeeTOEFLiBT vicious cycle fertilize exacerbate emissions toxic intensify arise conventional irrigation preponderance algal depletes @aalaeeTOEFLiBT The Hazards of Industrial Agriculture The growing international trend in organic farming is driven by consumer demand, which is currently rising at the rate of 20 percent per year. Countries with the highest growth rate include Argentina, the US, and China to name a few. People all over the world are becoming increasingly conscious of the adverse effects of industrial agriculture and view organically grown food as a healthier alternative. While the majority tend to be sympathetic to small-scale farmers and especially appreciate the benefits of locally grown food, they take exception to factory farms controlled by multinational corporations. In particular, they object to the corporate focus on maximizing profits at the expense of health and environmental concerns. Health risks include pesticide residues, antibiotics, and hormones as well as the unknown impact of biological engineering. First, recent studies indicate that many produce items are heavily coated with pesticides even after washing and peeling. What's more, these pesticides have been linked with cancer. Second, the antibiotics we ingest from both plant and animal sources lead to the development of super bugs, which are increasingly difficult to combat. Third, plant and animal growth hormones are known to disrupt the endocrine system* and have the potential to bring on premature puberty in children. Fourth, the unregulated use of genetically modified organisms makes these items virtually invisible in today's grocery stores. People have no way of knowing whether a product has had its genetic code tampered with by artificial means. Furthermore, they have no idea how this genetic manipulation could impact their health. The environmental hazards of industrial agriculture comprise air pollution, global warming, water contamination, oceanic dead zones, animal cruelty, decreased biodiversity,** and unsustainable farmlands. Moreover, there is the vicious cycle of producers having to use more pesticides and fertilizers, which exacerbates this core problem. Synthetic fertilizers are the largest global source of nitrous oxide emissions, which are 300 times more toxic than carbon dioxide gases. If these are allowed to continue unchecked, they will not only affect air-pollution levels but also dangerously intensify our current global warming crisis. According to authorities, water pollution is one of the most serious problems arising from conventional farming methods. Animal waste, artificial fertilizers, and pesticides leach into the soil. Then they run off through natural irrigation to contaminate groundwater, which accounts for a large portion of our water supply. Studies consistently show that nitrates from waste and fertilizers, and chemicals from pesticides, are creating permanent damage to groundwater around the world. Furthermore, the preponderance of nitrogen in fertilizers, which helps crops grow, ends up harming oceans. It generates algal overgrowth that depletes so much oxygen in the water that no plant or animal can survive. This is how the dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico and the Black Sea were created. @aalaeeTOEFLiBT

Fast-food Addiction Make Sure to look up the new words: @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Swelling obesity crisis Subsist Convenience food Annually Accumulation Compounds Culprits Empirical @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Trigger(v.) Endured Single-handedly Portion Exceed Secretion Elicit Euphoria Purported Inherent Withdrawal Ratio @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Ingest Obese Hefty It is no secret that the US is leading the world in its swelling obesity crisis. The nation is subsisting on a diet of high-calorie convenience food. In fact, Americans have increased their spending on fast-food items from $6 billion to nearly $160 billion annually over the past four decades. What may come as a shock, however, is the accumulation of evidence suggesting that the main ingredients in the typical "hamburger, fries, and a cola" are addictive compounds that keep customers lining up for their next fix. The key culprits are sugar and fat. Empirical studies reveal that the heavy dosage of these substances in today's super-sized standard of a fast-food meal can trigger brain activity similar to that endured when a person is on hard drugs. A representative individual serving at McDonald's or Burger King can dish out up to 2000 calories, including more than a cup of sugar and 84 grams of fat. (Single-handedly, this meal-sized portion meets the full daily caloric requirement for the average woman. Moreover, it exceeds the recommended daily allowances of both sugar and fat for any adult, regardless of gender. @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Whereas heroin is an opiate, both sugar and fat stimulate endogenous opioids such as beta-endorphins in the hypothalamus, just above the brain stem. These naturally occurring painkillers activate the secretion of dopamine, a neurotransmitter, into a small cluster of cells located in the midbrain called the nucleus accumbens. Here, dopamine functions to elicit feelings of pleasure or euphoria. What's more, it motivates an individual to proactively repeat any action that originally fueled its production. In the case of sugar and fat, purported addiction is a consequence of the body craving the release of dopamine inherent in their consumption. To validate reports that fat and sugar behave in a drug-like fashion, researchers have conducted laboratory studies demonstrating that they induce classic addictive symptoms. For example, eliminating sugar from the nutritional regime of rats that are used to a primarily sweet diet produced anxiety symptomatic of heroin and nicotine withdrawal. Moreover, increased tolerance to addictive food substances was noted. In one experiment, rats were fed a chocolate drink containing a high ratio of both fat and sugar. Although the animals were found to ingest increasing amounts of the potent liquid, their total production of resulting brain opiates was, in fact, diminished. This would suggest that the rodents had become progressively more tolerant to the effects of fat and sugar. Furthermore, it is likely they would subsequently require a greater quantity in order to achieve the same high. @aalaeeTOEFLiBT Likewise in humans, brain-imaging scans of obese and non-obese persons illustrate that the heftier the individual, the fewer dopamine receptors are present. Researchers are uncertain whether this is the basis or the outcome of obesity. However, it is clear that as weight rises, individuals need to consume increasingly larger portions to experience a comparable euphoric effect.

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Word of the Day: URBANE (ur-BAYN) Polished, sophisticated, suave, cosmopolitan. Urbane is related to the adjective urban, pertaining to or living in a city. Urbane suggests the polite, polished style of a sophisticated city dweller. The word may be used either of suave, socially refined behavior or ofexpression that is polished and elegant: “Mary's stunning designer dresses and witty, urbane conversation made her a popular guest at all the high-society parties.”

Word of the Day: WARRANT (WAHR-int) To justify, give good reason for, authorize, sanction: the circumstances do not warrant such extraordinary measures; the evidence warrants further investigation; these safety procedures are warranted (WAHR-in-tid) by company regulations. Warrant may also mean to guarantee, promise, give formal assurance of: the Postal Service will not warrant delivery on a specific day; the manufacturer warrants the safety of the product. The adjective unwarranted means without good reason or authorization, unjustifiable: the U.S. Constitution protects citizens against unwarranted search and seizure; people resent unwarranted government interference in private enterprise.

Word of the Day: GENESIS (JEN-uh-sis) A coming into being, beginning, origin, birth, creation. The first book of the Judeo-Christian Bible is called Genesis because it describes God's creation, the origin of the universe and humankind. In current usage genesis may refer in a general sense to any creation or process of coming into being: the genesis of an idea; the genesis of a work of art; the genesis of an important social movement; the genesis of a distinguished career.