VCR Lesson 5 Presentation
Sanjana Kapur
Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word from Lesson 5.
The Word: Levitate (tr. and intr. v.)
*In a literal sense, this word is often used to refer to fantasy contexts or non-human animals, as people cannot physically levitate. In more abstract contexts, such as when referring to levitation of the spirit, this word can refer to people.
Roots
*When objects are lightweight, they often float. This is true of objects in water; heavy and dense materials will sink to the bottom of a container when placed in water, while lightweight objects will float to the top.
*Since objects that are lightweight are the ones that levitate, this root makes sense.
Synonyms
Hover
Be suspended
Hang
Rise
Lift
Move upwards
Ascend
Escalate
Elevate
Antonyms
Land
Descend
Drop
Alternate Forms
i.e. I was awed by the magician's levitation fifty feet above the floor of the stage.
Levitator (n.): Refers to a person levitating
i.e. The levitator demonstrated her abilities when she hovered several hundred feet above the ground and held her position for an hour.
Examples of Levitation
1) Circuses
For unknown reasons, performing this is not as popular today as it used to be. It may be because the main mode of entertainment has shifted to movies and television shows rather than circuses.
2) Meditation
Choose the letter of the sentence in which the word in bold-faced type is used incorrectly.
B) I would like to watch the magician levitate at the circus show today.
C) Although I knew that the levitation in the movie was a fake movie effect, it seemed as if the hero had actually floated in the air during the film's production.
D) At 5 AM, I was so sleep-deprived that I thought that I saw my backpack levitating in the air, but I blinked and the image dissolved.
Correct Answer: A
If an object is levitating, by definition, it must be floating. If the woman in the sentence is falling, then she is doing exactly the opposite of levitating.