Barron’s 1100 Words You Need to Know (MCQ Test + PDF) Week 44 – Day 4

The saga* of the introduction of that diminutive song bird, the canary, into the homes of the world as tame pets is an interesting one. In the sixteenth century a trading ship going to Italy stopped at an island named “Canis,” from the Latin word for wild dog, which could be found there in profuse numbers, off the coast of Africa. The dulcet song of the wild birds whetted* the interest of the captain. In impromptu cages hundreds were taken aboard to be traded. The sailors called these gray-green birds, spotted with yellow, “canaries.” As they approached the island of Elba, near Italy, a malevolent storm put the boat in jeopardy* of sinking. A member of the crew released the birds, and the intrepid* canaries instinctively flew towards land. The peasants on Elba took the wild canaries in as pets. Eventually, the birds found their way into homes throughout Europe where they were domesticated and bred for variety of song and shades of colors. The canaries prevalent* today differ greatly from the ones discovered over four hundred years ago.

Sample Sentences: Use the new words in these sentences.

As the music reached a frenetic* tempo, the audience lost all decorum* and broke into _____ dancing.