4.1 Word bank
| Word / phrase | Meaning in the story |
|---|---|
| without enthusiasm | with no interest or eagerness |
| drooping | bending or hanging down; tired-looking |
| natural scientist | a scientist who studies nature (biology, physics and so on) |
| unwarrantable | unjustified, inexcusable |
| privacy | freedom from being disturbed |
| pursuits | activities, studies |
| severely | sternly, harshly |
| filtered | passed through something that softens it |
| factory cotton | plain, coarse cotton cloth |
| frosted skylight | a roof window of rough, cloudy glass |
| frantic | wild with worry or excitement |
| grave | serious, solemn |
| three-quarters full | (of a pose) turned so that three-quarters of the face is seen |
| enthusiastically | eagerly |
| boundless | without limits |
| ceased | stopped |
| a trifle | a little |
| expand | make larger, spread out |
| hump | bend into a hump |
| contract | draw in, make smaller |
| with emotion | with strong feeling |
| dignity | self-respect, a calm and serious manner |
| out of drawing | badly proportioned (an artist's phrase) |
| conscious | aware |
| snick | a short, sharp clicking sound |
| staggering | moving unsteadily, as from a blow |
| pursing | pressing (the lips) together |
| animation | liveliness, life |
| bitingly | sharply, sarcastically |
| negative | the developed plate or film from which prints are made |
| develop | treat a negative with chemicals so that the image appears |
| beckoned | signalled to come |
| proof | a trial print shown before the final copy |
| hesitatingly | with doubt, slowly |
| retouched | altered by hand to improve the appearance |
| momentary | lasting a moment |
| brow | forehead |
| superficies | (mock-scientific) the outer surface |
| bitterness | resentment, hurt anger |
| likeness | a true resemblance |
| withering | scornful, crushing |
| scorn | contempt |
| depict | show, portray |
| reconcile | help someone accept something sad |
| brutal | cruel, savage |
| bromide | a chemical used in photography |
| cowhide | leather made from a cow's skin |
| reanimate | bring back to life |
| emboss | raise a design on a surface |
| gild | cover with a thin layer of gold |
| bauble | a showy but worthless ornament |
4.2 Phrases and expressions
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| without enthusiasm | coldly, with no interest |
| break in on | interrupt, intrude on |
| a human side | some warmth and kindness |
| cease to listen | stop paying attention |
| a break in my voice | a catch in the voice from strong feeling |
| a moment of animation | a lively, expressive moment |
| draw oneself up | stand straight to look dignified |
| withering scorn | crushing contempt |
| as Heaven gave it to me | as God made it, naturally |
| break into tears | begin to cry suddenly |
4.3 Synonyms and antonyms
| Word | Synonym | Antonym |
|---|---|---|
| grave | serious | cheerful |
| severely | sternly | gently |
| frantic | desperate | calm |
| boundless | limitless | limited |
| ceased | stopped | began |
| expand | enlarge | contract |
| dignity | self-respect | humiliation |
| bitingly | sarcastically | kindly |
| hesitatingly | uncertainly | confidently |
| brutal | cruel | gentle |
| worthless | valueless | precious |
| humble | modest | proud |
4.4 Word formation
| Root | Related words |
|---|---|
| photograph | photographer, photographic, photography |
| enthusiasm | enthusiastic, enthusiastically, enthusiast |
| animate | animation, animated, reanimate |
| warrant | unwarrantable, warranty |
| dignity | dignified, dignify |
| hesitate | hesitation, hesitatingly, hesitant |
| reconcile | reconciliation, reconcilable |
| bitter | bitterness, bitterly, bitingly (from bite) |
4.5 Photography words in the story
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| studio | a photographer's workroom |
| machine | here, the large box camera |
| black cloth | a focusing cloth thrown over the photographer's head to shut out light |
| negative | the image in which light and dark are reversed, from which prints are made |
| develop | treat with chemicals so that the image appears |
| proof | a first trial print for the customer to approve |
| retouch | alter a negative or print by hand |
| three-quarters view | a pose with the face turned partly away from the camera |