Panacea (n): a remedy for all diseases, evils, or difficulties; a cure-all
description
Transcript of Panacea (n): a remedy for all diseases, evils, or difficulties; a cure-all
Panacea (n): a remedy for all diseases, evils, or difficulties;
a cure-all
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
As human beings, we have an obligation to help others in need, no matter where
they live.
Debate Topic 1Give at least one pro and one con
Paradox (n): a statement that seems to contradict
itself but that nonetheless may be true
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
Cell phones should be allowed in schools at any
time during the day.
Debate Topic 1Give at least one pro and one con
Peevish (adj): discontented or irritable
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
Parents should read their teen’s text messages and social
networking posts to keep them safe and be informed.
Debate Topic 2Give one Pro and one Con
Online education is as effective as traditional in-
class schooling.
Debate Topic 3Give one Pro and one Con
Perfunctory (adj): done routinely and with little
interest or care
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
Schools should use metal detectors to keep students
safe.
Debate Topic 4Give one Pro and one Con
Philistine (n): a person who is smugly indifferent or antagonistic to art and
culture
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
Higher education (beyond high school) should be
offered to all Americans for free.
Debate Topic 5Give one Pro and one Con
Precocious (adj): displaying unusual early development
or maturity; especially in intelligence
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
School media centers should be allowed to have banned
books on the shelf.
Debate Topic 6Give one Pro and one Con
Propriety (n): conformity to customs of the time
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
Posting students’ grades publicly in school would better motivate them.
Debate Topic 9Give one Pro and one Con
Quid Pro Quo (n): something given in return for something else or part of an exchange
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
Students should be given sex education in school.
Debate Topic 10Give one Pro and one Con
Quintesential (adj): being the best or most typical
example of its kind
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
Most professional athletes are overpaid.
Debate Topic 12Give one Pro and one Con
Red Herring (n): something that draws attention away from the matter at hand
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
A hunting guide published in the 1600s recommends dragging a red herring (fish) along the ground to create a scent trail so that hounds and horses can get exercise on days when a real quarry cannot be scared up. The
modern meaning of the word developed from the notion of deliberately laying an artificial trail to be
tracked by hounds. Red Herring is used metaphorically to describe intriguing but irrelevant trains of thought.
Vocabulary Enrichment
The wealthy in society should have to pay more
taxes than the middle and lower classes.
Debate Topic 11Give one Pro and one Con
Revel (v): to take great pleasure or delight in
something
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
Bullfighting is an acceptable sport in modern times.
Debate Topic 13Give one Pro and one Con
Rhetoric (n): language intended to persuade
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
The Paraolympics and the Special Olympics should
happen at the same time as the regular Olympics.
Debate Topic 14Give one Pro and one Con
Scintillating (adj): lively and exceptionally intelligent;
animated and brilliant
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
Texting while driving should be illegal in all states.
Debate Topic 16Give one Pro and one Con
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports
should be legalized.
Debate Topic 15Give one Pro and one Con
Spartan (adj): rigorously self-disciplined or self-restrained;
having a simple or severe manner or appearance.
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
• When an infant was born in an upper-class Spartan family, the community elders would examine it and if
it had any defects, it would be thrown over a cliff.• At seven, boys left their family to join the military.
They slept on reed they plucked with their bare hands, had one piece of clothing, and were
deliberately underfed and encouraged to steal food in order to learn the skill of approaching the enemy
in secret.
Vocabulary Enrichment
• At 20, young men were admitted into dining halls where they ate simple foods (barley, cheese, figs,
watered wine, and pork seasoned with just salt and vinegar) that kept them ready for battle.
• Women as well as men were given a good education so that they could serve the city by raising children
who would be devoted to Spartan goals.
Vocabulary Enrichment
The government should be able to control how much air conditioning or heat you use
in order to save energy.
Debate Topic 17Give one Pro and one Con
Texting while driving should be illegal in all states.
Debate Topic 16Give one Pro and one Con
Philistine (n): a person who is smugly indifferent or antagonistic to art and
culture
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
The government should be able to control how much air conditioning or heat you use
in order to save energy.
Debate Topic 17Give one Pro and one Con
Stigma (n): disgrace or public disapproval with a
characteristic, condition, or behavior
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
Nazi war criminals should still be hunted down and
prosecuted.
Debate Topic 18Give one Pro and one Con
Stoic (adj): seemingly indifferent to pleasure and pain; showing little or no
emotion.
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
Life exists outside of Earth.
Debate Topic 18Give one Pro and one Con
Social networking sites should do more to prevent
cyber-bullying.
Debate Topic 19Give one Pro and one Con
Suave (adj): gracious and sophisticated
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
It should be legal to clone human beings.
Debate Topic 20Give one Pro and one Con
Svengali (n): a person who manipulates or controls
another for malicious purposes
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
Prisoners have too many comforts (Cable TV, Internet,
etc.) in prison.
Debate Topic 24Give one Pro and one Con
Sycophant (n): a person who attempts to gain advantage by flattering influential people or behaving in a submissive way
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
It should be legal to torture suspects for information.
Debate Topic 22Give one Pro and one Con
Internet news is a better source than television news.
Debate Topic 21Give one Pro and one Con
Teetotaler (n): one who abstains from alcoholic
beverages
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
It should be a crime to burn the American flag.
Debate Topic 25Give one Pro and one Con
Tete-a-tete (n): a private conversation between two
people
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
Tirade (n): a long, angry speech, usually of a critical
nature
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
The state of NC should charge $10 for each student to go to school in order to preserve teacher jobs and provide more funding for schools.
Debate Topic 26Give one Pro and one Con
Tryst (n): an agreement, as between lovers, to meet at a
certain time and place
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
The state of NC should charge $10 for each student to go to school in order to preserve teacher jobs and provide more funding for schools.
Debate Topic 26Give one Pro and one Con
Ubiquitous (adj): being or seeming to be everywhere at
the same time
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
Biological parenthood should always be taken into account in custody hearings.
Debate Topic 26Give one Pro and one Con
Unrequited (adj): not given, rewarded, or felt in return
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
Child soldiers should be prosecuted for crimes they commit during wartime.
Debate Topic 26Give one Pro and one Con
Untenable (adj): impossible to maintain or defend, as
against criticism; impossible to tolerate or endure
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
Spanking is a justifiable method of punishment that parents should use with their children.
Debate Topic 26Give one Pro and one Con
Vicarious (adj): empathy with or imaginary
participation in the life of another person
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
Creationism should be taught alongside evolution in public schools.
Debate Topic 26Give one Pro and one Con
Vile (adj): loathsome, disgusting; morally depraved
or wicked
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
Divorce should be easier to obtain than it currently is.
Debate Topic 26Give one Pro and one Con
Waft (v): to move or cause to move gently and smoothly
through the air
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
The legal age for drinking alcohol in the United States should be lowered to 18.
Debate Topic 26Give one Pro and one Con
White Elephant (n): a possession that is
burdensome to or unwanted by the owner
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
In Siam (now Thailand), the king would honor a member of his court by presenting him with a rare white elephant, along with the land and means to feed him. It was strictly forbidden to make a white elephant work. However, if the king wanted to get rid of a member of his court who had displeased him, he would present him with a white elephant that the courtier had to maintain at his own expense.
Vocabulary Enrichment
Holocaust denial should be a crime.
Debate Topic 26Give one Pro and one Con
Zealous (adj): passionately devoted to a cause, ideal, or
goal
Brilliant Vocabulary Word of the Day
All high school students should be required to take a public speaking class in order to graduate.
Debate Topic 26Give one Pro and one Con