Reading 4Reading 4Reading 4Reading 4

No Witchcraft for SaleNo Witchcraft for Sale

The author 1• Doris May Lessing (nee Tayler; born 2

2 Oct. 1919)• Interview:

Portrait of Doris Lessing - Media Player at Nobelprize.org

The author 2• On Contemporary writers: Doris Lessi

ng• Interview: Doris Lessing Q and A - TIM

E• Whites in Zimbabwe

Vocabulary 1• kraal: (n) South African 1. A rural village,

typically consisting of huts surrounded by a stockade.

• 2. An enclosure for livestock.• baas: S African a boss • kaffir: (n) used especially in southern Africa as

a disparaging term for a Black person. • piccaninny: (n) (offensive) a small Black or

Aboriginal child [perhaps from Portuguese pequenino tiny one]

Vocabulary 2• downy: (adj.) covered in with very soft, especially ha

ir or feathers • crouch: (v.) to lower your body close to the ground b

y bending your legs under you• cluck: (v.) when a chicken clucks, it makes a series of

short low sounds• grave: (adj.) dignified and somber in conduct or

character: a grave procession. Snonym: serious. • commotion: (n) sudden noisy confusion or exciteme

nt (The crowd waiting outside was causing a commotion.)

Vocabulary 3• permanganate: (n) any of the salts

of permanganic acid, all of which are strong oxidizing agents.

• spittle: (n) (old-fashioned; spit, saliva) the liquid that forms in the mouth

veld (veldt): (n) (in South Africa) flat open land with grass and no trees

Vocabulary 4• puff-adder: (n) a venomous African viper (Bitis

arietans) having crescent-shaped yellowish markings.

• groggy: (adj.) weak and unable to think or move well because you are ill/sick or very tired

• exasperation: (n) 1. The act or an instance of exasperating. 2. The state of being exasperated; frustrated annoyance.

• sundowner: (n) 1. Australian A vagrant; a tramp.2. Chiefly British A drink taken at sundown.

Vocabulary 5• draw a blank: to get no response or result• fluster: (v.) to make sb nervous and/or confused, especially b

y giving them a lot to do or by making them hurry• trifle: (n) (a trifle) (formal) slightly. She seemed a trifle anxio

us.• perfunctory: (adj.) (formal) (of an action) done as a duty or h

abit, without real interest, attention or feeling• salt: (v.) 1. To add zest or liveliness to: salt a lecture

with anecdotes. 2. To give an appearance of value to by fraudulent means, especially to place valuable minerals in (a mine) for the purpose of deceiving.

Vocabulary 6• grudgingly: (adv.) reluctantly; unwillingly. • pucker: (v) to form or to make sth form small folds or lines• chip in: (v) (informal) to join in or interrupt a conversation; t

o add sth to a conversation or discussion• sullen: (disapproving) silent and bad-tempered, either on a

particular occasion or because it is part of your character• annul: (v.) to state officially that sth is no longer legally valid• spring into life: (of a person, machine, etc.) to suddenly start

working or doing sth

Vocabulary 7• municipality: (n) a town, city or district with its own local go

vernment; the group of officials who govern it• hereditary: (adj.) that is legally given to sb’s child when tha

t person dies• uncouth: (adj.) (of a person or their behaviour) rude or social

ly unacceptable• mealie: (n) maize; corn on the cob• obstinate: (adj.) (often disapproving) refusing to change you

r opinions, way of behaving, etc. when other people try to persuade you to

• file: (n) a line of people or things, one behind the other• Idiom: (in) Indian/single file (in one line, one behind the othe

r)

Vocabulary 8• blazing: (adj.) extremely hot• shimmer: (v) to shine with a soft lignt that seems t

o move slightly• gritty: (adj.) containing or like grit• recline• veranadah (=veranda): (n) (especially BrE) (AmE us

ually porch) a platform with an open front and a roof, built onto the side of a house on the ground floor

• veranda porch deck

Vocabulary 9• trickle: (v) to flow, or to make sth flow, slowly in a thin strea

m• sulk (v) (disapproving) to look angry and refuse to speak or s

mile because you want people to know that you are upset about sth

• rascal: (humorous) a person, especially a child or man, who shows a lack of respect for other people and enjoys playing tricks on them

• double up (on sth/with wb) (informal) to form a pair in order to do sth or to share sth

• mischievous: (adj.) 1. enjoying playing tricks and annoying people 2. (formal) (of an action or a statement) causing troubles, such as damaging sb’s reputation