Page 1173 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

Certainly, a key ingredient, whatever form the service takes, must be 8
rigor. If the experience is to benefit both the participants and the

nation, it must entail a certain amount of hardship or sacrifice—call it

character-building, if you will. It is the concept of a burden shared for

the common good that will generate the true rewards of such service.

Ask anyone who has served.

President Kennedy once upon a time urged us to ask not what our 9

country could do for us, but rather what we could do for our country,

knowing all the while that we would be benefitting ourselves

immeasurably—not merely because we constitute the country but

because of the ineffable change that occurs within the human heart

when, not for gain but for love, it gives of itself.

Building Vocabulary

For each question, use your dictionary and context clues to choose

the meaning that most nearly defines the underlined word or phrase
as it is used in the essay.

1. The word lassitude most nearly means

a. attitude.

b. certitude.

c. apathy.
d. smugness.

2. The phrase scoff at most nearly means

a. belittle.