Lesson 43: MORT

Practice 1: Multiple Choice

Choose the word that best completes each sentence.

1. All humans are __________—subject to death.

a) immortal
b) mortal
c) moribund
d) mortified

2. The family met with the __________ to arrange the funeral.

a) mortality
b) mortician
c) mortgage
d) immortal

3. I was completely __________ when I realized I'd called him by the wrong name.

a) mortal
b) immortal
c) mortified
d) moribund

4. The __________ examination revealed the true cause of death.

a) mortgage
b) post-mortem
c) amortization
d) immortalization

5. Shakespeare's sonnets __________ his beloved.

a) mortified
b) amortized
c) immortalized
d) mortgaged

6. The printing industry was considered __________ before adapting to digital.

a) immortal
b) mortal
c) moribund
d) mortified

7. The couple took out a thirty-year __________ on their new home.

a) mortality
b) mortuary
c) mortgage
d) post-mortem

8. Greek gods were believed to be __________.

a) mortal
b) moribund
c) immortal
d) mortified

9. The bank allows you to __________ the loan over fifteen years.

a) immortalize
b) amortize
c) mortify
d) mortgage

10. Childhood __________ rates have declined significantly.

a) mortality
b) immortality
c) mortification
d) amortization

11. Bodies awaiting identification were kept in the hospital __________.

a) mortgage
b) mortuary
c) post-mortem
d) mortality

12. __________ had set in, indicating death occurred hours earlier.

a) Post-mortem
b) Amortization
c) Rigor mortis
d) Mortality

Practice 2: Fill in the Blank

Use each word from the word bank exactly once.

Word Bank: mortal, immortal, mortality, mortify, mortician, mortuary, moribund, mortgage, post-mortem, immortalize, amortize, rigor mortis

1. Even the mightiest kings are merely __________, destined to die.

2. The forensic expert noted that __________ had already begun.

3. The team held a __________ meeting to analyze why the project failed.

4. Stories and songs can __________ heroes who might otherwise be forgotten.

5. The company wants to __________ the equipment costs over five years.

6. The belief in __________ souls gives comfort to many.

7. Being caught in a lie would __________ her beyond words.

8. They visited the __________ to view the body before the funeral.

9. After forty years, she finally paid off her __________.

10. The __________ handled all arrangements with dignity.

11. Statistics on infant __________ have improved dramatically.

12. The __________ business struggled to find new customers.

Practice 3: Reading Passage

In ancient Rome, enslaved people would stand behind victorious generals during their triumphal parades and whisper, "Memento mori"—remember, you are mortal.

For all their glory, even Rome's greatest heroes knew they couldn't escape mortality. They built monuments hoping to immortalize their achievements, but stones crumble. They commissioned poets, knowing that words might outlast marble.

The concept of death pervades even our everyday language. When you take out a mortgage on a house, you're making a "death pledge"—the agreement dies only when you've paid it off. When you amortize a loan, you "kill" the debt one payment at a time. These are financial echoes of an ancient obsession.

Facing death doesn't have to mortify us into paralysis. Many philosophers argue the opposite: awareness of mortality makes life precious. A moribund person might gain clarity that escaping the busy would never allow.

Modern medicine includes post-mortem examinations to understand what went wrong. The mortician prepares the body with care. The mortuary provides a space for grief.

Death is woven into language because it's woven into life. Perhaps that's the point of remembering we're mortal: not to despair, but to live more fully.

Questions

1. "Remember, you are mortal" reminded generals that:

a) They were immortal
b) They were subject to death like all humans
c) They needed to take out mortgages
d) They should mortify their enemies

2. Romans tried to "immortalize" achievements. This means:

a) Make them forgotten
b) Make them last forever in memory
c) Kill them off
d) Amortize them

3. A mortgage is called a "death pledge" because:

a) You die if you don't pay it
b) The agreement dies when paid off
c) Houses are mortal
d) Morticians created the system

4. A "moribund" person is someone who is:

a) Very wealthy
b) Near death; dying
c) Immortal
d) Mortified

5. The passage suggests awareness of mortality:

a) Should cause despair
b) Makes us appreciate life more
c) Is best avoided
d) Only matters for morticians