Word Generation - Unit 1.10 - Doping, performance-enhancing drugs, and vocabulary practice

Oct 16, 2026

Unit 1.10 of Word Generation focuses on vocabulary mastery and reading comprehension through a news-style passage about athletes accused of doping. It discusses cases involving steroids and banned drugs, why cheating is tempting, and potential health and ethical consequences. The unit then teaches the focus words—fundamental, alter, conflicted, substitute, and compound—using sample sentences and prompts. A “Do the Math” section applies the theme to calculate home-run differences.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Word Generation

This week’s issue: performance-enhancing drugs (doping)

Focus words and sample sentences

Do the Math: home-run comparison

Word Generation UNIT 1.10 fundamental | alter | conflicted | substitute | compound This week’s issue: Why do so many well-known athletes use performanceenhancing drugs today? Baseball players like Manuel“Manny” Ramírez, Roger Clemens, and Alex Rodriguez have all been accused of using steroids or banned drugs (“doping”) to enhance their athletic performance. Ramírez retired in 2011 in order to avoid a 100-game suspension from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays after he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs for the third time in his career. Alex Rodriguez, a slugger for the New York Yankees, was suspended for the 2014 baseball season for using prohibited performance-enhancing drugs. Although Rodriguez denied the use of chemical compounds, he has been disgraced and his record remains under scrutiny. Since steroids have been declared illegal and are now easily detectable, athletes have started substituting new ways of cheating that are harder to detect. For example, cyclists and other endurance athletes give themselves blood transfusions to alter the oxygenation of their blood. In 2013, the cyclist Lance Armstrong finally admitted to doping to win his numerous titles and trophies, which had come with huge earnings and endorsement deals. Armstrong won the Tour de France seven times, but after evidence surfaced of his use of illicit compounds, the United States Anti-Doping Agency stripped him of his titles in 2012. The U.S. Postal Service is even suing Armstrong for fraud, because they paid millions of dollars to sponsor him and his team. © 2015 Some critics argue that athletes should not be blamed for engaging in doping. Sports writers point out that athletes are so pressured to continuously perform and outdo competitors that steroid use is very tempting. If fans and sponsors didn’t push for more power hitting, faster times, and bigger championships, maybe athletes wouldn’t be so inclined to alter their bodies with potentially dangerous drugs. Many athletes are conflicted about using these chemical compounds, which take a toll on their mental and physical health. Those using steroids are aware of the negative consequences – men’s breasts grow and their testicles shrink, they may get acne, and many users experience delusions or feelings of aggression, known as “roid rage.” Some fundamental questions that perhaps should be asked are: Who is responsible for making illegal substances part of team sports? Would athletes alter their blood and body chemistry if they didn’t feel so much pressure to outperform their peers? Should fans and sponsors bear some of the responsibility? Word Generation | Series 1A | Unit [1.10 | wordgeneration.org](1.10 | wordgeneration.org) 55 UNIT 1.10 fundamental | alter | conflicted | substitute | compound USE THE FOCUS WORDS *and alternate parts of speech fundamental (adjective) central; essential; basic Sample Sentence: A fundamental part of being able to read well is knowing a lot of vocabulary words. Turn and Talk: Sara says that reading is a fundamental skill. Give some evidence to support her claim. alter (verb) to change Sample Sentence: Taking steroids can alter the way your brain works. People who take steroids can become violent toward others for no reason. Turn and Talk: Name a few ways you would like to alter the room where you sleep. conflicted (adjective) undecided; having feelings that clash Sample Sentence: Mussa was conflicted about whether to save his birthday money for a trip to Washington, D. C., or spend it on a new Xbox game. Turn and Talk: Why might someone be conflicted about going to college? substitute (verb) to replace Sample Sentence: Even though Terry mistakenly substituted oil for butter in the brownie recipe, the brownies still turned out fine. Turn and Talk: What ingredients could you substitute for chocolate chips in a pancake recipe? *substitute (noun) an object or person used in place of something or someone else,

FAQs

What issue does the passage raise about performance-enhancing drugs in sports?

The passage explains that many well-known athletes have been accused of using steroids or banned drugs to enhance performance, and it describes how these substances are illegal and detectable.

Why does the unit say athletes may be tempted to use prohibited substances?

It suggests athletes face heavy pressure to outperform competitors and that fans and sponsors push for more power, faster times, and bigger championships.

How do the focus words alter, conflicted, substitute, and compound connect to the reading?

They support understanding of the theme: athletes may alter their bodies, feel conflicted, substitute cheating methods that are harder to detect, and compound problems or create mixtures/chemical compounds.

Oct 16, 2026

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