Part 1 Flashcards
enunciation
[ ɪˌnʌnsɪˈeʃən ]
When you enunciate a word or part of a word, you pronounce it clearly.
wager
[ ˈwedʒɚ ]
1)If you say that you will wager that something is the case, you mean you are confident that it is the case.
She was willing to wager that he didn’t own the apartment he lived in…
To wager is to bet: you might say to your fellow train passengers, “I’ll wager ten dollars that we won’t get to Chicago on time.”
You can use the word wager as either a noun or a verb, to mean “place a bet” or “the amount of money being risked in a bet.” So you could offer a wager at the poker table, or ask if anyone wants to wager on Monday’s football game. Either way you use it, wager is a Middle English word that comes from the Old North French wage, “to pledge.”
2)If you wager on the result of a horse race, football match, or other event, you give someone a sum of money which they give you back with extra money if the result is what you predicted, or which they keep if it is not.
consolidate
If you consolidate something that you have, for example power or success, you strengthen it so that it becomes more effective or secure.
The question is: will the junta consolidate its power by force?…
junta
[ ˈhʊntə ]
j不發音!!!
A junta is a military government that has taken power by force, and not through elections.
overthrow
When a government or leader is overthrown, they are removed from power by force.
When you overthrow a ruler or a regime, you throw them out, usually by force. If you’re a rebel you may plan to overthrow the current government and install a new regime.
You can also use overthrow as a noun. You might plot to overthrow the parking ticket authority so that you won’t have to pay your tickets. There are also more literal uses of the word. In baseball, football, and other games that involve throwing a ball, you overthrow when you throw the ball past the person you’re aiming for. You can say “the pitcher overthrew the ball to the first baseman,” or “the pitcher overthrew the first baseman.”
hepatic failure
[ hɪˈpætɪk ]
The diagnosis: fulminant hepatic failure. The boy’s liver was dying.
died of sepsis and hepatic failure
fulminant
[ ‘fu:lmənənt ]
sudden and severe
“fulminant pain”
“fulminant fever”
Chancellor
[ ˈtʃænsəlɚ, -slɚ ]
Chancellor is the title of the head of government in Germany and Austria; in Britain, the Chancellor is the Chancellor of the Exchequer; The Chancellor of a British university is the official head of the university. The Chancellor does not take part in running the university; The head of some American universities is called the Chancellor .
persecution
[ ˌpə:sɪˈkjuʃən ]
Persecution is cruel and unfair treatment of a person or group, especially because of their religious or political beliefs, or their race.
Persecution is unfair or abusive treatment toward a person or group of people, such as the persecution of someone who is different by calling him or her rude names and making threats.
The noun persecution is related to persecute, which comes from Latin persecut-, meaning “followed with hostility.” Persecution means hassling or singling out a person or group because of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or social status. In many schools, the persecution of students by bullies has resulted in a zero-tolerance policy for such despicable behavior.
persecution
displace
If a person or group of people is displaced, they are forced to moved away from the area where they live.
In Europe alone thirty million people were displaced…
militant
A militant is someone who is engaged in a war or who acts aggressively for their cause. If you are militant in your beliefs, you do not question them anymore than a soldier questions his orders.
In the context of undeclared or guerrilla warfare, enemy fighters are often referred to not as soldiers but as militants, because they are not members of a formal army. As an adjective, militant often has a negative feel–-the feminist movement was set back by the far right’s depiction of the militant feminist.
You use militant to describe people who believe in something very strongly and are active in trying to bring about political or social change, often in extreme ways that other people find unacceptable.
bring down
If someone or something brings down a person or aeroplane, they cause them to fall, usually by shooting them.
move something or somebody to a lower position
Military historians may never know what brought down the jet.
creditor
Your creditors are the people who you owe money to.
If Joe loans you two dollars so you can buy a cup of coffee, Joe is your creditor — you owe him two dollars and a big thank you!
If you have a credit card, the bank that issues it to you is your creditor. What they give you is not a piece of plastic, rather it is a line of credit or a certain amount of money that they have agreed to loan you at fixed terms. Make sure you pay it off every month or you’ll become a debtor!
iron out
If you iron out difficulties, you resolve them and bring them to an end.
It was in the beginning, when we were still ironing out problems…
undertake
If you undertake to do something, you promise that you will do it.
He undertook to edit the text himself.
When you undertake a task or challenge, you attempt to accomplish it. If you want to undertake a verbal challenge right now, try saying “sushi chef” ten times quickly without messing up.
Way back in the 13th century, undertake meant “seize” or “entrap.” Of course, the meaning has shifted significantly since then, and we hope you don’t feel entrapped when you decide to undertake a project. However, undertake does convey a level of commitment and involvement that’s somewhat stronger than the words try or attempt might suggest.
commissioner
A commissioner is an important official in a government department or other organization.
The noun commissioner refers to someone in charge of a formal group or organization, such as a police commissioner or a baseball commissioner.
As you might guess, commissioner is related to commission, which describes a group that carries out a particular function. Commissioner can describe an official who directs or regulates a commission, or it can be that person’s title. For example, if Theodore Young is the housing commissioner, in formal situations you’d refer to him as Commissioner Young.
cleric
[ ˈklɛrɪk ]
A cleric is a member of the clergy.
a clergyman or other person in religious orders
Police in Turkey have arrested 44 people suspected of having links to an exiled Islamic cleric accused of seeking to overthrow the government.
bureaucrat
Bureaucrats are officials who work in a large administrative system. You can refer to officials as bureaucrats especially if you disapprove of them because they seem to follow rules and procedures too strictly.
A bureaucrat is an administrative official who works for the government. You brought the budget office bureaucrat a book about literacy, hoping to convince him you need more funding for the library.
The word bureaucrat comes from bureaucracy, which means a system of government where state officials make decisions instead of elected ones. In America, bureaucrat often has a negative ring to it because some people think they make procedures too complicated and time-consuming — driving people crazy but ensuring they, the bureaucrats, stay busy processing it.
mar
To mar something means to spoil or damage it.
A number of problems marred the smooth running of this event…
That election was marred by massive cheating.
A mar is a flaw, mark, or blemish, like a deep scratch on a wooden table. As a verb, to mar is to make such an imperfection — like the pen mark that mars your crisp, white shirt.
We often think of things that mar as immediately noticeable, like scratches, scars, and blemishes, but sometimes mar describes other ways of ruining something. For example, an unexpected run-in with a difficult person can mar your relaxing day at the beach, just as an unpleasant memory can mar a peaceful state of mind. The thing to remember is, it only takes one scratch, one mean comment, or one negative experience to mar something that is otherwise fine.
coalition
[ ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃn ]
A coalition is a group of people who join together for a common cause, like a coalition you form with other skateboarders who want to convince your town to build a skate park.
The noun coalition comes from the Latin word coalitiō, meaning “to grow together.” Often, the people and groups that form coalitions have different backgrounds but come together because they share a goal. For example, parents, teachers, business owners, and city council members might form a coalition to build a teen center, just as nations that do not agree on all issues might form a coalition because they all want peace.
A coalition is a group consisting of people from different political or social groups who are co-operating to achieve a particular aim.
A coalition is a government consisting of people from two or more political parties.
Since June the country has had a coalition government…
pit against
set into opposition or rivalry
If two opposing things or people are pitted against one another, they are in conflict.
You will be pitted against people who are every bit as good as you are…
“pit a chess player against the Russian champion”
Yemen’s fighting pits the Houthis and allies against forces loyal to the internationally recognized government as well as southern separatists and militants.
separatist
Separatist organizations and activities within a country involve members of a group of people who want to establish their own separate government or are trying to do so.
having separated or advocating separation from another entity or policy or attitude
entity
An entity is something that exists separately from other things and has a clear identity of its own.
North and South will remain separate entities within a commonwealth until the year 2000.
If your little sister turns her lemonade stand into a lemonade empire, she might incorporate it as a company. Under the law, it would be considered an entity, or a separate being for purposes of government control.
The word entity originally meant “being, existence,” and was borrowed from Medieval Latin entitas, from Latin ens, irregular form of esse “to be, exist.” The suffix –ity means “quality or state.” Medieval Christian philosophers, influenced by the Church Fathers and Aristotle, discussed the concept of ens “abstract being” versus esse “actual being.”
commonwealth
Commonwealth is used in the official names of some countries, groups of countries, or parts of countries.
…the Commonwealth of Independent States, which replaced the Soviet Union.
If you refer to a commonwealth of nations, you are referring to a group of countries who are friendly towards each other and have something in common.
..a commonwealth of nations without economic borders.
reel from
If you are reeling from a shock, you are feeling extremely surprised or upset because of it.
I’m still reeling from the shock of hearing of it…
A reel is a cylinder that can be wound with flexible material like film or fishing line. If you found dozens of reels of old home movies in your grandparents’ attic, you’d search for a projector.
You might find an old movie reel, a reel of copper wire, or a fishing reel. Use the reel on your fishing pole to reel in your fish! Yes, it’s a verb, too. And it’s a lively folk dance — or the music for it — from Scotland (Highland reel), or America (Virginia reel). As a verb, reel also means to sway from dizziness. If an ear infection messes with your balance, you might reel down the hall like you were drunk.
cylinder
[ ˈsɪlɪndə(r) ]
A cylinder is an object with flat circular ends and long straight sides.
A cylinder is a solid shape bounded by a cylindrical shape and two parallel circular bases. Confused yet? Just picture a soda can or one of those mailing tubes with a round bottom and a lid.
The word cylinder is certainly mired in a whole lot of technical terms. It’s one of the basic geometric shapes, as well as a key piece of engineering — such as the cylinders in an engine, which are the chambers where the pistons move. So don’t worry if you don’t quite get it. You have to be “running on all cylinders” to get what this word is all about.
nitrogen
Nitrogen is a colourless element that has no smell and is usually found as a gas. It forms about 78% of the earth’s atmosphere, and is found in all living things.
palazzo
italian palace
debonair
[ ˌdebəˈner ]
A man who is debonair is confident, charming, and well-dressed.
He was a handsome, debonair, death-defying racing-driver.
Someone debonair is charming or suave. They have good manners, and they probably look good too.
This French word has a fancy feel to it, and it is a fancy kind of word. Being debonair is a specific form of being charming that applies mostly to men. When you’re debonair, you impress women, other men, and pretty much everyone with your manners, wit, and style. Debonair a little bit of an old-fashioned word. Old movie stars like Cary Grant were often called debonair, but not many people are today.
Jude Law looks debonair throughout, even when covered in engine oil – could this be an extended audition tape for Bond?
cameo
[ ˈkæmioʊ ]
A cameo is a short description or piece of acting which expresses cleverly and neatly the nature of a situation, event, or person’s character.
.a succession of memorable cameos of Scottish history…
If your friend gives you a piece of jewelry that has a raised carving of a face in profile showing all the curves and shapes, that’s called a cameo.
Often used to show a person’s head in profile, a cameo typically has two layers of color: one color for the subject and another one for the background. The detail is depicted not by color or shades but instead by the raised design, which is called a relief. A cameo is typically used for a piece of jewelry, such as a ring or a brooch, and it has an ornate, old-fashioned quality. You may have seen this type of jewelry depicted in Victorian paintings or possibly worn by your great grandmother.
pay off
If an action pays off, it is successful or profitable after a period of time.
Sandra was determined to become a doctor and her persistence paid off
While a ten-plus minute piece of content is surely a gamble for any brand, in this case the wager pays off.
break down
If a machine or a vehicle breaks down, it stops working.
Their car broke down.
spare
You use spare to describe something that is not being used by anyone, and is therefore available for someone to use.
On the way he meets a beautiful woman, played by Chinese actress Zhao Wei, breaks down several times, and of course, gets there with moments to spare.
prim
If you describe someone as prim, you disapprove of them because they behave too correctly and are too easily shocked by anything rude.
bellwether
[ ˈbɛlwɛˌðɚ ]
If you describe something as a bellwether, you mean that it is an indication of the way a situation is changing.
For decades the company was the bellwether of the British economy…
Use the word bellwether to indicate someone or something that takes the lead in a group or movement.
Literally, a bellwether is a sheep (often wearing a bell) that leads a herd. Unless you herd sheep, you probably don’t see many bellwethers that say “Baaa.” That’s the origin of this word, but there are many other types of bellwethers who lead the way in different areas. Apple was a bellwether in technology. Rosa Parks was a bellwether in civil rights. And, during election season, those “bellwether states” are the ones where the primaries seem to predict the outcome of a party’s nomination.
Investors scrambled to buy into large-cap stocks, in particular in the bellwether electronics sector with semiconductor stocks under the spotlight.
under the spotlight
She vowed to keep Zimbabwe under the spotlight.
Investors scrambled to buy into large-cap stocks, in particular in the bellwether electronics sector with semiconductor stocks under the spotlight.
institutionalization
given the character of an institution or incorporated into a structured and usually well-established system
To institutionalize something means to establish it as part of a culture, social system, or organization.
The goal is to institutionalize family planning into community life…
It’s an important step in the full institutionalization development of ties
large-cap
（市场资本总额超过50亿美元的）大盘股（股票）
Large - cap value stocks could be the best way to exploit this opportunity.
Investors scrambled to buy into large-cap stocks
capacity
If you do something in a particular capacity, you do it as part of a particular job or duty, or because you are representing a particular organization or person.
Ma and Xi will meet in their capacities as “the leader of Taiwan,” and “the mainland’s leader,” respectively, and will address each other as “mister.”
incident
An incident is something that happens, often something that is unpleasant.
An incident refers to a particular happening, sometimes criminal but always noteworthy. If there was a food fight in the cafeteria, an e-mail might be sent to the parents of all students telling of the incident at school.
opaque
If an object or substance is opaque, you cannot see through it.
If you say that something is opaque, you mean that it is difficult to understand.
The D-P-P has described the sudden announcement of the meeting as an opaque “black box” operation
