Vocabulary Notes

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 319.

ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY

1. CHARACTER n 1) C/U mental or moral nature as to have a strong/weak character, character traits/defects, e.g. Everyone admires her strength of character and determination. It was quite in character for Sally to walk away angry. 2) C (usu sg) a particular quality or feature that a thing, an event or a place has [= nature], e.g. The two villages are similar in size but very different in character. The police pointed out the illegal character of the protest action. 3) C a) strange/interesting person, e.g. Linda was something of a character. b) a person, particularly an unpleasant or strange one, e.g. There were some really strange characters hanging around the bar. 4) C a person or an animal in a book, play or film as a major/minor character in the book, e.g. The film revolves around three main characters.

characteristic adj typical of a person, thing, group etc, e.g. Each species of bird has its own characteristic song.

characterise (AmE ze) vt 1) (as sth) to describe or show the qualities of somebody/something in a particular way [= portray], e.g. The military is usually characterized as being very conservative. 2) to be typical of a person, place or thing, e.g. The region is characterized by the rolling hills.

2. THREATn 1) C/U a statement of an intention to punish or hurt, e.g. He showed no sign of carrying out his threat of making them pay. 2) C/U (usu sg) the possibility of trouble, danger or disaster, e.g. The forecast is for rain with the threat of thunderstorms. The people of the region face the threat of famine. 3) U (usu sg) to sb/sth) a person or thing that is likely to cause trouble, danger, etc, e.g. It's nonsense to say that the protesters pose any threat to democratic society.

threaten vt/i 1) to give warning as to threaten to do sth, e.g. She threatened to quit if they didn't give her a raise. to threaten sb with sth. Doctors are sometimes threatened with violence. to threaten (that), e.g. Then he became angry and threatened that he would go to the police.

threateningadj full of threat as a threatening gesture (voice, etc), e.g. He was arrested for threatening behaviour and using abusive language.

3. SINK 1) vi/t to go down below the surface or towards the bottom of a liquid or soft substance as to sink like a stone, e.g. The wheels started to sink into the mud. The ship sank off the coast of Newfoundland. 2) vi (of an object) to move slowly downwards, e.g. The sun was sinking in the west. The porch on the old house sank. 3) vi to fall, sit, or lie down to sink into(to, down, back, etc), e.g. When I got home, all I wanted to do was sink into a hot bath. 4) vi to decrease in amount, volume, strength, etc; to become quieter [= drop; ≠ rise], e.g. The pound has sunk to its lowest recorded level against the dollar. Her voice sank to a whisper.

sink n C a large open container in a kitchen that has taps/faucets to supply water and that you use for washing dishes in [= washbasin], e.g. The kitchen was like a big utility room with a huge sink, a stone floor, and a large wooden table.

4. SENSEn 1)Cany of the five physical abilities, e.g.The five senses are sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Cats have a very acute senseof hearing. 2) C a) a particular feeling: an emotion that you are aware of as a (strong/keen) sense of purpose (duty, identity, loyalty, loss, etc.), e.g.The helicopters hovering overhead added to the sense of urgency.She looked around with a growing sense of unease. b) a personal quality as sense of humour(duty, justice, order proportion, responsibility, timing, etc), e.g. Our father was a good designer, but he had no business sense. It was dark and he had completely losthis sense of direction. 3) U a normal state of mind; the ability to think clearly, e.g. You should have had the sense to turn off the electricity first. there is no sense in (doing) sth(spoken) it is not sensible to do something, e.g. There's no sense in getting upset about it now. to be out of senses (chiefly BrE) out of your mind, e.g. Are you out of your senses? common sense the ability to behave in a sensible way and make practical decisions, e.g. Whatever your background, training, IQ, or experience, common sense can be learned and applied to everyday situations. IDM make senseto have a clear meaning, to be reasonable, e.g. It makes sense to leave early to avoid traffic. 4) C the meaning that a word or phrase has as in the abstract(biblical, literal, narrow, etc)sense, e.g. He was a true friend, in every sense of the word. We are talking about vocational training in the broadest sense.

sensitiveadj 1) able to understand other people's feelings and problems [≠ insensitive], e.g. It's made me much more sensitive to the needs of the disabled. 2) easily offended or upset, e.g. My brother pretends he's tough, but he's actually pretty sensitive. 3) easily affected or damaged as a baby's sensitive skin, sensitive to sth, e.g. My teeth are very sensitive to cold food.

sensible adj reasonable or practical as sensible advice (choice, solution, etc), sensible prices/shoes, e.g. A sensible person is reasonable and shows good judgement.

5. CAUTIOUSadj careful to avoid danger or risksas a cautious driver, e.g. They expressed cautious optimism about a solution to the crisis. cautious about sb/sth (doing sth), e.g.I've always been cautious about giving people my phone number.

cautionn 1) U great care and attention, e.g. We must proceed with extreme caution. 2) C/Ua warning telling someone to be carefulas word/note of caution, e.g.Just a word of caution - the cheaper models probably aren't worth buying.

caution vi/t (formal) to warn someone to caution (sb) against sth, e.g. Sam cautioned him against making a hasty decision.

precautionC(usually pl)something done to protect people or things against possible harm or trouble, e.g. The traffic barriers were put there as a safety precaution. Doctors recommend taking precautions to protect your skin from the sun.

6. SLIP1)vi to slide without intending to, e.g. She slipped on the icy sidewalk and grabbed his arm to steady herself. 2) vi+ adv/prep to slide out of position or out of your hand, e.g. The child slipped from his grasp and ran off. 3) vi + adv/prep to go somewhere quickly and quietly, esp. without being noticed, e.g. She slipped out of the house before the others were awake. 4) vi+ adv/prep to happen or pass without being noticed by someone or something as to slip away/past/by, e.g. She knew that time was slipping away. Despite all our efforts, some errors do slip past us. 4) vt + adv/prep to put something somewhere quickly, quietly or secretly, e.g. He slipped the letter back into its envelope. 5) vi/t + adv/prep to put on or take off a piece of clothing quickly or easily, e.g. He slipped a coat over his sweatshirt. IDM to slip your mind/memory (informal) to be forgotten, e.g. The request completely slipped my mind. PHR V slip up to make a careless mistake, e.g. These figures don't make sense - have we slipped up somewhere?

slipn 1) C a small or narrow piece of paper, e.g. He wrote the number on a slip of paper. 2) C a small mistake, e.g. Their performance was very good except for a few minor slips. IDMs a slip of the pen/tongue a small mistake, e.g. However, moments later he retracted his statement, saying it was merely "a slip of the tongue". to give sb the slip (informal) to escape from someone who is following or chasing you, e.g. I managed to give him the slip by hiding behind a wall.

slippery adj difficult to hold, stand or move on, because it is smooth, wet or polished as a slippery bar of soap, e.g. The huge round waves of ice were slippery and difficult to climb.

slippersn C soft, comfortable shoe for wearing inside the house, e.g. Ralph launched his slipper across the room.

7. BITTERadj1) (of food, etc.) having a strong, unpleasant taste; not sweet as a bitter flavour(chocolate, liquid, pill, taste,etc), e.g. The herb rue has a bitter taste, which makes it unpopular for cooking. 2) extremely colda bitter wind (cold). 3) angry, unpleasant, feeling or showing a lot of hatred or anger as bitter argument(enemies, fight,etc), bitter tears(disappointment, complaints, etc), e.g. Failing the final exams was a bitter disappointment for me.

bitterly adv 1) in a way that shows strong negative emotion as bitterly disappointed/ashamed, e.g. They complained bitterly. It was a decision that she bitterly regretted later in her life. 2) extremely and unpleasantly cold as bitterly cold, e.g. Meteorologists have warned that the bitterly cold weather sweeping Britain may last for weeks.

8. STIR1) vt to to move around esp. with a spoon or similar object; to mix, e.g. Stir one cup of sugar into the batter. 2) vi/t to move, or to make something move, slightly, e.g. A light breeze stirred the leaves lying on the path. Nothing will induce me to stir a step to help you. 3) vt to cause (an emotion or reaction) as a book that really stirs the imagination, e.g. The latest economic figures have stirred fears of growing inflation.

9. INJURE vt to harm or damage (someone or something) as to injure your ankle(eyes, knee, wrist, etc); to injure sth. accidentally(badly, seriously, slightly, etc.); to injure sb's pride(feelings, expression, etc), e.g. This could seriously injure the company's reputation.

injuredadj hurt or physically harmed as to be badly (severely, slightly, etc) injured, e.g. Peter brushed aside worries about his injured knee. 2) upset or offended because something unfair has been done as an injured look (tone).

injuryn C/U physical harm or damage to someone's body caused by an accident or an attack as a head(back, minor, etc) injury;an injury to the shoulder (the chest,etc); to suffer (receive, sustain) an injury, e.g. Several train passengers received serious injuries in the crash.

10. REVENGEvt (formal) to punish someone who has done something to harm you or someone else revenge yourself on sb,e.g. She vowed to be revenged on them all.

revenge n 1) U harm done to someone as a punishment, e.g. I wanted revenge for the trouble she had caused. to get/have/take (your) revenge (on sb) She took (her) revenge on him for leaving her by smashing up his car. 2) (sport) the defeat of a person or team that defeated you in a previous game, e.g. The team is seeking revenge for the loss earlier in the season.

revengeful adj desiring revenge, e.g. How dare you have such wicked, revengeful thoughts?

1. Paraphrase the following sentences using the word combinations and phrases given on p. 188.

1. Don't allow noise to distract you from your work – or deprive you of sound sleep. 2. He changed his appearance by wearing a false beard. 3. The kindness of this unknown person was too much for Joan who lost control of her feelings and wept. 4. When Heidi arrived home her mother was shocked at how skinny she looked. 5. In a word, I made a fool of myself as I swallowed my ration of scorn, an impossible thing for a Frenchman. 6. Two suspects are detained for the Christmas Day terror bombings that killed at least thirty-five people. 7. Alex loved a verbal fight but he was generally canny enough not to behave in an unacceptable way. 8. I refused straightforwardly to talk to the man who had previously treated me so unjustly. 9. He threw the cloak crookedly over his shoulders and placed the hat carelessly on his head. 10. When he found that his theory exactly predicted the path of Mercury, he was unable to control himself with happiness for days.11. In this way, gifted and talented students may be adequately challenged and truly to get an advantage of their potential. 12. People around us were upset, although no one panicked or screamed or got into an angry argument. 13. Data send via the internet can be captured by third parties and sold to others. 14. “Headache?! Don't try to deceive me. You used to get a similar headache the other day,” mother said caustically.

2. Translate the following sentences into English using the word combinations and phrases (p. 188):

1. Гаррі втратив самовладання, з очей йому закапали сльози, і він з докором подивився на леді. 2. Це був щасливий випадок, яким дівчина уміло скористалася. 3. Війна відбирає у людей усе, що вони мали, позбавляє найдорожчого – життя. 4. Розлютована Еліза схопила домашні капці і з силою жбурнула їх один за одним просто в Хігінса. 5. Агент Скарлет сказав юнаку, що він під арештом і зачитав його права. 6. Щоб змінити зовнішність до невпізнання, колишній актор відростив пишну бороду і вуса. 7. Досить часто смішна й гумористична повість викликає у читача зовсім не веселий сміх, а сміх крізь сльози. 8. «І не намагайся мене обдурити – ти зробиш все, як я сказала!» – тітка пригрозила Тому. 9. Приголомшений жахливою новиною, Доріан кілька хвилин не міг вимовити ані слова. 10. У випадках, дозволених законом, правоохоронці можуть перехопити інформацію, передану зловмисником по мобільному телефону. 11. Розчарований письменник дістав свій роман з шухляди столу і почав жбурляти списані аркуші у вогонь. 12. Людина, яка відмовилася від почуттів на користь розуму, обкрадає себе духовно. 13. Послухайте, ну що за дитячість – влаштовувати сцени із-за такої дрібниці. 14. Він спочатку навідріз відмовився, але не зі страху, а тому, що вважав цю справу "неділовою". 15. Капітан сильно розсердився на зухвалі слова й звелів заарештувати нахабного солдата.