02 Flashcards
gradient
how steep a slope is
a steep/gentle gradient
grand
important and large in degree
She has all kinds of grand ideas.
His job has a grand title, but he’s little more than a clerk.
hamper
to prevent someone doing something easily
Fierce storms have been hampering rescue efforts and there is now little chance of finding more survivors.
haphazard
not having an obvious order or plan
He tackled the problem in a typically haphazard manner.
haunt
to cause repeated suffering or anxiety
Fighting in Vietnam was an experience that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
Thirty years after the fire he is still haunted by images of death and destruction.
hectic
full of activity; very busy and fast
a hectic schedule
The area has become a haven for people tired of the hectic pace of city life.
heed
to pay attention to something, especially advice or a warning
注意，聽從（尤指建議或警告）
The airline has been criticized for failing to heed advice/warnings about lack of safety routines.
heredity
the process by which characteristics are given from a parent to their child through the genes
Diet and exercise can influence a person’s weight, but heredity is also a factor.
heterogeneous
consisting of parts or things that are very different from each other
各種各樣的；混雜的
Switzerland is a heterogeneous confederation of 26 self-governing cantons.
homogeneous
consisting of parts or people which are similar to each other or are of the same type
由同類事物（或人）組成的；同類的；相似的
a homogeneous group/society
The population of the village has remained remarkably homogeneous.
humility
he quality of not being proud because you are conscious of your bad qualities
謙遜；謙恭
He doesn’t have the humility to admit when he’s wrong.
They might be very rich, but it wouldn’t hurt them to show a little humility.
hydrosphere
all of the water, ice and water vapour at or near the surface of the Earth, such as the seas and ice, clouds and the water in and under the ground
hypothesize
to give a possible but not yet proved explanation for something
假設，假定
There’s no point hypothesizing about how the accident happened, since we’ll never really know.
icicle
a long pointed stick of ice that is formed when drops of water freeze
冰柱，冰錐
Icicles hung from the roof.
ideology
a theory, or set of beliefs or principles, especially one on which a political system, party or organization is based
（尤指作為政治體制、政黨或政治組織基礎的）思想（體系），意識形態
socialist/capitalist ideology
The people are caught between two opposing ideologies.
illicit
illegal or disapproved of by society
非法的；違禁的；社會不容許的
illicit drugs such as cocaine and cannabis
the illicit trade in stolen vehicles
an illicit love affair
illiteracy
unable to read and write
In the rural areas, illiteracy is widespread.
A surprising percentage of the population are illiterate.
computer illiterate
對電腦所知甚少的
financially/technologically illiterate
imbibe
to drink, especially alcohol:
Have you been imbibing again?
immense
extremely large in size or degree:
immense wealth/value
They spent an immense amount of time getting the engine into perfect condition.
extremely good:
He’s an immense goalkeeper.
immobilize
to stop something or someone from moving:
You can immobilize the car by removing the spark plugs.
The broken limb must be immobilized as soon as possible.
immunity
a situation in which you are protected against disease or from legal action:
The vaccination gives you immunity against the disease for up to six months.
He was granted immunity from prosecution because he confessed the names of the other spies.
impart
to communicate information to someone:
to impart the bad news
I was rather quiet as I didn’t feel I had much wisdom to impart on the subject.
› to give something a particular feeling, quality, or taste:
Preservatives can impart colour and flavour to a product.
implement
to start using a plan or system:
實施
The changes to the national health system will be implemented next year.
implementation
incentive
something which encourages a person to do something
激勵；刺激；鼓勵
Tax incentives have been very effective in encouraging people to save and invest more of their income.
[+ to infinitive] There is little incentive for people to leave their cars at home when public transport remains so expensive.
Bonus payments provide an incentive to work harder.
incessant
never stopping, especially in an annoying or unpleasant way
連續不斷的，沒完沒了的
incessant rain/noise/complaints
incessantly adverb
She talked incessantly about the most trivial things.
她沒完沒了地講著雞毛蒜皮的小事。
incline
to (make someone) feel something or want to do something
（使）傾向於
The Prime Minister is believed to be inclining towards an April election.
indict
If a law court or a grand jury indicts someone, it accuses them officially of a crime
控告，告發；起訴
UK He was indicted on drug charges at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
US Five people were indicted for making and selling counterfeit currency.
indigenous
naturally existing in a place or country rather than arriving from another place
當地的；本土的，土生土長的
Are there any species of frog indigenous to the area?
這個地區是否有本地品種的青蛙？
So who are the indigenous people of this land?
induce
to persuade someone to do something
誘使；勸說
They induced her to take the job by promising editorial freedom.
他們向她保證有編輯自由，以勸服她接受這項工作。
Nothing could induce me (= I definitely cannot be persuaded) to climb a mountain/ride a bike.
inductive
using a particular set of facts or ideas to form a general principle
歸納法的；歸納的
inductive reasoning
The difference is inductive v deductive approaches to the same cognitive goals.
Inductive research tends to draw sneers from the editors of academic journals.
inexorable
continuing without any possibility of being stopped
不可阻攔的
the inexorable progress of science
inexorably adverb
These events led inexorably to war.
inexorability noun [U]
infant
a baby or a very young child
a newborn infant
infirmary
UK old use a hospital. It is now used mainly in the names of hospitals （尤用於名稱中）醫院 Leeds General Infirmary 裡茲總醫院 the Royal Infirmary
inflict
to force someone to experience something very unpleasant
These new bullets are capable of inflicting massive injuries.
The suffering inflicted on these children was unimaginable.
infringe
to break a rule, law,
They infringed building regulations.
inmate
a person who is kept in a prison or a hospital for people who are mentally ill
Practically, you have to write to an inmate and you have to have an invitation from him or her in writing.
The only white inmate in the penal system, he claims, he has been on trial for almost two years.
In prison he organised the killing of another inmate.
instantaneously
happening immediately, without any delay
an instantaneous response/reply/reaction
spontaneously
happening or done in a natural, often sudden way, without any planning or without being forced
自發的；非籌劃安排的；非勉強的
The liquid spontaneously ignited.
They can bleed spontaneously in their joints during stressful moments.
spontaneous
His jokes seemed spontaneous, but were in fact carefully prepared beforehand.
approving She’s such a spontaneous, lively woman.
spontaneity
The script has a refreshing spontaneity and sparkle.
字跡揮灑自如，別具一格，令人眼前一亮。
interdependence
depending on each other
All living things are interdependent
interpersonal
connected with relationships between people
人際的
The successful applicant will have excellent interpersonal skills.
intramural
happening within or involving the members of one school:
At college she was active in intramural sports.
intricate
having a lot of small parts or pieces arranged in a complicated way, and therefore sometimes difficult to understand in detail:
The novel’s intricate plot will not be easy to translate into a movie.
intrigue
to interest someone, often because of an unusual or unexpected quality:
I was intrigued by his slow, deliberate way of talking and the serious look in his eyes.
intriguing
very interesting because of being unusual or mysterious
an intriguing possibility/question
She has a really intriguing personality.
intrusive
affecting someone or something in an annoying, disturbing and unwanted way
打攪的；侵擾的
intrusive questioning
intrusive lighting
Over the past decades, federal education policy has veered between the incredibly intrusive to the appallingly supine.
invariably
always
The train is invariably late.
irrevocable
impossible to change
an irrevocable decision
itinerant
travelling from one place to another, usually to work for a short period
（工作）巡迴的，流動的
an itinerant journalist/labourer/preacher
jolt
to (cause something or someone to) move suddenly and violently
（使）震動，（使）猛然搖動
The train stopped unexpectedly and we were jolted forwards.
The truck jolted along the rough track through the field.
jot
to make a quick short note of something
Could you jot your address and phone number in my address book?
jurisdiction
the authority of an official organization to make and deal with especially legal decisions
司法權；管轄權；審判權
The court has no jurisdiction in/over cases of this kind.
School admissions are not under/within our jurisdiction.
kernel
the part of a nut that is inside the shell and can be eaten
the whole seed of the maize plant
kiln, furnace
a type of large oven used for making bricks and clay objects hard after they have been shaped
furnace
a container which is heated to a very high temperature, so that substances that are put inside it, such as metal, will melt or burn
kinetic
involving or producing movement
kinetic energy
knack
a skill or an ability to do something easily and well
a knack for remembering faces
She has the knack of making people feel comfortable.
。
There’s a knack to using this corkscrew.
labyrinth,maze
a confusing set of connecting passages or paths in which it is easy to get lost
Finally, through a labyrinth of corridors she found his office.
something which is very confusing
He was no stranger to the labyrinth of love.
laden
carrying or holding a lot of something
He always comes back from France laden with presents for everyone.
The table, as always, was laden with food.
lament
to express sadness and feeling sorry about something
The poem opens by lamenting (over) the death of a young man.
My grandmother, as usual, lamented the decline in moral standards in today’s society.
The late lamented (= dead and remembered with love) Frank Giotto used to live here.
deplore
to say or think that something is very bad
We deeply deplore the loss of life.
He said that he deplored all violence.
UK The attitude of the Minister is to be deplored (= is very bad).
lapse
a temporary failure
a lapse of concentration
The management’s decision to ignore the safety warnings demonstrated a remarkable lapse of judgment.
a memory lapse
larva, pupa
a form of an insect or an animal such as a frog that has left its egg but is not yet completely developed
latently
potentially
Even though the F1 generation appears purple in color, it latently carries recessive white genes.
lateral
relating to the sides of an object or to sideways movement
側面的；橫向運動的
lateral movement
Trim the lateral shoots of the flower (= the ones which grow sideways from the main stem of a plant).
lathe
a machine for changing the shape of a piece of wood, metal, etc. which works by turning the material while a sharp tool is pressed against it
legible
› describes writing or print that can be read easily
（筆跡或字體）清晰的，易讀的，清楚的
Her handwriting is barely legible.
leukemia
a serious disease in which the body produces too many white blood cells
白血病
levy
an amount of money, such as a tax, that you have to pay to a government or organization
徵收額；稅款
They imposed a 5% levy on alcohol.
他們對酒品徵收5%的稅
levy verb
A new tax was levied on consumers of luxury goods.
對奢侈品消費徵收一個新稅種。
litter
small pieces of rubbish that have been left lying on the ground in public places
（散落在公共場所的）小塊垃圾，廢棄物
About 2% of fast-food packaging ends up as litter.
lurk
[I usually + adv/prep] to wait or move in a secret way so that you cannot be seen, especially because you are about to attack someone or do something wrong
（尤指爲攻擊某人或做壞事而）潛伏，隱蔽，悄悄移動
Someone was lurking in the shadows.
Why are you lurking about in the corridor?
› [I usually + adv/prep] (of an unpleasant feeling or quality) to exist although it is not always noticeable
（不好的感覺或特徵）潛伏，潛藏
Danger lurks around every corner.
It seems that old prejudices are still lurking beneath the surface.
magnitude
the large size or importance of something
They don’t seem to grasp the magnitude of the problem.
malleable
describes a substance that is easily changed into a new shape.
pliable = flexible = plastic = elastic
Lead and tin are malleable metals.
easily influenced, trained or controlled
He had an actor’s typically malleable features.
Europe saw its colonies as a source of raw material and a malleable workforce.
maneuver
move skillfully or carefully.
“the truck was unable to maneuver comfortably in the narrow street”
manifest
to show something clearly, through signs or actions
顯示；表現；表明
The workers chose to manifest their dissatisfaction in a series of strikes.
The illness first manifested itself in/as severe stomach pains.
Lack of confidence in the company manifested itself in a fall in the share price.
by a narrow margin
brink = verge
the amount by which one thing is different from another
差數，差額
The Senate approved the use of military force by a margin of 52 votes to 47.
The poll shows that the government is leading by the narrowest of margins.
marlin
marlin fish
marsh
ground near a lake, river or the sea, that often floods and is always wet
沼澤；濕地
At the mouth of the river is a large area of marsh.
Rain had been falling steadily all day and the ground had become a marsh.
marsupial
a type of mammal from Australasia or South or Central America which is not completely developed when it is born and is carried around in a pocket on the mother’s body where it is fed and protected until it is completely developed
有袋（目）動物
Marsupials include koalas, possums and kangaroos.
menial
describes work that is boring, makes you feel tired, and is given a low social value
（工作）乏味的，低賤的，不體面的
It’s fairly menial work, such as washing dishes and cleaning floors.
a menial job/task
merger
when two or more companies join together
（公司、企業等的）合併
She’s an attorney who advises companies about mergers and takeovers.
The merger of these two companies would create the world’s biggest accounting firm.
metamorphosis
[C] a complete change
徹底的變化
Under the new editor, the magazine has undergone a metamorphosis.
› [U] specialized the process by which the young form of insects and some animals, such as frogs, develops into the adult form
meteor
a piece of rock or other matter from space that produces a bright light as it travels through the Earth’s atmosphere
meticulous
very careful and with great attention to every detail
非常注意細節的
Many hours of meticulous preparation have gone into writing the book.
mimetic
using mime
模仿的
The actors have to rely on their mimetic skills.
mint
a herb whose leaves have a strong fresh smell and taste and are used for giving flavour to food 薄荷 a sprig of mint 薄荷枝 mint-flavoured gum/toothpaste
miscellaneous
consisting of a mixture of various things which are not usually connected with each other
混雜的；各種各樣的
miscellaneous household items
mitigate
to make something less harmful, unpleasant or bad
使緩和；減輕（危害等）
It is unclear how to mitigate the effects of tourism on the island.
mold
黴；黴菌
molecule
the simplest unit of a chemical substance, usually a group of two or more atoms
monetary
relating to the money in a country 貨幣的，金融的 monetary policy 貨幣政策 monetary control 貨幣管制 The monetary unit of the UK is the pound.
monochrome
using only black, white and grey, or using only one colour
黑白的；單色的
Kodak still produces monochrome film.
The park in winter is a depressing monochrome brown.
morphology
the scientific study of the structure and form of either animals and plants or words and phrases
motif
a pattern or design
圖案，式樣
We chose some curtains with a flower motif.
mural
a large picture that has been painted on the wall of a room or building
murky
dim = filmy =fuzzy = blurred = vague = murky
dark and dirty or difficult to see through
黑暗的；不清楚的；骯髒的
The river was brown and murky after the storm.
narcotic
an illegal drug such as heroin or cocaine
He faces three years in jail for selling narcotics.
negligence
when you do not give enough care or attention to someone or something
疏忽，過失
My mother accuses me of negligence unless I phone her every day.
medical negligence
nominal
›in name or thought but not reality
名義上的；有名無實的
She’s the nominal head of our college - the real work is done by her deputy.
nominate
to officially suggest someone for an election, job, position or honour
（為選舉、工作、職位或榮譽）提名，推薦
He’s been nominated by the Green Party as their candidate in the next election.
Would you like to nominate anyone for/as director?
to state officially that a film, song, programme, etc. will be included in a competition for a prize
The film was nominated for an Academy Award.
nook
a small space which is hidden or partly sheltered
角落；隱蔽處；幽深處
a cosy/sheltered/quiet nook
nuance
a very slight difference in appearance, meaning, sound,
（外表、意義、聲音等的）細微差別
The painter has managed to capture every nuance of the woman’s expression.
畫家對這個女子面部表情的刻畫細緻入微。
Linguists explore the nuances of language.
nucleus
specialized the central part of an atom, usually made up of protons and neutrons
原子核
› specialized the part of a cell that controls its growth
細胞核
DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.
nuisance
something or someone that annoys you or causes trouble for you
I’ve forgotten my umbrella - what a nuisance!
[+ -ing verb] It’s such a nuisance having to rewrite those letters.
I hate to be a nuisance, but could you help me?
Local residents claimed that the noise was causing a public nuisance.
nurture
to take care of, feed and protect someone or something, especially young children or plants, and help them to develop
She wants to stay at home and nurture her children.
a carefully nurtured garden
