2013-4-9 Flashcards
velvety
vel•vety /ˈvelvəti/ adj.
pleasantly smooth and soft 光滑柔软的;柔和的:
velvety skin 柔软的皮肤
a velvety red wine 醇厚的红葡萄酒
velveteen
vel•vet•een /ˌvelvəˈti:n/ noun [U]
a type of cotton cloth that looks like VELVET but is less expensive 棉绒;平绒;纬绒
boom
boom /bu:m/ noun, verb
■noun IN BUSINESS/ECONOMY 商业;经济
1 ~ (in sth) a sudden increase in trade and economic activity; a period of wealth and success (贸易和经济活动的)激增,繁荣:
a boom in car sales 汽车销售额的巨增
Living standards improved rapidly during the post-war boom. 在战后那段繁荣昌盛的时期里,生活水平得到了迅速提高。
a boom year(for trade, exports, etc.) (贸易、出口等)兴盛的一年
a property/housing boom 房地产╱住房的迅速发展
a chaotic period of boom and bust 经济繁荣与经济萧条交替出现的混乱时期
POPULAR PERIOD 风靡期
2 [usually sing.] a period when sth such as a sport or a type of music suddenly becomes very popular and successful (某种体育运动、音乐等)突然风靡的时期:
The only way to satisfy the golf boom was to build more courses. 满足这场高尔夫球热的唯一途径是增建球场。
ON BOAT 船
3 a long pole that the bottom of a sail is attached to and that you move to change the position of the sail 帆桁
SOUND 声音
4 [usually sing.] a loud deep sound 深沉的响声:
the distant boom of the guns 远处隆隆的炮声
➡ see also SONIC BOOM IN RIVER/HARBOUR 河;港口
5 a floating barrier that is placed across a river or the entrance to a HARBOUR to prevent ships or other objects from coming in or going out 水栅
FOR MICROPHONE 麦克风
6 a long pole that carries a MICROPHONE or other equipment 吊杆
■verb MAKE LOUD SOUND 发出巨响
1 [V] to make a loud deep sound 轰鸣;轰响:
Outside, thunder boomed and crashed. 外面雷声隆隆,霹雳炸响。
2 ~ (out) to say sth in a loud deep voice 以低沉有力的声音说话: [V speech]
‘Get out of my sight!’ he boomed. “别让我再见到你!”他低沉而有力地说。
[V]
A voice boomed out from the darkness. 黑暗中传来低沉有力的嗓音。
He had a booming voice. 他的嗓音低沉洪亮。
OF BUSINESS/ECONOMY 商业;经济
3 [V] to have a period of rapid growth; to become bigger, more successful, etc. 迅速发展;激增;繁荣昌盛:
By the 1980s, the computer industry was booming. 到 20 世纪 80 年代时,计算机行业迅猛发展。
Business is booming! 生意兴隆!
boomer
boom•er /ˈbu:mə(r)/ noun
1 (NAmE) = BABY BOOMER
2 a large male KANGAROO 大雄袋鼠
baby boom
婴儿潮’生育高峰
apparently
看来’显然’据…所知
be composed of
由…组成
dramatize
/’dræmətaiz/
v. 夸张,使戏剧化,戏剧性地表现
overcrowded
over•crowd•ed /ˌəʊvəˈkraʊdɪd/adj.
(of a place 地方)
with too many people or things in it 过于拥挤的:
overcrowded cities/prisons 拥挤不堪的城市╱监狱
Too many poor people are living in overcrowded conditions. 有太多的贫民生活在十分拥挤的条件下。
spacious
spa•cious /ˈspeɪʃəs/ adj. (approving)
(of a room or building 房间或建筑物)
large and with plenty of space for people to move around in 宽敞的
SYN ROOMY
# spa•cious•ly adv.
# spa•cious•ness noun [U] :
White walls can give a feeling of spaciousness. 白墙能给人一种宽敞的感觉。
a crop of
一群/批人,一些事情(同时发生的)
demography
/di’mɔgrəfi/
n. 人口学,人口统计
demographer
/di’mɔgrəfə/人口学家
vainglorious
vain•glori•ous /ˌveɪnˈglɔ:riəs/ adj. (literary, disapproving)
too proud of your own abilities or achievements 自负的;自命不凡的;自吹自擂的
# vain•glory /ˌveɪnˈglɔ:ri/ noun [U]
vain
vain /veɪn/ adj.
1 that does not produce the result you want 徒劳的;枉然的;无结果的 SYN USELESS :
She closed her eyes tightly in a vain attempt to hold back the tears. 她紧闭双眼,却无法忍住眼泪。
I knocked loudly in the vain hope that someone might answer. 我敲门敲得很响,希望有人应声,却是徒然。
2 (disapproving) too proud of your own appearance, abilities or achievements 自负的;自视过高的 SYN CONCEITED :
She’s too vain to wear glasses. 她太爱虚荣,不肯戴眼镜。
➡ see also VANITY (1)
IDM in ˈvain without success 枉费心机;徒劳无益;白费力气:
They tried in vain to persuade her to go. 他们极力劝说她去,但枉费了一番口舌。
All our efforts were in vain. 我们的所有努力都付诸东流了。
conceited
con•ceit•ed /kənˈsi:tɪd/ adj. (disapproving)
having too much pride in yourself and what you do自负的;骄傲自大的:
a very conceited person 极其自命不凡的人
It’s very conceited of you to assume that your work is always the best. 你认为你的工作总是最好的,真是太自大了。
# con•ceit•ed•ly adv.
prospect
pro•spect noun, verb
■noun /ˈprɒspekt; NAmE ˈprɑ:s-/
1 [U, sing.] ~ (of sth/of doing sth) | ~ (that …) the possibility that sth will happen 可能性;希望:
There is no immediate prospect of peace. 短期内没有和平的可能。
A place in the semi-finals is in prospect (= likely to happen). 可望争得半决赛权。
There’s a reasonable prospect that his debts will be paid. 有理由相信他会偿还债务的。
2 [sing.] ~ (of sth/of doing sth) an idea of what might or will happen in the future 前景;展望;设想:
an exciting prospect 令人兴奋的前景
Travelling alone around the world is a daunting prospect. 想象着只身走遍世界颇令人心悸。
The prospect of becoming a father filled him with alarm. 一想到将为人父他就满怀忧思。
3 prospects [pl.] ~ (for/of sth) the chances of being successful 成功的机会;前景;前途:
good job/employment/career prospects 美好的工作╱就业╱事业前途
At 25 he was an unemployed musician with no prospects. * 25 岁的他是个没有工作、前途渺茫的乐师。
Long-term prospects for the economy have improved. 长期的经济前景已有所改善。
What are the prospects of promotion in this job? 做这份工作有多少晋升的机会?
4 [C] ~ (for sth) a person who is likely to be successful in a competition (竞赛中的)有望获胜者:
She is one of Canada’s best prospects for a gold medal. 她是加拿大最有希望夺金的选手之一。
5 [C] (formal) a wide view of an area of land, etc. 风景;景色:
a delightful prospect of the lake 令人心旷神怡的湖上风光
■verb /prəˈspekt/
[V] ~ (for sth) to search an area for gold, minerals, oil, etc. 探矿;勘探:
Thousands moved to the area to prospect for gold. 数以千计的人涌入那个地区淘金。
to prospect for new clients 寻找新客户
contradiction
con•tra•dic•tion /ˌkɒntrəˈdɪkʃn; NAmE ˌkɑ:n-/ noun
1 [C, U] ~ (between A and B) a lack of agreement between facts, opinions, actions, etc. (事实、看法、行动等的)不一致,矛盾,对立:
There is a contradiction between the two sets of figures. 这两组数据相互矛盾。
His public speeches are in direct contradiction to his personal lifestyle. 他的公开言论与他本人的生活方式恰恰相反。
How can we resolve this apparent contradiction? 我们怎样才能解决这个明显的矛盾呢?
2 [U, C] the act of saying that sth that sb else has said is wrong or not true; an example of this 反驳;驳斥:
I think I can say, without fear of contradiction, that … 就算有人反驳,我也胆敢说…
Now you say you both left at ten—that’s a contradiction of your last statement. 你现在说你们俩是十点钟离开的,这可和你上次的说法不一致。
IDM a ˌcontradiction in ˈterms a statement containing two words that contradict each other’s meaning 自相矛盾的说法:
A ‘nomad settlement’ is a contradiction in terms. “游牧者的定居”是用词上的自相矛盾。
apparent
ap•par•ent /əˈpærənt/ adj.
1 [not usually before noun] ~ (from sth) (that …) | ~ (to sb) (that …) easy to see or understand SYN OBVIOUS 显而易见;明白易懂;显然:
It was apparent from her face that she was really upset. 从面容上一眼就可以看出她确实心绪烦乱。
Their devotion was apparent. 他们的忠诚显而易见。
It soon became apparent to everyone that he couldn’t sing. 很快大家都明白他不会唱歌。
Then, for no apparent reason, the train suddenly stopped. 接着,不知什么原因,火车突然停了下来。
➡ note at CLEAR
2 [usually before noun] that seems to be real or true but may not be 貌似的;表面上的;未必真实的 SYN SEEMING :
My parents were concerned at my apparent lack of enthusiasm for school. 我看来对上学不感兴趣,使父母担心。
delightful
de•light•ful /dɪˈlaɪtfl/ adj. very pleasant 使人快乐的;令人愉快的;宜人的 SYN CHARMING : a delightful book/restaurant/town 令人愉快的书;舒适的餐馆;宜人的城市 a delightful child 讨人喜欢的孩子 ➡ note at WONDERFUL # de•light•ful•ly /dɪˈlaɪtfəli/ adv.
campaign
cam•paign
/kæmˈpeɪn/ noun, verb
■noun
1 ~ (against/for sth) a series of planned activities that are intended to achieve a particular social, commercial or political aim 运动,活动(为社会、商业或政治目的而进行的一系列有计划的活动):
to conduct a campaign 领导一场运动
a campaign against ageism in the workplace 反对在工作场所实行年龄歧视的运动
the campaign for parliamentary reform 要求议会进行改革的运动
an anti-smoking campaign 反对吸烟的运动
Today police launched (= began) a campaign to reduce road accidents. 警方今天已开展了一场减少道路交通事故的运动。
an advertising campaign 一场广告宣传运动
an election campaign 竞选运动
the President’s campaign team/manager 总统的竞选班子╱主管
2 a series of attacks and battles that are intended to achieve a particular military aim during a war 战役
■verb ~ (for/against sb/sth) to take part in or lead a campaign, for example to achieve political change or in order to win an election 参加运动,领导运动(如为实现政治变革或赢得竞选胜利): [V]
We have campaigned against whaling for the last 15 years. 我们最近 15 年一直参加反对捕鲸的运动。
The party campaigned vigorously in the north of the country. 该党在本国北部展开了强有力的竞选运动。
[V to inf]
They are campaigning to save the area from building development. 他们正开展一场反对在这个地区进行房地产开发的运动。
# cam•paign•ing noun [U]
ageism
age•ism (NAmE also agism) /ˈeɪdʒɪzəm/ noun [U] unfair treatment of people because they are considered too old 对老年人的歧视;年龄歧视 # age•ist adj. # age•ist noun
justified
jus•ti•fied /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪd/ adj.
1 ~ (in doing sth) having a good reason for doing sth (做某事)有正当理由的:
She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
2 existing or done for a good reason 事出有因;合乎情理:
His fears proved justified. 他之所以害怕,证明是有原因的。
OPP UNJUSTIFIED
conception
con•cep•tion /kənˈsepʃn/ noun
1 [U] the process of forming an idea or a plan 构思;构想;设想:
The plan was brilliant in its conception but failed because of lack of money. 尽管这计划构想绝妙,但终因资金不足而告流产。
2 [C, U] ~ (of sth) | ~ (that …) an understanding or a belief of what sth is or what sth should be 理解(认为某事怎样或应该怎样):
Marx’s conception of social justice 马克思对社会公平概念的理解
He has no conception of how difficult life is if you’re unemployed. 他不懂得失业后生活会是怎样的艰难。
3 [U, C] the process of an egg being FERTILIZED inside a woman’s body so that she becomes pregnant 怀孕;受孕:
the moment of conception 受孕的一刻
➡ see also CONCEIVE (2)
conceive
con•ceive
➡ WORD FAMILY 词族
/kənˈsi:v/ verb
1 ~ (of) sth (as sth) (formal) to form an idea, a plan, etc. in your mind; to imagine sth 想出(主意、计划等);想象;构想;设想: [VN]
He conceived the idea of transforming the old power station into an arts centre. 他想出了一个把旧发电站改造为艺术中心的主意。
God is often conceived of as male. 上帝常常被想象为男性。
[V (that)]
I cannot conceive (= I do not believe)(that) he would wish to harm us. 我无法想象他会存心伤害我们。
[V wh-]
I cannot conceive what it must be like. 我想象不出它会是什么样子。
2 when a woman conceives or conceives a child, she becomes pregnant 怀孕;怀胎: [V]
She is unable to conceive. 她不能怀孕。
[VN]
Their first child was conceived on their wedding night. 他们的第一个小孩是在新婚之夜怀上的。
➡ see also CONCEPTION (3)
fertilize
fer•til•ize (BrE also -ise) /ˈfɜ:təlaɪz; NAmE ˈfɜ:rt-/ verb [VN]
1 to put POLLEN into a plant so that a seed develops; to join SPERM with an egg so that a baby or young animal develops 使受精;使受粉;使受胎;使受孕:
Flowers are often fertilized by bees as they gather nectar. 花常在蜜蜂采蜜时受粉。
a fertilized egg 受精卵
2 to add a substance to soil to make plants grow more successfully 施肥于
# fer•til•ization, -isa•tion /ˌfɜ:təlaɪˈzeɪʃn; NAmE ˌfɜ:rtələˈz-/ noun [U] :
Immediately after fertilization, the cells of the egg divide. 卵受精后细胞立即开始分裂。
the fertilization of soil with artificial chemicals 给土壤施化肥
competent
com•pe•tent /ˈkɒmpɪtənt; NAmE ˈkɑ:m-/ adj. ~ (to do sth)
1 having enough skill or knowledge to do sth well or to the necessary standard 足以胜任的;有能力的;称职的:
Make sure the firm is competent to carry out the work. 要确保这家公司有能力完成这项工作。
He’s very competent in his work. 他非常胜任自己的工作。
OPP INCOMPETENT
2 of a good standard but not very good 合格的;不错的;尚好的
3 having the power to decide sth 有决定权的:
The case was referred to a competent authority. 事情已交给有关当局处理。
# com•pe•tent•ly adv. :
to perform competently 出色地完成
assess
as•sess /əˈses/ verb
1 ~ sb/sth (as sth) to make a judgement about the nature or quality of sb/sth 评估,评定(性质、质量): [VN]
It’s difficult to assess the effects of these changes. 这些变化带来的效果难以评估。
to assess a patient’s needs 判定病人的需要
The young men were assessed as either safe or unsafe drivers. 这些年轻人被评定为谨慎驾驶员和不谨慎驾驶员两类。
I’d assess your chances as low. 我估计你的机会不大。
[V wh-]
The committee assesses whether a building is worth preserving. 该委员会评定一栋建筑物是否值得保存。
We are trying to assess how well the system works. 我们正设法评估这个系统运行得是否顺畅。
2 [VN] ~ sth (at sth) to calculate the amount or value of sth 估算,估定,核定(数量、价值) SYN ESTIMATE :
They have assessed the amount of compensation to be paid. 他们已经核定赔偿额。
Damage to the building was assessed at £40 000. 该建筑物的损失估定为 4 万英镑。
livelihood
live•li•hood /ˈlaɪvlihʊd/ noun [C, usually sing., U]
a means of earning money in order to live 赚钱维生的手段;生计
SYN LIVING :
Communities on the island depended on whaling for their livelihood. 岛上的居民靠捕鲸为生。
a means/source of livelihood 生计;生活来源
forsake
for•sake /fəˈseɪk; NAmE fərˈs-/ verb (for•sook /fəˈsʊk; NAmE fərˈs-/ for•saken /fəˈseɪkən; NAmE fərˈs-/) [VN] ~ sb/sth (for sb/sth) (literary)
1 to leave sb/sth, especially when you have a responsibility to stay 抛弃,遗弃,离开(尤指不履行责任) SYN ABANDON :
He had made it clear to his wife that he would never forsake her. 他明确地向妻子说,永远不离开她。
2 to stop doing sth, or leave sth, especially sth that you enjoy 摒弃,离开(尤指喜爱的事物) SYN RENOUNCE :
She forsook the glamour of the city and went to live in the wilds of Scotland. 她抛开城市的绚烂,去苏格兰荒原居住。
➡ see also GODFORSAKEN