Chapter 1 Flashcards
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academic
n. educational, intellectual, university
Do you consider yourself to be the academic type? Why or why not?
derive
v. take, draw from, originate
Does your language incorporate any words derived from English? If so, can you provide a few examples?
principle
n. standard, belief, code, rule
Do you live your life according to any principles? If so what are they and why have you chosen to follow them?
assume
v. take for granted, believe, suppose
Do you assume people will treat you with respect? Why or why not?
exceed
v. go beyond, surpass, beat
When was the last time your expectations were exceeded? Why?
hence
adv. thus, for this reason, therefore
Do you take time out from studying to relax, hence returning refreshed and rejuvenated? Why or why not? If so, what do you do?
nevertheless
adv. nonetheless, even so, even still
Life is sometimes hard. Nevertheless, it can be wonderful. What aspects of your life make it worthwhile? Why?
solely
adv. only, exclusively
Would you like to be solely responsible for paying your university or college tuition? Why or why not?
status
n. rank, position, standing
Do you think status is important in life? Why or why not?
trace
v. hunt down, track down, find, locate
Are you interested in tracing your family origins? Why or why not?
mutual
adj. joint, shared, reciprocal
What mutual interests do you share with your best friend or partner?
odd
adj. unusual, abnormal, out of the ordinary
Have you ever had to sleep, eat, work, or study at odd times of the day or night? Explain.
stable
adj. steady, even, constant
Would you like a stable romantic relationship or would you prefer to date several people? Explain.
substitute
n. alternate, replacement, stand-in
What is your typical reaction to a substitute teacher? Why?
unique
adj. special, distinctive, matchless
Do you find it interesting that every single person is unique? Why or why not? What makes you unique? Why?
assign
v. give, allocate
How much homework do you like your instructor to assign each day? Why
evaluate
v. assess, appraise
How do you evaluate whether a person might make a suitable friend? Why?
mechanism
n. process, means, method, procedure
What are the two brain mechanisms at work in the experience of love? Explain how they work.
overlap
n. relationship, intersection, similarity
Is there any overlap in the skills required for the Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing sections of the TOEFL iBT exam? Explain.
series
n. sequence, succession, chain
Is there any television series you particularly enjoy? Why or why not?
thesis
n. theory, notion, idea
Do you believe the thesis that all people are created equal? If so, how do you account for our differences in status?
conclude
v. deduce, infer, reason
If the human brain includes mechanisms that promote feelings of love, what can you conclude about the possibility of love in the animal kingdom? Why?
hypothesize
v. theorize, predict, put forward
Can you hypothesize what would happen if you had the chance to go out for the evening with your favorite film star?
obvious
adj. clear, apparent, evident
What are thee obvious reasons for not drinking and driving? Explain.
parameter
n. check, control, limit, restriction
What behavior is outside the parameters of how you should act in a classroom? Why?
theory
n. hypothesis, speculation
Do you have a theory about why some people rebel against their upbringing and others imitate their parents’ lifestyles?
aggregate
adj. total, collective, combined
What is the aggregate number of hours you spend online each week? What exactly are you doing? Do you think this is healthy?
concentration
n. strength, intensity, amount
Do you think people today have higher concentrations of toxins in their blood compared to individuals living a century ago? Why or why not?
couple
n. pair, team, partnership
Would you like to be part of a couple? Why or why not?
diminish
v. reduce, lessen, weaken
Do you think having a job while you are in school diminishes your chances of success as a student? Why or why not?
facility
n. ability, capability, capacity
Do you have a facility for languages? What else do you have a facility for?
indicate
v. show, point to, signify
Does the type of car a person drives indicate anything about his or her personality? What kind of car would you like to own? Why or why not?
commence
v. start, begin, initiate
When did you commence learning English? Do you think this was early enough? Why or why not? At what age should a person commence learning a foreign language? Why?
conventional
adj. conservative, traditional, conformist
Do you consider yourself to be a conventional or an unconventional person? Why?
decline
v. fall off, weaken, deteriorate
Do you think there has been a decline in the quality of air in large cities? Why or why not?
equation
n. expression of equality, situation involving many factors
Why was the equation e = mc2 such an important discovery in physics?
ignore
v. disregard, overlook, pay no attention to
What kind of news of events do you generally ignore? Why?
initiate
v. start, begin, kick off
What kind of student activities do you think your school should initiate to assist students in forming social connections? Why?
motive
n. reason, purpose, intention
What motives can people have for lying? What do you think of people who lie?
proportion
n. amount, quantity, percentage, fraction, ratio
What proportion of your time do you spend with friends? What proportion do you spend studying? What proportion do you spend watching TV?
reveal
v. show, make known, expose
What do your clothes and hairstyle reveal about your personality? Why?
statistics
v. figures, data, information
What are the divorce statistics for your country? What are the divorce statistics for countries like Canada and the US? Why do you think divorce rates have risen over time in these countries?
nonetheless
adv. nevertheless, even so, even still
Many students don’t have jobs. Nonetheless, they have to pay high tuition fees. Do you think parents should be responsible for paying these fees? Why or why not?
relevant
adj. applicable, related, appropriate, significant, important
Why is your current study of English relevant to your future?
role
n. part played, expected behavior
Do you believe males and females should act according to their prescribed gender roles in their respective cultures? Why or why not?
