Chapter 1C - Reverse edition Flashcards
Definition
credible
/ˈkredəbl/
a credible explanation/witness
that can be believed or trusted
Definition
surface
/ˈsɜːfɪs/
Rage bubbled just below the surface of his mind.
the outer appearance of a person, thing or situation; the qualities that you see or notice, that are not hidden
Definition
to shop
/ʃɒp/
He likes to shop at the local market.
to buy things in stores
Definition
alienation
/ˌeɪliəˈneɪʃn/
The new policy resulted in the alienation of many voters.
the act of making sb. less friendly or sympathetic towards you
Definition
bluntly
/ˈblʌntli/
To put it bluntly, I want a divorce.
in a very direct way, without trying to be polite or kind
Definition
[countable] prescription
/prɪˈskrɪpʃn/
Both parties will be outlining their prescription for economic recovery.
a plan or a suggestion for making sth. happen or for improving it
Definition
little
/ˈlɪtl/
She seemed a little afraid of going inside.
to a small degree
Definition
normative
/ˈnɔːmətɪv/
Human rights are thematic, systematic and, above all, normative.
describing or setting standards or rules of behaviour
Definition
whom
/huːm/
- To whom should I write?*
- The author whom you criticized in your review has written a reply.*
used instead of ‘who’ as the object of a verb or preposition
Definition
follow-up
/ˈfɒləʊ ʌp/
In a follow-up question about quality, both customers and retailers were asked if they had noticed a change
continuing sth. that has already started; coming after sth. similar that was done earlier
Definition
best
/best/
Painting is best done in daylight.
in the most suitable or appropriate way
Definition
persuasively
/pəˈsweɪsɪvli/
They argue persuasively in favour of a total ban on handguns.
in a way that can convince sb. to do sth. or make them believe sth.
Definition
to frustrate
/frʌˈstreɪt/
What frustrates him is that there’s too little money to spend on the project.
to make sb. feel annoyed or impatient because they cannot do or achieve what they want
Definition
[countable] field
/fiːld/
syn. : area
/ˈeəriə/
I enjoy meeting people in other fields of business.
a particular subject or activity that sb. works in or is interested in
syn. : ?
Definition
a discourse
/ˈdɪskɔːs/
a discourse on issues of gender and sexuality
(formal) a long and serious treatment or discussion of a subject in speech or writing
Definition
to investigate
/ɪnˈvestɪɡeɪt/
- Scientists are investigating the effects of diet on fighting cancer.*
- The research investigates how foreign speakers gain fluency.*
to find out information and facts about a subject or problem by study or research
Definition
[uncountable] research
/rɪˈsɜːtʃ/
Research on animals has led to some important medical advances.
a careful study of a subject, especially in order to discover new facts or information about it
Definition
comparable
/ˈkɒmpərəbl/
A comparable house in the south of the city would cost twice as much.
similar to sb./sth. else and able to be compared
Definition
[uncountable, count.] expenditure
/ɪkˈspendɪtʃə(r)/
a reduction in public/government/military expenditure
the act of spending or using money ; an amount of money spent
Definition
infinitesimal
/ˌɪnfɪnɪˈtesɪml/
syn. : tiny
/ˈtaɪni/
an infinitesimal risk
extremely small
syn. : ?
Definition
self-evident
/ˌself ˈevɪdənt/
The dangers of such action are self-evident.
obvious and needing no further proof or explanation
Definition
a series (of sth.)
/ˈsɪəriːz/
the latest in a series of articles on the nature of modern society
several events or things of a similar kind that happen one after the other
Definition
[uncountable] support
/səˈpɔːt/
The statistics offer further support for our theory.
evidence that helps to show that sth. is true or correct
Definition
analysis
/əˈnæləsɪs/
The book is an analysis of poverty and its causes.
the detailed study or examination of sth. in order to understand more about it; the result of the study
Definition
to stand up
/’stænd ʌp/
It was brave of her to stand up to those bullies.
to resist sb.; to not accept bad treatment from sb. without complaining
Definition
to seize
/siːz/
- They seized the airport in a surprise attack.*
- The army has seized control of the country.*
- He seized power in a military coup.*
to take control of a place or situation, often suddenly and violently
Definition
clear-cut
/ˌklɪə ˈkʌt/
There is no clear-cut answer to this question.
definite and easy to see or identify
Definition
rightful
/ˈraɪtfl/
syn. : [only before noun] proper
/ˈprɒpə(r)/
The stolen car was returned to its rightful owner.
that is correct, right or legal
syn. : ?
Definition
to measure
/ˈmeʒə(r)/
syn. : to assess
/əˈses/
It is difficult to measure the success of the campaign at this stage.
to judge the importance, value or effect of sth.
syn. : ?
Definition
[uncountable] conventional wisdom
/kənˈvenʃənl ˈwɪzdəm/
- The conventional wisdom that soccer is a minor sport in America.*
- Conventional wisdom has it that riots only ever happen in cities.*
the view or belief that most people hold
Definition
a belief
/bɪˈliːf/
She acted in the belief that she was doing good.
an opinion about sth.; sth. that you think is true
Definition
[phrasal verb] to point to
Pointing to the results of a recent survey, he claimed voters were most interested in education and unemployment.
to mention sth. that you think is important and/or the reason why a particular situation exists
Definition
to
/tə/ (in br. english, before vowels : /tu/)
- It was a threat to world peace.*
- This idea will appear problematical to many.*
directed towards; concerning
Definition
[countable, uncount.] prediction
/prɪˈdɪkʃn/
Not many people agree with the government’s prediction that the economy will improve.
a statement that says what you think will happen; the act of making such a statement
Definition
explanation
/ˌekspləˈneɪʃn/
The most likely explanation is that his plane was delayed.
a statement, fact, or situation that tells you why sth. happened; a reason given for sth.
Definition
[countable] gathering
/ˈɡæðərɪŋ/
a family gathering
a meeting of people for a particular purpose
Definition
a variable
/ˈveəriəbl/
The temperature remained constant while pressure was a variable in the experiment.
a situation, number or quantity that can vary or be varied
Definition
consistently
/kənˈsɪstəntli/
Studies have not consistently demonstrated any benefit.
in a way that has different parts that all agree with each other
Definition
inquiry
/ɪnˈkwaɪəri/
a public enquiry (br.) into the environmental effects of the proposed new road
an official process to find out the cause of sth. or to find out information about sth.
Definition
factor
/ˈfæktə(r)/
the key/crucial/deciding factor
one of several things that cause or influence sth.
Definition
to illuminate
/ɪˈluːmɪneɪt/
syn. : to clarify
/ˈklærəfaɪ/
This text illuminates the philosopher’s early thinking.
(formal) to make sth. clearer or easier to understand
syn. : ?
Definition
repeatedly
/rɪˈpiːtɪdli/
The victim had been stabbed repeatedly in the chest.
many times
Definition
[phrasal verb] to run into
/rʌn ˈɪntu/
to run into danger/trouble/difficulties
to experience sth. bad
Definition
to predominate (over sb./sth.)
/prɪˈdɒmɪneɪt/
Private interest was not allowed to predominate over the public good.
to have the most influence or importance
Definition
a scrutiny
/ˈskruːtəni/
syn. : inspection
/ɪnˈspekʃn/
Her argument doesn’t really stand up to scrutiny.
a careful and thorough examination
syn. : ?
Definition
to aspire
/əˈspaɪə(r)/
She aspired to a scientific career.
to have a strong desire to achieve or to become sth.
Definition
to intervene
/ˌɪntəˈviːn/
The President intervened personally in the crisis.
to become involved in a situation in order to improve or help it
Definition
ultimately
/ˈʌltɪmətli/
Ultimately, you’ll have to make the decision yourself.
in the end; finally
Definition
[usually passive] to televise
/ˈtelɪvaɪz/
a televised debate
to broadcast sth. on television
Definition
[only before noun] past
/pɑːst/
Irregular verbs are verbs that do not form the past simple tense and the past participle by adding -ed to the base form.
(grammar) connected with the form of a verb used to express actions in the past
Definition
to build up
/bɪld ‘ʌp/
The sea defences have been built up to ensure that such a disaster will not strike again.
to make sth. higher or stronger than it was before
Definition
incontrovertible
/ˌɪnkɒntrəˈvɜːtəbl/
syn. : indisputable
/ˌɪndɪˈspjuːtəbl/
There is one incontrovertible argument in favour of the changes.
(formal) that is true and cannot be disagreed with or denied
syn. : ?
Definition
explanatory
/ɪkˈsplænətri/
There are explanatory notes at the back of the book.
giving the reasons for sth.; intended to describe how sth. works or to make sth. easier to understand
Definition
to define
/dɪˈfaɪn/
We need to define the task ahead very clearly.
to describe or show sth. accurately
Definition
tightly
/ˈtaɪtli/
Her eyes were tightly closed.
closely and firmly
Definition
hostile
/ˈhɒstaɪl/
syn. : [not usually before noun] opposed
/əˈpəʊzd/
The proposals have provoked a hostile response from opposition parties.
strongly rejecting sth.
syn. : ?
Definition
problematical
/ˌprɒbləˈmætɪkl/
The situation is more problematic (br.) than we first thought.
difficult to deal with or to understand; full of problems; not certain to be successful
Definition
to forward
/ˈfɔːwəd/
We will be forwarding our new catalogue to you next week.
to send or pass goods or information to sb.
Definition
[transitive, intr.] to overlap (with/Ø sth.)
/ˌəʊvəˈlæp/
Our jobs overlap slightly, which sometimes causes difficulties.
to cover part of the same area of interest, knowledge, responsibility, etc.
Definition
trial
/ˈtraɪəl/
The new drug is undergoing clinical trials.
the process of testing the ability, quality or performance of sb./sth., especially before you make a final decision about them
Definition
starkly
/ˈstɑːkli/
- These theories contrast starkly with the reality of everyday life.*
- We are starkly aware of the risks.*
in a way that is unpleasant, real and impossible to avoid ; completely
Definition
stability
/stəˈbɪləti/
the stability of the dollar on the world’s money markets
the quality or state of being steady and not changing or being disturbed in any way
Definition
profound
/prəˈfaʊnd/
profound changes in the earth’s climate
very great; felt or experienced very strongly
Definition
liberalization
/ˌlɪbrəlaɪˈzeɪʃn/
the liberalization of drug laws
the act or process of making sth. such as a law or a political or religious system less strict
Definition
to agonize (over/about sth.)
/ˈæɡənaɪz/
I spent days agonizing over whether to take the job or not.
to spend a long time thinking and worrying about a difficult situation or problem
Definition
partly
/ˈpɑːtli/
Some people are unwilling to attend the classes partly because of the cost involved.
to some extent; not completely
Definition
a decade-long war
a war that lasted 10 years
Definition
to peel
/piːl/
Carefully peel away the lining paper.
to remove a layer, covering, etc. from the surface of sth.; to come off the surface of sth.
Definition
[intransitive] to range
/reɪndʒ/
Estimates of the damage range between $1 million and $5 million.
to vary between two particular amounts, sizes, etc., including others between them
Definition
[uncountable] consumption
/kənˈsʌmpʃn/
the production of fuel for domestic consumption
the act of using energy, food or materials; the amount used
Definition
to tear apart (sth.)
/teər əˈpɑːrt/
Racial strife is tearing our country apart.
to make people in a country, an organization or other place fight or argue with each other
Definition
identifiable
/aɪˌdentɪˈfaɪəbl/
identifiable characteristics
that can be recognized
Definition
unnecessary
/ʌnˈnesəsəri/
They were found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to animals.
not needed; more than is needed
Definition
dense
/dens/
a dense piece of writing
difficult to understand because it contains a lot of information
Definition
to evaluate (sth./how/whether)
/ɪˈvæljueɪt/
- Our research attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of the different drugs.*
- We need to evaluate how well the policy is working.*
to form an opinion of the amount, value or quality of sth. after thinking about it carefully
Definition
banker
/ˈbæŋkə(r)/
He’s an investment banker in New York.
a person who owns a bank or has an important job at a bank
Definition
to negate
/nɪˈɡeɪt/
syn. : to nullify
/ˈnʌlɪfaɪ/
Alcohol negates the effects of the drug.
to stop sth. from having any effect
syn. : ?
Definition
at times
He can be really bad-tempered at times.
sometimes
Definition
imbalance
/ɪmˈbæləns/
a global imbalance of/in power
a situation in which two or more things are not the same size or are not treated the same, in a way that is unfair or causes problems
Definition
practical
/ˈpræktɪkl/
Opp. : theoretical
/ˌθɪəˈretɪkl/
- to have gained practical experience of the work*
- practical men*
connected with real situations rather than with ideas or theories
Opp. : ?
Definition
a shortcoming
/ˈʃɔːtkʌmɪŋ/
syn. : defect
/ˈdiːfekt/
There were obvious shortcomings in the report.
a fault in sb.’s character, a plan, a system, etc.
syn. : ?
Definition
definitely
/ˈdefɪnətli/
Please say definitely whether you will be coming or not.
in a way that is certain or that shows that you are certain
Definition
warlike
/ˈwɔːlaɪk/
syn. : belligerent
/bəˈlɪdʒərənt/
a warlike nation
aggressive and wanting to fight
syn. : ?
Definition
quite
/kwaɪt/
syn. : fairly
/ˈfeəli/
(rather informal) syn. : pretty
/ˈprɪti/
He plays quite well.
(not used with a negative) to some degree
syn. : ?
(rather informal) syn. : ?
Definition
defunct
/dɪˈfʌŋkt/
a largely defunct railway network
(formal) no longer existing, operating or being used
Definition
compelling
/kəmˈpelɪŋ/
a compelling need/desire
so strong that you must do sth. about it
Definition
cell phone
/ˈsel fəʊn/
The use of cellular phones is not permitted on most aircraft.
a telephone that does not have wires and works by radio, that you can carry with you and use anywhere
Definition
analogy
/əˈnælədʒi/
There are no analogies with any previous legal cases.
a comparison of one thing with another thing that has similar features; a feature that is similar
Definition
a survey
/ˈsɜːveɪ/
a comprehensive survey of modern music
a general study, view or description of sth.
Definition
primarily
/praɪˈmerəli/
syn. : chiefly
/ˈtʃiːfli/
The person primarily responsible is the project manager.
mainly
syn. :
Definition
to mislead
/ˌmɪsˈliːd/
syn. : to deceive
/dɪˈsiːv/
He deliberately misled us about the nature of their relationship.
to give sb. the wrong idea or impression and make them believe sth. that is not true
syn. : ?
Definition
to root
/ruːt/
Much violence in the world today is rooted in civil conflicts
to grow roots; to cause or encourage a plant to grow roots
Definition
usage
/ˈjuːsɪdʒ/
It’s not a word in common usage.
the way in which words are used in a language
Definition
to experience
/ɪkˈspɪəriəns/
The country experienced a foreign currency shortage for several months.
to have a particular situation affect you or happen to you
Definition
alternatively
/ɔːlˈtɜːnətɪvli/
The agency will make travel arrangements for you. Alternatively, you can organize your own transport.
used to introduce a suggestion that is a second choice or possibility
Definition
to prescribe
/prɪˈskraɪb/
Police regulations prescribe that an officer’s number must be clearly visible.
(of a person or an organization with authority) to say what should be done or how sth. should be done
Definition
privacy
/ˈprɪvəsi/
He read the letter later in the privacy of his own room.
the state of being alone and not watched or disturbed by other people
Definition
to quote
/kwəʊt/
He quoted a passage from the minister’s speech.
to repeat the exact words that another person has said or written
Definition
[often passive] to better
/ˈbetə(r)/
- The work he produced early in his career has never really been bettered.*
- We want to better our own understanding of international politics*
to be more skilled or do sth. of a higher quality than sb./sth. else
Definition
interpretive
/ɪnˈtɜːprɪtɪv/
In applying this interpretive approach to the facts of the complaint, the Tribunal concluded that…
connected with the particular way in which sth. is understood, explained or performed
