UNIT 1 Flashcards
Acquisition
the process by which you gain knowledge or learn a skill
Adaptable
able to change in order to be successful in new and different situations
Adopt
to use a particular style of speaking, writing, or behaving, especially one that you do not usually use // to choose a new name, country, custom etc, especially to replace a previous one
Advocacy
public support for a course of action or way of doing things
Alien (adj)
not usual or acceptable
Anglicize
to make sb/sth English in character
Articulate
express very clearly
Assert
to state very strongly your right to something // to state firmly that something is true
At loss for words
speechless, mute, tongue-tied, inarticulate
At sb’s disposal
available for someone to use
Augment the pace
to increase the amount, value, size, etc. of sth
Backdrop
the conditions or situation in which something happens
Be more in your face
shocking and annoying in a way that is difficult to ignore
Begrudge
to feel angry or upset with someone because they have something that you think they do not deserve // to feel annoyed or unhappy that you have to pay something, give someone something etc
Belie sth
to give a false impression of sb/sth
Bewitching
Adjective which can qualify “reading” with the meaning of “enchanting” or “mesmerising”
Bizarre
very strange or unusual
Black hole of sth
sth that remains unexplored
Bleached
to make something pale or white, especially by using chemicals or the sun(Context: bleached sphere of irrelevance)
Boon (to/for sb)
sth that is very helpful and makes life easier for you
Noun
The bus service is a real boon to people in the village.
Break down (v)
to destroy sth or make it disappear, especially a particular feeling or attitude that sb has
Burden (n)
Something difficult or worrying that you are responsible for
Call for sth
to publicly ask for sth to happen
Can’t/couldn’t get a word in edgeways
to not be able to say anything because smn else is talking all the time:
Cataclysmic
extreme and very bad
Catch on
to become popular
Catch up (with sb)
to improve and reach the same standard as other people in your class, group etc
Catchphrase
a popular phrase that is connected with the politician or entertainer who used it and made it famous
Chatterbox
a person who talks a lot, especially a child
Clamour
the expression of feelings of anger and shock by a large number of people – used especially in news reports
Clutch one’s face/ head
To grab one’s face or head. Agarrarse la cabeza
Clutch up
Slang- to become tense with fright; panic
Clutching at straws
to be trying everything possible to find a solution or hope in a difficult situation, even though it will probably be unsuccessful
Come with sth else
to come together
Come under fire
to be strongly criticised
Compelling
that makes you pay attention to it because it is so interesting and exciting
Complacency
a feeling of satisfaction with a situation or with what you have achieved, so that you stop trying to improve or change things – used to show disapproval
Conduct
o carry out a particular activity or process, especially in order to get information or prove facts
Confound
to confuse and surprise people by being unexpected
Contentious
causing a lot of argument and disagreement between people
Convey
to make ideas, feelings, etc. known to sb
Craft an identity
.
Creative genius/ icons
Enduring genius
Sb who is so talented or famous as to be a symbol of creativity.
Cringe
to move away from someone or something because you are afraid // to feel embarrassed by something you have said or done because you think it makes you seem silly
Criterion
a standard that you use to judge something or make a decision about something //
Cross one’s arms
.
Curl/ twirl one’s hair
.
Custodian
a person who takes responsibility for taking care of or protecting sth
Debase
to make sb/sth less valuable or respected
Decouple
to separate from someone or something else; to separate something from something else that it was joined to or part of:
Denizen
a person, an animal or a plant that lives, grows or is often found in a particular placce
Dialect
form of a language which is spoken only in one area, with words or grammar that are slightly different from other forms of the same language
Diaspora
the movement of people from any nation or group away from their own country
Die off
(of a language)
Die the death
come to an end; cease or fail to be popular or successful
Die-off
die one by one until there are no more of them
Diminish
to become or make something become smaller or less // to deliberately make someone or something appear less important or valuable than they really are
Dismissed out of hand
if you reject, etc. sth out of hand, you do so immediately
Disseminate sth
to spread information, knowledge, etc. so that it reaches many people
Distil sth (from/into)
to get the essential meaning or ideas from thoughts, information, experiences, etc.
Do your (own) thing
If you do your own thing, you live, act, or behave in the way you want to, without paying attention to convention or depending on other people.
Ecological system
different environments throughout our lifespan that may influence our behavior in varying degrees. These systems include the microsystem, the mesosystem, the exosystem, the macrosystem, and the chronosystem, and are usually depicted by nesting spheres of influence
Emerge
to start to exist; to appear or become known
Evolutionary backwardness
Also: Devolution. Notion that species can revert to supposedly more primitive forms over time.
Evolutionary bush
a branching diagram or a tree showing the evolutionary relationships among various biological species or other entities based upon similarities and differences in their physical or genetic characteristics
Exchange
Reciprocal influence, could be used to complete “a delicate…. of giving and receiving”
Explain sth in layman’s terms
in simple language
Extol
to praise something very much
Fad
sth that people are interested in for only a short period of time
Fall back on sb/sth
to use something or depend on someone’s help when dealing with a difficult situation, especially after other methods have failed
Fall victim (to sth)
to be injured, damaged or killed by sth.
Favoured
preferred by most people
Feed the flames
to provoke further a debate or controversy, a person’s anger, etc.
Fidget
to keep moving your hands or feet, especially because you are bored or nervous
First language
the language that you learn to speak first as a child
Forage (v)
to search for food or supplies
Foreign language
a language originally from another country than the speaker, not spoken in the native country of the person referred to, and not learned from the beginnings of the speaker’s life
Free up sth
to make sth available to be used
Frown
to make an angry, unhappy, or confused expression, moving your eyebrows together
Frown on/upon sb/sth
to disapprove of someone or something, especially someone’s behaviour
Fumble
to try to hold, move, or find something with your hands in an awkward way
Funky
fashionable and unusual
Gain
To keep increasing or developing
Gist
the main or general meaning of a piece of writing, a speech or a conversation
Give maps to one’s own self
Expression which means that a book can act as a compass in helping us orient ourselves internally
Give sb the silent treatment
Refuse to speak to them because you are annoyed with them or disapprove of something that they have done.
Gloss over sth
to avoid talking about sth unpleasant or embarrassing by not dealing with it in detail
To grapple
To fight, especially in order to win something
Grapple with (sb)
Grasp
to completely understand a fact or an idea, especially a complicated one
Grow into
to start doing sth as you become older
Grow out of
to stop doing sth as you become older
Grow up
to start to exist or develop gradually
Halt (v)
to prevent someone or something from continuing – used especially in news reports
In everyday English, people use “stop”
The government has failed to halt economic decline.
Handicap
sth that makes it difficult for sb to do sth
Harp on sth
to keep talking about sth in a boring or annoying way
Harsh
Harsh conditions are difficult to live in and very uncomfortable
Hasten
to make something happen faster or sooner // to do or say something quickly or without delay
Have its days
the period during which it was most successful or popular has now passed
Have/get more mileage (out of sth)
the amount of advantage or use that you can get from a particular situation
He said, she said situation/ discussion
a contentious dispute in which the parties express opposing accounts of an event or situation; an account of such a dispute lacking analysis or concrete evidence
Heard above the clamour
.
Hip (adj/n)
very modern and follow all the latest fashions, for example in clothes and ideas.
Hipness
Quality of being hip
Clasp (v)
to hold someone or something tightly, closing your fingers or arms around them
WD: HOLD
HOLD Clutch
to hold something tightly because you do not want to lose it
HOLD Grasp
to take and hold something firmly
Hold the interest of sb
.
Hotspots
an exciting place where there is a lot of activity or entertainment as a hot spot // an area where there is fighting, serious political trouble, or an outbreak of a disease
Hunger for
a strong need or desire for something
Idiosyncrasy
a person’s particular way of behaving, thinking, etc., especially when it is unusual; an unusual feature
Ill-equipped
not having the necessary equipment or skills
Imagery
language that produces pictures in the minds of people reading or listening
Immersive experience
used to describe a computer system or image that seems to surround the user
Impaired
damaged, less strong, or not as good as before
Impart
to give a particular quality to something
Impeded
to be delayed or stopped the progress of sth
Impregnable
strong and impossible to defeat or change
In the same vein
in the same style of speaking or writing
Inhibit
to prevent sth from happening or make it happen more slowly or less frequently than normal
Innit
isn’t it
Interlocked fingers
.
Intermingle
to mix together, or mix something with something else
The stress and anxiety were intermingled
Jargon
words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group of people, and are difficult for others to understand
Kneel
to be in or move into a position where your body is resting on your knees
Language
.
Language Broken/fragmented/fractured/limited
(of a language that is not your own) spoken slowly and with a lot of mistakes; not fluent
Language loss
Death of a language
Languages at risk/in peril/in jeopardy/at stake
.
Laudable
deserving to be praised or admired, even if not really successful
Laudable
to praise someone or something (/lɔːd/)
Layers of understanding
Different levels of such things as meaning or misunderstanding
Leave out
to not include or mention sb/sth in sth
Let it all hang out
to relax and do what you like
Linguistic imperialism
The transfer of a dominant language to other people
Long-winded
continuing for too long and therefore boring
Mainstream
the ideas and opinions that are thought to be normal because they are shared by most people; the people whose ideas and opinions are most accepted
Make allowance for sth
To take into consideration when planning sth or making calculations
Make the worse off
poorer or in a more difficult situation
Manipulate sth to one’s own advantage
.
Marshal
to control or organise a large group of people
Mastery
great knowledge about or understanding of a particular thing
Misconceived
a misconceived idea, plan, method etc is not a good one because it is based on a wrong understanding of something
Morph (sb/sth) into (sb/sth)
to change, or make sb/sth change into sth differnt
Move on
to develop in your life, and change your relationships, interests, activities etc // to start talking about a new subject in a discussion, book etc // to change, progress, improve, or become more modern as time passes
Multicultural
for or including people of several different races, religions, languages and traditions
Naive
not having much experience of how complicated life is, so that you trust people too much and believe that good things will always happe
Navigate changes
to find the right way to deal with a difficult or complicated situation
Niche
relating to selling goods to a particular small group of people who have similar needs, interests etc
Niche
an opportunity to sell a product or service to a particular group of people who have similar needs, interests etc
Not being on speaking terms
if two people are not speaking, they do not talk to each other, usually because they have argued
Novel sentences
different from anything known before; new, interesting and often seeming slightly strange
Novice
someone who has no experience in a skill, subject, or activity
Nuance
a very slight, hardly noticeable difference in manner, colour, meaning etc
Obliterate
to destroy something completely so that nothing remains
On the alert for
ready to notice and deal with a situation or problem
On the assumption that
to base ideas, plans etc on a particular fact that you think is true
On the brink of
a situation when you are almost in a new situation, usually a bad one
On the face of it
without knowing all of the relevant facts; apparently
On the fly
Deal with a situation while it’s happening
Otiose
Unnecessary (/əʊtiəʊs/)
Outcome
the result or effect of an action or event
Outset
at or from the beginning of an event or process
Outwit sb/sth
to defeat sb/sth or gain an advantage over the, by going sth clever
Overt
overt actions are done publicly, without trying to hide anything
Panoply of ways
a large and impressive number or collection of sth
Paradoxical situation
having two opposite features and therefore seeming strange
Paragon
a person who is perfect or who is a perfect example of a particular good quality
Parlance
a particular way of using words or expressing yourself // words that a particular group of people would use
Patchwork
a thing that is made up of many different pieces or parts
Patronise (sb)
to treat sb in a way that seems friendly, but which shows that you think that they are not very intelligent, experienced, etc. (dissaproving)
Peer
to look very carefully at something, especially because you are having difficulty seeing it
Perch
a high place or position, especially one where you can sit and watch something
Perch (yourself) on sth
to sit on top of something or on the edge of something
Perched on/above etc something
to be in a position on top of something or on the edge of something
Perform
to do something, especially something difficult or useful
Performs
Literature… the basic magic of what things look like through smn else’s POV
Peter out
to gradually become smaller, quieter, etc. and then end
Pidgin
a simple form of a language with a limited n° of words that are used together with words from other language
Pitfall
a problem or difficulty that is likely to happen in a particular job, course of action, or activity
Plausible
reasonable and likely to be true
Plight of
a difficult and sad situation
Point of no return
a stage in a process or activity when it becomes impossible to stop it or do something different
Point out
to tell someone something that they did not already know or had not thought about // to show something to someone by pointing at it
Poke (fun at)
to make smn seem stupid by making jokes about them or laughing unkindly
Population-wide
affecting all the people in the world, city, town
Populist
that represent the opinions and wishes of ordinary people
Pout
to push out your lower lip because you are annoyed or unhappy, or in order to look sexually attractive
Preclude
to prevent something or make something impossible
Prestige
of high quality that people respect you for having or being involved in
Prop
to support something by leaning it against something, or by putting something else under, next to, or behind it
Prop sth up
to help an economy, industry, or government so that it can continue to exist, especially by giving money
Prop up one’s chin
.
Protect
.
Put your business in the street
Open yout mouth (star talking)
Quaint
attractive in an unusual or old-fashioned way
Raptor
any bird of prey
Raucous
sounding unpleasantly loud // impolite, noisy, and violent (/rɔːkəs/)
Rebound
to return to a better level or position
Relate- recap- portray- rehash- relay
Collocate with anecdote and mean “tell” or “recount”
Rely on
to trust or depend on someone or something to do what you need or expect them to do
Repertoire of
the total number of things that someone or something is able to do
Rest one’s head on one’s fists
.
Revisit
To confess or explain sth with the capacity to understand it in retrospect.
Risible
something that is risible is so stupid that it deserves to be laughed at
Roll one’s eyes
.
Rooted in
to have developed from something and be strongly influenced by it
Sabotage
the act of deliberately spoiling sth in order to prevent it from being successful
Savour
to fully enjoy a time or experience // to fully enjoy the taste or smell of something
Savour
interest and enjoyment // a pleasant taste or smell
Savour of sth
to seem to involve something bad or to have some of a bad quality
Say sth under one’s breath
Secretive
Sb/sth set tongues wagging
to make ppl start gossiping
Scatter
if someone scatters a lot of things, or if they scatter, they are thrown or dropped over a wide area in an irregular way // if a group of people or animals scatter, or if something scatters them, they move quickly in different directions
Second language
a language that sb learns to speak well and that they use for work or at school, but that is not the language they learned fisrt
Serve
to provide an area or a group of people with something that is necessary or useful
Settings
a set of surroundings; the place at which sth happens
Shape
to influence something such as a belief, opinion etc and make it develop in a particular way
Shrug
to raise and then lower your shoulders in order to show that you do not know something or do not care about something
Shrug sth off
to treat something as unimportant and not worry about it
Skirmish
a short argument, especially between political opponents
Skyrocket to popularity
to rise quickly to a very high level
Slanguage
very informal words and expressions that are more common in spoken language, specially used by a particular group of ppl
Slow down
to become slower or to make something slower // to become less active or busy than you usually are
Slump
to suddenly go down in price, value, or number // to fall or lean against something because you are not strong enough to stand
Smattering of a language
a very small amount/number
Snack on sth
.
Soak sth up
to learn something quickly and easily // to enjoy a place by watching it or becoming involved in it
Soar
rise very quickly
Songster/songbird
A singer // a songbird (bird which can sing)
Sound off
to express your opinions loudly or in an aggressive way
Sprinkling
a small amount of something, especially scattered over an area
Squat
to sit with your knees bent under you and your bottom just off the ground, balancing on your feet (S down) // to live in a building or on a piece of land without permission and without paying rent
Stalk
to follow and watch someone over a long period of time in a way that is very annoying or threatening, and that is considered a crime in some places
Stand out
very easy to see or notice // much better than other similar people or things
Standpoint
a way of thinking about people, situations, ideas etc
Stave sth off
to keep someone or something from reaching you or affecting you for a period of time
Steer (sth/sb) (+ adv./prep.)
to control the direction in which it moves
Steer/stay clear of a subject
to avoid a subject
Stick around
to stay in a place, waiting for sth 2 happen/for sb to arrive
Stilted (of a way of speaking or writing)
not natural or relaxed; too formal
Stock
the total amount of something that is available to be used in a particular area
Strife
trouble between two or more people or groups (conflict)
Stripped-down vocabulary
lacking any extra features; reduced to its simplest form
Strive
to try very hard to achieve sth
Subversive
a person who tries to destroy or damage a government or political system by attacking it secretly or indirectly
Succinct
clearly expressed in a few words – use this to show approval. Concise.
Switch from sth to sth
to change from doing or using one thing to doing or using another
Tabernacle
a place of worship
Take up
to accept sth that is offered or available
Talk about sb behind their back
.
Talk down to sb
to speak to sb as if they were less important or intelligent than you
Talk one’s head off
to talk to someone for a long time, usually loudly
Talk sb’s ear off
to talk too much to someone
Talk the hind leg off a donkey (BR)/to talk blue streak (AM)
quickly without stopping
to talk incessantly/to talk
Teeter on the brink of collapse
to be very close to doing sth or of having some imminent event happen, especially that which is bad or disastrous
Teetering on the brink/edge of something
to be very close to being in an unpleasant or dangerous situation
Teetering on the edge of oblivion
in a situation in which sth bad is
Tell friend for foe
Mistake for a friend an enemy or smn whose intetions are bad
The bulk (of sth)
the main part of sth; most of sth
Tilt one’s head
.
Tinged with
to add a small amount of a particular emotion or quality to sth
Tip-of-the-tongue
if something is on the tip of your tongue, you really want to say it, but then you decide not to // if a word, name etc is on the tip of your tongue, you know it but cannot remember it
Trim
to reduce a number, amount, or the size of something
Trump
to do better than someone else in a situation when people are competing with each other
Turn on/off
.
Turn out
to happen in a particular way; to develop or end in a particular way
Types of nonverbal communication
Facial expressions⇨ the look on a face is the first thing we see. facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger, and fear are similar throughout the world,
Types of nonverbal communication
Gestures⇨ arbitrary and related to culture
Types of nonverbal communication
Paralinguistics⇨ vocal communication that is separate from actual language (tone voice, loudness, inflection and pitch)
Types of nonverbal communication
Body language and posture⇨ can indicate feelings and attitudes
Types of nonverbal communication
Proxemics⇨ personal space-the amount of distance we need and the amount of personal space we perceive as belonging to us influenced by a number of factors including social norms, cultural expectations, situational factors, personality characteristics, and level of familiarity
Types of nonverbal communication
Eye gaze⇨ when encountering ppl/things we like the rate of blinking increases and pupils dilate. steady eye contact—> honest but shifty eyes and inability to maintain eye contact—> lying or being deceptive
Types of nonverbal communication
Haptics⇨ touch can be used to communicate affection, familiarity, sympathy, and other emotions. also status and power. also sex differences play a role in how ppl utilise touch to emotions. also status and power. also sex differences play a role in how ppl utilise touch to communicate meaning—> women: care, concern, nurturance. men: power, control.
communicate meaning—> women: care, concern, nurturance. men: power, control.
Types of nonverbal communication
Appearance⇨ diff colours can evoke diff moods. alter psychological reactions, judgements, and interpretations. can play a role in how ppl are perceived and even how much they earn.
Types of nonverbal communication
Artefacts⇨ objects and images. ppl often spend a great deal of time developing a particular image and surrounding themselves with objects designed to convey information about the things that are important to them.
Under the threat
.
Underscore
to emphasize or show that sth is important or true
Unpalatable
an unpalatable fact or idea is very unpleasant and difficult to accept
Unparalleled (elegance)
Elegance (or another characteristic) which cannot be compared to any other because of its superiority.
Uptight
anxious and/or angry about sth
Vernacular
the language spoken in a particular area or by a particular group, especially one that is not the official or written language
Versatility
the ability to do many different things
Vivid
producing very clear pictures in your mind
WALK Stalk
to walk in a proud or angry way, with long steps
Warm up to sth
To slowly begin to like smn or sth
Wave one’s finger/ glare
.
Widen out the boundaries of our being.
An experience or an emotion has pushed back the limits of your being.
Wince (at sth)
to suddenly make an expression with your face that shows that you are feeling pain or embarrassment
Wrapped up in sb/sth
to be so involved with sb/sth that you do not pay enough attention to other people or things
Write down
To record in the form of writing.
