Unit 2 Flashcards
Vocabulary
Anecdote (n)
a short, often funny story, especially about something someone has done
a short, often amusing story about an event, usually involving a particular person
Archive (n)
a collection of historical records relating to a place, organization, or family
a place where historical records are kept
Biased (adj)
showing an unreasonable like or dislike for someone or something based on personal opinions
Biography (n)
the story of the life of a person written by someone else, or the area of literature relating to books that describe such stories
Essentially (adv)
relating to the most important characteristics or ideas of something
Focus (n)
the main or central point of something, especially of attention or interest
careful attention that is given to something such as a task, or the ability to give your full attention to something
Gripping (adj)
something that is gripping is so interesting or exciting that it holds your attention completely
Impartial (adj)
not supporting any of the sides involved in an argument
able to judge or consider something fairly without allowing your own interest to influence you
Manipulate (v)
to control something or someone to your advantage, often unfairly or dishonestly
Narrator (n)
the character who tells you what is happening in a book or film
a person who tells a story, or a person who speaks during a film or television program not as an actor but to describe or discuss the pictures being shown
Objective (adj)
something that you plan to do or achieve
based on real facts and not influenced by personal beliefs or feelings
Rivalry (n)
a serious and often continuing competition
a situation in which people, businesses, etc. compete with each other for the same thing
Sentimental (adj)
giving too much importance to emotions, especially love or sadness
Superior (adj)
better than average or better than other people or things of the same type
Sympathetic (adj)
used to describe someone who shows, especially by what they say, that they understand and care about someone
else’s suffering
agreeing with or supporting
Unfair (adj)
not treating people in an equal way, or not morally right
not morally right, or not treating people in an equal way
Adaptation (n)
the process of changing to suit different conditions
Alienate (v)
to cause someone or a group of people to stop supporting and agreeing with you
to make someone feel that they are different and not part of a group
Author (n)
the writer of a book, article, play, etc.
Best-seller (n)
a new book or other product that has sold a great number of copies
Blockbuster (n)
a book or film that is very successful
a very successful product, film, etc. that makes a lot of money
Box office (n)
the place in a cinema or theatre where tickets are sold
the number of tickets that are sold for a film, as a measure of how popular and financially successful a film or actor is
Budget (n)
a plan to show how much money a person or organization will earn and how much they will need or be able to spend
Cast (n)
the actors in a film, play, or show
Chapter (n)
any of the separate parts into which a book or other piece of text is divided, usually given a number or title
a period that is part of a larger amount of time during which something happens
Compensate (v)
to pay someone money in exchange for something that has been lost or damaged or for some problem
to provide something good or useful in place of something or to make someone feel better about something that has failed or been lost or missed
Faithful (adj)
firm and not changing in your friendship with or support for a person or an organization, or in your belief in your principles
Flop (n)
to fall or drop heavily
If a book, play, film, etc. flops, it is not successful
Flow (v)
to continue to arrive or be produced
the movement of something in one direction
Ingredient (n)
a food that is used with other foods in the preparation of a particular dish
one of the parts of something successful
Loyal (adj)
firm and not changing in your friendship with or support for a person or an organization, or in your belief in your principles
Portrayal (n)
the way that someone or something is described or represented in a painting, film, book, or other artistic work
Producer (n)
a person who makes the practical and financial arrangements needed to make a film, play, or television or radio programme
Publisher (n)
an organization that publishes text or music
a person or company that produces and sells books, magazines, newspapers, software, etc.
Reader (n)
a person whose job is to advise a publishing company if a particular book should be published
someone who reads for pleasure, especially a person who reads a lot
Scene (n)
a part of a play or film in which the action stays in one place for a continuous period of time
Scenery (n)
the general appearance of the natural environment, especially when it is beautiful
Screenwriter (n)
someone who writes the story for a film
Script (n)
the words of a film, play, broadcast, or speech
Setting (n)
the position of a house or other building
the time and the place in which the action of a book, film, play, etc. happens
Spectacular (adj)
very exciting to look at
especially great
Spirit (n)
particular way of thinking, feeling, or behaving, especially a way that is typical of a particular group of people, an activity, a time, or a place
Storyline (n)
(in a book, film, play, etc.) the plot (= the series of events that happen in it)
Substantial (adj)
large in size, value, or importance
relating to the main or most important things being considered
Theme (n)
the main subject of a talk, book, film, etc.
a song or tune that is played several times in a film, etc. and represents a character, situation, etc.
Trilogy (n)
a series of three books, plays, etc. written about the same situation or characters, forming a continuous story
bonnet (n)
a type of hat that covers the ears and is tied under the chin, worn by babies or, especially in the past, by women
Bullet (n)
a small, metal object that is shot from a gun
Crack (v)
to break something so that it does not separate, but very thin lines appear on its surface, or to become broken in this way
Crash (v)
to hit something, often making a loud noise or causing damage
Distract (v)
to make someone stop giving their attention to something
Encounter (n)
a meeting, especially one that happens by chance
Frequently (adv)
often
Frightening (adj)
making you feel fear
Gouge (v)
to dig or cut into something in a rough or violent way
Guard (n)
a person or group of people whose job is to protect a person, place, or thing from danger or attack, or to prevent a person such as a criminal from escaping
Hurriedly (adv)
in a way that is hurried (= done very quickly or too quickly)
Incident (n)
an event that is either unpleasant or unusual
Instinct (n)
the way people or animals naturally react or behave, without having to think or learn about it
a natural ability that helps you decide what to do or how to act without thinking
Kick (v)
to hit someone or something with the foot, or to move the feet and legs suddenly and violently
Leap (v)
to make a large jump or sudden movement, usually from one place to another
to provide help, protection, etc. very quickly
Rifle (n)
a type of gun with a long barrel (= part shaped like a tube), fired from the shoulder and designed to be accurate at long distances
Shave (n)
the act of shaving, especially a man’s face
Skid (v)
a sliding movement that cannot be controlled
Slam (v)
to (cause to) move against a hard surface with force and usually a loud noise
Sprint (v)
to run as fast as you can over a short distance, either in a race or because you are in a great hurry to get somewhere
Stretch (v)
to cause something to reach, often as far as possible, in a particular direction
Tarmac (n)
an area of ground covered with a hard surface, esp. the areas of an airport where aircraft park, land, and take off
Uninterested (adj)
not excited or not wanting to become involved
not interested
Veer (v)
to change direction
Coarseness (n)
the quality of being rough and not smooth or soft, or not in very small pieces
behaviour or language that is rude and offensive
Collection (n)
a group of objects of one type that have been collected by one person or in one place
a lot of things or people
Core (n)
the basic and most important part of something
Devote (v)
to give all of something, especially your time, effort, or love, or yourself, to something you believe in or to a person
to use a space, area, time, etc. for a particular purpose
Edition (n)
a particular form in which a book, magazine, or newspaper is published
a single broadcast of a series of radio or television programmes
Emphasise (v)
to show that something is very important or worth giving attention to
Folklore (n)
the traditional stories and culture of a group of people
the traditional stories, beliefs, and customs of a group of people
Footnote (n)
a note printed at the bottom of a page that gives extra information about something that has been written on that page
Gender (n)
a group of people in a society who share particular qualities or ways of behaving which that society associates with being male, female, or another identity
the condition of being a member of a group of people in a society who share particular qualities or ways of behaving which that society associates with being male, female, or another identity
Magic (n)
a special and exciting quality that makes something seem different from ordinary things
the use of special powers to make things happen that would usually be impossible, such as in stories for children
Medieval (adj)
related to the Middle Ages (= the period in European history from about AD 600 to AD 1500)
Nanny (n)
a person whose job is to take care of a particular family’s children
Obey (v)
to act according to what you have been asked or ordered to do by someone in authority, or to behave according to a rule, law, or instruction
to do what you are told or expected to do according to someone in authority or a rule or law
Occupy (v)
to fill, exist in, or use a place or period of time
to keep someone busy or interested
(of an army or group of people) to move into and take control and/or possession of a place
Oral (adj)
spoken and not written
Patriotic (adj)
showing love for your country and being proud of it
Peasant (n)
a person who owns or rents a small piece of land and grows crops, keeps animals, etc. on it, especially one who has a low income, very little education, and a low social position. This is usually used of someone who lived in the past or of someone in a poor country
a member of a low social class of farm workers and owners of small farms
Polish (v)
to rub something using a piece of cloth or brush to clean it and make it shine
a cream or other substance that you use to clean something
Popularity (n)
the fact that something or someone is liked, enjoyed, or supported by many people
Punishment (n)
the act of punishing someone
rough treatment
Reshape (v)
to change the character or organization of something
to shape something again or differently
Royalty (n)
the people who belong to the family of a king and queen
kings or queens and their families as a group, or the rank or power of these people
a payment made to writers, people who have invented things, owners of property, etc. every time their books, devices, land, etc. are bought or used by others
Scholarly (adj)
containing a serious, detailed study of a subject
relating to or typical of scholars
Strive (v)
to try very hard to do something or to make something happen, especially for a long time or against difficulties
Supress (v)
to end something by force
to prevent something from being seen or expressed or from operating
Tale (n)
a story, especially one that might be invented or difficult to believe
Thrive (v)
to grow, develop, or be successful
Universal (adj)
existing everywhere or involving everyone
Villain (n)
a bad person who harms other people or breaks the law
a criminal
something or someone considered harmful or dangerous
Wise (Adj)
having or showing the ability to make good judgments, based on a deep understanding and experience of life
Bend (v)
to (cause to) curve
to move your body or part of your body so that it is not straight
Burst (v)
to break open or apart suddenly, or to make something do this
to feel a strong emotion, or strong wish to do something
Cry (v)
to produce tears as the result of a strong emotion, such as unhappiness or pain
Handle (n)
a part of an object designed for holding, moving, or carrying the object easily
Moan (v)
to make a long, low sound of pain, suffering, or another strong emotion
to make a complaint in an unhappy voice, usually about something that does not seem important to other people
Occupant (n)
a person who lives or works in a room or building
a person who is in a car, room, seat, place, or position
Panic-stricken (adj)
very frightened and worried about a situation, and therefore unable to think clearly or act reasonably
very frightened
Reboot (v)
to start something again or do something again, in a way that is new and interesting
Snap (v)
to cause something that is thin to break suddenly and quickly with a cracking sound
to suddenly become unable to control a strong feeling, especially anger
to move into a position quickly, producing a short noise as if breaking
to quickly return to a previous place or condition
Storey (n)
a level of a building
Stranded (adj)
unable to leave somewhere because of a problem such as not having any transport or money
lacking what is necessary to leave a place or to get out of a situation
Tear (v)
to pull or be pulled apart, or to pull pieces off
Temporary (Adj)
not lasting or needed for very long
not lasting or permanent
Trudge (v)
to walk slowly with a lot of effort, especially over a difficult surface or while carrying something heavy
a long walk that makes you feel very tired
Agility (n)
the ability to move your body quickly and easily
the ability to think quickly and clearly
Arcade (n)
a covered area or passage in which there are shops
Aristocracy (n)
a class of people who hold high social rank
Cabinet (n)
a small group of the most important people in a government, who meet regularly to make the main decisions
a piece of furniture with shelves, cupboards, or drawers, used for storing or showing things
Captivate (n)
to hold the attention of someone by being extremely interesting, exciting, pleasant, or attractive
Entrancing (adj)
beautiful or interesting in a way that means you cannot stop listening to or watching someone or something
Envision (v)
to imagine or expect something to happen, appear, etc. in a particular way
Flickering (adj)
shining with a light that is sometimes bright and sometimes weak
appearing for a short time before disappearing again
Illusion (n)
an idea or belief that is not true
something that is not really what it seems to be
Imagination (n)
the ability to form pictures in the mind
something that you think exists or is true, although in fact it is not real or true
Inauguration (n)
the act of officially putting someone into an important position, or the ceremony at which this is done
the act of something officially starting to be used
the beginning of a new period, style, or activity
Inconceivable (adj)
impossible to imagine or think of
Landmark (n)
a building or place that is easily recognized, especially one that you can use to judge where you are
an important stage in something’s development
Loop (n)
the curved shape made when something long and thin, such as a piece of string, bends until one part of it nearly touches or crosses another part of it
a piece of string, thread, material, etc. bent into a curved shape
Melodrama (n)
a story, play, or film in which the characters show stronger emotions than real people usually do
Nickelodeon (n)
A theatre or cinema, or (occasionally) other place of entertainment, with an admission fee of one nickel
Peep (v)
to secretly look at something for a short time, usually through a hole
to appear slowly and not be completely seen
to make a weak high noise
Projection (n)
a calculation or guess about the future based on information that you have
the act of projecting a film or an image onto a screen or wall, or the film or image itself
Spectacle (n)
an unusual or unexpected event or situation that attracts attention, interest, or disapproval
a public event or show that is exciting to watch
Tinseltown (n)
Hollywood, California, as a center of the movie industry
Tremendous (adj)
very great in amount or level, or extremely good
Unravel (v)
If you unravel a mysterious, unknown, or complicated subject, you make it known or understood, and if it unravels, it becomes known or understood
Vaudeville (n)
a type of theatre entertainment in the 1800s and early 1900s that included music, dancing, and jokes
