Vocabulary Words

Question 1

facilitate (verb)

Answer 1

to make an action or a process possible or easier

促进 (cùjìn) and 便利 (biànlì)

The new software will facilitate faster communication among team members.

Question 2

clutter (noun)

Answer 2

a number of things scattered in disorder

杂乱 (záluàn) or 混乱 (hùnluàn)

The clutter on my desk makes it impossible to find what I need.

Question 3

shrewd (adjective)

Answer 3

clever, sharp in practical matters

精明 (jīngmíng)

Warren Buffett is known as a shrewd investor.

Question 4

clash (noun)

Answer 4

fight, conflict

冲突 (chōngtū)

The clash of armies near Gettysburg determined the outcome of the American Civil War.

Question 5

atrocity (noun)

Answer 5

acts of extreme cruelty, esp against prisoners or civilians in wartime

usually plural

暴行 (bàoxíng) or 滔天罪行 (tāotiān zuìxíng)

Human rights organizations work tirelessly to document and expose atrocities around the world.

Question 6

assert (verb)

Answer 6

to insist on one’s rights
or to say something strongly and confidently (verb)

主张 (zhǔzhāng)

The workers decided to assert their right to fair wages by going on strike.

Question 7

phony (adjective)

Answer 7

fake or false
may be applied to a person or a thing

假的 (jiǎ de) or 伪造的 (wěizào de)

His smile looks phony, as if he’s hiding something.

Question 8

devious (adjective)

Answer 8

deceitful, cunning

狡猾的 (jiǎohuá de) or 诡计多端的 (guǐjì duōduān de)

People must be educated about how to avoid devious Internet scams.

Question 9

obscure (adjective)

Answer 9

not famous, not well-known

不出名的 (bù chūmíng de) or “不知名的” (bù zhīmíng de)

My friend loves to collect obscure books from the 1800’s that no one else cares about.

Question 10

inadvertent (adjective)

Answer 10

accidental, unintentional

无意的 (wúyì de) or 不注意的 (bù zhùyì de)

His inadvertent deletion of the report meant hours of work were lost.

Question 11

flaky (adjective)

Answer 11

unreliable

靠不住的 (kào bù zhù de) or 不可靠的 (bù kě kào de)

My home Internet connection is too flaky to use for important business calls.

I can never depend on my flaky sister to arrive on time.

Question 12

spot (verb)

Answer 12

to see, to notice

发现 (fāxiàn), 发觉 (fājué), or 看到 (kàndào)

I always have my older brother review my homework because he easily spots flaws in my writing.

I spotted a small, yellow bird perched on a fence in the distance.

Question 13

eccentricity (noun)

Answer 13

strange behavior outside the norm

古怪 (gǔguài) or 古怪的行为 (gǔguài de xíngwéi)

The old woman was known for her eccentricity, as she frequently talked to herself and always wore bright orange dresses.