Extensive Reading-Book C (E)

adequate

enough
In order to thrive, newborn babies need to receive an adequate supply of nutrients.

contribute

to give
He contributes regularly to the church's building fund.

crisis

an emergency
The fire caused a major crisis in the hospitals; there was not enough room for all the victims.

destitution

the condition of being without money or hope of having any
destitution has become a major problem in the city.

dilapidated

falling apart, in disrepair
The older couple lived in a dilapidated house with broken windows and no heating.

dweller

a person who lives in a certain place
The city dwellers grew tired of the long commutes and pollution.

flock

to gather together
The little children flocked to see Santa Clause.

foster

to help develop
His tennis coach helped foster his career as a professional tennis player.

hospitable

friendly, welcoming
The city dwellers were not hospitable to the influx of people from the country side.

influx

the sudden arrival of many people or things
The influx of immigrants has flooded the school system in Florida.

migration

the process of people traveling to a new place together
There was a mass migration of hurricane victims into the neighboring states.

offspring

child or children
The couple's three offsprings are all accomplished musicians.

poverty

the state of being poor
poverty causes other challenges such as disease and illnesses.

pronounced

noticeable
The new president had a pronounced English accent.

proximity

the state or quality of being near
The two people, having worked in close proximity for years, finally fell in love with each other.

reality

something that is real
The doctors were aware of the reality of the current situation.

seldom

not often
I seldom go out with friends; I prefer to stay home and watch a good movie.

slums

part of a city where poor people live in bad housing
The mother worked hard and saved enough money to move her children out of the slums.

trend

a general pattern
The recent trend in developed countries is to have less children.

typically

showing all the characteristics that you would expect from the stated person, thing or group
Mary, in her typically frank fashion, told Jim that he was being rude.

arise

to occur
A revolt will arise if the government does not find ways to feed its people.

contend

to state formally that something is true
The victim contended that the two young boys were guilty.

controversial

causing disagreement
Religion and politics are controversial subjects that people tend to shy away from.

declaration

an important written statement
The declaration of Independence was written to ask England for independence.

devoid

empty
The town was devoid of all human life.

domestic

related to one's home life
Pets are considered domestic animals because they live in your house.

evident

plain, clear
It is evident that the suspect is guilty; he had his head down during the entire trial.

exemplify

to serve as an example
Her willingness to work long hours exemplifies her desire to succeed.

hail

to praise someone or something for good qualities
The students hailed their teacher as a being a good person.

influence

the power to change or persuade others
It is a challenge to protect our children from the many negative influences they are exposed to each day.

mindless

thoughtless
Her mindless answers caused great frustration for her teacher.

minimization

to reduce to a minimum
minimization of human suffering is the goal of the new agency.

outcome

the effect, result
The citizens were not happy with the outcome of the election.

outspoken

saying clearly what one thinks
Being too outspoken in certain cultures is considered to be very rude.

primary

main
My primary concern right now is studying so that I can pass my test.

proponent

someone who favors something
My sister is a proponent of women staying home and raising their children.

quite

very
Her version of the story is quite different than mine.

reincarnate

be born anew in another body after death
Many religions believe the body can reincarnate into animals after their death.

result

a consequence of an action
The result of the meeting was not what she expected; she was fired.

violation

an act of breaking a law
The judge sent her to jail because she had over 30 traffic violations.

amendment

a change
The parents wanted to make amendments to the school by laws.

assuage

to calm
The parents assuaged the fears of their children about them getting divorced.

baby boomer

person born after World War II between 1946 and 1965 along with a great many other children
There will be a big void in many occupations when the baby boomers start retiring.

bankruptcy

the legal state of being without money or credit, unable to pay bills
The parents had to file for bankruptcy because they had lost their store to the fire.

disabled

having a mental or physical disability
The mother had to quit her job and take care of her son when he became disabled from the accident.

epidemic

extremely prevalent
Playing computer games could also result in an epidemic of short sightedness

expectancy

an expecting or being expected
The life expectancy for American females is 79 years old.

government bond

A government bond is a bond issued by a national government denominated in the country's own currency
The investor does not invest in stocks but in government bonds; he thinks they are safer.

health care

the field concerned with the maintenance or restoration of the health of the body or mind
The presidential debate focused on the issue of health care for children.

income tax

a tax levied on incomes
The citizens were outraged because of the rich pay less income tax than the middle class.

New Deal

the domestic program of the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration
The New Deal programs lasted from 1933 to 1941 in the United States.

pension funds

a supply of money which many people pay into, especially employees of a company, and which is invested in order to provide them with a pension when they are older
The mother contributed the maximum amount into her pension fund; she was concerned about how she will live in retirement.

proper

right as to how to do something
Because they didn't have enough money, they could not pay for a proper wedding for their daughter.

retirement

an act of leaving or time when one leaves the workforce and stops work
After his retirement, he was able to play a lot of golf.

social insurance

any of various forms of insurance in which a government is an insurer, esp. such insurance that provides assistance to disabled or unemployed workers and to aged persons
Medicare is social insurance for the elderly in America; it provides for health care services.

supplementary

additional
Because the mother's milk was not sufficient, the doctor recommended a supplementary diet for the infant.

surface

to appear
The son's medical condition surfaced during a routine visit to the doctor.

surplus

an amount more than what is needed or used
The army had surpluses of supplies, so they gave them to the local people.

uneven

not equal in ability, intelligence, strength
The two boys did not enjoy playing chess together because their skills were uneven.

unprecedented

never having happened or existed in the past
The 20th century witnessed unprecedented new discoveries in technology.

blissfully

great joy or happiness
Her dream was to live blissfully in the country side.

compete

to try to be more successful than someone or something else
Both of his children try to compete for his attention.

decline

to move downward
You can see the decline in the education standards because students no longer can recite their multiplication facts.

disseminate

to make known
The fastest way to disseminate news these days is through the internet.

editor

person in charge of publishing a periodical, a newscast, or a book series
Her work as the editor of a very large newspaper occupied most of her time.

entertainment

shows, films, television, or other performances or activities that entertain people, or a performance of this type
The family enjoyed visiting Las Vegas because of the various entertainment it offered.

enthral

to hold someone's attention completely
Babies are enthralled by bright colors.

fee

a charge, cost
The entrance fee to the museum was $25 per person.

inception

beginning
Since the inception of the program, it has been very successful.

integral

necessary
The nanny was an integral member of the family.

medium

a means of doing something
She chose art as the medium to represent her ideas.

mimic

to copy the way in which a particular person usually speaks and moves, usually in order to amuse people
The baby mimicked every sound the dog made.

opinion

a thought or belief about something or someone
He held the opinion that the economy would improve significantly next year.

press

newspapers, magazines, and their reporters, and often radio and television editors
The president and his family is often followed by the press.

printing press

a machine for printing from inked type, plates, or rolls
Johannes Gutenberg is credited with the invention of the printing press.

reinvent

take something old and do or show it in a new way
With the internet, communications has been reinvented.

sensational

very interesting or exciting
There was a sensational story in the newspaper about a monkey that could read a book.

shape

to have an effect
Newspaper stories help shape people's opinions about political candidates.

trade

commerce in general
The two leaders decided to expand trade between their two countries.

vital

most important
Water is vital for human survival.

addicted

to not be able to stop doing or using something, especially something harmful
It's easy to become addicted to cigarette smoking.

commentator

a person who reports, analyzes, and evaluates news events and trends on radio or television
Sports commentators are usually retired professionals from that field.

deprive

to take something away from
Because she had been raised by a nanny and not her parents, the woman felt deprived of a normal childhood.

glance

to take a quick short look at something
She glanced at the newspaper before eating her breakfast.

gossip

to talk or write about other people's actions or lives, sometimes in an untruthful way
Did you hear the latest gossip about the president?

hypnotize

to put someone in a mental state like sleep
The psychologist hypnotized his patient in hopes of having her remember the details of the accident.

interfere

to enter or interrupt a situation or discussion
She had difficulty working from home because her child constantly interferes.

intrinsic

belonging naturally to someone or something
Taking care of their young is intrinsic for most animals.

leisure

relaxation free from work
The couple enjoyed their leisure time at the beach.

malicious

intentionally mischievous or harmful
The manager could no longer tolerate the malicious gossip that was circulating about him.

obese

very fat
The mother was worried because her son had become obese; He weighed over 300 pounds.

persist

to continue steadily in the same manner in spite of obstacles or opposition
The man persisted and finally won over the woman's heart.

pervasive

widespread
In Silicon Valley, there is a pervasive trend towards casual dress.

predict

to say what will happen in the future
Fortune tellers say they can predict the future, but they usually not right.

prevalence

widely existing
The prevalence of computer usage among teens is not a bad thing if it can be carefully monitored.

prey

a victim
The thief thought the woman would be an easy prey because she could not work very well.

problematic

having the nature of a problem
The test question proved to be very problematic because there were four possible answers.

reduction

less of something
The reduction of the husband's salary affected the family greatly.

risk

danger of losing something important
There is great risk of becoming addicted to gambling.

trend

a general pattern
The recent trend in developed countries is to have less children.

accessible

able to be entered or reached
All the buildings in the city are accessible to people in wheelchairs.

anxiety

an uncomfortable feeling of nervousness or worry about something that is happening or might happen in the future
She had a lot of anxiety regarding her upcoming surgery.

assume

to believe something is true without knowing
Since all the lights were out, we assumed no one was home.

diversion

an action designed to distract
The thieves worked in pairs; one stole the wallets while the other provided a diversion.

drastically

having very noticeable effects
The company had to drastically reduce their work force; they fired 2,000 employees.

inconspicuous

not obvious or noticeable
The presidents daughter wore a hat and sunglasses to the because she wanted to be inconspicuous.

input

something such as energy, money or information that is put into a system, organization or machine so that it can operate
The CEO did not put much input into the new design of the building.

mentally ill

Suffering from a mental illness
The family could not take vacations because of their mentally ill child.

passive

accepting without resistance
The husband did not understand his wife's passive response to their child's temper tantrums.

physical

of or pertaining to that which is material
The couple had no emotional bonding even thought they lived in the same house and shared physical space.

portable

capable of being carried or moved around
The mother bought each of her children a portable CD player.

progress

to improve or develop in skills or knowledge
Her English skills progressed to a level where she was able to hold conversations with native speakers.

radical

complete or extreme
The school district made radical changes by forbidding bicycles on school campuses.

reliant

a state of needing something very much
Mark is reliant on his older brother for everything.

rely

to depend on
After the birth of her child, she relied heavily on her mother for support.

render

to give something or do something
The new store attracts many customers because it renders good services.

severely

causing very great pain, difficulty, anxiety, damage
The car was severely damaged from the accident.

sheer

absolute
Her success was due to sheer determination and will power.

subtle

not noticeable
The wife wanted a new oven and gave her husband subtle hints.

via

by way of
Singapore Airlines flies to Seoul via San Francisco.

bemoan

to feel sad about something
The couple bemoans the fact that they never had children.

comprise

to include
The building was comprised on 20 different stores.

dedicate

to give completely
Mother Theresa dedicated her entire life to helping poor children.

essence

central point or issue of a subject
The essence of his argument was that children should have the right to an education.

feature

to advertise as important
Most McDonald's feature a play area for children.

franchise

a right to sell a company's products in a particular area using the company's name
She owned three Mc Donald's franchises.

icon

a very famous person or thing considered as representing a set of beliefs or a way of life
Bill Gates is an icon for many young entrepreneurs.

inclination

desire to do something
She had an inclination to climb the mountain, but no one would go with her.

indulgence

to allow yourself or another person to have something enjoyable, especially more than is good for you
My only indulgence is having two scoops of ice cream every day.

inexpensive

not costing a lot of money
The gift was very practical and inexpensive.

inordinate

more than necessary
She takes an inordinate amount of time preparing dinner for her husband; she treats him as if he were king.

obesity

being extremely fat
A high fat diet can lead to obesity.

option

a choice
She had no other option but to get a divorce.

originality

the quality or state of being original
The originality of the child's poem surprised everyone.

patron

a regular customer
patrons to the store come from the community.

rapid

very fast
The message was difficult to understand because of her rapid speech.

recognition

praise for doing something well
The dinner was given in recognition of her charity work.

solitary

A solitary person or thing is the only person or thing in a place
In the distance, they saw a solitary statue.

ubiquitous

found all over
Large pieces of empty land is ubiquitous in Texas.

utmost

the greatest
The situation required utmost sensitivity.

adapt

to change, to function in a new way
He adapted very quickly to his new life in South America.

alienation

the feeling that you have no connection with the people around you
Although she lived in a very busy city, she felt an alienation from the people around her.

blur

difficult to see, understand or separate clearly
The distinction between art and graffiti has blurred in recent years.

camaraderie

a good feeling of togetherness
There was a certain level of camaraderie between the new freshmen students.

compulsive

needing to do something and not being able to stop
She has a compulsive need to eat chocolate every day.

connote

to signify or suggest certain meanings
The word "home" connotes different feelings for different people.

cope

to struggle or deal on fairly even terms or with some degree of success
Since her family moved frequently, she developed coping strategies for not getting depressed.

depression

a feeling of temporary sadness
She suffered depression after the death of her cat.

empathetic

the ability to share someone else's feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in their situation
Having lost her husband to cancer, she was very empathetic to the couple's situation.

first-hand

to experience it yourself
Mother's have first-hand experience of the pain of childbirth.

initiative

the first step, usu. showing strength
The student took the initiative to learn Chinese before going on his exchange program to China.

insight

ability to see or know the truth, intelligence about something
His grandfather had a lot of insights about the war.

layman

someone who is not trained in or does not have a detailed knowledge of a particular subject
The new financial book is for laymen who are interested in investing.

plight

difficult situation
Their plight was that they were stranded in the middle of the desert.

pool

to contribute money, knowledge, or other resources as a group for a common purpose
The workers pooled their money together to buy the manager a wedding gift.

prescription

when someone says what someone else must have or do
Many of the attendees wanted to know the prescription for success.

remedy

a successful way of curing an illness or dealing with a problem or difficulty
The remedy for her sickness was quite simple; she just needed to rest.

therapy

treatment of mental and physical illnesses and disorders, usu. without surgery
Speech therapy was recommended to fix the child's stuttering.

to be on the fringe

to behave very odd behavior
He is on the fringe of society; he can't seem to hold down a job.

wholeheartedly

completely enthusiastic
The audience wholeheartedly agreed with the speaker.

aim

a result that your plans or actions are intended to achieve
Our short term aims are to get out of debt and purchase a house.

connotation

the meanings that a word can have beyond its basic one
The word 'gentleman' has different connotations for different people.

debate

an argument
There was big debate over who would have custody of the child.

denial

refusal to accept something as true
Her denial of her son's medical condition prevents her son from getting the best medical care.

discrimination

unfair treatment because of race, sex, age, religion, etc.
After moving to a new country, she faced much discrimination because of her race.

draft

to draw the plans for something
The committee drafted a new plan for retaining students.

entitle

to allow
As the daughter of the CEO, she was entitled to many privileges not available to other girls her age.

equality

a condition of being equal
There is no equality in the way women and men are paid in the workforce.

fortunate

lucky in general
We were fortunate in that our house did not burn down during the fire.

gender

the classification of male and female living things
Many countries still discriminate based on gender.

immensely

extremely
When he was younger, he was an immensely talented singer.

intangible

feeling or quality exists but you cannot describe it exactly or prove it
It is crucial that parents teach their children intangible characteristics such as work ethic and attitude.

literally

used to emphasize what you are saying
The family was literally shocked by the news.

mandate

to order
The students and parents mandated a new homework policy.

manner

a way of acting
He behaved in a manner that was inappropriate for a 10 year old.

obstacle

something that gets in the way and stops action or progress
Romeo and Juliet faced many obstacles to being together.

spark

bit of light caused by hard surfaces scraping together or from fire
Rubbing two sticks together will create sparks.

stereotype

a fixed idea that people have about what someone or something is like, especially an idea that is wrong
Many Americans have the stereotype that all Asians are good in math.

straightforward

without complications; clear
The directions to the part were straightforward.

struggle

a difficult time or task using much effort and energy
The daughter's struggle for independence from their parents finally led to her moving to another country.

akin

similar to
His new songs are akin to those of the 70s.

avoid

to stay away from
She avoids dark alleys at night.

cessation

a stop to an activity
The cessation of the couple's fighting brought peace to the family.

crave

to desire greatly
She craves chocolate every night before bed.

define

to explain the meaning of
The roles of the husband and wife were not clearly defined and the couple struggled with their identity in the marriage.

despite

in spite of
despite the heavy rains, the children had fun at the zoo.

dose

an amount of medicine
You should take the exact dose prescribed by your doctor.

habit

a repeated behavior
He has a bad habit of picking his nose in public.

habitually

usual or repeated
There is something wrong with a student that habitually curses his teacher.

hallucination

events imagined by someone
The new drug caused her to have hallucinations that someone was chasing her.

indication

a sign, signal
The rain is a good indication that we will not have a drought this year.

interpersonal

between people
Occupations in sales require great interpersonal skills.

potential

the possibility of being or doing something
This company has the potential of making a lot of money.

pursuit

a career, occupation
The occupational pursuits of the siblings were all different.

rehabilitation

to return someone or something to a good or healthy condition
The judge ordered her to enter a drug rehabilitation program for six months.

relapse

to become worse again after being better
After completing the drug rehabilitation program he was doing very well, until he had a relapse.

replenish

to replace something that was used
The aunt allowed them to eat everything in the refrigerator as long as they replenished it before they left.

resort

To have recourse
The mother tried very hard to discipline her son without resorting to spanking.

run-in

an argument
After getting married, the husband had many run-ins with his new brother-in-law.

tolerance

ability to suffer or endure something
The doctors were surprised at her high tolerance for pain.

adopt

to accept or start to use something new
The parents decided to adopt a new strategy for disciplining their child.

allocate

to plan to use an amount of money for a specific purpose
The family had only allocated $50 for meals per day; it was not enough, so they ended their vacation short.

amalgamate

to mix or merge so as to make a combination
The three companies decided to amalgamate.

array

a large group of things or people
There was an array of beautiful flower arrangements on the stage.

assimilate

to become part of a nation's culture or to absorb into a culture
She had no problems assimilating into her new culture.

congruent

agreeing with
The hope is that the family identity will become congruent as the foster children start adapting to their new environment.

culture

the ideas, activities and ways of behaving that are special to a country
Because America is a land of immigrants, its culture is difficult to define.

immigrant

a person who moves to another country to live
Many immigrants in the United States came to realize the American dream.

inadvertently

done unintentionally
The bride had inadvertently left her future in-laws off the guest list.

integration

to mix with and join society or a group of people
The integration of the two cultures was difficult to do because of their religious differences.

intense

strong feeling or emotion
She had intense pain when the doctor pulled her tooth.

mainstream

the group of ideas accepted by the majority of people
His ideas were so obscure that it was not accepted by the mainstream of American people.

mosaic

a pattern or picture made using many small pieces of colored stone or glass
America is no longer considered a melting pot; the words 'salad' and 'mosaic' are deemed more appropriate.

numerous

many
The man had numerous wives in many different countries.

oppression

the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner
The oppression she endured for being a woman caused her to hate herself.

persecution

the act of harassing with oppressive treatment
The prisoners faced much persecution for their religious beliefs.

preservation

the act of keeping alive or in existence
The committee works hard in the preservation of historical buildings in the city.

prosper

to grow in wealth
He prospered in his new line of business.

sovereignty

Supremacy of authority
The two countries fought for the sovereignty of the island.

vie

to compete with other people to achieve or obtain something
Because she has eight children, all the children are constantly vying for their mother's attention.

approximately

much or less correct or exact
They determined the age of the fossil to be approximately three million years old.

climate

the type of weather that a place or region has
When people grow old, they prefer to live in places where the climate is moderate.

competitive

something that is as good or better than something else
The new smaller cars had a competitive advantage over larger cars.

consequence

the result of doing something
The consequences of her drinking was losing her children.

consumer

a person who buys goods or services for personal needs
She was a consumer of fine wines and always went to great lengths to purchase quality wines.

deforestation

the process of divesting or clearing forests or trees
There are many environmental problems caused by deforestation.

destructive

causing great damage
The destructive winds caused great damage to the small town.

disastrous

causing great harm, damage
Her first attempt at cooking was disastrous; she almost caused a fire.

effort

physical or mental work
She put a lot of effort into planning the party.

erosion

a wearing away
River erosion created the Grand Canyon.

extinct

no longer in existence
Dinosaurs are no longer in existence; they are extinct.

immense

very large
The immense mansion was purchased for 20 million dollars.

landscape

a broad view of the land
The woman wanted to purchase a house that would have a beautiful view of the landscape.

manipulate

to influence someone or something to your advantage
The son loved his mother dearly, but he grew tired of her trying to manipulate his life.

multitude

a large number of something, especially people
The politician spoke to a multitude of 30,000 people.

nomadic

an experience of a group of people who move from one place to another rather than living in one place all of the time
The rich young professionals sold all their belongings and lived a nomadic life, traveling from country to country.

strip

to take away
The mayor was stripped of his administrative powers when he was found guilty.

suit

to satisfy
The new house suits the needs of the family.

urban sprawl

the spread of the city to the suburbs
Los Angeles was one of the first cities to experience an urban sprawl.

urbanized

to build houses, offices, etc. in an area of countryside so that it becomes a town
The United States is a highly urbanized country.

absent

not present
The father was absent from his daughter's wedding.

aggressive

unfriendly
The aggressive behavior of the child caused much concern for the parents.

alteration

small change
There was a slight alteration in the plan; they decided to fly instead of driving.

candidate

a person or thing ready for something
She is the next candidate for the promotion.

circumstance

a fact or event that makes a situation the way it is
The circumstances were not favorable for them to start a family.

demand

the desire to purchase, coupled with the power to do so
The demand for the talking doll was high during the Christmas holiday.

facilitate

to help
The guides language skills help facilitate our tour through the congested part of town.

instinct

unlearned behavior or ability
A mother's instinct tells her when her child is in pain.

nontraditional

not conforming to or in accord with tradition
She married a nontraditional man; he cooks, cleans, and stays at home to watch the children.

norm

standard of behavior
Wearing baggy pants and earrings is the norm for students in this school.

procreate

to reproduce
Some women resent the fact that some men think they were put on this earth to procreate only.

propagate

to transmit
The church propagates a message of peace to the community.

pursue

to work hard at something
She studied hard and pursued a career in medicine.

reproduce

to make copies of something
The teacher reproduced 50 copies of the exam.

scenario

a description of events that make up a general situation
The scenario of the play was that of a many trying to save his wife.

split up

get a divorce
Ever since her parents split up, Mary has not been the same.

strategy

planning in order to achieve a goal
The company's strategy is simple: make good products and sell at a low price.

traditional

following customs that have continued in a group of people or society for a long time without changing
She decided not to marry Tom because he was too traditional; he expected her to stay home, cook and have babies.

upbringing

how parents, teachers, and others give a good or bad education and manners to a young person growing up
By the way she behaves, it is obvious that she had a very good upbringing.

viable

capable of succeeding
The only viable solution to the family's situation was that the children had to quit school.

accurate

correct
The grades were accurate and reflected the hard work of the students.

adversely

having a negative or harmful effect on something
The loss of the farm adversely affected the family's income.

annulment

to officially announce that something such as a law, agreement, or marriage no longer exists
The couple received an annulment of their marriage because the woman already had a husband.

child-support

money paid for the care of one's minor child
Since the father made more money than the mother, he was required to pay $3,000 a month for child-support.

conflict

a difference, disagreement
A conflict arose between the two people when they couldn't agree on a price for the table.

considerable

much, a lot
The woman received a considerable amount of money from the insurance company.

contemporary

modern
The wife liked contemporary furniture, and the husband liked antiques.

contrary

different from
contrary to what people think, the doctors in this country do not make that much money.

custody

safekeeping
After the divorce, the mother received custody of the children.

devastating

causing a lot of damage or destruction
The devastating fire consumed over 30 homes.

entail

to make necessary
Getting a job in the White House entails a lot of security checks.

exaggerate

to say something is better, worse, more important than it really is
The company profits were exaggerated, and no one knew the financial state of the company.

impact

to have an effect
The new program to help the poor people impacted the community greatly.

messy

cluttered, disorderly
Her desk was always messy; she had paper everywhere.

null and void

without legal force or effect
The marriage was considered null and void because the bride was a minor.

oblige

to require
He was obliged to pay for the accident because he was at fault.

pretense

a reason or act that hides the real reason for doing something
He enter the house on the pretense that he was going to fix the refrigerator, but he really wanted to steal her money.

terminate

to end
Our rental agreement was terminated because we had too many parties.

variance

an exception to a rule or standard
There has been an unusual variance in temperature this month.

vow

a solemn promise
She made a vow to exercise every day.

abuse

hurt badly, either physically or emotionally
Since the abused children had no place to go, the judge placed them with foster care families.

appropriate

correct, suitable
The mother allowed her children to watch TV programs that were not appropriate for them.

conceive

to become pregnant
She had a hard time conceiving a child.

disgrace

a cause of shame or dishonor
She had disgraced her family by becoming pregnant when she was only 15 years old.

forego

to do without
Many young couples these days forego a formal engagement party.

hype

exaggerated advertising claims
They went to the new restaurant because of the hype, but they were disappointed.

illegitimate

born to unmarried parents
The illegitimate daughter of the president became a famous actress.

intervene

to stop an action happening between other people
The police had to intervene and take the child out of the house.

neglect

to not give enough care or attention
She was too busy drinking that she neglected her baby.

orphanage

a place where orphans live and are cared for
The neighbors placed the little girl in an orphanage when they could not locate the parents.

permit

to allow
David was not permitted to leave the house after 10 pm.

portray

to describe someone or something in a certain way, to characterize them
Hollywood tends to portray Asians as being very weak and submissive.

prospective

anticipated in the future
The prospective buyers came to look at the house one more time.

resemblance

a likeness to someone or something
The actress showed a resemblance to her famous grandfather.

responsibility

something that someone must do
The responsibilities of becoming a parent are tremendous.

right

That which is just, morally good, legal, proper, or fitting
The citizens of this country do not have many rights; they can not vote or express their opinions.

stigma

a mark of shame or disgrace
Her father was an alcohol and that has been a stigma all her life.

unfit

lacking in good personal qualities
Due to her constant drinking, she was declared an unfit mother by the judge.

unwanted

not wanted
They considered getting an abortion because their child was unwanted, but they decided to keep the baby and start a family.

wary

concerned about danger
Being wary of all strange men, the little girl started to run when the man approached her.

access

the method or possibility of approaching a place or person, or the right to use or look at something
Many poor people do not have access to a good education.

aesthetically

relating to the enjoyment or study of beauty
The table was not very practical, but it was aesthetically pleasing.

conversely

in an opposite way
Children should respect their parents; conversely, parents should not aggravate their children.

cycle

a group of events which happen in a particular order, one following the other, and which are often repeated
The life cycle of a butterfly is fascinating and remarkable for children to observe.

demarcate

to show the limits of something
Properties in the neighborhood are clearly demarcated with fences.

densely

thick; close together
The neighborhood was densely populated, and there was no space for the children to run around.

disproportionately

too large or too small in comparison to something else
All the men complained the ratio of men to women was disproportionately unbalanced.

disrepair

a condition of being broken down and needing to be fixed
The town has fallen into a state of disrepair; all the buildings and street lights are damaged.

ethnic minority

a national or racial group living in a country or area which contains a larger group of people of a different race or nationality
California has a disproportionate number of ethnic minorities in the school system.

feasible

workable
Your plan is feasible as long as we can raise the funds.

graffiti

writings and drawings on walls, often rude, funny, or political
Graffitis are against the law allowed in Singapore.

networking

to meet people who might be useful to know, especially in your job
Having the right education and skills is important, but networking is becoming more important in finding a job.

overcome

to fight against successfully
He had to overcome his fear of flying first before he could become a pilot.

overlap

the amount by which two things or activities cover the same area
There is an overlap in the products of the two companies.

perpetuate

to keep alive or preserve in memory for a long time
He worked hard to perpetuate his father's legacy.

privileged

having an advantage that only one person or group of people has
Many children of wealthy families are privileged to receive an excellent education.

segregation

to keep one group of people apart from another and treat them differently
Racial segregation in the United States prevented blacks and whites from eating in the same restaurants.

social mobility

the ability of individuals or groups to move within a social hierarchy with changes in income, education, occupation, etc
The family moved into a better neighborhood because they thought it would help with their social mobility.

status

one's position in society in terms of power and importance
Lawyers and doctors have more status than bus drivers.

surmount

to overcome
The family has surmounted some difficulties and now they are doing well.

allow

permit; to let
We allowed our son to start driving when he turned 16 years old.

childrearing

the practice of looking after children until they are old enough to look after themselves
After she devoted 15 years to childrearing, she decided to pursue a career.

decade

a period of 10 years
After decades of working on his invention, the scientist was finally rewarded for his hard work.

dramatic

making a big impression
She made a dramatic entrance to the party; she wore a beautiful gown with lots of jewelry.

ensue

happen in sequence
After the terrible earthquake, a tsunami ensued.

establish

to found, create
The English established several colonies around the world.

fertility

the ability to produce offspring or new plants
They decided to adopt a child because they had problems with fertility.

Great Depression

the economic crisis and period of low business activity in the U.S. and other countries, roughly beginning with the stock-market crash in October, 1929, and continuing through most of the 1930s
Her grandfather had lived through the Great Depression, and he hates to waste any food.

inevitable

definitely going to happen
It was inevitable that you will not get into a good college if you don't study hard.

inhabit

to live in an area
I was surprised to find that people inhabit such places as Siberia.

life expectancy

the length of time that a living thing, especially a human being, is likely to live
The life expectancy in America has greatly increased in the past 50 years.

massive

huge, great
A massive amount of information is available on the internet.

millennia

a period of 1000 years
By the year 2000, there were two millennia.

mortality

the rate of death from illness or disaster
The infant mortality rate in poor countries tend to be very high

motherhood

the state of being a mother
Now that she was married, she eagerly looked forward to motherhood.

pace

tempo of an activity
The company could not keep up with the pace of the demand for their product.

pension plan

a financial plan that allows you to receive money after you or your employer have paid money into it for a number of years
She had diligently put money into her pension plan, and now she is able to enjoy the benefits.

postpone

to delay an event and plan or decide that it should happen at a later date or time
After postponing having children, the couple realized they were now too old to have children.

prospect

a possibility of success in the future
The prospect of her getting married was not very good; she was not over 50 years old.

surviving

continuing to live or exist
The whale did not have any chances of surviving because his wounds were too deep.

abhor

to hate
The little girl abhors vegetables.

accommodate

to give what is needed to someone
The restaurant was not set up to accommodate the physically disabled.

amenity

something that adds to people's comfort
The only amenities at the hotel was its gym.

backlash

a strong action against something
After the senator made the comment about ethnic minorities, there was a backlash against his campaign.

dependence

a need for support
A child's dependence on his mother gradually decreases as he ages.

diversity

differences among people in race, ethnic group, religion
American is known for the diversity of its people.

encourage

to give strength or hope to someone; urge
The teacher encouraged his students to never give up their dreams.

exhaust

discharge in the form of smoke or steam
The people in the village got sick from breathing in the exhaust from cars passing by.

expansion

an enlargement
The company's expansion program included building a gym for its employees.

global warming

a slow increase of the temperature of the air around the earth caused by pollution
Some scientist argue that global warming is not caused by human actions.

infringe

to go where someone or something doesn't belong
Our neighbor's fruit trees infringes in our yard.

latter

the second of two people or things named
We watch a lot of horror and mystery movies, but we preferred the latter.

lengthy

long in distance, time, or coverage
The speaker gave a lengthy description on the mating habits of whales.

locale

a place, location for something that happens
The movie director chose a new locale for his next film.

middle class

the social level of people between the working class and upper class
Korea's middle class is starting to grow.

pedestrian

any person walking on a sidewalk, across a street, or down a road
In America, most pedestrians have the right of way; this is not true in some other countries.

reject

to refuse, not accept
I do not reject his story, I just question some of the details.

restore

to renew
After a vacation to Thailand, the man's health was restored.

sacrifice

to give up something that is valuable to you in order to help another person
You can not achieve your goals without sacrificing something in your life.

transport

transportation
Public transport in Seoul is safe and efficient.

absorb

to soak up
The flowers absorbed all the water in the vase.

cell

the basic of living things
Our bodies are made up of many cells.

constitute

to make up
Giving advice to young teens constituted most of his time at work.

contraction

a pain, often muscular, esp. starting the birth of a baby
The doctor told her to come to the hospital when her contractions were 10 minutes apart.

dilate

to make larger
The pupils dilate in the dark.

distinct

easy to see
They were able to see the baby's distinct features through the ultrasound.

embryo

the early stage of growth before birth
When they cracked open the egg, they saw the embryo of the chicken inside.

fallopian tube

one of two tubes connecting the uterus with the ovaries
The woman's difficulty getting pregnant was caused by a blockage in her fallopian tube.

fertilization

the union of egg and sperm that starts the development of new life
In vitro fertilization is a technique in which egg cells are fertilized by sperm outside the woman's womb.

fetus

the developed embryo in humans and other mammals
When the couple did an ultrasound, they were able to see the fetus.

implant

to put an organ, group of cells, or device into the body in a medical operation
The doctor implanted a device into the man's skin which would help him stop smoking.

ingest

to eat
If you ingest any poison, you must call 911 immediately.

malnourished

poorly fed
When the police found the children, they were badly malnourished.

prenatal

while a baby is in the mother's womb
The fetus did not thrive because the woman did not receive adequate prenatal care.

series

a group of similar things or events
She likes to read books that are in a series.

survival

the ability to continue to exist or live
The team's survival in the tournament depended on their defensive tactics.

traverse

travel over
The climbers traversed over the rocky mountains.

trimester

any of the three three-month periods that a human pregnancy is divided into
The woman felt very good during her second trimester of her pregnancy.

uterus

female organ where a baby develops
The doctors had to remove the woman's uterus, and she could no longer get pregnant.

womb

the part of a woman's body where a baby can grow
Although her daughter did not grow in her womb, she loved her all the more.

abstract

related to ideas, feelings and not concrete things
Love is an abstract concept for many people.

autonomy

independence or freedom
When children become toddlers, they start to assert their autonomy.

bombard

to criticize heavily
The audience bombarded the candidate with many comments about healthcare.

cause-and-effect

noting a relationship between actions or events such that one or more are the result of the other or others
Babies normally do not understand the cause-and-effect of their behaviors.

complex

having many parts or details that make something hard to understand or deal with
The mother could no longer her son with his complex math problems.

concentrate

to think hard about something
It was difficult to concentrate in the library because the people were talking too loudly.

concrete

dealing with facts and certainties
The police did not have any concrete evidence to arrest the criminal.

consider

to think about something
She considered becoming a doctor, but she decided against it because she couldn't stand blood.

cooperatively

to act or work together for a particular purpose
The school, the hospital and the church worked cooperatively to help the child get better.

curiosity

an eager desire to know or learn about something
Out of curiosity, he called the police station to find out what had happened to the robber.

discourage

to take away one's confidence or hope
The parents tried to discourage their son from joining the army.

disdainful

showing no respect
The students had a disdainful attitude towards their substitute teacher.

infancy

early time
From it's infancy, the restaurant never served alcohol.

inquisitive

asking lots of questions
She had a very inquisitive daughter; she asked at least five questions to everyone she met.

logic

a system of reasoning
The youth had very poor logic and was not able to win many arguments.

mobile

capable of going from one place to another
Her doctor recommended four weeks of bed rest, but after one week she was quite mobile.

motor skill

the ability to perform complex muscle-and-nerve acts that produce movement
The five year old had very good fine motor skills; she used her scissors effectively.

role-play

to assume the attitudes, actions, and discourse of (another)
The school teaches the students to role-play different situations in order to prevent the students from getting kidnapped.

self-reliant

able to take care of oneself without outside help
Even after the stroke, her 70 year old mother was very self-reliant; she cooked her own meals and did her own shopping.

temper tantrum

a violent demonstration of rage or frustration
It was obvious the child was not properly disciplined; he threw a temper tantrum even in public.

adolescent

a teenager, especially ages 13-17
adolescents are often confused because of their emotions; they do not realize this is normal.

autonomous

independent
By 10 months, most babies are autonomous enough to roam around the house by themselves.

awkward

difficult to use, do, or deal with
During adolescents, teenagers often feel very awkward with what is going on in their bodies.

clumsy

awkward in movement or manner
After she first learned how to walk, Sarah was very clumsy and fell often.

cognitive

connected with thinking or conscious mental processes
Although she was 15, her cognitive skills were not fully developed, and she behaved like a five year old.

contemplate

to think about something seriously
Her parents were not a very good role model for her, and she seriously contemplated whether she wanted to get married or not.

disorder

a sickness or disturbance
Teenage girls who struggle with self-esteem often suffer from eating disorders.

entity

a group viewed as a whole
Although they are owned by the same person, they are essentially different entities.

forge

to proceed with strength or speed despite problems or difficulties
Despite her lack of funds and other complications, she decided to forge ahead with her plans.

hormone

a chemical from body organs that stimulates activity in living systems
Teenage years can be difficult because the body is adjusting to all the hormones that are being produced.

hypothetical

imagined or suggested but not necessarily real or true
The two men liked to have hypothetical discussions about what the future will be like.

intimate

emotionally close
The couple found it difficult to have an intimate relationship because the husband was constantly traveling.

ovary

the organ of a woman or a female animal that produces eggs
The woman could not get pregnant because she had her ovaries removed when she was young.

peer

a person who is one's equal in age, rank, ability, or other quality
During teenage years, the advice of their peers become much more important than that of the parents.

pituitary gland

a small organ at the base of the brain that regulates the body's growth
Because Tom was not growing, the doctors checked his pituitary glands to see if there any problems.

psychological

relating to the human mind and feelings
She felt very sick, but after extensive tests the doctors realized that it was all psychological.

reasoning

ability to think logically
The stroke had impaired her reasoning skills, and she was no longer able to have normal conversations.

release

to let something go
After catching 30 fish, the fisherman released them back into the ocean.

spurt

to move out or forward with great force
He was always short until he had a grow spurt in college.

tumultuous

very loud, or full of confusion, change or uncertainty
After growing up in a very tumultuous family environment, Mary decided never to get married.

academia

the world of students and teachers
He had spent all of his adult life in academia because he was a history professor.

accompany

to be provided or exist at the same time as something
There is a lot of stress that accompanies planning a wedding.

alter

to change
Her pants were too big so she had to get them altered.

ample

more than enough
They thought they had ample time to get to the party, but they didn't anticipate the accident on the highway.

blackboard

a flat surface to write on in classrooms
Most blackboards in the school have been replaced with dry erase boards.

blatant

going against one's sense of honesty
The mother recognized her son's blatant lies.

curriculum

the courses offered at an educational institution
Parents believe that private schools offer a more rigorous curriculum than public schools do.

delve

to look deeply into
Unless you delve into a subject, you really wont' understand it.

dozen

a group of 12
I bought a dozen donuts and ate them by myself.

frequency

the rate at which something happens
The frequency of her contractions had increased.

intrinsic

belonging naturally to someone or something
Taking care of their young is intrinsic for most animals.

playful

funny and not serious
The child was very playful and continued to entertain the adults around her.

recognize

to recall, remember someone or something when one sees or hears that person or thing
The young woman recognized the tall man from the party.

rejection

something that is not accepted
His rejection of his wife's culture caused them to divorce.

remain

to stay after others are gone
The family decided to remain in the house even after the death of their grandfather.

sibling

a person with the same parents as someone else
Because there were seven children in her family, she often fought with her siblings for her parent's attention.

significant

important
The family was able to take a vacation because the father had received a significant increase in his salary.

spontaneous

not planned
The spontaneous nature of her son drove the mother crazy; she liked everything planned.

structured

organized
My children have a very structured day; they have a different activity each hour of the day.

trying

difficult
Babysitting five rebellious children was a trying experience for the baby sitter.

benefit

helpful or good effect
The benefit of a high school diploma is that you will be more employable.

concerns

worry
She had many concerns about her daughter living alone in New York City.

demand

the desire to purchase, coupled with the power to do so
The demand for the talking doll was high during the Christmas holiday.

disposal

the throwing away or dumping of
Most American homes have a garbage disposal in the kitchen.

economy

the system of trade and industry by which the wealth of a country is made and used
The housing boom improved the country's sagging economy.

efficient

working or operating quickly and effectively in an organized way
After fixing refrigerators for 20 years, he was very efficient at what he did.

feng shui

a Chinese art that reveals ways to balance the energies of the environment to assure health, wealth and good fortune
After having bad luck in her business for several years, she finally consulted a feng shui specialist who told her to paint her house red for better luck.

funnel

To move through or as if through a funnel
The tourists were slowly funneling their way through airport customs.

inhabitant

person who lives in a certain area
The inhabitants of the east coast enjoy four distinct seasons.

labor

to work
She labored over creating the perfect wedding dress for her daughter.

mass transit

a system of public transportation in a given metropolitan area, typically comprising of buses, subways, and elevated trains
Residents of Seoul do not need a car because of the efficient mass transit system.

motivated

to give a reason to do something
None of the students were motivated to study harder.

optimize

to make as effective
The city officials did not optimize the existing land in the city.

paycheck

a salary or wage check
Most employees work hard to receive their paycheck.

prefer

to give preference or priority to
If given a choice, most children would prefer to watch television over doing homework.

resident

a person who lives in a certain area
The residents of Hawaii enjoy a very scenic view.

resource

a useful or valuable possession or quality
Having traveled to over 30 countries, the student was a valuable resource to her peers.

settle

to make a home
Our family immigrated to the United States and settled in San Francisco.

urban

related to a city
Many young people from the small towns choose to move to urban areas.

variety

different types
She loved to eat at buffets because if offered her a variety of foods.

adaptation

a change that results in something to suit different conditions or uses
The elementary students enjoyed the adaptation of Romeo and Juliet; it was an animation.

adept

skillful
She was adept at making everyone believe her lies.

advantage

a good feature
She had an advantage over other students because she had studied Latin in high school.

cater

to satisfy someone's special needs and desires
The parents catered to their child's every needs.

cooperation

act of working with someone toward a common goal
The goal of kindergarten is to teach children cooperation.

counterpart

a person or thing that is like another or does the same type of job
His counterpart at the hospital was a woman in her 50's.

custom

made specially for individual customers
She liked to be unique and always wore custom shoes made especially for her.

detailed

giving a lot of information with many details
The detailed report outlined the patients history and treatments that were offered.

disadvantage

something that hurts or gets in the way of success
The disadvantage of the new pay system is that it is completely based on the number of hours you work regardless of the quality.

enhance

to improve the quality, amount or strength of something
Some athletes believe enhancing their muscles will help them improve their game.

essential

central, major
A comprehensive elementary education is essential for students to do well in high school.

excessively

an amount which is more than acceptable
The parents were excessively involved in their teenage son's school life.

higher education

education after high school
More than 75% of the population has some training in higher education.

improve

to cause something to get better
If his situation does not improve, we will have to operate.

learning style

Learning style is an individual's unique approach to learning based on strengths, weaknesses, and preferences
The student learned best by listening to audio tapes of books because he had an auditory learning style.

literacy

the ability to read and write
Korea has a very high literacy rate; more than 95% of the people can read and write.

natural

normal or expected
It is natural to get nervous before a big test.

priority

the tasks, or beliefs that are most important and require attention
Getting good grades was not his priority; getting a well rounded education was.

trait

a particular characteristic that can produce a particular type of behavior
Being rude is not a positive trait.

work ethic

the belief that work is morally good
Without good work ethics, it is impossible to advance in your career.

approach

come near
As you approach the town, you'll see the college on the left.

aptitude

capacity for, to be good at doing something
Her aptitude for math made her a good candidate for the math contest.

elective

not required in school or college
In addition to his core classes, he took 2 electives: logic and debate.

expose

To subject or allow to be subjected to an action, influence, or condition
Children that have been exposed to different situations tend to be more mature.

extend

to make longer in space or time
We extended our vacation because we really enjoyed the beach.

format

any general arrangement of something
The format of the meeting was a short lecture followed by a question and answer session.

gradually

slowly; over time
Nathan practiced every day and gradually became much better.

grown up

adults
Children often have a lot of respect for grown ups, whether they deserve it or not.

guidance

advice
Anna received guidance from her math teacher; she is now pursuing a doctorate degree in math.

impart

to give information
imparting his love of God to his grandchildren was a priority for the old man.

integrate

make a part of
Traditional television is integrated as it contains images, sound and text.

interact

to communicate with someone
Although they lived in the same house, the father and son barely interacted with each other.

needs

the things that a person must have in order to have a satisfactory life
The family did not make enough money for their basic needs, such as food and clothing.

overall

in general, considering everything
His overall grade in school was not bad, although he was not doing well in science.

primer

a manual that covers the basics of a subject
He wrote a primer on how to discipline rebellious children.

self-motivated

initiative to undertake or continue a task or activity without another's prodding or supervision
Being self-motivated is crucial for people who want to pursue a career in medicine.

tailored

to make something to specific requirements
He tailored his speech to match the needs of the audience.

tenuous

weak
Her arguments for living alone were so tenuous her parents decided against the idea.

transition

change; shift
The weather gets colder during the transition from summer to autumn.

wean

to stop former habits
She weaned herself from eating chocolates by exercising whenever she had cravings.

attain

to achieve
When he attained his doctorate, he felt he had accomplished all his dreams.

attract

to draw interest
With its beautiful beaches and friendly people, Thailand attracts many tourists each year.

burden

a responsibility
After her father's stroke, she had the burden of supporting her family.

decent

proper
Tom had to quit his job because he couldn't make a decent living with his salary.

earn

to get something one deserves as the result of action or effort
After studying very hard, she earned a scholarship to Harvard University.

earning power

the potential to make money
Compared to her sister, Mary had more earning power because she had a university degree.

extraordinary

outstanding
The little boy had extraordinary musical abilities.

faculty

the teaching staff at a school or college
The faculty at that university is known for their spectacular research.

firm

definite
The school set firm requirements for graduation.

fund

to support
The old man funds his grandchildren's education.

guarantee

to give a promise of satisfaction
She was a little worried about her piano because the movers could not guarantee when it would be delivered.

liberal arts

study of the humanities, social and natural sciences, and mathematics
She studied liberal arts in university which prepared her well for her teaching career.

loan

a sum of money borrowed at a rate of interest
She took out a loan from the bank to pay for her college education.

lot

one's condition in life
It was his lot in life to make a lot of money.

lucrative

profitable
It is a very lucrative business in this industry.

minimum wage

minimum hourly rate that employers must pay to workers
Most fast-food restaurants pay minimum wage; it is not sufficient to support a family on.

passion

enthusiasm; strong interest
He must have some passions.

post-secondary education

an education beyond high school
Many foreigners choose to complete their post-secondary education in the United States.

subsidize

to give money to a person, group, or business
Many small businesses that first start out are subsidized by the government.

varsity

describes sports teams at schools or colleges which are at the most skilled level of play
He was a member of the varsity football team at her high school.

acceleration

when something goes faster
The new car model was touted for its sleek design, but it had poor acceleration.

articulate

express something in clear and effective language
The speaker articulated the need for conserving energy in his speech.

claim

to state something as being true, especially when there is some doubt
She claimed she graduated from Harvard University, but no one believed her.

contradict

to tell someone what he or she says isn't true
The couple could never agree; the wife always contradicted her husband.

exotic

unusual and attractive
On their trip to Asia, they had discovered many exotic fruits and vegetables.

flawed

faulty
The scientist presented a flawed argument during his lecture.

formulation

careful preparation
The formulation of a new education policy took months to prepare.

gravity

a natural force pulling objects to the ground
Without gravity, we would all be floating in the air.

heavenly body

any object existing in space, especially a planet, star, or the moon
The sun is a heavenly body that we can all see and feel.

hypothesize

to give a possible but not yet proved explanation for something
Everyone hypothesized about how the accident happened.

inspiration

source of motivation or creativity
His inspiration for his book came from his long walks along the beach.

leap

increase or improvement
After being inspired by the movie, Mary made leaps in her studies; she received all A's on her report card.

minute

very small
The change to the script was so minute, everyone disregarded it.

novel

new and different
She had novel ways of solving problems.

phenomenon

movement; trend; happening
The wrapping of Christmas presents is a fairly recent phenomenon in American life.

shroud

to make difficult to see
The car was shrouded by tree branches.

slope

a surface at an angle
She skiing ability had improved significantly that she no longer skied down the same slopes.

twist

an unusual development
There was a new twist to the murder case; the husband was found guilty.

unthinkable

so bad that one cannot think about it
It is unthinkable for me to imagine getting divorced.

vacuum

a totally empty and airless space
How will the human body, without the protection of a spacesuit, respond to the vacuum of outer space?

bent on

set on doing something
She was bent on finishing her degree, no matter how long it took.

common sense

the understanding of something from thinking intelligently and from everyday experience
It is common sense that the man should pay for the meal on a first date.

dictate

say what someone must do
The winning team will dictate what the losing team must do.

entire

complete
The entire building caught on fire.

fascinate

extremely interested
The little children were fascinated by the clown and his magic tricks.

heaven

the sky
Thousands of balloons fell from the heavens.

heliocentrism

having or representing the sun as a center
heliocentrism is the theory that the sun is at the center of the Universe.

labor

to work
She labored over creating the perfect wedding dress for her daughter.

motionless

without moving
The soldiers stood motionless for several hours.

orbit

revolve around a star, planet, etc.
Smooth sailing after the storm, the aircar arrived at the orbit of the Island of Paradise.

paradigm

a model or concept used as a standard by which people evaluate, understand, and often act
The older generation had to have a paradigm shift in order to understand the younger generation.

precise

accurate
You need to follow the precise measurements of the recipe if you want your cake to turn out o.k.

prediction

a statement about what will happen in the future
The weather man's predictions about the weather is almost always incorrect.

reconcile

to bring together people or ideas that were separated
Before the group could move forward, they had to first reconcile their differences.

revival

a reawakening
The religious revival swept the entire nation.

ridicule

unkind words or actions that make someone or something look stupid or worthless
The new student was treated with such ridicule by her peers that her parents decided to send her to another school.

rigorous

having strict or high standards for behavior or action
Students must finish a rigorous program in order to become a doctor.

steady

calm; stable
There has been a steady wind blowing all day.

tendency

a likelihood to behave in a particular way or to like a particular thing
She has a tendency of leaving her clothes everywhere.

venerable

describes something that has been in use, or someone who has been involved in something, for a long time
In recent years, there has been a decline in the venerable tradition of Easter egg hunting.

beginning

a start
At the beginning of the play, the actor broke his leg.

billiards

a game played by two people on a table covered in green cloth in which a long pole is used to hit balls against each other and into pockets around the table
The mother was worried when her son just wanted to play billiards rather than study.

contribution

assistance; support
His contributions to the arts was significant; he had created five art museums.

elaborate

to give more detail
The eye witness elaborated on the details of the accident.

elegant

stylish in appearance, graceful, refined
Mary had exquisite tastes and had her house decorated with elegant furniture.

exert

to act with power, force, influence
The doctors warned her to stay in bed and not exert too much energy.

force

a source or instrument of power or energy
The forces of the wind knocked over ten trees.

friction

resistance that results when two surfaces are rubbed together
When you rub two stones together, the friction causes a spark which can start a fire.

humble

modest
The president's humble beginnings surprised everyone.

implication

consequence; effect
Are you interested in the political implications of weblogs and social software?

impressive

causing admiration
Her artistic abilities are quite impressive; it is difficult to imagine she painted everything with her feet.

indefinitely

without clear limits
Due to the lack of staff, the science education program has been stopped indefinitely.

mass

the amount of matter of an object
Although the plastic box was bigger than the book, the book had a greater mass.

miniscule

extremely small
The orphans only had a miniscule piece of toast to eat each morning.

negligible

small, not important
The cost of getting the car fixed is negligible compared to what could have happened.

optics

of or belonging to the eye
optics is a branch of physics that describes the behavior and properties of light.

precocious

a child that is advanced in intelligence or development
He had a precocious child that played the piano beautifully at the age of three.

prematurely

happening or done too soon, especially before the natural or desired time
The baby was born prematurely and had to be placed in an incubator for six weeks.

stun

to surprise
The news of your retirement stunned me.

tool

something that helps you to do a particular activity
The calculator is a useful tool for all math students.

achieve

to reach, gain
She didn't realize that she would be able to achieve everything that she had.

aptly

suitable or right for a particular situation
We had saved over two years for our vacation, and we stayed at a resort aptly named "Pamper Yourself."

arise

to occur
A revolt will arise if the government does not find ways to feed its people.

bit

a small amount of something
There was a bit of crumb on the pastor's tie.

carve

to make or create for oneself
He was very diligent and was able to carve out a career in real estate.

cornerstone

the chief foundation on which something is constructed or developed
The cornerstone of the Christian religion is that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for people's sins.

disappear

to go out of sight
The father often disappears for several hours a day; he needs to be alone.

ecosystem

all the living things in an area and the way they affect each other and the environment
The major oil spill will have a great impact on the surrounding ecosystems.

equilibrium

one's sense of balance
The senior citizen lost her equilibrium and fell down the stairs.

evolution

the development of living things
The evolution of the computer happened very rapidly.

evolve

change over time
A small argument evolved into a big war between the two families.

halt

an end
The parade came to a halt when it started raining hard.

meteorologist

someone who studies the processes that cause particular weather conditions
The meteorologist forecasted five days of severe thunderstorms.

murky

unclear and dark
Due to the oil spill, the river had turned very murky.

pattern

an example or model to be followed
All scientific research must follow certain patterns.

perpetual

continuing forever
During the time of Hitler, the Jews lived in perpetual fear of being captured.

posit

to suggest something as a basic fact or principle from which a further idea is formed or developed
If we posit that increasing homework will increase students' grades, it follows that students should spend more time studying than playing.

practically

nearly, almost
When her husband ran off with their savings, she had practically lost all the money that she had saved.

shift

to change from one position to another
The truck driver shifted his gears.

wield

to use, exercise
He wields great power as the principal of the school.

amber

a hard, clear substance of yellow
The jewels on her dress were made from amber.

basis

the main reason for something
On the basis of his research, he argued that children should sleep 12 hours a day.

breakthrough

the act, result, or place of pushing past something that blocks one's way
After months of testing, the doctors had a breakthrough in what was causing the seizures.

crude

rough, unfinished
He wanted to live simply; his crude furniture reflected this.

cursory

quick, without paying attention
She gave her daughter's report a cursory look and then started cooking.

devote

commit
She devotes two hours a day to playing the piano.

drift

wander
The whale drifted away into the sea, and the sailors could no longer see it.

electrode

the points at which a current enters or leaves an electrical device
The doctors placed electrodes on the patients arms to measure his heartbeat.

familiar

knowing about, acquainted
Most people are familiar with the bible and its teaching.

harness

capture the power of something
There is a great deal of interest in harnessing wind as a new source of energy.

hatch

to conceive an idea
The idea for the new recreation center was hatched while the men played basketball.

infancy

early time
From it's infancy, the restaurant never served alcohol.

interior

the inside of something
From the outside, the house looks worn down, but the interior is very nice.

limited

restricted in extent or amount
The mother was careful to only purchase the items they needed because they lived on a limited income.

mouthpiece

a spokesperson
He was the mouthpiece for the president of the United States.

pen name

a name used by an author in place of his or her real name
Mark Twain was the pen name of Samuel Clemens.

primitive

simple
The campers built a primitive shelter to protect themselves from the snowstorm.

secure

to obtain
After months of interviewing, James secured a job with a fortune 500 company.

spark

bit of light caused by hard surfaces scraping together or from fire
Rubbing two sticks together will create sparks.

static electricity

an electrical charge which collects on the surface of objects made from some types of material when they are rubbed
static electricity is what makes your hair stand on end.

climax

the most exciting or intense point in a series of events
The climax of the game was when he made a touchdown with only two seconds to go.

coil

something wrapped in a circle or spiral
A coil of wire lay on the women's front yard.

compass

a device to determine direction
If you have a compass, you will always know which direction is north.

crucial

extremely important
Doctors had to make the crucial decision of which life to save: the mother or the child.

disc

a thin flat circular plate
Compact discs have replaced cassette tapes.

electrical current

electric current is the flow (movement) of electric charge
The electric shock a person experiences depends on the electric current which passes through the body.

forthcoming

arriving in the future
The parents were worried because they didn't have all the information, but the school promised the details of the trip would be forthcoming.

frenzy

a state of panic, causing a wild display of emotion
The mother went into a state of frenzy when she found our her son had been in an accident.

generator

a machine that converts one form of energy into another
After the blackout, the restaurant its service by using a backup generator.

ideal

perfect
It was ideal weather for a long walk on the beach.

jolt

a sudden shock of electricity
If you put something into the outlet, you will get a jolt of electricity.

link

a relationship
The answer to the missing link in the research came from a five year old boy.

marvel

wonder; sensation
We marveled at her excellent piano playing.

momentum

the speed at which something moves
After being at a standstill for several months, the project gained momentum when a new director was assigned.

note

pay attention to
As he entered the building, he noted the elegant furniture.

shaft

a round, metal bar that turns, giving power in a long section of machinery
The shaft of the golf club connects the grip to the head.

solar power

energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy
The solar powered calculator was very inconvenient to use during the blackout.

span

to exist or continue for a particular length of time
The Roman Empire is a civilization spanning several hundred years.

surmise

to make a reasonable guess
When he saw the couple walking out of the hospital arm in arm, he surmised they had received good news.

various

assorted, diverse
various newspapers reported the crime differently.

activate

turn on; make active
The state has activated its emergency operation center.

adorn

to make beautiful
Her house was adorned with Christmas decorations.

align

place one or more objects in line with another
It was difficult to align the pictures with each other because the wall was circular.

application

a use in something
It is important to have a basic understanding of math because it has applications in science.

circular

having a round shape or design
The children ran and ran in circular motion for 30 minutes.

curl

wrap around something
The baby curled his hands around his mother's finger.

deactivate

to take out of active service
They deactivated the cell phone because their son was making too many international calls.

definitively

not able to be questioned or improved
We are definitively optimistic about the upcoming surgery.

devise

to create
When her daughter could not get married, the mother devised a plan to help her daughter find a husband.

enormous

extremely big
The stadium was enormous; it can seat 90,000 people.

envision

think up; imagine
Martin Luther King Jr. envisioned a less prejudice and less racial America

fashion

to design and make
He fashioned a shelter out of a few pieces of wood.

filament

a thin thread or fiber of natural or artificial material
Toothbrushes should be replaced every three months; this is how long it takes the filaments to get worn.

gigantic

very large
Dinosaurs are gigantic creatures that lived long ago.

innumerable

very many
It is impossible to count all the stars in the sky; they are innumerable.

layperson

someone who is not trained in or does not have a detailed knowledge of a particular subject
The engineering project took longer than expected because there were more layperson than professionals working on the project.

navigation

practice of figuring out a correct course for a ship or airplane
navigation of a ship requires expertise and skills.

propose

to suggest
After months of debating, he finally decided to propose to his girlfriend of 15 years.

recent

in the past, but not very long ago
The mayor made a recent visit to the sick children in the hospital.

repel

to make someone or something go away
This spray repels the mosquitoes and prevents them from biting you.

adoption

the acceptance of something
The adoption of the new policy increased productivity by 50%.

aspect

a feature, part of something
The teacher liked all aspects of the students' project except the presentation.

assemble

to put together, make
Her main job is to assemble Christmas ornaments in a factory.

capitalist

a wealthy person who loans money to businesses for interest payments
In true capitalist fashion, the father charged interest on the money the son had borrowed.

commonplace

frequent or usual
Car accidents are commonplace in the city of Seoul.

cottage industry

a small business run from home
EBay is a modern day cottage industry where people buy and sell merchandise from their homes.

deplorable

very bad
Low income senior citizens live in deplorable conditions.

era

a time period with a general character
The United States enjoyed a time of peace and prosperity during the Clinton era.

handicraft

objects made with skill by hand
All the Christmas decorations were handicrafts made by the native Americans.

impact

to have an effect
The new program to help the poor people impacted the community greatly.

incentive

something that makes someone work harder
The main incentive for the reading program is that students receive a coupon for a free pizza when they meet their monthly goals.

majority

more than half, but not all of something
The majority of the population voted for the new president.

manufacture

to make something for sale using machinery
The company manufactures clothing for dogs.

principle

standard, such as a guide to behavior
One of the principles of effective money management is not to have any debt.

productivity

the rate at which a company or country makes goods
The textile factory was able to increase productivity by creating a more friendly work environment.

profoundly

felt or experienced very strongly or in an extreme way
The movie about the holocaust profoundly impacted her view on what the Jews had experienced.

repeated

done many times, often
After several repeated calls to contact the winner, the committee gave up.

revolutionize

to change completely
The introduction of personal computers revolutionized the way people communicate with one another.

sacrifice

to give up something that is valuable to you in order to help another person
You can not achieve your goals without sacrificing something in your life.

textile

fabric made by weaving
The textile company faced much criticism for using child labor abroad.

afloat

on or above the water
Everyone had to get out of the boat because of the leak, and it could no longer stay afloat.

argue

to fight with words
Tom dreamed of leaving his house because he could not stand the fact that his parents argued all the time.

artifact

an object that is made by a person, such as a tool or a decoration, especially one that is of historical interest
The museum contained many artifacts from the Han Dynasty.

cork

a piece of cork, plastic or rubber, which is put into the top of a bottle, especially a wine bottle, to close it
They couldn't drink the wine because no one could get the cork out of the bottle.

decisive

showing a clear result
The other team had a decisive victory by beating us 35 to 2.

diameter

the width of a circle, measured by a straight line through its center from side to side
She drew a circle with a diameter of 15 inches.

drive

to cause forcefully
Before they could put up the tents, they had to drive the stakes into the ground.

incontrovertible

impossible to doubt because of being obviously true
No one could deny that Ann was his daughter because of the incontrovertible DNA evidence.

isolated

to separate from others
The family lived in an isolated farm outside of town.

origin

the location of where something begins or began
The origins of this artifact is unknown, but most believe it is from Asia.

proclivity

natural or habitual inclination or tendency
Ever since he was a youth, he showed a proclivity towards fighting.

relevance

a close relationship to something else
The topic Mary brought up had no relevance to our discussion.

rotate

turn in a circle, especially around a fixed point
You have to rotate the handle 90 degrees in order to open the door.

rumor

talk that comes from what other people say and not from true information or personal knowledge
Rumors of the affair destroyed the children's lives.

scintillate

to sparkle; flash
The audience was amazed at the boy's mind which scintillated with imagination.

stroke

to pass the hand lightly over something
The little boy liked his mother to stroke his back.

unassuming

quiet, modest
The famous scientist was an unassuming person with a quiet personality.

uncertainty

not knowing what to do or believe, or not able to decide about something
There was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the disappearance of the princess.

venture

a business deal, with risk
He was a risk taker and had lost a lot of his money on fruitless ventures he had invested in.

warring

describes countries or groups of people that are at war with each other or who are arguing fiercely with each other
After 10 years of fighting, the warring countries came to a resolution.

ambivalent

uncertain
Although she wanted a change in her life, she was ambivalent about moving to China.

branch

a part of something larger
Botany is a branch of biology that deals with plant life.

concept

a general idea that usually includes other related ideas
Multiplication was a difficult concept for the second graders.

confound

to confuse and greatly surprise someone, so that they are unable to explain or deal with a situation
The patient confounded his doctors by being able to walk despite his broken leg.

correlate

to show or see how one thing relates meaningfully to another
Studying hard usually correlates with better grades.

diffuse

to cause something to spread in many directions
The internet is a power means to diffuse public opinion.

droplet

a small drop
I felt droplets of rain on my head.

failed

having not succeeded
She has had two failed marriages, and she is hoping that this marriage will last.

groundwork

work that is done as a preparation for work that will be done later
The high school students lay the groundwork for the exchange program that was to take place the following year.

indispensable

necessary
Air conditioners are indispensable in Texas, where summer temperatures can reach over a 100 degrees.

inquiry

a question, query
The FBI made an inquiry regarding his past employment.

posterior

positioned at or towards the back, or later in time
The back side of a person is his posterior.

purport

to pretend to be or to do something, especially in a way that is not easy to believe
He purports the tape recording is a conversation between the king and his mother.

rash

a large number of unpleasant events of the same type
There has been a rash of robberies in our neighborhood in the past few weeks.

reflection

serious and careful thought
On reflection, I made a mistake in marrying the first woman I met.

refract

To deflect from a straight path by refraction
The diamond ring refracted the light into a rainbow of beautiful colors.

scatter

to make something go in all directions
His homework was scattered all over his room.

straddle

to be unable to decide which of two opinions about a subject is better and so partly support both opinions
The presidential candidate has been accused of straddling the issue many times.

symbolism

the use of symbols to represent meaning in literature and the arts
Religious symbolism was depicted throughout the building.

treatise

A systematic, usually extensive written discourse on a subject
Legal treatises are books that provide an in-depth overview of a particular legal subject.

alternate

to move or switch back and forth
The children never felt comfortable because they alternated between their mother and father's homes.

apparent

obvious
She looked very happy, and it was apparent that she was in love with her husband.

catch

a hidden difficulty or unpleasant requirement
There was a catch to the marriage; she was required to live with his parents for five years.

collective

of a group
The collective opinion of the group was that they were in favor of lowering taxes.

create

to make something in a special way
The company created a new toy they hoped would increase their profits.

deceptive

causing someone to believe what is not true
The father always made deceptive promises to his children.

discrete

having a distinct identity or existence
The company is discrete from all the others which are all foreign owned.

electron

a part of the atom with a negative charge
electrons are outside of the nucleus of an atom.

emit

to send out
The kettle emitted steam and a whistling sound when the water was boiled.

evidence

to show
Her superior intelligence was evidenced by her getting a full scholarship to Stanford University.

microscopic

extremely small
The tardigrade is a microscopic animal that looks like a tiny bear.

parallel

running side by side at an equal distance apart
Railroad tracks are parallel to each other.

particle

extremely small unit of matter, such as an atom, ion, etc.
Small particles of dirt were present in the water.

photon

a single of light
Photons are always in motion and, in a vacuum, have a constant speed of light.

quantum

the smallest or amount of energy
A quantum of energy is so small that it can no longer be broken down.

simply

without any difficulty
They were amazed at how simply she was able to maneuver the obstacles.

slit

to make a narrow cut
She slit her wrist with the knife accidentally.

twist

an unusual development
There was a new twist to the murder case; the husband was found guilty.

vertical

pointing straight up or at an angle of 90° to a horizontal surface or line
The husband preferred vertical blinds, but the wife thought they made the house look smaller.

wave

an electronic, light, or sound movement of energy
Microwaves can be very dangerous to humans.

abominable

very bad or unpleasant
Her treatment of her pets was abominable; her neighbors finally called the humane society.

artificially

made by people
The mother did not allow her children to drink anything artificially sweetened.

cataclysmic

relating to a violent event
The tsunami was a cataclysmic event that destroyed most of the island.

chain reaction

a series of events in which one event causes the next
When the students protested the new homework policy, it created a chain reaction of events in which the police got involved.

commonly

usually
In the past, people from Asia were commonly referred to as 'Orientals.'

critical mass

an amount necessary or sufficient to have a significant effect or to achieve a result
critical mass occurs when there is sufficient momentum and that momentum becomes self-sustaining and fuels further growth.

dismay

to shock and discourage
The loss of their grandmother dismayed the children.

exponentially

describes a rate of increase which becomes quicker and quicker as the thing that increases becomes larger
The treatment became ineffective because the cancer cells were growing exponentially.

horrific

terrifying
The scientists decided to abandon their project after they witnessed the horrific results of the lab experiment.

horrific

terrifying
The scientists decided to abandon their project after they witnessed the horrific results of the lab experiment.

instigate

to make something happen
The bully instigated a fight against the first grade students.

largely

to a great degree
She is largely responsible for her son's success.

massively

large in scale, amount, or degree
His experience in traveling to different countries has been massively beneficial to his job as an ambassador.

peter out

to gradually stop or disappear
The fight which started out in the morning had petered out by the evening.

potentially

possibly
His new invention could potentially save millions of lives.

propaganda

information, ideas, opinions or images, often only giving one part of an argument, which are broadcast, published or in some other way spread with the intention of influencing people's opinions
TV sets in North Korea are tuned to government stations that pump out a steady stream of propaganda.

radioactivity

the quality that some atoms have of producing energy
radioactivity occurs because some atoms are not stable.

relatively

in a relative manner
Students from wealthier families do relatively better than students from low income families.

stem

to come from
His anger towards women stemmed from his relationship with his mother.

trivial

unimportant
Besides sports, the husband considered all other topics trivial.

advance

an improvement
Scientific advances is what enabled the doctors to find a cure for their mother's illness.

civilian

someone who is not a member of the military or police forces
After serving in the military for 25 years, he was a civilian again.

concentration

total attention to something
One of his difficulties in school was that he lacked concentration.

contamination

to spoil the purity of something or make it poisonous
After the oil spill, the lake had to be checked for contamination.

disaster

a sudden great act of destruction and loss
Earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoons are considered natural disasters.

exceed

to be more than
The donations from the church far exceeds what they were hoping for.

facility

the physical area
The apartment complex had a nice recreational facility including a weight room and indoor swimming pools.

inability

lack of power or capacity to do something
Harold was never able to get married because of his inability to commit to a relationship.

inadequate

not enough
The mother's supply of milk was inadequate, so the doctors recommended supplementing with formula.

material

any physical substance, such as rock, wood, glass, plastic, etc
Many kitchen utensils are now made from plastic material.

meltdown

the melting down of uranium rods and safety walls, releasing nuclear radiation
The reactor lost its coolant causing a nuclear meltdown.

misconception

misunderstanding
The bride had the misconception that the wedding was going to be paid by the groom's family.

neutron

a part of an atom that has no electrical charge
The neutron and proton make up the nucleus of an atom.

nuclear fission

the splitting of the nucleus of an atom, which results in the release of a large amount of energy
nuclear fission resulted in the development of atomic bombs which were dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

perception

the way a person sees something
My perception of the meeting was very different than yours.

threshold

the level or point at which you start to experience something, or at which something starts to happen
I have a high threshold for pain.

tragedy

a sad event
The death of their son was a tragedy that affected the entire neighborhood.

turbine

a machine that produces power by turning blades with steam, water, or gas, especially to create electricity
A turbine is a rotary engine that extracts energy from a fluid flow.

uncontrolled

not controlled
The son's spending was uncontrolled, and he had to file for bankruptcy.

waste

to make poor use of something valuable
The students wasted the scratch paper by only using one side of it.

accrete

to grow together
In science when something accretes, it gradually increases by steady addition of smaller parts.

asteroid

any of thousands of usu. irregularly shaped heavenly bodies
Ceres was the first asteroid that was discovered; it is also the largest.

birth

to cause or produce something
For years, I kept a notebook with ideas for birthing new inventions.

boundary

a real or imagined line that marks the edge or limit of something
The city boundaries are marked by the railroad tracks.

condense

to reduce something
He had to condense his speech because the audience was losing interest.

debris

remains of something
There was a lot of debris near the construction site.

detection

a discovery
After the detection of a mole in his arm, the man became worried that it might be cancer.

inhibit

to make an action or behavior difficult
Her lack of confidence inhibited her from getting a better job.

magnetic field

an area around a magnet or something magnetic, in which its power to attract objects to itself can be felt
Earth's magnetic field is approximately a magnetic dipole, with one pole near the north pole and the other near the south pole.

molecule

the simplest of a chemical substance, usually a group of two or more atoms
Two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom make up one water molecule.

predict

to say what will happen in the future
Fortune tellers say they can predict the future, but they usually not right.

protoplanetary disk

a rotating disk of dense gas surrounding a young newly formed star
Protoplanetary discs are rather cool.

protostar

any early stage in the formation of a star when an interstellar cloud of gas and dust starts to collapse but before nuclear synthesis has begun at its core
A protostar is surrounded by a dense cocoon of gas and dust that blocks visible light.

rotate

turn in a circle, especially around a fixed point
You have to rotate the handle 90 degrees in order to open the door.

solar system

the Sun, Earth, eight other planets, moons, comets, that move around the sun
The solar system fascinates even the youngest of children.

solidify

to make something definite
We solidified our plans to visit all the famous museums in the world.

speck

a tiny piece
The woman was obsessed about her house being clean and would not even tolerate a speck of dust.

spew

to come out or push out with force
Lava spewed out of the volcano.

strict

expecting rules to be followed
The mother gave her son strict orders to be home by midnight.

vast

wide in area
Traveling on the vast ocean reminded him of the trip he had taken as a child.

annihilate

to eradicate by force
The atomic bomb almost annihilated the entire population.

attempt

endeavor
She made several attempts to get in touch with her but was unsuccessful.

clump

group together in a clump
The plastic toys had melted in the sun and had clumped together.

comet

fast-moving heavenly body with a solid head surrounded by a glowing cloud of gases that circles the sun
Halley's comet may have first been seen as far back as 240 B.C.

conjecture

the forming of an opinion or conclusion without having enough evidence
She conjectured as to why the student always wore the same clothes.

contend

to state formally that something is true
The victim contended that the two young boys were guilty.

derive

to obtain
She derives pleasure from watching her grandchildren play.

discovery

the finding of something new
With the discovery of penicillin, many lives have been saved.

enthusiast

a person who is very interested in and involved with a particular subject or activity
He collected stamps from all over the world. He was a stamp colleting enthusiast.

entirely

completely
I have to admit the accident was entirely my fault.

flurry

a rush of activity
A flurry of shopping took place the day after Thanksgiving.

interval

a time period between events
She and her husband go on dates in regular intervals.

Northern Lights

the lights that appear at night in the sky of the far north
We saw the Northern Lights during our trip to Canada.

obstinately

unreasonably determined
He obstinately presented his point even though no one agreed with him.

perceive

to understand
All the members present perceived the situation differently and couldn't come to a decision.

pose

present; cause
Smoking poses a threat to our health.

rampant

uncontrollable and widespread
Looting was rampant after the fire.

speculation

guess; uninformed opinion
There has been widespread speculation that he plans to quit.

theorize

to form or propose a theory
Albert Einstein first theorized about relativity.

unravel

to understand in a slow, painstaking way
The case started to unravel when they found the car.

aboriginal

a person or living thing that has existed in a country or continent since the earliest time known to people
aboriginal people of Australia make up about 2.5% of the population.

assertion

statement something is true
He made the assertion that it would not rain tomorrow.

banish

to send someone away
Romeo kills Tybalt, and he was banished from Verona.

boast

to praise oneself
The little boy boasted about how many toys he had.

conceited

too high an opinion of oneself
He was so conceited that no one wanted to play with him.

delineate

to describe usually in specific detail
You must delineate what you want in a prenuptial contract.

detect

to uncover
During her routine check up, the doctors detected an abnormal heartbeat.

enamored

to like a lot
I am not particularly enamored with the buildings in Europe.

espy

to suddenly or unexpectedly see something
The boy espied a whale in the ocean.

folklore

the traditional customs, beliefs, stories of a people, country, or region
Tangun is a Korean folklore.

grief-stricken

overwhelmed by grief
When she learned her father had lost all of his money in the stock market, she was grief-stricken.

hemisphere

half of the earth
The Earth is divided into the northern and southern hemisphere.

initiate

to cause something to start
After watching the man play basketball, she initiated a conversation with him.

legend

a story from the distant past
The story of Robin Hood is a legend that most people was based on a real person.

Paleolithic

belonging to the period when humans used tools and weapons made of stone
The paleolithic Period is sometimes referred to as the Stone Age.

permeate

to spread through something and be present in every part of it
The smell of vinegar permeated the entire room.

primeval

prehistoric
primeval fish live in the depths of the ocean.

reflection

serious and careful thought
On reflection, I made a mistake in marrying the first woman I met.

roam

to go freely over a large area
The toddlers were free to roam all over the auditorium.

summon

to call or send for
The principal summoned me to his office.

astronomer

a scientist who studies heavenly bodies and outer space
My uncle is an astronomer who works at night and sleeps during the day.

backup

something that you have arranged in case your main plans, equipment, go wrong
We have a back up plan incase it rains.

blur

difficult to see, understand or separate clearly
The distinction between art and graffiti has blurred in recent years.

caption

an explanation written above, below, or beside a picture
Newspapers usually have captions below each picture.

cost

the cost of something
We need to cut our costs for eating out.

daunt

to make afraid
The thought of raising her children alone was daunting.

dazzling

extremely attractive or exciting
The third grade class gave a dazzling ballet performance.

distortion

a change that makes something false
The distortions of the details of her story made me realize that she really was not present at the site of the accident.

harrowing

extremely upsetting
Three gun men had entered the bank while we were there; it was a harrowing experience.

improperly

not correct for a particular use or occasion
The tire was installed improperly which caused the accident.

maintenance

keeping something in good condition
Regular maintenance of your car is extremely important.

mar

to damage
Her face had been marred by the accident.

mishap

an accident
She had a mishap with her car on her way to work.

preclude

to make impossible
Breaking her arm precluded her from the tournament.

priceless

such great value that no price would be high enough
Watching the children laugh and enjoy themselves was priceless.

push back

cause to move back by force or influence
They had to push back the date of the wedding because her fiance had been deployed to Iraq.

reverse

to change the direction
The teacher reversed her decision and gave the students no homework for the holidays.

spiral

something that curves in a circular way around a center point, and sometimes up and down, like a screw or a winding staircase,
Bed springs are shaped like spiral shaped.

telescope

an optical instrument used to make distant objects seem larger
The telescope made the stars appear very close.

temporary

passing, impermanent
Her husband assured her that his phase of their lives was temporary; life would get better.

acquire

get; pick up
I acquired the right to fire anyone who brings down the company.

cameo

a brief appearance by a famous person in a movie or play
Alfred Hitchcock made several cameo appearances in his movies.

concession

a surrender to a special demand by someone
We were able to sell our house on the concession that we paint the outside.

entrepreneur

person who starts a company or backs other business opportunities
Juliet was a young entrepreneur with big ideas.

eyesore

something that is unpleasant to look at
My stepmother regarded me as an eyesore.

household

common or usual
The science experiments were easy to do because they only required household items.

incur

to take on responsibilities, obligations, etc
Her family did not have much money, so she incurred a lot of debt while attending university.

lull

a lessening or temporary stopping of activity
During the holidays, the store was very busy, but now there is a lull.

opportunity

an occasion for personal advancement or financial gain
The young girl had the opportunity to travel to Europe with her debate class.

preliminary

a preparation for some event
Before her surgery, the doctors wanted to run some preliminary tests.

prestige

qualities, such as excellent reputation, wealth, and power, that bring admiration or honor
Her job as a researcher gave her a lot of prestige.

real estate

property that cannot be moved, such as land, houses, and office buildings
The real estate market in California skyrocketed within the last 7 years.

reality television show

a TV show about real people
Reality television shows can be about anyone; they did one on a tennis professional.

recession

a time when economic activity is not strong
During the recession, the gas prices doubled.

renovate

to renew something
After many attempts at fixing the leak, the owner decided to renovate the building.

renovation

the process of renewing something
Renovations to the house were moving at a very slow pace; the family was quite upset at the contractors.

seemingly

appearing to be something, especially when this is not true
She appears very composed and seemingly unaffected by the fire.

skyscraper

a very tall building
Because there is so much land in Texas, you do not see many skyscrapers.

stake

the stakes are the reward for the person who wins or succeeds in it
The stakes for this race is high; the winner gets a trip around the world.

virtue

moral goodness, such as honesty or clean living
The doctor was a man of virtue.

additive

a substance which is added to food in order to improve its taste or appearance or to preserve it
The children preferred store bought cookies because of all the additives.

advent

beginning
Life in American was transformed with the advent of automobiles.

climate

the type of weather that a place or region has
When people grow old, they prefer to live in places where the climate is moderate.

convenient

easy and comfortable to do or get to
Because both parents work, it is convenient for the family to eat fast food.

diminish

to lessen
The company's reputation has diminished over the years.

drawback

something that can create a problem
One of the drawbacks of a city life is the pollution and congestion.

ensure

to make sure
After the shooting, the school took drastic measures to ensure the safety of its students.

marine

related to the ocean
The ocean and everything in it fascinated her; she ultimately decided to become a marine biologist.

minimize

to reduce something to the limit
Seatbelts minimize injuries from auto accidents.

modify

to change something
When she discovered her son had diabetes, she had to modify his diet drastically.

obtain

to acquire
It was difficult to obtain a passport for her husband because he was foreign born.

optimal

referring to the best
The weather was optimal for a tennis tournament--no winds, no rain and a temperature of 75 degrees.

pesticide

a chemical used to kill insects and weeds
You need to wash apples carefully to remove all the pesticides.

preservative

a chemical that keeps food from going bad
Parents today are feeding their children more organic foods because they do not contain preservatives.

preserve

to prevent food from spoiling
Refrigerators preserve food from spoiling.

promote

to support
Eating a healthy breakfast promotes good health.

resistance

not to do something
The principal faced a lot of resistance when he proposed a no-homework policy.

suitable

appropriate
The mother realized she didn't have suitable clothes for the party.

trait

a particular characteristic that can produce a particular type of behavior
Being rude is not a positive trait.

undermine

to ruin the efforts of someone
The father had no authority over his children because his wife constantly undermined his disciplining efforts.

capitalize on

to use a situation to your own advantage
She capitalized on her good looks to get promoted in the company.

chemist

a scientist who works with chemicals or studies their reactions
The chemist was always making new things; his laboratory was filled with bottles filled with different colored liquids.

concoct

to mix together
Mark liked to concoct drinks using six different liquids.

confidently

having strong belief or full assurance
The little girl walked confidently across the stage and gave her piano performance.

convert

to change the condition or status of something
She was Catholic, but she converted to Islam to marry her husband.

cosmetic

a beauty preparation, like makeup, lipstick, and skin cream, used on the body, esp. on the face
She had many allergies and could only use European cosmetics on her face.

devise

to create
When her daughter could not get married, the mother devised a plan to help her daughter find a husband.

disguise

to change one's appearance to fool others
The king disguised himself as a beggar to find out what his followers really thought of him.

distributor

a person or business that distributes goods
She is a distributor for the Coca Cola company.

employee

someone who is paid to work for someone else
She is my former employee, and now she works for Microsoft.

follow suit

to watch the development of
The republican candidate submitted all his tax returns; the citizens wondered if the other candidates would follow suit.

ingenious

very good at making things or solving problems
The children found an ingenious way to build a bridge without using any tools.

ingredient

an item in a recipe
Because she lacked several ingredients, the cake did not turn out very good.

innovative

using new methods or ideas
The child was quite innovative and did not require any toys to keep him busy; he could make things out of an empty box.

inquire

to ask about something
The professor inquired about my health because I was coughing in class.

knowledge

an understanding of something
Having lived in Asia for several years, he had a lot of knowledge about Chinese history.

makeover

a thorough course of beauty and cosmetic treatments
Most women like to receive free makeovers that are offered from cosmetic counters in department stores.

prior

earlier
With no prior experience in raising children, the couple adopted three siblings.

relocate

move to a new place
Our family relocated from California to Texas.

variation

a change
She made several variations to her famous chocolate chip cookies.

budding

beginning to develop or show signs of future success in a particular area
She was a budding actress; all of her family members were impressed with her acting skills.

charity

an organization that helps poor people
She gave up her lucrative career and now does a lot of charity work.

dyslexia

a disorder marked by a difficulty recognizing written words
His dyslexia caused him to do poorly in school; he had a difficult time reading.

entity

a group viewed as a whole
Although they are owned by the same person, they are essentially different entities.

essentially

relating to the most important characteristics or ideas of something
It's essentially a phone, but it has other capabilities.

expand

to grow larger
After making a lot of money, he expanded his business overseas.

imprison

to send to jail
Many innocent citizens were imprisoned during the war.

lyric(s)

the words of a song
Many children did not know the lyrics to the national anthem.

nonconformist

a person who does not behave according to ordinary standards of conduct
Even as a child, she never liked to do what other children liked to do; she was always a nonconformist.

oversee

to make sure that people do their work properly
As director of sales, she oversaw 30 different territories.

persevere

to continue working toward a goal despite difficulties
Despite his hardships, he persevered and made it to Yale University.

rags-to-riches

when a person goes from poverty to wealth
Her rags-to-riches story is an encouragement to all the single mothers.

restrictive

tending or serving to restrict
People with diabetes have restrictive diets.

self-made

successful because of one's own effort, not because of money or help from others
Todd grew up in the slums; he is a self-made millionaire.

startup

of or pertaining to the beginning of a new project or venture
Netflix is a startup company that succeeded.

submission

weak agreement
She had a difficult time adjusting to the school because of their demand for strict submission to authority.

tremendous

huge, vast
The pastor was a tremendous support to the family during their trial.

unexpectedly

not expected
Her husband unexpectedly left the party.

utilize

to use
She utilized her negotiation skills to get the contract.

venture

a business deal, with risk
He was a risk taker and had lost a lot of his money on fruitless ventures he had invested in.

adversity

bad luck
Despite her adversity of not being able to speak the language, she was able to start her business and became very successful.

ambition

desire to succeed
Her ambition was to become an astronaut and travel to outer space.

concerted

focused; intensive
She has begun to make a concerted effort to find a job.

disciplinarian

a person who believes in and demands obedience to rules
The father was strict, but the mother was the disciplinarian in the home; the children were more afraid of their mother than the father.

ghetto

an area in a city where many people of a particular nationality, race, or religion live
He grew up in the ghetto; it was a miracle that he ever survived.

handle

to take care of something
The lawyer did not handle the case very well; she should not have spoken to the judge that way.

influential

the power to have an effect on people or things
Her mother was very influential in her decision to become a doctor.

niche

position or place that is just right for a person
She was happy with her new job as a nurse; she had found her niche.

objectivity

based on real facts and not influenced by personal beliefs or feelings
The judge lost his objectivity in the case because of his relationship to the victim.

philanthropist

a person who helps or gives to good causes
The philanthropist made sure students who wanted to study had a chance to go to college.

poverty-stricken

very poor
After the father lost his job, the family was poverty-stricken.

rebellious

defying or resisting some established authority, government, or tradition
As a child he was very rebellious and was punished quite often.

recite

to speak something one knows from memory
The little girl walked around the house reciting her nursery rhymes.

reinvent

take something old and do or show it in a new way
With the internet, communications has been reinvented.

rural

in the countryside
The rural farm life can be quite calming and quiet.

spell

period of time
Before becoming a famous actor, he worked as a waiter for a spell.

stern

not flexible
The father was very stern and expected his children to obey him without arguing.

switch

to change suddenly or completely, especially from one thing to another
switching your major too many times during college can really hinder you from graduating in a timely manner.

tax evasion

ways of illegally paying less tax than you should
He cheated on his taxes for several years, and now the government is going after him for tax evasion.

unbiased

not biased or prejudiced
Although the teacher had her favorites, she tried to remain unbiased.

backfire

to produce an undesired result
His plan to steal his friend's girlfriend backfired.

blame

to say someone is responsible for something bad
The townspeople blamed the mayor for all their problems.

dichotomy

a difference between two completely opposite ideas or things
There is often a dichotomy between what politicians say and do.

effective

having the result that one wants
The mother found an effective way of cleaning her kitchen.

garner

to collect something, usually after much work or with difficulty
The step mother was able to garner trust from the children very quickly; she was a very compassionate and understanding woman.

identifiable

able to be recognized
She was badly burned in the fire, and her facial features were not identifiable.

inspire

to cause to work hard or be creative
The book was written to inspire all artist to pursue their dreams.

instill

give a quality by example or teaching
The family decided to home school their children because they wanted to instill good moral values.

intuition

a guess about something without certain facts
Women have better intuition and know when there is something wrong with their children.

motivate

to give a reason to do something
motivating teenagers to do their homework and study hard is a challenge to most teachers.

oriented

To make familiar with or adjusted to facts
She was very family oriented and got married as soon as she graduated from college.

procedure

a detailed method of doing something
During a fire drill, it is very important to follow the correct procedures.

prompt

done without delay
They liked the restaurant because of the prompt service they receive.

resentment

a feeling of anger about something
After his plan backfired, his friend had a lot of resentment towards him.

skeptical

doubting that something is true or useful
I was very skeptical of his professed faith, until I actually saw him serving the needs of the homeless.

status quo

the way things are now
Most teenagers do not like to change; they like to keep the status quo.

subordinate

person of lower rank
The general commanded complete submission from his subordinates.

task

job to be performed
As a mother, she had many tasks that needed attention each day.

teamwork

a cooperative effort with each person working to reach a common goal
Football and basketball requires teamwork, whereas tennis does not.

tense

nervous
The meeting was very tense because the owner was going to announce who would be laid off.

black-and-white

absolute
It was difficult to make a decision because the situation was not clear; it was not black-and-white.

boycott

a refusal for political reasons to buy certain products or do business with a certain store or company
Many parents started a boycott against Disney when they found out it made movies that were not appropriate for young children.

child labor

full-time employment of children who are under a minimum legal age
His company was found to have used child labor for their children's clothing line.

deem

to consider
The committee deemed me worthy of receiving the scholarship.

dilemma

a difficult choice between two undesirable alternatives
Cara faced a dilemma; she had to decide if she should pull the life support from her husband or continue to let him live on life support in a vegetative state.

disallow

to refuse to accept
The teacher disallowed her paper because it was 10 days late.

engage

to be involved
She was tired and didn't want to engage in the conversation.

failure

a person who fails
He felt like a failure because he was 40 years old and didn't have a wife or a stable job.

generate

to produce
We may have to close that branch because it does not generate enough sales.

lay off

to dismiss an employee
The manager did not want to do it, but he was responsible for laying off 30 employees.

misguide

to guide wrongly
The signs had misguided her, and she ended up in the woods.

moral

relating to the standards of good or bad behavior
He had no morals, and it did not bother him that he was stealing money from his mother.

observer

a person who observes something without participating
He was not an active participant in the games; he was just an observer.

patronize

to be a customer of
She only patronizes the stores in Beverly Hills.

profit

money remaining after business expenses are deducted
During the month of December, he gives all of his profits to the needy people.

redundant

not necessary or needed
The husband hated to be redundant, but he had to repeat everything to his wife three times.

scruple(s)

principles of personal conduct that stop you from doing something wrong
He has no scruples at all; he has no quilt about taking things home from his office.

shareholder

a person who owns some of the equal parts into which the ownership of a company is divided
The shareholders of the company decided to fire the CEO.

sneaker

a type of light comfortable shoe that is suitable for playing sports
Their son was so active that he wore out his sneakers every month.

unethical

not conforming to approved standards of social or professional behavior
Her boss was an unethical man who did not mind using company funds for personal use.

acquisition

the process of getting ownership of something
His latest acquisition was a brand new car.

capitalism

an economic system based on private ownership, competition, and a free market
After the breakup of the Soviet Union, it moved from communism to capitalism.

designate

to appoint
During the CEO's absence, Mark was designated to head the company.

enterprise

a business
His new business enterprise was a company that cleans sneakers for a very low fee.

equal

an equivalent
In his will, the father left equal shares of his estate to both his daughters.

extensive

great in amount or area
The coupled did extensive renovations in their house this year.

feat

an impressive act, showing strength, courage, or unusual ability
Climbing Mt. Everest in his condition was no small feat.

harmful

causing hurt or damage
The mother tried very hard to keep harmful substances locked up.

hostile

fierce; unfriendly
We were happy to move away from our hostile neighbor.

incorporate

to include
The master plan incorporated ideas from the students and the teachers.

inflate

raise above the normal or proper level
The newlywed were discouraged about buying a house because of inflating prices.

market share

The proportion of industry sales of a good or service that is controlled by a company
The owner of the new hamburger business sought ways to increase his market share.

merger

combining two companies into one larger company
The merger between the two companies gave them more competitive power.

monopoly

the control of an entire market by only one person, business, or organization
Most governments have laws to prevent companies from becoming a monopoly.

perceive

to understand
All the members present perceived the situation differently and couldn't come to a decision.

prevent

to stop from happening
There is no way to prevent your car from getting dirty; you just need to clean it often.

reasonable

referring to a logical and right thing to do
He felt the price for the jacket was very reasonable so he purchased it.

seek

to request
Mayor Thomson wanted to seek another term in office.

stimulate

to increase energy or activity
Competition between students is good because it stimulates creativity.

strictly

in a very limited or limiting way
The party was strictly for newcomers.

asset

items of value to a person, business, or institution
The man decided to divide his assets equally between his children when he died.

code

a way of hiding the true meaning of communications from all except those people who have the keys to understand it
The children liked to speak to each other in a secret code.

corporation

a business with a legal status where the assets and debts belong to shareholders
The corporation has many branches all over the world.

debt

a sum of money owed to another
During college she had incurred a lot of debt.

declare

to state something
After declaring his love for her, he got down on his knees and proposed.

difference

a way of being different
The difference between the two education systems is that one focuses on the individuality of each child.

dissolution

a breaking down into parts or pieces
As her symptoms got worse, we watched the dissolution of the patient's courage.

earning

the amount of money that someone is paid for the work they do
When she calculated her earnings for the year, she was surprised at how much she had made.

exist

to be present physically or emotionally
Many non profit organizations exist to serve the community.

extreme

large in amount or degree
The woman felt the punishment was too extreme and was very upset.

handshake

a way people greet or leave each other, or agree on a decision, by grasping each other's hand
In many countries a business deal is done through a handshake.

informal

casual
The business dinner was very informal; everyone came in jeans.

liability

a legal obligation, such as to pay debts and damages
After the hurricane, the insurance companies had huge liabilities to pay for the damages.

liable

legally obligated
Most business form a corporation because they do not want to be personally liable.

obligate

to make someone feel he or she must do something
Although she was not his daughter, he felt obligated to help pay for her college expenses.

obligation

responsibility
Family members carry out the obligations of their roles.

partnership

a form of business with two or more owners
The two sisters formed a partnership when they started their craft business.

portion

a small piece or section of a larger thing
She was happy to pay her portion of the bill.

retain

to keep something
Tom tried to retian his heavyweight championship.

specify

to say or communicate exactly what one wants or needs
His mother never specifies what she needs; I always have to guess what she wants.

cognizant

having knowledge
He was not cognizant of the fact that his wife had invited 50 people to their house.

concise

in few words with much meaning
She enjoyed her professors lectures because they were concise and to the point.

confirm

to make sure something is right by checking it again
You need to confirm whether you want to attend the party or not.

confusion

disorder
When the fire alarm rang, there was much confusion in the room.

effort

physical or mental work
She put a lot of effort into planning the party.

gesture

a body movement to show something
After going to the dentist, she could not speak and only used gestures.

illegible

difficult to read
Students these days are not taught good handwriting skills; most of what they write are illegible.

incomplete

lacking something
The woman always felt incomplete because she never had children.

inefficiency

not organized, skilled or able to work satisfactorily
The inefficiency of the workers caused the company to lose a lot of money.

intention

purpose
My intentions were not to harm the dog, but when I tried to bandage his leg, he ran away.

intercept

to stop or catch something while it is in the air or going toward something
Mary intercepted the mail her husband sent to his boss; she didn't want him to quit his job.

memo

written note used inside a company to inform others, ask for information, record meetings, etc
Office memos are no longer used; most people just send an email.

occur

to come to mind
It never occurred to her to call her parents when her plane got delayed.

oral

related to the mouth
She enjoys giving oral presentations.

outline

the outer shape of something
The outline of the building cast a big shadow on the street.

plethora

an overabundance
There was a plethora of self-help books published each year.

recipient

a person who receives something sent or given by another
The recipient of the award was overwhelmed and could not speak.

relevant

closely connected
Students learn faster when the material they are learning is relevant to their lives.

sift

to look through something carefully
The fire fighters sifted through the debris.

summarize

to give a summary
He tried to summarize the speech, but he had forgotten the main points.

accompany

to be provided or exist at the same time as something
There is a lot of stress that accompanies planning a wedding.

cite

to mention or quote as an example or authority
Taking final exams is cited by most college students as being the most stressful experience.

convey

carry from one place to another
He was never good with words; he could never convey what he was in his heart.

cue card

a large card, out of range of the camera, on which words or phrases have been printed in large letters for the speaker or performer to read or use as a memory aid during a program
His job was to hold the cue cards for the announcers during the news broadcast.

dull

not interesting or exciting in any way
The lecture was so dull, the students just walked out of class.

duration

the time that something continues or exists
Please refrain from smoking during the duration of the tour.

elicit

to bring out
The speaker tried to elicit responses from the audience, but they all stared back with blank faces.

engaging

captivating
The speakers presentation was not engaging at all; everyone in the audience was moving around in their chairs.

guideline

information intended to advise people on how something should be done or what something should be
The teacher did not have specific guidelines for the students to follow which caused some students to be very confused.

intimidate

to make someone fearful or timid by showing power or making threats
intimidating his classmates was one way in which the boy felt some sense of self confidence.

market

promote goods and services
When you market a product, you advertise to let consumers know about it.

nerve-wracking

describes something that is difficult to do and causes a lot of worry for the person involved in it
Giving a speech in front of thousands of people is a nerve-wracking experience.

pertinent

directly related
His presentation was very informative because it was filled with only pertinent information.

quantity

a general amount, a supply
The store did not have the exact quantity of items that I needed.

seminar

a meeting or short course on a specific topic
I attended a seminar which taught me how to be a better teacher.

tedious

long and dull
Defining 1600 vocabulary words can be a tedious job.

undivided

complete
Whenever her child talked to her, the mother always gave her undivided attention.

unrehearsed

not practiced in advance
You could tell the speech was unrehearsed because he kept making mistakes.

visual aids

something that you are shown, such as a picture, film or map, in order to help you understand or remember information
Little children learn better if there are visual aids.

wrought

formed
The stores online sales was wrought with many problems.

convince

to cause someone to believe something is worth doing or true
I tried to convince my mother to allow me to marry the prisoner.

dialogue

conversation
I had a dialogue with my teacher because of my scholarship.

distraction

something that interrupts
Due to the distractions from the street below, the boy could not fall asleep.

exert

to act with power, force, influence
The doctors warned her to stay in bed and not exert too much energy.

exhibit

to show
The museum will exhibit the artifacts all through the month of June.

face-to-face

meeting someone in the same place
She liked communicating through email, but she always preferred talking to her children face-to-face.

figure

person
John F. Kennedy is a very important political figure.

hinder

to slow the progress of something
Not having a college degree hindered her from getting a job as a teacher.

imperative

necessary
It was imperative that she find a husband soon, if she wanted to have children.

insult

a very unkind remark about someone
He was more upset because the insult was directed at his mother.

key

the most important part of something
The key factor to her success was that she worked very hard and never gave up.

misgiving

doubt
After getting married, she had many misgivings.

negotiation

a talk between people to reach an agreement on something
His job required him to make many negotiations with international companies.

one-way

describes a relationship which is not fair because only one person or group of the two makes any effort
She never knew what he was thinking because their conversations were always one-way; he never said more than three words.

respect

To feel or show deferential regard for
He wanted to be respected by his employees, but what he didn't realize was that respect is something you have to earn.

respectable

a good place in society
Martin Luther King Jr. was a respectable figure that relentless fought for civil rights.

smoothly

without interruption or difficulty
After all her planning, the bride prayed that her wedding would go smoothly.

two-way

entailing responsibilities, obligations on both such parties
Marriage she realized was a two-way street.

underling

an unimportant person
When speaking to teenagers, it is important to give them respect and not make them feel like underlings.

wander

to go from place to place without a fixed plan or goal
After losing his job, he wandered through the streets trying to figure out why he was laid off.

acute

great
Lack of motivation in students was acute in poor neighborhoods.

antiquity

the time of ancient societies
In antiquity, the Roman civilization was powerful and lasted for hundreds of years.

brutality

cruelty
The brutality of the guards towards the prisoner was caught on tape.

city-state

in the ancient world, a city and the area around it with an independent government
Rome and Athens were great city-states of the ancient world.

combat

to fight against
His main job as a police officer is to combat crime.

confession

an admission of guilt
The criminal did not mean to make a confession, but it just happened naturally.

constant

happening all the time
He could not sleep because of the constant noise from the apartment below.

decree

an order given by an authority
There was a government decree banning all religious meetings.

defend

to protect against attack
It was the responsibility of the knights to defend the castle.

despot

a dictator
The king was a despot, and his followers constantly lived in fear.

deter

prevent from acting
The children were able to deter the stranger from kidnapping them by kicking and screaming.

elite

the leaders and professionals in the highest levels of a society
The ruling elite is made up of the queen and her sons.

fugitive

a person who is running away
After the prisoner escaped from prison, he became a fugitive.

hierarchy

a system in which people or things are arranged according to their importance
He rose quickly through the company hierarchy to become the CEO.

internal

inside, within
The current president is more focused on internal affairs than foreign policy.

notoriously

famous for something bad
San Francisco is notoriously known for its cold summers.

refrain

to avoid doing something
The father refrained from smoking inside the house.

remunerate

to pay someone for work or services
The gardener was poorly remunerated for his work.

suspicion

the act or condition of suspecting
The employer treated her with suspicion after he found out her past.

swell

to enlarge or expand in size
The union membership swelled this month when 100 new employees joined.

analysis

scientific examination of something
I was interested in the teacher's analyses of the situation.

attain

to achieve
When he attained his doctorate, he felt he had accomplished all his dreams.

capable

having the ability or power to do something well
She was very capable of finding her way around town.

compensation

payment in money
My compensation for doing this work was only $40.

compensation package

all the items, in addition to pay, the company will give you
His compensation package included housing, tuition for his children's education and two round trip tickets back home for the entire family.

evaluation

an analysis
Her yearly evaluation was very positive, so she got a big raise.

free will

the power to make one's own choices
People in communist countries do not have free will; they must obey what they are told to do.

human resources

personnel
Large companies have many programs to encourage and retain their human resources.

mobility

the ability to be mobile
After the stroke, she lost mobility in both her legs.

objective

not influenced by emotions or personal beliefs
The teacher had her favorites and could never be objective when it came to resolving disputes.

payroll

a list of employees to be paid and the amounts due to each
After working as a temporary employee, they finally put me on the payroll.

personnel

all the people working in an organization
The human resources department of a company deals with hiring the personnel.

promotion

movement to a new and better job
Getting a promotion in his company enabled the young couple to purchase a house.

recruitment

the process of interviewing and choosing people to do a job
She was responsible for the recruitment of cast members for the new musical production.

reward

something given in exchange for good behavior or good work
The rewards of teaching far outweigh the negatives.

screen

to test or examine someone or something to discover if there is anything wrong with them
Most companies screen their employees for drug abuse.

strength

a good characteristic
His strength is that he gets along with everyone.

strive

to work hard for something
The parents encouraged their children to always strive for perfection.

undergo

to experience
The store had undergone several renovations after the fire.

weakness

a negative characteristic
His weakness is that he can not focus very well.

a notice of a product or service
The advertisement for a hamburger made her hungry so she went to McDonalds.

billboard

a large, flat board for advertisements, usually by the side of the road
billboards in recent years have become very high tech.

brand loyalty

the tendency of consumers to continue buying a specific brand's product or service, despite the competition
Joe has brand loyalty to Proctor and Gamble and will only purchase their products.

competition

the people, as a group, that one is trying to do better than
The competition in the auto industry includes several different countries.

constantly

all the time
She is constantly on the computer.

entice

to attract or persuade
The company enticed her to take the job by offering her a promotion within two years.

estimate

to figure the amount or extent of
It is estimated that over 98% of people in Korea are literate.

industry

the companies and activities involved in the process of producing goods for sale
In order to increase the city's revenue, they need to attract more industry.

inefficient

not using time well
Your way of doing the job is inefficient because it requires too many steps.

likelihood

the chance that something will happen
There was no likelihood that she will ever walk again; she broke both legs in the accident.

memorable

worthy of being remembered
The family took some memorable vacations in Asia.

positive

giving cause for hope and confidence
Her positive outlook on life really encourages the people around her.

reinforce

to add strength to something
It is important to use math flash cards to reinforce the concepts the students are learning in class.

respond

to answer
The police did not respond in the way she expected them to; they were very helpful.

strategically

a detailed plan for achieving success in situations such as business, industry or sport
In supermarkets, candy is strategically placed where children can see them.

switch

to change suddenly or completely, especially from one thing to another
switching your major too many times during college can really hinder you from graduating in a timely manner.

target

a person or group chosen for analysis or action
The target population for the product is women in their 50s.

trial

an experiment
He gave the motorcycle a trial run around the race track.

unavoidable

that which cannot be avoided
The accident was unavoidable; it was a two lane street, and there was no where to turn.

waste

to make poor use of something valuable
The students wasted the scratch paper by only using one side of it.

alternatively

used to suggest another possibility
We could stay home tonight, or alternatively we can go to the new Italian restaurant.

arena

a large flat enclosed area used for sports or entertainment
The sports arena was very large and could hold 5,000 people.

bear market

a time when investments in the financial markets are generally falling in value
If you invest because you intend to hold onto the stocks for a long time, a bear market is the perfect time to buy stocks because of falling prices.

bid

to make a monetary offer
We bid on the horse at the auction, but we did not win.

brokerage firm

a business that charges a fee to buy and sell stocks for individuals
She always invested through a brokerage firm, but she has decided to do her own investing.

bull market

a time when the prices of most shares are rising
Bull markets can happen when an economy is recovering, and people become more hopeful.

contact

to communicate with
I contacted all the investors by email.

designated

to state officially that a place or thing has a particular character or purpose
Each member of his family has a designated place at the dinner table.

dividend

money paid to stockholders in a company as a share of company profits
She chose to reinvest her dividends back into stocks.

downward

toward a lower place
After several years of increase prices in real estate, the prices are finally going downward.

investor

people who put money into a business idea or activity in the hopes of making more money if the idea is successful
Seven investors pulled their money together and built a new mall in the middle of town.

match

to equal
The hospital tried to match the patient with the correct donor.

naturally

in a natural way
Since the mother did not have a relationship with the children, they naturally wanted to live with the father after the divorce.

optimistic

the tendency to be hopeful and to emphasize or think of the good part in a situation rather than the bad part
Even after the divorce, the father remains optimistic that he can do a good job of raising his children alone.

outbid

to offer to pay more money than someone else for something
We were outbid by two teenagers who had inherited a lot of money from their parents.

paw

the foot of an animal
The dog licked his paws after stepping in much.

solely

alone
After the divorce, the father was solely responsible for raising his children.

specific

unlike any other
The specific type of chocolate he likes is only found in Europe.

stock

a piece of a business, bought in the form of shares
She bought stock in Disney.

supply and demand

relation between the amount of products and services available at certain prices and the demand for them
The demand for diamonds is much higher than their supply, so by the law of supply and demand, the price of diamonds is very high.

advocate

to support an idea
advocating for the homeless was a passion for the new governor.

bribe

money or actions given illegally for something
It was impossible to get the contract without giving them a bribe.

circulation

the number of copies of a newspaper or magazine sold at one time
The town newspaper's circulation never increased because no one moved in or moved out of town.

definite

without doubt
It was difficult to make definite plans because of his travel schedule.

favorably

in an advantageous way
He was an exceptional student with good moral values, and his professors always looked favorably on him.

financial district

an area of city where businesses are located
My father works in the financial district and never takes his car because it's so congested there.

fundamental

basic, primary
The fundamental difference between the two education philosophies is that one believes in allowing the child to dictate what he wants to learn.

indices

an indicator, such as labels on a graph or other symbols about money and economics
The economic indices published in the magazine indicated that the economy was improving.

laissez-faire

An economic doctrine that opposes governmental regulation in commerce beyond the minimum necessary for a free-enterprise system to operate according to its own economic laws
Many people were drawn to that country because of the laissez-faire form of government.

logical

using a system of reasoning
The man was very logical and did not like to have discussions with people who were emotional.

net worth

the value of all of one's property minus what one owes in debts
The author's net worth is valued at over 50 million dollars.

newsstand

a table or temporary structure used as a small shop for selling newspapers and magazines outside in public places
She bought the morning paper from the newsstand right outside the subway station.

philosophy

the basic principles of a particular field of knowledge
His philosophy in life is to do what you can and leave the rest to God.

practice

to do something regularly or as a habit
After his friend died from drinking too much, he always practices moderation when he drinks.

readership

the people who read a certain newspaper, people who regularly buy a magazine
After new management took over the magazine, the readership increased 50%.

rely

to depend on
After the birth of her child, she relied heavily on her mother for support.

source

beginning, origin
Tests did not show the source of the problem; the doctors were very baffled.

tip

idea; suggestion
The professor gave the students a few useful tips regarding exam preparation.

trusted

to have confidence in something, or to believe in someone
His trusted friend of 30 years betrayed him.

upfront

obtained in advance
Before we can purchase the building, we need to pay them two million dollars upfront.

affect

to change
Her lack of a college degree started to affect her self-esteem.

aside

to one side
After she took the turkey out of the oven, she set it aside for it to cool.

assess

to evaluate
assessing the situation correctly was crucial in order for the company to become successful.

assign

to give a job or tasks to someone to do something
The mother assigned different household chores to her children.

barter

exchange of materials for other goods
Some tribes in Africa do not use money but use a system of barter.

borrow

receive a loan of something with the promise to return it
My sister wanted to borrow my favorite dress.

coincidence

the happening of two or more events at the same time by chance
It was no coincidence that you did well on your exam; it was through your hard work and determination that you were able to receive such a good grade.

commodity

item; product
Money, gold, silver, wheat, corn are all important commodities.

comparison

analysis of similarities and differences between things, ideas, people
The comparison of the long term costs is what helped them make their decision.

confidence

belief in one's abilities
She lacked confidence to run for president.

energy-efficient

conserving energy
The sales person encouraged her to purchase an energy-efficient refrigerator even though it was a little more expensive.

exchange

a trade, transaction
In exchange for my cleaning services, the owner of the house gives me free legal advice.

fluctuation

upward or downward change
There are often fluctuations in the oil price due to the war in the Middle East.

inconvenience

a state or an example of problems or trouble, which often causes a delay or loss of comfort
When her car broke down, it was an inconvenience for her to get to work by public transportation.

increasingly

more and more
It is increasingly becoming common for men to not wear ties in the work place.

inflation

a rise in prices and lowering of currency's value
Gas prices had become very expensive due to inflation.

lending

to permit the use of for a period of time
I didn't trust him, and I knew lending him money was a not a very wise decision.

merely

only, nothing more than
The school had to shut down because they merely required the students to just show up for class to receive a diploma; none of the students learned anything.

moldy

a fungus that grows on materials, such as cloth, rubber, plants
After sitting on the counter for a month, the bread became moldy.

retrieve

to go get and bring back
After her computer crashed, there was no way to retrieve the information from the hard drive.

tangible

physical; able to be seen or touched
The police had no tangible evidence against the suspect; it was only a suspicion.

value

the worth of something for someone
Most people do not truly value the work of a woman in the home.

vault

a large safe used to keep money, documents, and other valuables
The bank keeps their money in a vault.

virtually

almost
With his wealth, he could virtually purchase anything he wanted to.

worth

value, cost
How much do you think that artifact is worth?

affirmation

to state something as true
Even though her father never showed it, his paying for her education was affirmation that he really cared about her education.

albatross

a large seabird
When they were stranded on the island, there was nothing to eat except the albatrosses.

alter

to change
Her pants were too big so she had to get them altered.

cherish

to love most dearly
As an adult, he cherished all the memories of the family's vacations at the beach.

coincide

to happen at or near the same time
A uniform policy was implemented at the school coinciding with the new principal starting his job.

culminate

to reach the highest point of an activity
All his years of studies and hard work culminated in him becoming a successful surgeon.

deeply

extremely
She was deeply moved by the heroic acts of the fire fighters.

grant

to give or allow what is asked for
The father granted permission for his daughter to marry the soldier.

groove

a long narrow hollow space cut into a surface
Windows slide on metal grooves to open and close.

indicate

demonstrate; show
Our survey indicates that people worry about the economy the most.

indigenous

native to
The indigenous people of Australia are called Maori.

intricate

complex, sometimes with many small details
The intricate designs on the artifact made the archeologist believe that the who made it were highly intelligent.

misbehave

to act badly, be impolite
Children tend to misbehave when there is no strict boundaries.

pinnacle

the highest point of something
The pinnacle of his career was becoming president of a Fortune 500 company.

puncture

to make a hole with a pointed object
He punctured his tires while driving through the construction site.

reestablish

to establish anew
Although the child was given up for adoption as an infant, reestablishing a relationship with him was not difficult.

renew

to agree to something again
After 25 years of marriage, the couple renewed their vows at a small ceremony in Hawaii.

resurgence

a rise or increase that happens after a time of no or slow movement
The resurgence of the economy is always a good sign.

rite of passage

A ceremony signifying an event in a person's life indicative of a transition from one stage to another, as from adolescence to adulthood
Going to the prom is a rite of passage for many teenagers.

undermine

to ruin the efforts of someone
The father had no authority over his children because his wife constantly undermined his disciplining efforts.

alternative

substitute; other option
She suggested an alternative plan.

associate

to connect someone or something in your mind with someone or something else
Most people associate his bad behavior to his bad childhood.

attest

to swear something is true
My neighbor can attest to the fact I was home during the evening.

cheaply

for a low price
He doesn’t' buy his clothes from that store, because they are cheaply made.

cochineal

a bright red substance used as a food coloring, made from a type of small South American insect
Many companies do not use artificial dyes anymore, they use cochineal dye which is produced from a type of insect.

complicated

difficult
The test was very complicated, and I don't think I did very well.

crush

to push, press hard
She crushed the peppers before putting it into her soup.

determine

of strong will
She was very determined to succeed.

dye

a solution used to color cloth or hair
She used several dyes of red, yellow and purple to decorate her blanket.

extract

to make someone give you something when they do not want to
extracting the details of the case from the judge was very difficult.

hue

a degree of lightness, darkness, and strength of a color
She painted her room in hues of red.

impurity

mixed with other substances and therefore lower in quality
The impurities of the mineral made it inappropriate for it to be made into a ring.

mollusk

any of a class of soft, boneless animals living inside hard shells, such as clams, oysters, and scallops
When they visit the sea, they like to eat fresh mollusks.

outfit

to provide with clothing and other things
There was enough fabric to outfit the entire team.

pigment

the natural coloring of a plant or animal
The dog's fur has a naturally pink pigment.

portrait

a painting, photograph, or other picture of a person
The father commissioned an artist to paint the family portrait.

readily

without difficulty
Some children will readily follow strangers who entice them with candy.

royalty

a king or queen and family
She had married into royalty; her husband is next in line to the throne.

scarce

not available or plentiful
Food was scarce during war, so they mainly ate potato soup.

system

a method or procedure with a set series of steps
The school system did not foster competition, but instead it fostered individual talents.

accidentally

something which happens unexpectedly and unintentionally
She accidentally spilled all her soda in the car.

backbone

the main support
He was the backbone of the entire project; it would not have been possible without him.

dampness

when something is slightly wet
They turned on the heater because of the dampness in the room.

ease

lessen
Warming may ease extreme environmental conditions, expanding the production frontier.

empress

the wife of an emperor
The empress of China discovered the silkworm.

evidence

to show
Her superior intelligence was evidenced by her getting a full scholarship to Stanford University.

fabric

cloth
She was choosy about the type of fabric she used for her wedding gowns.

forbid (과거분사forbidden)

to not permit
The children were forbidden from going into the forest without adult supervision.

infer

to guess by having some information
I infer from the way you are walking, that you have good news.

insert

to put something in something else
They had to insert an flyer in every newspaper by hand.

insulation

material that keeps out cold, heat, and/or sound
During the winter months, you need to wear thick jackets for insulation.

pinpoint

to determine the exact nature or cause of
Her symptoms were so general, it was difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of her pain.

possibility

an occurrence or situation that could happen, be true, or exist
The possibilities of the new machine were endless.

pulleys

an apparatus used to lift or lower heavy objects
pulleys are used on construction sites to lift concrete slabs.

remnant

a small piece or amount of something that is left from a larger original piece or amount
You can see the remnants of the city's former glory in the architecture of the buildings.

ruin

broken parts of historical buildings that still exist after thousands of years
When we visited Greece, we were able to see many of the ruins of ancient temples.

scarcity

very small or limited amount of something
The scarcity of food during the war caused many people to go hungry and die.

speculate

to guess about
I don't want to speculate, but I think the wife ran away.

spin (과거spun)

to make thread by twisting fibers, or to produce something using thread
Charlotte spun her web and caught many flies in it.

time-consuming

needing a lot of time
Writing out each invitation by hand was very time-consuming.

absorb

to soak up
The flowers absorbed all the water in the vase.

attention

looking and listening:
The little girl raised her hand to get the teacher's attention.

brilliant

extremely intelligent
He had a brilliant mind, but he did not have very good social skills.

commence

to begin
The Friday night meetings always commences at 8:00 pm.

consistent

in accord with
The number one rule in disciplining your children is that you must be consistent.

craftsmanship

skill at making things
The queen was impressed by the craftsmanship of the bamboo furniture.

demonstrate

to show how something works
The sales representative demonstrated how to use the remote controls.

device

a tool or implement
No one knew how to work the device because there was no switch to turn it off or on.

discipline

self-control
One of the teacher’s jobs is to teach her students discipline.

extremely

very
I was extremely tired because I worked until 3 in the morning.

freehand

without the aid of mechanical devices
The artist did a freehand drawing of the Statue of Liberty.

impression

a feeling about someone or something
He was taught that first impressions are very important, so he always makes sure he is friendly to everyone he meets.

naught

nothing
All his hard work in preparing the meals was for naught because the party was cancelled.

pulleys

an apparatus used to lift or lower heavy objects
pulleys are used on construction sites to lift concrete slabs.

replication

an exact copy of an object
The picture of the ship was the exact replication of the Titanic.

simplistic

oversimplify
The politicians took a very simplistic view of the war.

speedily

to move quickly
The problem was resolved speedily.

spiritual

of or about the spirit
Rose considered her self to be a very spiritual person because she mediated every morning.

stamp

to print or make a raised mark with something
When you enter a new country, they usually stamp your passport.

storage

the putting and keeping of things in a special place for use in the future
She put all the baby clothes in storage because she was planning on having more children.

ability

skill
The ambassador had the ability to make everyone feel comfortable.

acclaim

public congratulations
Sam received great acclaim for winning the spelling bee.

accurately

exactly and without any mistakes
He was not able to accurately describe the suspect.

canvas

cloth stretched over a wooden frame for painting pictures
The artists liked to paint on large canvases because he liked to paint objects that were life-size.

depict

to paint
The artist depicted the Grand Canyon in bright colors.

depth

the distance from the front to the back of something
What is the depth of the cupboard?

display

to place in a position to be seen
The stores displayed Christmas decorations in their windows.

distorted

to change something from its usual, original, natural or intended meaning, condition or shape
She had a distorted understanding of a marriage because she grew up without a father.

divergence

to be or become different
The divergence between the incomes of the rich and the poor countries seems to be increasing.

dominate

have the most important place or greatest influence in
Mercy High School's football team dominated the football league; they won every game.

erratic

not working or performing consistently
The mother was very annoyed because of her son's erratic schedule.

flaw

something that is not perfect
She had many flaws, but her husband loved her nonetheless.

genre

specific type of literature, art, or music grouped according to a style or subject
Poetry, fiction and nonfiction are some of the genres we will read this year in English class.

identify

to recognize the identity of something or someone
After looking through the pictures, she was able to identify the man who stole her purse.

noteworthy

important
He gave a noteworthy speech about the need to help the poor.

permissible

allowable
Her parents were very permissible and allowed their daughter to make all decisions independently even though she was only 12 years old.

remarkable

amazing
Cleopatra was known for her remarkable beauty and charismatic personality.

subjective

related to personal feeling and opinion, rather than facts
The teacher does not grade fairly because everything seems to be subjective.

unstructured

lacking a clearly defined structure or organization
The nursery was unstructured, and children were running around everywhere.

vivid

easy to see or imagine
The vivid colors of the painting made the room come alive.

abandon

left behind
The home was abandoned after the hurricane had damaged it beyond repair.

abundant

plentiful
Food is abundant in most developed countries.

barter

exchange of materials for other goods
Some tribes in Africa do not use money but use a system of barter.

beneficial

advantageous
Mark realized playing and not doing his homework was not beneficial to his academic success.

cultivate

to plow, plant seed, water, and fertilize the land
The farmers mostly cultivate wheat and barley.

distinction

a clear difference
There was a distinction in the children that were breast fed versus children that were formula fed.

establishment

the creation or founding of something
The establishment of the new theater took five years.

extravagant

unreasonable, excessive
He gives extravagant gifts to all his friends.

impetus

something which encourages a particular activity
The movie based on a true story was an impetus for the students to study harder.

irrigation

to supply land with water so that crops and plants will grow
The ancient Egyptians had developed an irrigation system using water from the Nile river.

manage

to be responsible for controlling or organizing someone or something especially a business
He had to manage 50 people who worked under him.

metropolitan

related to a city and its suburbs
Dallas and the Fort Worth area is a major metropolitan.

nearby

close
We walked to a nearby restaurant.

Neolithic

of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the last phase of the Stone Age
The neolithic period is commonly thought to have begun c9000?8000 b.c. in the Middle East.

overtake

to go beyond something by being a greater amount or degree
Our international sales has overtake our domestic sales.

precious

extremely valuable
She had lost her wedding ring which was very precious to her.

privilege

special right or benefit granted to a person
When the children do not obey their parents, they lose their privilege of watching TV.

specialize

to spend most of your time studying one particular subject or doing one type of business
The company specializes in manufacturing small toys.

thrive

to grow strong and healthy
The children thrived because of the country lifestyle.

ultimately

in the end
She couldn't decide between attending Harvard or Stanford university, but ultimately decided on Stanford because of its location in California.

accumulate

to add up
After traveling around the world for 20 years, he had accumulated more than 1,000 souvenirs.

allure

to attract with something desirable
She was allured by the hope of getting rich very quickly.

approach

come near
As you approach the town, you'll see the college on the left.

archeologist

someone who studies the buildings, graves, tools and other objects of people who lived in the past
The archeologist spent all his time digging up artifacts from the site.

bask

to take pleasure from something that makes you feel good
Victorious and still basking in the glow of winning, the Canadian team continued to win three more trophies.

chisel

metal tool with a V-shaped point for cutting wood or stone
I use a chisel to carve the stone.

concede

to admit that something is true
After 90% of the votes were in, he conceded defeat and congratulated the winner.

denote

to show clearly
The high quality of the water denotes the effectiveness of the water purification system.

enduring

permanent
Treasure Island is a novel of enduring interest.

fade

to lose the original color
The picture will fade if you leave it in the sun too long.

figurine

a small statue of a person or animal
His mother liked to collect glass figurines of angels.

lithe

able to move and bend easily
Ballerina dancers are very lithe.

mallet

a type of hammer with a short handle
He used a mallet to shape the metal into a shape of an apple.

perfect

to make perfect, flawless, excellent
She had perfected the recipe and entered her cake in a contest.

precisely

exactly
The wedding started precisely at 11:00 o'clock.

refine

to improve something
The sculpture looked very good, but his professor asked him to refine the facial features.

revive

bring back to life; raise interest again (ex: in an art form)
Unless new plays are given a chance today, there will be nothing to revive in the future.

sculpture

three dimensional art made of stone, metal, or other objects
The sculpture was made of stone, and it looked exactly like the king.

slab

a thick, flat slice of something
The roads were blocked because trucks were moving concrete slabs for the new highway.

stubby

short and thick or broad
She had very stubby fingers, and everyone worried if she would ever get married.

basilica

a public building of ancient Rome
The Roman basilicas were usually located in the center of the Roman town.

breathtaking

so beautiful one cannot breathe for a moment
The views of the beach from the hotel room was breathtaking.

depiction

to represent or show something in a picture or story
The depiction of the mother in the movie was very favorable.

discard

to throw away
The bottle should be discarded once you finish all the medicine.

escalate

to raise in level
The argument between the two school teams escalated into a fight on the field.

gap

a difference between two things
The gaps in his education was due to the fact that he attended school in five different countries.

hint

a very small amount of something
There was a hint of alcohol on his breath.

image

picture
The image on the picture was hard to see because water had spilled on it.

lavish

done in very large and generous amounts
The lavish decorations in her house reminded him of a castle he had once visited.

mainly

usually, for the most part
She owns several homes, but mainly lives in her house in New York.

maximize

o get or demand the most from something
We have to maximize our time here, so lets visit all the famous sites.

medieval times

a period in European history, between about 1000 AD and 1500 AD
During the medieval times, jousting was very common.

mirror image

a person or object that is very similar to another
He is a mirror image of his father. They look identical.

regal

related to kings and queens
They put the regal crown on the little boy's head.

revitalize

give new life or energy to something
When they built that new mall, it really revitalized the city.

shard

a piece of a broken glass, cup, container or similar object
Please be careful, there are shards of glass everywhere.

slight

small
The baby had a slight cold so the mother stayed home with him all day.

stark

complete
Her life now is in stark contrast to her life before she had the baby.

villa

a country house
He owned several villas in Italy and in Switzerland.

well-to-do

wealthy
Her family is very well-to-do so she never has to work.

accomplishment

a difficult task done well
It was a big accomplishment for Jody to walk up the stairs by himself.

admiration

an attitude of approval or respect
I have great admiration for the pianist not because of her talents, but because of her generosity.

adoration

love
Marilyn Monroe was so beautiful that she was the adoration of many.

affection

a feeling close to love, warmth for someone
The nurse felt affection for the children in the orphanage.

attire

clothing
The invitation did not specify the attire for the party, so she didn't know what to wear.

baroque

relating to the heavily decorated style in buildings, art and music that was popular in Europe in the 17th century and the early part of the 18th century
Claudio Monteverdi, Antonio Vivaldi, George Frideric Handel, and Johann Sebastian Bach are musicians associated with baroque music.

behalf

as the representative of
On behalf of the family, I would like to thank everyone for coming to the party tonight.

capture

to hold the attention of
After winning the medal, the ice skater skated around the rink capturing the hearts of the American people.

commemorate

to celebrate the memory of someone or some event
There was a parade to commemorate the independence of the country.

decline

to move downward
You can see the decline in the education standards because students no longer can recite their multiplication facts.

devotion

dedication
Her devotion to her children was evidenced by her sacrificing her career to home school them.

discernible

recognize or understand something that is not clear
The faces were not discernible because the chemicals had smudge the pictures.

dominance

strong or noticeable than anything else of the same type
Computer companies have made a lot of money by the dominance of home computers.

express

to show a feeling, opinion or fact
I am very thankful for all that you have done for me, and I cannot fully express my gratitude in words.

immortalize

to make someone or something so famous that they are remembered for a very long time
At the Chinese Theater in Hollywood, stars are immortalized by placing their hand and foot prints into the cement in front of the theater.

predominately

overshadow others
This neighborhood is predominately comprised ethnic minorities.

reappear

to appear again
The bird disappeared into the clouds and then quickly reappeared.

revitalization

to give new vitality or vigor to
revitalization of the community commenced with the building of the new mall.

rococo

an 18th century French art and architectural style noted for its curving lines and fancy detail work
rococo style rooms were designed with elegant and ornate furniture, small sculptures, ornamental mirrors, and tapestry complementing the architecture.

sincere

honest in one's thought and action
She felt regret for her actions and gave each child a sincere apology.

avoidance

the act of bypassing something
His avoidance of his girlfriend only aggravated the already tense situation.

blossom

develop into something very good
Sarah blossomed into a very beautiful young lady.

chant

to repeat or sing a word or phrase continuously, or to sing a religious prayer or song to a simple tune
The crowd was chanting the names of their team.

coherent

clear
After the surgery, he was not very coherent because the anesthesia had not worn off yet.

discordant

full of conflict and disagreement
The discordant meeting ended without any resolutions.

dissonance

discord
I do not like the dissonance in rock music.

explore

to investigate
When the children found the cave, they explored it.

expound

to comment or talk
The speaker expounded on all the problems of the company.

finale

the last part of a musical piece, performance, or public event
After the finale, the audience gave a 10 minute standing ovation.

foreshadow

to be a sign of future events
His academic struggles in his early grades foreshadowed his lack of success.

multi-faceted

having many different parts
Samsung is a multi-faceted business offering several different services.

predictability

the state of knowing what something is like, when something will happen
Although his job is not very challenging, he likes the predictability that it provides.

prolifically

In a productive way
Dr. Seuss prolifically wrote children's stories.

realignment

to put something into a new or correct position
There was a realignment of power in the organization, and now a committee oversees all the day to day operations.

roughly

about, but not exactly
roughly 60% of the students from this school will graduate and go to college.

shift

to change from one position to another
The truck driver shifted his gears.

subsequent

happening later
You will have to pay $50 this first year and then $30 in the subsequent years.

subtype

a subordinate type
Sparrow and Eagle are subtypes of the bird category.

undisputed

generally agreed upon
Muhammad Ali is the undisputed best boxer in the world.

unfinished

incomplete
His story was unfinished because he could not find an ending to it.

ancestor

the persons from whom one is descended
His ancestors came to America on the Mayflower.

combine

to join together
If you purchase more than one item online, I will combine the shipping price.

composition

the artistic creation of music, poetry, literature
There are over 1000 known compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach.

decrease

to grow smaller in number
The decreases in family size is due to the high cost of living in the city.

framework

an organization of ideas
The framework for our project is described in this report.

gut

the intestines or stomach
In some countries, people eat pig guts.

improvement

when something gets better or when you make it better
In America, many homeowners make improvements to their home by themselves.

incredible

wonderful
The incredible cake was made by a 10 year old.

indispensability

Something or someone that is indispensable is so good or important that you consider them to be essential
He gave his assistant a 40% raise because of her indispensability.

influence

the power to change or persuade others
It is a challenge to protect our children from the many negative influences they are exposed to each day.

likely

to be expected
It is highly likely that I will be able to make it to the party.

particularly

especially
I don't like eggs, particularly the brown eggs.

pluck

to pull quickly
She plucked the feathers off the dead chicken.

popularity

widespread acceptance
The popularity of the new Lego toys with children was phenomenal.

purpose

a goal
The purpose of this meeting is to determine the products we will sell during the holiday season.

quill

a large bird feather
The quills of a porcupine protect it from predators.

renowned

famous
Many renowned Korean socialites and celebrities have Cyworld accounts.

serve

to act as a servant, clerk, server
He served the king as his legal advisor.

undeniable

not capable of being disputed
When you are wealthy, it is an undeniable truth that you can buy happiness to a certain degree.

undergo

to experience
The store had undergone several renovations after the fire.

brass

musical horns
The trumpet and tuba are both brass instruments.

chorus

a large group of singers
The children's chorus traveled throughout Europe singing at different cathedrals.

component

part of a whole of something
An integral component of the automobile is the engine.

conductor

a person who directs an orchestra
The conductor told the musicians how he wanted them to play.

core

the most important part of something
The core of the problem is that he is very lazy and does not like to work hard.

eminent

widely recognized as important
She is eminent in the field of biology.

enhance

improve
Improving democracy is about enhancing the oppotunities for local communities to make their own decisions

estate

a large house with much land
It's a typical country estate with a large house for the owner, farm buildings and estate workers' houses.

fashionable

in the latest style
Her clothes are always fashionable.

fulfill

to satisfy
He fulfilled his contract by completing 50 service hours.

model

to take someone or something as an example
The new museum was modeled after the baroque buildings in Europe.

patronage

the favor and support given by a patron
The queen's patronage of the museum was important for its survival.

percussion

the group of musical instruments played by tapping, hitting, or beating
percussion instruments include drums, cymbals, castanets, and bells.

permanent

meant to last, forever or for a long time
The mother was worried because her daughter's permanent teeth have not come in yet.

popularization

the act of making something attractive to the general public
The popularization of digital cameras have made the 35 mm film almost obsolete.

pure

not dirty or polluted
She had a pure heart and never said a negative remark about anyone.

solidify

to make something definite
We solidified our plans to visit all the famous museums in the world.

trace

to follow something to its origin
The illegal funds were traced back the Asia.

typically

showing all the characteristics that you would expect from the stated person, thing or group
Mary, in her typically frank fashion, told Jim that he was being rude.

woodwind

any of the instruments in an orchestra that are played by blowing into them, such as the clarinet, bassoon, and oboe
woodwind instruments use vibrating air to produce many different musical sounds.

blues

slow jazz music about sad feelings
blues music is very popular in New Orleans.

brief

short
Our meeting was very brief, it only lasted 30 minutes.

distinguished

for excellent achievement
He was a very distinguished gentleman who's uncle was the king of Norway.

diverse

different from each other
San Francisco has a very diverse ethnic population.

emotive

causing strong feelings
Child abuse is a highly emotive issue.

encompass

to include
This is a home medical reference book encompassing remedies for most common health problems.

etymologist

an expert in the origin and history of words
She is an etymologist and is fascinated by the new words being developed in the computer world.

exodus

departure or withdrawal of large numbers of people
The exodus of the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land took 40 years.

fuse

to melt together
The conductor tried to fuse together rock and classical music without much success.

improvisation

something improvised, especially a musical passage or a dramatic skit.
Jazz musicians rarely use music; most of their performances are improvisations.

incorporate

to include
The master plan incorporated ideas from the students and the teachers.

induce

to cause something to happen
Sleeping pills often induce long term side effects.

morph

to change one thing to another
She took a volunteer position at the radio station which morphed into a full time job.

offshoot

a new development
Gmail is an offshoot of Google.

pioneer

person who is one of the very first in an area or field
Florence Nightingale was a pioneer in hospital reform.

ragtime

a type of American jazz
ragtime was developed by black musicians in North America in the early 1900s.

reluctant

concerned or afraid
I was very reluctant to agree to the contract because it required me to travel extensively.

spawn

give life to
The school shooting spawned a flurry of safety reforms for the city.

subservient

acting like a servant
The husband is subservient to his wife because he's afraid of her.

usher

bring into being
The two countries agreed to discontinue fighting and ushered a new era of peace.

affinity

attraction to
Many middle aged Japanese women have feelings of affinity with Korean actors.

aspiring

someone who is trying to become a successful actor, politician, writer, etc
The aspiring actor worked at a restaurant to pay his bills.

consume

to use up
Her work consumed most of her time and energy.

enable

make possible for
The grant from the foundation enabled her to start her home for pregnant teens.

festive

joyful, with feasting and good spirits
His birthday party was a festive occasion with lots of singing and dancing.

gain

to obtain
She gained popularity after performing her song at Disney Land.

inform

to tell someone
informing the landlord about the noise outside the apartment did not solve the problem.

interaction

when two or more people or things interact
There was not enough interaction between the parents and the children, and they eventually had nothing to say to each other.

intrusive

coming without invitation or welcome
She loved her husband dearly, but she divorced him because of his intrusive mother.

magnitude

the size or importance of something
He didn't realize the magnitude of his success until he could no longer to go restaurants without people asking him for his autograph.

playhouse

a theater
We usually dress up to go to the playhouse.

playwright

a person who writes plays
Shakespeare was an English poet and a playwright.

premise

a basis for a line of reasoning
The had started their discussion on the premise that women and men should receive equal pay.

ritualize

to make into a ritual
She didn't like it at first, but she later enjoyed the ritualized tea ceremony.

rude

making people angry by one's bad behavior or unkind words
He yelled at the waitress, and the owner asked him to leave the restaurant because of his rude behavior.

stroll

a relaxed, unhurried walk
The couple took a stroll on the beach.

supersede

to replace an old or existing version or model of something with a new or better one
This high speed new computer superseded that old slow one.

sustain

to keep up
She could not sustain her relationship with her boyfriend and decided to break up.

troupe

a company, band, or group of singers, actors, or other performers, especially one that travels
She belonged to a comedy troupe that traveled to 20 different countries where she realized language is a not a barrier to laughter.

virtuoso

a musician or singer who is a star
Yo-Yo Ma is a virtuoso that has entertained audiences around the world.

apostasy

the act of giving up your religious or political beliefs and leaving a religion or a political party
Her husband's religious convictions led her to apostasy and consequently denying the existence of any superior power.

atheist

a person who does not believe in the existence of God
She is an atheist who finds no need to religion in her life.

climax

the most exciting or intense point in a series of events
The climax of the game was when he made a touchdown with only two seconds to go.

confront

to face in hostility or defiance
The wife confronted her husband about his gambling problems.

controversy

a lot of disagreement or argument about something
There was a lot of controversy over the candidate getting a $400 haircut.

detriment

something that causes damage or loss
Singing lessons were a detriment to her formal education.

develop

to cause something to grow
She developed a new way of making jelly.

eccentric

odd
The professors eccentric behavior amused his students.

emphasize

to place importance on
The teacher emphasized the importance of doing homework every day.

eventually

in the end
You have to remind him several times, but he eventually does his work.

gradual

happening slowly or by small steps
The gradual decline of that community was caused by the greed of its leaders.

iconoclast

a person who strongly opposes generally accepted beliefs and traditions
Frank Lloyd Wright was an iconoclast who didn't agree with traditional building techniques.

polygamist

a person with more than one spouse
He is a polygamist with three wives and fifteen children.

prioritize

to put tasks, events, etc. in their order of importance
She prioritized her day by listing what she had to do.

rigidity

stiff or fixed
The rigidity of the rules discouraged her from participating in the games.

tragically

a very sad event or situation
The play ended tragically when the two lovers committed suicide.

tunic

a loose, sack-like garment tied at the waist
tunics are still fashionable even after thousands of years.

unusual

peculiar, not normal
His unusual behavior perplexed the teachers.

viewpoint

an opinion
His viewpoint on life was that you work hard, play hard and save hard.

affordable

capable of being paid for without difficulty
The houses in Texas are very affordable compared to other states.

appearance

the coming into public view
The actors appearance on stage caused everyone to stand up and applause.

beam

a ray of light
The beam of light from the car shined on the sick deer on the road.

coin

to invent a new word or expression
James Truslow Adams, a writer, coined the phrase 'the American Dream.'

colleague

person with whom one works
He has a very good relationship with his colleagues.

combination

group; two or more things put together
Hot chocolate and a good book is a perfect combination on a rainy day.

conquer

To be victorious
After receiving some counseling, she began conquering her fears.

driving

energetic
His mother was the driving force behind his success.

exterior

the outside of something
The exterior of the house was not very nice, but the inside was very beautiful.

outline

the outer shape of something
The outline of the building cast a big shadow on the street.

petroleum

a dark, thick, oily liquid
Gasoline is made from petroleum.

pewter

a grayish metal made of tin and lead
The bowls were made from pewter.

process

general methods of doing something
The process of lawsuits can take several years.

realistic

seeming to exist or be happening in fact
The artificial trees looked very realistic.

rendering

a drawing or interpretation of something
The dancer's rendering of the war deeply moved the audience.

shadowy

dark and full of shadows
She was startled when something jumped out from the shadowy road.

stationary

not moving or able to be moved
The doctor required her to ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes each day.

stride

an important positive development
The company made major strides into the international market.

unprecedented

never before seen or done
The 20th century witnessed unprecedented new discoveries in technology.

whopping

very large of its kind
We bought the painting for a whopping price of two million dollars.

aristocracy

a privileged ruling class
Princess Diana's father was a member of the British aristocracy.

artisan

a craftsman
An artisan is a skilled manual worker who uses tools and machinery in a particular craft.

characterize

to describe the character of
Her time living overseas can be characterized by three main points: a time of learning, a time of independence, and a time of maturing.

drastic

severe and sudden
The company had to take drastic measures and fire 300 of its employees.

enliven

to make lively
Her humor and jokes enlivened the children at the hospital.

exclusively

excluding or tending to exclude all others
The store sells exclusively to people who are over 65 years old.

expansive

comprehensive
The healthcare proposal was so expansive that it covered every health issue faced by the community.

harsh

severe
The children grew up in a very harsh environment.

incite

to cause something to happen
The cheers from the stand incited the team to play harder.

independence

freedom
The daughter could not wait till she was 18 so that she could gain independence from her parents.

indirectly

happening in in a way that is not obvious
She still controls the company indirectly through her son.

livelihood

the way someone earns the money people need to pay for food, a place to live, clothing
He makes his livelihood as a computer programmer.

overhaul

to examine something thoroughly, in order to evaluate its condition and to repair if necessary
The ship's engine had to be completely overhauled.

perfection

the state of being perfect
The parents demanded perfection in all areas from their children.

propel

to push forward
His invention propelled him into international stardom.

refer

to talk or write about someone or something, especially briefly
In her lectures, she often refers to her difficult childhood.

revolution

a complete or radical change of any kind
There is a phone revolution occurring with so many people making phone calls over the internet.

steam engine

a locomotive powered by steam
James Watt is credited with inventing the "modern" steam engine.

unskilled

without special skills or education
People who work at fast food restaurants are usually unskilled.

wage

money paid for work done
The employees were not satisfied with their wages.

adjust

to feel comfortable
He has traveled extensively and adjusts well in all environments.

amplify

to increase the size or effect of something
Being around all the babies amplified her desire to get pregnant.

animation

the process of giving life, spirit, motion, or activity
They made an animation movie based on the cartoon character.

arguable

capable or worthy of being argued
His points seem significant and important, but they are all arguable.

arise(과거 arose)

occur
There arose a need for the students to be evacuated from the school.

complexity

a situation or condition with many difficult parts to it
The complexity of the computer program caused great headache for the programmer.

exception

someone or something that is not included in a rule, group or list or that does not behave in the expected way
Women are usually good at cooking, but Hillary is an exception.

explosion

a sudden large increase
There has been an explosion of reality shows in recent days.

final

last
I saw the final production of the plan.

horror movie

a movie in which very frightening things happen, such as dead people coming to life and people being murdered
She didn't like to watch horror movies because they caused her not to be able to sleep for many days.

immeasurable

limitless
The police man said the woman's help in solving the case was immeasurable.

invention

something useful created by someone
His new invention made him a millionaire.

manipulation

to control something or someone to your advantage
There has been so much manipulation of the case, no one really knows what happened.

mastermind

direct; oversee
Now we should introduce you to the man alleged to have masterminded the scheme.

myriad

to a great number of things
Planning a wedding involves making a myriad of decisions.

pan

to turn a movie camera slowly to film a wide area or a moving object
She panned her camera so that she could capture her children's every move.

populate

to fill an area with people
The new immigrants populated the city.

saturation

to fill a thing or place completely so that no more can be added
When he invested in the restaurant, he didn't realize there was a saturation of fast food restaurants in the area.

tint

to color
She tints her hair every six weeks to cover the gray hair.

variable

a number, amount or situation which can change
There are many variables you need to consider before you get married.

address

to speak to
The cancer victim addressed the senators on need for change in the health insurance industry.

apex

the top
The climbers celebrated after they reached the apex of the mountain.

apparatus

device or group of devices designed to perform a certain task
With his sophisticated apparatus, the doctor was able to perform several complicated surgeries.

commerce

business in general in the buying and selling of goods and services within a country and with other countries
The commerce between Asia and Europe is very good.

congestion

a condition of overcrowding
New York City suffers from major traffic congestion.

conjure

to imagine
When she is depressed, she enjoys conjuring up images of her happy childhood.

desired

yearned or wished for
Although she ate very healthy and exercised, it did not have the desired effect.

effect

the result of a particular influence
When the father worked less hours, it had a positive effect on his family.

eliminate

to remove from consideration
After her child was diagnosed with diabetes, the mother eliminated all junk food from his diet.

embed

to put into another substance
The piece of glass was embedded in her foot.

ferry boat

a boat or ship for taking passengers and often vehicles across an area of water
She took a ferry boat across the San Francisco Bay every morning.

implement

put into action
The school implemented a new uniform policy for its students.

infrastructure

roads, water, electricity, and other basic things that help a country's people and economy
American tax dollars go to pay for the country's infrastructure such as public education.

initially

occurring at the beginning
After the auto accident, the mother initially did not want her daughter to drive.

innovation

something newly introduced
The innovation of internet telephony is redefining the way people communicate.

intermediary

an intermediate agent or agency
The former president acted as an intermediary between his country and foreign nations.

obtrusive

very noticeable
She wore heavy makeup to cover up the obtrusive scar on her face.

protrude

to stick out
The chimney protruded out from the middle of the roof, causing it to be an eyesore.

reassessment

a new evaluation
After the reassessment of their educational goals, the parents decided they needed to pull their children out of public school.

supplement

something added to an existing thing to complete or improve it
The wife supplemented their income by babysitting.