Extensive Reading-Book D (E)

ancient

very old
We studied the ancient civilizations of Greece in our history class.

attain

to achieve
In order to attain great wealth, you need luck and preparation.

cuneiform

of a form of writing used for over 3 000 years until the 1st century BC in the ancient countries of the Middle East
The Sumerians developed a writing system called cuneiform.

deluge

a heavy rain, usu. brief and sudden
The deluge caused a flooding in the village.

effect

a result
Beethoven's music seems to have a negative effect on babies.

epic

poem, story, or adventure of heroic proportions
Odyssey is Homer's epic from Greek mythology.

fate

a force or power believed to determine in advance everything that happens
It was fate that we should meet again after all these years.

immortality

living or lasting forever
The Beatles achieved immortality with their music.

incredible

wonderful, fabulous
The incredible trip the family took through two continents lasted six months.

invariably

without exception or change
invariably, the doctor's advice is always good, so we always do what he recommends.

mortals

subject to death
All human beings are mortals and will all die one day.

mourn

to feel sad at the death of someone
She mourned the death of her father for many years.

mythical

related to mythology
Zeus is a mythical character.

precedence

greater importance
My children's well being takes precedence over my career.

strenuous

needing great effort
Her coach planned a strenuous workout to prepare her for the tournament.

subvert

to try to destroy or weaken something
The opposition party tried to subvert the government.

tablets

a large, flat block of stone with writing, decoration, images, etc
The Egyptians did not have paper so they wrote on clay tablets.

thwarted

to block someone from doing something
The policeman thwarted a burglary by catching the thief as he was about to enter the house.

traditions

the passing of customs and beliefs from one generation to another
Most families have Christmas traditions that are passed down from generation to generation.

treks

a long, difficult journey
The long trek between the seacoast and the mountains took months.

aftermath

the bad result
In the aftermath of the fire, the community came together to support the victims.

awareness

state of being aware
His awareness of the issue made us feel better.

corruption

illegal, immoral or dishonest behavior
The corruption in the country discouraged many foreigners from doing business with the domestic companies.

employed

to have someone work or do a job for you and pay them for it
Before founding his own company, Bill was employed as a manager for a very large construction company.

focus

to center one's attention on
Due to her sickness, she found it difficult to focus on her work.

gain

to obtain, acquire
Students gain a lot of knowledge from school.

hierarchy

organization from higher to lower by rank, social status, or function
He rose very quickly through the company's hierarchy to become its president.

idealize

to think of something as better than it really is
The students idealize their teacher, even though he is not often thought of very highly by his peers.

largely

mostly, to a great degree
The demise of the Roman Empire was largely due to the fact that it got too big for itself.

massive

huge
The massive earthquake destroyed 3,000 homes.

movement

a political or social cause
There is a movement in the state to improve the academic standards of the schools.

preceded

to come before
Most divorces are usually preceded by several years of marital conflict.

preserved

to guard, protect from harm or change
The school preserved the founder's memory by erecting a statue of him in front of the school.

protagonists

the leading character in a play or novel
The protagonists is a wealthy woman who is banished from her town.

rejected

to turn away, to refuse
Governor James rejected the proposal to lower taxes.

taken for granted

to accept without question or objection
The students had taken their teacher for granted and did not realize everything she did until they had a substitute teacher fill in for her.

tended

to lean, incline toward in attitude
His interest in music tended towards classical and country.

tragic

very sad, often involving death and suffering
When she recounted her tragic childhood, the entire audience started to cry.

vast

great, expansive
His vast knowledge about the subject made his lectures fascinating.

verisimilitude

likelihood; probability
The booked verisimilitude.

alliteration

the repetition of the same sound usually at the beginning of words
The sentence "Happy Henry hurries to his hut" uses alliteration.

concise

said in few words with much meaning
The speaker's speech was very concise, but it was very challenging.

delineated

to describe in specific detail
It is important to delineate every point in a contract.

determined

of strong will
He was determined to get straight A's and studied six hours a day.

evolved

to develop
Education has evolved in the past 50 years.

fiction

a type of literature based upon the author's imagination as opposed to true stories
fiction is her favorite genre.

genres

a specific type of literature, art, or music grouped according to a style or subject
In order to study for the college entrance exam, you need to read from different genres.

linear

direct
There is a linear relationship between the man's character and his upbringing.

millennia

a period of 1000's years
The pottery they discovered was preserved for over two millennia.

papyrus

a type of paper invented in ancient Egypt, made from a tall water plant
The Egyptians also wrote on papyrus.

plot

the main story in a novel or play
The wardrobe and music was wonderful, but the plot in the movie was difficult to understand.

primarily

mainly, first of all
She is primarily concerned with the welfare of her family and not her work.

printing press

a machine that prints books, newspapers or magazines
The invention of the printing press allowed for many books to be published.

rhythm

a regular beat
The conductor keeps the rhythm for the orchestra.

scholars

a person of great learning, usually in a particular subject
The gathering was for international scholars who are experts in the field of biochemistry.

stressed

to give emphasis or special importance to something
The teacher stressed the importance of practicing every day.

sublime

the very best
We spent a sublime vacation in Thailand.

syllable

a part of a word as determined by vowel sounds and rhythm
The word "brother" has two syllables.

tablet

a large, flat block of stone with writing, decoration, images
The Egyptians wrote on clay tablets.

varied

different kinds
The store offers varied kind of candles.

adversary

an opponent
The two teams in the competition are adversaries.

carcass

the body of a dead animal
Vultures like to feed on the carcass of deer.

critics

a person who reviews and gives opinions about art, music, film, etc
The critics gave a very positive review of the movie Charlotte's Web.

deemed

to consider
The mayor is deemed to be a very honest man.

dignified

with a formal, serious, and calm manner
After she was sentenced to life in prison, she walked in a dignified manner to her cell.

enormous

very huge
An enormous fish swallowed Jonah.

exhibit

a display
The exhibit at the museum will last for three more weeks.

futile

useless
Hard work without a vision or purpose is futile.

initially

at the beginning
initially, she was very fond of the gentleman; then she found out his true character.

marlin

a large fish
After six days at sea, the old man caught a marlin.

mundane

referring to the events of everyday living
We have to find purpose and joy even in mundane tasks.

noble

a member of the nobility
The noble class is usually made up of kings, queens and their families.

noteworthy

important
It is important to meditate on noteworthy ideas and positive thoughts.

portrayed

to describe someone or something in a certain way
The president's wife was portrayed in a negative light in the media.

revolves

to have as a focus
Her children are very important to her; her life revolves around them.

skiff

any of various types of boats small enough for sailing or rowing by one person
A skiff can be powered by ores or sails.

speculate

the think or be curious about a subject
We could only speculate about the outcome of the vote.

unique

one of a kind
His idea was very unique; no one else thought of it.

utterly

completely
She was utterly exhausted after an eight hour walk.

valiantly

bravely
The firefighter ran valiantly into the raging fire to save the little girl.

abolition

the stopping of something by law
Many people risked their lives to fight for abolition of slavery.

ambiance

southern culture and ambiance
We like to eat at that restaurant because of its ambiance.

arduously

difficult
She had arduously climbed over the mountain.

aristocratic

a class of people who hold high social rank
The aristocratic family held parties that were attended by many dignitaries.

assumptions

a belief that something will happen,
The company made several wrong assumptions about the market and lost a lot of money.

chronological

of the order of events as they happen over time
The book gave a chronicle description of the events that led to war.

core

the center of anything
The core of the couple's problem is that they do not communicate effectively.

cynical

believing that people are only interested in themselves and are not sincere
She is so cynical that she only thinks people volunteer because it makes them look good.

devastated

to destroy completely
After hearing about the accident, she was devastated to learn that her father was injured.

diction

the ability of a person to pronounce words clearly
It is important for politicians to have clear diction so that they can articulate their message.

disdained

to refuse because of the feeling that someone or something deserves no attention or respect
He wanted to quit his job because he disdained working with his boss.

elaborated

give more detail
The president elaborated on his religious beliefs.

evoke

elicit
The movie evoked a feeling of sadness in me.

grasp

to succeed in understanding something often complex
The chemistry concepts were very difficult for the student to grasp.

haunted

to think about continually and be bothered by continually
The memory of the kidnapping haunted the girl for years.

immersed

to become absorbed in
As a child, her mother immersed her in classical books.

inward

toward the inside
When faced with conflicts, most people do not look inward but point their fingers at others.

numerous

Many
Before she become famous, she had written numerous books that never got published.

regional

related to a region or geographical area
Her husband travels extensively because he is a regional director for a major computer company.

spearheaded

to lead something such as an attack or a course of action
She spearheaded a campaign to stop the alcohol company from coming into town.

abandon

to leave someone or something
The mother was arrested after she abandoned her baby daughter in the grocery store.

crippled

to injure so that one cannot walk or use one's limbs normally
The accident crippled her brother.

derogatorily

showing lack of respect
Many Asians were derogatorily labeled as "chinks."

desperately

in immediate, very strong need
I desperately need a vacation.

destination

the place where someone is going
We had three more hours to travel before we reached our destination.

dire

very serious
He lost all his money, and he is in dire financial situation.

drought

time of little or no rainfall
We could not have a campfire because of the drought.

empathy

the ability to share or understand another person's feelings
She had empathy for the mother; she had also lost a child.

mammoth

huge in size
Cleaning up after the hurricane is going to be a mammoth task.

marred

to damage
Her reputation was marred by her divorce.

merits

high quality
There are many merits to learning to speak several languages.

migrant

workers who harvest seasonal crops
migrant workers pick strawberries in California each season.

miserably

sad, heartbroken
After her dog died, she felt miserably.

mortgage

a long-term loan from a bank for buying property
Most American families have a mortgage payment.

plight

a difficult situation
The prisoner's plight was broadcasted all over the news.

possessions

control over something
She lost all her possessions during the fire.

Pulitzer Prize

a yearly award in the USA for the best writing in newspapers, novels, poetry
She won the Pulitzer Prize for her best selling novel based on her childhood.

quest

a search for something especially over a long time period
His quest to find the perfect wife lasted 20 years, without much success.

recipient

a person who receives something
The recipient of the noble peace prize was a European.

starvation

the state of having no food
It is surprising to find that people still die of starvation today.

classic

an object regarded as an example of the best of something
Miracle on 34th Street is a classic Christmas movie.

compounded

to make something more difficult
Her lack of education compounded to her difficulty in finding a job.

fierce

cruelly violent
Her opponent was a fierce tennis player.

figure

an important person
John F. Kennedy is an important political figure.

immense

huge
There is an immense statue in front of the library.

inevitably

unable to avoid
Most people that fantasize about winning the lottery will inevitably come to their sense.

instilled

to give by example or teaching
My mother instilled good moral values in me when I was a child.

notable

worthy to note, remarkable
His victory was notable in that it was deemed impossible.

overriding

to set aside, ignore
As events proved, it was the budget which was to provide a cause of dissension, bringing a new political movement into being, and an issue overriding all the legislative interest of the session.

playwright

person who writes plays
Shakespeare was a playwright.

rampant

uncontrollable and widespread
Starvation was rampant in the city after the bombing.

resonates

to sound clearly for a long time
The voice of the children's choir resonated through out the church.

resumption

a restart
resumption in the growth of the economy resulted in more jobs.

sanity

mental health
She worked with children all day, and needed a break in order to keep her sanity.

scathing

harsh
Out of anger, the husband made scathing remarks about his wife.

strived

to work hard for something
She strived for perfection in everything she did.

survivor

person who survives a life-threatening event
She was the sole survivor of the plane accident.

testify

to tell what one knows
My mother was called to testify about the accident she witnessed.

tragedy

a sad event
The tragedy of losing a child affected the couple's marriage.

unravel

to become undone
Her perfect plan started to unravel when her husband found out the secret.

admirers

a person who thinks highly of another
Bill Clinton has many admirers.

authentic

genuine
We went to China Town to have authentic Chinese food.

clamor

a loud protest
The students created quite a clamor.

controversy

public disagreement, usually involving strong opinions and an important subject
There is much controversy over stem cell research.

definitive

clear and leaving no further question
The owner of the company gave a definitive answer to the employee's question.

disturbed

worried
The women in the office were very disturbed by the vulgar language of the man.

enable

to make able, to give power
The study session enabled us to pass the test easily.

heroism

an act of courage or great skill
Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered for his heroism.

impact

effect
Lack of exercise has a negative impact on people's health.

impressive

causing admiration
That little boy's tennis ability is very impressive; he will be a pro one day.

lasting

continuing for a long time
The little girl's heroic act had a lasting impression on the community.

offensive

suffering of the body or the mind
Although many praised his artwork, some found it to be very offensive.

periodicals

a magazine or other publication that comes out at regular intervals
I subscribe to several periodicals.

reclusiveness

a disposition to prefer seclusion or isolation
The neighbors really didn't know the man because of his reclusiveness.

rigid

strict
Her mother was very rigid and expected her children to follow a strict schedule.

sensitive

easily hurt or affected emotionally
He is a very sensitive man; he cries very often.

spotlight

to focus attention on
The media spotlighted the candidates achievements.

ultimately

in the end
The children ultimately had to obey their parents.

unorthodox

unusual
Her teaching methods were very unorthodox and caused much controversy in the school.

withdrawn

not communicative
After having spent most of his childhood alone, he became very withdrawn as an adult.

adapted

adjust
She adapted to her new surrounding very quickly.

appeared

to become visible
He appeared in several movies.

carnivorous

an animal that eats meat
Lions are carnivorous animals.

complex

of being difficult, not easy
Some mathematics formulas are very complex.

diversify

to make or become varied
The company diversified its products by selling clothes too.

dominant

holding the most important position or greatest influence
Football is a dominant sport in the state of Texas.

existence

the presence of something in the real world
The existence of poverty in America surprises many people.

extinction

destroyed so that they no longer exist
The extinction of the dinosaur happened million of years ago.

features

an important part or characteristic of a product or service
The salesperson explained the different features of the computer.

gradual

happening slowly or by small steps
The dog adjusted to his new home because of the gradual process.

herbivores

an animal that eats only plants
Cows are herbivores animals.

huge

big
There was huge trashcan next to the movie theater.

influx

the sudden arrival of many people or things
After the civil war, there was an influx of refugees fleeing to the neighboring country.

nominally

in name or thought but not reality
The country is nominally independent.

prey

animals killed for food by other animals
Small fish are prey to bigger fish in the ocean.

primitive

belonging to an early stage of development:
The villagers still used primitive methods for fishing.

progress

movement toward a goal
Much progress was made in building the new highway.

proliferate

increase in number rapidly
After the bombing, fear proliferated the country.

triggered

to start a reaction
Watching the film triggered a childhood memory.

agile

quick and skillful in moving
The ballerina was very agile in her performance.

contrasting

very different
The contrasting views of the different age groups was not surprising to the teacher.

decompose

to rot
Over time, dead plants decompose into the ground.

elusive

difficult to describe
The answer to the murder mystery is elusive.

emerged

to appear
The deer emerged from the woods and into the clearing.

evolution

the development of living things, cultures or ideas
Darwin is credited with the theory of evolution.

exceeds

to be more than what is expected
The money raised from the fund raiser exceeded our expectations.

expanded

to grow larger
The CEO expanded his company buy starting a new branch in Canada.

fossil

the remains of ancient animal or plant life preserved in rock
fossils tell us a great deal about the dinosaurs that lived long ago.

glided

to fly through the air without power
Birds are able to glide through the air effortlessly.

hollow

empty, with no center
The tree was not very healthy; the trunk was hollow.

limestone

a type of rock composed of calcium carbonate
Many homes in Texas are built from limestones.

obstacles

something that gets in the way and stops action or progress
The new president faced many obstacles in implementing his new plan.

pelvis

he area of the body between the backbone and the legs, framed by the hip bones
A women's pelvis is wider than a mans.

predators

an animal that lives by killing and eating others
Lions are predators; they eat other animals.

province

a governmental area into which many countries are divided
She and her husband are from the same province in China.

traits

a characteristic
Her many positive traits make her a very popular teacher.

unambiguous

without doubt
The parent's rules are unambiguous: if you come home late, you are grounded for a week.

unanswered

not answered or explained
The committee became suspicious when many of their questions were unanswered.

unearthed

to dig up
The little boy unearthed a wooden box full of money in his backyard.

approximately

close to a particular number or time although not exactly that number or time
It will take approximately three weeks to frame the picture.

bulged

swell or stick out
The book bag bulged because there were too many books in it.

disappearance

an act of disappearing
The disappearance of the magician is still a great mystery.

dominated

to have the most important place or greatest influence in
Her father was a great soccer player; he dominated the field.

genus

a type of classification
Humans belong to the genus Homo.

indicate

show where or what something is
The baby indicated what toy she wanted by pointing to it.

inhabit

to live in an area
This island is only inhabited by birds and flowers.

latecomers

a person who arrives late
All latecomers are required to sit at the back of the theater.

mammals

a warm-blooded animal
Female mammals feed their milk to the young.

marsupials

an animal, such as a kangaroo or an opossum, whose female members have a pouch to carry their young in
marsupials are found in Australia.

nocturnal

during or relating to the night
Owls are nocturnal and sleep during most of the day.

pouches

a bag-like pocket of skin
Baby kangaroos live in the mother's pouch.

reproduced

to make copies of something
She had the black and white prints reproduced in color.

resembled

to look like someone or something else
The boy resembled his father; they both had curly black hair.

submit

to agree
You are an expert in this field, so I submit to your decision.

support

to hold up or bear the weight of
Three beams supported the stage.

uncovered

to discover something secret or hidden or remove something covering something else
When they moved the stone, they uncovered a giant fossil.

upright

standing up
My father bought an upright piano.

warm-blooded

with constant high body heat in any temperature
Humans are warm-blooded.

weasel

a small, brown and white meat-eating animal
weasels cause problems for farmers because they like to eat chickens on the farm.

acquired

to gain or come into possession
Children acquire language from hearing it in their environment.

celebrated

renowned
Her mother was a celebrated author that spoke to children all over the world.

delay

a time that something is slowed or stopped
The delay in his arrival was due to bad weather conditions.

derived

to get
Many of America's current laws were derived from Justinian.

devises

to create
He devises a different plan to get rich every day.

endured

to bear
While in prison, she endured ridicule and flogging.

execution

the act of putting someone to death
The execution of the murderer will take place in two weeks.

genie

a magical spirit, originally in Arab traditional stories, who does or provides whatever the person who controls it asks
When she opened the box, a genie appeared and asked her what her wish was.

hinder

to slow the progress of something
Rather than helping the cause, the politician hinder it by giving false information.

incorrigible

not able to behave correctly
Some criminals are incorrigible and will spend their lives in prison.

intense

strong
The two candidates had an intense debate over health care.

narrated

to tell a story in writing or speech
The little girl narrated the story of Snow White to her classmates.

nefarious

evil
One of his nefarious crimes was burning down the daycare center.

obscured

to confuse
The accident obscured her memory from when she was a child.

ploys

a maneuver to gain advantage or to disguise one's true intent
The representative said she was conducting a survey, but it was just a ploy to sell me life insurance.

predating

to happen before something else
The found an ancient clay tablet predating the Sumerian cuneiform.

premise

a basis for a line of reasoning
His major premise for asking for a raise was that they were going to have another child.

tragedies

a sad event
Her family had suffered many tragedies in the last few years.

translated

interpret as from one language to another
The book has been translated into 30 different languages.

vernacular

language in everyday use in a country or region
The vernacular of that region is very different than the English that is taught in schools.

claws

one of the sharp nails on an animal's paw or toe
Bears have sharp claws.

debate

present differing views on a question
The two candidates debate over national security.

designed

to form mental plans for
The company designed a better advertising plan.

digest

to process in the stomach
Vegetables digest faster than meat.

discovery

the finding of something new
The discovery of the artifacts helped the scientists understand the ancient culture.

distinctive

different from others
The dish had a distinctive flavor.

diverged

to separate and go in different directions
The walked together until they reached the bridged, then their paths diverged.

embryo

the early stage of growth before birth
Chicken embryos grow inside the eggshell.

evidence

a sign or indication that something happened
The judge requested that more evidence be brought to the court.

fetus

the developed embryo in humans and other mammals
The pregnant woman listened to classical music everyday because she believed her fetus would enjoy it.

graze

to feed on grass
The cows graze in the field.

hind

related to the rear or posterior part
The dog injured his hind leg.

native

a person who is born in a certain place
She is a native of Indonesia.

partially

in part
The accident was partially caused by the broken traffic light.

persisted

to continue steadily in the same manner in spite of obstacles or opposition
The little boy persisted in asking his mother for candy, until she agreed.

similarities

the state of being almost alike
The similarities between the man and woman was very surprising.

simultaneously

done at exactly the same time
The student was simultaneously working on two degrees.

striking

immediately noticeable
He is a striking man; he is very handsome.

subsist

to live at basic or minimal level
The family subsists on the money from the life insurance.

teat

a nipple of an animal
Milk of a cow is squeezed through its teats.

central

at the core or foundation of something
Accepting the validity of the theory was central to his argument.

controversial

something that is not accepted by everyone
Abortion continues to be one of the most controversial topics in American politics.

convincing

satisfying
The jury found the woman's testimonial to be convincing.

drew

to take or use something
The scientist drew information from a library of resources.

effort

an attempt to do something
We made an effort to be friends after the argument.

lacking

to be without
His argument was lacking any convincing details.

laypersons

common people or citizens
It is important to talk in terms that laypersons can understand.

naturalist

of being based in nature, not in the supernatural
He is a naturalist because he believes in what he can see.

notion

a belief or idea
I had a notion that you would come tonight.

offspring

children or babies born to a mother or father
The woman's condition did not allow her to have offspring.

parallel

extending in the same direction as something else
The two roads run parallel to each other.

perish

to die or become destroyed
If the plane runs out of fuel we all will perish.

precedent

a case which has basis in an earlier case
The judge made her ruling based on the precedent established last year.

refining

to make more exact or clear
The writer worked hard in refining his composition skills.

remarkable

incredible
It is certainly remarkable that you got straight A's last semester.

revolutionary

pertaining to great change
The theory was revolutionary because no one had ever seen anything like it.

seniority

a privileged status, typically due to being older or from having a strong record
Her seniority in the company allowed her to make many big decisions.

slight

being delicate or lacking strength
The young man looked very slight to be a boxer.

speculating

to expect
Many people were speculating about the outcome of the game.

widely

broadly, commonly
Darwin has been widely cited for popularizing the theory of evolution.

alternative

a different choice
The alternative answer was not convincing to the professor, either.

basins

a depression
We dug a basin for each fruit tree so we could water them more efficiently.

compelling

convincing
The evidence presented to the court was not compelling, so the case was dismissed.

contested

to question
The answers provided by the teacher were contested by the honor student.

correspond

to conform to or to be in agreement with
The girl's cell phone bill seemed to correspond with her actual airtime usage.

dense

very thick
The population in New York City is dense.

geologist

a person who studies the earth and rocks
My friend is a geologist. He takes soil samples to his lab to examine them for their elements.

hypothesis

an idea or prediction that something will occur
Scientists first make a hypothesis and then test it with an experiment.

implausible

not possible or warranting disbelief
The defendant's argument seemed implausible to the jury.

implied

to be understood in an indirect manner
The boy did not speak, but his decision could be implied by the look on his face.

mere

to be nothing more than something else
The mere idea of teaching the class made me nervous.

plastic

having a quality that is flexible or able to be molded
Many say that children's brains have a plastic quality since they can be shaped to understand almost anything.

plow

to move or turn over
The tractor was used to plow the soil in order to plant corn.

previously

having occurred beforehand
We previously thought that it was not a good idea.

reversals

having the action of going in the opposite direction
A stay-at-home father may seem like a role reversal to some older couples.

revise

to review and correct
The student was asked to revise his paper as it had many errors.

ridge

an elevated or higher portion of a structure
I climbed to the ridge of the mountain with my best friend.

split

to divide into two pieces
The worker split the piece of wood into two pieces with his ax.

universally

globally; all over the world
Darwin's theory of evolution is nearly universally accepted by scientists.

update

to make a new version
When was the last time that a software update became available for this program?

artificially

invented by human, based on an actual model
She bought artificially flavored vainilla because it was less expense than real vainilla.

condones

to consider something as correct or acceptable
The governor did not condone the activity of the governness.

descended

to come down
The balloon descended from the sky in the evening.

destruction

damage, or the state of being destroyed
The destruction of the old house was sad to see.

ecologists

a person who studies the environment and its organisms
The city hired an ecologist to investigate the impact of the new apartment buildings on the river.

habitat

a place where something lives
The natural habitat of an alligator is a swamp.

ice age

a time when many glaciers covered the earth
An ice age results when the earth's temperature drops dramatically for a long period of time.

inhibiting

preventing something from doing something else
His actions were inhibiting the success of others.

involve

to take part in or engage in an activity
The struggling couple wanted to involve the psychologist in their situation.

marine life

animals or organisms that live in the sea
The Caribbean ocean has an amazing variety of marine life.

mass

to a great degree
There was mass hysteria when the fire alarm went off.

over harvesting

to harvest something too much
Forests have been destroyed due to over harvesting

predicted

to think something will happen
We could not have predicted that the underdog team would win.

prove

to establish the existence or reality of something
He wants to prove that he understands the difference between the two models.

reintroduced

to introduce or present something for a second time
The actress was reintroduced by the announcer after her name was mispronounced.

sufficient

enough to meet the needs of something
We had sufficient money to buy two pairs of tickets.

survived

to continue living
The basketball team survived a near loss and continued to the semi-final game.

sustained

to endure for a long period of time
He sustained his innocence during the trial.

terrestrial

relating to the earth and its inhabitants
terrestrial life forms have inhabited the planet for centuries.

vertebrates

animals or organisms with a backbone
vertebrates are some of the strongest organisms to inhabit the earth.

absorbed

to take in
The paper towl absorbed all of the water on the counter.

accelerated

to speed up or go faster
The process was accelerated by a knowledgeable lawyer.

atmosphere

the air that surrounds the surface of the earth
A spaceship must fly through the atmosphere to get into outer space.

consequence

the result of an action
The boy was unafraid of the consequence of getting bad grades.

deforestation

the state of a forest which has been cleared
The construction of the housing district led to the deforestation of the forest.

emit

to send out
The radio emits sound through a pair of speakers.

evident

apparent
It is evident that you have prepared well for the interview.

interact

to do something with someone or something else
I wanted to interact with the other customer in the store but I was shy.

misnomer

an incorrect name for something
Calling the activity legal was a misnomer.

phenomenon

a rare or significant event
A blue moon is a phenomenon that occurs every three years.

problematic

posing a problem; something that is questionable
Running out of gas in the middle of the desert is problematic.

project

to throw or cast something forward
The flashlight projects light onto the wall.

radiation

the product of something which has been emitted from something else
The radiation of heat from the sun is very high.

result

the effect or consequence of an action
The end result of the experiment did not confirm the hypothesis.

steady

constant or unchanging
There was a steady stream of messages coming to the inbox.

surface

the exterior or upper part of something
The surface of the car was rusted from years of rainy weather.

uncertainty

the quality or state of something that is unsure
My uncertainty about the product made me decide to not buy it.

unprecedented

the condition of something never happening before
The rooky's win at the championship was unprecedented.

vented

to have access to air
The roof was vented to allow air to circulate around the house.

wetland

an area that is covered, or mainly covered, by water
He grew up outside the city in a wetland.

aspect

a particular appearance or status
One aspect of the problem we had not considered came back to haunt us.

cause

a reason for doing something
Four of the five causes were considered adequate for beginning the project.

conservation groups

a group of people that is preoccupied with the environment
The conservation group did not want the scientists performing their experiment near the ocean.

constitutes

to make up, to comprise
This instance constitutes the fourth time you are late for work this week.

drained

to draw out
The sink had not drained because it was clogged.

encompass

to surround or form a circle around something
The explanation encompasses the central part of the problem.

enforce

to force something or to carry out an action
He police officer was responsible for enforcing the law.

global

relating to or involving the entire world
The internet has allowed for ease of global communication.

grazing

to feed on grass or other vegetation
Cattle graze around the area of the ranch.

implications

something that is implied
The ruling of the court case had many implications.

import

to bring in from somewhere else
The United States imports many products from China.

irrevocable

impossible to change or undo
The decision of the manager was irrevocable.

multitude

a great number of people or things
There was a multitude of cars at the car show.

preserve

to keep safe from destruction or injury
The conservation group wants to preserve the wetlands.

reverse

to go in the opposite direction
The man would like to reverse his actions.

richness

the satate of having high quality or value
There is a richness to be found in all places.

speculate

the think or be curious about a subject
We could only speculate about the outcome of the vote.

subsidies

a grant or donation of money
There are many government subsidies available for college students.

undergoes

to experience
A caterpillar undergoes a transformation when it turns into a butterfly.

vital

crucial, extremely important
Water is vital to our existence.

absolutely

definitely, for certain
The girl was absolutely the fastest runner on the team.

altering

to change or modify the quality of something
A seamstress can take a dress and alter its size or length.

compressed

to press together or reduce in size
The clothing was compressed into the suitcase.

condensation

a substance that has been changed from vapor into liquid
The vapor in the bathroom turned into condensation on the window.

cumulative

made up of a addition of individual parts
Many courses require a cumulative exam at the end of the semester.

dehydration

the state of being without water
A person can suffer of dehydration if he does not drink enough water.

dramatically

having the characteristic of drama; surprisingly
The number of car accidents has dramatically reduced over the past few years.

droplet

a very small drop of liquid
The plumber noticed a droplet of water underneath the sink.

entirely

completely, totally
The necklace is made entirely of diamonds.

evaporation

a substance which has been converted into vapor
Much of the water in the teapot was lost due to evaporation.

infiltrate

to pass through something by filtering or permeation
The water infiltrated the soil after several minutes.

meteorologists

a person who studies the weather or climate
Every news station has a meteorologist who gives the weather report.

molten magma

substance emitted by an erupting volcanoe
The molten magma flowed out of the volcano at a rapid pace.

precipitation

a deposit of water or snow on the earth
The meteorologist claims that there will be little precipitation tomorrow.

relentless

to occur constantly, without stopping
A relentless wave of attacks destroyed the city.

shift

to change or move
The car with the automatic transmission shifts gears very easily.

traverses

to cross
The river traverses much territory from east to west.

unequally

not of the same character or measurement
The piece of pie was cut unequally into two pieces.

vapor

a gaseous substance emitted from hot liquid
The bathroom was full of vapor after the man took a shower.

victims

a person hurt by something
Many of the victims of the hurricane lost their homes.

combustible

able to combust
The airplane fuel is highly combustible.

crude oil

oil which has not been processed for typical use
Venezuela exports large quantities of crude oil to the United States.

disadvantages

a situation or circumstance which makes something difficult to achieve
Not having studied for the exam was a disadvantage for the student's success.

discarded

to throw away
The idea was discarded as being impossible to believe.

disruption

an interruption in the normal course of an activity
The student's interruptions were a disruption for the class.

drawbacks

an unfavorable situation or feature
Unforseen drawbacks created delays for the completion of the project.

drilled

to open a hole with a rotary motion
A hole was drilled in the wall to hang the picture.

economical

not costing much money
The tickets to the basketball game were surprisingly economical.

explosives

a substance which can explode or break apart violently
The terrorists used explosives to destroy the governmental building.

ferns

a type of plant with long, thin leaves
ferns are popular houseplants.

fossil fuel

a type of fuel which has been formed by the remains of plants or animals
Fossil fuels such as natural gas are commonly burned to heat houses in the wintertime.

implicated

to involve as a consequence through inference
A man was implicated in the crime thanks to the neighbor's testimony.

manipulation

to change something, either a skillful or deceptive manner
The manipulation of the data gave the professor the result she wished for.

Mesopotamians

people who occupied the region in southwest Asia between the Tigris and Euprhates rivers.
The mesopotamians created a powerful society along the Tigris River.

refrigerants

a substance used to reduce the temperature of something
Industrial refrigerators use large quantities of refrigerants to keep the food cool.

renewable

capable of being renewed
Many countries are searching for forms of renewable energy.

scarcity

the state of being scarce
The scarcity of food lead to starvation across the country.

sediment

a substance which settles at the bottom of a liquid
The coffee grounds settled as a sediment at the bottom of the coffee cup.

synthetic

a product which has been made artificially
synthetic oil is often used in high mileage cars.

tar

a thick, heavy brown or black liquid
Many dinosaurs died when they became trapped in pits of tar.

ceased

to stop
The fighting ceased when the two sides came to an agreement.

commodities

a product which can be bought or traded
Many commodities are bought and sold worldwide every day.

curse

a cause of harm or misfortune
The witch put a curse on the town before leaving.

excavation

a hole or cavity formed by digging
An excavation near the border revealed many exciting findings.

external

existing on the outside of something
Skin is external to the body's organs.

flint

a very dense and hard material that produces sparks when struck hardly
The campers used a piece of flint to start a fire.

hominid

any family of two-legged primates
The hominids became the dominate group worldwide.

influence

the power to cause an effect over something else
The judge's ruling had a great influence on the community.

infrastructure

basic services, such as roads, bridges, power lines, etc.
Rome’s agricultural production could not provide sufficient energy to maintain its infrastructure and the welfare of its citizens.

inherently

of being essential
Climbing a mountain without a rope is inherently a bad idea.

internally

existing on the inside of something
Although it could not be seen, the man was bleeding internally.

intuitively

readily learned or understood
One would intuitively assume that studying is a good idea.

mine shaft

an opening used to enter a mine
The mine shaft was closed because it was unsafe for use.

ochre

a red or yellow iron used as a pigment
The natives used ochre to pain their faces.

plume

a bird's feather
We found a plume of a robin in the back yard.

pose

to set in place
The woman's testimony posed a problem for the defendant.

potential

possibility
The new graduate student showed great potential to become famous.

smelting

the melting or fusing of a material
The smelting of the substances created the desired product.

strata

a sheet or layer of rock
The earth is composed of many stratas.

susceptible

open or unresistant to a stimulus
The little girl was susceptible to catching colds.

acid rain

precipitation of acid in the form of rain
acid rain can damage the environment in many ways.

array

a range or distribution of values
There is a large array of colors in the spectrum.

asthma

a chronic lung condition presenting difficulty of breathing
The boy had to use medicine to control his attacks of asthma.

contamination

state of being dirty or polluted
The contamination emitted by cars each year is very high.

diesel

a heavy mineral oil used for power engines
diesel fuel is typically less expensive than regular gasoline.

diminished

to lessen or decrease
The warm weather diminished the necessity to heat the house as much as usual.

disconnecting

to end or terminate a connection
The power company was disconnecting heat to family's homes that had not paid their heating bill.

elevates

to raise
The presence of danger elevates an animal's desire to flee.

eliminated

to do away with, to put an end to
The couple was eliminated from the competition when they made a mistake in the final round.

focused

to concentrate on something or to specify
Harold's new book focused on the role of women in today's business culture.

generated

to create or make
The new company generated high revenues in their second quarter.

greenhouse gas

a type of pollution, especially carbon dioxide, emitted in global warming
More and more greenhouse gas is emitted into the atmosphere each year around the world.

harmful

dangerous or of causing harm
Smoking cigarrettes is harmful to one's health.

implemented

to put in place
The president implemented new regulations regarding the trade agreement.

pollutants

something which is unclean or impure
Bicycles do not release pollutants into the air as cars do.

reduce

to lessen or decrease
I would like to reduce the amount of coffee I consume each day.

refineries

a place or plant that processes oil or other substances
The oil refinery worked around the clock to keep up with the demands of customers.

sooty plumes

a dirty or soiled feather
The bird that flew over the refinery came away with sooty plumes.

urban

pertaining to the city or city life
An urban home is desirable for those who wish to be near to everyday conveniences.

volatile

subject to rapid change
The stock market is notoriously volatile during wartime.

archer

a person who shoots arrows
In the middle ages, warfare was commonly carried out by archers.

based

to make or form a base or foundation for
My decision is based on the facts of the case.

chariot

a two-wheeled vehicle drawn by horse
Roman soldiers used chariots during their battles.

clarifies

to make clear
This memo clarifies the company's employment policy.

constrained

to limit
The big jacket constrained him from being able to play effectively.

deity

a god or goddess
Zeus was a Greek deity.

divine

heavenly, related to a godly force
Do you believe in a divine force that controls all destiny?

duty

responsibility
It was the father's duty to work and provide for his family.

enlightenment

an explanation
The literature provided enlightenment on the surgery she was going to have.

entails

to make necessary
This plan entails the cooperation of all the departments.

essence

the central point of a subject
The essence of the debate is over who should have custody of the baby.

gain

to obtain, acquire
Students gain a lot of knowledge from school.

grasp

to succeed in understanding something often complex
The chemistry concepts were very difficult for the student to grasp.

identical

exactly alike
James and John are identical twins.

perceive

to understand
She said my message was difficult to perceive.

permanent

meant to last, forever or for a long time
The scar was permanent reminder of the accident.

portion

a small piece or section of a larger thing
He gives a portion of his salary to charity.

precise

accurate
The house was easy to find because of the precise directions.

reluctance

concern or fear about doing something
His reluctance to get married showed his fear of commitment.

warrior

a fighter
The village chief sent his warriors to fight against the enemy.

abruptly

quickly
Some candidates abruptly change their mind when questioned agressively.

accumulated

to amass
Snow accumulated on the road quickly during the last snow storm.

depletion

the state of being emptied or reduced
The depletion of the ozone layer leads to faster global warming.

ecosystem

a community of organisms pertaining to a particular environment
ecosystems come into danger when new housing developments are created.

entire

complete
The entire stadium went crazy when the home team won the game.

fertilizer

a substance used to help plants grow
I bought some fertilizer for the grass in my lawn as well as for the houseplants.

fouled

to disturb or prevent
The police fouled the attempted burglary.

halted

to stop or bring to an end
All activity on the college campus halted with the sounding of the fire alarm.

improperly

incorrectly, not properly
Steven improperly answer the majority of the questions on the exam.

leaked

to pass through an opening, typically by accident
The roof leaked every time it rained outside.

majority

the greatest (largest) part of something
The majority vote in the senate allowed the bill to pass into law.

manure

a type of fertilizer used to help plants grow
Henry bought some manure to use when planting his lawn.

objectionable

of causing objection or a negative reaction
Shirley's decision was objectionable for several reasons.

recreation

something done for fun or distraction
Tennis is a sport done as recreation by many people.

residential

pertaining to an area where people live
Businesses typically must be built outside of residential areas.

retail

of being sold to customers in small quantities
Common citizens buy the majority of their goods from retail stores.

runoff

liquid which comes away from a particular source
There was a great amount of runoff into the streets after the rainstorm.

sewage

refuse or garbage carried out of buildings by the sewer
Cities are responsible for controlling the sewage created by its residents.

silt

a very fine grained material made of rock
There was a layer of silt that remained after the dust storm.

visible

able to be seen
The mountains were visible from across the city.

breach

to break
Security was breached when classified information was published in a daily newspaper.

deleterious

detrimintal or harmful, often in a subtle manner
The deleterious comment was not appreciated until much later.

detection

the state of being noticed or detected
Many travelers use a device for the detection of police radar.

detrimental

bad for something, harmful
Getting bad grades is detrimental for getting into a good university.

extremely

to a great degree, highly
She was extremely upset when she did not receive the job offer.

fishery operations

the work of people in the fishing industry
Some fishery operations are aimed at tourists who would like to try fishing for the first time.

hydrocarbon

an organic compound consisting of hydrogen and carbon
hydrocarbons are a common element in our world.

immediate

occurring without losing time, happening instantly
The immediate reaction of the crowd was one of laughter.

lethal

deadly, able to kill
The governor worked to keep lethal weapons off the streets.

lingered

to persist or remain
The idea of switching jobs lingered in his mind after the bad experience with his employer.

liquified

to turn into liquid
The snow liquified when it melted in the sun.

mutations

a change experienced by an organism
Genetic mutations caused the farm animal to be born differently than the others.

persist

to endure
His pain persisted even after the doctor gave him some medication.

preening birds

a bird which cleans itself with its bill
preening birds keep themselves clean by using their own bill to clean their feathers.

resistance

opposition to something or the ability to resist change
The group's resistance to change might have caused their downfall.

secondary

of being second to something else, coming after something else
Completing his thesis was only secondary to maintaining his family.

severe

a strict or strong quality
The severe snowstorm caused the entire city to shut down.

severity

the quality of strength or strictness
The severity of the punishment was regarded by many as too low.

timeliness

of being on time or being punctual
The shipping company was proud of its reputation of timeliness.

waterlogged

to be full of water
My boots were waterlogged after I fell into the river.

broadly

widely
The presentation broadly covered many topics.

comprehensive

covering a large scop, broadly
At the end of the semester the students take a comprehensive exam.

criticism

an evaluation, often on the negative side
Our manager received a strong criticism from the university president.

deter

to prevent from doing something, to discourage
Susan's news did not deter Brian from making his decision.

disposal

a place for leaving waste or garbage
The city's disposal was overflowing with garbage.

emissions

something that is emitted, let out
Cars need to be checked for emissions once a year.

fines

money paid for doing something incorrectly or illegal
The couple paid a large amount of money in fines for not taking care of their children correctly.

hazardous

dangerous, potentially harmful
Smoking cigarrettes is hazardous to your health.

imposed

to bring about by authority or force
The professor imposed her rules on the class.

incineration

the act of burning something
The house was damaged by incineration.

indefinitely

for an unspecified period of time
The gym will be closed indefinitely for remodelling.

insignificant

without much significance or worth
The amount of money raised by the campaign was insignificant

penalties

something suffered as result of an action, a hardship
The penalties for driving over the speed limit can be very costly.

proper

correct, of the right representation
She invited us to a proper English tea party.

strategy

a careful plan or method
His strategy was to start studying for the test several days early.

substituting

to put in place of something else
The student teacher was substituting for the regular professor in class today.

synonymous

mean the same as
To help' is synonymous to 'To assist.'

unrealistic

not realistic
My idea to finish the project in several days was unrealistic.

unregulated

without rules or regulations
unregulated policies are difficult to enforce.

waste

garbage, refuse
Nobody wants nuclear waste to be stored near their home.

accomplishment

something achieved or completed
It is a great accomplishment to have graduated first in your class.

accurately

correctly, truthfully
He accurately identified the main language centers of the brain.

capitalized

to take advantage of a situation
The team capitalized on the opponents' errors and won the game.

colony

a population of people living in a newly established territory or state
The first immigrants to the United States formed colonies on the east coast.

deliberate

on purpose, resulting from careful consideration
The decision to leave a night early was deliberate.

discontented

upset, not content
John's parents were discontented with his academic performance.

eager

anxious, excited
They were eager to begin on their journey to the mountains.

established

to bring into existence or to stabilize
The rules were established by the members of the elective committee.

fascinating

very interesting, incredible
The story of the beginning of the church is fascinating.

imprisoned

to be put in jail or prison
The young man was imprisoned for attempted robbery.

initiated

to begin or start
The children initiated their club in the park.

inland

a piece of land which lies inward from the sea
The houses were built far enough inland to be safe from the storm.

objections

an opposition or complaint
If there are no objections, this couple may be married.

opposition

a group of people that is against a particular point or another group
The opposition to the president's idea was very disorganized.

prior

beforehand, before
prior to working at the copy shop, she worked as a receptionist at a law firm.

proposal

a plan to do something
He submitted his proposal for the project before the deadline.

provisions

a supply or material provided for a purpose
We took food provisions with us on the camping trip.

settled

to establish a place to live, to develop an area
The early colonists settled in the northeastern United States.

territories

a place or area pertaining to a particular group of people or country
The southern territories have experienced troubles recently.

voyages

a trip or journey, typically by sea
Early voyages to newly found territories were very dangerous.

aggressively

with great power, marked by aggression
The prosecutor aggressively attacked the defendant's alibi.

agrarian

relating to fields or land
An agrarian country is capable of sustaining its own food sources.

alliance

a bond or connection between people
France established an alliance with the United States decades ago.

arrogant

an exaggeration of one's worth or self-esteem
Many professional athletes have the reputation of being arrogant.

composed

to be made up of, to be built of
A table is composed of a flat board and four legs.

conquest

something that is conquered or won in war
A primary purpose of a battle tends to be the conquest of land.

defection

to abandom or leave something after making a conscious decision
Her defection from the country made international news.

dynasty

a kingdom or powerful group of people
The dynasty of the emperors lasted for centuries.

excessive

exceeding a normal amount, too much
The amount of work required in the class was excessive.

height

the elevation of something, a high point
The height of the mountain is like no other in this area.

inaccurate

not accurate, wrong
The information provided to the candidate was inaccurate.

obligated

to oblige, force to do something
Jason was obligated to retake the exam since he did not pass the first time.

ransom

money demanded by someone for the release of another
The ransom demanded for the boy's liberty was very high.

revoked

to be denied or turned away
Her driver's license was revoked when she got her third speeding ticket.

slaughter

a killing or butchering
The lambs were taken to the farm for slaughter.

subjugation

to bring under control or make submissive
The subjugation of the people was essential to his plan.

substantial

a notable amount, ample
There was not a substantial amount of evidence in the court case.

superstitious

related to superstitious, belief in something perhaps unaccountable for
The superstitious woman was afraid that a black cat might cross her path.

triumphed

to win, to be victorious
The politician triumphed in the election.

unsettling

upsetting, making one feel uneasy
The news of the train crash was unsettling to all residents of the town.

adopted

to take into a relationship or into consideration by choice
The faculty was slow to adopt the director's proposal for change.

ancestors

people who came before us in our family or country's history
I have many ancestors who came to the United States from Norway.

artifacts

an object characteristic of a particular time period or place
Archeologists look for artifacts during archeological digs.

ceremonial

pertaining to a ceremony, very formal in detail
The ceremonial wedding was impressive to the international guests.

departed

to leave, to go away
The plane departed on time this morning.

descendents

one who follows from a previous generation
The descendents of the mountain clan became very powerful.

diverse

having distinct or different qualities
There is a diverse student body at this university.

empower

to give power to someone or something
The president empowered his staff by giving them the right to make their own decisions.

evidence

a sign or indication that something happened
The judge requested that more evidence be brought to the court.

gleaned

to extract or to bring to light
A clue for the answer was gleaned from careful observation of the old records.

immensely

greatly, to a large degree
He impressed me immensely with his new theory.

indigenous

originating in a particular area
The plant is indigenous of the high mountain region.

loom

to come into sight or to appear
The dark rain clouds loomed overhead.

notable

worthy to note, remarkable
His victory was notable in that it was deemed impossible.

remnants

something which remains or is left behind
The there were few remnants from the yard sale.

ritual

a ceremony or traditional observation
People came from all parts of town to perform a ritual on Christmas day.

sacrilege

a violation or offense to God
The boys committed sacrilege when they spoke badly of God.

symmetry

to be equal on all sides
Her designer strived for symmetry when creating the dress.

vast

great, expansive
His vast knowledge about the subject made his lectures fascinating.

willingness

inclination or disposition to do something
My willingness to help has not changed since the first moment.

alienated

to be left alone or removed from a situation
His negative comments on health care alienated a lot of voters.

bankruptcy

the state of having no money
Rather than file for bankruptcy, it is better to try to pay your bills.

crates

a box or large container for storing objects
Many crates were lined up along the walls of the factory.

delegates

a representative, typically elected by a group of people
The candidates pursued becoming the delegate from their party.

disguised

to portray oneself as someone else, often for the purpose of deceit
The bank robber disguised himself by wearing a black mask and sunglasses.

exact

precise, free of error
The exact number of people in the audience was 2,387.

importing

to bring from another place, often another country
The United States has been importing oil from Venezuela for many years.

incensed

to arouse indignation or anger
The story about child abuse incensed the members of the community.

motivated

to provide motivation or excitement
She was motivated to do her best work from the man's nice words.

outbreak

a disturbance or insurrection, often violent
The prison outbreak was the first story on the evening news.

outright

of being complete or exact
What he said last night was an outright lie.

paved

to cover, often with asphalt
The roads were newly paved last year but are already in poor condition.

prevent

to keep something from happening
The wall along the side of the freeway prevented the car from going off the road.

smuggling

to bring something to another place in an illegal manner
The pilot was smuggling drugs in his plane until one day he was caught.

strict

stringent, inflexible
There is a strict penalty for turning in homework late.

surplus

an extra amount of something
Due to poor sales, there was a surplus of automobiles left in the factory.

tensions

unrest or imbalance in a relationship
tensions were high as the people waited for the judge's decision.

unanimously

a condition in which all people agree
The members of the soccer team unanimously decided to skip practice last night.

wharf

a structure built along the shore of an ocean, typically for fishing
Fisherman's wharf is one of the most popular tourist attractions in San Francisco.

abolishing

to put an end to
The president tried to abolish the slave trade early in his career.

abusive

harmful, harsh
She went to the police to inform them about her abusive husband.

cruelty

a condition of poor, often violent, treatment
Animal cruelty is not tolerated in the United States.

descent

of coming from a line of ancestry
The family's descent was notable for its connection to the ruling party.

emancipation

to free or end restraint
The emancipation proclamation ended the slave trade.

indentured

pertaining to a situation in which one is bound to work for another and receive pay for the services
Although they were paid fairly, the indentured servants were not happy with their work.

involuntary

happening without making a conscious decision
The reaction to run away from trouble is involuntary.

liberation

condition of being free or liberated
The liberation of the slaves is a positive piece of the history.

limbs

a part of the body that grows off the trunk or main section
One must risk life and limbs to if he wants to become a mountain climber.

lynched

to put to death, often by hanging
He was lynched for his involvement with the terrorist group.

object

to disagree or oppose to something
I did not object when I was asked to stay late at work last night.

plantations

a settlement, typically on a large piece of land
The tobacco plantations on the east coast have been in operation for centuries.

prohibited

not permitted or allowed
The college's rules strictly prohibited staying on campus past midnight.

punishment

negative treatment received for doing something wrong
The punishment for turning in a late assignment was a zero in the gradebook.

quakers

early group of settlers in the United States
The quakers objected to the slave trade, even though some had slaves.

servitude

a condition in which a person cannot decide for himself or make his own decisions
Living in servitude is something most people would not wish to do.

statues

a representation of something, often made of concrete or wood
There was a statue of the country's liberator in the town plaza.

trade

the condition of giving or trading one thing for another
In the slave trade, people were traded to work on other people's land.

uprisings

a fight
The prisoners' uprisingings were increasingly more difficult to control.

whip

to beat with a long rope
The slave was whipped for failing to do his job completely.

abysmal

terrible, immeasurably low
The school's test scores were considered abysmal by the school board.

acquired

to gain or come into possession
Children acquire language from hearing it in their environment.

captives

a person or animal that is held under the control of someone else
The captive was not allowed to talk to anyone but his lawyer.

chain of events

series of actions or events
The chain of events that lead up to the disclosure was remarkable.

commenced

to start or begin
The ceremony commenced after all of the audience was seated.

complicated

difficult, not easy
Math problems can be very complicated.

debts

something owed, often of monetary value
He had debts we knew of.

enslavement

a situation of being enslaved or held captive
Last year's football team lived a near situation of enslavement.

existed

to be real or have life
His problem with nervousness existed for decades.

horrific

to feel horrible or terrible
The scene of the crime was horrific.

intolerable

not tolerable, unbearable
The man's attitude was intolerable.

magnitude

referring to size or proportions
The magnitude of the earthquake was greater than any other in history.

occupants

a person who inhabits or lives in a particular place
The occupants of the hotel had to evacuate when they heard the fire alarm.

outcome

a result or consequence
The outcome of the championship match was what one would expect.

practice

a performance or action
The lawyer's practice was very busy.

rebellions

an action of resistance or defiance
The government was not prepared for the rebellions of the citizens.

schooner

a sailing ship or vessel with two sails
We rode on the schooner to get to the island.

secure

to fasten, to guarantee
The candidate secured the nomination by winning the most votes.

subsequent

following in time or place
We heard subsequent complaints from the students.

transaction

an exchange or transfer of goods or services
The bank processes hundreds of transactions each day.

affecting

to have an effect on something
His bad attitude was affecting his performance on the job.

arguments

a reason given to prove something, a source of conflict
The professor's argument for suspending the student was not taken seriously.

atrocious

horrible, disgusting
It was atrocious to see how badly the children behaved.

avenue

a route, a manner for pursuing something
One avenue for solving the problem is reconsidering the equation.

banned

to not allow, to prohibit
The song was banned from radio because of its vulgar language.

concrete

definitive
Giving concrete examples is essential when teaching.

conflict

disagreement; argument
The two countries were at conflict with one another.

criticized

to consider the value of something, to find fault with
Her work was criticized for being unoriginal.

depicted

to show or demonstrate
The criminal was depicted as a good person in the television movie.

divergent

differing from a standard reference
The mayor's opinions were divergent from those of the previous mayor.

frank

honest, sincere
Her manager was frank about her recent performance.

opinion

a way of thinking
Our opinion did not differ from that of the other parents.

outlawing

to make illegal
The government decided to outlaw the sale of alcohol.

profound

characterized by intense feelings
The book had a profound effect on my way of thinking.

racist

a person who thinks that his or her race is better than any other
He was disliked for his reputation of being a racist.

recounted

to count again
The voting ballots were recounted twice.

reverend

a priest or pastor at a church
The town reverend was loved by all.

slave

a person who must serve another without freedom
According to the family tree, Davis' grandfather was a slave on a large plantation.

stereotypical

pertaining to the status quo or the normal image
The response was stereotypical for the situation.

withdraw

to take away
The president said he would not withdraw the troops from the region.

ballads

a song or poem that tells a story, or a slow love song
Lionel Richie sang many ballads.

bard

a poet
William Shakespeare is a bard.

bargain

to ask for a lower price
He tried to bargain with the store owner, without much success.

chronicle

to record
This book chronicles the life of Hemmingway.

corpse

a lifeless human body
When they opened the trunk of the car, they found a corpse.

cunning

careful deception
We need a bit of cunning if we are to win the battle.

defeats

win a victory over
The defeated the enemy after a lengthy battle.

entice

to attract
The mother enticed her children to get good grades by offering them money.

formidable

strong, difficult to defeat
The formidable army came across our territory.

integrated

to combine two or more things in order to become more effective
To improve efficiency of the company, they integrated many of the departments.

invincible

too strong or smart to be beaten
After winning five straight tournaments, he felt he was invincible.

labyrinthine

describes something that has lots of parts and is therefore confusing
It took quite a bit of concentration to understand the book's labyrinthine plot.

massacres

the brutal killing of many people or animals
The massacre of the village inhabitants caused a major exodus from its neighboring villages.

petitions

a legal request for action by a court
The committee gathered many petitions to stop the business from moving into their neighborhood.

relinquishing

to give up, hand over
After relinquishing his rights as a parent, the many left the country.

siege

a military action in which forces surround an area and prevent supplies from entering
During the siege, the military barred all foods from entering the compound.

staving

to stop something bad from happening
Using your brains may be an effective way of staving off the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

truculent

unpleasant and tending to argue a lot
My neighbor is very truculent and unpleasant to be around.

unsavory

unpleasant
My uncle had an unsavory reputation, so none of his family members attended his funeral.

wits

intelligence
She has keen a wit and understands all her subjects very quickly.

bounty

a generous gift or reward
A one million dollar bounty was offered for the capture of the criminal.

capabilities

the quality or feature of being able to do something
She had many capabilities that we were not aware of.

diminishing

to make less
They closed the business when they realized the increasingly diminishing returns.

efficiency

the quality of being efficient, the degree to which one can do something with ease
The company was looking for workers with a great deal of efficiency.

endures

to withstand, to put up with
People cannot endure living without water for very long.

facilitated

to help something happen, to make easier
The congressman facilitated the justice talks last evening.

gross domestic product

the value of all goods and services produced by a country during a specific time period
The rising country's gross domestic product was stronger than ever this year.

herbicides

an element used to kill or inhibit plant growth
We used an herbicide on the weeds growing in our front yard.

industrial revolution

a change in the economy motivated by the use of machinery to do humans' work
The industrial revolution in England caused widespread unemployment.

labor

work, the expending of energy
To labor all day without rest is no fun.

locomotives

a machine, like a train, that can move on its own
locomotives transport people and products around the world every day.

modified

to change something deliberately
I modified the equation by adding an additional component.

modular

based on a model, having pieces of set sizes
The modular carpet could be pieced together easily.

offset

to serve as a counterbalance for something
The new company's operating costs were offset by high first quarter sales.

output

the end result of an action
The output from the computer program was impossible to understand.

pesticides

a substance used to kill pests, such as insects
You can buy a pesticide to kill the ants in your patio.

pioneering

to do something for the first time, to invent
The woman pioneered the new clothing fashion seen at the awards ceremony.

resistant

able to resist or withstand
The resistance to the proposal was more than we would have expected.

stemmed

to come from, to branch off of
The new branch on the rose bush stemmed from the main trunk of the plant.

yield

the amount of a product returned or yielded
The yield of corn per acre was quite high.

abridged

characterized by being a shortened version of something
The abridged dictionary still had more words than we needed to know.

achieve

to accomplish or to get something done
The girl scouts achieved their goal of selling enough cookies to go to Washington D.C.

amendment

something which is amended or added
There are twenty-seven amendments to the constitution of the US

appropriate

suitable
Sandals are appropriate foot-wear for the beach.

coalesced

to grow together or to united
The people's thinking on how to resolve the problem coalesced with time.

denied

to not allow, to refuse
Her bid for presidency was denied by a stronger candidate.

exclusion

something that is removed or excluded
There were many exclusions to the offer at the store.

increasingly

with a greater rate
They increasingly realized that their decision was wrong

incremental

in a step-by-step fashion
The incremental plan to reform spelling was postponed.

momentum

the pace at which something occurs
We gained momentum as we entered the final round of competition.

oppression

cruel or unjust exertion of power
The amount of oppression on the people of the country was unbearable.

picketing

to petition or complain
The workers were picketing outside the headquarters building.

productivity

relating to the production of something
Her productivity at work increased when she started to sleep more at night.

progression

an advancement or succession
The progression of notes played by the pianist was amazing.

ratification

something which is formally confirmed or approved
The ratification of the law was high on the list of priorities.

reformer

a person who makes reforms or changes
Noah Webster was a spelling reformer.

sentiment

the feeling of a person or group of people
Our sentiment toward the criminal was very low.

status

the condition of something compared to something else
In the classroom, John had high status.

temperance

the condition of having moderation in one's actions or feelings
She was not known for having much temperance.

uppity

feeling upbeat or happy
We felt uppity after winning our first tennis match.

armaments

a weapon or military force
The smaller country had few armaments to protect themselves.

assemblage

a collection of people or things
Henry brought together an impressive assemblage of voters.

aviator

a person who flies an airplane
The early aviators were courageous.

axis powers

A group of nations opposed to the Allies during World War Two.
Germany, Italy and Japan were axis powers during World War Two.

blunder

a large mistake or error
Dropping the football during the last seconds of the game was a blunder.

coincide

to have agreement, to accord
Our opinions seldom coincided with respect to the controversial topic.

detected

to notice, to discover
The police officer detected the smell of alcohol on the driver.

embargo

an order from the government which prohibits something
The US continues its financial embargo to Cuba.

envoy

a person delegated to respresent a country or government
The government envoy did a great job in getting the people to come together.

escalations

the state of becoming greater or more intense
The escalation of troops sent to the war was concerning.

imperial

relating to an empire
One day the imperial powers began to dissolve.

internment

a place where people are held or confined
The internment was known for its poor conditions.

midget

a very small version of something
The midget cars were popular at the car show.

naval

pertaining to the navy
The naval headquarters were located just west of the ocean.

persuaded

to change a person's opinion through argument
I persuaded Rosa to come with me after offering many convincing reasons.

pivotal

very important, critical
The pivotal moment in the debate came when the two candidates argued over healthcare.

preoccupied

to concern, to worry
We were preoccupied that the situation was not improving.

tactical

concerning the tactics of doing something
A tactical error at any moment could lead to disaster.

ultimatums

a final demand or proposition
The manager's ultimatum was that the worker needed to come to work on time or stop working entirely.

urgent

requiring immediate attention
The children felt the urgent need to call their parents.

Allied Powers

Countries that opposed the Axis powers during World War II
The major Allied Powers in WWII were Britain, Russia and the United States.

arms control

the control of weapons or armaments
arms control is a frequent topic of international news.

brutal

harsh
The brutal punishment of the hostage was shown on the news.

Cold War

a period of tension between the US and the Soviet Union
The Cold War latest for approximately 50 years, from the 1940s to the 1990s.

collaboration

the action of working jointly with others
A low degree of collaboration on the project would certainly not be sufficient for success.

famines

a period of time marked by the absence or extreme lack of food
The failure of the Irish potato crop led to widespread famine in Ireland.

founders

a person or group of people that creates or invents something
The founders of the organization were honored for their contributions.

genocide

the deliberate destruction of a group of people
The genocide of the group will always be a low point in world history.

humanitarian

relating to humanity or people
Her humanitarian efforts were recognized by the United Nations.

latter

the second in a string of two things (ex: two choices, two people, etc.)
We watch a lot of horror and mystery movies, but we preferred the latter.

monitoring

to watch
The doctors monitored her condition throughout the night.

official

pertaining to an office, authoritative
Spanish is the official language of Venezuela.

peacekeeping

an effort to maintain peace and order
peacekeeping is always a priority of the government.

promote

to advance something, to further something
The worker was promoted for consistently increasing sales revenues.

selected

to choose or pick
Twenty athletes were selected to represent the country in the Olympic Games.

subsidiary

a secondary or supporting organization
The company has subsidiaries in many different countries.

torture

cruel mistreatment of someone or something
The soldier received torture after he was captured behind enemy lines.

variety

assorted, various
A variety of different styles are available for purchase at this store.

violations

an infringement, something done improperly
Driving over the speed limit constitutes a traffic violation.

violent

characterized by violence or strong force
A violent protest outside the capitol made the headline news.

casualties

a person or thing hurt or damaged by an action
A primary concern in a war is the number of casualties that may be suffered by either side.

civilians

A regular resident of a place
Over 100 civilians were injured in the bombing attack.

clumsy

lacking tact or dexterity
Everyone says Paul is clumsy because he is always dropping everything.

contagious

something communicated by contact
The respiratory illness was highly contagious.

futility

useless, without worth
Our feeling of futility could not be overcome with simple words.

Green Berets

a soldier who has been designated as a member of the Special Forces
The Green Berets are regarded as being part of the upper echelon of military forces.

infamous

famous for being bad or evil
The infamous doctor was tried in court for his actions against humanity.

intimidate

to make another feel fear or nervouseness
Mary intimidated the others by always having the answers for everything.

invasions

an act of invading, entering a place where one is not welcome
The enemy's invasions were met with great resistance by the smaller country.

meddling

to interfere in business that is not of one's concern
She was always meddling in the life of her neighbor.

oppressors

a person who oppresses, keeps another down
The oppressors were prosecuted under international law.

petitioned

to make a formal request, to ask for something
The campus group petitioned for their own meeting space at the university.

rapid

very quick, very fast
Having a rapid does not do much good if the speed limit is low.

repealing

to take away, to draw back
How the law was not repealed earlier is a mystery to everyone.

repressive

to prevent or hold down by control
Many of the repressive actions were not considered humanitarian.

resist

to put up force against something
It was difficult to resist ordering some icecream for dessert.

rift

an opening, a fissure
The removal of the senator created a rift in the senate.

surrender

to give up, to relent
The troops surrendered when they realized they were outnumbered.

tolerated

to allow
The actions of the students were not tolerated by the professor.

turmoil

a state of confusion or commotion
The rumor of a terrorist attack created a state of turmoil in the village.

assassination

the killing of a person
There was an assassination attempt on the gang leader last month.

cause

a reason for doing something
Four of the five causes were considered adequate for beginning the project.

compensated emancipation

the freeing of a slave in return for money or another compensation
compensated emancipation was used as a way to end slavery in places were slavery was deemed illegal.

crucial

very important, essential
It was crucial for the group to agree before presenting themselves to the council.

culminating

to result or end
Our years of hard work culminated in success.

disguise

something used to prevent identification
She wore a disguise to work and nobody recognized who she was.

disrupt

to bother, to break up
The student disrupted the class with his inappropriate remarks.

fade

to slowly dissappear or go away
The taillights faded into the darkness as the car drove away.

immoral

not moral, in conflict with general beliefs or principles
immoral actions are considered negatively when a person runs for public office.

inauguration

a formal ceremony to mark the beginning of an event
The inauguration of the country's president was very elegant.

institutionalize

to integrate into a formal system or institution
The psychologist wanted to institutionalize her patient after she did not respond to the clinical intervention.

interference

something that interferes, obstructs, gets in the way
There was interference on the phone line and thus we could not communicate easily.

notoriety

condition of being well known or famous
Her notoriety seemed to do her more harm than good.

overrode

to prevail over something, to have more power
The president can override any request for a bill presented to him by congress.

prompted

to motivate or encourage
The killing of the king prompted the beginning of the war.

radical

greatly different, considerable
His radical departure from his hypothesis made people wonder what was going on.

reform

a result of a change to a policy or convention
The reforms made to the constitution were for the better of the people.

seceded

to withdraw, to remove
The state seceded from the nation after a bitter fight for freedom.

squared off

to confront, to prepare to fight
The two teams squared off at this year's championship game.

tactics

a way or mode of procedure
The general's tactics were considered highly effective by the commissioner.

assassin

a person who kills
The king's assassin was later killed for his action.

averted

to turn away or to deter
The group's attempt to take over the building was averted by the police.

ballot

a piece of paper used for the purpose of voting
The ballots had to be recounted after the national election.

careers

a job or profession
Many career choices are offered by universities and community college.

carried out

to do, to take action
Jane carried out her plan even though she knew it was a bad idea.

constructed

to build or put together
The building was constructed in one week.

crisis

a desperate situation, a large problem
The crisis only worsened when the county's water supply ran dry.

decline

a reduction or lowering
The decline of the military turned out to be a good thing for the country.

dilemma

a problem without an obviously correct situation
She spent hours considering the best solution for her dilemma.

expansion

situation of becoming larger, of being expanded
Several of the buildings were in need of expansion to accommodate the growing staff.

failure

an inadquate performance, a poor result
On the bright side, he learned something from his failure.

framed

to portray incorrectly, for an improper purpose
The defendant says he was framed by the police who needed to pin the action on someone.

garnered

to withhold
His wages were garnered in order to repay his debts to the company.

incident

event; occasion
There was a strange incident in the supermarket today.

notably

noticeably, to a high degree
The airplane pilot was notably drunk before he boarded the plane.

paradoxically

pertaining to a situation which seems contrary to popular belief but which may be truef
paradoxically, it seemed that the wrong answer was actually correct.

prolonged

to last for a longer length of time
The prolonged effects of the medication were not known at the time.

Purple Heart

a military award given by the President to a soldier who has been wounded or killed in service
The soldier was awarded the Purple Heart after her service in the Middle East.

risk

a danger, a possiblity for loss or injury
There were few risks associated with the investigation.

stance

a point of view or way of thinking
His stance on the issue was that there was no wrongdoing.

advocate

to support or encourage
He advocated the control of firearms in the county.

charisma

a special appeal or charm
The candidate had lots of charisma and it helped him win votes.

deficit

to have a shortage, to have spent more than one has earned
The country's deficit grew larger and larger each year.

defused

to improve, to make less harmful or intense
The situation was defused when the two parties began to speak to each other.

deregulation

the state of losing rules or regulations
The deregulation of the emission of greenhouse gases was harmful for the environment.

fatigued

to be tired
He was physically fatigued after a long tennis practice.

gubernatorial

pertaining to the governor or to the government
The gubernatorial election was poorly attended by the residents of the town.

leap

to jump, to make a large stride
Mountain lions leaped out of the cage and ran out of the zoo.

optimism

to have a positive outlook or belief
It is important to have optimism in order to be successful.

outlook

perspective, a prospect
The outlook for the situation did not look good.

pledge

a sign or acknowledgment
We pledged allegiance to our country.

prosperity

having much money or being generally successful
One way of measuring prosperity is by counting your money.

restore

to make something new again
The judge restored order in the courtroom quickly.

saga

a long, detailed representation of a story
The book about the history of Sweden was a saga in its own right.

stimulating

to stimulate or invigorate
The concert was stimulating and we all left in a good mood.

stint

a short period of time
One of the workers stayed for only a stint.

swept

to make a large motion, to move
Wind swept through the city and damaged several houses.

tenure

period of time a person stays or works somewhere
But without exception, these big operations use leased land, with tenures typically of two to five years.

wit

mental resource or reasoning power
We used our good wit to figure out the problem.

boycott

a situation in which one refuses to be involved
The boycott of the airline pilots caused large delays in travel.

brutality

a very harmful, damaging action
The case of police brutality showed that police officers are not always kind.

civil rights movement

a movement by people to gain equality under the law
The civil rights movement helped make major changes in the society.

confrontations

a tense meeting or a clash
The confrontation between the manager and the employee harmed the image of the company.

convey

to show, to demonstrate
He conveyed his message by making a public speech and by writing a letter.

desegregation

the elimination of a situation in which people are kept separate
desegregation led to a more unified country.

dictated

to speak or give orders in a demanding way
My boss dictated what we had to do that day.

disobedience

a situation in which one does not obey the rules
Civil disobedience in the form of a violent protest gained the attention of the governor.

effectiveness

producing a desired effect or outcome
The effectiveness of the new medicine has not been proven by the Food and Drug administration.

incarcerated

to put in prison
The judge incarcerated the criminal for repeat offenses.

inspired

to influence or motivate
The preacher inspired me with his wonderful sermon.

instrumental

having critical or crucial means
Her book was instrumental in getting the situation changed in congress.

nonviolent

without violence
nonviolent protests often have a larger impact than violent ones.

preacher

a person who delivers a public sermon
The preacher was popular for giving energetic sermons.

prejudice

a judgment which causes injustice or damage
Although prejudice is common, it is not good.

protest

a display of disagreement
Thousands of people lined the streets to protest animal cruelty.

realized

to happen, to occur
The protests were realized by thousands of people around the country.

riots

an uprising, a massive fight
The prison riots claimed the lives of both inmates and prison officials.

segregated

to separate from others
The group was segregated because of the color of their skin.

theology

the study of God and the relationship of God to the world
Many preachers have a degree in theology.

abilities

the capability to do something, competence
His ability to speak well extends beyond the classroom.

alumni

a person who has graduated from a school
The high school alumni celebrated their twentieth reunion this year.

anti-Semitic

of being against Jewish people
The candidates anti-Semitic remarks gave him a bad reputation.

arguably

characterized by being able to be argued or contested
His recipe for lasagna was arguably the best ever.

chairman

person in charge of a business or organization
The company's chairman resigned last night after the scandal was published in the paper.

congressman

a member of the United States House of Representatives
The number of congressmen from each state varies depending on the population of that state.

contributions

the giving or gift of something
Public contributions to the roadwork project helped get the job done quickly.

despite

in spite of
despite her poor preparation, Alice passed the quiz.

disputes

an argument or controversy
There were unresolved disputes that lingered for years.

establishing

to make or bring into existence
Rules are established for the benefit of the community.

former

coming before, previous
The former mayor was once a track and field athlete.

funded

to give funds, to pay
Television commercials are funded by the company who is selling its product.

host

a person who invites another person into their home or community
The host family was very kind and generous with their exchange student.

illustrious

exemplary, brilliant
Her illustrious career as an architect made her very successful.

legacy

something of great importance transferred from one generation to the next
The legacy she built helping children will endure for years to come.

mandates

an order or command
The mandates required that employers not judge applicants on base of religion, sex or political beliefs.

prestigious

having high value or regard
Few youth from our high school gained entrance into the prestigious college.

pursuits

an activity or engagement in something
The pursuit of happiness is perhaps the most important pursuit of all.

senator

a representative of the state
Each state in the US elects two senators to express the views and necessities of its citizens in Washington, D.C.

staggering

amazing, incredibly large
A staggering number of people attended the biology conference.

atonement

to do something that shows that you are sorry for something bad that you did
The judge ordered the teenagers to 60 hours of community service as atonement for their crimes.

blasphemy

saying disrespectful things about God, religion, or anything sacred
Long ago, people were killed for blasphemy.

contemporary

of today
The husband preferred antique, but the wife preferred contemporary furniture.

discrete

a distinct identity or existence
Although the companies are all in the same buildings, they are all discrete entities.

doom

a terrible fate
A sense of doom gripped the children after the gunman had entered the building.

early

before the expected time
He went to bed very early yesterday.

embarks

begin a journey, venture, or new activity
After the final preparations are over, he will embark on a six month journey through Asia.

exploration

a journey of discovery
Space exploration has become a focus for many countries.

genius

a person of extreme intelligence
Susan was regarded as a genius by her peers.

influential

the power to have an effect on people or things
He was very influential in the field of genetic engineering.

legendary

famous
His mother was a legendary tennis player in the 1930s.

oracle

a wise person who tells the future
The ancient Greeks referred to oracles for advice.

prevails

to win, triumph
Truth always prevails.

prosperity

having much money or being generally successful
One way of measuring prosperity is by counting your money.

rhetoric

the art of using words well
The goal of classical education is to develop rhetoric in its students.

slain

killed
After David had slain the giant, he was welcomed warmly by the villagers.

span

an amount of time
His dominance in the field of tennis span over 10 years.

torment

great mental or physical pain
While her son was missing, she suffered great torment.

unknowingly

not aware of a particular situation or problem
The author had unknowingly plagiarized many of his stories.

unwittingly

unintentionally
After the man entered the women's restroom unwittingly and saw the women talking, he causally walked back out.

anthropological

pertaining to people or the study of people
The researchers looked for anthropological evidence at the ruin.

compulsive disorders

a condition which leads a person to do something without thought or care
Binge eating is a common compulsive disorder.

condemnation

censure or rejection
The condemnation of the plan was agreed on by all members.

disparate

made of fundamentally different components
The evidence the lawyers brought to the case was disparate.

drives

a motivation or reason for doing something
He had a tremendous drive to be successful at the office.

extracted

to bring out, to separate
She extracted six ounces of fluid from the dispenser.

gaps

a hole or space
There were gaps in the boy's story about why he was late to school.

instincts

a natural impulse or capacity
My instincts told me that I better leave right away.

intrinsic

essential, characteristic
The intrinsic value of the earrings was quite low.

motivations

something that motivates or encourages
Her motivation for coming was not clear.

norms

a typical or accepted behavior or control
The hiring committee set norms for the types of questions they would ask candidates.

outrageous

exceeding the usual limits, unconventional
The child's outrageous behavior at the park was embarrassing for his parents.

pediatrician

a doctor who works with children
Our pediatrician has been healing sick children for twenty years.

perspective

point of view
Most guidebook history is written from the editor’s perspective.

phobias

an extreme fear
She has a phobia for spiders.

provoked

to spark or motivate
The news provoked protests across the state.

subconscious

something that exists in the mind but that is not readily available for reasoning
Something in my subconscious told me that it was a bad idea.

treatment

a technique used for treating someone or something
The doctor offered his patient a cutting-edge treatment to alleviate the pain.

unconscious

without consciousness, without awareness
The boxer remained unconscious after he was hit in the first round.

wave

a period or situation
The first wave of questions seemed easy to the applicant.

conscious

aware; awake
She had become conscious two days after her burial.

critical

crucial, indispensable
It is critical that you study harder if you want to pass the class.

diametrically

being completely opposed or of the opposite extreme
The two sides of the brain were once considered to be diametrically different.

distinguished

to tell apart from something else, to perceive a difference
The young child could not distinguish wrong from right.

emphasized

to restate or try to impress an issue
The girl emphasized to her parents that she did not want to go to the party.

essential

basic, being of the essence
Having quick feet is essential to be a good tennis player.

fantasies

a creation of an ideal situation in one's imagination
His fantasy was to win the lottery, retire, and buy a home on an island.

holistic

pertaining to the whole of something
holistic medicine aims to treat the whole body, not just a particular condition.

hysteria

a situation which is unmanageable, out of control
hysteria ensued when the fire broke out in the apartment complex.

impulses

inspiration, motivation
Some people feel the impulse to eat if they are depressed.

instance

a particular occurrence or situation
We were able to see the team play in more than one instance.

nurtured

to raise with care, to bring up
The children were nurtured by their parents until they left home.

observable

able to be seen or observed
The patient's distress was visually observable.

operant conditioning

the use of a reward or consequence to modify behavior
A parrot that talks to get a cracker has learned operant conditioning.

perceptions

the result of perceiving or being aware of something
The research study sought to investigate listeners' perception of foreign accent in the recordings.

proposed

to put forth, to make an offer
The manager proposed to raise the workers' salaries over the next six months.

reaction times

the time it takes for one to react to a stimulus
The experiment set out to measure the reaction times of the participants.

rejected

to turn away, to refuse
Governor James rejected the proposal to lower taxes.

satisfy

to comply or yield a sufficient amount
The magazine article satisfied my curiosity about the group's religious beliefs.

self-actualization

to bring oneself up to date, to modernize
I decided I needed some self-actualization so I went back to school.

advanced

to move forward, to continue
We advanced through the jungle at a rapid pace.

compels

to drive or force
The newspaper article compelled me to write a letter to the editor.

defense mechanisms

something used to defend
Our bodies create antibodies as defense mechanisms against colds or other illnesses.

differentiated

to be able to see a difference
We could not differentiate the identical twins by simple inspection.

embattled

characterized by conflict or controversy
The embattled president looked for ways to improve her public opinion rating.

enable

to make able, to give power
The study session enabled us to pass the test easily.

fragile

easily broken
The plates and glasses are fragile so please handle them with care.

fusion

the state of merging two or more objects
The fusion of the two elements created an unwanted reaction.

groundbreaking

pertaining to a new, creative way of doing something
The team made a groundbreaking discovery in cancer research.

harboring

to hold or contain, to give refuge
The old woman was arrested for harboring a fugitive.

inanimate

without life or spirt
The pronoun 'it' is often used to refer to inanimate objects.

innovative

creative, new
The web site is innovative in the sense that it allows its users to share in its design.

instinctual

relating to instinct, a basic impulse
Running from trouble is instinctual.

psyche

relating to a person's soul or personality
My psyche just doesn't allow me to take part in the protest.

refined

to make better or more pure, to improve
Carol refined her novel by making the characters more believable.

resistant

able to resist or withstand
The resistance to the proposal was more than we would have expected.

restriction

something that restricts, a regulation
There were too many restrictions to be able to get the job done.

sadistic

a fondness for cruelty or punishment
My boss's actions seemed sadistic to the rest of the staff.

taboos

something considered to be profane or forbidden
The action was deemed taboo by the school principle.

traumatic

of causing pain or distress
A traumatic event early in life can lead to phobias later in life.

advent

an invention, something coming into being
The advent of the personal computer revolutionized the society.

amass

to collect, to gather
He amassed a great fortune over the years as a trial lawyer.

circumstances

a condition or factor which has effects on others
Several circumstances lead to his decision to leave the company.

conducted

to bring about, to lead
The scientists conducted their research at the laboratory.

critiqued

to review or criticize
His play was critiqued by editors of a national magazine.

demeaning

to lower in quality or character
His opinions of his friends was demeaning.

digestive

pertaining to digestion
The old man complained of problems with his digestive tract.

exemplified

to give an example, to show something
His actions exemplified the kind of behavior the president hoped for.

frequency

a condition of ocurring frequently
The frequency of his calls to his brother increased over the years.

metronome

a device used for keeping time or a beat
She practiced the piano with the help of a metronome.

negative

marked by denial or without affirmation
The candidate received a negative response for changing his views.

outgrowth

a situation of outgrowing something, or of being derived from something else
His increased performance was an outgrowth of continued practice.

pellet

a small, round piece of something
The food pellets were offered to the rabbit in the morning.

positive

characterized by affirmation
The musician received a positive response from the public.

reflexes

an automatic response to a stimulus
His reflexes closed his eyes when he looked at the sun.

reinforcement

a condition of reinforcing, adding strength or support
The police reinforcement helped control the situation.

saliva

an enzyme secreted into the mouth by the salivary glands
saliva helps keep the mouth clean by breaking down starches.

stimuli

something that motivates some type of activity
stimuli were presented to subjects to test their reactions.

unconditioned

void of limitations or conditions
It was an unconditioned response they were interested in.

vogue

fashion, a popular item
Different fashions come in and out of vogue over the years.

consolidate

to put together, to bundle
The man consolidated his credit card debt into one payment.

deterioration

the state of deteriorating, falling apart
The old jeans were deteriorating.

devoted

to commit or to give
We devoted a substantial amount of energy to the cause.

duration

the length that something lasts
The duration of the moview is just over two hours.

enhance

improve
Improving democracy is about enhancing the oppotunities for local communities to make their own decisions

impaired

to damage or make something worse
His speech was impaired after the stroke.

interfere

to get in the way, to interpose
Please do not interfere in this matter.

mental

pertaining to the mind, to brain activity
His mental grammar revealed the way he understood language.

neurons

a cell in the brain that processes information
If a neuron dies, it cannot be regrown.

obtained

to get or obtain
She obtained her degree at a university in Denmark.

pathologies

a disease or the study of diseases
The doctor was honored for his study of nervous system pathologies.

progressive

characterized by progress, advancement
The new idea was certainly a progressive one.

recall

to remember or to bring back
He could not recall the time he last spoke to his neighbor.

rehearsal

a practice, a run-through
Having many rehearsals makes the final performance much better.

retain

to hold, to keep
He retained his scholarship by consistently getting good grades.

sensory

related to the senses
sensory neurons take information from the body and carry it to the brain.

sequence

the order of something
The proper sequence for the chemistry experiment was not followed.

snapshot

a picture, a photograph
The snapshot of the scene was used to record it in history.

supplement

an addition or something used to help complete something else
There are many wonderful nutrional supplements available on the market today.

tasks

a job or project
One of his tasks included fixing the sink.

abstractly

not specific, quite general
The woman was portrayed abstractly in the painting.

accurate

correct, free of error
The response to the question was accurate.

cognitive

pertaining the the mind or mental ability
Two cognitive tasks were realized to measure the boys mental functioning.

coined

to invent, to make up
He coined the phrase as a way to describe something that had no name.

collaborator

a person who collaborates or helps
One of the main collaborators at the art show was not present.

colloquially

in everyday terms, in a common way
Speaking colloquially is much different than speaking in a formal situation.

considerable

worthy of consideration, significant
There was a considerable amount of food left over from the party.

criteria

an objective or characteristic used to judge something
There were several criteria for judging the writing assignment that the teacher did not agree with.

hereditary

something that is passed from one generation to the next
Stuttering is not a hereditary illness.

identify

to determine the identity of something
The defendant was asked to identify the criminal in the police lineup.

nature

conditions or factors that a person is born with
It was in his nature to be an aggressive person.

nurture

the acting of encouraging, nourishing and caring for someone or something
He has a wife to console and children to nurture.

periodically

from time to time, with some regularity of frequency
I called the insurance company periodically to be sure the policy was still current.

profoundly

deeply
We are all profoundly grateful for all of your help.

psychometric

relating to a psychological technique for taking mental measurements
The psychometric test did not yield any usable results.

reflection

the production of an image by itself, for example in a mirror
The lake was so clear that the fisherman could see a reflection of his face in the water.

regarded

to consider from a particular point of view
The painter was regarded as one of the best in the post-modern era.

renormalized

to be evaluated to a standard a second time
The data was renormalized when the researcher found that it did not coincide with certain characteristics of the study population.

spectrum

a continuum of color or of a sequence
The spectrum of responses ranged from very low to very high.

version

a form, variety or account of something
His version of the story today did not coincide with his earlier account.

adept

to be skilled or proficient
He was adept at figuring out problems no one else could.

affinity

an attraction, a likeness
He had an affinity for cats and dogs.

afford

to be able to pay for something or afford its costs
I could not afford the tennis racquet I wanted so I decided not to buy anhything at all.

aptitudes

a skill or ability
Her aptitude in mathematics was high.

benefit

a type of help or aid
She received insurance benefits which helped cover the cost of the surgery.

broader

wider, more general
Julie's account of the story was broader than that of Martin.

cater

to provide a service, to work for
The modeling agency catered to the youth market.

corresponding

to relate to, to compare closely
The boy's results on the standardized test did not correspond with his grades in class.

debates

a situaton that is arguable
The political candidates wanted to have a debate so they could express their views on the issue.

dramatizations

an act of drama, a dramatical version of something
The television show presented a dramatization of what happened last night.

engaging

to take part in, to hold attention
The children were engaged in the activity from the very start.

evaluated

to test something or determine its value
The football team was evaluated by their record at the end of the season.

fundamentally

of central importance, at the core of something
The judge was fundamentally opposed to allowing an extension.

gradually

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

interpersonal

of the relationship between two or more people
Michael's interpersonal skills were not those one would expect from a lawyer.

reasoning

the use of reason, to come to a conslusion by thinking
Her reasoning about why she left school early was questionable.

reformed

to change or alter for the better
The old laws were reformed to take into account the present social situation.

synthesize

to combine various elements to make a single product
The scientist learned to synthesize the elements into a powerful medication.

varying

differing, changing
There was a varying degree of responses to the question.

bonding

to bring together, to unite
Jake's parents bonded with him by taking him to the zoo every Saturday.

confined

to maintain or restrict within an area or domain
The prisoner was confined to a small cell in the jail.

disorder

a problem
His speech disorder resulted from a massive left-hemisphere stroke.

eluded

to avoid perception or grasp
The skateboarder eluded the police by riding away very quickly.

exorbitant

relating to a great or incredible amount
There was an exorbitant amount of students missing from the class on Friday.

extent

a range
To what extent do you believe he is telling the truth?

gene

a functional unit in the makeup of a person that determines his or her characteristics
She was born to a family with strong genes for cooking.

generally

relating to a general or quite non-specific manner
He is generally considered to be the father of jazz music.

improvisation

the act of improvising or doing something on the spot
The musician's improvisation of the classic hit was not well received.

indicative

pertaining to something that indicates or demonstrates
Her high test scores were indicative of her dedication to studying hard for each exam.

motor skill

a skill or ability learned through repetition
His manual motor skills improved after a period of recuperation.

narrow

pertaining to a limited scope or range
A narrow selection of the students was needed to determine the prize.

panic attack

a moment in which a person becomes very scared or nervous
I had a panic attack when I realized I had forgotten the baby's food at the house.

particular

concerned with specific details
There is a particular order that needs to be followed.

reciting

to say over again
Melissa recited her poem to a roomfull of adoring fans.

rely

to count on, to have confidence in something
I relied on her good judgment to help us solve the problem.

specific

pertaining to a particular category, free of question
The specific complaint of the unhappy customer was not clear.

subtle

not strong, light
There was a subtle attempt by the director to improve public relations.

suffering

to hurt or feel pain
He was suffering from an illness the doctors knew little about.

trivia

a question typically asked of a relatively obscure or unpopular fact
The trivia show on television was popular all over the nation.

abuse

inproper treatment
Animal abuse is not tolerated in this country.

anxiety

nervousness, a sense of apprehension
Sara felt a certain amount of anxiety before leaving for work that day.

bewildering

confusing
There was a bewildering number of options available for insurance coverage.

challenges

something difficult to do
It was a challenge we were not prepared to deal with.

comfort zone

where one feels comfortable
Mary was in her comfort zone driving at a slow speed.

cope

to put up with
Stress can be extremely difficult to cope with on a daily basis.

crippling

very damaging
The mad cow scare could have a crippling impact on the U.S. economy.

ensues

to take place afterward
Hysteria ensued at the announcement of free tickets for the concert.

flee

to run away
The girl fleed from the house as it caught on fire

inflexible

rigid
The woman was inflexible in her decision to stay at work.

limit

to restrict or restrain
My manager wanted to limit the number of hours I could work each day.

literally

pertaining to the literal or precise interpretation of something
He was literally afraid of spiders.

metaphor

a figure of speech based on analogy
"Raining like cats and dogs" is a metaphor for raining strongly.

rational

intelligent, well thought
It was time to make a rational decision on the matter.

repressed

to restrict
He repressed his urges to go out that night.

risky

dangerous
The behavior is risky at best.

stem

to branch off from
The trouble stemmed from an earlier problem that was never resolved.

trauma

emotionally or physically painful experience
The event is relieved with all accompanying trauma.

unavoidable

not avoidable
His capture at the border was unavoidable.

urges

a desire
I felt the urge to eat another chocolate bar.

assume

to think
He assumed that all that glitters was gold.

bond

a union
Love is a bond that keeps people together.

connotation

a suggested meaning
The connotation of his remark was quite negative.

consciously

having a noticeable thought or observation
He consciously made up his mind to quit his job.

controls

something used to control something else
There were controls in place to ensure that everything worked properly

define

to give meaning to something
A camera can be defined as a deviced used to take pictures.

erotic

arousing sexual desire
Her erotic fantasies were a secret to the rest of the community.

homosexuality

of being attracted to the same sex
His homosexuality was not a secret.

lasts

to endure
The movie lasted for more than three hours.

lust

sexual desire
His feelings of lust for the woman were unbearable.

originated

to come from, to begin at
His idea originated from something he had read years ago.

passionate

having intense feelings
Harry was passionate about taking group photographs at the parties.

platonic

friendly
They had a platonic relationship outside of work.

prerequisite

something you must have or do before starting a task
Such experiments require at least two prerequisites.

recognized

to take notice
She recognized that he was not the man for her.

refrain

to keep from doing something
She refrained from using any more of the medication.

sought

to look for
We sought legal advise in the matter

strictest

stringent
The strictest interpretation of the law was used today.

suggest

to bring to mind or imply
The results suggested that the hypothesis was correct.

universal

available to everybody
The ‘thumbs up’ gesture is a universal sign of approval.

archaic

old and useless
He doesn't believe in technology and still uses archaic ways to conduct business.

attribute

quality of a person or thing
He attributes his good looks to his mother.

battle

a struggle
The battle between the two countries occurred over their rights to the island.

blending

to mix together
blending the two programs produced a much more effective system.

circumvents

to find a way around
The couple wanted a divorce and there was no way to circumvent it.

contrast

comparison between two objects
The contrasts in the two art pieces shows the techniques of the old and the modern.

downfall

something that causes a fall from power or a high position
The downfall of the president's reign was attributed to his lack of experience.

employs

provide paid work to people
Her company employs ex-convicts; she believes in giving a second chance.

eventually

in the end
After waiting for two hours, she eventually got tired and went home.

feats

an impressive act, showing strength, courage, or unusual ability
Graduating from university in three years was a great feat!

hero

a person admired for bravery or great deeds
The hero of the story was a five year old boy.

merely

only, nothing more than
Tom was not trying to stop progress; he was merely suggesting changes that could improve the program.

pagan

someone who does not believe in a religion with a single god
The pagan in town worship the sun and the moon.

prominent

well-known and respected
June is a prominent politician in her country.

regarded

to consider from a particular point of view
The painter was regarded as one of the best in the post-modern era.

requisite

a requirement
Education and 10 years of experience are requisites for the position.

sustains

to suffer
He sustained several broken bones from his skiing accident.

underwent

to experienced
After finding a lump on her shoulder, she underwent numerous test to find out what was causing it.

wounds

a cut, puncture
The wounds from the dog bite healed very slowly.

ambiversion

being both introverted and extroverted
ambiversion is not a very common quality for a person to have.

comprised

to make up, to compose
Her favorite CD comprised musics of different styles.

cortex

the outer or superficial part of a structure in the body, such as the cerebral cortex
The brain's cortex is responsible for processing high mental functions.

delinquent

poor or unacceptable
His delinquent behavior earned him the reputation as a bad child.

dichotomous

relating to two opposing parts
Their views on the issue were dichotomous.

dimension

a measurement, the size of something
The dimensions of the table were two feet deep by 3 feet wide.

extrovert

a person who is sociable or gregarious
Although he is an extrovert, he was not very talkative last evening.

fluctuate

to vary
The mayor's opinion fluctuated depending on who he was talking to.

gregarious

happy, social
John was one of the more gregarious guests at the party.

impressions

a characteristic or trait given by something
My first impression of the student was that he was very lazy.

initial

first, beginning
Dan's initial reaction was one of frustration.

introvert

a person who is shy or unsociable
Jason was known as being an introvert.

limitations

a restriction, a restraint
Few limitations seemed to apply to the man.

misrepresent

to give false information, to mislead
The defendant felt he was misrepresented in the hearing.

predisposition

to be susceptible to something
His predisposition to arguing was not taken well by the faculty.

prefer

to like better, to put before something else
Would you prefer to drink coffee or tea?

queried

to ask, to inquire
Dr. Martly queried about the results of the laboratory exam.

research

investigation, experimentation
The woman decided to do some research about the problem.

reserved

restrained
Her actions at the gathering were quite reserved.

tendency

being prone to a particular action
I have a tendency to want to eat out on Thursday evenings.

commit

to do, to carry out
We were committed to the company because of our two year contract with them.

compulsive

done without thinking
It was a compulsive disorder the doctor was trying to treat.

confuse

to cause indistinction, to lose differentiation
The two ideas were confused in the mind of the student.

craved

to want, to desire
The pregnant woman craved soup every day.

detach

to separate, to take apart
The chain became detached from the bicycle during the ride.

domination

complete control, supremacy
His domination of the sport was recorded in the history books.

habitual

happening on a regular basis
His habitual drunkenness caused him to be denied citizenship in his new country.

honors

a good showing, of having merit
He passed the exams with honors.

impulsiveness

having impulse, spontaneity
impulsiveness is generally not considered to be a good characteristic in a person.

inability

of not having ability, lack of power or resources
The student's inability to do well in mathematics was more psychological than real.

inferior

being of lesser quality, of a lower degree or rank
Although the products were inexpensive, they were of inferior quality.

juvenile

relating to youth
His behavior seemed very juvenile for a man of 37 years of age.

lash out

to strike out
The commissioner lashed out at the actions of the baseball player.

linked

to connect, to couple
The crimes were linked to each other by the police investigators.

overlap

having something in common
There is an overlap between the fields of linguistics and psychology.

perceived

to become aware, to understand
I perceived his response as being negative.

remorse

a sense of guilt
The criminal felt no remorse for his actions.

sensational

wonderful, incredible
It was a sensational performance.

superficially

on the surface, as seen by the eye
superficially, his actions seemed to be quite decent.

unstable

not stable, not constant
The construction was unstable and soon fell down.

alter

to change, to make different
He altered the recipe by reducing the salt and adding some cumin.

antidepressants

a drug given to alleviate depression
Some people receive antidepressants unnecessarily.

apparent

clear, obvious
It was apparent that the student had studied a great deal for the final exam.

consensus

agreement
The consensus of the community members was that the city should build a new park.

diagnosis

of identifying a disease or reaching a conclusion
Dr. Jones's diagnosis was that the man had broken his ankle.

distinct

different, separate
The two theories were distinct in nature.

fractures

a slight crack or break
She suffered a fracture to her wrist as result of the fall.

hallucinations

an idea or perception that is not based on reality
He suffered hallucinations of robbers in his house after taking an illicit drug.

hypnosis

a trance, as if being asleep
The patient desired hypnosis to see if her problems could be revealed.

identity

a distinguishing characteristic
His identity was not revealed until after the trial was completed.

inclusion

of being included, of being part of something
The athlete's inclusion in the hall of fame was a great honor.

integrate

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

interacting

to have contact, to act upon something else
The two gentlemen interacted over dinner at the restaurant.

knowledge

of having information or having learned something
The professor's knowledge of the subject was incredibly high.

multiple

more than one, several
multiple choice tests are a favorite of college students.

prognosis

a prediction
The prognosis for the man's health was not good.

renewed

to make new again, to restore
The woman sent her passport to the consulate to have it renewed.

reviving

to bring back to life, to restore consciousness
The paramedics tried to revive the elderly man but it was no use.

tranquilizers

a drug given to make a person more calm
The young man was given a tranquilizer after the car accident.

unite

to join, to bring together
People in the pueblo united to celebrate their independence day.

adolescence

pertaining to youth before reaching adulthood
In adelolescence people go through many emotional changes.

causes

a reason for a condition or action
The causes of some mental disorders are not fully understood.

cure

a solution
The cure for cancer has not been found.

delusions

a false belief
He had delusions of becoming the next tennis star.

dementia

a disease characterized by loss of cognitive function
A common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease.

demonstrate

to display, to prove
Arriving to work on time everyday demonstrated the new secretary's sense of responsibility.

disturbance

something disurbed, unrest
A disturbance at the convention would be unwelcome.

dysfunction

an abnormal or incorrect function
Losing control of one's balance is a dysfunction of the eustachian tube.

exaggeratedly

characterized by having large or oversized proportions
The boy's exaggeratedly quiet behavior led his parents to believe he had an emotional problem.

exhibits

to show
His performance at the concert exhibited his great talent.

impairment

a condition of being damaged or hurt
Hearing loss is a common impairment among elderly people.

inappropriate

not appropriate
The student's writing style was inappropriate for the college level.

infection

an unhealthy state, pertaining to some types of illness
I had to take antibiotics to cure my ear infection.

inherited

to be given, to be born with
She inherited a lot of money when her grandfather died.

loosely

not rigid or secure
The bolt was loosely fastened to the mirror.

madness

a state of craziness, mad
Her madness did not allow her to work in public.

psychotherapy

medical practice involving the treatment of mental problems
The patient received psychotherapy after being diagnosed with a mental disorder.

recovery

the process or act of recovering
My recovery from the fall took longer than expected.

self-esteem

sense of personal worth and value
Having a good sense of self-esteem is important for everyone.

wealth

having a lot of something, particularly money
The man's wealth did him no good when he was diagnosed with a terminal illness.

articulate

to say
Some of the children articulated their desire to go to the zoo.

bipolar disorder

a psychological disorder characterized by mood swings from happiness to sadness
The medication is designed for a strong bipolar disorder.

constitutes

to make up, to comprise
This instance constitutes the fourth time you are late for work this week.

contribute

to give
I plan to contribute five percent of my earnings to my retirement plan.

debilitating

pertaining to weakness
She suffered a debilitating injury when she broke her leg.

dependency

characterized by being dependent on something else
A baby has a dependency with his or her mother.

depression

a state of feeling sad or moody
His state of depression made him want to sleep all day.

halfway house

a place where a patient goes after leaving a hospital or clinic but before going to their own home
He spent a month in the halfway house after being released from the hospital.

incentive

something given as a motivation to do something
The car dealership offered many incentives to buy a new car.

manic

related to excitement
The actions were extremely manic.

mood

a state of mind, an emotion
He was in a bad mood after the party.

overcome

to win, to prevail
She overcame her bout with cancer after a successful operation.

pathological

related to illness or disease
A pathological condition needs to be diagnosed by a medical doctor.

props

something used to support or assist
He used different props on the stage to create the look of a jungle.

psychiatrist

a doctor who treats psychological disorders
The psychiatrist ordered the patient to take medicine to help treat the problem.

psychoanalysis

a method for measuring a mental phenomenon
The patient was refered to the clinic for psychoanalysis.

significant

having meaning, often to a large degree
A significant change in events ocurred over the weekend.

stabilizer

something used to stablize
The scientist added a stabilizer to the solution to keep it from reacting.

therapist

a person who assists another in a clinical situation
The sports therapist was well known for his work with soccer players.

trend

something popular at a particular time
There is a trend to offer patients medication for their psychological illnesses.

advancements

a progression
A few of the advancements in the project did not seem to be worthwhile.

assembly

a gathering
The assembly outside the president's house was substantial.

binary

consisting of ones and zeros.
binary systems are used in computer coding.

capacity

ability, skill
The young boy has the mental capacity of a person twice his age.

comparisons

a state of comparing two elements
The comparisons between the two candidates were offensive for some.

converted

to change, to make different
We converted the business losses into profits with a new sales plan.

digits

numbers
The digits one and zero are used in a binary system.

employ

to offer work, to pay for service
We employed the help of a gardener to trim our bushes.

executed

to do, to perform
The computer executed multiple tasks easily.

fortunately

of being fortunate, of a fortunate manner
It is fortunate that we did not run out of gas on the way home.

genius

a person of extreme intelligence
Susan was regarded as a genius by her peers.

harnessed

to hold
The engine harnessed the power of one hundred horses.

interpret

to understand
Her reaction was interpreted as disinterest in the proposal.

limited

restricted
The options were limited to those selected by the committee.

retrieved

to recall, to bring
The janitor retrieved the guest's missing watch.

segments

a portion, a piece
Some of the segments of the recording were not clear.

storage system

a device for storing something such as information
Computers now come with large hard drives that act as storage systems.

time-consuming

something that takes time to complete or do
The time-consuming activity of counting all the papers was bothersome.

tremendous

to a great degree
There was a tremendous amount of interest in the ski trip.

unrelated

not related
The two crimes that evening were unrelated.

affordable

within a price range that a person can pay for
The shoes were more affordable than I thought they would be.

ballistics

the study of the motion of objects, such as of firearms
The government spent much money on modernizing their ballistics.

bomb

a device which explodes with the intent of harming something
The terrorist threatened to use a bomb if his requests were not granted.

circuits

an electrical path or assembly
Electronic equipment is full of circuits.

costly

expensive, demanding a high price
The error was costly because it meant we had to start the project over again.

devices

an instrument, something with a capability to do something else
Modern telephone devices can be used when traveling internationally.

durability

the amount time something works or endures
The durability of the camera was deemed inadequate.

efficient

productive, using minimal time and resources
This is not the most efficient way to do the job. I can show you a faster way.

generations

a period of time relating to one's ancestry
Many generations of families have immigrated to the United States from that country.

innovations

an invention
Recent innovations in technology help us communicate with friends and family around the world.

input

something that is put in
The computer input allowed the company to modernize their billing process.

lack

be without
The lack of gravity weakens astronauts’ muscles and bones.

means

something useful, a way to do something
Getting her degree was a means to having a higher quality of life.

modules

a piece, a segment
Some of the memory modules in the computer had broken.

pattern

a form or model
The sewing pattern was not as complicated as it looked.

primary

first
My primary laptop battery died last night.

processor

a device used for processing information
New computers come with two independent processors.

rewired

to wire again
The circuit board was rewired to work properly in the new machine.

silicon

a flexible plastic-like substance
silicon is often used in plastic surgery as it retains its shape and softness for a long time.

switches

a device used to change a pattern or the state of something
There were many light switches in the house.

analyze

to examine
We analzyed the question from all possible angles.

census

a count of something, typically of the population
A census is taken in the United States every ten years.

concentrates

to bring together or gather
The theory concentrates on a post-modern view of the world.

conjunction

connection
He worked in conjunction with the other members of the staff.

consoles

a case or cabinet
The game consoles were a popular item during Christmas.

consumer

a person who buys or consumes something
The consumer computer market is booming.

customer

a person who buys or shops for a product
Few customers came to the grand opening of the new store.

cutting-edge

brand new
Jake bought a cutting-edge computer system after the demonstration.

divested

to deprive or rid
The company divested itself from all dealings outside of the country.

dominance

the state of having complete control
His dominance on the basketball court was amazing.

fueled

to motivate
The comment fueled criticism of the director's actions.

interpreters

a person who explains or interprets something
Some language interpreters charge high rates for their service.

loyalty

to be faithful or loyal
Missy's loyalty to the company was praised by the CEO.

maintain

to keep, to carry on
He maintained his idea even though others disagreed.

margin

an outside limit, a difference
The margin for error was very low in the operation.

media-savvy

to be smart or informed about the media
The media-savvy viewers knew that the advertisement was false.

microprocessor

an electronic device used to process information
The price of microprocessors continues to decrease.

niches

a small, specialized market
The company decided to invest in niche markets only.

revenues

money made from sales
revenues for the third quarter were up ten percent.

stable

fixed, not flexible
A stable table is needed to do the craftwork.

assigned

to give significance, to appoint
My teacher assigned a homework problem I could not figure out.

broadband

composed of a wide bandwidth of frequency
The broadband internet connection is very fast.

commands

an order, a signal
He gave the command to move the tanks to the border.

compared

to make a comparison, to look for similarities
The two writers were compared to each other for their work on American literature.

compete

to partake in competition
I do not like to compete as much as my sister does.

concern

a state of interest and uncertainty
I expressed my concern in the girl's health.

deciphering

to figure out
The researchers deciphered the old written texts.

demand

a request made with authority
The judge's demands seemed too severe.

impediment

an obstruction
His speech impediment was hardly noticeable after the therapy ended.

managed

to take care of
The woman has managed the restaurant for the past five years.

peaked

to reach a high or maximum point
The students' grades peaked about 85%

predict

to declare something in advance
The weatherman predicted that it would snow tomorrow.

ranges

a spectrum, a set of values
The range of possibilities for the startup company seemed endless.

reliable

dependable
My car is not very reliable.

satellite

a device used to transmit information from the sky
The communications satellite lost its signal with the Earth.

stored

to keep, to put away
We stored many old records in the attic.

strides

a step, a stage of progress
She made great strides in improving interior relations.

ubiquitous

being in all places at one time
His spirit seemed to be ubiquitous that day.

widen

to make wider, to broaden
She widened her horizons by getting a college education.

worldwide

around the world
A worldwide company has the benefit of being able to work in many different countries.

access

the ability or permission to be able to do something
I was not granted access to the website.

astonishing

incredible
An astonishing amount of students were absent from class.

blogs

a posting page on an internet web site
blogs are popular among teenagers and young adults.

contender

a participant in a contest
He was no longer considered a contender for the championship title.

current

happening at the present time
The current belief is that the defendant is guilty.

developed

to set forth, to make something happen
We developed a plan to have the troops out in one month.

displays

to show, to demonstrate
He displayed great courage when rescuing the cat.

feedback

a response
Customer feedback tends to help companies judge their effectiveness.

general

not specified or limited
The report was very general in its information.

like-minded

pertaining to thinking alike
My best friend and I are like-minded.

literature

a piece of writing, such as a novel
Modern literature has a broad range of styles.

modes

a way of doing something
There were two modes available to correct the problem.

profits

earnings that exceed expenses
The company's profits were at an all time high.

readily

easily, quickly
The salesman was not readily available to answer the question.

savvy

clever and knowledgeable
Bob is a savvy veteran who knows all the tricks.

tasks

a job or project
One of his tasks included fixing the sink.

unequivocally

without exception or doubt
She made her comment unequivocally.

versions

a particular account or description
His version of the story today did not coincide with his earlier account.

virtual

seeming to be real
The virtual reality TV program was a big hit.

wane

to become smaller
Interest in the project waned after several months.

amuse

to please
The children amuse themselves by watching television.

designed

to form mental plans for
The company designed a better advertising plan.

farces

a type of humorous play filled with ridiculous situations
The farce about the unemployed shoe salesman was very funny.

foibles

a strange habit or characteristic that is seen as harmless and unimportant
Our foibles can be distracting to others.

grant

money given for a specific purpose
She was awarded a government grant to study art in France.

host

a person who invites another person into their home or community
The host family was very kind and generous with their exchange student.

malpractice

wrong treatment by a professional
The family sued the doctor for malpractice when the daughter died.

novellas

a piece of fiction that is longer than a short story, but shorter than a novel
Animal Farm is a famous novella that many American high school students are required to read.

ordinary

common, regular
The queen was very upset because her son had married an ordinary girl.

Parliament

the national assembly that makes or changes laws in some countries, such as Great Britain
Her uncle was an important member of parliament.

pilgrimage

a journey to a place which is considered special, and which you visit to show your respect
Many Muslims try to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life.

pilgrims

a person who travels a long way to visit a holy place
The pilgrims traveled for over 20 days before they reached the famous shrine.

pious

feeling and showing love and duty to God and religion
She is very pious; she attends church every Sunday and Wednesday.

plague

a dangerous disease that spreads very fast and kills its victims quickly
In some parts of the world, plagues still kills many people.

remarkably

unusual or special and therefore surprising and worth mentioning
The little girl remarkably survived the 20 feet fall.

rewarded

to give an award to someone
She was rewarded for her intense effort with a full scholarship to Harvard.

shrine

a religious place that honors a person or saint
There are many Shinto shrines in Japan.

speculate

the think or be curious about a subject
We could only speculate about the outcome of the vote.

treachery

betrayal
The president decided to step down because of the treachery of his cabinet members.

typified

to characterize
The 9th grader's behavior typified that of his classmates.

anticipate

to think or discuss something in advance
Her mom didn't anticipate the bad news from her daughter.

corrupt

to change from good to bad
The minor was corrupted by some of the older people in the neighborhood.

deliberately

with careful thought or anticipation
Michael deliberately decided to not answer the phone.

drain

to empty, to draw off
New plumbing was constructed to drain water from the patio.

exploit

to take advantage of
The champion tennis player exploited the weakenesses of his opponents.

globe

a round model representing the Earth
My friend bought a globe for his house.

havoc

massive disorder or confusion
The hurricane caused havoc in the city.

illustrates

to display, to show
The book illustrates how to construct a fence.

inflicted

to cause
The punishment was inflicted by the older boy.

intends

to plan, to have in mind
I intend to talk to the teacher as soon as possible.

interfere

to get in the way, to interpose
Please do not interfere in this matter.

invade

to enter territory illegally
Soldiers from the neighboring country invaded the town unexpectedly.

issues

a conclusion or decision
Several issues were brought up at the meeting.

malicious

marked by malice, bad
The man's malicious remarks alarmed the citizens.

minimize

to make as small as possible
The couple tried to minimize their differences to save their marriage.

nuisance

an annoyance
She was a real nuisance in the classroom.

prominence

importance
She came to prominence as an artist in the 1960s.

relatively

loosely, somewhat
The answer was relatively on target.

replicate

make an exact copy
A full copy snapshot replicates the data set in its entirety.

vigilance

to be vigilant, characterized by watchfulness
We bought a dog to provide vigilance for the house.

anonymous

without a name
The woman wished to remain anonymous in the vote.

counterfeit

false, fake
The counterfeit money was confiscated by the officials.

dashboard

the console of a car or vehicle
The speedometer is located on the car's dashboard.

demo

relating to a practice or promotional versions of something
The band recorded a demo of their songs.

espionage

the act of spying
espionage is practiced by many countries.

estimate

to provide an approximate value
We requested an estimate for fixing the garage door.

forgery

to falsely sign or alter a document or other element
forgery is a criminal offense.

hijacked

to take control of a vehicle against someone's will
The terrorists hijacked the plane.

identity theft

robbery of personal data or information
identity theft is quickly becoming a major problem for the society.

legitimate

valid; reasonable
These are legitimate concerns that many people share.

networking

the use or creation of a network
The young professor went to the conference primarily for networking.

perpetrators

a person who commits a crime
Four of the perpetrators were captures shortly after the incident.

piracy

robery, often at sea
Although less common years ago, piracy is becoming more common these days.

recent

happening a short time ago
The recent news of the victory made the fans happy.

sources

the origin of something
We have good sources for the information.

spam

junk mail sent electronically
spam filled the inboxes of the email subscribers.

utilize

to use
Try to utilize all of the materials.

vandalism

purposeful destruction of property
The teenagers were charged with the vandalism of the neighbor's fence.

victim

a person harmed by a crime or event
One of the victims lived to tell the story.

0

untrue

caution

forethought or precaution
You must exercise caution when participating in that sport.

circulating

to move in a circle, to move around
The news circulated around the town quickly.

contained

to hold or to have
The jar contained some delicious spices.

detect

to notice, to discover
He detected the smell of gas in the apartment.

disruptive

bothersome, something that interrupts something else
The student's comments in the class were quite disruptive.

distributors

someone who distributes
The distributor for the juice company is very friendly.

ensure

make possible; guarantee
Dog owners must by law ensure their pet wears a collar and tag with their name and address on it.

extreme

existing to a high degree
extreme measures were taken to ensure their safety.

fraudulent

not authorized
She reported fraudulent use of her credit card.

frequently

with frequency, relating to how frequent something happens
John frequently asked questions I was not able to answer.

incidence

rate of occurrence
The incidence of teen pregnancy was quite high that year.

inherent

innate, essential
The inherent danger of the plan was not recognized.

intention

plan, goal
His intentions were clear.

permitted

to allow, to let something happen
I was permitted access to the concert.

precautions

of taking advanced care
Many precautions to ensure the children's safety were in place.

preventing

to keep from happening
They prevented the burglary by building a high fence.

random

without a definite pattern or method
Her random telephone calls to the sales agency had results.

secure

to fasten, to guarantee
The candidate secured the nomination by winning the most votes.

track

to follow
The analyst tracked the sales reports for the company.

widespread

very common, spread out greatly
There was widespread panic at the event.

bulk

in great quantity or degree
The grocery store sold many of its products in bulk.

commonplace

common, usual
The remarks in the meetings were not commonplace.

considerations

a thought or opinion
We took careful consideration when making our decision.

decade

a period of ten years
He was able to advance his theory greatly in one decade.

displace

to move to another place
His memory of the event had been displaced in time.

distrustful

not trustworthy, showing distrust
The distrustful manager constantly monitored his employees.

dubbed

to call
She was dubbed the next great promise in her sport.

etiquette

pertaining to manners or customs
It is considered good etiquette to chew with your mouth closed.

formality

of being formal
Defending her thesis now seemed only a formality.

gratitude

of being grateful
She showed her gratitude by baking him a cake.

inexpensive

not expensive, economical
Fortunately the ski gloves were more inexpensive than I thought.

meteoric

pertaining to meteors, happening to a great degree
The meteoric rise of the price of stocks and bonds shocked the government.

parcel

a piece of mail
The parcel service was quite slow.

postal

relating to mail service
The postal service is very efficient in that town.

reflect

to turn back, to send back light
The image was reflected in the car's mirror.

sensory

related to the senses
sensory neurons take information from the body and carry it to the brain.

substitute

something put in place of another
The substitute teacher was afraid of the students.

tactile

relating to touch
The boy's tactile sense was diminished after the fall.

unfortunate

not fortunate
It is unfortunate that you did not receive your documents in time.

unwanted

not wanted
Hank's unwanted remarks caused quite a bit of trouble.

cluster

a group or gathering of something
A cluster of antiques was found in the attic.

complacent

unconcerned, self-satisfied
A complacent attitude to success is not good.

complex

of being difficult, not easy
Some mathematics formulas are very complex.

complimentary

pertaining to a compliment, favorable
Her complimentary remarks of my performance made me happy.

cumbersome

troublesome, not easy
It was cumbersome to build the ping pong table.

engagement

an arrangement
Her engagement to the old friend made her family happy.

envisioned

to have a vision, to imagine something
I envision a great success for our company.

headquarters

a main office, an administrative building or center
The company's headquarters are located in Albuquerque, NM.

innovative

creative, new
The web site is innovative in the sense that it allows its users to share in its design.

interior

the inside part of something
The car's interior was in excellent condition.

irrelevant

not relevant, inapplicable
The irrelevant comment did not go with the discussion.

novel

new
What I thought was a novel idea turned out to be something someone else had already thought of.

realms

a domain
The realms of the king reached far and wide.

relevant

having significant meaning in relation to something else
The comment seemed relevant but in fact it was not.

satisfaction

a feeling of fulfillment, fulfilling a need or desire
Customer satisfaction is guaranteed at this store.

skyrocket

greatly increase at a fast rate
Our family's income skyrocketed when my mom got a great new job.

solely

by itself, alone
She is solely responsible for her success.

sophisticated

highly advanced
A sophisticated design is needed to sell the product.

undisputed

not in dispute, unchallenged
His place at the top of the sport is undisputed.

zoom

to enlarge, to get closer
I made the camera zoom in on the object.

actual

pertaining to something that occurrs at the present time
The actual time is 11:58 AM.

backbone

structure, a chief characteristic of something
The website's backbone is resistent to outside attacks.

complexity

level of difficulty
The complexity of the problem was not fully realized until later.

complies

to conform
The work done by the contractor complies with the necessary quality demanded by the city.

conforms

to be similar, to take on a particular shape
His point of view on the subject did not conform with the ideas of the other people.

dynamic

having force or energy
The singer put on a dynamic performance at the concert last night.

equivalent

having the same value
The two answers were believed to be equivalent.

flexible

changeable; able to adapt
Because she was self-employed, her schedule was very flexible.

foreseen

having been imagined
That the car's engine would die suddenly was not foreseen by the mechanics.

formatted

to make in a particular way
He formatted his paper using the guidelines of the professor.

image

a picture or reproduction of something
An image of the Virgin Mary appeared in the town.

multifunctional

having many functions
It helps to be multifunctional in todays busy world.

networks

group of elements linked together
Mary's social network allowed her to meet new friends easily.

outline

to give a plan, to show a direction
He outlined his theory by covering its most central aspects.

overall

all encompassing, most general
The overall trend was positive.

server

something that serves, a device used to relay information
The computer servers worked twenty-four hours a day.

striving

to work fore, to contend
He strives to be the best person he can be.

typically

normally, generally
typically, you want to make more money than you spend.

underlying

basic; fundamental
Her underlying fear of flying reduced her traveling options.

various

not consistent
He received various complaints about his work.

adequate

enough; sufficient
Without adequate notice of the road block, they will have to turn around.

clamoring

to vye, to try
The children at the camp were clamoring for attention.

collapsed

to fall apart or inward
The shelving unit collapsed when we tried to move it out of the house.

compromise

to make up, to compose
The rice is compromised of two cups of water and one cup of rice.

concept

soething conceived, a notion
The concept of waiting another day did not exist for the boy.

constant

occurring all the time, without interruption
The constant sound coming from the room was annoying me.

continuous

free of interruption
The continuous sound of the girl's crying was driving me crazy.

drawn

to attract, to portray
Many people were drawn to the park by the music they heard

endeavors

an effort, an activity
My endeavor to become a better tennis player has been slow coming.

glimpsed

to look quickly
We glimpsed at the movie star as she rushed by.

impetus

a driving force or stimulus
The impetus for creating the new design was based on the fact that no current design was working.

lags

a period of being decreased or slowed down
The lags in the information feed made it difficult for the news station to present up-to-the-minute news details.

launch

to set off, to cause to begin
The designer launched a new product at this year's fashion show.

limiting

functioning as a limit
His limiting treatment of his partner led to problems.

navigation

the act of navigating, of moving an object such as a ship from one place to another
The captain's navigation skills were extraordinary.

obvious

clear, easily seen
It is obvious that he does not want to come to work today.

remote

far away, from afar
The remote server sent information more slowly than the closer ones.

rotation

the curve of something, the act of rotating
The unit's rotation seemed to be limited.

sectors

a piece, a segment
Three of the sectors on the disk were bad.

shortcomings

an imperfection
Some of the manager's shortcomings were not noticed immediately.

aggressive

showing aggression
His aggressive nature did not go over well at the company.

artists

a person who is creative or makes art
Some of the artists at the show were quite famous.

avoid

to keep away
I tried to avoid the professor after I failed the test.

coffers

a chest or box
Many old coffers were stored in the attic.

consent

permission
The father gave his daughter consent to go on the weekend trip.

copyright infringement

to break a law regarding the use of copyrighted work
copyright infringement is a subject that can be difficult to understand.

creation

something created or invented
Her creations in the kitchen were truly delicious.

credit

recognition, acknowledgement
One who plagiarizes does not give credit to the original author's work.

distribute

to give out
The protestors were not allowed to distribute their flyers near the school.

diverting

to turn aside, to deviate
She diverted his attention by bringing up a different point.

inception

beginning
Since its inception it has been widely coveted.

landmark

an obvious place or boundary
The Eiffel Tower is a landmark in Paris.

liability

accountability, something that is liable
The two boys said they would not assume liability for the crash.

peer

To peer at something is to watch it carefully.
She peered at people through the window.

plagiarism

the act of using someone else's ideas or words as if they were your own
plagiarism is not tolerated on the college campus.

snag

a difficulty, an obstacle
We ran into a snag when we did not receive permission to continue with our work.

stiffer

of being more stiff or less flexible than something else
stiffer punishments for the possession of illegal drugs have curbed drug use.

targeting

to aim for something
The segment of the population targetted in the ad was young.

verdict

a judgment in a court case
The guilty verdict was presented to the judge by the head of the jury.

violators

a person who violates, disturbs
Two of the violators were arrested on charges of tresspassing.

akin

alike, related
Shaking your head is akin to saying you dislike something.

captured

to get
The contestant captured the majority of votes in the poll.

cons

something negative
Fortunately for us, the pros outweighed the cons.

encounter

come across; find
I encountered my ex-girlfriend at the mall yesterday.

exploiting

to make use of, to utilize
He exploited his opponent's weakness by always hitting the ball to his backhand side.

gullible

easily fooled or cheated
The man was so gullible that he believed everything he was told.

ignorance

pertaining to not knowing something
Some say ignorance is bliss.

lure

to attract
He tried to lure the fish with a new type of bait.

naive

innocent, young-minded
The worker was naive to think that he would not be caught stealing.

prosecuting

to engage in, to perform on
The public attorney prosecuted his client's case with ease.

proverbial

relating or resembling
The proverbial remark was known by all members of the committee.

redirect

to send in another direction
My call was redirected to the customer service representative.

schemes

a plan or action often considered deceptive
The scheme to win more voters did not work.

slang

a type of language that is considered informal
Kids love to use slang when they talk to each other.

solicitations

a request, a drawing force
solicitations were not allowed at the business.

underestimate

to place low value on something
I underestimated the ability of the boy.

unsolicited

not requested or asked for
The unsolicited calls angered the older gentleman.

vary

to differ
Answers may vary for this exercise.

venture

to go out, to explor
We ventured into the mountains with only our backpacks.

vulnerability

open to physical or emotional distress
His vulnerability was considered a great weakness in the campaign.

anonymity

of being anonymous, unknown
I requested anonymity when I filed my complaint.

claim

to say
She claimed that she was not at the park that night.

commonsense

good judgment
Looking both ways before crossing the street is commonsense.

engage

to bring into contact
He engaged our attention by telling a fantastic story.

explicit

obvious, fully revealed
The explicit comment got the worker in a load of trouble.

harassing

to bother, to annoy constantly
She harassed the employee until he finally quit the job.

impugn

to show something is false or not trustworthy
The lawyer impugned the defendant's testimony.

intentional

purposeful
My intentional omission of the material made my professor angry.

judiciously

responsibly
He did his work judiciously and was praised for his efforts.

kidnap

hold a person against his or her will
Gangsters sometimes kidnap rich people to get their money.

obscenities

a bad word or rude comment
obscenities are not tolerated in public places.

overwrite

to write over, to cover
Do not overwrite the information on the disk.

particular

concerned with specific details
There is a particular order that needs to be followed.

platform

a level piece of ground, often used for raising an object
He stood on the platform when he gave the speech.

pursue

to follow
I would like to pursue a degree in English.

regulated

to impose regulation
We regulated the activity by keeping it to only thirty minutes.

stalking

to follow
He was accused of stalking the woman for several days.

variety

assorted, various
A variety of different styles are available for purchase at this store.

venue

location
The hockey arena will serve as the venue for tonight's rock concert.

victims

a person hurt by something
Many of the victims of the hurricane lost their homes.

academia

the part of society, universities, that is connected with studying and thinking
He spent more than 40 years in academia.

acclaimed

public congratulations
He was an acclaimed athlete that had completed in two summer Olympics.

brutalized

to treat someone in a cruel and violent way
The video showed how the man was brutalized by the police.

critic

a person who reviews and gives opinions about art, music, film, etc
My aunt is the food critic for our local newspaper.

distinction

excellence
He holds the distinction of being the only person from the university to win the prestigious tournament.

exile

to force someone out of his or her home country
After the death threats on his life, he took his family and went into exile in France.

factions

a group of people within a larger group
One faction of the political party was very conservative.

harmony

when people are peaceful and agree with each other, or when things seem right or suitable together
There was great harmony between the siblings in the Park family.

negotiate

to reach an agreement through discussion
The employees negotiated a new contract with their employer.

outspoken

saying clearly what one thinks
She is very outspoken about civil rights.

overwhelmingly

very great or very large
The reception of the soldier back in his hometown was overwhelmingly positive.

persecuted

to treat people unjustly or cruelly
Christians are still persecuted in many countries today.

premiere

the first public performance of a play or any other type of entertainment
The two sisters went to the premiere of Will Smith's movie.

recurring

to happen many times or to happen again
Loss of a father is a recurring theme in Spielberg's movies.

regimes

government, system of ruling
The new political party replaced the regime of kings and queens.

repercussions

a reaction to something esp. bad events
The repercussions of getting bad grades was that he was grounded from his computer for a month.

theme

a central idea or main pattern, such as in daily life, an artistic work, or another area
The theme of the movie was about loyalty.

tortured

physical abuse that causes great pain and mental anguish
The prisoners were not tortured during their captivity.

tyrannical

unjustly cruel, harsh, or severe
She left her home to escape her tyrannical father.

uneasy

nervous
She had an uneasy feeling about her husband's trip to the jungle.

accumulation

buildup, something gathered
The accumulation of snow on the ground happened very rapidly.

awareness

state of being aware
His awareness of the issue made us feel better.

benefits

something useful or that promotes well-being
The company offered several benefits, such as health insurance, to its employees.

comprehend

to understand
It is not easy to comprehend some of the processes involved in neurophysiology.

consumption

the act of consuming
consumption of fruits and vegetables is on the decline.

durable

longlasting
Some pants are not as durable as others.

employability

being able to be employed
Her employability was even greater since she spoke three languages.

expanding

to grow
expanding your horizons will help you see the world in different ways.

gathering

to bring together
The net was used for gathering butterflies.

impart

to give or grant
She imparted some of her wisdom on me.

improves

to make better
Modern medicine improves our chances for living a long life.

integral

central, of much importance
Understanding the example is integral for success.

integration

linking together; interconnecting
Diverse practices came together in one society due to integration.

leverages

to lift, to increase
We can leverage the voters by offering them reduced taxes.

limits

to restrict, to inhibit
The manager limited the employees' breaks to twenty minutes.

link

to relate, to put together
Can you link the two crimes that occurred last night?

longevity

the amount of time something lasts
The product's longevity demonstrates its high quality.

poverty

the state of living in very poor conditions
poverty may drive people crazy.

stake

an interest in the gain of something
We held a stake in the company's success.

value

the worth of something
The value of the new car decreased the moment it was driven off the lot.

avid

keenly dedicated
Her mother is an avid tennis player; she plays three hours every day.

compensated

to pay something
The compensated her hard work by giving her a brand new car.

content

the ideas or meanings expressed in a speech or piece of writing
The content of the movie was inappropriate for children.

countryside

the land outside a city or town with trees, farms, and few houses
She prefers living in the countryside, where she can breathe fresh air.

diplomats

a person who acts as a diplomatic representative of a nation
The conference was attended by diplomats from 50 different countries.

excel

to do very well
She excels in every subject in school.

explosion

a blowing apart with force
The gas leak in the building caused a big explosion.

feminist

person who believes that women should have the same rights, opportunities, and treatment as men
My sister is a feminist and refuses to get married because she believes marriages diminishes a women's worth.

futuristic

very modern
Her paintings portrayed several objects that were very futuristic.

harsh

causing pain or irritation
The president received harsh criticism for not responding to the hostage situation quickly.

literary

related to literature and writing
Many young people are not interested in reading literary magazines.

prolific

creating a lot of work
He is a prolific writer; he writes two books a year.

prose

ritten language in its ordinary form rather than poetry
Many people find it easier to read prose than poetry.

racism

prejudice or unfairness against people of one race by those of another
Despite its effort for multiculturalism, racism still exists in America.

realistic

accepting things as they are in fact and not basing decisions on unlikely hopes for the future
Although the book was fiction, the book's portrayal of historic events was very realistic.

recognized

to take notice
She recognized that he was not the man for her.

speculative

based on a guess and not on information
since no one can determine the stock market, therefore, all money invested in it is speculative.

struggle

a difficult time or task using much effort and energy
The struggle for power led the country to its demise.

subsequently

occurring or coming later or after
The immigrant family had a difficult time finding work in America; subsequently they returned to their own country.

surreal

strange, dreamlike
Driving through the thick fog was a surreal experience.