Extensive Reading-Book C Unit 06 (E)

acute

great
Lack of motivation in students was acute in poor neighborhoods.

antiquity

the time of ancient societies
In antiquity, the Roman civilization was powerful and lasted for hundreds of years.

brutality

cruelty
The brutality of the guards towards the prisoner was caught on tape.

city-state

in the ancient world, a city and the area around it with an independent government
Rome and Athens were great city-states of the ancient world.

combat

to fight against
His main job as a police officer is to combat crime.

confession

an admission of guilt
The criminal did not mean to make a confession, but it just happened naturally.

constant

happening all the time
He could not sleep because of the constant noise from the apartment below.

decree

an order given by an authority
There was a government decree banning all religious meetings.

defend

to protect against attack
It was the responsibility of the knights to defend the castle.

despot

a dictator
The king was a despot, and his followers constantly lived in fear.

deter

prevent from acting
The children were able to deter the stranger from kidnapping them by kicking and screaming.

elite

the leaders and professionals in the highest levels of a society
The ruling elite is made up of the queen and her sons.

fugitive

a person who is running away
After the prisoner escaped from prison, he became a fugitive.

hierarchy

a system in which people or things are arranged according to their importance
He rose quickly through the company hierarchy to become the CEO.

internal

inside, within
The current president is more focused on internal affairs than foreign policy.

notoriously

famous for something bad
San Francisco is notoriously known for its cold summers.

refrain

to avoid doing something
The father refrained from smoking inside the house.

remunerate

to pay someone for work or services
The gardener was poorly remunerated for his work.

suspicion

the act or condition of suspecting
The employer treated her with suspicion after he found out her past.

swell

to enlarge or expand in size
The union membership swelled this month when 100 new employees joined.