Perfect Phrases Ultimate

8/12/2019 Perfect Phrases Ultimate

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ove the readers beyond localism and regionalism to a greater sense of international

awareness

'nticipate trends, changes to plan appropriately and learn from the mistakes of others

,understand rapidly- changing events

#lan financial futuredevelope appropriate strategies for profession development, career

selection, specific ob opportunities, financial planning and investment.

&nformation has become more and more critical to an information-based society and economy,

sources for retrieval of information has become increasingly segmented and specialised.

)ational newspaper one of the few remaining sources of information that are comprehensive,

interconnected and offered in one format with information on politics, international affairs,business, health, science, arts, entertainment, sports

There is no single educational source that matches the portability and comprehensiveness of

national newspapers

+eading national newspapers combats student political disengagement.

'n important source of intellectual stimulation which heps students realise the importance of

their ability to make informed choices and the educational level of the population

#romote critical thinking, which can only be developed if students are exposed to stimulating

information$ if they are provided with examples of critical reasoning as manifested in theprinted world

%kill is also developed through exposure to a blend and balance of widely differing opinions

most likely to be found only in the national newspapers.

)ewspapers help develope vocabulary, as a significantly greater vocabulary is required to read

with comprehension, let alone appreciation a national newspaper like The )ew 8ork Times.

(ontribute to a deeper understanding

otivate the desire for st

'bsorb some Western influence

To be the visible confirmation of the non-interactive style of traditional 'sian teaching the he

has eschewedmore flexible teaching style

&nternational experience0 knowing the international business culture

%ome educational institutions remain poorly equipped to provide younger executives with the

skills needed for the new challenges facing them.

+ush forward with the development and cultivation of genetically-modified crops.

&n the absence of solid evidence, genetically modified crops are believed to increase food

production, significantly reduce the use of pesticides and insecticides.

(rops can grow on land once regarded as non-arable.

1armers" income will rise with the greatest benefits in the poorest region.

iotechnology is seen as a potential silver bullet for 49 effective solution for5 a host of food

and agriculture ills, a means to create new products that could sell for higher prices.

Learn about civic responsibility by volunteering in soup kitchens, libraries, hospitals and other

community organisations

/se their experiences and leadership skills as cultural ambassadors promoting international

understanding in their own countries, encouraged to develope proects for sharing what theyhave learned about the /% with their classmates

%ustained economic growth raises living standards and reiforces political and social stability

#roductivity growth is hampered if the country"s most critical asset- its people - is unable to

take advantage of technological progress

&f people"s basic needs for food, shelter, and clean water are not met, growth is severely

curtailed

7emonstrate the ability to compete at the most sophisticated technological level

Leverage st0 to get as much advantage or profit as possible from st you have 0

This system will help you leverage your time so that you get more done.

conomic openness and competition spur the exchange of technology and ideas


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&nvesting in health and education allows individuals to take advantage of new opportunities

The concept of what it means to study abroad is changing

%oak up a foreign culture and mastering a new language

The new trend reflects a recognition$ growing belief that students should learn more about the

world

3ave a much greater chance of entering the reality of another country and understanding theirperspective

&t takes time to figure out what another country is all about and to become fluent in the

language

ake the opportunity available to everybodydemocrati6e the study-abroad experience

The trips sensiti6e students to different cultures and business styles in a way that books cannot.

1or an increasing number of students the college experience is marred by chronic anxiety,

stress and distress a sharp increase in the need and demand for mental health services

%ome of this emotional distress can be attributed to financial worries in these economically

uncertain times. Looking at the dismal employment situation many students with college

loans fret about how they will be able to repay them 1ar too many students turn to tobacco and alcohol to assuage their emotional crises and in the

process, make them worse

+ecent studies have shown that smoking causes, rather than alleviates stress

What most people do not realise is that alcohol is a depressant that only temporarily masks ill

feelings but in the end makes matters worse

8oung people with emotional problems often think that they are the only ones so afflicted and

that no one understands their problems. The fact is that few if any such problems areunique, and talking about them to a good listener can make matters seem less serious andmore manageable

&t can lead to creative solutions to seemingly impossible problems

Those plaqued with monetatry worries can consult financial aid offices and explore options

like scholarships , part-time or summer obs

%tudents might consider any of a number of wholesome relaxation techniques including

meditation, yoga adn physical exercise

(an hep gain a healthier perspective and renewed vigor for dealing with challenging tasks

)o matter how busy a student is academically, everyone needs a break and some fun from time

time to restore emotional reserves

When emotional distress seems beyond self-help solutions, troubled students should not

hesitate to seek for professional counselling.

#lans to reform higher education system plans that place a greater share of financial burden

on students

2overnment realise universities need more fund, but cannot provide them from budgets

already overburdened by shrinking tax revenues and rising cost for health care, unemploymentbenefits and pensions.

The extra money will allow universities to invest in infrastructure4 basic equipment as science

laboratories and computers5 and attract more well-qualified professors.

+eforms would allow businesses to have too much influence over curriculums, and make it

harder for smaller universities to compete with better-funded universities

The arrival of &nternet-connected computers brings people in and revive community interest in

the libraries

The government has tightened restrictions on immigration because of homeland security

concerns

3e has the ability to motivate his students because he seems so dedicated to it. & know that he

is interested, that he really cares, and it"s so helpful in widening knowledge. 3e forces me todigest the information, really understand it and then articulate it in their own words. Learningsomething and then having to teach it makes you think about it in a different way. 8ou have tothink about it more, make sure you really get it.


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The computeri6ation of documents will better serve the public, making documents more

widely accessible and providing more efficient service to inventors who want exclusive rightsto their inventions.

The capacity to have all these information on searchable databases is to everyone"s advantage

QUESTION 3: University notice + conversationvTIMING: 60 Sec to speak

15 sec summarise the reading passage5 sec state the persons opinion20 sec - reason 120 sec reason 2TEMPLATE:In the reading materia! there is a"an announcement"message"notice"proposaa#out -----------$ The uni%ersit&" coege is going to -------------------In the istening materia! 2 students discus a#out this announcement"message"notice"proposa$The man compete& agrees"disagrees 'ith the scho decision"panning"announcement$(e"she gi%es 2 reasons )or ha%ing that opinion$The )irst reason she )ees is that-----------------------The second reason she )ees is that--------------------QUESTION 4: ACADEMIC CONTENT : READIN+LISTENINTIMING: 60 Sec to speak10 sec- state the topic5 sec support or re)ute25-*5 sec - )rom isteningTEMPLATE !: +ased upon the reading ,. means that -----------------------In the ecture! the pro)essor continues to e/pain this concept o) ,.$The pro)essor tries to ea#orate this topic #& gi%ing e/ampes$The )irst e/ampe he gi%es is that -------------

The second e/ampe he gi%es is that -----------------These are 2 good e/ampes the pro)essor made to e/pain the principe o) reading passage$TM3T 2:In the ecture the pro)essor main& taked a#out the theor& that ------------------To rein)orce the theor&! the pro)essor ga%e 2 reasons or e/ampes$The )irst one is that-------------The other one is that --------------These are the 2 reasons the speaker presented to e/pain his ideaQUESTION " : AL#A$S A%OUT A PRO%LEM & ISSUE STUDENTS 'A(E ) OT'ERSI(E SOLUTIONS)TIMING: 60Sec to speak10 sec- state and e/pain the pro#em

10-15 sec 2 suggestions )rom other person*5-40 sec &our pre)erence and reasonsTEMPLATE: 3ccording to the con%ersation ! the 'oman"man has a pro#em and the pro#emis ----------The man"'oman o))ers 2 suggestions"ad%ices"soutions$irst one ! she suggests is that he do --------------$ (o'e%er! hes concerned that -------------(er other recommendation is to -------------$ 7hie in the mans opinion-----------In m& opinion! the )irst"second one is #etter$ The reasons )or this are - -------QUESTION *: SUMMAR$ O T'E LECTURETIMING: 60 sec to speakTEMPLATE:In the ecture! the pro)essor is e/paining a#out the topic --------$ (e pro%ides 2

e/ampes ti iustrate the phenomenon"theor& - ----------The )irst one is that -------------------3nother e/ampe is that ---------------------These are the 2 e/ampes speaker presented to e/pain the theor&"phenomenon$-----------------


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American Accent Training" v "Pronounce It Perfectly in American English" (Barron's)

English Club Reading http://www.englishclub.net/reading/index.htm

http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/http://archives.obs-us.com/obs/english/books/holt/books/maze/index.htmlhttp://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/links/ES/!ocabulary/ists/

http://titania.cobuild.collins.co.uk/index.htmlhttp://www.voa.gov/stream/stremlst.htmlhttp://www.pbs.org/newshour/http://www.wrn.org/

Vocabulary Lesson 1: Get to the Point!

Todays roots: co-, con- together, with

brev brief

cis cut

cur run, course

concise 4ad5 brief and to the point 4con- altogether

+

cis cut5+icky, try to be a bit more concise in this paper: the assignment was for a three-page paper: yours was;* million per minute, it"s good to besuccinct.

%ynonyms0 terse, concise 'ntonyms0prolix, discursive, protracted, circumlocutory, verbosebrusque 4ad5 rudely abrupty girlfriend tends to be brusue when she"s mad: she ust tells me to ?talk to the hand.@%ynonyms0 curt, abrupt, petulantabridge 4v5 to shorten a written textThe dictionary was ;,A


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!he savings were able to accrue a siable amount of interest each year. 'uring

his many years of collecting stamps, he was able to accrue a large collection of

valuable items. acerbic (adj.) tasting sour; harsh in language or temper !oo much

&ay *eaf will make the eggplant acerbic. !he baby%s mouth puckered when she

was given the acerbic medicine. !he columnist%s acerbic comments about the +irst

*ady drew a strong denunciation from the resident.

acuiesce

(v.) to agree without protest

!he group acuiesced to the new regulations even though they were opposed to

them.

$fter a hard-fought battle, the retailers finally acuiesced to the draft regulations.

acrid

(adj.) sharp; bitter; foul smelling

$lthough the soup is a healthy food choice, it is so acrid not many people choose

to eat it.

!he fire at the plastics factory caused an acrid odor to be emitted throughout the

surrounding neighborhood. acrimony (n.) sharpness or bitterness in language or

manner. !he acrimony of her response was shocking. adage (n.) an old sayingnow accepted as being truthful !he adage do unto others as you wish them to do

unto you/ is still widely practiced.

adamant

(adj.) not yielding, firm

$fter taking an adamant stand to sell the house, the man called the real estate

agency.

!he girl%s parents were adamant about not allowing her to go on a dangerous

backpacking trip.

addled

(adj.) rotten

!he egg will become addled if it is left unrefrigerated.

adept

(adj.) skilled; practiced

!he skilled craftsman was uite adept at creating beautiful vases and

candleholders.


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adjure

(v.) solemnly ordered

!he jurors were adjured by the judge to make a fair decision.

adroit

(adj.) e0pert or skillful

!he repair was not difficult for the adroit craftsman.

!he driver%s adroit driving avoided a serious accident.

adulation

(n.) praise in e0cess

!he adulation was in response to the heroic feat.

!he adulation given to the movie star was sickening.

adulterate

(v.) to corrupt, debase, or make impure

!he dumping of chemicals will adulterate the pureness of the lake.

adversary

(n.) an enemy; foe

!he peace treaty united two countries that were historically great adversaries.

adverse (adj.) negative; hostile; antagonistic; inimical 1ontrary to the ski resort%s

e0pectations, the warm weather generated adverse conditions for a profitable

weekend. advocate (v.; n.) to plead in favor of; supporter; defender $mnestyInternational advocates the cause for human rights. 2artin *uther 3ing, 4r. was a

great advocate of civil rights. aesthetic (adj.) of beauty; pertaining to taste in art

and beauty 5he found that her aesthetic sense and that of the artist were at odds.

6is review made one wonder what kind of aesthetic taste the critic had.

affable

(adj.) friendly; amiable; good-natured

6er affable puppy loved to play with children. affiliate (v.) to connect or associate

with; to accept as a member !he hiking club affiliated with the bird-watching club.

affinity

(n.) a connection; similarity of structure


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!here is a strong emotional affinity between the two siblings.

It turns out that the elements bear a strong affinity to each other.

aggrandie

(v.) to make more powerful

!he king wanted to aggrandie himself and his kingdom. aghast (adj.) astonished;

amaed; horrified; terrified; appalled 5tockholders were aghast at the company%s

revelation. !he landlord was aghast at his water bill.

agrarian

(adj.) of the land

2any agrarian people are poor.

alacrity

(n.) eager readiness or speed

!he manager was so impressed by the worker%s alacrity; he suggested a

promotion.

n the first day of her new job, the recent college graduate was able to leave earlyafter completing all of her tasks with alacrity.

alchemist

(n.) a person who studies chemistry

!he alchemist%s laboratory was full of bottles and tubes of strange

looking liuids.

alchemy

(n.) any mysterious change of substance or nature

!he magician used alchemy to change the powder into a liuid

allegory

(n.) a symbolic description

!he book contained many allegories on ussian history.

alleviate

(v.) to lessen or make easier


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!he airport%s monorail alleviates vehicular traffic.

allocate

(v.) set aside; designate; assign

!here have been front row seats allocated to the performer%s family.

!he farmer allocated three acres of his fields to corn.

allude

(v.) to refer indirectly to something

!he story alludes to part of the author%s life.

"ithout stating that the defendant was an e0-convict, the prosecutor alluded to the

fact by mentioning his length of unemployment. allure (v.; n.) to attract; entice;

attraction; temptation; glamour !he romantic young man allured the beautiful

woman by preparing a wonderful dinner.

5ingapore%s allure is its bustling economy. allusion (n.) an indirect reference

(often literary); a hint !he mention of the pet snake was an allusion to the man%s

sneaky ways. In modern plays allusions are often made to ancient drama.

aloof

(adj.) distant in interest; reserved; cool

#ven though the new coworker was aloof, we attempted to be friendly. !he calm

defendant remained aloof when he was wrongly accused of fabricating his story.

altercation

(n.) controversy; dispute

$ serious altercation caused the marriage to end in a bitter divorce. altruism (n.)

unselfish devotion to the welfare of others $fter the organiation aided the

catastrophe victims, it was given an award for altruism.

5he displayed such altruism by giving up all of her belongings and joining a peace

corps in $frica.

altruistic

(adj.) unselfish

!he altruistic volunteer donated much time and energy in an effort to raise funds

for the children%s hospital. amalgam (n.) a mi0ture or combination (often of metals)

!he art display was an amalgam of modern and traditional pieces. !hat ring is

made from an amalgam of minerals; if it were pure gold it would never hold its

shape.


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amalgamate

(v.) to mi0, merge, combine

If the economy does not grow, the business may need to amalgamate with a rival

company.

!he three presidents decided to amalgamate their businesses to build one strong

company.

amass

(v.) to collect together; accumulate

ver the years the sailor has amassed many replicas of boats.

!he women amassed a huge collection of priceless diamonds and pearls.

ambiguous

(adj.) not clear; uncertain; vague

!he ambiguous law did not make a clear distinction between the new and old land

boundary.

ambivalent

(adj.) undecided

!he ambivalent jury could not reach a unanimous verdict.

ameliorate

(v.) to improve or make better

$ consistent routine of e0ercise has shown to ameliorate health.

"e can ameliorate the flooding problem by changing the grading.

amendment

(n.) a positive change

!he amendment in his ways showed there was still reason for hope.

amiable

(adj.) friendly

!he newcomer picked the most amiable person to sit ne0t to during the meeting.

amiss (adj.; adv.) wrong; awry; wrongly; in a defective manner 5eeing that his


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anorak was gone, he knew something was amiss . Its new muffler aside, the car

was behaving amiss.

amity

(n.) friendly relations

!he amity between the two bordering nations put the populations at ease.

amorphous (adj.) with no shape; unorganied; having no determinate form !he

amorphous gel seeped through the cracks. !he amorphous group uickly got lost.

!he scientist could not determine the se0 of the amorphous organism. amortie

(v.) to put money into a fund at fi0ed intervals !he couple was able to amortie

their mortgage sooner than they thought. anachronism (n.) something out of place

in time (e.g., an airplane in 789:) !he editor recognied an anachronism in the

manuscript where the character from the 7


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animosity

(n.) a feeling of hatred or ill will

$nimosity grew between the two feuding families.

anoint

(v.) to crown; ordain;

$ member of the monarchy was anointed by the king. anomaly (n.) an oddity,

inconsistency; a deviation from the norm $n anomaly e0isted when the report listed

one statistic, and the spokeswoman reported another.

In a parking lot full of &uicks, 1hevys, and lymouths, the 4aguar was an anomaly.

anonymous

(adj.) nameless; unidentified

=ot wishing to be identified by the police, he remained anonymous by returning the

money he had stolen by sending it through the mail.

antagonism

(n.) hostility; opposition

!he antagonism was created by a misunderstanding. !he rebellious clan captured

a hostage to display antagonism to the new peace treaty.

antipathy

(n.) a strong dislike or repugnance

6er antipathy for large crowds convinced her to decline the invitation to the city.

!he vegetarian had an antipathy toward meat.

apathy

(n.) lack of emotion or interest

6e showed apathy when his relative was injured. !he disheartened peasants

e0pressed apathy toward the new law which promised new hope and prosperity for

all. apocalyptic (adj.) pertaining to a discovery or new revelation 5cience-fiction

movies seem to relish apocalyptic visions. apocryphal (adj.) counterfeit; of

doubtful authorship or authenticity !he man who said he was a doctor was truly

apocryphal.

appease

(v.) to satisfy; to calm


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$ milk bottle usually appeases a crying baby.

apposite

(adj.) suitable; apt; relevant

'iscussion of poverty was apposite to the curriculum, so the professor allowed it.

"ithout reenacting the entire scenario, the situation can be understood if apposite

information is given.

apprehensive

(adj.) fearful; aware; conscious

!he nervous child was apprehensive about beginning a new school year.

approbatory

(adj.) approving or sanctioning

!he judge showed his acceptance in his approbatory remark.

arable

(adj.) suitable (as land) for plowing

"hen the land was deemed arable the farmer decided to plow. arbiter (n.) one

who is authoried to judge or decide !he decision of who would represent the

people was made by the arbiter. arbitrary (adj.) based on one%s preference or

judgment ick admitted his decision had been arbitrary, as he claimed no

e0pertise on the matter.

arcane

(adj.) obscure; secret; mysterious

"ith an arcane e0pression, the young boy left the family wondering what sort of

mischief he had committed.

!he wiard%s description of his magic was purposefully arcane so that others would

be unable to copy it.

archetype

(n.) original pattern or model; prototype

!his man was the archetype for scores of fictional characters. !he scientist was

careful with the archetype of her invention so that once manufacturing began, it

would be easy to reproduce it.

ardent


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(adj.) with passionate or intense feelings

!he fans% ardent love of the game kept them returning to watch the terrible team.

arduous

(adj.) laborious, difficult; strenuous

1ompleting the plans for the new building proved to be an arduous affair. &uilding

a house is arduous work, but the result is well worth the labor. arid (adj.) e0tremely

dry, parched; barren, unimaginative !he terrain was so arid that not one species

of plant could survive. !heir thirst became worse due to the arid condition of the

desert. aromatic (adj.) having a smell which is sweet or spicy !he aromatic smell

coming from the oven made the man%s mouth water.

arrogant

(adj.) acting superior to others; conceited

$fter purchasing his new, e0pensive sports car, the arrogant doctor refused to

allow anyone to ride with him to the country club.

arrogate

(v.) to claim or demand unduly

!he teenager arrogated that he should be able to use his parent%s car whenever

he desired. articulate (v.; adj.) to utter clearly and distinctly; clear, distinct;

e0pressed with clarity; skillful with words It%s even more important to articulate your

words when you%re on the phone.

>ou didn%t have to vote for him to agree that $dlai 5tevenson was articulate.

$ salesperson must be articulate when speaking to a customer.

artifice

(n.) skill in a craft

!he artifice of glass-making takes many years of practice. ascetic (n.; adj.) one

who leads a simple life of self-denial; rigorously abstinent !he monastery is filled

with ascetics who have devoted their lives to religion.

!he nuns lead an ascetic life devoted to the *ord.

aseptic

(adj.) germ free

It is necessary for an operating room to be aseptic.

askance


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6er astringent remarks at the podium would not soon be forgotten.

astute

(adj.) cunning; sly; crafty

!he astute lawyer%s uestioning convinced the jury of the defendant%s guilt.

atrophy (v.; n.) to waste away, as from lack of use; to wither; failure to grow $ few

months after he lost his ability to walk, his legs began to atrophy. !he atrophy of

the muscles was due to the injury.

attenuate

(v.) to thin out; to weaken

"ater is commonly used to attenuate strong chemicals.

!he chemist attenuated the solution by adding water.

atypical

(adj.) something that is abnormal

!he atypical behavior of the wild animal alarmed the hunters.

audacious

(adj.) fearless; bold

!he audacious soldier went into battle without a shield.

augment

(v.) to increase or add to; to make larger

!hey needed more soup so they augmented the recipe.

!hey were able to augment their savings over a period of time.

august

(adj.) to be imposing or magnificent

!he palace was august in gold and crystal.

auspicious

(adj.) being of a good omen; successful

It was auspicious that the sun shone on the first day of the trip. !he campaign had

an auspicious start, foreshadowing the future. austere (adj.) having a stern look;


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having strict self-discipline !he old woman always has an austere look about her.

!he austere teacher assigned five pages of homework each day.

authentic

(adj.) real; genuine; trustworthy

$n authentic diamond will cut glass.

authoritarian

(n.; adj.) acting as a dictator; demanding obedience !he authoritarian made all of

the rules but did none of the work. +idel 1astro is reluctant to give up his

authoritarian rule. autocracy (n.) an absolute monarchy; government where one

person holds power !he autocracy was headed by a demanding man. 5he was

e0tremely power-hungry and therefore wanted her government to be an autocracy.

autocrat

(n.) an absolute ruler

!he autocrat in charge of the government was a man of power and prestige.

!he autocrat made every decision and divided the tasks among his subordinates.

avarice (n.) inordinate desire for gaining and possessing wealth !he man%s avarice

for money kept him at work through the evenings and weekends.

!he avarice of the president led to his downfall.

aver

(v.) to affirm as true

!he witness was able to aver the identity of the defendant. awry (adj; adv.)

crooked(ly); uneven(ly); wrong; askew 6earing the e0plosion in the laboratory, the

scientist realied the e0periment had gone awry.

aure

(adj.) the clear blue color of the sky

!he aure sky made the picnic day perfect.

baleful

(adj.) harmful, malign, detrimental

$fter she was fired, she realied it was a baleful move to point the blame at her

superior.

!he strange liuid could be baleful if ingested.


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banal

(adj.) trite; without freshness or originality

$ttending parties became trite after a few weeks. It was a banal suggestion to

have the annual picnic in the park, since that was where it had been for the past

five years.

baneful

(adj.) deadly or causing distress, death

=ot wearing a seat belt could be baneful.

baroue

(adj.) e0travagant; ornate; embellished

!he baroue artwork was made up of intricate details which kept the museum-

goers enthralled.

!he baroue furnishings did not fit in the plain, modest home.

bastion

(n.) a fortified place or strong defense

!he strength of the bastion saved the soldiers inside of it.

batten

(v.) to gain

!he team could only batten by drafting the top player.

bauble

(n.) a showy yet useless thing

!he woman had many baubles on her bookshelf.

beget

(v.) to bring into being

!he king wished to beget a new heir.

beholden

(adj.) indebted to

!he children were beholden to their parents for the car loan.


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behoove

(v.) to be advantageous; to be necessary

It will behoove the students to buy their te0tbooks early.

belittle

(v.) to make small; to think lightly of

!he unsympathetic friend belittled her friend%s problems and spoke of her own as

the most important.

bellicose

(adj.) uarrelsome; warlike

!he bellicose guest would not be invited back again.

bemuse

(v.) to preoccupy in thought

!he girl was bemused by her troubles.

benefactor

(n.) one who helps others; a donor

$n anonymous benefactor donated @7


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!he child was berated by her parents for breaking the china. bereft (v.; adj.) to be

deprived of; to be in a sad manner; hurt by someone%s death !he loss of his job

will leave the man bereft of many lu0uries. !he widower was bereft for many years

after his wife%s death.

beseech

(v.) to ask earnestly

!he soldiers beseeched the civilians for help.

besmirch

(v.) to dirty or discolor

!he soot from the chimney will besmirch clean curtains.

bestial

(adj.) having the ualities of a beast; brutal

!he bestial employer made his employees work in an unheated room.

betroth

(v.) to promise or pledge in marriage

!he man betrothed his daughter to the prince.

biased

(adj.) prejudiced; influenced; not neutral

!he vegetarian had a biased opinion regarding what should be ordered for

dinner. biennial (adj.; n.) happening every two years; a plant which blooms every

two years !he biennial journal%s influence seemed only magnified by its infreuentpublication.

5he has lived here for four years and has seen the biennials bloom twice. bilateral

(adj.) pertaining to or affecting both sides or two sides; having two sides $ bilateral

decision was made so that both partners reaped eual benefits from the same

amount of work.

!he brain is a bilateral organ, consisting of a left and right hemisphere.

blasphemous (adj.) irreligious; away from acceptable standards; speaking ill of

using profane language !he upper-class parents thought that it was blasphemous

for their son to marry a waitress.

6is blasphemous outburst was heard throughout the room.

blatant


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(adj.) obvious; unmistakable; crude; vulgar

!he blatant foul was reason for ejection.

!he defendant was blatant in his testimony.

blighted

(adj.) causing frustration or destruction

!he blighted tornado left only one building standing in its wake. blithe (adj.)

happy; cheery; merry; a cheerful disposition !he wedding was a blithe celebration.

!he blithe child was a pleasant surprise.

bode

(v.) to foretell something

!he storm bode that we would not reach our destination.

bombast

(n.) pompous speech; pretentious words

$fter he delivered his bombast at the podium, he arrogantly left the meeting.

!he presenter ended his bombast with a prediction of his future success.

bombastic

(adj.) pompous; wordy; turgid

!he bombastic woman talks a lot about herself.

boor

(n.) a rude person

!he boor was not invited to the party, but he came anyway.

breadth

(n.) the distance from one side to another

!he table cloth was too small to cover the breadth of the table.

brevity

(n.) briefness; shortness

n !op 8< $2 radio, brevity was the coin of the realm.


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brindled

(adj.) mi0ed with a darker color

In order to get matching paint we made a brindled mi0ture.

broach

(v.) to introduce into conversation

&roaching the touchy subject was difficult.

brusue

(adj.) abrupt in manner or speech

6is brusue answer was neither acceptable nor polite. bucolic (adj.) having to do

with shepherds or the country !he bucolic setting inspired the artist.

bumptious

(adj.) arrogant

6e was bumptious in manner as he approached the podium to accept his

anticipated award.

bungler

(n.) a clumsy person

!he one who broke the crystal vase was a true bungler.

burgeon

(v.) to grow or develop uickly

!he tumor appeared to burgeon more uickly than normal. $fter the first punch

was thrown, the dispute burgeoned into a brawl. burlesue (v.; n.) to imitate in a

non-serious manner; a comical imitation 6is stump speeches were so hackneyed,

he seemed to be burlesuing of his role as a congressman.

Aeorge &urns was considered one of the great practitioners of burlesue.

burly

(adj.) strong; bulky; stocky

!he lumberjack was a burly man.

burnish

(v.) to polish by rubbing


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!he vase needed to be burnished to restore its beauty.

cabal

(n.) a group of persons joined by a secret

!he very idea that there could be a cabal cast suspicion on the whole operation.

cache (n.) stockpile; store; heap; hiding place for goods !he town kept a cache of

salt on hand to melt winter%s snow off the roads.

#0tra food is kept in the cache under the pantry.

!he cache for his jewelry was hidden under the bed.

cacophonous

(adj.) sounding jarring

!he cacophonous sound from the bending metal sent shivers up our spines.

cacophony (n.) a harsh, inharmonious collection of sounds; dissonance !he

beautiful harmony of the symphony was well enjoyed after the cacophony coming

from the stage as the orchestra warmed up. !he amateur band created more

cacophony than beautiful sound.

cajole

(v.) to coa0 with insincere talk

!o cajole the disgruntled employee, the manager coa0ed him with lies and sweet

talk.

!he salesman will cajole the couple into buying the stereo.

calamity

(n.) disaster

!he fire in the apartment building was a great calamity.

caliber

(n.) uality

!he caliber of talent at the show was e0cellent.

callow

(adj.) being young or immature

"ith the callow remark the young man demonstrated his age. $lthough the girl

could be considered an adult, the action was very callow.


26/39


27/39

(n; v.) waterfall; pour; rush; fall

!he hikers stopped along the path to take in the beauty of the rushing cascade.

!he water cascaded down the rocks into the pool.

6e took a photograph of the lovely cascade.

!he drapes formed a cascade down the window.

castigate

(v.) to punish through public criticism

!he mayor castigated the police chief for the rash of robberies.

cataclysm

(n.) an e0treme natural force

!he earthuake has been the first cataclysm in five years. catalyst (n.) anything

which creates a situation in which change can occur !he low pressure system was

the catalyst for the nor%easter. catharsis (n.) a purging or relieving of the body or

soul 6e e0perienced a total catharsis after the priest absolved his sins. $dmitting

his guilt served as a catharsis for the man.

caustic

(adj.) eating away at; sarcastic words

!he caustic chemicals are dangerous.

!he girl harmed her mother with her caustic remarks. 6is caustic sense of humor

doesn%t go over so well when people don%t know what they%re in for.

cavil

(v.) to bicker

!he children are constantly caviling.

censor

(v.) to e0amine and delete objectionable material

!he children were allowed to watch the adult movie only after it had been

censored. censure (n.; v.) a disapproval; an e0pression of disapproval; to criticie

or disapprove of 6is remarks drew the censure of his employers. $ censure of the

new show upset the directors.

6er parents censured her idea of dropping out of school.


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ceremonious

(adj.) very formal or proper

!he black-tie dinner was highly ceremonious.

cessation

(n.)ceasing; a stopping

!he cessation of a bad habit is often difficult to sustain. chafe (v.) to annoy, to

irritate; to wear away or make sore by rubbing 6is constant teasing chafed her.

6e doesn%t wear pure wool sweaters because they usually chafe his skin.

chaffing

(n.) banter; teasing

!he king was used to his jesters good-natured chaffing. chagrin (n.) a feeling of

embarrassment due to failure or disappointment !o the chagrin of the inventor, the

machine did not work. 5he turned red-faced with chagrin when she learned that

her son had been caught shoplifting.

charisma

(n.) appeal; magnetism; presence

5he has such charisma that everyone likes her the first time they meet her.

charlatan (n.) a person who pretends to have knowledge; an impostor; fake !he

charlatan deceived the townspeople.

It was finally discovered that the charlatan sitting on the throne was not the real

king.

chary

(adj.) cautious; being sparing in giving

&e chary when driving at night.

!he chary man had few friends.

chaste

(adj.) virtuous; free of obscenity

&ecause the woman believed in being chaste, she would not let her date into the

house.

chastise


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(v.) to punish; discipline; admonish

!he dean chastised the first-year student for cheating on the e0am.

cherish

(v.) to feel love for

!he bride vowed to cherish the groom for life.

chicanery

(n.) trickery or deception

!he swindler was trained in chicanery.

$ news broadcast is no place for chicanery.

chimera

(n.) an impossible fancy

erhaps he saw a flying saucer, but perhaps it was only a chimera. choleric (adj.)

cranky; cantankerous; easily moved to feeling displeasure !he choleric man was

continually upset by his neighbors. olly becomes choleric when his views are

challenged.

chortle

(v.) to make a gleeful, chuckling sound

!he chortles emanating from the audience indicated it wouldn%t be as tough a

crowd as the stand-up comic had e0pected.

churlishness

(n.) crude or surly behavior; behavior of a peasant !he fraternity%s churlishness ran afoul of the dean%s office.

!he churlishness of the teenager caused his employer to lose faith in him.

circumlocution

(n.) a roundabout or indirect way of speaking; not to the point

!he man%s speech contained so much circumlocution that I was unsure of the point

he was trying to make.

!he child made a long speech using circumlocution to avoid stating that it was she

who had knocked over the lamp.

circumlocutory

(adj.) being too long, as in a

description or e0pression; a roundabout, indirect, or ungainly way of e0pressing


30/39

something It was a circumlocutory documentary that could have been cut to half its

running time to say twice as much.

circumspect

(adj.) considering all circumstances

$ circumspect decision must be made when so many people are involved.

citadel

(n.) a fortress set up high to defend a city

$ citadel sat on the hill to protect the city below.

clandestine

(adj.) secret

!he clandestine plan must be kept between the two of usB

clemency

(n.) mercy toward an offender; mildness

!he governor granted the prisoner clemency. !he weather%s clemency made for aperfect picnic.

cloture (n.) a parliamentary procedure to end debate and begin to

vote 1loture was declared as the parliamentarians readied to register their votes.

cloying

(adj.) too sugary; too sentimental or flattering $fter years of marriage the

husband still gave cloying gifts to his wife. 1omplimenting her on her weight loss,

clothing and hairstyle was a cloying way to begin asking for a raise.

coagulate (v.)

to become a semisolid, soft mass; to clot !he liuid will coagulate and close the

tube if left standing.

coalesce

(v.) to grow together

!he bride and groom coalesced their funds to increase their collateral.

$t the end of the conference the five groups coalesced in one room.

coda

(n.) in music, a concluding passage


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&y the end of the coda, I was ready to burst with e0citement over the thrilling

performance.

!he audience knew that the concerto was about to end when they heard the

orchestra begin playing the coda.

coddle

(v.) to treat with tenderness

$ baby needs to be coddled.

codify

(v.) to organie laws or rules into a systematic collection !he laws were codified by

those whom they affected. !he intern codified all the city%s laws into acomputeried filing system.

coffer (n.) a chest where money or valuables are kept

!he coffer that contained the jewels was stolen. cogent (adj.) to the point; clear;

convincing in its clarity and presentation !he lawyer makes compelling and cogent

presentations, which evidently help him win 9C percent of his cases.

6e made a short, cogent speech which his audience easily understood.

cogitate

(v.) to think hard; ponder; meditate

It is necessary to cogitate on decisions which affect life goals. !he room was uiet

while every student cogitated during the calculus e0am.

cognate (adj.; n.) having

the same family; a person related through ancestry #nglish and Aerman are

cognate languages. !he woman was a cognate to the royal family.

cognitive (adj.)

possessing the power to think or meditate; meditative; capable of perception

1ognitive thought makes humans adaptable to a uickly changing environment.

nce the toddler was able to solve pules, it was obvious that her cognitive

abilities were developing.

cogniant

(adj.) aware of; perceptive

5he became alarmed when she was cogniant of the man following her. It was

critical to establish whether the defendant was cogniant of his rights.

coherent

(adj.) sticking together; connected; logical; consistent !he course was a success


32/39

due to its coherent information. If he couldn%t make a coherent speech, how could

he run for officeD

cohesion

(n.) the act of holding together

!he cohesion of the group increased as friendships were formed.

!he cohesion of different molecules forms different substances.

cohort

(n.) a group; band

!he cohort of teens gathered at the athletic field.

collaborate

(v.) to work together; cooperate

!he two builders collaborated to get the house finished.

collouial (adj.) having to

do with conversation; informal speech !he collouial reference indicated the free

spirit of the group. "hen you listen to the difference between spoken collouialconversation and written work, you realie how good an ear a novelist must have

to write authentic dialogue.

collusion

(n.) secret agreement for an illegal purpose

!he authority discovered a collusion between the director and treasurer.

comeliness (n.) beauty; attractiveness in appearance or behavior !he comeliness

of the woman attracted everyone%s attention.

commiserate

(v.) to show sympathy for

!he hurricane victims commiserated about the loss of their homes.

commodious

(adj.) spacious and convenient; roomy

!he new home was so commodious that many new pieces of furniture needed to

be purchased.

communal


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(adj.) shared or common ownership

!he communal nature of the project made everyone pitch in to help.

compatible

(adj.) in agreement with; harmonious

"hen repairing an automobile, it is necessary to use parts compatible with that

make and model.

complacent

(adj.) content; self-satisfied; smug

!he 1# worries regularly that his firm%s winning ways will make it complacent.

!he candidate was so complacent with his poll numbers that he virtually stopped

campaigning.

complaisance (n.) the uality of being agreeable or eager to please

!he complaisance of the new assistant made it easy for the managers to give him

a lot of work without worrying that he may complain.

compliant

(adj.) complying; obeying; yielding

1ompliant actions should be reinforced.

!he slave was compliant with every order to avoid being whipped.

comport

(v.) fitting in

It was easy to comport to the new group of employees.

comprehensive

(adj.) all-inclusive; complete; thorough

It%s the only health facility around to offer comprehensive care.

compromise

(v.) to settle by mutual adjustment

*abor leaders and the automakers compromised by agreeing to a starting wage of

@7C an hour in e0change for concessions on health-care premiums.


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concede (v.)

to acknowledge; admit; to surrender; to abandon one%s position $fter much

wrangling, the conceded that the minister had a point. 5atisfied with the recount,

the mayor conceded graciously.

conceit

(n.) an e0aggerated personal opinion

!he man%s belief that he was the best player on the team was pure conceit.

conciliation

(n.) an attempt to make friendly or placate

!he attempt at conciliation

conciliatory

(adj.) to reconcile

!he diplomat sought to take a conciliatory approach to keep the talks going.

concise

(adj.) in few words; brief; condensed

!he concise instructions were printed on two pages rather than the customary

five.

conclave (n.) any private meeting or closed assembly !he conclave was to

meet in the e0ecutive suite.

condescend (v.) to come down from one%s position or

dignity !he arrogant, rich man was usually condescending towards his servants.

condone

(v.) to overlook; to forgive

!he loving and forgiving mother condoned her son%s life of crime I will condone

your actions of negligence.

confluence

(n.) a thing which is joined together

Areat cities often lie at the confluence of great rivers.

confound (v.) to lump

together, causing confusion; to damn !he problem confounded our ability to solve

it. 1onfound you, you scoundrelB


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conglomeration

(n.) a collection or mi0ture of various things

!he conglomeration is made up of four different interest groups.

!he soup was a conglomeration of meats and vegetables.

conjoin

(v.) to combine

!he classes will conjoin to do the play.

conjure

(v.) to call upon or appeal to; to cause to be, appear, come !he smell of the dinner

conjured images of childhood. !he magician conjured a rabbit out of a hat.

connivance

(n.) secret cooperation in wrongdoing

"ith the guard%s connivance, the convict was able to make his escape.

connoisseur (n.) e0pert; authority (usually refers to a wine or food e0pert) !hey

allowed her to choose the wine for dinner since she was the connoisseur.connotative (adj.) containing associated meanings in addition to the primary one

$long with the primary meaning of the word, there were two connotative meanings.

!he connotative meaning of their music was spelled out in the video.

consecrate

(v.) to declare sacred; to dedicate

"e will consecrate the pact during the ceremony.

!he park was consecrated to the memory of the missing soldier.

conseuential

(adj.) following as an effect; important

6is long illness and conseuential absence set him behind in his homework.

!he decision to move the company will be conseuential to its success.

consort

(n.; v.) a companion, spouse; to associate

$n elderly woman was seeking a consort.


36/39

!hey waited until dark to consort under the moonlight.

conspicuous

(adj.) easy to see; noticeable

!he diligent and hardworking editor thought the obvious mistake was

conspicuous.

consternation (n.) amaement or terror that causes confusion !he

look of consternation on the child%s face caused her father to panic.

constrain

(v.) to force, compel; to restrain

It may be necessary to constrain the wild animal if it approaches the town.

!he student was constrained to remain in her seat until the teacher gave her

permission to leave.

consummation

(n.) the completion; finish

+ollowing the consummation of final e0ams, most of the students graduated.contemporary (adj.) living or happening at the same time; modern 1ontemporary

furniture will clash with your traditional sectional.

contempt

(n.) scorn; disrespect

!he greedy, selfish banker was often discussed with great contempt.

contentious

(adj.) uarrelsome

!he contentious student was asked to leave the classroom. !hey hate his

contentious behavior because every suggestion they give ends in a fight.

contest

(v.) to attempt to disprove or invalidate

I will attempt to contest the criminal charges against me.

contiguous (adj.)

touching; or adjoining and close, but not touching !here are many contiguous

buildings in the city because there is no e0cess land to allow space between them.

contravene (v.) to act contrary to; to oppose or contradict !he story of the


37/39

accused contravened the story of the witness. !he Enited =ations held that the

#astern #uropean nation had contravened the treaty.

contrite (adj.) regretful;

sorrowful; having repentance egretting his decision not to attend college, the

contrite man did not lead a very happy life.

$ contrite heart has fi0ed its wrongs.

contumacious

(adj.) resisting authority

!he man was put in jail for contumacious actions. contusion (n.) a bruise; an injury

where the skin is not broken !he man was fortunate to receive only contusions

from the crash.

conundrum

(n.) a pule or riddle

I spent two hours trying to figure out the conundrum. !he legend says that to

enter the secret passageway, one must answer the ancient conundrum.

conventional

(adj.) traditional; common; routine

!he bride wanted a conventional wedding ceremony, complete with white dresses,

many flowers, and a grand reception party. 1onventional telephones are giving

way to videophones.

converge (v.) to move toward one point (oppositeF diverge) It

was obvious that an accident was going to occur as the onlookers watched the two

cars converge.

!he two roads converge at the corner.

conviviality

(n.) a fondness for festiveness or joviality

6is conviviality makes him a welcome guest at any social gathering.

convoke

(v.) a call to assemble

!he teacher convoked her students in the auditorium to help prepare them for the

play.

copious


38/39

(adj.) abundant; in great uantities

6er copious notes touched on every subject presented in the lecture.

corpulence

(n.) obesity

!he corpulence of the man kept him from fitting into the seat.

correlate

(v.) to bring into mutual relation

!he service man was asked to correlate the two computer demonstration

pamphlets.

corroborate

(v.) to confirm the validity

!he witness must corroborate the prisoner%s story if she is to be set free.

coterie

(n.) a cliue; a group who meet freuently, usually socially $ special aspect of

campus life is joining a coterie. #very day after school she joins her coterie on theplayground and they go out for a soda.

covenant

(n.) a binding and solemn agreement

"ith the e0change of vows, the covenant was complete.

covetous

(adj.) greedy; very desirous

*onnie, covetous of education, went to almost every lecture at the university.

1ovetous of her neighbor%s pool, she did everything she could to make things

unpleasant..

cower

(v.) to huddle and tremble

!he lost dog cowered near the tree.

!he tellers cowered in the corner as the bandit ransacked the bank.


39/39

coy (adj.)

modest; bashful; pretending shyness to attract 6er coy manners attracted the man.

6e%s not really that shy, he%s just being coy.

crass (adj.) stupid or dull; insensitive;

materialistic !o make light of someone%s weakness is crass. !hey made their

money the old-fashioned way, but still they were accused of being crass.

2y respect for the man was lowered when he made the crass remark.

craven

(n.; adj.) coward; abject person; cowardly

"hile many fought for their rights, the craven sat shaking, off in a cornersomewhere.

1raven men will not stand up for what they believe in.

culpable

(adj.) deserving blame; guilty

!he convicted criminal still denies that he is culpable for the robbery.

curb

(n.) a restraint or framework

$ curb was put up along the street to help drainage.

curmudgeon

(n.) an ill-tempered person

!he curmudgeon asked the children not to play near the house.

cursory

(adj.) hasty; slight

!he detective%s cursory e0amination of the crime scene caused him to overlook the

lesser clues.

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