READING 5
UNIT 1: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A LANGUAGE
DISAPPEARS?
No. Word Meaning Example
1 assimilate (v) to fully understand an The committee will need time
idea or some information to assimilate this report.
so that you are able to
use it yourself
2 confine (v) restrict I will confine myself to playing
games from 5pm to 7pm.
3 to be divorced from abandon When he met me, he became
divorced his bad habits.
4 ethnicity (n) the fact of belonging to a Many factors are important,
particular ethnic group (= for example class, gender,
a group of people that age and ethnicity.
share a cultural tradition)
5 initiative (n) /ɪˈnɪʃətɪv/ a new plan for dealing The money was intended to
with a particular problem support initiatives in bilingual
or for achieving a education.
particular purpose
6 oblige (v) to force somebody to do Parents are obliged by law to
something, by law, send their children to school.
because it is a duty, etc.
7 persist (v) to continue to do Why do you persist in blaming
something despite yourself for what happened?
difficulties or opposition,
in a way that can seem
unreasonable
8 predominant (a) dominant Dancers have a predominant
most obvious or easy to role in this performance.
notice
9 revival (n) the process of something Jazz is enjoying a revival.
becoming or being made
popular or fashionable
again
10 suppress (v) to prevent something He was accused of
from being expressed or suppressing evidence.
known
= hide (v)
11 target (at) (v) The advert for the energy
drink is targeted specifically
at young people.
12 settler (n) a person who goes to live The first settlers of this area
in a new country were Germans.
13 momentous (a) very important or serious Whether or not to study
abroad is a momentous
decision for me.
14 reassert (v) /ˌriː.əˈsɜːt/ to do something to show The country's warlords
that you still have power reasserted their control.
15 arrest (v) to stop or interrupt the The treatment has so far
development of done little to arrest the
something spread of the cancer.
16 resurgence (n) /rɪ the return and growth The creation of independent
ˈsɜː.dʒəns/ states has led to a resurgence
of nationalism.
17 cliché (n) /ˈkliːʃeɪ/ = a phrase or an idea that - It has become a cliché
cliche has been used so often to say that Prague is
that it no longer has much the most beautiful city
meaning and is not in Europe.
interesting - The article collapses
under the sheer weight
sáo rỗng of cliché.
18 pharmaceutical (a) relating to the production a pharmaceutical
/ˌfɑː.məˈsuː.tɪ.kəl/ of medicines company/product/journal
19 spare no to use a lot of effort, We will spare no effort to find
effort/expense expense, etc. to do out who did this.
something
20 in jeopardy in a dangerous position or The civil war has put
situation and likely to be thousands of lives in jeopardy.
lost or harmed
21 ethnobotanical describing customs and
beliefs about plants and
agriculture held by a
group of people
22 dire (a) very serious, terrible These people are in dire need
of help.
23 in the face of despite She left home in the face of
strong opposition from her
parents.
24 scenario (n) /sɪˈnɑːriəʊ/ a description of possible The most likely scenario is
actions or events in the that an investment firm buys
future the building.
25 wake-up call If something that happens For the insurance industry,
is a wake-up call, it should these floods were a wake-up
make you realize that you call.
need to take action to
change a situation
26 gamble (n), (v) on a risk that might result in Her publishers knew they
loss of money or failure were taking a gamble when
they agreed to publish such
take a gamble an unusual novel.
27 accumulate (v) to gradually get more and I seem to have accumulated a
more of something over a lot of books.
period of time
tích trữ
UNIT 2: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WORK AND
FUN?
28 compositions (n) pieces of art one of Beethoven’s finest
compositions
29 jammed (a) very full, crowded Hundreds more people were
= jam-packed waiting outside the jammed
stadium.
30 landscaper (n) someone who improves The landscaper is there to
the appearance of an area ensure that everything stays
of land by changing the just as planned.
design and planting trees,
flowers, etc.
31 liven up (phr.v) to become or to make Let's put some music on to
somebody/something liven things up.
more interesting or
exciting
32 splurge (v), (n) to spend a lot of money I feel like splurging (out) on a
on something that you do new dress.
not really need. We can't afford a spending
splurge.
33 boom (n) an increase in something, This year has seen a boom in
or a time when something book sales.
becomes more popular
34 consensus (n) a generally accepted The general consensus in the
opinion or decision among office is that he can't do his
a group of people job.
35 gray area a situation that is not The difference between gross
clear or where the rules negligence and recklessness
are not known is a legal grey area.
36 menial (a) not considered important; menial tasks like cleaning the
not needing special skills floor
and often boring or badly
paid
37 respectively (adv) in order Julie and Mark, aged 17 and
19 respectively
38 the going rate (for sth) the usual amount of They pay slightly more than
money paid for goods or the going rate.
services at a particular
time
39 the odds are It’s likely The odds are that he will
commit the same crime
again.
40 thriving (a) continuing to be The island has a thriving
successful, strong, community and a rich and
healthy, etc. tragic history.
41 muck (n) Something is very I can’t eat this muck.
unpleasant
Idioms: Where there’s muck
there’s brass.
Used to say that a business
activity that is unpleasant or
dirty can bring in a lot of
money
42 reap (v) to cut and collect a grain He cleared away the forest
crop and, with his own hands,
planted, sowed, and reaped.
to get something, usually
something good, as a She studied every evening
result of your actions or and reaped the benefit at
other people's actions exam time.
43 martial arts any of the fighting sports Martial arts help me stronger.
that include judo and
karate
võ thuật
44 be regarded as to consider or have an Her parents always regarded
opinion about something her as the smartest of their
or someone children.
45 passing their prime to be too old to do In many sports, many
something at a high level athletes over 30 years old
have passed their prime.
46 emerge (v) = transpire It emerged that the company
was going to be sold.
47 acupuncture (n) a treatment for pain or Acupuncture originated in
/ˈækjupʌŋktʃə(r)/ illness in which thin China.
needles are positioned
just under the surface of
the skin at special points
around the body:
48 execute (v) to do or perform The whole play was executed
/ˈeksɪkjuːt/ something, especially in a with great precision.
planned way
49 it dawned on someone If a fact dawns on you, I was about to pay for the
that you understand it after a shopping when it suddenly
period of not dawned on me that I'd left my
understanding it wallet at home.
50 rhythm (n) a regular pattern of Lack of sleep can upset your
changes or events daily rhythm.
51 unconvincingly (adv) in a way that does not A minority of experts
seem true or real; in a unconvincingly argue that
way that does not make people don’t need any leisure
you believe that time at all.
something is true
52 unfailingly (adv) in a way that you can rely Research unfailingly
on to always be there and demonstrates that people are
always be the same more productive after they’ve
had a vacation.
53 contend (v) to say that something is I would contend that the
true, especially in an minister's thinking is flawed
argument on this point.
54 distance (v) to become less involved When he retired, he tried to
or connected with distance himself from politics.
somebody/something
These narrative techniques
actually distance the reader
from the story.
UNIT 3: HOW WELL DOES A PICTURE ILLUSTRATE THE
TRUTH?
55 non-partisan (a) not supporting the ideas It's almost impossible here for
/ˌnɒn ˈpɑːtɪzæn/ of one particular political anyone to be tried by a non-
party or group of people partisan judge.
strongly
56 procedure (n) a way of doing something, The school in this case did not
/prəˈsiːdʒə(r)/ especially the usual or follow the correct procedure.
correct way
57 distort (v) to change the shape, Newspapers are often guilty
appearance or sound of of distorting the truth.
something so that it is
strange or not clear
58 scale (n) the relation between the Both plans are drawn to the
actual size of something same scale.
and its size on a map,
diagram or model that
represents it
59 skyrocket (v) to rise quickly to a very The economic boom sent
high level property prices skyrocketing.
60 send sb/sth Ving/Adj/to to cause someone or Watching television always
V something to do a sends me to sleep.
particular thing, or to
cause something to His untidiness sends her
happen crazy/mad/wild.
The draught from the fan sent
papers flying all over the
room.
61 unprecedented (a) /ʌn that has never happened, The situation is
ˈpresɪdentɪd/ been done or been known unprecedented in modern
before times.
62 take … with a grain of to not completely believe You have to take everything
salt something that you are she says with a grain of salt,
told, because you think it because she tends to
is unlikely to be true exaggerate.
= doubtful
63 visualize (v) to form a picture of Write down your goals and
someone or something in visualise yourself achieving
your mind, in order to them.
imagine or remember
them
64 error-prone (a) tending to make or cause The process is manual, time-
mistakes consuming, and error-prone.
65 credible (a) believable It is just not credible that she
= convincing would cheat.
66 ethical (a) morally correct or Is it ethical to keep animals in
acceptable zoos?
67 be left in the dark prevented from learning Our love needs to be left in
something the dark.
68 concoct (v) to invent a story, an I will concoct a story about
/kənˈkɒkt/ excuse, etc how we love each other so
that my family can easily
accept him.
69 tempting (a) attractive, making people It's tempting to speculate
want to have it or do it about what might have
happened.
70 document (v) to prove or support This is a meticulously
something with evidence documented biography.
*biography: the story of a
person’s life written by
somebody else; this type of
writing (tiểu sử)
71 provoke (v) to cause a particular The announcement provoked
reaction or have a a storm of protest.
particular effect
72 thought-provoking (a) making you think a lot Two days ago, we called each
about a subject other. His words are thought-
provoking.
“In the past, I had many
reasons to break up with her.
However, I will try my best
now to have no reasons.”
73 scrutinize (v) to look at or examine The statement was carefully
somebody/something scrutinized before publication.
carefully
74 legitimate (a) legal Is his business strictly
/lɪˈdʒɪtɪmət/ legitimate?
*strictly: used to emphasize
that something happens or
must happen in all
circumstances
= absolutely
EX: Smoking is strictly
forbidden.
75 constellation (n) a group of stars that The Little Bear constellation is
/ˌkɒnstəˈleɪʃn/ forms a shape in the sky still used by navigators at
and has a name sea.
76 cosmos (n) the universe Life is a dance with the
/ˈkɒzmɒs/, /ˈkɑːzməʊs/ cosmos.
77 inhospitable (a) - difficult to stay or live in, They were left unmolested in
especially because there inhospitable country.
is no shelter from the
weather
= unwelcoming
- not giving a friendly or
polite welcome to guests
78 orbit (v) to move in an orbit (= a The earth takes a year to
curved path) around a orbit the sun.
much larger object,
especially a planet, star,
etc.
