Vocabulary, Spring 2010: English Communication for Sophomores
Instructor: Mr.
Michael Krigline, MA
Kunming Medical University
www.krigline.com.cn
Click "refresh"
in your browser to be sure that you load the most recent version of this
page; I will probably revise it after I create the exam.
Blue
shows the one-word synonyms; you should know how to spell both terms.
Words or sections marked with an equal
sign (=) are the
"most important."
Most of the “most important” words will
be on the exam. A few of the other terms may be on the test too.
Improving Your Study Methods
=(On the exam, I may also ask you about
the content of this handout. In particular, be very familiar with “the
five R’s” and with section V on “Dealing with School Frustrations.”)
=significance: importance
=to indicate: to show or point to
complementary: related to sth even though
they are different
the flow of sth: a steady forward movement,
especially in relation to the way ideas build on each other during a
speech, lecture, book, etc.
=passively: not actively; without being
involved or interested (She listened passively, without thinking
about what she heard.)
=the big picture: an overall, general view
of things; a situation viewed from an outside, general perspective
reminders: things that help you remember
(e.g., remember a major point, a date, an event, or a place)
=transcript: an exact word-for-word written
copy of a speech, play, TV show script, etc.
verbatim: word-for-word without leaving
anything out or changing anything (“The press printed verbatim his
speech.”)
=abbreviation: (缩写,
缩略词): a short form of a word (etc.
for etcetera), title (Dr. for Doctor), name (NBA for
National Basketball Association), and so forth
to revise: to change sth in order to make
it better or more accurate (in BrE, to revise can also mean “to
study sth again” but Americans do not use it this way)
fragment: a piece; an incomplete part of
sth
the meat of sth: the most important part or
main idea (of a speech, book, movie, etc)
particular: specific or carefully chosen
=to review: (AmE) to look again at
something you have studied (British equivalent: revise)
senses: your five natural abilities to see,
hear, feel, taste and/or smell
=to compile: to add together; to put information together
in one place
to gauge: to judge or measure carefully (a
gauge is an instrument or device that shows a measurement,
especially in relation to minimum or maximum, such as a fuel gauge
in a car)
=prior to: before
=extracurricular: (adj, only before noun)
additional activities, clubs, jobs, etc., that students do but that are
not part of someone’s studies
to integrate: combine in an effective way
=to analyze: to carefully examine, esp. in
terms of something’s relationship with other things
procedure: method; the best way to do
something
=pertinent: relevant; directly related
a sitting: one continuous amount of time
(i.e., how long you sit without standing up)
interruptions: distractions; things that
unexpectedly stop what you are doing
to recite: to say sth out loud from memory,
or in order to memorize it (i.e., to know it so well that you can repeat
it perfectly)
to cram (for a test): to quickly learn a
lot of material so that you can use it on an exam (even though you will
probably forget it soon after the exam)
=confident: certain or sure (esp. about your
ability to do sth or about the truth of sth that others are not sure
about)
=methodically: in a step-by-step way
(leave it) blank: empty; without writing
=to skip sth/sb: to choose not to do
something you should do, like attend a class, answer a test question, read
an assignment, report for work, or eat a meal
=to panic (panicked, panicking): to react
in a strange (not logical or appropriate) way because of fear
(Notice the unusual spelling of
past/continuous verb forms; “They panicked when they heard rumors,
which caused a panic in the community.”)
=essential: necessary; extremely important
=frustrations: things beyond your control
that cause you to feel irritated, upset, or frustrated [you feel
frustrated when annoyed because you cannot change a situation,
understand something you are supposed to do, lack control, etc. (students
have given these translations:
憋屈,
惘然,
失意的,
气馁,
灰心,
沮丧,
失望)
to put forth: (1. AmE) to give extra effort
in order to accomplish sth; (2. formal) to give, suggest or produce sth
Easter Courtroom Skit
=(You should also know how to spell these
key words, and titles like judge and lawyer. The dictation
on the final exam will be taken, in part, from the “notes” section of the
courtroom handout.)
grave-robbing—stealing a dead body from a
grave, sometime done (in the old days) to do medical research or to profit
from the personal possessions buried in the grave
=executioner—an official who’s job is to
kill condemned prisoners
“the place in question”—legal speech,
referring to the place (or time, etc.) at which a crime occurred
=murmur: informal talk among people in a
classroom, courtroom, etc., especially after something interesting has
been said.
gavel—the special hammer used by a judge
=witness—a person who talks about what he
sees or knows, especially in a courtroom setting
=tomb—grave--place
where a dead body is put
cross-examine the witness—when the
prosecution or defense gets the chance to ask questions to a witness who
is helping the “other side”
Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?—courtroom speech; this
is the oath Americans say before they give testimony in a courtroom. When
they say this, they have one hand raised in pledge and the other hand on a
Bible.
Jewish—Jews, Hebrews, or Israelites; they
would have spoken Hebrew or Aramaic, while the Romans spoke Greek (Greek
would have been the language of this trial as well)
Zeus—the most powerful (of many) Greek god
=bluntly—spoken in a matter-of-fact way;
not rude, but without politeness or any attempt to be soft or easy on the
witness; lawyers use blunt speech to get an honest reaction from witnesses
=rumor—a story or report widely told, but
without facts to confirm its truth
resurrection—supernaturally rising from the
dead
=disciples—students who strongly believe in
the teachings of a leader, philosopher, etc. (such as Confucius or Jesus)
celebrities—famous people, like
politicians or singers
I call so-and-so to the
stand—courtroom speech; what an attorney says to start the testimony of a
witness
torture—to intentionally give extreme pain
or physical punishment to a victim (human or animal)
=crucifixion—a particularly cruel Roman
form of torture that started with a severe beating, followed by nailing a
man’s hands and feet to a cross on which the victim died (often slowly)
due to loss of blood and the inability to breathe
“Sustained”—Courtroom speech that lets the
attorneys know the judge agrees with their “objection” to testimony being
given
“Objection overruled”--Courtroom speech
wherein the judge says he does not agree with an “objection”
Pharisee—a Jewish scholar who strictly
obeyed the laws in the Jewish Bible; some Pharisees were also members of
the Jewish Governing Council
=hasten—to speed something up
=eclipse—when the moon temporarily blocks
the light of the sun, making day look briefly like night
=client—someone being helped by a lawyer,
doctor, social worker, or other similar professional
=(Also be sure you understand what "body language" and a "case" is; see
the "Notes" on your vocabulary handout)
Finding Forrester (you can also see my study guide
for this film)
=Ebonics (or African American Vernacular
English) is an American American dialect (地方话;
方言) spoken in many African-American
communities.
=Some of the characteristics of this
dialect include:
▪ the use of double negatives ("I ain't
seen nothing change" instead of "I haven't seen anything change")
▪ omit or neglect to conjugate "to be"
("Why you gonna send him here?" instead of "Why are you going to send him
here?" or “he be laughin’ ” instead of “he is laughing”)
▪ drop “l” and “r” (“hep yo-sef” for “help
yourself”)
▪ use “d” or “t” instead of “th” (“dis one
is wid me” for “this one is with me”)
▪ neglect to show verb tense (“he see us,
man” for “he sees us”)
=acceleration: describes sth that gets
faster and faster (“The acceleration in your writing is remarkable.”)
=assessment test: a standardized exam that
helps a school evaluate a student’s academic ability; the results also
help the government evaluate the effectiveness of one school compared to
another
BMW: Bavarian Motor Works--a German
company, who’s expensive cars are often bought so the owner can show off
his/her wealth (Jamal tells Forrester’s arrogant lawyer about the history
of BMW)
=boys: “my boys” is a Ebonics (see note 1)
term for “my friends”
=cancer: a serious and often deadly illness
in which the body’s cells stop acting in a normal way (癌症)
constipated: a medical condition where
someone has difficulty getting rid of your body’s solid waste (when
Forrester marked up Jamal’s notebook, sometimes he wrote “constipated
thinking,” i.e., “this section shows that your ability to think is
temporarily blocked”)
=to cuss: to use language that offends some
people, especially when you are angry (发出诅咒?
咒骂?
乱骂?).
Important: remember that using a particular word will offend some people
but not others, depending on their level of education, religious beliefs,
race, etc. See note 1.
to dare: when sb (esp. a child) challenges
another person to do sth dangerous; in this movie, they also call this
“the call” (“I dare you to go up there, into The Window’s place, and bring
something back.”)
dog: a term some black men use to address a
black, male friend (a bitch is a female dog, and some black women
use this to address other black women—but these terms are insulting from
non-black people)
foul shots: after a penalty in basketball,
this is the chance to get a point by shooting the ball from a certain
line, without anyone trying to stop you (also called a “free throw”)
=intrigued: to be interested because sth is
strange, mysterious or unexpected
=to kick in: to begin to take effect or
start working, even though it was already there (“Jamal’s writing gift
really kicked in after he met Forrester.” “It took ten minute for the pain
medicine to kick in.”)
=plagiarism/to plagiarize: to use a
passage, sentence, outline, or even a group of phrases from the Internet,
a book, or any other source, without telling where you “borrowed” from.
Plagiarism is a crime (you can be forced to leave school permanently)
because it violates the author’s intellectual property rights and gives
the cheater an unfair advantage over others
=prep school (preparatory school): (AmE) a
private secondary school that prepares academically gifted (or wealthy)
students to enter the best universities. (In BrE, a “prep school” is for 6
to 13-year-olds...)
=probation: (AmE) a period of time in which
a student or worker must show improvement (in ability) or change (in
behavior), without which he will be forced to leave that school or job
(“Bear in mind, the school’s Board does have the authority to place those
who plagiarize on academic probation, which would prevent you from playing
basketball here in the future.”)
=procrastination:
delay;
waiting to do something because you don’t really want to do it
program: a sports booklet, giving details
about the players, teams, etc. (“Hold on, let me get a program.”)
rap: a type of music in which words are
generally spoken in a certain rhythm instead of sung
=rumors: things people say based on what
someone else said, not necessarily based on the truth (流言?)
=scholarship: (奖学金)
when sb pays some/all of the educational expenses for gifted students or
athletes
=I may also use some of the discussion
questions on the exam: (key items are 6 and 8)
1. When you were a child, did you and your
friends dare each other to do things? Tell your partner about it. If not,
tell your partner about a dangerous event in your life.
2. In different contexts, Jamal had to use
Ebonics (see note 1) and “standard English.” If you are an
English-learner, you speak more than one language, too. When do you speak
each language, and why?
3. Do you think it is unfair for Jamal to
have to speak “good English” (or for a Chinese person to have to speak
“good Mandarin”) to be successful in his country? Or do you think being
able to speak your “mother tongue” (母语)
ought to be all you need?
4. Describe the “unusual friendships” in
this movie. (Jamal and Claire; Jamal and Forrester; are there others?)
Then talk about an “unusual friendship” in your own life.
5. Tell your partner about an older person
(a relative, neighbor, teacher, etc.) who has helped you in some way.
6. Jamal merely used Forrester’s title and
first paragraph, but his teacher and the school’s Board saw this
plagiarism as a serious academic “crime.” Did this surprise you? Why or
why not? What do you think about the practice of including the words or
thoughts of others in your own writing?
7. The serious attitude toward plagiarism
shown in this film is very common in countries where English is a native
language. If the attitude in your country is different, explain. Also talk
about what this attitude means for people who wish to study abroad or work
with people from English-speaking countries.
8. The description of this film says
Jamal’s unlikely friendship with Forrester helped both to “reach their
dreams.” Explain this statement, or say why you don’t agree with it.
Active Teens Remain in the Dark
=“to be in the dark”: to be ignorant of or
incorrectly informed about sth
=naivety: simplemindedness; lack of mature
judgment or understanding
twenthsomethings: people between age 20 and
30
cohabiting: to live together in a romantic
relationship without being married ("living together" is more positive,
while "shacking up" is often negative)
=guilt: a feeling of shame/sadness because
you did sth wrong
=distorted: inaccurate; bent into the wrong
shape
pornography/pornographic: something that
shows sex in an explicit (clear and direct) way [public pictures like this
are almost always considered “bad” or inappropriate among civilized
people]
=pilot (project): first, or
trial/experimental; a project (TV show, camp, etc) done for the first
time, in the hope that (if successful) it can continue or expand
=the authorities: (notice that this is
normally plural) the people who make decisions in any place where people
must obey rules (e.g., a city, college, or public area)
=invariably: almost always
=expulsion: forcing someone to leave a
school without permission to return
=juveniles: young people, between “child”
and “adult” (age 12-18); adolescents
=“commit a crime”: to do
something against the law (we do not say “do a crime” or “make
a crime”)
Giving advice and
problem-solving exercise
=to recycle: to process trash so that the
material it is made from can be used again (especially paper, plastic and
glass)
=situation: the setting or conditions
related to a particular problem, place, event, etc.
=options:
choices;
other things that could be done in a particular situation
=verbally: spoken rather than written
=to come up with: to creatively think of or find sth (an
idea/solution/plan/etc)
=For the final exam, you should also know
the six steps of the Problem-Solving Model
1. Define the problem and set the goal
2. Brainstorm any options you might
have
3. Evaluate your options
4. Make a plan of action
5. Evaluation how your plan of action is
progressing and modify if necessary
6. See if you want to add anything new, and continue to evaluate and
modify until the goal is reached.
Education in the USA
elementary school: the first years of a
child’s formal education, traditionally including kindergarten through
eighth grade (though some elementary school end with sixth grade), also
called grade school, grammar school, or primary school
middle school: in some places, this school
educates children in grades seven and eight (and sometimes nine);
sometimes also called a junior high school
secondary school: traditionally grades nine
through twelve, helping children prepare for college or for a vocation
(though some secondary schools are only grades 10-12); most people call
this high school
=tuition (BrE: tuition fees): money paid for
academic instruction
suburb: the area around the outside of a
city (many suburbs are really small cities) where people live, often
driving to work in a nearby city
sparse: spread out; not concentrated or
dense (“Compared to the cities, the countryside is sparsely
populated.”)
=curriculum: all of the subjects taught at
an educational institution (considered as a group), or the list/catalog of
elements (classes) for a particular subject. The plural form is either
curricula or curriculums.
to be home schooled (to home school): to be
educated at home, normally by your parents or a tutor (this practice in
general is called home schooling)
=liberal arts: academic subjects such as
languages, literature, history, philosophy, mathematics, and the sciences
professional schools: academic institutions
that prepare advanced students for certain professions, in particular law,
business, and medicine)
=community college: an institution offering
adult education courses on various subjects, including basic academic
classes (similar to first-year university courses), vocational training
(nursing, computer tech, engine repair), and hobby-related courses
(photography, gardening); also called a technical/vocational school
or a junior college. Community colleges can confer an
Associate’s Degree, normally after two years of prescribed study.
=room and board: a place to live/sleep and
all of your meals; the money you spend (esp. while at college) for your
dorm/apartment and food
work-study programs: classes in a particular
field (such as engineering), along with paid employment (normally either
part-time, during holidays, or every other semester)
=scholarship: when someone pays some of the
college expenses for gifted students or athletes (a “full ride” or “full
scholarship” means that someone pays ALL of your expenses, including
tuition, housing, transportation and food) (奖学金)
assistantship: a paid position that provides
reduced tuition or a salary in exchange for teaching or research duties
(normally for graduate students—called postgraduates in BrE)
=diploma: an official certificate showing
that you successfully completed an academic degree (conferred by a
high school, college, graduate school, or professional organization)
=to confer (a degree): to officially give a
title, degree, or award in recognition of your achievement
=to prescribe: to require, or to establish
regulations; to professionally recommend that a patient buy/use a specific
medicine
TV interview vocabulary
wantonly: randomly, without much thought or restraint (esp. sexual
behavior)
=“by and large”: “speaking generally”
love affairs: an intense enthusiasm for sth, or a sexual relationship
outside of marriage
=to get rid of: to throw sth away (like trash) or otherwise eliminate sth
that you do not want
monogamous marriage: marriage to one person (traditionally, for your whole
life)
=“a say” (or “to have a say-so”): to have the right to be part of the
decision-making process (“Parents have less ‘say’ once their child enters
college.”)
“till death do you part”: a phrase from traditional wedding ceremonies,
meaning that you promise to remain married to this person until one of you
dies
“in sickness and in health”: a phrase from traditional wedding ceremonies,
meaning that you promise to care for your spouse (husband/wife) no matter
how healthy or unhealthy he/she becomes
=superficial (question): without depth; only general or obvious; “on the
surface”
=to wane: to decrease, esp. slowly (like how the moon “wanes” for about
two weeks)
=priority: the thing that you think is most important and that needs
attention before anything else
=department stores: a large shop like Wal-Mart, that sells many types of
goods (clothes, tools, shoes, basic furniture, toys, bikes, kitchen
things, etc.); traditionally, a “department store” did not sell much food
(you bought food at a grocery store or supermarket)
=supermarket: a very large shop that sells
food, drinks, and things that people need regularly in their homes (like
cleaning supplies); increasingly, supermarkets have started to sell
clothes and other things, but if you say “I’m going to the supermarket”
people will think you are going to buy food
=Other important terms
On the exam, I may
ask you to give the English name for these punctuation marks. You may also
see the important terms below.
’
apostrophe (example: friends, friend’s)
* asterisk or star
( ) parenthesis, parentheses
[ ] brackets (AmE)
: colon
; semi-colon
! exclamation point
. period
, comma
/ slash
? question mark
“ ” quotation marks
‘ ’ single quotation marks
… ellipsis
- hyphen
-- (or –) dash
=vague: (adj) unclear because of a lack of
details or because a specific description is not available
=colloquial: (adj) language or words that
are informal, and that are usually only used in spoken communication (口语)
=to hand in (or turn in): [vt] to give an
assignment to a teacher (or sometimes a boss, official, etc.)
Chinglish: an informal term (it’s not an
official word) that refers to an incorrect mixture of the Chinese and
English languages; producing Chinglish expressions is a natural part of
the process of learning English
=due date: [c] the time or date on which
something is expected (especially rent payments, homework assignments, or
the birth of a baby); “What are their due dates?” is the same as
“When are they due?”
=thesis statement: ONE sentence that must
give a clear summary of your main points (for a speech or long academic
essay)
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