READING VOCAB

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Rendering=performance (n): the way that something is showcased
Her rendering of the song was delightful.

Merge (with): combine together

After a while the narrow trail merges with a wider path.

Arise(v): start happen or exist

Problems arise when the payment is late.

Favor=support=prefer (v): to support or prefer one particular possibility

Many favored an explanation of writing's origins in the visual arts

Clash (v): fight or argue

Students clashed with police after demonstrations at five universities.

Keep track (of someone/something) (v): to continue to be informed or know about

someone or something
My sister’s had so many jobs, I can’t keep track anymore.

Concede (v): unwillingly admit

The government has conceded (that) the new tax policy has been a disaster

Preponderance=predominance=dominance (v): the largest part or greatest amount

The preponderance of evidence suggests that he's guilty
Pictorial=illustrated (adj): shown in the form of a picture or photograph
The exhibition is a pictorial history/record of the town in the 19th century

Conventional (adj): traditional and ordinary

Not that he accepts the conventional view that writing started as a representation
of words by pictures

Inscribe (v): to write words in a book or carve on an object

She inscribed her own name on the textbook.

Ascribe=attribute to: believe/say that something is caused by something

He attributes/ascribes his success to his coach

Forerunner=predecessor (n): something or someone will sign what will appear in the
future, or a warning or sign of what is to follow
Germany's Green party was said to be the forerunner of environmental parties
throughout Europe.

Radically (adv): completely or extremely

The accident radically changed the course of his life.

Tenure (n): period of time during which you own it

These servants dedicate themselves to the public in return for the security of job
tenure

Rationality (n): the quality of being based on clear thought and reason
Science rests on the ideals of objectivity and rationality

Impersonal (adj): not involving personal feelings

1. Without human warmth; inhumane
 She has a very cold and impersonal manner.
2. Not referring to people or a particular person by name
He always tried to keep the discussions impersonal so that no one would be
offended

Interpersonal (adj): connected with relationships between people

The successful applicant will have excellent interpersonal skills

Incentive (n; adj): sth encourage a person to do sth (incentivize)

Bonus payments provide an incentive to work harder

Craft (n): sth produced using skill and experience

craft workers (=skilled workers)

In short=in brief (adv): to speak briefly

In short, we have to decide whether to continue losing money or change the way
we do business.

Benefaction=donation (n): to help an organization, society, or person

Many of the artworks came to the museum through the benefaction
of generous donors

Shift Away (n): to move away (from)

This requires a theoretical shift away from the idea that an employee is a cog in
the industrial machine

Cog (n): tooth around the edge of a wheel in a machine

an employee is a cog in the industrial machine
To some degree=Partly=Rather:
To some degree I think that's right, but there are other factors which affect the
situation

Usher in (v): to launch something new, or mark its beginning

The economic growth potentially usher in a new period of prosperity

Framework (n): supporting structure of a building, vehicle, or object

a conservatory in a delicate framework of iron

Dedicate=devote (v): to give all of your energy, time, etc. (dedicate/devote

yourself/something to something)
He has dedicated his life to scientific research

Complimentary (n): praising or expressing admiration for someone:

The reviews of his latest film have been highly complimentary

Dichotomy (n): a difference between two completely opposite ideas or things

There is often a dichotomy between what politicians say and what they do

Conundrum=Enigma=Dilemma: a problem that is difficult to deal with

Arranging childcare over the school holidays can be a real conundrum for
working parents.

Anathema: something that is strongly disliked or disapproved of

For older employees, the new system is an anathema
Entrust=entitle=empower (v): to give someone a thing or a duty for which they are
responsible
The committee have been entrusted with organizing the auction

Participatory (adj): allowing people to take part in or become involved in an activity

Participatory sports are becoming more popular

Depredation=damage=destruction
The entire area has suffered the depredations of war

Vilify=mortify=denigrate=disparage=decry=denounce=belittle (v): to say or write

unpleasant things about someone or something, to have a bad opinion of them
Vikings was vilified as conquerors and romanticized as adventurers

Loosely Speaking (adv): Speaking generally or broadly

Loosely speaking, Jamie is family, but he's my stepmom's son-in-law, so he's not
even a non-blood relative.

Strictly Speaking (adv): Speaking accurately

Strictly speaking, Great Britain consists of Scotland, Wales, and England

Clutter=muddle=jumble: a state of being untidy

Sorry about the clutter in the kitchen.

Cluster (of): a group of similar things that are close together

Have a look at the cluster of galaxies in this photograph.

Quest: a long search for sth

Nothing will stop them in their quest for truth.
Desolate=dejected=secluded: empty place with no people or nothing pleasant in it
The house stood in a bleak and desolate landscape.

Bleak=derelict: empty, not welcoming place

The house stands on a bleak, windswept hilltop.

Bill: the beak of a bird

the evolving bill of the medium ground finch

Plumage: a bird's covering of feathers

Male peacocks have beautiful plumage.

Striking: very unusual or easily noticed, and therefore attracting a lot of attention
She bears a striking resemblance to her mother

Middling: medium or average (neither very good nor very bad)

a man of about middling height

Petite: Something is small and thin in an attractive way

She was dark and petite, as was her wife

Catalogue: to record something, especially in a list

Many plants become extinct before they have even been catalogued

Documenting: to record the details of an event, a process, etc.

His interest in cars has been well-documented (=recorded and written about) by
the media.
Meager (adj): not enough or very small
The prisoners existed on a meager diet

Flourish=burgeon: to grow or develop successfully

My tomatoes are flourishing this summer - it must be the warm weather

Stout=stubby=plump: fat and solid-looking, especially around the waist

Mrs. Blower was the stout lady with the glasses

Crescent: shape like the moon when it is less than half of a circle
The moon was a brightly shining crescent

Arid: very dry and without enough rain for plants

The desert is so arid that nothing can grow there

Date back to: to have existed for a particular length of time or since a particular time:
This house dates back to 1780

Stock: a supply of something for use or sale

It is now halfway through winter and food stocks are already low

Critical: saying that someone or something is bad or wrong

The report is highly critical of safety standards at the factory

Niche (adj): interesting to, aimed at, or affecting only a small number of people
MMA is not a niche sport any more.
Downhill slide: Something deteriorate or getting worse
global biodiversity continues its downhill slide

When it comes to: when mentioning about

When it comes to investing, there are multiple options

Drive: to force someone or something to go somewhere or do something

They used dogs to drive the sheep into a pen

Adversity: a difficult or unlucky situation or event

She was always cheerful in adversity/adverse situation

Barred=fenced: a bar of wood or metal putted across to block the way or door
Mobiles are barred in airplane either when take off or landing

Congress: a large formal meeting of representatives

an international/medical congress

To your heart’s content: do something enjoyable for as long as you want to do it

passengers can lap away on their laptops to their hearts’ content

Albeit=Although
Using cellphones excessively indeed pose a risk albeit a slight one

Vindicate=acquit=exonerate: to prove what someone said or did was right or true

Such assessments would soon appear to be vindicated
Spokesman/woman: someone who is chosen by a group or organization to speak
officially to the public for them

Threshold: a starting point or level at which sth start or begin to experience sth
the safety threshold established in 1984

Technically: according to an exact understanding of rules, facts or technique

young people who are technically still children

Adamantly=assertively=emphatically: means it is impossible to persuade someone or

make you change your opinion or decision
The mayor is adamantly opposed to any tax increase

Overcharge: to charge someone more than the real price

The gift shop in Paris overcharged me

Prevail (over): to get control or influence over

Reason prevail over (=more powerful influence than) emotion

Clamber: struggling to climb up, across, or into somewhere

They clambered over/up the rocks.

Palaeontologist: someone who studies fossils

No palaeontologist has any clue as to what a living dinosaur actually looked like

Flank: the area of the body between the ribs and the hips of an animal or a person

Dune: a hill of sand near a beach or in a desert

Intermittent=sporadic: stopping and starting repeatedly, happening unsual
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Crest=peak=climax=acme=apex=utmost=culminate: the highest reachable level
The flood waters crested Thursday (=reached their highest level)

Far-fetched: very unlikely to be true, and difficult to believe

A far-fetched idea/story

Cemetery=grave: an area of ground in which dead bodies are buried

His father is buried in the cemetery on the hill

Interloper: someone who becomes involved in an activity or a social group without being
asked
Security did not prevent an interloper from getting onto the stage

Herd: a large group of animals of the same type that live and feed together
a herd of cattle/elephants/goats

Bandit: a thief with a weapon

The army protect the camp from bandits

Refugee: a person who has escaped from their own country for political, religious, or
economic reasons or because of a war
Thousands of refugees fled across the border

Ridge: a long, narrow edge along a mountain

We walked along the narrow mountain ridge
Strenuous=arduous: using a lot of physical or mental effort or energy
His doctor advised him not to do any strenuous exercise

In this day and age=in the present/contemporary era: the current period of time

Inferior (to): not as good as someone or something else (><superior)

These products are inferior to those we bought last year.

Charter: rent sth especially a plane

He charters the VIP private flight

Census: a record for the number of people living in a country (to collect information
about them)
We have a census in this country every ten years

Consensus: a generally accepted opinion or decision among a group of people

We reach a consensus on this matter by voting

Manor: a large old house in the country with land belonging to it, especially in Europe
A village green with a church and ancient manor house.

Backdrop: a decorated background of a performance or event

The wedding backdrop is placed on the stage.

Tenements: a large building divided into apartments, usually in a poor area of a city.
The average village would have its church, manor house, and cottage tenements

Enraptured (by): filled with great pleasure or extremely pleased by something

The audience was enraptured by the young soloist's performance.
Enthralled (by): keep someone radically interested
The baseball game completely enthralled the crowd.

Swayed (by): persuaded by someone to believe in or do sth

Her colleagues were swayed by her speech into supporting the plan.

Captivating=Intriguing=Enrapture=Enthrall=Fascinating=Exciting=Absorbing

Contentious=Controversial=Debatable=Argumentative: causing, involving, or likely to

cause disagreement and argument
The question of how to teach history in a digital age is often contentious.

Self-styled: claim a name or title

Television news appears to be full of self-styled "experts".

Rhetoric: speech or writing intended to be effective and influence people

he is using a common figure of rhetoric, hyperbole.

Abysmally: in a really extreme and bad way deep down

It was an abysmally poor interview.

Affable=cordial: friendly and pleasant

She was quite affable at the meeting

Deprived=underprivileged: lack of basic material

She had a deprived childhood from a deprived background.
Destitute=Impoverished: extremely poor
The floods left thousands of people destitute.

Dexterous: showing or having skill, especially with the hands

A good goalkeeper have to be swift and dexterous.

Elaborate=complex=complicated: careful detail or many detailed parts

An elaborated fireworks display.

Evocative: making you remember or imagine something pleasant (evoke)

The evocative song.

Imposing: grand and impressive in appearance.

She has an imposing presence on stage.

Mind-boggling: difficult to imagine or understand, confusing

She was paid the mind-boggling sum of ten million dollars for that film.

Channel: direct toward sth or a particular object

Advertisers channel money into radio.

Mandate (n): the authority given to an elected group of people, such as a government
The government will be seeking a fresh mandate from the people.

Outlay=expenses=expenditure=spending: an amount of money spent for a particular

purpose (investment)
Few are able to afford the cash outlay.
Retrofit: to install (new or modified parts or equipment) in something previously
manufactured or constructed
Retrofitting the structures proved costly and time-consuming.

Pulverize=crush=pound: to press or crush something until it becomes powder or a soft

mass
pulverized coal/bones.

Levelize: to cause to remain at the same level

Levelized cost of energy.

Mendacity=deceit: the act of not telling the truth

Politicians are often accused of mendacity.

Castigate=criticize=denounce=decry
Health inspectors castigated the kitchen staff for poor standards of cleanliness.

Certitude=certainty: the state of being certain or confident

It is impossible to predict the outcome of the negotiations with any degree of
certitude.

Blockage: something that stops something else passing through

His death was caused by a blockage in one of his arteries.

Specificity=characteristic: a typical or noticeable quality of someone or something

Unfortunately, a big nose is a family specificity.
Polygraph: lie detector
The long and controversial history of the polygraph.

Emphatically=adamantly=assertively: in a forceful, decisive way

Johnson emphatically denied the allegations against him.

Entomology: The scientific study of insects

Coax=instigate=prompt=provoke=incite=induce: to cause sth happen by set of actions

growers and scientists are working together to instigate new practices.

Elicit: to get or produce something, especially information or a reaction

The teacher elicits answer of definitions from the students.

Devise: to invent a plan, system, object,..etc (intelligence or imagination)

He's good at devising language games.

Precipitous: dangerously high or steep

He has taken a precipitous fall from being one of the game's top players.

Anecdotal: not necessarily true or reliable, based on personal accounts rather than facts
or research.
The US government used to claim UFO footage was merely anecdotal evidence.

Feed into/fuel to: to have an influence on the development of something

The report's findings will feed into company policy.
Emulation: the process of copying something achieved by someone else and trying to
do it as well as they have.
Much of what the company did was commendable and worthy of emulation.

Culprit= perpetrator=criminal: someone who has done something wrong

Police hope the public will help them to find the culprits.

Operative: working or being used

The agreement will not become operative until all members have signed.

Along: With, do together

Paleolithic humans in Europe along kill the big animals.

Hail:
1) call in order to attract attention (hail a taxi)
2) Praise or show approval
His invention has been hailed as one of the most notorious invention in the
history.
3) Ice rain

Vagary=whim: an unexpected and inexplicable change (in a situation or in someone's

behavior)
The vagary of weather.

Marvel: to show or experience great surprise or admiration

Tourists marvel at the panoramic view.

Harbor=contemplate=ruminate=mull over(v): to think about or feel something (usually

for a long)
He's been harboring a grudge against her.
Supplement: something that is added to something else in order to improve it or
complete it
Classes provides a supplement to my main knowledge.

Misgiving (n): feeling of doubt about the future event

I felt a sense of misgiving at the prospect of the new scheme.

Allure (of): the quality of being attractive, exciting or interesting

The allure of working in television.

Behold: to see or look at someone or something

The new bridge is an incredible sight to behold.

Galloping: increasing or developing at a very fast rate that cannot be controlled

Africa’s galloping inflation.

Undermine=undercut=impair: make someone/sth less powerful, weaker

Criticism just undermines their confidence.

Sound: showing or based on good judgment

That was a sound move.

Endow=bestow: to have a particular quality or feature

Some lucky people are endowed with both brains and beauty.

Avert=obviate=do away=cop out=fend/ward/stave off=steer clear (of): prevent sth or

someone
Management and unions are trying to avert the strike.
Undercut: to damage something or to make it fail
He suspected it was an attempt to undercut his authority.

Inextricable: unable to be separated or escaped from

the past and the present are inextricable.

Inundate (with)=overwhelm (with): to give someone so much work or so many things

that they cannot deal with it all
We have been inundated with requests for help.

Causal: a relationship, link, etc. between two things in which one causes the other
The causal relationship between poverty and disease.

Degree of: has a small but significant amount of that quality

Their wages do, however, allow them a degree of independence.

Standoff=deadlock=come to a dead end: a situation in which agreement in an argument

does not seem possible.
The battle of wills between teacher and student was a standoff.

Savvy=know-how: practical knowledge and ability

Business savvy or business know-how

Conviction:
1) the act of officially finding someone guilty
The conviction of the three demonstrators
2) a strong opinion or belief
 Religious/moral convictions

Postulate=speculate: to suggest a theory, idea

Ptolemy, who postulated that the earth was at the centre of the universe

Arouse=Spark: to cause the start of something, especially an argument or fighting

This proposal will almost certainly spark another countrywide debate about
immigration

Advocate=endorse=concur=agree with: to publicly support or suggest an idea,

development, or way of doing something
He advocates the return of capital punishment

Encroachment on=invasion of=intrusion into: the act of gradually taking away sth of
someone (rights, control, work,…)
The new censorship laws are serious encroachments on freedom of expression

Agent: a person or thing that produces a particular effect or change (factor)

Other material that acts as a binding agent

Acquisition: the process of getting something or repurchase sth

The acquisition of huge amounts of data

Propensity=disposition=predisposition=tendency (to): likely to behave in a particular

way, especially a bad way (have a tendency toward/inclined toward)
her father a propensity to talk too much

Concur: be of the same opinion, agree (though concede a -> still concur b)
the authors concurred with the majority
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Rest on: rely on, depend on
All our hopes rested on one man

Detention: force someone to stay in a place (detain, imprison)

A suspect has been detained by the police for questioning

Envisage: contemplate or conceive of as a possibility or a desirable future event

It's envisaged that building will start at the end of this year

Shortcoming: a fault/failure to reach a particular standard

Like any political system, it has its shortcomings.

Pledge: a serious or formal promise

All the candidates have given/made pledges not to raise taxes

Sparingly: in small amounts, or without wasting any (enough, adequate)

She created a natural look, using makeup sparingly

Push too far: behave in a way that upsets or annoys people

The government has pushed its citizens too far with the latest legislation

Spatially: in a way that relates to the position, area, and size of things
the species composition varies spatially across the reserve

Thematically: based on a theme

The pictures were arranged thematically
Threads: a story or way that sth develops, one part connecting with another (sred)
the main thread of the film is the development of the relationship

Multiplicity=abundance (of): a large number or wide range

There is a multiplicity of fashion magazines to choose from

Diversity: different types of sth/someone being included in a particular thing; a range of

different things or people
ethnic and cultural diversity of a country

Fend for: to take care of and provide for yourself without depending on anyone
Now that the children are old enough to fend for themselves

Din: a loud, unpleasant confused noise that lasts for a long time
the din of the traffic

Droplet: small drop of liquid

Droplet infection is an infectious disease caused by whooping cough or sneezing.

Dismay=dismal: a feeling of unhappiness, disappointment, crestfallen or dingy

The fans watched in/with dismay as their team lost 4–0.

Seismic shift (in): great change

There has been a seismic shift in his attitude ever since receiving the superior’s
incentives.
Prospect: the idea of something that will or might happen in the future
I'm very excited at the prospect of seeing her again

Outset: negative beginning

I told him at/from the outset I wasn't interested

Conducive for/to=contributive for=good for: providing the right conditions for something
good to happen or exist
A quiet room is a more conducive atmosphere for studying

Rectify=correct: make sth right

Every effort is made to rectify any errors before the book is printed

Deviate: to change from the usual way, or to go in a different direction

He never deviated from his strict vegetarian diet

Relentless=ceaseless=incessant: continuing in a severe or extreme way

Relentless criticism

Scale up: to increase the size, amount, or importance of something

The proportion of Australians using the internet scaled up in the next quarter.

Unorthodox=unconventional: different from what is usual or expected in behaviour,

ideas, methods
He has an unorthodox teaching style

Uneven=bumpy=rugged: not flat ; not equal or level

Be careful of the uneven paving stones on that path
Immense=tremendous=enormous=colossal=massive: extremely large in size or degree
He inherited an immense fortune
Overpower: outplay, defeat someone with greater strength or power:
The gunman was finally overpowered by three security guards.

Preside over: to be in charge of a formal meeting/ceremony/trial

Judge Langdale is to preside over the official enquiry into the case.

Bind:
1) tie something or someone tightly or to fasten something
Bind together the two broken ends.
2) to unite people or to make them feel that they share something
The things that bind them together are greater than their differences

Spearhead: to lead a course of action or attack

Joe Walker will be spearheading our new marketing initiative.

Wired to: programmed, deemed, supposed to do sth

The flash trigger is wired to the shutter mechanism

Buck the trend: develop in a unusual, opposite trend

This company is the only one to have bucked the trend of a declining industry.

Belittle=denigrate=disparage: underrate, undervalue someone or sth

Stop belittling yourself, your work is highly perceived

Anchor: someone or something that gives support when needed

 She was my anchor when things were difficult for me

Stern=stringent=rigorous: severe, hard or showing disapproval

a stern look

Spectacle: an intriguing, unusual or unexpected event or situation

It was a strange spectacle to see the two former enemies shaking hands

Agenda: list of feasible achievement in the future

Women's rights have been put back on the agenda

Delude (into): to make someone believe something that is not true

No company should be deluded into believing this method to be assured of
success

Muddle: an untidy or confused state

The documents were in a muddle

Whereby: by which way or method

We need to devise some sort of system whereby people can liaise with each
other

Magnitude of: size or importance of sth

Magnitude of the language barrier

Cop out: to avoid doing sth promised

She copped out of the parachute jump at the last minute
Upkeep: preserve sth in good condition:
 The upkeep of larger old properties is very expensive.

Overshoot: to exceed the end of sth (without intending to)

the department may overshoot its cash limit

Gripping (adj): firmly holding the attention or interest; exciting (grip)

a gripping TV thriller

Stride: an important or positive development:

The West made impressive strides in improving energy efficiency

Exhilarating=exciting=breathtaking: an exhilarating walk in the mountains

It was exhilarating, being out in the open air

Derogatory=deprecating: showing insulting, disapproval, unrespectful

He made some derogatory comment

Depreciation: decrease in the value of an asset

What causes depreciation in a car's value

Circumvent: to avoid cleverly or illegally

It was always possible to circumvent the regulations

Dismally: sad and without hope

The project failed dismally, embarrassingly and totally

Internalize=instill: to accept or absorb an idea, opinion, belief, etc.

 to internalize the values of democracy

Time-waster: an activity that takes a lot of time and does not achieve anything important
The internet has replaced television as the biggest time-waster ever invented.

Buffeted: hit something repeatedly and with great force

The little boat was buffeted mercilessly by the waves.

Assortment of=array of=spectrum of: a group of different types of something

An assortment of vegetables

Novelty-seeking: looking for sth novel,

Adolescent subjects present higher level of novelty seeking in comparison with
adults.

Flee: to escape by running away, especially because of danger or fear

She fled (from) the room in tears

Blight=taint=inflict=spoil: damage the quality, taste, or value of something

A broken leg blighted her chances of winning the championship.

Adept=expert=master=skilled (at/in): having a skilled ability to do sth or master at it

She's very adept at dealing with the media

Inkling of=vague idea of: a feeling that something is true or likely to happen
He must have had some inkling of what was happening.

Nix=veto: reject, cancel or refuse sth constitutionally or by law

 The film studio nixed her plans to make a sequel

Splurge=spree: spending spree extravagantly

I'd splurged about $2,500 on clothes

Bewitch=enchant: to attract or interest someone a lot so that you have the power to
influence them
He was bewitched by her beauty

Prop up: to lift and give support to something

The government refuses to prop up inefficient industries.

Fallout: the adverse side effects/results of a situation

He blamed the political fallout from the scandal

A crushing blow to: severe defeat or setback that is devasting

His loss would be a crushing blow to Liverpool's title hopes

Flit=flee: fly, move quickly and lightly

In the fading light we saw bats flitting around

Exuberance: the quality of being full of energy, excitement, and cheerfulness

A sense of youthful exuberance

Pertinent=topic-related: relating directly to the subject being considered

She asked me a lot of very pertinent questions

Inept (at/in): unskilled or ineffective

 He was always rather inept at sport

Focal=central
The focal figure of the movie

Equate=commensurate (with): Consider sth equally to another

He equates money with happiness.

Holistic: the whole or thorough of sth

My doctor takes a holistic approach to disease

Leverage: to use something that you already have in order to achieve something new or
better
We can gain a market advantage by leveraging our network of partners

Spoon-feeding: give someone so much help that they does not need to endeavor
The teachers spoon-fed us with what we needed for the exam.