04/24 Midterm Test

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Words of a day

4/20

‧temerarious (adj.) [͵tɛməˋrɛrɪəs]

a.       reckless; rash

e.g.: What you did tonight was half-witted and temerarious.

‧comical (adj.) [ˋkɑmɪk!]

a.       amusing, especially in a ludicrous or absurd way

e.g.: He looked so comical in that hat.

‧insane (adj.) [ɪnˋsen]

a.       mentally ill

e.g.: For the last ten years of his life he was clinically insane.

b.      extremely unreasonable or stupid

‧formidable (adj.) [ˋfɔrmɪdəb!]

a.       causing you to have fear or respect for something or someone because that thing or person is large, powerful, or difficult

‧prescient (adj.) [ˋprɛʃɪənt]

a.       knowing or suggesting correctly what will happen in the future

4/21

‧prototype (n.) [ˋprotə͵taɪp]

a.       the first example of something, such as a machine or other industrial product, from which all later forms are developed

‧tangible (adj.) [ˋtændʒəb!]

a.       real and not imaginary; able to be shown, touched, or experienced

e.g.: We need tangible evidence if we're going to take legal action.

‧slate (n.) [slet]

a.       a dark grey rock that can be easily divided into thin pieces, or a small, thin piece of this used to cover a roof

b.      a small computer with a screen that you can write on using a special pen

c.       in the past, a small, thin, rectangular piece of slate (= rock), usually in a wooden frame, used for writing on, especially by children

d.      the group of people who are chosen by a particular party to take part in an election

‧tempt (v.) [tɛmpt] 

a.       to make someone want to have or do something, especially something that is unnecessary or wrong

e.g.: The offer of free credit tempted her into buying a new car.

‧initiative (n.) [ɪˋnɪʃətɪv]

a.       a new plan or process to achieve something or solve a problem

e.g.: The peace initiative was welcomed by both sides.

4/22

‧chimney (n.) [ˋtʃɪmnɪ ]

a.       a hollow structure that allows the smoke from a fire inside a building to escape to the air outside

e.g.: Factory chimneys belched dense white smoke into the sky.

‧dim (adj.) [dɪm]

a.       not giving or having much light

e.g.: The lamp gave out a dim light.

b.      something that you remember slightly, but not very well

e.g.: I had a dim recollection of having met her before.

c.       not very clever

e.g.: He's a nice guy, but a little dim.

‧ghastly (adj.) [ˋgæstlɪ]

a.       unpleasant and shocking

e.g.: Today's newspaper gives all the ghastly details of the murder.

b.      extremely bad

e.g.: What ghastly weather!

c.       If someone looks ghastly, they look very ill or very shocked, especially with a very pale face

e.g.: You look ghastly - are you okay?

‧spade (n.) [sped ]

a.       a tool used for digging especially soil or sand, with a long handle and a flat blade

e.g.: The kids took their buckets and spades to the beach.

b.      one of the four suits in playing cards, which has one or more black symbols like a pointed leaf with a short stem

c.       one of the four suits in playing cards, which has one or more black symbols like a pointed leaf with a short stem

e.g.: Don't you have any spades?

‧bleak (adj.) [ blik ]

a.       If a place is bleak, it is empty, and not welcoming or attractive

e.g.: The house stands on a bleak, windswept hilltop.

b.      bleak weather is cold and unpleasant.

c.       if a situation is bleak, there is little or no hope for the future

e.g.: The economic outlook is bleak.

4/23

‧precept (n.) [ˋprisɛpt]

a.       a rule for action or behaviour, especially obtained from moral thought

e.g.: This policy goes against common precepts of decency.

‧presence (n.) [ˋprɛzns]

a.       the fact that someone or something is in a place

e.g.: He's usually quite polite in my presence.

b.      a feeling that someone is still in a place although they are not there or are dead

e.g.: His daughter's presence seemed to fill her empty bedroom.

c.       a group of police or soldiers who are watching or controlling a situation

d.      a quality that makes people notice or admire you, even when you are not speaking

‧lavish (adj.) [ˋlævɪʃ]

a.       large in quantity and expensive or impressive

e.g.: The lavish production makes this musical truly memorable.

b.      very generous

e.g.: The critics were lavish in their praise for the paintings.

‧pretentious (adj.) [prɪˋtɛnʃəs]

a.       trying to appear or sound more important or clever than you are, especially in matters of art and literature

e.g.: The novel deals with grand themes, but is never heavy or pretentious.

‧mischievous (adj.) [ˋmɪstʃɪvəs]

a.       behaving in a way, or describing behaviour, that is slightly bad but is not intended to cause serious harm or damage

e.g.: She has a mischievous sense of humour.

b.      expressing or suggesting mischief

c.       used to describe behaviour or words that are intended to cause harm or trouble

e.g.: I think these rumours are mischievous.

4/24

‧foster (v.) [ˋfɔstɚ]

a.       to take care of a child, usually for a limited time, without being the child's legal parent

‧embark (v.) [ɪmˋbɑrk]

a.       to go onto a ship

e.g.: We embarked at Liverpool for New York.

‧pompous (adj.) [ˋpɑmpəs]

a.       too serious and full of importance

e.g.: He's a pompous old prig who's totally incapable of taking a joke.

‧minister (n.) [ˋmɪnɪstɚ]

a.       a member of the government in Britain and many other countries who is in charge of a particular department or has an important position in it

b.      a religious leader in certain Christian churches

‧hereditary (adj.) [həˋrɛdə͵tɛrɪ]

a.       (of characteristics or diseases) passed from the genes of a parent to a child, or (of titles and positions in society) passed from parent to a child as a right

e.g.: It is a hereditary title, so Mark Howard will become Sir Mark Howard on his father's death.