Vocabulary, Spring 2009: 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.

Words or sections marked with (=) are the most important.

Most of the “most important” words will be on the exam. Some of the other terms will 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 put information together

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

Basic Concepts of Culture

=layover: the time you must wait at an airport between flights, when traveling on more than one airplane

Students should also learn these terms:

      =cognitive: related to knowledge, logic and wisdom

      =affective: related to feelings and aesthetics

      =evaluative: related to values and allegiances

      =arthritis: a medical condition, wherein the joints are stiff or painful (关节炎)

      =acupuncture: a traditional Chinese medical treatment using needles (针刺)

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

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)

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

Finding Forrester

=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.

Dr. Krigline’s Listening Exercise

=social worker: someone trained to give advice or practical help to a community or needy people in that community

=case: a person or patient in the care of a doctor, social worker, etc.; esp the ongoing situation of such a person (case management refers to a system for taking care of patients or clients over a period of time)

NSC: abbreviation for the Neighborhood Service Center (a fictional social services center in this exercise)

=services: the types of help offered to clients, normally related to thing you do (classes, referrals, advice), not goods (i.e., things you buy)

=client: a person (or another company) who your company serves or advises

Celsius: the temperature scale used in many countries, wherein water freezes at 0 degrees and boils at 100°; also called Centigrade, and abbreviated “C.” Americans use the Fahrenheit (“F”) scale, wherein water freezes at 32° and boils at 212°

=clinic: a medical facility for outpatients (those who don’t have to spend the night in the hospital); also a special session for practical instruction—esp. for improving sports skills

=hygiene: common practices (such as washing one’s hands and throwing out trash) that make you and your environment clean, esp. to prevent illness

=Questions for the class (the last two are the most important):

¨       How did you feel during the meeting?

¨       Why? What did the other person do that irritated you?

¨       When I called “time” to end the meeting, how did you feel? Did you want more time to make your point, or were you glad the role play was over?

¨       Were you thinking about the judge’s role? How did it feel to have someone listening?

¨       What were the signs of frustration?

¨       What could people have done to make the meeting run smoother?

Other important terms

On the exam, I may give you a short paragraph without punctuation marks. You have to add them. I highly recommend that you know the names of these punctuation marks (and how to use them).

’ 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)

The final exam will (probably) have these sections:

Dictation                                                          Choose the Correct Response

Matching (verbs)                                             Matching (punctuation)

Short Answer                                                  Content (Improving your studies)

Matching (vocabulary)                                     Multiple Choice (Forrester)

Use the Correct Verb Form                            Short Answer

Synonyms

Content (Improving your studies)                   I expect the exam to be five pages.

Using Vocabulary in a Paragraph

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