English Listening/Speaking for
Sophomores--Fall 2011 & Spring 2012
Instructor: Mr.
Michael Krigline, MA Xiamen University,
International Economics and Trade
www.krigline.com.cn
Click "refresh"
in your browser to be sure that you load the most recent version of this
page; I may change things before quiz/exam time.
Quick links:
Spring term vocabulary (or scroll down toward
the bottom)
Vocabulary and Key Topics (to help with exam review)
=bold
shows one-word
synonyms (be sure you know how to spell both words)
SA=things to
study, which may require a “Short Answer” on the quiz/exam
*key terms
Fall Semester
For young Chinese, an English
name can be Super
*abbreviation: a short form of
a word (etc. for etcetera/and so forth), expression (i.e. for “that is”),
title (Dr. for Doctor), name (NBA for National Basketball Association),
and so forth (缩写,
缩略词)
astrological: related to the
stars and their influence on people
(Chinese) character: a single
Chinese pictograph (汉字)
circulated: to be sent around
(a class, etc)
*connotation: the feeling or
idea suggested by a word
to enroll: sign up to enter (a
college, etc)
*esp.: abbreviation for
“especially”
*Mandarin: the majority “Han”
Chinese language
phonetic: related to the sounds
of speech
pitfalls: hazards, serious
problems
=pragmatic: practical
*quirky: unusual
(and often humorous or interesting)
*rite of passage: important
event as sb grows up
=routinely: normally
*to rub shoulders: to spend
time with sb, esp someone important or famous
sages: sb who is very wise,
esp. with traditional wisdom
*to snap up: quickly select or
take
swells: grow quickly (like a
wave)
*synonym: a word with the same
meaning as another word (often shown in bold type in this booklet)
*urban: in a city
*to adopt: to formally accept
sth in a permanent way (eg adopting a child)
She Recalls, He Forgets: True
or False?
=the big picture: an overall,
general view of things; a situation viewed from an outside, general
perspective
=colleagues: co-workers
=gender: general term for
male/female (whether people, animals, language components, etc)
a sharp (memory): not fuzzy;
clear & vivid; detailed
spatial: a relationship in
terms of the position, size or shape of things. e.g., how odd-shaped
objects look from different angles or the route from place to place
statistically small: a
"statistic" is numerical information, so "statistically small" means "an
insignificant number of times" (5% at the most)
=the upper hand: an advantage;
a more powerful position
a weak link in the chain: a
part that isn't as strong as other parts, like a "weak link" in a chain
Vocabulary for “quotes about
peace” lesson
=disposition: temperament;
one’s character traits that influence behavior
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
*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.
*liberal arts:
academic subjects such as languages, literature, history, philosophy,
mathematics, and the sciences
*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
*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)
*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
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.”)
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)
professional schools: academic
institutions that prepare advanced students for certain professions, in
particular law, business, and medicine)
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)
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)
Don’t forget to study the
“Educational definition exercise”
Answers: a1, k2, e3, f4, g5,
c6, i7, j8, d9, h10, b11
Improving Your Study Methods
=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,
or 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
English punctuation marks
’ apostrophe; friends,
friend’s
* asterisk or star
( ) (AmE) parenthesis,
parentheses
(BrE) rounded
brackets
[ ] (AmE) brackets (BrE)
square brackets
: colon
;
semi-colon
! exclamation point
. period
, comma
/ slash
? question mark
“ ” quotation marks
‘ ’ (AmE) single quotation
marks
… ellipsis
- hyphen
-- (or –) dash
underline
(a line under text for emphasis)
italics (text in this format for emphasis)
Finding Forrester
Don’t forget to look at the
notes about things like Ebonics and cussing.
=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. 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
minutes 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
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
=scholarship: (奖学金)
when sb pays some/all of the educational expenses for gifted students or
athletes
Growing Up vs. Growing Old
and
Ten Tips on How to Stay Young
=beaming/to beam: to smile
happily
=funeral: a ceremony in honor
of sb who recently died
to grieve: to feel very sad,
esp after a loved one has died
a guilt trip: to feel guilt
(shame/sadness because you did sth wrong) about something, esp. when that
feeling is unreasonable or unnecessary ("My mom's letters always put me on
a guilt trip for not becoming a politician like she always wanted me to
be.")
=icon: [c] a symbol of sth, esp
one that is well-known (e.g., the Nike "swoosh," "Wal-Mart" as a big
store)
=idle: not working, or at least
not working to produce anything (like a car that is waiting at a traffic
light)
=keepsakes: small objects you
keep to remind you of someone or someplace
mesmerized: be very fascinated
by sth; to be so interested in sth/sb that it is hard to pull away
milkshake: (AmE) a thick, cold,
sweet drink, made from milk, ice cream and fruit or chocolate (奶昔)
=podium: a raised area where
speakers stand to teach
=to revel in sth: to enjoy sth
very much
refuge: a place of protection
(from rain, snow, thieves, foreign soldiers, etc.)
=regrets: feelings of sadness
because of sth that you wish had happened differently; to "have no
regrets" you must live in a state of forgiveness
=to take one's breath away: to
be very beautiful, exciting or surprising
=in tribute to sb: to express
admiration, praise, or respect
wrinkle: lines or folds that
show age (in a face, clothes, etc)
UA (Akron) Students Spend
Spring Break Helping New Orleans
sultry: hot and wet-feeling
=volunteer/volunteering [adj,
n, v]: sb who chooses to do something to help others, or the act of
providing this help (often without pay, or doing a task that others don’t
want to do).
relief efforts: work organized
to help after a disaster
=ravaged: badly damaged
=nonprofit (group): an
organization that uses its money or resources to help needy people
(instead of investors, etc)
=to renovate: to make useful
again; to fix a room, building or other structure in a “like-new,” useful
way
=to defray (costs): (normally
passive) to pay on behalf of another, esp. when sb is unable to pay for
something needed
=auction: a sale where people
compete for items by offering higher and higher prices
rustic: rough or simple, like
sth used long ago or away from civilization
bunking: sleeping
=tgratifying:
satisfying
The Foundation for Lifelong
Love
it is murder: it is extremely
difficult (colloquial)
*passion (passionately): a very
strong belief or feeling, especially a deep feeling of sexual love
*intolerable: so bad that it is
beyond your ability to accept or deal with
to alter: to change or adjust,
esp. to change just a little or little by little
*courtship: the time that a man
& woman get to know each other before marriage
to plague sb: to deeply annoy
sb, esp for a long time
honeymoon: a short vacation
couples often take right after they are married
red flags: (AmE) something that
alerts you about a problem or danger (a red flag is also an international
symbol of communism, but Americans often use it idiomatically to mean a
warning sign)
flaws: imperfections
(such as the mistakes in pottery [陶器]
or art)
*spouse: husband or wife
*quirky: unusual (and
often humorous or interesting)
impulsive: done without much
thought (esp. of the problems one's actions might create)
newlyweds: people who have
recently been married (usually less than a year)
core values: your central or
deepest ideas about what is right and wrong, or what is important in life
non-negotiable: sth you are not
willing to change or discuss, such as a final price offer or a core value
*move in: to change your
address, esp. when entering someone else's home (搬家)
("After I lost my job, I had to move in with my parents.")
*data: information or facts
ultimate: most important
(because it is the biggest, final, highest, most difficult, etc.)
*to resolve: to make a
definite, unchangeable decision after much thought ("Tom resolved to stop
smoking after his surgery.")
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 away
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 also sell
clothes and other things, but if you say “I’m going to the supermarket”
people will think you are going to buy food
Dear Abby
(and giving advice)
=to be expecting: pregnant; to
have a baby growing inside you
=precautions: what you do to
prevent sth dangerous or unpleasant from happening ("to take precautions"
against pregnancy could mean to use a condom or take birth-control pills)
=desperate: wanting sth very
much, even to the point where you will do almost anything to get it
=to rush: to do sth quickly or
too quickly
to get to the bottom of sth: to
work in order to find out the cause of a problem or situation
=void: an empty space,
physically or emotionally
to have a way to go: to need to
make many changes or improvements
=altar: a special area in front
of a church, such as the place where a pastor (牧师)
joins people in marriage
the new arrival: your baby
to prevent a "surprise": to
keep from getting pregnant before you are ready
Giving advice
(sample sentences):
If I were you, I
would… …stop smoking. …talk to a teacher about this.
I think you should…
…study harder. …participate in more extracurricular activities, like
sports.
Why don’t you try…
…studying in the library instead of the dorm? …getting a massage?
Have you considered… …this
problem from her perspective? …a career in dancing?
I will not include any
vocabulary from “Are Men Like Dogs?” on the test.
Sherlock Holmes – The Blind
Banker
*acrobatics/acrobat: skillful
movements that require great balance or dexterity, like
jumping/flipping through the air or balancing on a rope
*antiquities: things made in
ancient times
ASBO: (BrE) anti-social
behaviour order; a court order saying not to go somewhere or not to see
particular people, given after being found guilty of destructive behavior
like painting graffiti or hitting someone. “I was just holding your
paint but they’re giving me an ASBO!”
*assassin: someone paid to
intentionally kill someone (often in connection with organized
crime/mob/tong activity)
*astute= clever:
quickly able to gain a deep understanding of what you see, esp. so you can
see how this gives you an advantage
*to break in/broke in: to
illegally enter a place, often through a window. This can also be a noun
*burnished: polished or
improved so that it shines; “In some pots, the clay has been burnished by
tea made over 400 years ago.”
Chip and PIN: a brand name for
“smartcards” (bank cards with an electronic chip) in the UK (although
common since 2005 in the UK, such cards are not widely used in the US)
cipher: a system of secret
writing (or code)
to be compromised: to be
revealed or changed in an unwanted or dangerous way (one’s health,
security information, or safety equipment can all be compromised)
*to cover for sb: to do someone
else’s work because he/she is absent (cover sometimes also has the
connotation of “to protect”)
curio: a small keepsake/object,
thought to be interesting or unusual
*detective: sb whose job is to
discover information about crime (many work as police officers, though
“private detectives” work independently)
*dexterity: advanced skill and
speed in doing something (esp with your hands). “We’re looking for an
assassin who can climb, who can shin up a rope. Where else would you find
that level of dexterity?”
*disguise: something that
changes the way you look to hide who you are, how you feel, etc.; the act
of doing this
*flat=apartment
(BrE, coll)
*forensic
(science/medicine/techniques): related to scientific methods used to find
or understand clues related to crime
*graffiti: words or pictures on
walls or other public spaces, painted there without permission “That
graffiti was a message to someone.”
*incentive: sth that encourages
you to study or work harder (such as a promised reward)
*inquisitive= curious;
keenly interested and asking many questions
locum: (BrE) professional who
temporarily fills in for someone absent
*mundane= boring;
ordinary and not interesting
peckish: (BrE coll) hungry for
a snack. “He stopped on his way because he got peckish.” (AmE: “…he had
the munchies.”)
*physician= doctor
(formal term)
(had) a row: (BrE coll) had an
angry argument (esp with a friend or relative)
*sarcastic/sarcasm: saying
things that are the opposite of what you mean, in order to make an unkind
joke or to show that you are annoyed
*to season/seasoned: to use
spices, tea, etc. AND time, in order to give something a special taste,
color or feeling. “The tea pot is seasoned by repeatedly pouring tea over
the surface.”
*serial (form, number, etc.):
one after the other, often depending on the one before; broken into parts
for publication
*smuggler: sb who takes
something illegally from one country to another.
*synopsis: a summary of the
main events in a book, movie, etc
surgery: (BrE) a place where
dental/medical patients are treated/seen (AmE: a doctor’s office or
medical clinic)
villian: in a story, this is an
evil character or a troublemaker we are not supposed to like
A Christmas Carol
*(to be) abandoned: to be left
somewhere without help, resources, or a way to get out (the connotation of
this term includes sadness and/or hopelessness)
apathy: an “I don’t care”
attitude; a general lack of interest that often results in people being
unwilling to work for needed change
apprenticeship: a time when you
are learning a job from someone who is experienced (like an internship)
to berate: to speak in anger to
someone because they have done something wrong
boarding school: a school (with
a dormitory) for children, so they live there and study there
*coal: a hard black mineral
that is often burned to create heat or steam
*crutch: a stick used to help
someone walk (e.g., because of a leg injury); something that gives support
or help
defensive: speaking (or acting)
in a way to defend or protect oneself (esp. when being criticized)
*garments= clothes
*generous: describes someone
who often willingly gives (time, money, help) to others, esp. to those in
need
*glimpse: a short experience of
or look at sth that helps you to begin to understand it
the grave: death (in general),
or a place where dead people continue to exist
humbug: nonsense; a negative
term to describe something as nonsense or deceptive (esp. how Scrooge
feels about Christmas in this story)
*idiot: an offensive term to
insult someone’s intelligence
*ignorance: a lack of education
or understanding
*malice: a hateful desire to
cause harm
miser (miserly): a greedy,
selfish person who loves money but hates to spend it (in English,
“scrooge” has become a synonym for “miser”)
*to mourn: to show great
sadness or respect for someone who has died
the poorhouse/workhouse: a
place (in 19th century England) where very poor people could
live and work (often long hours, with little pay, in terrible conditions)
shush!: used to tell sb to be
quiet
*simile: an implied comparison
using like or as (e.g., as sly as a fox, he thinks
like Scrooge)
*surplus= extra, and
often unneeded
*tact (tactless): tact is the
ability to speak carefully about something, so as not to offend or
embarrass the people around you (tactless people often embarrass or
upset others)
*to vow: to promise in a very
strong way (often meaning "a solemn promise to God")
*want / to be in want [formal]:
need, lack / to be in need or to lack sth
Phrases/sayings:
(to be) still in force: to
continue to exist (e.g., a law or invitation that hasn’t been canceled)
*it’s all he can afford: he
doesn’t have money to do any more than this
*hold your tongue: do not talk;
be quiet; shush
SA—Be able to talk about “readers’ theater”; what is it,
and how can doing role plays or presenting dramas help one’s English?
Spring semester
Commentary: Student’s
choice: to study or not
*merit pay: extra pay/salary
based on praise-worthy (i.e., good) results (e.g., if all your students
pass a certain test, or if all of your patient become well after
treatment)
*sb’s fault: means that sb is
responsible for a problem (because he/she made a mistake, failed to do the
right thing, etc.)
*ill-conceived: poorly
thought-out; a plan, goal, etc. that is not likely to succeed
Valentine’s Day
to transplant: to move sth from
one place to another (implication: this is not “easy” since the
transplanted plant/body part/family may suffer in the process)
*precise=exact;
clearly expressed
*to execute (execution): to
kill someone with the authority of a ruler, government, gang leader, etc.
*to urge: to strongly ask
(often in hope of getting sb to act in a positive way)
paramount: of first importance
the Milky Way: a faint band of
stars (actually caused by looking toward the outside of our dish-like
galaxy, called the Milky Way galaxy)
*sentiments (often plural): an
expression of one’s feelings, emotion or opinion
*to make a big deal of sth: to
treat sth as especially important when many others consider it less
important
*jewelry: small things like
rings, earrings and bracelets that people wear for decoration (金刚石?)
*edible=eatable
*sacred=holy;
of the utmost value according to religious teachings (the opposite of
“secular”)
The Problem-Solving Model
*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)
*Giving advice and
problem-solving exercise
If we are going to fix the …
problem, we should…
If people think … is a big
problem, then…
I think we should… to solve
this problem.
I recommend (verb+ing)…
[telling, starting, selling, investing in…]
It’s best to…
It’s generally a good idea to…
I would advise that we first…,
then…
To ease this situation, I would
suggest (verb+ing)… [telling, starting, hiring…]
If I were having this problem,
I’d feel…
If I was in this situation, I
would…
In order to fix this, we should
make sure…
If it was up to me, I’d…
I think we ought to…
Why doesn’t the city just…(do
sth simple)
In my opinion, the best thing
to do is…
I suggest that they try (verb+ing)…
[telling, starting, creating, building…]
One idea is to…
Stress is a laughing matter
*“is no laughing matter”:
[idiom] is serious. “Pollution is no laughing matter.” (i.e., it’s a
serious problem)
*to follow suit: to do the same
thing, esp in a card game when you have to play the same “suit” (heart,
diamond, spade or club) as others
*spontaneous: instant and
automatic
*bouts: incidences or episodes
of a problem
exhaustion: extreme tiredness
*backbone: the rows of bones
down the middle of your back; something important that gives an
organization strength and structure ("Research is the backbone of
our company.")
*camaraderie: feelings of close
friendship, esp on a team
uninhibited: not restricted
Movie: The Family Man
acid trip: an overdose of drugs
that make you “see things” that are not real
cocky: acting overly proud
eggnog: a drink often
associated with Christmas (like Moon Cakes=Mid Autumn Festival)
*to erase: to remove sth, so
that no one can see it anymore
*fidelity: faithful to one’s
obligations (responsibilities), especially “sexually faithful” to one’s
spouse. (A “high fidelity” recording faithfully/accurately gives you the
true way music originally sounded.)
to flush: to quickly clean or
wash away, like the contents of a toilet
*glimpse: a short experience of
or look at sth that helps you to begin to understand it
gonna (oral English): "going
to" (you should never write the word "gonna" because it is not
really a word)
*heart attack: a sudden,
serious medical condition where someone’s heart stops (many people can
survive these attacks if treated quickly)
*internship: the last step of
professional training after you finish college; a company (like Barclay’s
Bank in London) agrees to train you for a year, while paying you a bit
less than you would earn later. The right internship can make a big
difference in one’s career.
*lotto or lottery: a gambling
game (often state-run) where you buy a ticket in hope of winning money
(you get cash for a winning ticket at a place that sells tickets, and the
store owner gets money, too)
*merger: (e.g., Med Tech &
Global); when two companies combine to become one bigger company; some
mergers are “hostile,” i.e. one of the companies does not want to become
part of the other
*naďve (negative connotation):
innocent but immature; overly optimistic because of a lack of experience
*nonprofit (law firm): a
company created to help needy people (instead of trying to make lots of
money for themselves)
*perk: something you get
legally from your job in addition to wages/salary
a prick (offensive term):
a stupid, unpleasant male who "isn't fun to be around"
*precocious: mature for one’s
age (esp referring to a little child, often in a negative way)
*prejudiced=bigoted:
having strong negative feelings toward everyone of a different race,
religion, political viewpoint, etc., esp. when such prejudice keeps you
from listening to anyone with these differences
*to redeem: to get something
good because someone promised that thing under certain circumstances
(e.g., the government promises to give money in exchange for a winning
lotto ticket; you get 5
元 discount on new shoes if you
“redeem”
a coupon from the newspaper). The noun form is “redemption.”
*stock (or shares of
stock): an investment that lets your “own” part of a company (“Do you own
any stock?” “Yes, I buy shares worth $200 every month, as part of my
retirement savings plan.”)
stock broker: someone who buys
and sells stock for others, earning a percentage of the cost as his fee (EF
Hutton is a famous financial firm)
stock trader: a person or
company that makes money by buying and selling stock, and sometimes by
convincing corporations to merge
*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
wanna (oral English): "want to"
(you should never write the word "wanna" because it is not really a
word)
*wrinkled: a synonym for
“elderly”, referring to the lines or folds that show age on an older
person’s face
Phrases or sayings:
this is bananas: this is crazy
you had your chance: your
(poor) choice/action made you miss a good opportunity
off the charts: extremely good;
“11” on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best)
call the cops: use the phone to
ask for police help
be in the doghouse: indicates
that sb (esp a family member) is annoyed with your recent behavior
you’re off the hook: you will
no longer be considered “to blame” for sth; you have met the requirements
to get out of some duty
*ring a bell: indicates that
you remember sth (Is this ringing a bell? That doesn’t ring any bells.
–i.e., You should remember this—do you? I don’t remember what you’re
talking about.)
tunnel vision: the tendency to
consider only one part of sth. instead of all parts
*you blew it: you missed the
chance for something good
*talk turkey: to talk seriously
about details, esp. in business
*in a nutshell: in summary
an old flame: a former
girlfriend or boyfriend; a past love
a gift with ten zeros:
$10,000,000,000
*to deal with (dealt with): to
handle or solve sth like a problem or need
*to screw up: to make a mistake
news at 11:00: used as if one
is giving a headline for the evening news program, as if to say “they
should talk about this on the TV news”
Business and ethical
principles
The Science of Happiness
1. Happy people remember
good things in their lives.
2. Happy people notice good
things in their lives.
3. Happy people do kind
things.
4. Happy people take the
time to say thank you.
5. Happy people take time
for friends and family.
6. Happy people learn to
forgive.
7. Happy people stay
healthy.
8. Happy people learn to
deal with problems.
Obesity threatens Chinese
people
*[medical] complications:
[countable, plural] unforeseen negative results; additional illnesses
while a patient is already sick
diabetes: too much sugar in the
blood
*disease=illness
*epidemic: a large number of
cases of an illness, occurring at the same time
*incidence of: occurrence of;
number of times sth happens (esp sth bad like disease or crime)
*to indulge: to let yourself
have sth you enjoy but (usually) that is bad for you if you get too much
kilogram: a metric unit of
weight (公斤)
life expectancy: the length of
time sb is expected to live (often expressed as an average for some group
of people, people with a certain disease, etc.)
*nutrition: the content of food
from a health point of view (good nutrition means eating the right mix of
food to get plenty of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and everything else
needed for good health)
*obese, obesity: to be so fat
that it puts health in danger
*onset: start (esp of sth bad
like a disease, winter, “old age,” etc.)
*patient: a sick person, under
the care of a doctor
*physician: doctor (formal
term) make this a synonym next year, like it
was last term!
poverty: the situation or
experience of not having much money; being poor
*proportion: part of sth, in
relation to the whole or to sth else (比例)
*respectively: in the same
order as what you just mentioned (For boys, 14 percent are obese and 13
percent are overweight, with the proportions for girls nine and 11
percent, respectively. That is 9% obese and 11% overweight)
twin: two similar things,
children, etc.
[to be] vulnerable [to]: to be
able to be easily harmed or damaged
*the ______ community: all of
the people associated with a certain job (the medical community, the
academic community, the business community)
Garbage and Pollution: the terrible cost of
development
*garbage=trash (BrE:
rubbish)
*to generate (generated): to
produce or create (often a large amount of sth that is not countable, such
as trash or electricity)
*rural: not in a city; not
urban
*landfill: the garbage dump;
the place where a city puts the trash it collects
*toxic=poisonous
*pathogenic=disease-causing
*organic=natural;
produced by living things, as opposed to things that are man-made
(man-made or inorganic things include chemicals that make plants
grow or kill bugs)
*to contaminate: to do sth that
yields a harmful effect, such as making a river dirty through pollution
combustion: burning, esp to
produce heat or an explosion
*premature: before the normal
time
to consume / consumption: to
use time, energy, goods, etc / the amount of energy, oil, etc., used
microscopic: extremely small,
such as things you can't see without a microscope
*lungs: the organs you use to
breathe (肺脏?)
*respiratory: related to the
lungs or breathing
scarcity: not having enough;
rareness
*chronic: a problem or illness
that lasts a long time, and can't be easily cured
to render (has rendered): to
cause or express something in a particular way (render emphasizes
the resulting condition) (Development has rendered this land
useless. Please render this essay in English. The court rendered
a favorable decision.)
to shrink (has shrunk): to make
smaller, often in a negative way
microorganism: an extremely
small living thing; a microscopic organism
*domestic: within one's own
country (domestic problems), family (domestic violence) or
home (domestic appliances)
blunt: spoken in an honest way,
even if it hurts or offends others (blunt is also the opposite of
sharp)
*to recycle (recycling): to put
used objects or materials through a process so that they can be used again
(Video) Lost Worlds—Life in
the Balance
*abandoned: to leave a place
without intending to return (often because of safety)
next year, add
amphibian: animals that can live both on land and in water (such as
frogs, toads, tadpole)
*bellwether: something that
indicates future development or trends, like the “lead sheep” (with a bell
around its neck) shows the way that all of the sheep that follow it will
go
*diversity=variety,
especially interconnected variety (“Biological diversity is the
variety of interconnecting life that keeps things healthy.”)
carnivorous plants: plants that
“eat meat” (i.e., that live by killing animals, instead of by gaining
nutrition from the soil)
deforestation: to clear
forests; i.e., to cut down too many trees
*dense: tightly packed or close
together; concentrated; not sparse (“Compared to the countryside, the city
is densely populated.”)
dusk: the period after day but
before night
ecosystem: interdependent
creatures and the environment they inhabit and depend on
faucet: the thing that water
comes from in your bathroom (also called a tap)
habitat: the natural conditions
and environment in which a plant or animal lives
inhabitants: those who live in
a certain place.
jaguar: a large cat (like a
leopard), mainly found in the forests of the Americas
kelp: a type of large seaweed,
that supports a wide range of living things
*metropolis: big city. “Beijing
is a densely populated metropolis”
*nursery: pre-kindergarten
school; a place that helps small children/plants/animals to grow and
develop properly (“Kelp is a nursery for spawning fish.”)
next year, add
*offspring=children (esp. when referring to animals)
okay: OK, all right
*to pollute: to make the
environment dirty by dumping waste or smoke into rivers, lakes, or the air
*shallow: not deep, often
referring to water or thinking
*resourceful: able to use
whatever is available, often in un-normal ways, to achieve a goal (“The
soil is very poor, so plants and animals must be resourceful to get
the nutrition they need.”)
restoration: the process of
restoring something or “bringing sth back” that was damaged
to reweave: to weave again; to
reconnect complex things, like the way someone makes cloth or clothes by
hand
species: a biology term for
organisms that are very similar and that can be bred (put together) to
produce plant/animal “children” (“Many species are being driven to
extinction.”)
watershed (of a river): the
land area that drains into a particular lake, river or ocean
next year, add tropical
and climate(see “Boa Boa” below)
Phrases and proper nouns
to be “master” of sth: to be
the boss; to be in charge of things
to tip the balance of life: to
do sth that gives one form of life an unfair or unnatural advantage
the Table Mountains (Roraima):
the unique mtns shown in this film; the indian name is “tepuis”
Venezuela:
a country in northern South America where you’ll find the Table Mountains;
委内瑞拉
After the first quiz
Western Holiday Summary Sheet: April Fools'
Day, April 1st
*to apologize: to say you are
sorry for doing something wrong
Caesar: the name of the first
Roman Emperor (Julius Caesar, 100-44 BC), which became a title meaning
“Roman Emperor” (Caesar Augustus, Caesar Domitian)
*custom: a traditional
practice; the way that a group of people do certain things
*derogatory: insulting;
expressing a meaning that is disapproving or that is intended to lower
someone’s reputation or status
doorbell (or bell): a button
near sb’s front door, which makes a bell ring inside. (“Ring the bell when
you arrive.”)
*Easter (复活节):
the most important Christian holiday, celebrating Jesus’ being raised from
death; always on Sunday, but the date is based on a lunar calendar so it
varies between March and April; symbols include various things that remind
us of
“new life”
such as eggs and baby animals
*Emperor: the king of a large
empire (like Rome or ancient China)
full moon: when you can see the
moon as a full circle
insulting: very rude and
offensive (insulting jokes/comments/behavior)
*lag=delay (time lag,
shutter lag, jet lag)
*leap year: a year (every
fourth year) in which February has 29 days [actually, 00 years are not
leap years unless they can be divided by 400]
*lunar: relating to the moon (lunar
orbit, lunar calendar, lunar eclipse)
*to play a trick on sb: to
deceive or fool sb, often as a joke (i.e., for fun)
The Pope: the top leader of the
Roman Catholic Church, the largest division of the Christian religion;
since AD 1377, papal (adj for Pope) offices have been in Vatican
City, an independent “country” inside the city of Rome
*practical joke: a trick you
play on someone, like on April Fools' Day, intended to be funny but not
harmful
Romans: citizens of Rome, a
powerful European kingdom, 100 BC to AD 500.
*solar: relating to the sun (solar
year, solar system, solar power)
Scots: the people of Scotland
*(to feel) upset: when you feel
this way you are unhappy or worried due to disappointment, bad news, etc.
Hoaxes and April Fools
Titanic/Molly Brown
(none of the following terms are on the exam)
*the bridge: the place where a
ship’s officers control (steer) it, also called the helm
CQD: “Come Quickly, Distress”;
an older code used for an emergency (see Morse Code)
crows nest or look out: the
place high above the ship where crew members watched for ice, land, and
other ships
diamond tiara: a small jeweled
crown worn in rich ladies’ hair (one movie uses this as a symbol for
wealth)
*fate: a force that is believed
to control your life, similar to destiny (the purpose of your life) and
luck (aspects of life you have no control over) -- “We are together again;
it must be fate”
first class: the most expensive
tickets on the boat; also the most luxurious section
*a fortune: a lot of money --
“her husband made a fortune from a gold mine”
*gossip: a mixture of facts and
guesses about personal matters (often more untrue than true)
*iceberg: a floating “mountain”
of ice that had drifted from the north pole; remember that there is more
ice under water than you can see, which makes icebergs very dangerous
ice pack, field ice: terms
related to the presence of icebergs and smaller pieces of floating ice
*immigrant: someone permanently
moving from one country to another (not for a visit, but to live there)
*infamous: well known for bad
reasons or because of a very bad reputation (such as a famous criminal)
*”in a pickle”: a pickle is
literally a sour food (泡菜), but this idiom means "in an unpleasant situation" -- “That left
us in a pickle”
*”in your condition” or “in a
delicate condition”: a way to say that someone is going to have a baby
(Mrs. Astor was pregnant--going to have a baby)
lifeboats: small boats designed
to help people get off a ship in case of emergency
Marconi or Marconi-gram: a
message or the machine used to send messages by code using radio signals
(now called a telegraph)
*Morse code (the verb is
morsing): a series of signals (dot and dash) used to send messages by
radio or flashes of light
*mourning: a time of sadness or
respect for someone in your family that has died
*mug/mugshot: picture of your
face, often taken by the police (“Your mug has been in the [news]papers”)
*nightmare: a bad and
frightening dream
*SOS: “Save Our Ship”; a new
code (in 1914) for requesting help in an emergency (see Morse Code)
slump: bad posture, the
opposite of standing or sit up straight; “don’t slump”
*statutes: laws -- “we have
complied with the statutes of the British Board of Trade” (that is, we
have the required number of lifeboats on the ship)
steerage: third class; the
cheapest tickets on the boat (since many immigrants were crossing the
Atlantic at this time, this was the biggest section of the ship)
Tux/Tuxedo: a man’s formal suit
(in America, only rich men own one; others rent them for weddings/etc.)
Discussion:
What do you think caused this tragedy? (Historical note: there is no
single “right” answer, but there are several major contributing factors.
Try to list as many factors as your group can think of.)
Boa Boa Problem-solving Activity
*conveniences: things that make
life easier and more convenient, especially indoor running water, plumbing
(toilets), and electricity
*tropical: related to or
happening in the hottest parts of the world (e.g., around the equator)
equator: the
“line” around the center of the earth, half way between the north and
south poles (赤道)
*climate: the normal weather
conditions in an area (rainy, cold, dry, etc.)
*commerce: related to
buying/selling/trading goods and services; a government department
responsible for regulating business and trade
Movie: Unstoppable
*to can (canned): to fire from
one’s job (“Jane was canned last week for always coming in late.”)
*chopper=helicopter
*to coast: to keep moving
without aid of power (“My bike chain fell off, but I can coast to
the repair station.” “Don’t just coast through life; think, plan,
and take control!”) If a train is a “coaster” it is slowing down, without
a driver, but this train isn’t a “coaster”—its motor is speeding up.
*collateral (damage,
benefits): (adj) happening at the same time, and esp. damage to
property or innocent people in a war or man-made disaster
*combustible: able to burn, esp
to produce heat or an explosion
conductor: the train worker who
is in charge of a train—where it goes, paperwork, etc.
to decimate: to destroy a large
part of sth
to derail: literally, to go off
the track/rail, but figuratively to spoil a plan or process (“Mr. Gray’s
attitude derailed our contract negotiations.”)
engineer: the train worker who
operates/drives the train
*to gauge=to measure
(especially in relation to a specific size/volume/distance/etc.) (“I’ll
stand in front of the car to help you gauge the distance to the
wall.”
mph=abbreviation for miles per
hour, a common measure of speed (60 mph=100 km per hour)
*to patch: to fix, by joining
things together (to “patch in” means to electronically include a third
person in a phone/radio conversation)
RIP track: “repair in place”
siding; a short section of railroad track on which equipment can be parked
when the need for maintenance/repairs is not serious enough to require a
trip to a formal repair shop
*rookie: a new worker, esp.
someone in his/her first year on the job (“Every day, veterans are
canned and rookies are hired because their wages are
lower.”)
*toxic=poisonous
throttle: equipment that
controls fuel, and thus the speed of an engine (“full throttle”=full
speed)
*veteran/vet: someone with a
lot of experience in a specific job or activity, or anyone who has been in
the army, navy, etc.
yard or train yard: a
“storage” place where engines and train cars wait to be directed elsewhere
Sayings/idioms
*“to have a thing for sb”: to
have a crush on someone, or quietly/secretly want a closer (sexual)
personal relationship
“to play chicken”
(“chicken”=afraid): a stupid, dangerous 1950s “game”, where two drivers
would drive toward each other—whoever turned first (to avoid a crash),
lost the game
“to serve me with”: to give
(me) an official document that I’d rather not have (like when a lawyer
gives you divorce papers)
*“Bail!”: (short for “Bail
out”) immediately stop doing what you are doing and get away (“The pilot
bailed out, jumping from his airplane after it was destroyed by the
enemy.”)
“Cut me some slack”: “Give me a
break”; “Overlook this mistake, okay?”
*“I’m not at liberty to give
you that information.” Polite “business talk” when refusing to answer
someone’s question.
*“the kicker” (AmE): a strange
ending to a story or event
“(my/your) ass” (slang,
offensive; one of several meanings!): someone specifically and personally
[“It’s my ass”=I, personally, will get in trouble for this stupid mistake.
“I’ll save your ass”=I’ll do this to protect you, personally, from the
consequences of this stupid mistake]
“yellow vest”: this refers to
the “safety vest” that train rookies have to wear, which lets
everyone know they don’t have much experience. It is not unusual to
require “new” workers to identify themselves, especially when a job is
dangerous
Some important discussion
questions
10. Compare Connie’s English
with the English of Jamal’s friends (in Finding Forrester). What do
you think the script writers were trying to tell us, by the actors’ use of
English?
12. Discuss the way the news
media covered this event, and how it would have been different in China.
When did the news helicopters help, and when did they add danger? Is “live
coverage” a good or bad thing?
13. Frank admits that he’s
risking his life, even though he has been “fired” (in three weeks he must
retire). Likewise, Connie and Will openly risk being fired. Why? Who or
what makes these people act this way? What do you think about this ancient
quote: “No one has greater love than he who lays down his life for his
friends”? Is it true? Explain how it relates to this story.
14. Dewey and Frank both broke
the rules; one caused the problem and the other solved it. Discuss when it
is okay to “bend” the rules, and the role of obedience at work.
Everyone should know how to
write correct conditional sentences with “if…then…”: you need to use the
“past perfect” tense. had+past participle (see below)
If Will had kept his phone
off, then his train would have fit into the siding.
If Dewey hadn’t gotten out
of the cab, then the train wouldn’t have gotten out of control.
(trains can’t “lose control”, but people can…)
--past participle [countable]
technical: the form of a verb used with the verb 'to have' in perfect
tenses (for example, 'I have eaten'), or with the verb 'to be' in
the passive (for example, 'it was changed'), or sometimes as an
adjective (for example, 'a broken leg')
had been, had called, had
obeyed, hadn’t risked, had sped,
had trusted, had arrived,
had fallen, had set, had seen…
Note: Most pp are regular
(risk, risked, have risked; call, called, have called; leave, left,
left), but some pp are irregular (swim, swam, have swum; set, set, set;
get, got, gotten; fall, fell, fallen; see, saw, seen)
The Persuaders (advertising)
*ancestors: your family who
lived long ago
*exacting: demanding
effort/skill
*heritage: traditional customs
or values
*innovation: new ideas, methods
or inventions
logistics: practical
behind-the-scenes work
palate: keen sense of taste
*punctual: being on-time
*second to none: first; behind
no one
subsidiary: a company owned by
another company
*Discussion:
What are the qualities of a
good print advertisement? How does that differ from a good TV ad?
--A good ad gets your
attention.
--It gives you reasons to buy
or use something.
--It makes the product look or
sound as good as possible.
--It makes you think in a
different way.
--Effective ads connect the
product or service to something you already like or respect.
--Print ads often contain more
facts than TV ads. Effective TV ads often try to be funny or especially
memorable (images, music, motion). Both use “stars” to promote things.
Shanghai to get camp for Web
addicts
*adolescents=teenagers;
youngsters [old-fashioned]
*addicted: unable to stop
taking or doing something (a drug, habit, etc) [an addict is sb who is
addicted]
*camp: a structured program
with organized activities, games, lessons, crafts, etc., often designed to
help children learn a moral lesson or gain a useful skill while having fun
*to recruit: to look for people
to join your company, school, army, etc.
*to be considered for sth:
to be evaluated in order to determine if you can do sth, are
suitable for a job, etc.
*an alias: a false name
*to bury oneself in sth:
to give all of one's attention or energy to sth
*to skip class: to choose not
to go to class without a good reason (AmE, also "playing hooky")
^frustrated: you feel this way
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)
*intervention (process): a
method that gets involved (literally, “in the middle”) in order to produce
change, especially to prevent or treat sth bad.
^volunteer (adj, n, v): without
pay; sb who chooses to do something to help others, or the act of
providing this help
to patrol: to check on things
in an area with some regularity, like police officers who frequently walk
through a neighborhood to be sure there is no trouble or no one in need
Finding Forrester
Movie Report
Work with your partner to
complete this report. You two will get one grade, so be sure
both of you are satisfied with the answers/grammar/etc. (After you write
it, you can also ask other friends to check grammar/spelling/etc.) Use
your own words, not something from the handout or Internet. It must be
typed and double-spaced, using a 12-point Arial or Times New Roman font.
Keep your answers simple; each item needs only about three sentences (see
the sample). Do not use more than one page. Due at the start of class,
Nov 3 (classes 1&2) or Nov 7 (class 3).
1. Describe two main
characters. (Jamal, Forrester, Crawford, or Claire)
2. Describe two major problems
or issues, and tell how the problem/issue was resolved.
3. Tell me about your favorite
part. (Each partner will write two to four sentences)
See the sample
below (which is double-spaced, using a 12-point Times New Roman Font).
This resource was created for our students under my
understanding of "fair use" for educational resources.
© 2012 Michael Krigline, all
rights reserved. As far as I am concerned, people are allowed to print/copy
it for personal or classroom use.
(see Website Standards and Use Policy)
