Language Study

●Word Study

Word list:

Apathy / creed / endorsement / heal / immature / peril / reclaim / affection / render / setback / stretch / summon / thriving / tyranny / unyielding

1. apathy

n. lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern

Examples:

●He has an apathy to food.

●He was sunk in apathy after his failure.

●Such attitudes can only lead to apathy.

2. creed

n. a system of Christian or other religious belief; a faith

n. a system of Christian or other religious belief; a faith

●Liberalism was more than a political creed.

●people of many creeds and cultures

●a religious creed

3. endorsement

n. giving one's public approval or support to someone or something

Examples:

●The new design only received a lukewarm endorsement from head office.

●We are happy to give the product our full endorsement.

●endorsement for the plan

4. heal

v. a. cause (a wound, injury, or person) to become sound or healthy again

b. alleviate (a person's distress or anguish)

c. correct or put right (an undesirable situation)

Example:

●The wound has not yet healed.

●The long talk healed many of our differences.

●Time heals all sorrows.

●The cut has healed over now.

5. immature

a. a. not fully developed

b. having or showing emotional or intellectual development appropriate to someone younger

Example:

●Tony seemed very shallow and immature.

●Many of the fish caught are immature.

●Cf. premature: occurring or done before the usual or proper time; too early

●A fire caused the premature closing of the exhibition.

●I had been a little too premature in coming to this conclusion.

6. peril

n. a. serious and immediate danger

b. the dangers or difficulties that arise from a particular situation or activity

v. to expose to danger; to threaten

Example:

●The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.

●the great perils facing the environment

●neglect our advice at your peril

●peril one's life

7. reclaim

v. a. to retrieve or recover (something previously lost, given, or paid); obtain the return of

b. to redeem (someone) from a state of vice; reform

Examples:

●I have tried to reclaim my money without success.

●reclaim valuable materials from wastes

●reclaim land from the sea

●reclaim sb. from vice

8. affection

n. a. a gentle feeling of fondness or liking

b. a condition of disease

Examples:

●The officer transferred his affections to the other girl.

●He was held in great affection by hundreds of students.

●rheumatic affection

9. render

a. to provide (a service)

b. to give (help)

c. to cause to be or become; make

d. to translate

Examples:

●render someone a service

●render someone speechless

●Mrs Evans would render assistance to those she thought were in real need.

●The phrase was rendered into English.

10.setback

n. A reversal or check in progress

Examples:

●His research has suffered a temporary setback.

●a serious setback to his chances of re-election

●a serious setback for the peace process

11. stretch

v. n. become (becoming) longer or wider

Examples:

●The lake stretches into the distance.

●Her arms were at full stretch.

●Have a good stretch from time to time to prevent yourself getting stiff.

●A great stretch of ocean lay beneath them.

12.summon

V. a. manage to produce a particular feeling (courage, smile, energy, strength) in yourself, although this is difficult

b. urgently demand

c. call people to attend (a meeting)

Examples:

●He managed to summon up a smile.

●She eventually summoned up the courage to knock at the door.

●I don’t think I can summon up the energy to go for a run.

●She summoned medical assistance.

●He summoned a meeting of head delegates.

13. thriving

adj. very lively and profitable

●a thriving tourist center

●a thriving business

●a thriving city

v. a. prosper; flourish

b. grow or develop well or vigorously

●He thrives on hard work.

●Sue and Jack seem to thrive on arguments.

14. tyranny

n. a. cruel and oppressive government or rule

b. cruel, unreasonable, or arbitrary use of power or control

Examples:

●They came to America in order to escape political tyranny.

●An artist’s need for money imposes the tyranny of popular taste.

15. unyielding

adj. a. unlikely to be swayed; resolute

b. (of a mass or structure) not giving way to pressure; hard or solid

Examples:

●He stood unyielding and unafraid against the enemy.

●The Atlantic hurled its waves at the unyielding rocks.

●Phrases and Expressions

List:

better off / beyond measure / on one’s mind / pitch in / fall back on sth/sb

1. better off

●be richer, happier, more fortunate, etc.

Examples:

●‘You’d be better off with a smaller house, now that your children have left home.

●Under the new tax regulations I will be ￡17 a month better off.

●You’d be better off resting at home with that cold. (better off doing: more sensible to do)

●Cf. well off: wealthy; in a favourable situation or circumstances

●Her family are quite well off.

●Jack has just bought another new car; he must be very well off.

2. beyond measure

●to a very great extent

Examples:

●It irritates him beyond measure.

●Her joy was beyond measure.

●She fascinates me beyond measure.

3. on one’s mind

●preoccupying someone, especially in a disquieting way

Examples:

●New parents have many worries on their minds.

●I’ve got a lot on my mind at the moment.

●Cf. in one’s mind

●I wonder what is going on in his young mind.

4. pitch in

●vigorously join in to help with a task or activity

Examples:

●If everyone pitches in, we'll soon have the job finished.

●Lots of people pitched in with advice.

●Ruth pitches in with the adult workers at the stables before she goes off to school.

5. fall back on

●use or do sth else after things have failed

Examples:

●You can always fall back on him when you are in difficulties.

●Doctors sometimes fall back on old cures.

●Word Building: Conversion

1.noun to verb

2.adjective to verb