Reading Drive-Book 4 (E)

affect

the way someone seems to feel

Mad cow disease can affect all kinds of cows.

despite

regardless of

We still played the soccer game, despite the fact that it was raining.

determined

trying hard to get something or do something

We were determined to finish the work on time.

display

to put out things so people can see

I am going to display my art at the street fair next week.

essential

necessary; very important

Studying is essential to pass that class.

frequent

happening or doing something often

Rains are very frequent during the summer days in Asia.

ideal

being perfect for a particular purpose

My ideal man is a man with thick eyebrows.

praise

to say, write, or otherwise express good things, respect, and admiration for someone or something

The Woman praised the Cat three times.

responsible

having a duty to see that something is done

He is responsible for alerting the president of all possible invasions.

vision

the act of seeing

As a kid, I had visions of being a hero, such as a police officer or an astronaut.

atmosphere

the air around a PLANET

The earth's atmosphere has the right balance of chemicals that allow us to survive.

bury

to put in the ground and cover with dirt

There is a deep cavern on the island, containing the bones and arms of the Indians, who were buried there.

chemical

a substance with a distinct molecular composition

What kind of chemical do you use in pools?

climate

the general weather conditions and patterns of a particular region

The climate of that area is hot and sticky.

cycle

a series of events that happen over and over again

This goes on a cycle.

evidence

words or objects that support the truth of something

There was enough evidence for the judge to find her guilty.

nuclear

relating to energy formed by the fission of atoms

Many people don’t want nuclear power plants near their homes.

renewable

able to be replaced or renewed after being used

There is a phone revolution occurring with so many people making phone calls over the internet.

rid

to free yourself of something

In 1979, doctors were able to rid the world of small pox, a very deadly disease.

threat

a statement that tells someone that he or she will be harmed or punished

Some couples see single women as a threat to their relationships.

astronaut

a person who travels in space

Buzz Aldrin was an astronaut who walked on the moon.

burst

to make something break and open

His balloon burst because he blew too much.

doubt

to not believe

I doubt that he will be able to finish all his homework tonight.

encounter

to meet with unexpectedly

We encountered some problems when we were studying.

limit

a maximum amount

I tried to work harder, but I had reached the limit of my abilities.

mechanic

a person whose job it is to fix and repair engines of vehicles and other machines

Many gas stations have gotten rid of on-duty mechanics.

seek

to search for something or someone

What kind of job are you seeking?

spirit

a supernatural being with no physical body

It is said that a spirit lives in the attic of my home.

surface

the outer layer of something; the top of something

Did the water surface change to ice yet?

universe

the space surrounding and including the earth, other PLANETS, and stars within our GALAXY

The universe has many stars and planets.

complex

not being simple

The combination of the concepts 'chair' and 'waiting for bus' allows you to create the new complex concept 'chair used while waiting for bus'.

crash

a collision

Several plane crashes and near crashes have been attributed to dangerous downward wind bursts.

data

information or facts about something often used when examining or calculating something

After gathering all the data, write a report.

detect

to notice or find something

I could detect the smell of smoke on his clothes.

extraordinary

very different from what is usual

The little boy had extraordinary musical abilities.

industry

(any part of) the business of producing or making goods

The oil companies are a part of the fuel industry.

intelligence

the ability to learn and understand things

We are largely ignorant that there is such a thing as visual intelligence.

interact

to act with something else in order to produce a particular effect

You have to understand how cells interact.

monitor

to keep track of; to watch in order to notice changes

They will monitor building entrances.

risk

to do something that might potentially have bad or undesirable future results

He risked his life to save the boy.

ban

to make something illegal or not allowed

The city will ban all smoking in public.

capital

the primary city of a country or state that is home to the government of that country or state

She went to the capital to meet the President.

damage

to harm someone or something physically so that they are hurt or broken

Tom damaged the car by crashing into a tree.

establish

to set up firmly and permanently

We are planning to establish a factory in China.

figure

a person who is very important or famous

Wax figures are difficult to make.

impact

a strong effect or impression

The snow will have an impact on travel today.

importance

the quality or condition of being needed or valued

The importance of the test was clear to the students.

maintain

to make something continue as it did before; to continue doing something in the same way

We should try to maintain a positive attitude at all times.

notice

to observe; to become aware of something

I did not notice the color of her eyes because she was wearing glasses.

significant

having a big or important effect

His girlfriend had a significant place in his heart.

asleep

sleeping; not awake

Mario was asleep until the phone rang.

assist

to help someone with something

The secretary’s job is to assist her boss.

bone

the hard substance forming the skeleton of man, animals

My dog loves to chew on his bone.

conduct

to direct or control some process or procedure

The scientist will conduct research on the matter of gravity.

drug

any substance used in medicine

She has been prescribed a new drug for her stomach pains.

eager

anxious, excited

150 eager passengers hope to travel to space in the near future.

former

being in the past; having occurred at a time before now

The former leader did a poor job.

instant

quick; immediate

Look at how much communication happens through instant messaging and blogging.

oppose

to be against; to work against

It’s important that the media provide us with diverse and opposing views, so we can choose the best available options.

regard

to think about or consider someone or something in a certain way

He seems to regard every assignment as a challenge.

aim

a result that your plans or actions are intended to achieve

Our short term aims are to get out of debt and purchase a house.

appropriate

fitting or proper for a specific person, purpose, time or occasion

It is not appropriate to speak to a classmate while the teacher is speaking.

basis

the standard that determines a pattern

Before age 30 she became a member of several highly prestigious scientific societies on the basis of her work.

benefit

an advantage or profit gained from something

There are many health benefits if you exercise.

district

an area or section of a country, city, or town

Most of the people who live in my district, work in agriculture.

knowledge

the fact of knowing

People shared their knowledge of farming and other things.

observe

watch something attentively

Tony observed the class before beginning the lesson.

overcome

to control a problem or difficulty successfully

It took a long time to overcome my sadness after my cat died.

require

to say that it is necessary

This job requires experience in the same field.

steady

continuing without stopping or changing over time

The steady snowfall pleased the children because they could soon make a snowman.

aspect

a part or element to be considered

The book has many different aspects available for discussion.

associate

to connect something with a person or thing

Einstein was not motivated by the things we often associate with scientific undertakings.

conscious

being aware of something

She had become conscious two days after her burial.

construct

to build something

The city is going to construct a new park downtown.

desire

to wish or hope for something

The hotel had everything you could possibly desire.

educate

to teach at a school or university

A genuinely educated person can express himself tersely and trimly.

gender

the state of being a male of a female

Which gender do you think is the most intelligent?

mental

relating to the mind and thoughts

His physical and mental health is getting worse.

opposite

being totally different from

He has an opposite personality from me, but I love him.

psychology

the study and science of the mind and behavior

John Lamble is a lecturer in psychology.

average

usual; ordinary

On average, I spend about three hours a day on homework.

concern

to have a relation to or bearing on

I’m really concerned about the traffic problem in my neighborhood.

eastern

having to do with countries that are east of Europe

I used to live in the eastern part of the country.

equip

to provide (something) with a particular feature orability

There is a need to better equip our hospitals.

factor

something that changes whether a result occurs or how a result happens

When choosing a job, there are many factors to consider, such as salary and location.

moreover

also; additionally

moreover, their behavior has improved and their test scores have increased-a lot.

obvious

easy to see or understand

It was obvious that he was very ill.

occur

to happen

It is said that miracles occur every day of our lives.

path

a track made by people constantly traveling over the same ground

People are cycling along the path.

surround

to be all the way around something

They were surrounded by enemy soldiers.

autumn

the season of the year between summer and winter

I love autumn because the leaves change color.

background

a person's origins, education, etc.

The background of the picture was very dark.

belief

faith or trust

I repeated my belief that the girl was innocent.

critic

a person whose job is to judge the quality of something

While fans raved over his new album, music critics called it repetitive and predictable.

devote

to give all attention and energy towards a specific purpose

I know a father who devoted himself earnestly to photographing the birth of his first and only child.

honor

a good showing, of having merit

It is a festival of Mexican pride and honor.

normal

being usual, ordinary, or regular

In Europe, bowing isn’t normal.

poverty

the state or experience of being poor and having little or no money

poverty may drive people crazy.

senior

a person in their final year of study at a high school or university

seniors have a much better perspective of student life than incoming freshmen.

single

one only

There is not a single mistake in it.

commerce

the buying and selling of goods and services; business

For example, Groupon and Living Social are hugely popular American social commerce sites.

consume

to use up

Of the five countries, the United States consumed the greatest amount of electricity in 2003.

motive

the mental drive in a person that makes him or her do something

Another problem was that there seemed to be no motive for the murder.

promote

to advance something, to further something

To protect and promote culture, governments have a responsibility as representatives of society to support the arts.

reward

something given in exchange for good behavior or work

After hundreds and hundreds of trials, these chimps could not learn to withhold pointing to the larger reward.

rob

to steal money or property from someone or some place using force, violence, or other illegal means

The office had been robbed in the night.

secure

being in a dependable and stable state

The man securely locked the door so no one could come in.

trade

the buying and selling of goods

I'll trade you my cake for your sandwich.

transfer

to move something from one place to a different one

If information has been transferred, it is most definitely false.

trend

a general direction or tendency

Current trends in South Korea is wearing short pants.

accurately

correctly; exactly and without any mistakes

The student responded to the teacher's questions clearly and accurately.

concept

an idea or theory

Einstein’s theories are full of concepts most people find hard to understand.

convention

a way in which something is usually done, especially within a particular area or activity

In the US, a popular convention is to shake hands when you meet someone.

device

a tool or implement

The hospital bought a new device for measuring blood sugar.

liquid

something that is in a state of being neither a solid nor a gas; a free flowing substance

He poured the dark brown liquid down the sink.

measure

find size or quantity of something

Eratosthenes, the Greek librarian in Alexandria, was able to measure the circumference of Earth using simple geometry

professor

a teacher who teaches at a college or university

He is a very nice biology professor.

reserve

something saved for later use

He reserved a table at the busy restaurant.

theory

an idea or a statement that is believed to be true but needs to be proven

Some hypotheses become theories after they are tested many times.

university

an institution of higher learning where students work toward academic degrees and where research is conducted

After high school, she’s going to university.