Reading for the Real World 3/e-Intro Unit 04 (E)

aggressive

ready and willing to fight or be forceful

My dogs are very aggressive.

appropriate

right or suitable

It’s appropriate to wear a suit when you go to the office.

barrier

an obstruction; a limit

The policemen placed a road barrier and checked all the cars on the road.

burden

something that is difficult or that causes worry; a load

She didn’t ask her family for help she didn’t want to be a burden.

cooperate

to work together

In order for the group to succeed, we must all stop arguing and begin to cooperate.

corporate

involving or associated with corporations

corporate tax rates are low to attract international business.

deliberately

in a way that is intended or planned; purposely

He deliberately misled his parents.

dishonest

showing a lack of truth, honesty, or trustworthiness

She was being dishonest when she copied the answers from his test.

diverse

made up of people or things that are diff erent from each other

More diverse materials are being considered to make buildings more earthquake-proof.

human resources

the department within an organization that deals with the people who work there

Now I work in human resources.

inclined

likely to or wanting to do something

I'm inclined to agree with your policies, but I have a few questions before I give my full support.

inequality

lack of equality; a situation in which some people have an unfair advantage over others

Her essay on the inequality of human races won her first prize in the contest.

inhibit

to prevent or slow down

Her lack of confidence inhibited her from getting a better job.

interrupt

to cause (something) to stop happening for a time

I knew that if I interrupted the girls, they would stare at me.

migrate

to move from one country or place to live or work in another

Some birds migrate south in winter.

pave the way

to make it easier for something to happen

Such efforts will pave the way for the ongoing economic reforms.

penalize

to punish for breaking a rule or law

The team was penalized when they broke the rules

possession

something owned

She lost all her possessions during the fire.

profitable

making money

Ben is the owner of a very profitable company.

promotion

being moved to a higher position in an organization

They had a big party to celebrate his promotion.

punishment

the act of making someone suffer for a crime or bad behavior

The punishment for turning in a late assignment was a zero in the grade book.

sensible

having or showing good sense or judgment

I think the sensible thing would be to take a taxi home.

stereotype

an often unfair and untrue belief that many people have aboutall people or things with a particular characteristic

Many Americans have the stereotype that all Asians are good in math.

sympathy

a feeling of support for someone or of caring about their troubles

We feel sympathy for poor people.

trait

a quality that makes one person or thing diff erent from another

Richard possesses certain traits that set him apart from his brothers.

transport

to move something or someone from one place to another

The conductors were the people who transported or led the slaves.

tricky

requiring skill or caution

Back to basics before you start a tricky question.

unauthorized

not permitted; not legally allowed

Someone unauthorized accessed our computer systems.

volition

the power to make one's own decisions; free will

They left entirely of their own volition.