TỪ VỰNG TOEIC unit 1

Unit BENE AM BELL PAC CRIM PROB GRAV LEV Words from Mythology and History Quiz 1-1 Quiz 1-2 Quiz 1-3 Quiz 1-4 Quiz 1-5 Review Quizzes BENE is Latin for “well.” A benefit is a good result or effect Something beneficial produces good results or effects The Latin root can be heard in other languages as well: “Good!” or “Fine!” in Spanish is “Bueno!”; in French, it's “Bon!”; and in Italian, just say “Bene!” benediction A prayer that asks for God's blessing, especially a prayer that concludes a worship service • The moment the bishop had finished his benediction, she squeezed quickly out of her row and darted out the cathedral's side entrance In benediction, the bene root is joined by another Latin root, dictio, “speaking” (see DICT), so the word's meaning becomes something like “well-wishing.” Perhaps the best-known benediction is the so-called Aaronic Benediction from the Bible, which begins, “May the Lord bless you and keep you.” An important section of the Catholic Mass was traditionally known as the Benedictus, after its first word (meaning “blessed”) It was St Benedict who organized the first Christian monasteries; many Christians have been baptized Benedict in his honor, and 16 popes have taken it as their papal name benefactor especially by giving money Someone who helps another person or group, • An anonymous benefactor had given $15 million to establish an ecological institute at the university A benefactor may be involved in almost any field One may endow a scholarship fund; another may give money to expand a library; still another may leave a generous sum to a hospital in her will The famous benefactions of John D Rockefeller included the gifts that established the University of Chicago, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Rockefeller University Many benefactors have reported that giving away their money turned out to be the most rewarding thing they ever did beneficiary A person or organization that benefits or is expected to benefit from something, especially one that receives money or property when someone dies • Living in a trailer in near-poverty, she received word in the mail that her father had died, naming her as the sole beneficiary of his life-insurance policy Beneficiary is often used in connection with life insurance, but it shows up in many other contexts as well A college may be the beneficiary of a private donation Your uncle's will may make a church his sole beneficiary, in which case all his money and property will go to it when he dies A “third-party beneficiary” of a contract is a person (often a child) who the people signing the contract (which is usually an insurance policy or an employee-benefit plan) want to benefit from it In a more general way, a small business may be a beneficiary of changes to the tax code, or a restaurant may be the beneficiary when the one across the street closes down and its whole lunch crowd starts coming in benevolence Kindness, generosity • In those financially desperate years, the young couple was saved only by the benevolence of her elderly great-uncle Part of benevolence comes from the Latin root meaning “wish.” The novels of Charles Dickens often include a benevolent figure who rescues the main characters at some point—Mr Brownlow in Oliver Twist, Abel Magwitch in David Copperfield, Mr Jarndyce in Bleak House, Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol To be benevolent, it helps to have money, but it's not necessary; kind assistance of a nonfinancial sort may turn out to be lifesaving benevolence as well AM comes from the Latin amare, “to love.” The Roman god of love was known by two different names, Cupid and Amor Amiable means “friendly or good-natured,” and amigo is Spanish for “friend.” amicable Friendly, peaceful • Their relations with their in-laws were generally amicable, despite some bickering during the holidays Amicable often describes relations between two groups, or especially two nations—for example, the United States and Canada, which are proud of sharing the longest unguarded border in the world So we often speak of an amicable meeting or an amicable settlement When amicable describes more personal relations, it may indicate a rather formal friendliness But it's always nice when two friends who've been quarreling manage to have an amicable conversation and to say amicable good-byes at the end enamored Charmed or fascinated; inflamed with love • Rebecca quickly became enamored of the town's rustic surroundings, its slow pace, and its eccentric characters Computer hackers are always enamored of their new programs and games Millions of readers have found themselves enamored with Jane Austen's novels And Romeo and Juliet were, of course, utterly enamored of each other But we also often use the word in negative contexts: A friend at work may complain that she's not enamored of the new boss, and when you start talking about how you're not enamored with the neighbors it may be time to move (Note that both of and with are commonly used after enamored.) amorous love Having or showing strong feelings of attraction or • It turned out that the amorous Congressman had gotten his girlfriend a good job and was paying for her apartment A couple smooching on a park bench could be called amorous, or a young married couple who are always hugging and kissing But the word is often used a bit sarcastically, as when a tabloid newspaper gets hold of some scandalous photos and calls the participants “the amorous pair.” In such cases, we may be encouraged to think the attraction is more physical than emotional paramour custom A lover, often secret, not allowed by law or • He had been coming to the house for two years before her brothers realized that he was actually the paramour of their shy and withdrawn sister Paramour came to English from French (a language based on Latin), though the modern French don't use the word Since par amour meant “through love,” it implies a relationship based solely on love, often physical love, rather than on social custom or ceremony So today it tends to refer to the lover of a married man or woman, but may be used for any lover who isn't obeying the social rules Quiz 1-4 A Fill in each blank with the correct letter: a grave b gravitate c gravitas d aggravate e alleviate f cantilever g levity h elevation Even the smallest motion would _ the pain in his shoulder She hesitated to step onto the balcony, which was supported by a single _ At their father's funeral they showed the same solemn _ at which they had often laughed during his lifetime To relieve the swelling, the doctor recommended _ of her legs several times a day Attracted magically by the music, all animals and natural objects would _ toward the sound of Orpheus's lyre With the two armies moving toward the border, they knew the situation was _ The neighboring nations organized an airlift of supplies to _ the suffering caused by the drought The board meeting ended in an unusual mood of _ when a man in a gorilla suit burst in Answers B Match the word on the left to the correct definition on the right: levity a solemn dignity gravitas b relieve grave c raising alleviate d support beam elevation e move toward as if drawn aggravate f lack of seriousness cantilever g serious gravitate h worsen Answers Words from Mythology and History cicerone A guide, especially one who takes tourists to museums, monuments, or architectural sites and explains what is being seen • On Crete they sought out a highly recommended cicerone, hoping to receive the best possible introduction to the noteworthy historical sites The Roman statesman and orator Cicero was renowned for his elegant style and great knowledge (and occasional long-windedness) So 18th-century Italians seem to have given the name cicerone to the guides who would show well-educated foreigners around the great cultural sites of the ancient Roman empire—guides who sought to be as eloquent and informed as Cicero in explaining the world in which he lived hector To bully or harass by bluster or personal pressure • He would swagger around the apartment entrance with his friends and hector the terrified inhabitants going in and out In Homer's great Iliad, Hector was the leader of the Trojan forces, and the very model of nobility and honor In the Greek war against Troy, he killed several great warriors before being slain by Achilles His name began to take on its current meaning only after gangs of bullying young rowdies, many of them armed soldiers recently released from service following the end of the English Civil War, began terrorizing the residents of late-17th-century London The gangs took such names as the Roysters, the Blades, the Bucks, and the Bloods, but the best-known of them was called the Hectors The names Blades and Hectors may have seemed appropriate because, like Hector and Achilles, they often fought with swords hedonism An attitude or way of life based on the idea that pleasure or happiness should be the chief goal • In her new spirit of hedonism, she went out for a massage, picked up champagne and chocolate truffles, and made a date that evening with an old boyfriend Derived from the Greek word for “pleasure,” hedonism over the ages has provided the basis for several philosophies The ancient Epicureans and the 19th-century Utilitarians both taught and pursued hedonistic principles But although we generally use the word today when talking about immediate pleasures for the senses, philosophers who talk about hedonism are usually talking about quiet pleasures that aren't pursued in a selfish way nestor A senior figure or leader in one's field • The guest of honor was a nestor among journalists, and after dinner he shared some of his wisdom with the audience Nestor was another character from the Iliad, the eldest of the Greek leaders in the Trojan War A great warrior as a young man, he was now noted for his wisdom and his talkativeness, both of which increased as he aged These days, a nestor is not necessarily long-winded, but merely wise and generous with his advice spartan Marked by simplicity, avoidance of luxury, and often strict self-discipline or self-denial • When he was single, he had lived a spartan life in a tiny, undecorated apartment with one chair, a table, and a bed In ancient times, the Greek city-state of Sparta had a reputation for the severe and highly disciplined way of life it enforced among its citizens, so as to keep them ready for war at any time Physical training was required for both men and women A boy would begin his military training at and would live in army barracks for much of his life, even after he was married Today, when a cargo ship or a remote beach resort offers “spartan accommodations,” some tourists jump at the chance for a refreshing change from the luxuries they've been used to—and no one worries that they'll be forced out of bed at dawn to participate in war games stentorian richness of sound Extremely loud, often with especially deep • Even without a microphone, his stentorian voice was clearly audible in the last rows of the auditorium Stentor, like Hector, was a warrior in the Iliad, but on the Greek side His unusually powerful voice (Homer calls him “brazen-voiced”—that is, with a voice like a brass instrument) made him the natural choice for delivering announcements and proclamations to the assembled Greek army, in an era when there was no way of artificially increasing the volume of a voice stoic Seemingly indifferent to pleasure or pain • She bore the pain of her broken leg with such stoic patience that most of us had no idea she was suffering The Stoics were members of a philosophical movement that first appeared in ancient Greece and lasted well into the Roman era Stoicism taught that humans should seek to free themselves from joy, grief, and passions of all kinds in order to attain wisdom; its teachings thus have much in common with Buddhism The great Stoics include the statesman Cicero, the playwright Seneca, and the emperor Marcus Aurelius, whose Meditations is the most famous book of Stoic philosophy Today we admire the kind of stoicism that enables some people (who may never have even heard of Marcus Aurelius) to endure both mental and physical pain without complaint sybaritic Marked by a luxurious or sensual way of life • When I knew them they were living a sybaritic existence—hopping from resort to resort, each more splendid than the last—but a year later the money ran out The ancient city of Sybaris (near modern Terranova di Sibari), founded by the Greeks on the toe of Italy's “boot,” was famous for the wealth and luxury of its citizens in the 6th century B.C But the Sybarites' wealth made them overconfident, and when they went to war with a nearby city, they were defeated by a much smaller army After the victory, their enemies diverted the course of the river running through Sybaris so that it destroyed the whole city forever Quiz 1-5 Choose the closest definition: hedonism a preference for males b habit of gift-giving c tendency to conceal feelings d love of pleasure hector a encourage b harass c deceive d swear cicerone a guide b cartoon character c orator d lawyer spartan a cheap b Greek c severe d luxurious nestor a journalist b long-winded elder c domestic hen d judge stoic a pleasure-seeking b bullying c repressed d unaffected by pain sybaritic a pleasure-seeking b free of luxury c sisterly d ice-cold stentorian a obnoxious b muffled c loud d dictated Answers Review Quizzes A Fill in each blank with the correct letter: a bellicose b stentorian c pace d sybaritic e grave f alleviate g belligerence h benevolence i incriminate j gravitate k hector l enamored m stoic n pacify Her grandfather had a _ manner, moved slowly, and never laughed The mood at the resort was _, and the drinking and dancing continued long into the night To rattle the other team, they usually _ them constantly The judge was known for issuing all his rulings in a _ voice He wouldn't even have a place to live if it weren't for the _ of his wealthy godfather Thoroughly _ of the splendid Victorian house, they began to plan their move She attempted to _ his anxiety by convincing him he wasn't to blame Whenever she entered a bar alone, the lonely men would always _ toward her Their refusal to cease work on nuclear weapons was seen as a _ act by the neighboring countries 10 _ my many critics, I have never had reason to change my views on the subject 11 Unable to calm the growing crowd, he finally ordered the police to _ the area by force 12 Whenever her boyfriend saw anyone looking at her, his _ was alarming 13 He bore all his financial losses with the same _ calm 14 Who would have guessed that it would take the killer's own daughter to _ him Answers B Choose the closest definition: hedonism a fear of heights b hatred of crowds c liking for children d love of pleasure levity a lightness b policy c leverage d literacy aggravate a lessen b decorate c intensify d lighten reprobate a researcher b commissioner c scoundrel d reformer bellicose a fun-loving b warlike c impatient d jolly decriminalize a discriminate b legalize c legislate d decree antebellum a preventive b unlikely c impossible d prewar benediction a slogan b prayer c greeting d expression pact a bundle b form c agreement d presentation 10 amicable a technical b sensitive c friendly d scenic 11 criminology a crime history b crime book c crime study d crime story 12 approbation a approval b resolution c reputation d substitution Answers C Match the definition on the left to the correct word on the right: secret lover a elevation estate process b gravitas accusation c probate integrity d probity gift receiver e recrimination giver f paramour peace lover g benefactor promotion h beneficiary dignity i rebellion 10 revolt j pacifist Answers ... his honor, and 16 popes have taken it as their papal name benefactor especially by giving money Someone who helps another person or group, • An anonymous benefactor had given $15 million to establish... a married man or woman, but may be used for any lover who isn't obeying the social rules Quiz 1- 1 A Choose the closest synonym: beneficiary a benefit b prayer c recipient d contributor amorous... was the god of war antebellum Existing before a war, especially before the American Civil War (18 61? ??65) • When World War I was over, the French nobility found it impossible to return to their