Unit-One-An-Image-or-a-Mirage.doc

Unit One An Image or a MirageI. New Words and Expressions:1. quest n. (for something) a long search for something, especially forsome quality such as happinessthe quest for happiness/knowledge/truthI dont think she went to India on any spiritual quest, but she came back a very changed person.He set off in quest for adventure.2. stem fromoriginate from; develop or grow from Her problems stem from her difficult childhood.Their disagreement stemmed from a misunderstanding.3. integrity n.the quality of being honest and morally uprightHes a man of integrity; he wont break his promise.4. con v. n.(to deceive someone by using) a trick in which someone is cheated into believing something false or giving their money or possessions awayWe are often conned by clever advertising into thinking that certain products are better than others.Its a con (trick). You think you are saving money but in fact you are doing the opposite.5. count on to depend on or expectYou can count on Michael in a crisis.Theres never a taxi when you want one thats the one thing you can count on.6. infallible adj.never failing; incapable of making mistakes or doing wrongAs a journalist, Jack Smith has an infallible nose for a story.Although he was experienced, he was not always infallible in everything he did.7. squarely adv. directly and with certaintyHer hat was set squarely on her head.They faced each other squarely as if ready for a fist fight.8. take to start to likeJean said that she had taken to the young professor since she attended his lecture the first day at college.He didnt take to classical music very much until he went to the concert with some of his colleagues a year ago.9. take a liking tobe fond of The old man has taken a strong liking to fishing even since his retirement from the company three years ago. Jack said that he had taken a strange liking to the middle-aged woman the moment he saw her on the deck.10. refrain fromkeep oneself from For better health I suggest you should refrain from drinking and eating too much.Please refrain from smoking during the presentation.11. rip vt.to pull apart; to tear or be torn violently and quicklyHis new trousers ripped when he bent down.He ripped the letter across and threw the halves into the basket.12. have to do withbe connected with or related to somebody or somethingAll the participants in the discussion knew that what he was talking about had nothing to do with the topic.13. flabby adj.having soft, loose flesh; weakHes got soft and flabby since he gave up running.a flabby argument/excuse14. conversely adv. if turned the other way around; oppositely You can add the fluid to the powder or, conversely, the powder to the fluid.15. seedy adj.dirty and unpleasant, possibly connected with immoral or illegal activitiesI dont like those seedy-looking men who were hanging around outside the bar.We were staying in a seedy hotel close to the red light district.16. aforementioned adj. (esp. in legal documents) mentioned or referred to earlierThe aforementioned Mr. Boylett had been based on a real-life member of the staff at Radley.17. devious adj.cunning; dishonest Youd better watch him hes a devious bastard.18. snap adj. done suddenly without allowing time for careful consideration or preparationDont make any snap decision until youve calmed down.The opposition is worried that a snap election will be held before they can get organized.19. be blessed with be fortunate in having somebody or somethingChina is blessed with abundant natural resources.Were blessed with five lovely grandchildren.20. erroneous adj.(of a statement, a belief, etc.) incorrectWe must learn to conquer erroneous ideas through debate and reasoning.Some people have the erroneous notion that one can contract AIDS by giving blood.21. devastating adj. very destructiveA smouldering cigarette can kindle a devastating bushfire.Oil spills are having a devastating effect on coral reefs in the ocean.22. granted adv. (used to admit the truth of a statement before introducing a contrary argument) yes (but)Granted, its a splendid car, but have you seen how much it costs!“Weve been very successful this year.” “Granted. But can we do it again next year?”23. tip the scales give a slight advantage to somebody or somethingShe was a good candidate, but her lack of computer skills tipped the scales against her. In an interview, smart presentation can tip the scales in your favor.24. in favor of in sympathy with; in support ofIs the government in favor of the death penalty or against it?He refused a job in government in favor of a university appointment.25. revert to go back toThe conversation kept reverting to the subject of money.Hes stopped taking drugs now, but he may revert to taking them again.26. come acrossto make a particular impressionHe came across to the voters as being honest, sincere and hard-working.She comes across really well on television. 27. eloquent adj.able to use language and express your opinions well, especially when you are speaking in public an eloquent speech/speaker28. skin-deep adj. not deeply felt or lastingBeauty is only skin-deep. (idiom)Ralph crammed for the test and got a good grade, but his knowledge of the lesson is only skin-deep.29. romp vi.play nosily and roughly with a lot of running and jumping; succeed easily (in a test, etc.)They were watching dogs and little children romping happily in the garden.romp through : do something easily and quicklyBeing a hard-working student, Jack romped through the examination without the least effort.30. unassuming adj. (of a person) quiet and showing no desire for attention or admirationHe is so unassuming that some people fail to realize how great a man he really was.You would never guess that he holds an important position in his firm. He is so unassuming.31. more often than not very often; frequentlyMore often than not when she is troubled with personal affairs, she will turn to her supervisor for help.32. flamboyant adj. showy, very confident and extravagantHe wears flamboyant clothes more suited to a rock star than a literary figure.The singer is very popular with the general public, but he is often regarded as being too flamboyant on stage.33. unwarranted adj. lacking a good reason; unnecessary and unjustified Much of the criticism was totally unwarranted.34. rapport n. harmonious relationshipThe two countries have established a good rapport after years of communication.35. as opposed toin contrast to; rather than200 attended the conference, as opposed to 300 the previous year.I am here on business as opposed to a holiday.II. Vocabulary PracticeComplete the following sentences using the new words and expressions in Part I.1. You have to be a bit _ if youre going to succeed in business.2. Running can strengthen your heart and muscles, but _, it can also damage your knee joints and the bones in your feet.3. The document delves into the _ world of prostitution.4. He is shy and _ and not at all how you expect an actor to be.5. Insurance is included on all _ items.6. She spoke _ on the subject.7. He always makes _ decisions and never thinks about their consequences.8. If the bomb had exploded in the main shopping area, it would have been _.9. Any attempt to discuss the issue of human rights was rejected as an _ interference in the countrys internal affairs.10. Nothing will stop him in their _ for truth.11. Id prefer to go on holiday in May, _ September.12. He _ as a sympathetic person.13. No one doubted that the president was a man of the highest _.14. Anne could always _ Pat to babysit for her.15. _, its a difficult situation, but I still think he could have handled more sensitively.16. She understood the importance of establishing a close_ with clients.17. His clothes were rather _ for such a serious occasion.18. She _ the exam questions.19. After the first half-hour she realized that her new-found confidence was no more than _.20. His work experience in a joint venture _ in his favor in the job interview and he was finally accepted by the company.21. It was impossible to tell whether the young man _ his pretty cousin or not.22. Im all _ equal pay for equal work.23. The responsibility for the crisis rests _ on the government.24. Memory is not _.25. In the states, childrens clothes are, _, made in China.26. After their mother left the room, the children soon _ their naughty ways.27. She _ excellent health.28. They appealed to the protesters to _ violence.29. This book _ English teaching methodology; you should read it over carefully before you write the lesson plan.30. He held the _ belief that the more it cost, the better it must be.31. I saw her _ the note into little pieces.32. These practices _ traditional Chinese medicine.33. When I asked him why he hadnt come to the meeting, he gave the _ excuse that hed forgotten what time it was.34. He hasnt _ his new school.35. The salesman _ us out of a lot of money.III. Reading AppreciationRead the stories about the origins of the following phrases.Kiss of DeathSome years ago, during an election campaign in a large American city, one of the candidates was having a hard time. Just when he needed all the support, a well-known wealthy woman announced her support for him. This made things even worse. His followers described the womans act as a “kiss of death.”The reason was that the woman was not respected. It was known to many that her riches had come from very questionable businesses and dealings. Her support for the candidate could do more harm than good. So it was a “kiss of death.”Where did this phrase come from? The origin can be found in historical accounts in the Bible. According to a well-known story, Jesus was given away to the enemy by one of his followers, Judas. The act of the giving-away was a kiss. On the surface it appeared to be a show of deep love, but by doing so, Judas helped the enemy, who had been looking for Jesus, recognize him easily. Jesus was later nailed to a wooden cross and put to death. In present day usage, an act of pretended love that is really intended to do harm is often called a “kiss of death” or a “Judas kiss.” Sometimes the love or show of support may be real, not pretended, but if the person doing the act has a bad reputation or is strongly disliked, that act might also be regarded as a “kiss of death.”The example shows how events from early Christian history have found their way into the English language. Among different religious beliefs, the Christian influence has been the strongest on the minds and thinking of English speaking people. It is natural that English speakers and writers often mention well-known characters and events from the Christian tradition.Lame DuckThe expression “lame duck” can be heard in almost any American town or city, especially where people discuss politics. Most often, they use it to describe a politician who has come to the end of his power a Congressman, for example, who has a few more weeks in office and will then be out of a job.There are a number of ideas as to where “lame duck” came from, although the picture is clear enough a duck that has had its wing clipped or its web feet injured can no longer walk or waddle like a healthy one. The term seems to have crept into the American language some time after the Civil War of 1861 - 1865. One explanation is that it came from the language of hunters who felt that it was foolish to waste powder or time on a dead duck. And a lame duck even a sitting duck is close to being a dead duck. Another explanation, however, says that the expression came from England. There it was used to describe a man who lost all his money in stocks, was cleaned out and could not pay his debts. He could do nothing but waddle off like a lame duck. And so the story goes. People showed little mercy for the poor fellow.But in the United S