Unit2Sailingtheoceans重点词语学习

1、Unit 2 Sailing the oceans重点词语学习mercynoun (pl. -ies)1. U a kind or forgiving attitude towards sb that you have the power to harm or right to punish huma ni ty: to ask / beg / plead for mercy They showed no mercy to their hostages. God have mercy on us. The troops are on a mercy missi on (= a journey

2、to help people) in the war zone. 2. C, usually sin g. (in formal) an event or a situatio n to be grateful for, usually because it stops sth unpleasant: It s' a mercy she wasn t seriously hurt. His death w as a mercy (= because he was in great pain.at the mercy of sb/sth not able to stop sb/sth h

3、arm ing you because they have power or con trol over you: I ' m not going to put myself at the mercy of the bank. We were at the mercy of the weather. leave sb/sth to the mercy / mercies of sb/sth to leave sb/sth in a situation that may cause them to suffer or to be treated badly: privatized com

4、panies left to the mercy of market forces (humorous) I ' ll leave you to the tender mercies of these ladies!throw yourself on sb ' s mero(formal) to put yourself in a situation where you must rely on sb to be kind to you and not harm or punish youlongsideprep.1. next to or at the side of sth

5、: A police car pulled up alongside us.a lifeboat moored alongside the yacht Much of the land alongside the river is below sea level. 2. together with or at the same time as sth/sb: Traditional beliefs still flourish alongside a modern urban lifestyle.explorationnoun C, U1. the act of travelling thro

6、ugh a place in order to find out about it or look for sth in it: the exploration of space oil exploration (= searching for oil in the ground) 2. an examination of sth in order to find out about it: the book s 'explorations of the human mind accelerate verb1. to happen or to make sth happen faste

7、r or earlier than expected: v Inflation continues to accelerate. vn Exposure to the sun can accelerate the ageing process.2. v (of a vehicle or person) to start to go faster: The runners accelerated smoothly around the bend. The car accelerated to overtake me.secureadj.HAPPY / CONFIDENT1. feeling ha

8、ppy and confident about yourself or a particular situation:At last they were able tofeel secure about the future. She finished the match, secure in the knowledge that she was through to the next round.CERTAIN / SAFE2. likely to continue or be successful for a long time; safe: a secure job / income I

9、t s'not a very secure way to make a living. The future of the company looks secure.3. (against / from sth) that cannot be affected or harmed by sth: Information must be stored so that it is secure from accidental deletion.BUILDING / DOOR / ROOM4. guarded and/or made stronger so that it is diffic

10、ult for people to enter or leave:Check that allwindows and doors have been made as secure as possible. a secure unit for child offenders The building is secure against intruders.FIRM5. not likely to move, fall down, etc.; stable: The aerial doesn ' t look very secure to mItew. as difficult to ma

11、intain a secure foothold on the ice. (figurative) Our relationship was now on a more secure footing.verbGET STH1. sth (for sb/sth)| sb sth (formal) to obtain or achieve sth, especially when this means using a lot of effort: vn to secure a contract / dealThe team managed to secure a place in the fina

12、ls.She secured 2. 000 votes. The delegation has secured the promise of a ceasefire. vn, vnn He secured a place for himself at law school. He secured himself a place at law school.FASTEN FIRML Y2. vn sth (to sth) to attach or fasten sth firmly: She secured the rope firmly to the back of the car. The

13、tables on board were secured firmly to the floor.PROTECT FROM HARM3. vn sth (against sth) to protect sth so that it is safe and difficult to attack or damage: to secure a property against intruders The windows were secured with locks and bars. (figurative) a savings plan that will secure your child

14、s future'A LOAN4. vn to legally agree to give sb property or goods that are worth the same amount as the money that you have borrowed from them, if you are unable to pay the money back:a loan secured onthe house random adj. usually before noun done, chosen, etc. without sb deciding in advance wh

15、at is going to happen, or without any regular pattern: the random killing of innocent people a random sample / selection (= in which each thing has an equal chance of being chosen) The information is processed in a random order.nounat random without deciding in advance what is going to happen, or wi

16、thout any regular pattern:She opened the book at random (= not at any particular page) and started reading. The terrorists fired into the crowd at random.Names were chosen at random from a list.awkwardadj.1. making you feel embarrassed: There was an awkward silence. I felt awkward because they obvio

17、usly wanted to be alone. 2. difficult to deal with: Don' t ask awkward questions. You' ve put me in an awkward position. an awkward customer (= a person who is difficult to deal with) Please don ' t be awkward about letting him come. It makes things awkward for everyone when you behave l

18、ike that. 3. not convenient, inconvenient: Have I come at an awkward time?4. difficult or dangerous because of its shape or design: This box is very awkward for one person to carry. This tool will reach into awkward corners, such as under kitchen units. 5. not moving inI mustan easy way; not comfort

19、able: He tried to dance, but he was too clumsy and awkward.have slept in an awkward position I ' m aching all over.referencenounMENTIONING SB / STH1. C, U (to sb/sth) a thing you say or write that mentions sb/sth else; the act of mentioning sb/sth: The book is full of references to growing up in

20、 India. She made no reference to her illness but only to her future plans. the President s pa'ssing refer ence to (= brief mention of) the end of the warLOOKING FOR INFORMA TION2. U the act of looking at sth for information:Keep the list of numbers near the phone for easyreference. I wrote down

21、the name of the hotel for future reference (= because it might be useful in the future). The library contains many popular works of reference (= reference books). ASKING FOR ADVICE3. U (to sb/sth) (formal) the act of asking sb for help or advice: The emergency nurse can treat minor injuries without

22、reference to a doctor.NUMBER / WORD / SYMBOL4. C (abbr. ref.) a number, word or symbol that shows where sth is on a map, or where you can find a piece of information: The map reference is Y4. Please quote your reference number when making an enquiry.FOR NEW JOB5. C a letter written by sb who knows y

23、ou, giving information about your character and abilities, especially to a new employer: We will take up references after the in terview.6. C a pers on who agrees to write a reference, for you, for example whe n you are appl ying for a job: My previous boss will act as a refere nee for me.IN BOOK7.

24、C a note in a book that tells you where a particular piece of in formati on comes from:There isa list of referen ces at the end of each chapter.in / with referenee to (formal) used to say what you are talking or writing about: With referenee to your letter of July 22.verb vn (formal) to refer to sth

25、; to provide a book, etc. with references: Each chapter is referenced, citing literature up to 2004 .preciseadj.1. clear and accurate; exact: precise details / in struct ions / measureme ntsCan you give a moreprecise defi niti on of the word?I can be reas on ably precise about the time of the in cid

26、e nt.2.only before noun used to emphasize that sth happe ns at a particular time or in a particular way: We were just talk ing about her whe n, at that precise mome nt, she walked in. Doctors found it hard to establish the precise nature of her illness. 3. taking care to be exact and accurate, espec

27、ially about small details: a skilled and precise worker small, precise movements (disapproving) Shesrather prim and precise.to be (more) precise used to show that you are giving more detailed and accurate information about sth you have just men ti on ed: The shelf is about a metre long well, 98cm, t

28、o be precise.simplify verb (simplifies, simplifying, simplified, simplified) vn to make sth easier to do or understand:The application forms have now been simplified.I hope his appointment will simplify matters.a simplified version of the story for young childrenportableadj. that is easy to carry or

29、 to move: a portable TV The equipment is lightweight, portable and easy to store. (figurative) a portable loan / pension (= that can be moved if you change banks, jobs, etc.) portable softwarenoun a small type of machine that is easy to carry, especially a computer or a television: The kids are upst

30、airs watching the portable (= television).shortcomingnoun usually pl. a fault in sb's character, a plan, a sSyhsetema, deetcm.: e aware of my ownshortcomings. Despite a number of shortcomings, the project will still go ahead.updateverb vn1. to make sth more modern by adding new parts, etc.: It s

31、'about time we updated our software. 2. sb (on sth)| sth to give sb the most recent information about sth; to add the most recent information to sth bring up to date: I called the office to update them on the day s developments. Our records are regularly updated.tendencynoun (pl. -ies)1. C (for

32、sb/sth) (to do sth)| (to / towards sth) if sb/sth has a particular tendency, they are likely to behave or act in a particular way: to display artistic, etc. tendencies I have a tendencyto talk too much when Im neTrvhoeurse.is a tendency for this disease to run in fam ilies. Shehas a strong natural t

33、endency towards caution. This material has a tendency to shrink when washed.2. C (for sb/sth) (to do sth)| (to / towards sth) a new custom that is starting to develop: There is a growing tendency among employers to hire casual staff. 3. C+sing./pl. v. (BrE) a group within a larger political group, w

34、hose views are more extreme than those of the rest of the group: the militant tendency reliable adj.1. that can be trusted to do sth well; that you can rely on; dependable: We are looking for someone who is reliable and hard- working. a reliable friend My car s'not as reliable as it used to be.

35、2. that is likely to be correct or true: Our information comes from a reliable source. a reliable witness How reliable are the local weather forecasts?These tests are a reliable indicator offuture performance.swoop verb v1. usually +adv. / prep. (of a bird or plane) to fly quickly and suddenly downw

36、ards, especially in order to attack sb/sth; dive: The aircraft swooped down over the buildings.A hawk swooped lowover the field. 2. (on sb/sth) (especially of police or soldiers) to visit or attack sb/sth suddenly and without warning: Officers swooped on the vehicles as they left the ferry.noun1. an

37、 act of moving suddenly and quickly through the air in a downward direction, as a bird does dive 2. (on sth/sb) an act of arriving somewhere or attacking sth/sb in a way that is sudden and unexpected: Large quantities of drugs were found during a police swoop on the star s New York home.peckverb1. (

38、at sth) (of birds) to move the beak forward quickly and hit or bite sth: v A rob in was peck ing at crumbs on the ground. Hens pecked around in the yard. vn A bird had pecked a hole in the sack. Vultures had pecked out the dead goat s eyes2. vn sb (on sth) (informal) to kiss sb lightly and quickly:

39、He pecked her on the cheek as he went out. She pecked his cheek. a / the peck ing order (in formal, ofte n humorous) the order of importa nee in relati on to one ano ther among the members of a group: New Zealand is at the top of the pecking order of rugby nations. to be first in the peck ing orderp

40、eck at sth to eat only a very small amount of a meal because you are not hungry; pick at:She satn ervously peck ing at her food.expeditionnoun1. an orga ni zed journey with a particular purpose, especially to find out about a place that is not well known: to plan / lead / go on an expedition to the

41、North Pole 2. the people who go on an expedition: Three members of the Everest expedition were killed. 3. (sometimes humorous) a short trip that you make when you want or need sth: a shopping expeditioncompulsoryadj. that must be done because of a law or a rule: It is compulsory for all motorcyclist

42、s to wear helmets. English is a compulsory subject at this level. compulsory education / schooling compulsory redu ndan ciesSurvivalnoun1. U the state of con ti nuing to live or exist, ofte n despite difficulty or dan ger:the struggle / battle/ fight for survival His only cha nee of survival was a h

43、eart tran spla nt. Export ing is n ecessary for our econo mic survival.Con ti nued trade in these products is a threat to the survival of thespecies2. C (from sth) something that has continued to exist from an earlier time: The ceremony is a survival from pre-Christia n times.the survival of the fit

44、test the principle that only the people or things that are best adapted to their surro undings will con ti nue to existincidentnoun1. C somethi ng that happe ns, especially sth unu sual or un pleasa nt: His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. One particular incident sticks in my mind.2. C,

45、U a serious or violent event, such as a crime, an accident or an attack: There was a shooting incident near here last night. The dem on strati on passed off without in cide nt. 3. C a disagreeme nt betwee n two coun tries, ofte n in volv ing military forces: a border / diplomatic in cide ntdeparture

46、noun1. C, U (from . ) the act of leavi ng a place; an example of this:His sudde n departure threwthe office into chaos. Flights should be con firmed 4.8 hours before departure. They hadreceived no news of him since his departure from the island.2. C a plane, train, etc. leaving aplace at a particula

47、r time: arrivals and departures All departures are from Manchester. the departure lounge / time / gate the departures board 3. C (from sth) an action that is different from what is usual or expected: It was a radical departure from tradition. Their latest single represents a new departure for the ba

48、nd.depositnounMONEY1. usually sing. a (on sth) a sum of money that is given as the first part of a larger payment:we ve put down a5.% deposit on the house. They normally ask you to pay1.00 (a£a) deposit.All deposits are non-refundable. 2. usually sing. a sum of money that is paid by sb when the

49、y rent sth and that is returned to them if they do not lose or damage the thing they are renting: to pay a deposit They ' ll probably ask you to leave a deposit.3. a sum of money that is paid into a bank account: Deposits can be made at any branch. 4. (in the British political system) the amount

50、 of money that a candidate in an election to Parliament has to pay, and that is returned if he/she gets enough votes: All the other candidates lost their deposits.verb vnPUT DOwN1. +adv. / prep. to put or lay sb/sth down in a particular place:She deposited a pile of books onmy desk. (informal) I was

51、 whisked off in a taxi and deposited outside the hotel.LEAVE SUBSTANCE2. (especially of a river or a liquid) to leave a layer of sth on the surface of sth, especially gradually and over a period of time: Sand was deposited which hardened into sandstone.MONEY3. to put money into a bank account: Milli

52、ons were deposited in Swiss bank accounts.reckonverb1. (informal, especially BrE) to think sth or have an opinion about sth:v (that) I reckon (that)I ' m going to get that job. He' ll be famous one day. What do you reckon (= do you agree)? vIt s'worth a lot of mon ey, I reck on. They 

53、9; ll n ever find out.' You reck on? ' (= I think you may bewrong about that) 2. be reck oned (not used in the progressive ten ses) to be gen erally con sidered to be sth: vn to inf Children are reckoned to be more sophisticated nowadays. vn-n It wasgen erally reck oned a success. also vn-ad

54、j 3. v to inf (BrE, in formal) to expect to do sth:Wereckon to finish by ten. He wasnt reckoning to pay so much.4. sth (at sth) to calculate an amount, a nu mber, etc.: vn I could see him reck oning the cost as I spoke.The age of the earthis reckoned at about 4. 6.00 million years.v (that) They reck

55、on (that) their profits are down byat least 2.0%. vn to inf The journey was reck oned to take about two hours.reck on on sth to expect sth to happe n or to rely on sth happe ning: They had n ' reckoned on arebellion.+ - ing We ' d reckoned on having good weather.reckon sth up / reckon up sth

56、 (especially BrE) to calculate the total amount or number of sth:Hereck oned up the cost of everyth ing in his mind.reck on with sb/sth1. usually passive to consider or treat sb/sth as a serious opponent, problem, etc.: They were already a political force to be reckoned with. 2. (usually used in neg

57、ative sentences) to consider sth as a possible problem that you should be prepared for; take sth into account: + -ing I didn ' t reck on with gett ing caught up in so much traffic.reck on without sb/sth (especially BrE) to not con sider sb/sth as a possible problem that you should be prepared fo

58、r; not take sth into acco unt: They had reck oned without the determ in ati on of the oppositi on.tensionnoun1. U, C, usually pl. (between A and B) a situation in which people do not trust each other, or feel unfriendly towards each other, and which may cause them to attack each other: There is moun ti ng tension along the ern ati onal / racial / political tensions Family tensionsand con flicts may lead to viole nee.The in cide nt has further in creased tension betwee