英语泛读3vocabulary building

Vocabulary building
1.practice
a.Your suggestion sounds good, but I’m afraid it is not practicable / practical.
b.We must combine theory with practice.
c.This boy practices playing the piano every day. That is why he can play so well now.
d.The rocks are so hard in the mountain that to build a road through it is not practicable / practical.
e.This old man is practiced in catching snakes.
2.worth
a.This “diamond” is made of glass and is almost worthless.
b.She is such a beautiful and clever girl and he is not worthy of her.
c.Although it is so hard to work in the desert, the fact that we will certainly find oil here makes our work
worthwhile.
d.This historical site is worth a visit.
e.These discoveries are of little worth.
3.various
a.Good readers learn to vary their reading speed when they read different materials.
b.If you don’t know where to spend the holiday, you can send for the holiday brochures which can give you
the most variety.
c.There is a variation of ten pounds in weight.
d.We have various / varied opinions on this project.
e.Various kinds of birds are described in this book.
4.absorb
a.This novel is so absorbing that he forgets it is time for supper.
b.He was too absorbed in the newspaper to hear the bell.
c.In winter we should wear dark colored clothes which can absorb the sunlight.
d.This small factory faces absorption into a big on
e.
e.This material is as absorbent as sponge.
1.effective, efficient
a.The measures adopted by the government to reduce unemployment were effective.
b.He is efficient at his job.
c.The law is no longer effective.
2.technique, technology
puter technology is developing at an amazingly fast pace.
b.He has the greatest technique with customers.
3.medium, middle
a.I was right I in the middle of reading her paper when she phoned.
b.He is a man of medium height.
c.Those clothes must be washed at medium temperature.
4.attitude, aptitude
a.Does she show any aptitude for music?
b.He shows a very positive attitude to his work.
5.count, account
a.He had to submit the account of his expenditure.
b.I felt that all my years there counted for nothing.
c.We counted the passengers and found two were missing.
6.talent, intelligence
a.She possesses a remarkable talent for music.
b.When the water pipe burst, the child had the intelligence to turn off the water at the main.
7.aspire, inspire
a.His noble example inspired the rest of us to greater efforts.
b.The hard-working student aspired to become an author.
c.The Lake District scenery inspired Wordsworth to write his greatest poetry.
8.badge, token
a. A white flag is used as a token of surrender.
b.They were wearing badges that said “Nuclear Power-No thanks!”
c.Our troops encountered only token resistance.
9.contemporary, temporary
a.Beethoven and Napoleon were contemporaries.
b.Students often find temporary jobs during their summer holidays.
c.Contemporary reports of past events are often more interesting than modern historians’ view of them.
10.d esert, dessert
a.I’ve had enough of the fish. Shall we move on to dessert?
b.He deserted his wife and children and went abroad.
11.f avorable, favorite
a.Who is your favorite writer?
b.Her request met with a favorable response.
c.It’s encouraging to receive a favorable report on one’s work.
12.r eward, award
a.The judge awarded substantial damages to the victims of the explosion.
b.Is this how you reward me for my help?
c.She’s been awarded a scholarship to study at Oxfor
d.
13.h istoric, historical
a.Historical research has proved that the Trojan War was a real event.
b.The ending of the cold war is a historic event.
14.r eject, resist
a.He is very depressed because the manuscript of his novel was rejected.
b.When I saw the condition the children were in, I couldn’t resist asking their mother what she thought she
was doing.
15.a nalyze, test
a.The scientists are going to test / analyze the ore for iron.
b.He has not analyzed the result of the experiment yet.
16.p eculiar, particular
a.This food has a peculiar taste, do you think it’s all right?
b.Is there any particular color you would prefer?
c.Is there anything in particular you’d like for dinner?
17.a ccess, assess
a.It is difficult to assess the impact of the president’s speech.
b.The only access to the farmhouse is across the fields.
c.Students must have access to a good library.
18.s ource, resource
a.China is rich in natural resources.
b.Is the water polluted at the source or further downstream?
c.He cited many sources for his book.
19.i nquire, require
a.The couple separated because they were not inquired.
b.The achievements of an athlete and a write are required
c.This printer is inquire with most personal computers.
d.His work is required to the very best.
20.c omparable, compatible
a.The couple separated because they were not compatible.
b.The achievements of an athlete and a writer are comparable.
c.This printer is compatible with most personal computers.
d.His work is comparable to the very best.
21.c areer, job
a.He got a part-time job as a gardener.
b.After graduation from college she chose an academic career.
c.Thousands of workers lost their jobs when the factory close
d.
d.He is a career diplomat, which means he is a professional on
e.
22.p rinciple, principal
a.The principal aim of the policy is to bring peace to the area.
b.Discussing all the details will get us nowhere: we must go back to basic principles.
c.The Danube is one of the principal rivers of Europe.
d.She seems to have no principle at all when it comes to the question of making money.
23.f emale, feminine
a.The little boy speaks like a girl. He has a feminine voice.
b.The male voice is usually deeper than the female.
c.“Lioness” is the feminine form of “Lion”.
24.r ecreate, recreation
a.His only recreation are drinking beer and working in the garden.
b.The play recreates life before the war.
c.Gardening is a form of recreation.
25.r hyme, rhythm
a.The music those tribesmen are playing contains some incredibly complicated rhythm.
b.To amuse his colleagues he wrote his report in rhyme.
c.Beef rhymes with leaf.
d.That girl will be a great dancer—she’s got natural rhythm.
26.a ssure, ensure
a.I assure you that they’ll be perfectly safe with us.
b.Please ensure that all the lights are switched off at night.
c.They were assured that everything possible was being done.
d.These pills should ensure you a good night’s sleep.
27.a rise, raise, rise
e your money when the need arises.
b.He raised his eyes from his work.
c.The cost of living continues to rise.
d.The horses’ hooves raised a cloud of dust.
e. A new difficulty has arisen.
28.c ue, clue
a.The only clue to the identity of the murderer was a half-smoked cigarette.
b.Actors have to learn their cues as well as their own lines.
c.We have no clue as to where she went after she left home.
d.When I nod my head, that’s your cue to interrupt.
29.t ransform, transfer
a. A beard may transform a man beyond recognition.
b.The shop closed and the business was transferred somewhere else.
c.The ticket cannot be transferred to another airline.
d. A caterpillar is transformed into a butterfly.
30.a lone, lonely
a.Robinson Crusoe spent many lonely days on the desert island before Friday appeared.
b.She is too young to go to the party alone.
c.The cabin was built in a(n) lonely spot, faraway from the town.
d.Mount Everest stands alone in its magnificenc
e.
31.t hreaten, warn
a.My father warned me not to go too close to the beehive.
b.Our neighbor threatened to call the police if I climbed into his garden again.
32.s pread, spray
a.The peacock raised its tail and spread it.
b.Let’s spread the map on the table and study the routes.
c.Jack became so angry with the mosquito that he sprayed the whole room with fly-killer.
33.e mergence, emergency
a.Keep a fire extinguisher for use in an emergency.
b.The emergence of an overall picture came after thorough investigation.
34.r emedy, recipe
a.I often use herbal remedies.
b.What is your recipe for success?
c. A good night’s sleep would be the best remedy for your headaches.
d.He didn’t follow the recipe and the cake came out all wrong.
35.a lter, alternate
a.Most farmers alternate their crops on a yearly basis.
b.I didn’t recognize him, he had altered so much.
c.Rainy days alternate with dry ones.
d.She had to alter her clothes after losing weight.
36.k nowledge, acknowledge
a.When the result of the vote was announced the Prime Minister acknowledged defeat.
b.My knowledge of French was rather poor.
c.She is acknowledged as an expert on the subject.
37.e volve, revolve
a.He has evolved a new theory after many years of research.
b.The earth revolved round the sun.
c.Many Victorians were shocked by the notion that man had evolved from lower forms of life.
38.d ismal, dismay
a.He learned to his dismay that he had lost his jo
b.
b.The lost spoke to the unwelcome visitor with a dismal tone of voice.
c.The news was as dismal as ever.
d.We watched in blank dismay as she packed her bag in angry.
39.a ttribute, contribute
a.Everyone should contribute what he or she can afford.
b.This play is usually attributed to Shakespeare.
c.Her work has contributed enormously to our understanding of this difficult subject.
d.The author attributed his success to hard work and a bit of luck.
40.m etaphor, simile
a.“As brave as a lion” is a simile.
b.“She has a heart of stone” is a metaphor.
41.u ltimate, unanimous
a.Management must take ultimate responsibility for the strike.
b.The villagers are unanimous in their opposition to the building of a bypass.
c.Nuclear weapons are the ultimate deterrent.
d.The proposal was accepted with unanimous approval.。