大学英语第二册1-4单元单词

大学英语第二册1-4单元单词
Glossary
Unit 1—Unit 4, Book II
Unit 1 Ways of Learning
Text A
1. attach: fasten or join one thing to another (used in the pattern: attach A to B)
e.g. attach a picture to the letter/attach a label to each piece of luggage
Attached to this letter you will find a copy of the document you asked for.
(fig.) attach great/litt le… importance to sth
e.g. attach great importance to language learning /…middle school attached to … University
2. not in the least: not at all, not in the smallest degree
e.g. --“Would you mind my smoking here ? ” --“ No, not in the least.”
She was not in the least touched by his love-letter.
3. f ind one’s way: reach a destination naturally; arrive at
e.g. Shanghai is not an easy city to find your way around.
Some of the charity’s money found its way into his private bank account.
Drunk as he was, Peter still found his way home.
4. phenomenon: (pl. phenomena) sth. that happens or exists and that can be seen or experienced
e.g. Stress-related illness is a common phenomenon in big cities.
Thunder and lightening are natural phenomena.
5. initial: of or at the beginning, first (adj., used only before
n.)
e.g. the initial reaction / capitalize the initial letter of a word
Their initial burst of enthusiasm died down when they realized how much work the job involved.
6. assist: help (assist sb. to do st h; assist sb. with sth.)
e.g. The professor was assisting his students to prepare their project.
The college student decided to assist the boy with his study.
7. insert: put, fit, place (insert sth in, into, between…)
e.g. insert the key in the lock/insert an advertisement in a newspaper
The book would be improved by inserting another chapter.
8. somewhat: to some degree, a little
e.g. The idea somewhat alarmed his mother.
She was somewhat surprised.
This matter was a somewhat difficult one to decide.
9. await: (fml) wait for
Await is a fairly common word in formal writing, but you do not usually use it in conversation. Instead you use "wait for."
e.g. We must await die results of field studies yet to come.
After 1 sent die letter asking for a job, I had nothing to do but await the answer.
10. on occasion: now and then
e.g. We no longer keep up the close friendship of a few years ago, though we still visit each
other on occasion.
We go to New York on occasion.
11. neglect: give too little attention or care to (neglect to do sth/ neglect doing sth)
e.g. You’ve neglected to clean your shoes this morning.
Don’t negle ct writing to your mother.
Cf.: ignore: pay no attention to sb./ sth. on purpose, or as if sth. has not happened
I said “Good morning” to her, but she just ignored me and walked on.
12. relevant: directly connected with the subject (be relevant to)
e.g. Only a few people feel the debate about the cloning of human beings is relevant to their
daily lives.
13. investigate: try to find out information about (investigate sth./ investigate + wh-clause)
e.g. The police are investigating the murder.
The government of the US began at once to investigate the case.
investigation FBI= federal bureau of investigation
14. exception: sb. / sth. that a comment or statement does not apply to
e.g. This case is an exception to the rule.
All the pupils passed the exam with the exception of William.
All men between 18 and 45 without exception are expected to serve in the army during a war.
15. o n one’s own: (1) without anyone’s help
e.g. He got the job on his own.
I can’t carry it on my own; it’s too heavy.
(2) alone
e.g. He like s to be on his own./ I’m (all) on my own today.
16. accomplish: manage to do sth.
e.g. He accomplished a great deal during his first year in college.
It is the workers who will accomplish the task.
They didn’t accomplish the purpose desired.
17. in due course: at the proper time; eventually
e.g. After they were engaged, the wedding followed in due course.
I will consider the matter and let you know my answer in due course.
18. critical: 1) very important
e.g. Environmentalists say a critical factor in the city's pollution is its population.
How well you accomplish this task will be critical to the success of your career.
2) very serious or dangerous
e.g. In yesterday's car accident, ten people were killed and five people are still in a critical
condition.
19. principal: adj. (rather fml) main, chief
e.g. The couple’s principal concern is to earn enough money to send their children to school.
Her principal interest in life was to be a world-renowned pianist.
n. The principal of a school or college is the person in charge of it.
e.g. Complaints from the students began arriving at the principal's office.
Cf.: principle (see Confusable Words)
20. make up for: repay with sth. good, compensate for
e.g. Hard work can often make up for a lack of intelligence.
21. in retrospect: on evaluating the past; upon reflection
e.g. In retrospect, I should have gone to a better college.
22. extreme: 1) very great
e.g. I left a message, saying that I needed him with extreme urgency.
2) an extreme degree (go to extremes)
e.g. Jim went to such extremes to get his promotion that his colleagues hate him now.
23. performance: 1) the standard achieved by a person or group of people in carrying out a
particular job or activity
e.g. The athlete was awarded $10,000 for his good performance in the Olympics.
After several bad performances, die soccer team found their form again.
2) sth. performed in front of an audience, e.g, a play, a dance or other entertainment
e.g. Stevie Wonder fought back from the shadow of death and went on to give more
performances.
His performance in die new production of Hamlet received much praise.
24. so much so that: to such an extent that
e.g. Some parents spoil their children, so much so that they never ask them to do any
housework.
25. continual: happening again and again, repeated
e.g. How can we prevent these continual breakdowns?
The shortage of money was a continual worry.
Cf.: continuous
e.g. After three days of continuous flight, they arrived in Edinburgh.
26. apply: (1) be relevant to; have an effect (apply to sb./ sth. )
e.g. The rules of safe driving apply to everyone.
(2) write a letter or fill in a form in order to ask formally for sth.(apply for sth./ apply to do
sth.)
e.g. I have applied for a passport.
27. work on/at: try hard to achieve or improve (sth.)
e.g. Sophia needs to work at/on her typing speed.
John came back ahead of time to continue working on his thesis.
28. priority: 1)sth. that one must do before anything else
e.g. Finding a decent job is his first [top] priority.
2) sth that holds a high place among competing claims
e.g. Most schools give priority to English and computer studies.
29. evolve: (cause to) develop gradually (evolve into…/ evolve from…)
e.g. The whole idea evolved from a casual remark.
The simple plan evolved into a complicated scheme.
Many popular songs evolve from folk songs.
30. summarize: make a short account of the main points of (sth,)
e.g. Basically, the article can be summarized in three sentences.
The workers' demands can be summarized as follows: shorter hours and more pay.
31. contrast: 1) v. compare (two people or things) so that differences are made clear (contrast A
and/ with B)
e.g. contrast the president’s optimistic promises with his
poor achievements
2) n. action of contrasting (in contrast / in contrast to…)
e.g. The wife was busy with cooking, but the husband, in contrast, just watches TV all day.
In contrast to the country life, the city life seems to be fast-paced.
32. on the one hand ... on the other hand…: to introduce two contrasting circumstances
e.g. On the one hand her temper was likely to cause trouble, but on the other hand we needed
her expertise.
On the one hand, we have good reason to feel pleased with our progress. On the other hand, we mustn't get complacent.
33. promote: help to grow or develop
e.g. You don't have to sacrifice environmental protection to promote economic growth.
Regular exercise will help promote physical and mental health.
34. emerge: come out (followed by from)
e.g. The postman emerged from his van soaked to the skin.
The magician emerged from behind the curtain.
n. emergence
35. pick up: gain, learn
e.g. He picked up quite a lot of English during his one-year stay in America.
I had picked up a bit of data-processing from my son.
36. enormous: extremely large (same as huge, immense)
e.g. Catherine inherited an enormous fortune from her parents.
The New Year's concert was an enormous success.
37. exaggerate: make (sth.) seem larger, better, etc. than it really is
e.g. In her resume, she has clearly exaggerated her talents a little.
Peter says he's seen "Titanic" at least 20 times but I think he's exaggerating.
38. assuming (that):You use assuming that when you are considering a possible situation or event, so that you can think about the consequences.
e.g. Assuming that this painting really is a Van Gogh, how much do you think it’s worth?
39. valid: based on truth or sound reasoning
e.g. They put forward many valid reasons for not building the skyscraper.
It is valid to consider memory the oldest menial skill.
Scientific theories must be backed up with valid evidence.
40. worthwhile: worth doing, worth the trouble taken
e.g. The visit to Paris was worthwhile.
I wouldn’t think it worthwhile to ask him to join the club-- he’ll only refuse.
Here’s some worthwhile a dvice to any young businessman.
Cf. worth/ worthy
41. superior: better than average or than others of the same type (followed by to )
e.g. Long-term stock market investments have produced superior returns compared with cash
deposits.
The woman was greatly superior to her husband in education.
This wine is far superior to the one we had last week.
Unit 2 Values
Text A
1. remote: far away in space or time
e.g. The supply of electricity to remote mountainous villages is one of the local development
projects in Yunnan province.
Taming the deserts is no longer a dream of the remote future but a practical human endeavor.
2. discount: amount of money which may be taken off the full price折扣
e.g. Traditional retailers who’ve opened cyberstores may offer special discounts to online
shoppers.
Though online bookstores usually offer discounts, don't expect to save much.
3. carry on: behave or conduct oneself in a specific way
e.g. There's nothing unusual about them. They carry on just like everybody else.
He carries on as if he were a millionaire, spending money left, right and centre.
4. get away with: do sth. wrong or risky without being caught or punished 侥幸成功，逃脱处罚
e.g. They claimed that they knew how to play the system and get away with it.
Eric has been getting away with tax fraud for years.
5. local: of or for a particular place 地方的，当地的
e.g. The plane was to take off at 6 a.m. and land at 7 a.m. local time.
Three-quarters of the investment needed to host the Olympics would be borne by central and local government.
6. treatment: the way you deal with sb. or behave towards
them (followed by of) 对待,待遇
e.g. Like everyone else, I resent his cruel treatment of his old father.
The old woman suffered from bad treatment at the hands of her sons. None of were willing to take care of her.
7. by/from all accounts: according to what everyone says人人都说
e.g. Tom, by all accounts, is a superb teacher.
The Chinese football team will play the Koreans tonight. It should be a match watching, by all accounts.
8. cheerful: (of sb.) happy in a lively, energetic way; (of sth.) making you feel happy
e.g. One of the reasons why she is successful is that she is able to remain cheerful crisis.
They are both very cheerful in spite of their colds.
The kindergarten is bright and cheerful, with plenty of toys.
I like songs with cheerful tunes.
9. blend in/into: If sb. blends into a particular group or situation, or if the), blend in, they seem to belong there or are not noticeable, because their behavior is similar to that of the other people involved. (used in the patterns: blend in; blend into sth.; blend in with sth.) 融洽，十分协调
e.g. What he said reinforced my determination to blend in with my surroundings.
As a newly-appointed manager, he was not sure whether he could blend in.
The painter blended in with the crowd at the art sale.
10. throw one's weight around: behave in an aggressively arrogant way盛气凌人
e.g. Mr. Smith is not much of a manager. He always throws
his weight around.
Folks don't like their chairman as he always throws his weight around.
11. reserve: 1) order or book (a seat, book, room, table, etc.) 预定
e.g. The service at that five-star restaurant is excellent.
Demand will be huge, so ask your friends to reserve tickets for the concert.
2) keep for a special use (used in the pattern: be reserved for sb./sth.) 将……留作专用
e.g. In the United States lanes are reserved for cars with more than one occupant
Some seats on the buses are reserved for the old.
12. open up: unlock and open the door so that people can get in
e.g. Open up, or I break in.
They open the school up at 7:45 a.m. so that students can have more sleep.
13. headline: the rifle of a newspaper article, printed above the article in large letters
e.g. Headlines in the newspaper are arranged so that they attract attention.
The headlines in the newspapers were to please millions of people in China: Beijing to host the 2008 Olympic Games.
14. hold to: keep to遵守，不改变
e.g. John holds to his belief that you can be successful as long as you work hard.
She always holds passionately to the view that her mother is an angel.
15. stock: shares of a company that are sold to investors资
本；股票，证券
e.g. You'd better get professional advice before buying stocks or bonds,
After a dull start, stock prices moved ahead again yesterday.
16. on the run: continuously active and moving about; try to avoid being captured奔逃，逃避；
忙个不停
e.g. I have been on the run all day and I am exhausted.
He has to be on the run from one office to another to get the permit to open a take- away restaurant.
He is on the run from the police.
17. steer dear of: keep away from避开，避免
e.g. Children are told to steer clear of troublemakers.
Members of the club steer clear of controversial issues such as religion,
18. make up: form the whole of (sth.) 构成,组成
e.g. Women make up nearly 50% of university entrants.
The college is made up of fourteen departments and five research centers.
19. liable: likely (to do sth.)
e.g. It's liable to snow heavily tomorrow.
The sports meeting is liable to be postponed until next week because of the bad weather.
20. system: 1 ) set of ideas, theories, principles, etc. according to which sth. is done
e.g. Most of the teachers are doing research work, trying to find a good system of teaching
English.
The classification of the books in the library follows the Dewey Decimal System.
All the employees are required to work on an eight-hour system.
2) group of things or parts working together as a whole
e.g. With the further development of automation, more complicated control systems have
come into being.
Manned space vehicles have life-support systems designed to meet all the physical needs of the crew.
21. qualify: have or give (sh.) a legal tight (to sth./to do sth.) (followed by for or infinitive to)
e.g. A few useful skills--English teaching, for example--qualified foreigners for work visas.
Highly trained staff are well qualified to give practical advice to students when they select courses.
22. option: 1) (in business) an agreement or contract that gives sb. the right to buy or sell sth. such
as property or shares at a future date;
e.g. With cash. stock options and the promise of vast resources, Microsoft has attracted
faculty elites to its research center.
Jones has taken an option on that house.
2) sth. you can choose to do
e.g. She has the option of entering graduate school or starting her professional career.
Analysts say that the launch of the cure offers a new and attractive option.
23. scholarship: (award of a) grant of money to a scholar奖学金
e.g. He can't afford to go to college if he doesn't win a scholarship.
Some companies have set up scholarships for both students and teachers at our university.
24. and the like: and other things of the same sort等等，诸如此类
If you mention particular things or people and then add "and the like", you are indicating that There are other similar things or people that can be included in what you are saying.
e.g. Many students are also keeping fit through jogging, aerobics, weight training, and the like.
Always carry your passport, money and the like with you while you are traveling abroad.
25. cultivate: 1) make a special effort to establish and develop (sth.).培养，陶冶
e.g. They encourage students to cultivate special interests in theoretical physics.
Some students try to cultivate a love of art.
2) prepare land and grow crops on it
e.g. They cultivated 500 acres in the suburb.
The remote area has barely been cultivated for decades.
26. reward: give sth. to (sb.) in return for work or services (used in the pattern: reward sb. for sth. with sth.) 奖赏
e.g. The officer is to be rewarded for his efforts with promotion to the rank of inspector.
If you do well in the final exams, I will reward you with a trip to Hong Kong.
27. retire: (cause to) stop working at one's job, usu. because of age (followed by from)
e.g. Although their careers are important they plan to retire at 50.
The school had to employ the retired teachers to give classes.
28. deserve: be sth. or have done sth. for which one should receive (a reward, special treatment etc.); be entitled to (not used in the continuous tense) 应受；值得
e.g. I am only partly responsible for the success of this book, my collaborator deserves more
credit.
They deserve a better salary for the job they do.
Mary deserves a reward for her efforts.
Unit 3 The Generation Gap
Text A
1. location: a place or position场所；位置
e.g. Witnesses showed the police the exact location of the accident.
The school is going to move to a new location.
2. embarrass: make (sb.) feel awkward or ashamed 使窘迫；使不好意思
e.g. I chose my words carefully in order to avoid embarrassing anyone.
It embarrassed him that he had to give a talk in front of a lot of people.
embarrassed: adj. (sb.) shy, guilty or ashamed about sth.
e.g. I was really embarrassed when I knocked the cup of tea over my teacher.
3. dumb: (infml) 1) foolish 愚蠢的，
e.g. He was so dumb that he left his keys at home again.
Don't be so dumb. You can't get a loan from the bank if you are laid-off.
2) unable to speak哑的
e.g. Children born deaf and dumb can nowadays be taught to speak and lip-read.
Martin was born dumb, but he has still managed to get a good job.
4. in unison: acting in the same way at die same time一致地；一起
e.g. The children find it difficult to play their instruments in unison.
The international community is ready to work in unison against terrorism.
5. consist of: be made up of 组成，构成
e.g. The book consists of essays written over die last twenty years.
The committee consists of scientists and engineers.
7. fade: 1 ) lose color or brightness 褪色；变黯淡
e.g. All color fades -- especially under the impact of direct sunlight.
The sunlight gradually faded.
2) disappear slowly消失
e.g. Her enthusiasm for early-morning exercises faded as the weather was getting colder and
colder.
They watched the mountains fade into the darkness.
8. overall: 1) adv. in general
e.g. The college has few ways to assess die quality of education overall.
Overall, I like Made, despite her faults.
2) adj. including everything; total (only before noun)
e.g. Cut down your overall amount of extracurricular activities and spend more time on your
studying.
The overall length is 15 feet.
9. trade (sth.) for (sth. else): exchange (sth.) for (ath. else) 用（一物）交换（另一物）
e.g. The farmers traded farm produce for manufactured goods and money.
I will trade my stamp collection for your model boat.
10. keep/leave (sb.) in suspense: delay telling (sb.) what they are eager to know使产生悬念，故
意迟迟不告诉
e.g. The audience is kept in suspense to the very end of the play.
I won't keep you in suspense any longer. Here are the results of the mid-term exam.
11. interrupt: vt. stop (sb.) from continuing what they are saying or doing
e.g. My daughter kept interrupting me whenever I spoke.
I'm sorry to interrupt, but you're not really answering my question.
Nobody was allowed to interrupt them while the meeting was in progress.
12. bet: be sure敢说，确信
e.g. I bet she was late for the meeting on purpose.
I bet he'll change his mind again.
13. glorious: wonderful 极好的，辉煌的，光荣的
e.g. It seems a pity to be indoors on such a glorious day.
Vivid memories came flooding back of the glorious, romantic sophomore year.
14. hand down: give or leave to people who are younger or come later把……传下去
e.g. The art of story-telling is handed down from mother to daughter.
She had some jewelry which had been handed down from her grandmother.
15. at any rate: whatever may happen; in any case无论如何,不管怎样
(You use at any rate to indicate that the important thing is what you are saying now, and not what was said before.)
e.g. At any rate, you survived the car accident.
At any rate, we have done one part of the job.
Well at any rate, let me thank you for all you did for me.
16. community: the people living in one place, district, or country, considered as a whole
e.g. Police work to prevent crime and to protect the lives and property of the people in a
community.
College students have learned a lot in community service.
17. welfare: good health, happiness, prosperity, etc. of a person or group
e.g. Parents are responsible for die welfare of their children.
Employers should be concerned with the welfare of their employees.
18. narrow down: make (a list of things) smaller (followed by to) 减少，缩小
e.g. Over a hundred applicants will be narrowed down to a short list of five candidates.
The police department attempted to narrow down the list of suspects.
19. exhaust: 1) make (sh.) very tired, either physically or mentally 使筋疲力尽
e.g. He took to walking long distances in an attempt to physically exhaust himsel
f.
Four hours' work almost exhausted her.
2) use up completely用完，耗尽
e.g. What will we do, now that we've exhausted our reserves of oil?
After exhausting all her ready excuses, she could think of nothing else to say.
20. repeatedly: again and again反复地
e.g. We have repeatedly requested that staff should not be allowed to smoke in the office.
I repeatedly warn you not to take the job.
21. come over: (of a feeling) affect (指某种感觉)刺激或影响
e.g. A great sense of calm came over me when I realized that I was no longer responsible for
the situation.
He has never been so rude to me. What's come over him?
22. swallow: cause or allow (esp. food or drink ) to go down the throat; hide or suppress a feeling
e.g. I tried to swallow, but ray mouth was too dry.
Chew your food properly before swallowing it.
Susan had to restrain herself and swallow hard in her position as a housemaid.
23. frank: showing one's thoughts and feelings openly (followed by with/about) 坦白的，直率的
e.g. To be frank with you, I think you are making a mistake.
Our discussions were frank and fruitful.
Do you want my frank opinion?
It is clear that my students have been frank with me.
24. interference: unwanted or unnecessary involvement in sth. (followed by in/with)干涉；干扰
e.g. Her parents' continual interference in our affairs irritated me.
Your interference in his private affairs is unreasonable.
25. constant: 1) without stopping持续的,
e.g. I have had a constant headache for three days.
He left the office because he could no longer stand the constant gossip.
2) unchanging不变的
e.g. Driving at a constant speed saves gas.
The temperature in the museum is maintained at a constant 16 degrees Celsius.
The price of the product is not constant but varies with supply and demand.
26. in charge of: having control (over) or responsibility (for) 主管……,负责……
e.g. Who is in charge of the club's finances?
He was left in charge of the shop while the manager was away.
27. exceptional: unusual杰出的，特别的
e.g. Ann showed exceptional musical ability at the age of four.
Stephen was an exceptional man with great business talents.
The movie was pretty good, but not exceptional.
28. fill out: complete (a document or form) by supplying required information填写
To fill out a form means the same as to fill in a form.
e.g. Please fill out the application form and send it back by January 10.
The policeman filled out a report of the accident.
The old man filled out the form and signed it at the bottom.
29. proof: evidence or facts that are sufficient to establish a
thing as true or believable证据,证明
e.g. The executive produced documents in proof of his claim.
Her fingerprints left on the scene were a proof of her guilt.
I know you visited the house. I have proof.
30. talented: gifted 有才能的，天才的
e.g. Jackie Chen has a huge army of young fans, and is extremely talented.
Mozart was a talented musician.
31. junior: 1) younger (followed by to)较年幼的;
(abbrs.: Jr. or jr., used after the name of a person who has the same name as his father, e.g.
Tom Brown, Jr.)
e.g. Jane is several years junior to her husband.
Do you want John Brown Senior or John Brown Junior, the father or the son?
2) lower in rank than others地位较低的
e.g. Having worked for five years, Jack is still a junior clerk in the office.
Michael had been a junior clerk for three years before he was promoted to senior clerk.
Unit 4 The Virtual World
Text A
1. virtual: 1) created and existing only in a computer虚拟的
e.g. I can visit a virtual store and put what I want in my basket at the click of a mouse button.
Some people spend too much rime escaping from reality into the virtual world conjured up on their computer screens.
2) being or acting as what is described, but not accepted as such in name or officially
e.g. Our deputy manager is the virtual head of the business.
实质上的
Now that the talks have broken down, war in the region looks like a virtual certainty.
2. interpret: 1) understand (sth. said, ordered, or done) 理解
e.g. They are worried that the students might interpret the new regulation as a resection of their
rights.
She interprets the dream as an unconscious desire to be young again.
2) give or provide the meaning of, explain解释
e.g. How do you interpret his refusal to see us?
This dream can be interpreted in several different ways.
3) translate what is said in one language into another (作)口译
e.g. I am terribly sorry, but I don't understand a word. Could you interpret for me?
No one in the tour group spoke Spanish so we had to ask the guide to interpret.
3. tone: a particular quality or intonation of the voice语气，口气，腔调
e.g. From the tone of her voice I could tell she was very angry.
Suddenly he laughed again, but this time with a cold, sharp tone.
4. stretch: (cause to) become longer, wider, etc. without breaking拉长，伸展
e.g. My working day stretches from seven in the morning to eight at night.
The child stretched the rubber band to its full extent.
5. submit: vt. give (sth.) to sb. so that it may be formally considered (followed by to) 提交，呈递。