TỪ VỰNG TOEIC unit 1

Unit 1BENE AM BELL PAC CRIM PROB GRAV LEV Words from Mythologyand History Quiz 1-1 Quiz 1-2 Quiz 1-3 Quiz 1-4 Quiz 1-5 Review Quizzes 1 BENE is Latin for “well.” A benefit is a good resu

Unit 1

BENE AM BELL PAC CRIM PROB GRAV LEV Words from Mythologyand History

Quiz 1-1 Quiz 1-2 Quiz 1-3 Quiz 1-4 Quiz 1-5 Review Quizzes 1

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!”; inFrench, 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 quicklyout 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 AaronicBenediction from the Bible, which begins, “May the Lord bless you and keepyou.” 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 beenbaptized Benedict in his honor, and 16 popes have taken it as their papalname

benefactor Someone who helps another person or group,especially by giving money

• An anonymous benefactor had given $15 million to establish an ecologicalinstitute at the university

A benefactor may be involved in almost any field One may endow ascholarship 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 ofChicago, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Rockefeller University Manybenefactors have reported that giving away their money turned out to be themost rewarding thing they ever did

beneficiary A person or organization that benefits or

is expected to benefit from something, especially one that receives money orproperty when someone dies

• Living in a trailer in near-poverty, she received word in the mail that herfather had died, naming her as the sole beneficiary of his life-insurancepolicy

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 privatedonation Your uncle's will may make a church his sole beneficiary, in whichcase all his money and property will go to it when he dies A “third-partybeneficiary” of a contract is a person (often a child) who the people signingthe contract (which is usually an insurance policy or an employee-benefitplan) 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 thebeneficiary when the one across the street closes down and its whole lunchcrowd starts coming in

benevolence Kindness, generosity

• In those financially desperate years, the young couple was saved only by thebenevolence 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 lifesavingbenevolence 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 somebickering during the holidays

Amicable often describes relations between two groups, or especially two

nations—for example, the United States and Canada, which are proud ofsharing 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 alwaysnice when two friends who've been quarreling manage to have an amicableconversation 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, itsslow 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'snovels And Romeo and Juliet were, of course, utterly enamored of eachother But we also often use the word in negative contexts: A friend at workmay complain that she's not enamored of the new boss, and when you starttalking 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 Having or showing strong feelings of attraction orlove

• It turned out that the amorous Congressman had gotten his girlfriend a goodjob and was paying for her apartment

A couple smooching on a park bench could be called amorous, or a youngmarried couple who are always hugging and kissing But the word is oftenused a bit sarcastically, as when a tabloid newspaper gets hold of somescandalous photos and calls the participants “the amorous pair.” In suchcases, we may be encouraged to think the attraction is more physical thanemotional

paramour A lover, often secret, not allowed by law orcustom

• He had been coming to the house for two years before her brothers realizedthat 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 thelover of a married man or woman, but may be used for any lover who isn'tobeying the social rules

B Complete the analogy:

1 charming : enchanting :: amorous : _

a sublime b pleasant c likeable d passionate

2 greeting : farewell :: benediction : _

a motto b speech c curse d saying

3 lender : borrower :: benefactor : _

a giver b beneficiary c participant d partner

4 gentle : tender :: enamored : _

a lively b charmed c cozy d enraged

5 liking : appreciation :: benevolence : _

a opinion b sentimentality c interest d generosity

6 frozen : boiling :: amicable : _

a calm b comfortable c shy d unfriendly

7 patient : doctor :: beneficiary : _

a tycoon b investor c lover d benefactor

8 friend : companion :: paramour : _

a lover b theater c mother d wife

Answers

BELL comes from the Latin word meaning “war.” Bellona was the

little-known Roman goddess of war; her husband, Mars, was the god of war

antebellum Existing before a war, especially before theAmerican Civil War (1861–65)

• When World War I was over, the French nobility found it impossible toreturn to their extravagant antebellum way of life

Even countries that win a war often end up worse off than they had been

before, and the losers almost always do So antebellum often summons up

images of ease, elegance, and entertainment that disappeared in the postwaryears In the American South, the antebellum way of life depended on asocial structure, based on slavery, that collapsed after the Civil War;

Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind shows the nostalgia and bitterness

felt by wealthy Southerners after the war more than the relief and anticipationexperienced by those released from slavery In Europe, World War Ishattered the grand life of the upper classes, even in victorious France andBritain, and changed society hugely in the space of just four years

bellicose Warlike, aggressive, quarrelsome

• The more bellicose party always got elected whenever there was tensionalong the border and the public believed that military action would lead tosecurity

Since bellicose describes an attitude that hopes for actual war, the word is

generally applied to nations and their leaders In the 20th century, it wascommonly used to describe such figures as Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm,Italy's Benito Mussolini, and Japan's General Tojo, leaders who believed theircountries had everything to gain by starting wars The international relations

of a nation with a bellicose foreign policy tend to be stormy and difficult, and

bellicosity usually makes the rest of the world very uneasy.

belligerence Aggressiveness, combativeness

• The belligerence in Turner's voice told them that the warning was a seriousthreat

Unlike bellicose and bellicosity, the word belligerence can be used at every

level from the personal to the global The belligerence of Marlon Brando's

performances as the violent Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire electrified the country in the 1940s and '50s At the same time, belligerent

speeches by leaders of the Soviet Union and the United States throughout the

Cold War were keeping the world on edge Belligerent is even a noun; the

terrible war in the Congo in recent years, for example, has involved sevennations as belligerents

rebellion Open defiance and opposition, sometimes armed, to aperson or thing in authority

• A student rebellion that afternoon in Room 13 resulted in the new substituteteacher racing out of the building in tears

Plenty of teenagers rebel against their parents in all kinds of ways But a

rebellion usually involves a group Armed rebellions are usually put down by

a country's armed forces, or at least kept from expanding beyond a small area.The American War of Independence was first viewed by the British as aminor rebellion that would soon run its course, but this particular rebellionled to a full-fledged revolution—that is, the overthrow of a government.Rebellion, armed or otherwise, has often alerted those in power that thosethey control are very unhappy

PAC is related to the Latin words for “agree” and “peace.” The Pacific

Ocean—that is, the “Peaceful Ocean”—was named by Ferdinand Magellan

because it seemed so calm after he had sailed through the storms near CapeHorn (Magellan obviously had never witnessed a Pacific typhoon.)

pacify (1) To soothe anger or agitation (2) To subdue by armedaction

• It took the police hours to pacify the angry demonstrators

Someone stirred up by a strong emotion can usually be pacified by some kindwords and the removal of its causes Unhappy babies are often given a rubber

pacifier for sucking to make them stop crying During the Vietnam War, pacification of an area meant using armed force to drive out the enemy,

which might be followed by bringing the local people over to our side bybuilding schools and providing social services But an army can often bring

“peace” by pure force, without soothing anyone's emotions

pacifist A person opposed to war or violence, especiallysomeone who refuses to bear arms or to fight, on moral or religious grounds

• Her grandfather had fought in the Marines in World War II, but in his lateryears he had become almost a pacifist, opposing every war for one reason oranother

The Quakers and the Jehovah's Witnesses are pacifist religious groups, and

Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King are probably the most famousAmerican pacifists Like these groups and individuals, pacifists haven'talways met with sympathy or understanding Refusing to fight ever, for anyreason, calls for strong faith in one's own moral or religious convictions,

since pacifism during wartime has often gotten people persecuted and even

thrown in prison

pact An agreement between two or more people or groups; a treaty orformal agreement between nations to deal with a problem or to resolve adispute

• The girls made a pact never to reveal what had happened on that terrifyingnight in the abandoned house

Pact has “peace” at its root because a pact often ends a period of unfriendly

relations The word is generally used in the field of international relations,where diplomats may speak of an “arms pact,” a “trade pact,” or a “fishing-rights pact.” But it may also be used for any solemn agreement or promisebetween two people; after all, whenever two parties shake hands on a deal,they're not about to go to war with each other

pace Contrary to the opinion of

• She had only three husbands, pace some Hollywood historians who claim

she had as many as six

This word looks like another that is much more familiar, but notice how it'spronounced It is used only by intellectuals, and often printed in italics so thatthe reader doesn't mistake it for the other word Writers use it whencorrecting an opinion that many people believe; for example, “The costs of

the program, pace some commentators, will not be significant.” So what does pace have to do with peace? Because it says “Peace to them (that is, to the

people I'm mentioning)—I don't want to start an argument; I just want tocorrect the facts.”

Quiz 1-2

A Match the word on the left to the correct definition on the right:

1 antebellum a quarrelsome

2 pace b solemn agreement

3 rebellion c to make peaceful

4 pacify d before the war

5 pacifist e aggressiveness

6 belligerence f opposition to authority

7 pact g contrary to the opinion of

8 bellicose h one who opposes war

Answers

B Fill in each blank with the correct letter:

2 The grand _ mansion has hardly been altered since it was built in 1841

3 The Senate Republicans, outraged by their treatment, were in a _ mood

4 _ some of the younger scholars, no good evidence has been found thatJapan was involved in the incident

5 The cease-fire _ that had been reached with such effort was shattered bythe news of the slaughter

6 Their relations during the divorce proceedings had been mostly friendly, sohis _ in the judge's chambers surprised her

7 The world watched in amazement as the gentle _ Gandhi won India itsindependence with almost no bloodshed

8 Her soft lullabies could always _ the unhappy infant

Answers

CRIM comes from the Latin words for “fault or crime” or “accusation.” It's

obvious where the root shows up most commonly in English A crime is an

act forbidden by the government, which the government itself will punish

you for, and for which you may be branded a criminal A crime is usually more serious than a tort (see TORT), a “civil wrong” for which the wronged

person must himself sue if he wants to get repaid in some way

criminology The study of crime, criminals, lawenforcement, and punishment

• His growing interest in criminology led him to become a probation officer

Criminology includes the study of all aspects of crime and law enforcement

—criminal psychology, the social setting of crime, prohibition andprevention, investigation and detection, capture and punishment Thus, many

of the people involved—legislators, social workers, probation officers,

judges, etc.—could possibly be considered criminologists, though the word

usually refers only to scholars and researchers

decriminalize To remove or reduce the criminal status

of

• An angry debate over decriminalizing doctor-assisted suicide raged all day

in the statehouse

Decriminalization of various “victimless crimes”—crimes that don't directly

harm others, such as private gambling and drug-taking—has beenrecommended by conservatives as well as liberals, who often claim that itwould ease the burden on the legal system, decrease the amount of moneyflowing to criminals, and increase personal liberty Decriminalization is notthe same as legalization; decriminalization may still call for a small fine (like

a traffic ticket), and may apply only to use or possession of something,leaving the actual sale of goods or services illegal

incriminate To show evidence of involvement in a crime

or a fault

• The muddy tracks leading to and from the cookie jar were enough toincriminate them

Testimony may incriminate a suspect by placing him at the scene of a crime,

and incriminating evidence is the kind that strongly links him to it But the

word doesn't always refer to an actual crime We can say, for instance, that avirus has been incriminated as the cause of a type of cancer, or that videogames have been incriminated in the decline in study skills among youngpeople

recrimination (1) An accusation in answer to anaccusation made against oneself (2) The making of such an accusation

• Their failure to find help led to endless and pointless recriminations overresponsibility for the accident

Defending oneself from a verbal attack by means of a counterattack is asnatural as physical self-defense So a disaster often brings recriminationsamong those connected with it, and divorces and child-custody battles usuallyinvolve recriminations between husband and wife An actual crime isn'tgenerally involved, but it may be; when two suspects start exchanging angryrecriminations after they've been picked up, it often leads to one of themturning against the other in court

PROB comes from the Latin words for “prove or proof” and “honesty or

integrity.” A probe, whether it's a little object for testing electrical circuits or

a spacecraft headed for Mars, is basically something that's looking for

evidence or proof And probable originally described something that wasn't

certain but might be “provable.”