TỪ VỰNG TOEIC unit 23

Unit 23TEXT PLAC AUT/AUTO GRAT CLAM/CLAIM CRAC/CRAT PUNCPOT Greek and Latin Borrowings Quiz 23-1 Quiz 23-2 Quiz 23-3 Quiz 23-4 Quiz 23-5 Review Quizzes 23 TEXT comes from a Latin verb th

Unit 23

TEXT PLAC AUT/AUTO GRAT CLAM/CLAIM CRAC/CRAT PUNCPOT Greek and Latin Borrowings

Quiz 23-1 Quiz 23-2 Quiz 23-3 Quiz 23-4 Quiz 23-5 Review Quizzes 23

TEXT comes from a Latin verb that means “to weave.” So a textile is a

woven or knitted cloth The material it's made from determines its texture, the

smoothness or roughness of its surface And individual words are “woven”

into sentences and paragraphs to form a text.

textual Having to do with or based on a text

• A textual analysis of 1,700 lipstick names, including Hot Mama and RaisinHell, suggested to the author that the women buying them lack a healthysense of self-worth

Before the invention of the printing press, books were produced by hand

When the text of a book is copied this way, textual errors can creep in, and a

text that's been copied again and again can contain many such errors Bycomparing different copies of a work, textual critics try to figure out wherethe copyists went wrong and restore the text to its original form so thatmodern readers can again enjoy the correct versions of ancient texts When aclass performs textual analysis of a poem, however, they are looking closely

at its individual words and phrases in an effort to determine the poem'smeanings

context (1) The surrounding spoken or written material inwhich a word or remark occurs (2) The conditions or circumstances in which

an event occurs; environment or setting

• The governor claimed that his remarks were taken out of context and thatanyone looking at the whole speech would get a different impression

Context reveals meaning The context of an unfamiliar word can give us

contextual clues to help us determine what the word means Taking a remark

out of context can change its meaning entirely Likewise, people's actionssometimes have to be understood as having occurred in a particular context.The behavior of historical figures should be seen in the context of their time,when standards may have been very different from our own

hypertext A database format in which information related tothat on a display screen can be accessed directly from the screen (as by amouse click)

• Three days ago my mother was asking me why some of the words areunderlined in blue, but by yesterday she was already an expert in hypertext

Since hyper- generally means “above, beyond” (see HYPER), hypertext issomething that's gone beyond the limitations of ordinary text Thus, unlikethe text in a book, hypertext permits you, by clicking with a mouse, toimmediately access text in one of millions of different electronic sources.Hypertext is now so familiar that most computer users may not even knowthe word, which was coined by Ted Nelson back in the early 1960s It took afew more years for hypertext to actually be created, by Douglas Engelbart,and then quite a few more years before the introduction of the World WideWeb in 1991

subtext The underlying meaning of a spoken or writtenpassage

• The tough and cynical tone of the story is contradicted by its romanticsubtext

A literary text often has more than one meaning: the literal meaning of thewords on the page, and their hidden meaning, what exists “between the

lines”—the subtext Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, for example, is about

the Salem witchcraft trials of the 17th century, but its subtext is thecomparison of those trials with the “witch hunts” of the 1950s, when manypeople were unfairly accused of being communists Even a socialconversation between a man and a woman may have a subtext, but you may

have to listen very closely to figure out what it is Don't confuse subtext with subplot, a less important plot that moves along in parallel with the main plot.

PLAC comes from the Latin placere, “to please or be agreeable to,” or

placare, “to soothe or calm.” Pleasant, pleasurable, and pleasing all derive

from this root, even though their spelling makes it hard to see

placate To calm the anger or bitterness of someone

• The Romans had a number of ways of placating the gods, whichoccasionally included burying slaves alive

Politicians are constantly having to placate angry voters Diplomatsfrequently need to placate a country's allies or possible enemies Parents arealways placating kids who think they've been unfairly denied something Andlovers and spouses are some of the champion placaters It's no secret thatpeople with the best social skills are often the best at placating other people—and that they themselves may be the ones who benefit the most by it

placebo A harmless substance given to a patient in place ofgenuine medication, either for experimental purposes or to soothe the patient.

• The placebo worked miraculously: his skin rash cleared up, his sleepimproved, and he even ceased to hear voices

Doctors doing research on new treatments for disease often give one group aplacebo while a second group takes the new medication Since those in theplacebo group usually believe they're getting the real thing, their own hopefulattitude may bring about improvement in their condition Thus, for the realdrug to be considered effective, it must produce even better results than theplacebo Placebos have another use as well A doctor who suspects that apatient's physical symptoms are psychologically produced may prescribe aplacebo in the hope that mentally produced symptoms can also be mentallycured

placidity Serene freedom from interruption or disturbance;calmness

• Her placidity seemed eerie in view of the destruction she had witnessed andthe huge loss she had suffered

A placid lake has a smooth surface untouched by wind A placid scene is one

in which everything seems calm; it may even include a meadow with a few

placid cows grazing on it Someone with a placid personality has an inner peacefulness that isn't easily disturbed As a personality trait, placidity is

surely a lot better than some of the alternatives; however, the wordsometimes describes people who are also a bit passive, like those contentedcows

implacable Not capable of being pleased, satisfied, orchanged

• Attempts to negotiate a peace settlement between such implacable enemiesseem doomed to failure

Implacable, with its negative prefix im-, describes something or someone that

can't be calmed or soothed or altered A person who carries a grudge feels animplacable resentment—a resentment that can't be soothed An implacablefoe is one you can't negotiate with, perhaps one who's fueled by implacable

hatred And implacable sometimes describes things that only seem to be

alive: an implacable storm is one that seems as if it will never let up, and animplacable fate is one that you can't outrun or hide from

1 When the sentence was taken out of _, it sounded quite different.

2 An _ mob had been demonstrating outside the presidential palace fortwo weeks now, with their numbers growing from day to day

3 Many young people wonder how anyone ever did research without thebenefit of _ links

4 It took a week of bringing flowers home every day to _ his wife

5 The deeper meaning of many literary works lies in their _

6 The group of patients who were given a _ did as well as those who weregiven the real drug

7 The study of poetry normally requires careful _ analysis

8 The _ of the quiet countryside was soothing after a week in the city.Answers

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

1 placate a relating to written matter

2 context b unyielding

3 placebo c underlying meaning

4 textual d soothe

5 placidity e setting of spoken or written words

6 subtext f harmless substitute

7 implacable g computer links

8 hypertext h peacefulness

Answers

AUT/AUTO comes from the Greek word for “same” or “self.” Something

automatic operates by itself, and an automobile moves by itself, without the help of a horse An autograph is in the handwriting of the person him- or herself, and an autopsy is an inspection of a corpse by an examiner's own

eyes

automaton (1) An automatic machine, especially a robot (2)

An individual who acts mechanically

• The work he used to do as a welder in the assembly plant has been takenover by a sophisticated automaton designed overseas

The idea of the automaton has fascinated people for many centuries Atraveler to the emperor's court in Byzantium in A.D 949 reported thatmechanical birds sat in a golden tree singing the songs of their species; thatmechanical lions flanked the throne, roaring and switching their great tails;and that, as he stood watching, the emperor's throne suddenly shot upwardtoward the high ceiling, and when it slowly descended the emperor waswearing new robes Early automata (notice the common plural form) oftenrelied on water, steam, or falling weights to power them Today automata,often called robots, are used in manufacturing plants to build not onlyvehicles but also much smaller electronic equipment

autoimmune Of, relating to, or caused by antibodies thatattack molecules, cells, or tissues of the organism producing them

• His doctors suspected that the strange combination of symptoms might bethose of an autoimmune disease

Any healthy body produces a variety of antibodies, proteins in the bloodwhose job is to protect the body from unwanted bacteria, viruses, and cancercells The cells and organs that deal with such infections make up theimmune system In some people and animals, for various reasons, theantibodies become overactive and turn on the body's healthy tissues as well;the result is an autoimmune disease—an immune response directed againstone's own self More than eighty autoimmune diseases have been identified,the best-known being type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, lupus, andrheumatoid arthritis

autonomy (1) The power or right of self-government (2)Self-directing freedom, especially moral independence

• Though normally respectful of their son's autonomy, the Slocums drew theline at his request to take a cross-country motorcycle trip

Since nomos is Greek for “law,” something autonomous makes its own laws.

The amount of autonomy enjoyed by French-speaking Quebec, or ofPalestinians in certain towns in Israel, or of independent-minded regions ofRussia, have become major issues The autonomy of individual states in theUnited States has posed serious constitutional questions for two centuries.The autonomy of children is almost always limited by their parents But whenthose parents are elderly and begin driving poorly and getting confused abouttheir finances, their children may see the need to limit their autonomy inmuch the same way

autism \ A condition that begins in childhood and causesproblems in forming social relationships and in communicating with othersand includes behavior in which certain activities are constantly repeated

• She was beginning to think that her four-year-old's strange behavior andcomplete lack of interest in his playmates might be due to autism

Autism, in its strict sense, becomes evident before the age of 3 The autisticchild generally refuses to talk, becomes obsessive about toys, resists anychange vehemently, and sometimes flies into unexplained rages Autism isbelieved to be biological in origin, and seems to be related to several milderconditions such as Asperger's syndrome As many as 1 in 100 children,mostly boys, may have autism, Asperger's, or a related condition About one

in ten autistic children turns out to have a remarkable mental gift, such as theability to play a difficult piece on the piano after a single hearing or repair a

complex machine without any training Many autistic children seem to grow

out of it as they become adults, and some autistic adults manage to live

independently Autistic is sometimes used loosely to describe a much more

common kind of psychological withdrawal in adults

GRAT comes from the Latin words gratus, meaning “pleasing, welcome, or

agreeable,” and gratia, meaning “grace, agreeableness, or pleasantness.” A meal that's served graciously will be received with gratitude by grateful guests; those who show no appreciation could be called ingrates.

gratify (1) To be a source of pleasure or satisfaction; givepleasure or satisfaction to (2) To give in to; indulge or satisfy

• It gratified him immensely to see his daughter bloom so beautifully in highschool

A gratifying experience is quietly pleasing or satisfying But gratifying an

impulse means giving in to it, which isn't always such a good idea, and

“instant gratification” of every desire will result in a life based on junk food

and worse Truly gratifying experiences and accomplishments usually are theresult of time and effort

gratuity Something, especially a tip, given freely

• After sitting for three hours over a six-course meal at Le Passage, wealways leave the waiter a very generous gratuity

Gratuity is a fancier and more formal word than tip It occurs most often in

written notices along the lines of “Gratuities accepted.” Its formality makes itbest suited for describing tips of the dignified, expensive variety For the taxidriver who takes you to the superb Belgian restaurant, it's a tip; for therestaurant's maitre d', it's a gratuity

gratuitous Not called for by the circumstances

• Members of the committee were objecting to what they consideredgratuitous violence on television

In its original sense, gratuitous can refer to anything given freely, like a tip.

But the word now almost always applies to something that's seen as not onlyunnecessary (like a tip, which you don't really have to give) but also

unwelcome To insult or criticize someone gratuitously is to make a hurtful

remark that's uncalled for and undeserved But scenes in a film that youyourself might call gratuitous were, unfortunately, probably put there toattract an audience that wants to see them

ingratiate To gain favor or acceptance by making adeliberate effort

• None of her attempts to ingratiate herself with the professor seemed toimprove her grades

To ingratiate yourself is to put yourself in someone's good graces—that is, to

gain someone's approval People often try to ingratiate themselves by

engaging in an activity known by such names as bootlicking, apple-polishing, and brownnosing But some people are able to win favor just by relying on their ingratiating smiles.

Quiz 23-2

A Complete the analogy:

1 favor : prefer :: gratify : _

a use b please c thank d repay

2 liberty : freedom :: autonomy _

a government b car science c independence d robot

3 entertain : joke :: ingratiate : _

a flatter b devour c vibrate d criticize

4 worker : laborer :: automaton : _

a robot b computer c gadget d employee

5 necessary : needed :: gratuitous : _

a thankless b unthinking c welcome d uncalled-for

6 immune : infections :: autoimmune : _

a bacteria b viruses c epidemic d body tissues

7 bonus : salary :: gratuity : _

a obligation b thankfulness c refusal d bill

8 paranoia : suspicion :: autism : _

a sleep b withdrawal c anger d fear of cars

Answers

B Indicate whether the following pairs of words have the same or different meanings:

CLAM/CLAIM comes from the Latin verb clamare, meaning “to shout or

cry out.” To claim often means “to call for.” And an exclamation is a cry of

shock, joy, or surprise

clamor (1) Noisy shouting; loud, continuous noise (2) Strong andactive protest or demand

• The clamor in the hallways between classes was particularly loud thatmorning as news of the state championship swept through the student body

The clamor on Broadway at midday can be astonishing to a tourist from amidwestern town; if they happen to be digging up the street withjackhammers, the clamor can be even worse The clamor on the floor of astock exchange goes on without stopping for seven hours every day Aclamor of protest may sometimes be quieter, but is often just as hard to

ignore A politican who receives a thousand e-mails a day clamoring for his

resignation might as well be listening to an angry crowd

acclamation (1) A loud, eager indication of approval,praise, or agreement (2) An overwhelming yes vote by cheers, shouts, orapplause

• To the principal's suggestion that Friday be a holiday to honor the victors inthe national math olympics, the students yelled their approval in a long andloud acclamation

Approval can come from a single person, but acclamation requires a larger

audience An acclaimed movie is widely praised, and critical acclaim can

lead to box-office success When a popular proposal comes up in alegislature, the speaker may ask that it be passed “by acclamation,” whichmeans that everyone just gets to yell and cheer in approval and no onebothers counting the votes at all

declaim To speak in the formal manner of someone delivering aspeech

• Almost any opinion can sound convincing if it's declaimed loudly and withconviction

Declaiming suggests an unnatural style of speech best suited to a stage orpodium Listening to an actor declaim a passage in a Shakespeare play can beenjoyable Listening to Aunt Ida at Sunday dinner declaiming on the virtues

of roughage might not be Most people don't appreciate being treated as anaudience, and good advice is usually more welcome when it's not given in a

declamatory style.

proclaim To declare or announce publicly, officially, ordefinitely

• He burst into the dorm room, jumped onto his bed, and proclaimed that hehad just aced the sociology exam

The pro- in proclaim means “forward, out,” so a proclamation is an

“outward” statement intended for the public We often think of proclamations

as something issued by monarchs or dictators, but Lincoln was able to issuehis Emancipation Proclamation because as president he had the power to freethe slaves in certain areas At a slightly lower level, a governor may proclaim

a day in honor of the state's firemen, a movie critic may proclaim a director to

be the best of all, or you may proclaim your New Year's resolutions to acrowd of friends

CRAC/CRAT comes from the Greek word meaning “power.” Attached to

another root, it indicates which group holds the power With demos, the Greek word for “people,” it forms democracy, a form of government in which the people rule A theocracy, from the Greek theos, “god,” is government based on divine guidance In a meritocracy, people earn power

by their own merit