Mildred “Babe” Didrikson (1913-1956) was one of the mostcelebrated female athletes of the first half of the twentieth century. Competing in the 1930s and 1940s, when conventionalattitudes regarding women’s participation in sport dominated North American culture, Babe Didrikson rose to fame by dominating not just one, but a number of sports. Didrikson flouted conventionalnotions of femininity and “proper” female activity byexcelling in field events such asjavelin and shot-put, in addition to traditionally male-dominated sports such as baseball, swimming, and golf. Interestingly, Didrikson would always have to battle popular accounts that attacked or questioned her femininity and sexuality. As a woman with a large, muscular and athletic body, Didrikson was often accused of having an “unfair advantage” over other women, and often regarded as not being a “real woman.” Born in the state of Texas, Didrikson rose to athletic fame quickly, representingthe U.S.A. in the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles where she won and set records in the javelin and 80 metre hurdles. Later in her career, Didrikson turned her athletic attention mainly to golf, a sport in which she was immenselysuccessful. Interestingly, however, Didrikson tired of the popular innuendoregarding her “unfeminine” appearance and made a conscious effort to change her image in favour of a more traditionally feminine one: she donned dresses and make-up in place of her sweat pants and makeupless appearance. Didrikson’s controversial career underwent a twist when she fought the American Athletic Union (AAU), which had stripped her of her amateur sports status after she allowed her image to be used in endorsements for cars. When offered amateur status reinstatement, Didrikson refused, challenging what she believed to be the AAU’s antiquated rules and regulations. Aside from her incredible athletic accomplishments, Didrikson is an important historical figure because of the challenge she made to the male-dominated institution of sport. Didrikson challenged those within the institution of sport toquestion gender values at a time when the political environment made it difficult to do so. Didrikson prefigured by several decades the challenges to sport made by other female athletes such as Billie Jean King, Martine Navratilova, and Florence Griffith Joyner. Didrikson forced a re-examination of the meaning of sports, making many aware of the social and political importance of an institution typically not thought of as such.
celebrated
famous
a celebrated actress
a celebrated legal case
Venice is celebrated for its beautiful buildings.
Molana is a celebrated poet in the U.S.
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conventional
always following the behaviour and attitudes that most people in a society consider to be normal, right, and socially acceptable, so that you seem slightly boring :
a strong believer in conventional morals
conventional in
He is conventional in his approach to life.
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regarding
1 [ not in progressive ] to think about someone or something in a particular way regard somebody/something as something
Paul seemed to regard sex as sinful and immoral.
Edith was widely regarded as (= considered by many people to be ) eccentric.
His work is highly regarded (= regarded as very good ) by art experts.
2 formal to look at someone or something, in a particular way :
She stood back and regarded him coldly.
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dominate
to be larger and more noticeable than anything else in a place :
The cathedral dominates the city.
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flout
to deliberately disobey a law, rule etc, without trying to hide what you are doing
Some companies flout the rules and employ children as young as seven. deliberately/openly flout something
The union had openly flouted the law.
No one can flout the rules and get away with it.
he flouted the conventions of his society
you can’t flout the laws
he flouted my advice
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femininity
qualities that are considered to be typical of women, especially qualities that are gentle, delicate, and pretty
ￚsee also masculinity
You don’t have to lose your femininity to be an independent, successful woman.
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excel
past tense and past participle excelled present participle excelling
to do something very well, or much better than most people
excel at/in
Rick has always excelled at foreign languages.
the Italians excelled in music and the Dutch in painting
my uncle excelled over everyone else in intelligence
When it comes to singing, she really excels.
He’s never excelled at sports. (=isn’t very good at them)
What a marvelous meal, Jim! You’ve really excelled yourself. (=done even better than usual)
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field event
a sport such as jumping or throwing the javelin in an outdoor competition
—
javelin
1
a long stick with a pointed end, thrown as a sport
2
the javelin
a sports event in which competitors throw a javelin
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account
a written or spoken report; description: Give us your/an account of what happened.
a detailed account of the proceedings.
He is a very good pianist, by all accounts. (=according to what everyone says)
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sexuality
the things people do, think, and feel that are related to their sexual desires
male/female sexuality
a study of male sexuality
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unfair advantage
Companies that receive government subsidies have an unfair advantage .
—
regard
to consider in the stated way:
I have always regarded him highly/with the greatest admiration.
She is generally regarded as one of the best writers in the country.
We regard these developments with grave concern.
Common Error
He is generally regarded to be one of the world’s finest physicists.
He is generally regarded as one of the world’s finest physicists.
regard a person or thing as (being) something, NOT to be
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representing
—
the 100 metres/400 metres hurdles
a race in which the runners have to jump over hurdles
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immensely
very much; to a great degree
ￚsynonym extremely
Champagne wines became immensely popular in the 18th century.
immensely powerful/strong/important etc
Nationalism is an immensely powerful force.
We enjoyed the play immensely.
I enjoyed it immensely.
immensely rich/popular
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innuendo
a remark that suggests something unpleasant or disapproving without saying it directly
His writing is full of sexual innuendoes.
a campaign based on rumour, innuendo, and gossip
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don
past tense and past participle donned present participle donning
opposite doff
to put on a hat, coat etc
I donned my academic robes
—
in place of somebody/something
also in somebody’s/something’s place
instead of someone or something else
In place of our advertised programme, we will have live coverage of the special memorial service.
The company flag had been taken down and in its place hung the Union Jack.
If I refused to go, they would send someone else in my place.
—
controversial
causing a lot of disagreement, because many people have strong opinions about the subject being discussed
the controversial issue of welfare reform
a highly controversial (=very controversial) plan to flood the valley in order to build a dam
He is a controversial figure (=person who does controversial things) in the art world.
controversial speech/decision/politician/book
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undergo
past tense underwent -past participle undergone
to experience (esp. something unpleasant, unwelcome, or difficult):
She’s undergoing treatment at the hospital.
The company has undergone some major changes in the last five years.
The country has undergone massive changes recently.
He has been released from prison to undergo medical treatment in the United States.
She has been undergoing tests since Monday.
Teachers should be expected to undergo mid-career training and development.
—
twist
an unexpected feature or change in a situation or series of events
a new/cruel/unexpected/strange etc twist
The robbery took a deadly new twist as the robber pulled out a gun.
an unexpected twist in the plot
By an amazing twist of fate , we met again in Madrid five years later.
By a strange twist of fate they both died of the same disease.
There’s an unusual twist at the end of the book — the detective is murdered.
a twist/quirk of fate (=something unexpected that happens)
—
strip somebody of something phrasal verb
to take away something important from someone as a punishment, for example their title, property, or power :
Captain Evans was found guilty and stripped of his rank.
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endorse
if a famous person endorses a product or service, they say in an advertisement that they use and like it
ￚendorsement noun
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status
—
antiquated
old-fashioned and not suitable for modern needs or conditions – used to show disapproval
ￚsynonym outdatedantiquated laws
—
regulation
an official rule or order
There seem to be so many rules and regulations these days.
regulation on
new regulations on imports
regulations governing the safety of toys
building/planning/fire/health regulations
The local authority is introducing new planning regulations.
All companies must comply with the regulations.
under … regulations
Under the new regulations, all staff must have safety training.
—
Aside
aside from somebody/something
especially American English
a) except for
Aside from Durang’s performance, the actors are ordinary.
b) in addition to
In the poetry competition, aside from Hass, are four other entrants.
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incredible
infml wonderful; so good that it is hard to believe:
She has an incredible house!
extremely good, large, or great
ￚsynonym unbelievableThe view is just incredible.
There was blood everywhere and the pain was incredible.
—
question
to have or express doubts about:
I would never question his honesty/his ability.
I question whether this policy will be effective.
I question why he did that.
—
gender
the fact of being male or female
people of the same gender
Discrimination on grounds of race or gender is forbidden.
There may be gender differences in attitudes to paid work.
traditional gender roles
gender biases in books
toys that do not reinforce gender stereotypes
a science fiction story dealing with gender issues
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prefigure
to be a sign that something will happen later
—
examination
the process of looking at something carefully in order to see what it is like
examination of
a detailed examination of population statistics
under examination
The proposals are still under examination.
The issues need further examination .
on examination
On closer examination the vases were seen to be cracked.
—
The Dubin Inquiry was a Canadian federal government inquiry into the state of amateur sport in Canada, more specifically into the use of performance-enhancing drugs by Canadian athletes. The inquiry followed in the footsteps of Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson’s disqualification in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. The inquiry was named after Charles Dubin, a Canadian judge who presidedover the proceedings. Johnson won the Olympic men’s 100-metre final in a world record time of 9.79 seconds. However, his post-race mandatory drug test was positive. Johnson was found to have taken the steroid Stanozolol. The subsequent stripping of Johnson’s gold medal turned into probably the most famous case of drug use in the history of sports. It also sent shock waves rippling through the Canadian sportsestablishment, with various members of government and the sport bureaucracypointing fingers at each other. Many observers of the sports establishment around the world followed the Dubin Inquiry and the Johnson case. Several countries were dealing with the growing problem of their own athletes using drugs to enhance performance, so the results of the inquiry were eagerly anticipated. The inquiry heard testimony from a large number of athletes, coaches, sports administrators, and others. The most interesting submissions were made by Johnson’s coach Charlie Francis, his physician Jamie Astaphan, and of course from Johnson himself. The inquirydisclosed drug taking on a scale never before suspected. It was discovered that, besides the common practice of coaches encouraging athletes to take drugs, many others were guilty of turning a ‘blind eye’ to the problem and ignoring it. In the aftermath of the inquiry, a new organization, The Canadian Centre for Drug-Free Sport, was created to combat the problem. This organization has taken various measures in its attempt to combat drug use by Canadian athletes. However, critics of the Dubin Inquiry have accused the inquiry of being little more than a government inquisition, the real purpose of which was to direct attention towards individual athletes and coaches and away from the government itself. Increasingly in the 1980s, Sport Canada-the governing body responsible for the administration of elite amateur sport in Canada-had taken a “success-oriented” approach to Canadian sport: emphasizing winning medals above all other goals. The result, critics have pointed out, was to put immense pressure on Canadian athletes, leading in turn to drug use–among many other extreme measures–to enhance performance. The Dubin Inquiry, in other words, has had mixed reviews. A further indication of the effectiveness of the Dubin Inquiry can be seen in the state of Canadian sport since the inquiry. Despite attempts by The Canadian Centre for Drug-Free Sport to educate athletes and coaches on the dangers of drug use, there is little doubt that rampant drug use continues. This has led some observers of the Canadian sport scene to claim that drug use is less a reflection of individual athletes who cheat, but more a reflection of a cultural and institutional epidemic in sport. Drug use has perhaps become so common in the culture of elite sport that dealing with the problem by punishing individual athletes might be ineffective.
Inquiry
an official process to find out about something
inquiry into
a judicial inquiry into the deaths
launch/set up/hold an inquiry (into something)
The Civil Aviation Authority has agreed to hold an inquiry into the accident.
The police have launched a murder inquiry .
Parents have called for an independent inquiry into the accident.
—
performance-enhancing
performance-enhancing drug/product/supplement etc
a drug or product that is used illegally by people competing in sports events to improve their performance
—
followed in the footsteps of
sprinter
someone who runs in fast races over short distances
disqualification
to stop someone from taking part in an activity because they have broken a rule
ￚsynonym ban
disqualify somebody from (doing) something
He was disqualified from driving .
ￚdisqualification
automatic disqualification
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name somebody/something after somebody/something
(=give someone or something the same name as another person or thing) He was named after his father.The street is named after the famous South African leader, Nelson Mandela.
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preside
preside over something phrasal verb
to be in a position of authority at a time when important things are happening
The government seemed to be presiding over large-scale unemployment.
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post
—
mandatory
if something is mandatory, the law says it must be done
ￚsynonym compulsory, obligatory
ￚsee also discretionary
It’s mandatory to pay the debt within six months.
a mandatory election.
Voting is not mandatory.
a mandatory waiting period of six months
mandatory for
Crash helmets are mandatory for motorcyclists.
Murder carries a mandatory life sentence .
The Council has made it mandatory for all nurses to attend a refresher course every three years.
—
subsequent
happening or coming after something else
ￚsee also consequent
These skills were passed on to subsequent generations.
subsequent pages of the book
We made plans for a visit, but subsequent difficulties with the car prevented it.
subsequent to something
events that happened subsequent to the accident
The events I’m speaking of were subsequent to (=after) the war.
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ripple
to pass from one person to another like a wave
ripple through
Panic rippled through Hollywood as the murders were discovered.
—
establishment
formal an organization or institution, especially a business, shop etc
a top class training establishment
—
bureaucracy
the officials who are employed rather than elected to do the work of a government, business etc
—
anticipate
to expect that something will happen and be ready for it
Sales are better than anticipated.
anticipate changes/developments
The schedule isn’t final, but we don’t anticipate many changes.
anticipate problems/difficulties
We don’t anticipate any problems.
A good speaker is able to anticipate an audience’s needs and concerns.
anticipate (that)
This year, we anticipate that our expenses will be 15% greater.
It is anticipated that the research will have many different practical applications.
anticipate doing something
I didn’t anticipate having to do the cooking myself!
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testimony
a formal statement saying that something is true, especially one a witness makes in a court of law
Barker’s testimony is crucial to the prosecution’s case.
In his testimony, he denied that the company had ignored safety procedures.
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disclose
to make something publicly known, especially after it has been kept secret
ￚsynonym reveal
Some companies have already voluntarily disclosed similar information.
He refused to disclose the identity of the politician.
disclose that
It was disclosed that £3.5 million was needed to modernize the building.
he refused to disclose where they were hiding
their names and addresses were not disclosed
The judge asked the reporters not to disclose the name of the murder victim.
She disclosed that she had been in prison.
—
on a scale
—
turn a blind eye (to something)
to deliberately ignore something that you know should not be happening
Teachers were turning a blind eye to smoking in school.
—
aftermath
the period of time after something such as a war, storm, or accident when people are still dealing with the results
aftermath of
the danger of disease in the aftermath of the earthquake
—
combat
to try to stop something bad from happening or getting worse – used especially in news reports
combat inflation/crime/racism etc
In order to combat inflation, the government imposed strict controls on foreign currency.
new strategies for combatting terrorism
The police are now using computers to help combat crime.
new government strategies to combat inflation/drug abuse.
—
rampant
of crime, disease, wrong beliefs, etc.) widespread and impossible to control:
Sickness was rampant in the area.
rampant lawlessness
a rampant crime wave
rumors ran rampant that he was resigning
Pickpocketing is rampant in the downtown area.
The country has high unemployment and rampant inflation .
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Created in 1904 with seven member nations, FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Associations) is the internationalgoverning body of soccer. Soccer is the most widely watched and played game in the world. FIFA organizes the World Cup, which takes place every four years. In many ways, the development of FIFA follows the organization of the sport of football/soccer itself. At the start of the twentieth century it was primitive in its organization and loosely structured. However, by the end of the century, FIFA had affiliations in all six continents, with over 170 member countries. Alongside the International Olympic Committee, FIFA is the largest sports organization in the world. At the time of FIFA’s creation, soccer had gained a following in several countries, in large part due to British settlements. It was not until 1863 that the sports of soccer and rugby were formally separated in England. While both sports were important in British culture in the nineteenth century, it was soccer that took off around the world at a much more accelerated rate. As the twentieth century progressed, countries like Holland, Germany, Spain, Brazil, and many others became as good as, and in many cases better at the game than, the founding country. The World Cup began in 1930 in Uruguay. By then, FIFA had attained enough power and the game was so widespread that a world championship was justified. By the time the 1998 World Cup was staged in France, 112 countries competed. Despite the sport originating in England, that country did not win a World Cup until 1966. One notable exception to the soccer fanaticism that is seen in many countries around the world is the U.S.A. There has always been a problem developing soccer in the country that dominates so many other professional and amateur sports. One of the main reasons for this is the country is inundated with its professional sports system. For one reasons or another, the U.S.A. has opted for sports traditionally played in relatively few countries: American-style football, basketball, and what many consider to be the quintessential American sport, baseball. There is also the problem soccer presents for American television networks. Successful sports in the U.S.A. have usually been ones appropriate for commercial television. Soccer, with its two 45-minute halves and long, uninterrupted play, is less than ideal for commercials and advertising-based American television. The most recent evolution in soccer has been in the women’s game. The 1999 Women’s World Cup held in the U.S.A. was an unqualified success. Indeed, FIFA’s president proclaimed that “the future of football is female.”
governing body
FIFA is the governing body of world soccer (=the group of people who control it) .
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affiliation
when a smaller group or organization joins a larger one
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accelerate
if a process accelerates or if something accelerates it, it happens faster than usual or sooner than you expect
measures to accelerate the rate of economic growth
—
founding
found
to start something such as an organization, company, school, or city, often by providing the necessary money SYN establish :
Founded in 1935 in Ohio, Alcoholics Anonymous is now a world-wide organization.
Eton College was founded by Henry VI in 1440.
— founding noun [ uncountable ] :
the founding of the University of Chicago → well-founded
—
justify
having an acceptable explanation or reason :
In the Chief Constable’s view, the use of force was fully justified .
justified in doing something
Under the circumstances, the principal was justified in expelling this student.
—
fanaticism
extreme political or religious beliefs – used to show disapproval
ￚsynonym extremism
The bombing symbolizes the worst of religious fanaticism .
—
inundate
be inundated (with/by something)
to receive so much of something that you cannot easily deal with it all
ￚsynonym swamp
After the broadcast, we were inundated with requests for more information.
our office was inundated with job applications
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quintessential
being a perfect example of a particular type of person or thing
ￚsynonym typical
‘Guys and Dolls’ is the quintessential American musical.
This movie is the quintessential horror movie.
—
proclaim
to say publicly or officially that something important is true or exists
ￚsee also proclamation
The President proclaimed the republic’s independence.
proclaim that
Protesters proclaimed that the girl was innocent.
proclaim somebody something
His son was immediately proclaimed king.
Another Source
to make (esp. news of national importance) known publicly, esp. using speech rather than writing; declare officially:
The ringing bells proclaimed the birth of the prince.
A national holiday was proclaimed.
He proclaimed his intention of attending, despite their opposition. The boy was proclaimed leader.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was formed in 1896 to govern the organization and development of what were understood to be a modern version of the Greek Olympic Games. Its first president was Dimitros Vikelas, a Greek, and its secretary was Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin. De Coubertin’s energy and his vision have been the true inspiration behind the modern Olympic movement.The IOC has effectively governed the Olympic movement for over 100 years. However, that period of time has seen many conflicts and controversies within the IOC and in the Olympic movement as a whole. At first, the main obstacle de Coubertin faced to creating an international Olympic movement was the lack of organization of sport internationally. Early sports organizations-most of them amateur-had trouble organizing their own sports and leagues nationally. As a result, cooperating with the IOC internationally was an extreme challenge. In the early years, de Coubertin’s own vision for the Games dictated much of the IOC’s policies and procedures. His prejudices also influenced the movement. For example, de Coubertin was adamant in his rejection of female athletes’ participation in the Games. An embodiment of Victorian ideals and prejudices, de Coubertin thought women’s place was in the home, and bearing and raising children. Indeed, he thought of women’s competition as unnatural, immoral, and “indecent.” As a result of de Coubertin’s powerful position within the IOC, it would take many years to have women participating in any significant way. The IOC has always claimed a “hands-off” approach to political struggles and controversies surrounding the Games. Claiming, now for over 100 years, that the IOC is not a political organization, and that sport in its purest sense (one represented best by the IOC, of course) is inherently nonpolitical, the IOC has always had trouble answering critics who point out obvious exceptions to the claim. At the simplest level, the act of competing under national flags-something the IOC encourages-is a political event. At a higher political level, the Olympic Games have been used for political demonstration through boycotts, and the Olympic movement was probably the most visible means of symbolically fighting the Cold War. The post-World War II years were lean ones for the Olympic movement. The IOC and hosting cities and nations often had trouble breaking even. At its worst, the Games went into great financial debt, most notoriously in the Summer Games in Montreal in 1976. However, since that time, the Games have taken a more “market friendly” approach, encouraging private sponsorship and negotiating massive television contracts with networks around the world, especially those in the U.S.A. As a result, the IOC is a much more financially solvent organization than it was a few decades ago. However, it is not clear that the IOC is following its founder’s original plan for the movement. After all, de Coubertin was a pure amateur at heart. The current commercially oriented Olympics would make de Coubertin concerned, to say the least.
inspiration
a person, experience, place etc that gives you new ideas for something you do The seascapes of Cape Cod were her inspiration.
inspiration for/behind
He was the inspiration for Wordsworth’s poem ‘The Old Huntsman’. —
controversy
a serious argument about something that involves many people and continues for a long time a political controversythe controversy surrounding Skinner’s theories
cause/provoke/arouse controversy
The judges’ decision provoked controversy.
controversy over/about
the controversy over campaign-finance issues
Controversy arose (=began) over the use of the chemicals on fruit and vegetables. Another Source
(a) fierce argument or disagreement about something, esp. one that is carried on in public over a long period:
The lie detector tests have been the subject of much controversy. recent controversies surrounding his appointment to the Cabinet
the controversy about his illicit affairs
the new leader tried to avoid controversy — adamant
determined not to change your opinion or a decision that you have made She begged me to change my mind, but I remained adamant .
adamant that
Michael Jackson is adamant that he will not tour this year.
we told him not to resign, but he remained adamant Another Source
(of a person or behavior) firm and immovable in purpose or opinion:
I tried to talk her out of it, but she was adamant.
He was (completely) adamant that they should go.
—
embodiment
someone or something that represents, includes, or is very typical of something: ￚsynonym epitome
The new factory is the embodiment of the very latest ideas.
He is the embodiment of evil. (=is evil itself)
she is the embodiment of virtue — prejudice
an unreasonable dislike and distrust of people who are different from you in some way, especially because of their race, sex, religion etc – used to show disapproval Women still face prejudice in the workplace.
It takes a long time to overcome these kinds of prejudices.
prejudice against
a cultural prejudice against fat people
racial/sexual prejudice
Asian pupils complained of racial prejudice at the school.
prejudice against those of a different race or religion.
a prejudice against modern art. Another Source
(an) unfair and often unfavorable feeling or opinion formed without thinking deeply and clearly or without enough knowledge, and sometimes resulting from fear or distrust of ideas different from one’s own:
They accused him of having a prejudice against his women employees. | A judge must be free from prejudice.
—
bear
▶BABY◀
formal
to give birth to a baby She might never be able to bear children.
bear somebody a child/son/daughter
She bore him three sons.
She bore/has borne three children.
She bore him a daughter. (=he was the father)
a woman of child-bearing age childbearing age/years
if a woman is of childbearing age or in her childbearing years, she is of an age when it is physically possible for her to have babies
—
immoral
morally wrong
ￚsee also amoral
Deliberately making people suffer is immoral. It’s immoral to be rich while people are starving and homeless.
—
indecent 1
something that is indecent is shocking and offensive, usually because it involves sex or shows parts of the body that are usually covered
He was found guilty of possessing indecent photographs of young boys. You can’t go out in that dress – it’s positively indecent!
2
completely unacceptable
The funeral formalities were performed with almost indecent haste . Another Source 1 morally offensive, esp. sexually improper:
an indecent remark/joke 2 infml not reasonable; not suitable (in amount or quality):
You’ve given us an indecent amount of work to do. (=too much)
He left with indecent haste. (=too fast) —
significant
—
hands-off
a hands-off way of organizing something involves letting people do what they want and make their own decisions, without telling them what to do a hands-off style of management
The government has a hands-off approach to the industry.
they follow a hands-off policy in the affairs of other countries. —
lean
a lean period is a very difficult time because there is not enough money, business etc His wife was a source of constant support during the lean years .
—
notorious
famous or well-known for something bad ￚsynonym infamousa
notorious computer hacker
notorious cases of human rights abuses
notorious for
a judge notorious for his cruelty and corruption
ￚnotoriously adverb
Statistics can be notoriously unreliable.
The program is notoriously difficult to learn. —
solvent
having enough money to pay your debts ￚopposite insolvent
stay/remain/keep solvent
I don’t know how we managed to remain solvent. — at heart
really; in fact: He seems friendly, but he’s just a ruthless businessman at heart.
He may be a working class boy at heart, but his lifestyle has been transformed.
Let’s face it, we’re all romantics at heart.
Earvin “Magic” Johnson is recognized as one of the best basketball players in the history of the sport. He will also be remembered as the first sports performer of international stature to declare openly that he had contracted the HIV virus.Magic Johnson was born in the state of Michigan, and quickly rose to fame in the state by becoming an outstanding player for Michigan State. At 6 foot 9 inches, Magic was a formidable player. Anenthusiastic sports reporter gave “Magic” the nickname to him during his high school years. During his college years, he developed a rivalry with another future National Basketball Association (NBA) superstar, Larry Bird, then playing for the Indiana State basketball team. Their rivalry would be one of the main forces to generate interest in the NBA in the early 1980s. During his playing days in the NBA, from 1979 to 1991, Johnson was named the league’s Most Valuable Player three times. He also became attractive to commercial advertisers during a period when it had become less taboo to use African American athletes to endorse products. Johnson, however, was always guarded about his comments regarding racial issues. However, he was active in charity work, and in general maintained a very positive light in the public’s eye throughout his career. On announcing his retirement, Johnson stated that he had contracted the HIV virus from unprotected heterosexual sex. However, tales and rumours circulated in the press and in popular discourse about Johnson’s sexual exploits during his days as a NBA superstar. Ironically, Johnson, upon retirement, became aspokesperson for safe sex. Another famous sports star, tennis player Martina Navratilova, criticized Johnson and pointed out that if the same comments had been made publicly by a female, she would have been labeled a “slut.” Navratilova probably made a good point. Not only was Johnson’s public image a positive one, but also he was actually seen as a role model for heterosexual family life. The events and controversies surrounding Johnson’s retirement probably raised his status as an athlete in the public eye, making his career that much more notable. There is little question, then, that the combination of incredible athleticprowess and the events surrounding his retirement will bestow upon Magic Johnson a prestigious position in sports history.
recognize
if something is recognized by people, they realize that it is important or very good :
Alexander tried to get his work recognized by the medical profession.
be recognized as something
Lawrence’s novel was eventually recognized as a work of genius.
a recognized authority on Roman pottery
—
stature
the degree to which someone is admired or regarded as important
of world/international/national stature
Armstrong was a musician of world stature.
He grew in stature (= became more admired or popular ) during the campaign.
stature as
his growing stature as an artist
—
contracted
formal to get an illness SYN catch :
Two-thirds of the adult population there have contracted AIDS.
—
formidable
very powerful or impressive, and often frightening
The new range of computers have formidable processing power.
He has a formidable voice. (=very loud)
His mother is a most formidable woman.
—
enthusiastic
feeling or showing a lot of interest and excitement about something
enthusiastic about (doing) something
All the staff are enthusiastic about the project.
The singer got an enthusiastic reception.
an enthusiastic supporter of reform
—
rivalry
competition; (a case of ) being rivals:
There was a friendly rivalry between the two women.
There was fierce/intense rivalry between the two companies to get the contract.
the two friends’ rivalry for the love of Manizheh
There has always been intense rivalry between New Zealand and Australia.
The two players have developed a friendly rivalry .
She had never overcome her feelings of sibling rivalry (=rivalry between brothers and sisters) .
—
taboo
not accepted as socially correct
It’s taboo to date a man a lot younger than you.
—
maintain
—
heterosexual
sexually attracted to people of the other sex
_____________________________
circulate
to (cause to) spread widely; if information, facts, ideas etc circulate, they become known by many people
Rumours began circulating that the Prime Minister was seriously ill.
The news of the enemy’s defeat quickly circulated around the town.
A lot of false information has been circulated.
Rumors of a military coup began to circulate.
_____________________________
discourse
serious conversation or discussion between people :
Candidates should engage in serious political discourse.
__________________________
exploit
to treat someone unfairly by asking them to do things for you, but giving them very little in return – used to show disapproval :
Homeworkers can easily be exploited by employers.
__________________________
Ironically
used when talking about a situation in which the opposite of what you expected happens or is true
Ironically, his cold got better on the last day of his holiday.
______________________________
spokesperson
spokesman or spokeswoman, used especially when you do not want to say whether the person is a man or a woman
spokesperson for
A spokesperson for the company read to waiting reporters from a prepared statement.
spokesperson on
the Labour Party spokesperson on education
government/party/union etc spokesperson
A government spokesperson has denied the allegations of corruption.
______________________________
controversy
a serious argument about something that involves many people and continues for a long time
a political controversy
the controversy surrounding Skinner’s theories
cause/provoke/arouse controversy
The judges’ decision provoked controversy.
controversy over/about
the controversy over campaign-finance issues
Controversy arose (=began) over the use of the chemicals on fruit and vegetables.
status
your social or professional rank or position, considered in relation to other people
high/low status low-status jobs
Doctors have traditionally enjoyed high social status .
prowess
great skill at doing something
his physical prowess
military prowess
bestow
to give:
Several gifts were bestowed on the royal visitors.
bestow something on/upon somebody
honours bestowed on him by the Queen
prestigious
admired as one of the best and most important
a prestigious literary award a highly prestigious university
a prestigious job
heterose.xual
s.exually attracted to people of the other se.x
Michael Jordan is one of the most recognized sports figures in the world. To understand the breadthof his fame, it is probably best to think of Jordan in two senses: as a person and an athlete with incredible athletic prowess and skill, and as a cultural and media icon. The second way of thinking about Jordan is probably equal to the first. After all, it was his endorsement of dozens of commercial products, spots in movies, and in general his commercially- and market-produced image that made Jordan so famous worldwide. Jordan was born in 1963, one of three sons of a corporate executive. He attended North Carolina University from 1981-84, and was then drafted to the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Chicago Bulls. During the same year, he co-captained the U.S.A. basketball team to gold in the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Jordan’s fame was quickly accelerated with the help of his agent and a marketing firm. After winning the NBA’s Rookie of the Year distinction, Jordan quickly began signing a series of marketing contracts that would eventually create the iconic image known throughout the world. The most notable marketing endorsement contract came with Nike Corporation. Nike built much of its marketing and commercial strategy around Jordan in the 1980s and early 1990s. With his own line of Nike-produced basketball shoes and clothing, Jordan established himself as a marketable commodity. The relationship between Nike and Jordan would be amutually beneficial one. It elevated Jordan to international prominence, while helping push Nike to number one status as world sports merchandiser. Jordan’s athletic status was also aided by the fact that his was a career with relatively little controversy, unlike many other superstar athletes. Social and political controversies surrounding Jordan were rare, and when they did occur these were minor. In 1992, he got himself into a bit of trouble when he did not allow his image to be used by the NBA for the licensing of leisure wear and memorabilia in therun-up to the Summer Olympic Games. In addition, once at the Games, Jordan, being contractually committed to Nike, refused to wear the official sponsor Reebok’s warm-up suits. The issue was resolved when Jordan and his teammates wore the U.S. flag and extra long lapels to cover the Reebok logo. In 1993, Jordan made a surprise announcement of his retirement from the NBA at the age of thirty. He signed as a free agent to play Major League Baseball with the Chicago White Sox, and played-unsuccessfully as it turned out-with the White Sox minor league affiliate. Jordan then made a brief comeback in the NBA, only to retire soon after. History will recognize Jordan not only for his athletic prowess-arguably the best the sport of basketball has ever seen-and for his iconic status in the later-twentieth century world of sport’s marketing and image production.
breadth
the fact or quality of including many things or people; wide range; SCOPE:
His book shows the great breadth of his learning.
It is important to remember the breadth of their support in the country.
The job wasn’t giving him the breadth of experience he wanted.
His breadth of knowledge was amazing.
a politician known for his breadth of vision
—
spot
▶TV/RADIO◀
a short period of time when someone can speak or perform on radio or television
He was given a 30-second spot just after the news.
a guest spot on the Tonight Show.
—
executive
a manager in an organization or company who helps make important decisions
a marketing executive
senior/top executive
top executives on high salaries
—
draft
▶SPORTS◀
American English
to choose a college player to join a professional team
Craigwell was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks.
—
co-captain
Co-captains share the tasks of being the leader of a team equally; they are both captains at the same time. This is somewhat different to an assistant captain who helps the main captain do their job, or a vice-captain who stands in when they are absent or busy.
—
accelerate
to cause to happen faster or earlier than expected:
accelerated promotion.
economic policies that have accelerated the decline of the manufacturing industry.
measures to accelerate the rate of economic growth.
the rate of inflation is accelerating fast.
—
commodity
—
mutually
mutually acceptable/beneficial/convenient etc
something that is mutually acceptable etc is acceptable etc to both or all the people involved
We eventually arrived at a figure that was mutually acceptable.
—
elevate
to move someone or something to a more important level or rank, or make them better than before
Language has elevated humans above the other animals.
elevate somebody/something to something
Their purpose is to elevate AIDS to the top of government priorities.
—
prominence
the fact of being important and well-known, importance
The newspapers gave the story undue prominence.
This young fashion designer is rising to/coming into prominence. (=attracting more and more attention)
prominence of
the prominence of pressure groups as political forces
come to/rise to/achieve prominence (as something)
She first came to prominence as an artist in 1989.
search this word on salamzaban for more examples.
—
memorabilia
things that you keep or collect because they are connected with a famous person, event, or time
a collection of war memorabilia
—
run-up
the run-up to something
the period of time just before an important event
in the run-up to the election
—
contractual
agreed in a contract
a contractual duty to give three months’ notice of your intention to leave
contractual obligations
Tutors have a contractual obligation to research and publish.
ￚcontractually adverb
contractually binding
—
teammate
someone who plays in the same team as oneself
He finished just ahead of his Ferrari team-mate.
—
lapel
the part of the front of a coat or JACKET that is joined to the collar and folded back on each side towards the shoulders:
narrow lapels —compare REVERS
—
announcement
a statement making publicly known something that has happened or will happen:
flight arrival announcements at the airport
a news/wedding announcement
I’ve got an important announcement to make.
—
affiliate
a company, organization etc that is connected with or controlled by a larger one
Volvo’s Japanese affiliate, Mitsubishi
—
arguably
used when giving your opinion to say that there are good reasons why something might be true
Senna was arguably the greatest racing driver of all time.
deforestation is arguably one of today’s most important problems
Arguably, the criminal is a necessary member of society.
—
During her competitive days, Billie Jean King was one of the most successful players in women’s tennis. However, King is probably more recognized for her political support of women’s tennis, and her fight to achieve respect for lesbian and gay athletes in tennis, and in sport in general. Born in Long Beach, California in 1943 as Billie Jean Moffatt, she began playing tennis at the age of 11. King learned the game playing on municipal courts, rather than the route most successful players take in tennis in the private clubs. When King began competing in the elite levels of tennis, the sport was strictly amateur. She first entered Wimbledon in 1961, and only two years later she advanced to the final. She won her first Wimbledon title in 1966, at the young age of 22. Her first place prize for winning was a $60 gift voucher for Harrods department store. By the end of her remarkable career, King would amass a remarkable 39 Grand Slam titles. Although women’s tennis was amateur, King and a few other players began arguing for professional status. Indeed, King’s competitive performances and trainingregimen took on a very professional tone. In fact, it was King, and not men’s player John McEnroe, who started the practice of arguing against umpires’ decisions on the court, although it is the latter player who is better known for such antics. King’s training and competitive practices made her a truly modern and “professional” player, but they also cost her much public support. King’s major initiative was to start a professional tour, which began in 1968. Operating outside the auspices of the “official” tournaments and organizations, the new professional tour had trouble attracting many of the top international players. Interestingly, Wimbledon allowed professionals soon after King’s tour started. The rest of the world’s tours permitted professionals soon after. Among King’s other major political initiatives, she aligned herself with the pro-abortion movement, Title IX legislation in the U.S. (the purpose of which was to equalize girls’ and women’s funding in education), and she negotiated a deal with the Philip Morris Tobacco Company to set up the Virginia Slims tour. Finally, the famous match between herself and self-styled “male chauvinist pig” Bobby Riggs in 1973, which King won, brought much public attention to King and to the growing women’s athletic movement. Finally, in 1981, it was revealed that King had a lesbian relationship with her secretary. At first King denied the allegation, but later she admitted to the relationship. Instead of hiding her sexuality, which is what female lesbian athletes had been doing for years, King was the first major sports superstar to come out. As such, King will be justifiably recognized as one of the first and most important fighters for the se.xual rights of gays and lesbians in sport.
municipal
relating to or belonging to the government of a town or city
the municipal waste dump municipal elections
the municipal building
ￚmunicipally adverb
—
court
▶FOR PLAYING A SPORT◀
[countable]an area made for playing games such as tennis
ￚsee also field, pitch
squash/tennis/basketball etc court
Can you book a squash court for tomorrow?
on court
The players are due on court in an hour.
—
route
—
voucher
a ticket that can be used instead of money for a particular purpose
The voucher can be used at most major supermarkets.
First prize is a £1000 travel voucher.
ￚsee also gift voucher atgift token, luncheon voucher
gift token also gift voucher
a special piece of paper that is worth a particular amount of money when it is exchanged for goods in a shop, often given as a present
American Equivalent: gift certificate
—
amass
if you amass money, knowledge, information etc, you gradually collect a large amount of it
For 25 years, Darwin amassed evidence to support his theories.
He amassed a fortune after the war.
—
amass
to collect (money, goods, power, etc.) in great amounts, usu. over a long period; ACCUMULATE:
For 25 years, Darwin amassed evidence to support his theories.
He amassed a fortune after the war.
as soon as they amassed enough money, they decided to take a trip.
he carefully amassed evidence.
She amassed a fortune by speculating on the stock market.
to amass evidence/information
—
regimen
a fixed plan of food, exercise, etc., in order to improve one’s health: I followed a strict regimen.
the daily regimen of a ballet dancer
regimen of
a regimen of morning stretching exercises
Patients maintain a strict dietary regimen.
—
umpire
the person who makes sure that the players obey the rules in sports such as tennis, baseball, and cricket
____________________________________
latter
near to the end; later:
In the latter years of his life he lived alone and never welcomed visitors.
—
antics
behaviour that seems strange, funny, silly, or annoying
We’re all growing tired of his childish antics.
—
initiative
▶PLAN◀
an important new plan or process to achieve a particular aim or to solve a particular problem
a government initiative to help exporters an education initiative
initiative for
a new initiative for peace in the Middle East
—
auspices
help, support, and favor:
under the auspices of somebody/something
This conference has been arranged under the auspices of the United Nations.
negotiations held under the auspices of the United Nations.
under the auspices of UNESCO.
—
align
—
Abortion
the act of stopping the development of a child inside a woman, esp. by a medical operation and usually before the 21st week:
ￚsynonym termination
She had an abortion.
Is abortion legal in your country?
drugs used to induce abortion.
anti-abortion groups.
She decided to have an abortion .
anti-abortion campaigners
she has had two abortions and one miscarriage
(A 10-week-old fetus removed via a therapeutic abortion from a 44-year-old woman diagnosed with early-stage uterine cancer. The uterus (womb), included the fetus. Source: Wikipedia)
CULTURAL NOTE:
Abortion is legal in many countries today, but it is a subject about which people have very strong feelings and often strongly opposing opinions. It is also a very important political issue in the US, and politicians must usually take sides. There are some very politically active organizations, esp. in the US, that want to make abortion illegal, but most people believe that the woman should make the final decision.
—see also PRO-CHOICE, RIGHT TO LIFE, ROE VS. WADE
—
legislation
a law or set of laws
This is a very important piece of legislation (=law) .
legislation on
the legislation on abortion
legislation to do something
new legislation to protect children
introduce/bring in legislation
The government has promised to bring in new legislation to combat this problem.
under new/existing/current etc legislation
Both individuals and companies can be prosecuted under the new legislation.
—
funding
money that is provided by an organization for a particular purpose
College directors have called for more government funding.
—
chauvinist
someone, especially a man, who believes that their own sex is better or more important than the other sex
He’s a bit of a male chauvinist . a male chauvinist pig (=an insulting name for a male chauvinist)
a chauvinist foreign policy.
Her husband’s such a chauvinist that he tries to tell her how to vote.
—
reveal
to make known something that was previously secret or unknown
ￚopposite conceal
He may be prosecuted for revealing secrets about the security agency.
a test that can reveal a teacher’s hidden skills
reveal (that)
He revealed that he had been in prison twice before.
reveal yourself (as/to be something)
The violinist revealed himself as a talented interpreter of classical music.
—
allegation
a statement that someone has done something wrong or illegal, but that has not been proved
allegations of corruption/fraud/misconduct etc
Mr Singh has strongly denied the allegations of sexual harassment.
allegation that
an allegation that senior government figures were involved
allegation against
The teacher made serious allegations against a colleague.
allegation of
A committee will investigate allegations of racial discrimination.
the allegations concerning his taking bribes
his allegations were unfounded
allegations of serious misconduct by government officials.
If the allegations against him prove correct/prove to be well-founded, he will lose his job.
search allegation on
—
justifiably
Few sports events integrate the competitive side of sport with the social and playful side of sport like marathon running. This might seem like a strange thing to say about what is such a rigorous and physically challenging event. However, major city marathons attract both serious competitors and less serious runners in the same event, and often generate a citywide party atmosphere leading up to and during the event. The competitive marathon was introduced as part of the modern Olympic Games in 1896. The purpose of the event was to mimic the ancient Greek Games, despite the fact that no such event was held in ancient Greece. However, according tolegend, in 490 BC a Greek soldier ran from Marathon to Athens to take news of a Greek military victory over the Persians. The runner collapsed with exhaustion and died. Interestingly, the first winner of the modern-day Olympic marathon in Athens, Greece, was Spiridon Louys, a Greek runner. As the twentieth century unfolded, major track and field meets integrated the marathon into their schedules. However, the marathon grew in popularity due mostly to the emergence of several urban-based marathons. Some, notably the Boston Marathon, had been around for decades; however, many new onesemerged, especially in the 1970s and 1980s. The emergence of these popular races coincided with a late-twentieth century boom in the sports and exercise industry. As a result, the sport of running took off. Also, lasting images from top international competitions began to attract people to marathon running. In the Olympic marathon in 1952, Emil Zatopek won the race after having competed-and also won-in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres races. In 1960 and 1964, Ethiopian Abebe Bikila won the marathon, making himself a national hero. Images of Bikila running barefoot in his first victory in 1960 are engrained in most serious marathoners’ minds. Women entered marathon running in the 1960s and 1970s, although their participation was met with great resistance. While women had run marathons for decades (the first recorded time came in 1926 by Violet Percy), it was Kathy Switzer’s run in the 1967 Boston marathon that was one of the most important symbolic runs for women. In the middle of the marathon, a Boston official spotted Switzer running and tried to yank her off the course. Switzer and fellow supporters resisted, and she went on to finish the race. Switzer’s effort motivated other women to take on marathon running, and the participation rose, although slowly. It was not until 1984 that the women’s marathon was included in the Olympic program. Today, major city marathons in Boston, New York, London, Berlin, and cities around the world make the race one of the most attractive participatory and spectatoramateur sports events in the world.
integrate
if two or more things integrate, or if you integrate them, they combine or work together in a way that makes something more effective
integrate (something) into/with something
Colourful illustrations are integrated into the text.
Transport planning should be integrated with energy policy.
computers of different makes that integrate with each other
—
rigorous
very severe or strict
rigorous army training
—
legend
an old, well-known story, often about brave people, adventures, or magical events
ￚsee also myth
legend of
the legend of St George and the dragon
ancient Greek legends
according to legend
According to legend, he escaped by leaping from the cliffs into the sea.
Legend has it that prisoners were brought here to be executed.
—
unfold
—
emerge
to appear or come out from somewhere
The flowers emerge in the spring.
emerge from
The sun emerged from behind the clouds.
—
emergence
The act or process of emerging
The 1960s saw the emergence of many new nations.
—
coincide
to happen at the same time as something else, especially by chance
ￚsee also coincidence
coincide with
His entry to the party coincided with his marriage.
When our vacations coincided, we often holidayed together.
planned/timed/arranged to coincide
The show is timed to coincide with the launch of a new book.
—
boom
1 increase in business [ singular ] a quick increase of business activity OPP slump :
The boom has created job opportunities. boom in
a sudden boom in the housing market consumer/investment/property etc boom
the post-war property boom boom years/times
In boom times, airlines do well.
the economic boom of the 1950s
The economy went from boom to bust (= from increasing to decreasing ) very quickly. → boom town
2 when something is popular [ singular ] an increase in how popular or successful something is, or in how often it happens :
the disco boom of the 1970s boom in
the boom in youth soccer in the U.S. → baby boom
______________________________
barefoot
without shoes on your feet
He walked barefoot across the sand.
—
resistance
▶AGAINST CHANGE◀
[singular,uncountable] a refusal to accept new ideas or changes
resistance to
people’s resistance to change
resistance from
The no-smoking policy was introduced with little resistance from staff.
—
spot
American English to give the other player in a game an advantage
spot somebody something
He spotted me six points and he still won
________________________ yank
to suddenly pull something quickly and with force
yank something out/back/open etc
One of the men grabbed Tom’s hair and yanked his head back. Nick yanked the door open.
yank on/at
With both hands she yanked at the necklace.
ￚyank noun [countable]
He gave the rope a yank .
—
Rose
—
participatory
a participatory way of organizing something, making decisions etc is one that involves everyone who will be affected
a participatory democracy
—
spectator
someone who is watching an event or game
ￚsee also audience The match attracted over 40,000 spectators.
The NFL (National Football League) is one of the,wealthiest and most powerful sports organizations in the world. Many of the single franchises or teams are worth $200-300 million each. As such, each team should be thought of as a major corporation.American-style football, of which the NFL maintains a complete monopoly over the elite professional ranks, has its roots in English rugby, which was played in U.S. Eastern colleges and universities in the nineteenth century. However, rugby did not have features in keeping with American culturalnorms. So U.S. football arose out of norms consistent with American society, such as clearly measured possession of territory and the expansion of frontiers through conquering new land. Walter Camp, a Yale player, devised the rules of the American game. In 1880, he introduced “downs” into the game, or breaks so that teams could re-assess their position and prepare for the next attack. This was in stark contrast to rugby’s non-stop and more flowing play. This move would years later be crucial to the sport’s success. With natural breaks in play, the game would be one conducive to American commercial television, which relies on advertisement breaks for the generation of revenue. Equally important was the later inclusion of the forward pass into the game. This made the game appear more offensive, and the famous “Hail Mary” long pass is to this day one of the most dramatic plays in sport. Football’s success as a dominant American sport (alongside baseball) was secured in the 1960s with some important contracts with television networks. The ABC television network sponsored a rival American Football League to compete with the other dominant National Football League. ABC television did not hide the fact that the rival league was created for the sole purpose of creating moreleverage with advertisers. After gaining greater legitimacy and earning more revenue, the up-start AFL was able to negotiate independently with other television networks and sign on big-name players. The most notable was starquarterback Joe Namath. With the AFL rising as a legitimate business competitor, the NFL and AFL negotiated a merger, resulting in the NFL league, as it is known to this day. Since the merger, the NFL has maintained almost a completemonopoly over American professional football. Football’s success, then, has been a reflection of the ideals of American society and, more specifically, of American-style commercial enterprise. The league’s success has, in no small part, been due to the relationship between the media and the sport. In a sense, football is a perfect example of a modern media-generated sport, successfully linking American norms and values with a sport tailor-made for commercial profit.
wealthy
having a lot of money, possessions etc
ￚsynonym rich
very/extremely/immensely/fabulously etc wealthy
He left as a poor, working class boy and returned as an extremely wealthy man.
the wealthy nations of the world
—
franchise
American English a professional sports team
—
corporation
big company
—
monopoly
___________________________
norm
the usual or normal situation, way of doing something etc
be/become the norm
Short term contracts are now the norm with some big companies.
Joyce’s style of writing was a striking departure from the literary norm .
—
consistent
be consistent with something
if a fact, idea etc is consistent with another one, it seems to match it
Her injuries are consistent with having fallen from the building.
The results are consistent with earlier research.
—
territory
land that is owned or controlled by a particular country, ruler, or military force :
Hong Kong became Chinese territory in 1997.
occupied/enemy/disputed/hostile territory
The plane was flying over enemy territory.
___________________________
frontier
an area where people have never lived before, that not much is known about, especially in the western US before the 20th century
a novel about a family’s struggle on the American frontier
space, the final frontier
—
assess
to make a judgment about a person or situation after thinking carefully about it SYN judge assess the impact/extent/effectiveness etc of something
a report to assess the impact of advertising on children assess what/how etc
The technique is being tried in classrooms to assess what effects it may have. be assessed as something
Many of the adults were assessed as having learning difficulties.
___________________________
stark
unpleasantly clear and impossible to avoid
ￚsynonym harshThe movie shows the stark realities of life in the ghetto.The extreme poverty of the local people is in stark contrast to the wealth of the tourists.We are faced with a stark choice.a stark reminder of life under communist rule
______________________________ contrast
a difference between people, ideas, situations, things etc that are being compared
While there are similarities in the two cultures, there are also great contrasts.
contrast between
the economic and social contrasts between the poor and the rich
contrast with
The marble is smooth and polished, making a strong contrast with the worn stonework around it.
by contrast (to/with)
The birth rate for older women has declined, but, by contrast, births to teenage mothers have increased.
in contrast (to/with)
The stock lost 60 cents a share, in contrast to last year, when it gained 21 cents.
(in) stark/marked/sharp etc contrast to something
The winter heatwave in California is a stark contrast to the below-freezing temperatures on the East Coast.
The spirited mood on Friday was in sharp contrast to the tense atmosphere last week.
The approach to learning at this school stands in marked contrast to the traditional methods used at other schools nearby.
—
crucial
something that is crucial is extremely important, because everything else depends on it
crucial to
This aid money is crucial to the government’s economic policies.
crucial in/to doing something
The work of monks was crucial in spreading Christianity.
play a crucial role/part in something
The city of Mycenae played a crucial role in the history of Greece.
The conservation of tropical forests is of crucial importance .
—
conducive
be conducive to something
formal
if a situation is conducive to something such as work, rest etc, it provides conditions that make it easy for you to work etc
an environment conducive to learning
Another Source
likely to produce; helping (an esp. desirable result) to happen:
The atmosphere in the conference room was hardly conducive to frank and friendly discussions.
The friendly tone of the meeting seemed conducive to finding a solution to the problem.
—
generation
the process of producing something or making something happen
ￚsynonym production
generation of
the generation of electricity
—
inclusion
the act of including someone or something in a larger group or set, or the fact of being included in one inclusion in
His inclusion in the team has caused controversy.
photos chosen for inclusion in the magazine inclusion of
the inclusion of early recordings on the CD
—
offensive
American English relating to getting points and winning a game, rather than stopping the other team from getting points
ￚopposite defensive
the Jets’ offensive strategy
—
dominant
more powerful, important, or noticeable than other people or things
ￚsee also dominate
The dominant male gorilla is the largest in the group.
Japan became dominant in the mass market during the 1980s.
its dominant position within the group
—
sole
the sole person, thing etc is the only one
ￚsynonym only
the sole American in the room
Griffiths is the sole survivor of the crash.
The story was published with the sole purpose of selling newspapers.
—
leverage
influence that you can use to make people do what you want :
diplomatic leverage by the US
—
legitimacy
acceptable or allowed by law :
Their business operations are perfectly legitimate.
legitimacy noun [ uncountable ] :
Opponents have questioned the legitimacy of the ruling.
—
negotiate
to discuss something in order to reach an agreement, especially in business or politics
negotiate with
The government refuses to negotiate with terrorists.
negotiate an agreement/contract etc
Union leaders have negotiated an agreement for a shorter working week.
His first aim is to get the warring parties back to the negotiating table (=used to refer to official discussions) .
—
quarterback
the player in American football who directs the team’s attacking play and passes the ball to the other players at the start of each attack.
—
merger
the joining together of two or more companies or organizations to form one larger one
merger of/between
a proposed merger between two of the largest software companies
merger with
There has been a lot of talk about a merger with another leading bank.
merger negotiations
the two companies’ merger was approved by the shareholders
—
negotiate
to discuss something in order to reach an agreement, especially in business or politics
negotiate with
The government refuses to negotiate with terrorists.
negotiate an agreement/contract etc Union leaders have negotiated an agreement for a shorter working week.His first aim is to get the warring parties back to the negotiating table (=used to refer to official discussions)
—
monopoly
if a company or government has a monopoly of a business or political activity, it has complete control of it so that other organizations cannot compete with it
monopoly of
They are demanding an end to the Communist Party’s monopoly of power . the state monopoly of television
monopoly on/in
For years Bell Telephone had a monopoly on telephone services in the US. a monopoly in copper trading
—
norms[plural]
generally accepted standards of social behaviour
terrorists who violate the norms of civilized society
social/cultural etc norms
On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson (1919-1972) became the first African American to play in the Major League Baseball league. On that day, he started for the Brooklyn Dodgers. The so-called “colour-line” had existed in baseball and many other sports for decades in American sports: the complete segregation of whites and blacks into separate leagues and teams. There had been blacks in the sport of baseball for many years. In fact, in the nineteenth century blacks had played alongside whites in several leagues in the U.S. However, an 1896 court case reinforced the segregation baseball players according to the colour of their skin. As a result, black players were excluded from major league baseball, relegated either to the position of mascot for the Major League team, or forced to organize their own loosely structured “Negro” teams. Robinson, the son of a sharecropper and grandson of a slave, excelled in several sports before serving in the U.S. army. Initially a player in the Negro Leagues, Robinson played in a period when there was increasing support for breaking down the colour barrier. The Brooklyn Dodgers’ manager took on Robinson mainly because Robinson was a solid player, not because he was interested in challenging the colour barrier. Also, he felt it would increaseattendance at the Brooklyn games, especially of African American fans. In 1946, Robinson went to Florida to play for the Montreal Royals, the Dodgers’ farm team. This move was risky on Robinson’s part, as racism was still rampant in the U.S., especially in the South. In Florida, there were segregation laws that prohibited blacks and whites from sharing the same restaurants, hotels and other public places, including the baseball field. Robinson was forced to stay in a “coloureds-only” hotel. It was believed that there would be a greater chance of Robinson being integrated into the minor league in the more liberal and open environment of Canada. Eventually, Robinson played his way into the Major League. However, thetransition was not a smooth one. In his first year, he had many pitches thrown his way and was regularly taunted by fans and players. However, his season was a successful one, and he was voted Rookie of the Year. Robinson’s Major League career lasted 10 years. Despite his initial success in breaking the colour line in baseball, it would take many decades before there would be complete acceptance of black players. To this day, there is under-representation of blacks in management and coaching positions in baseball. Robinson died in 1972. His headstone bears an epitaph that he wrote: “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”
colour-line
American English
the set of laws or social customs in some places that prevents people of different races from going to the same places or taking part in the same activities
British Equivalent: colour bar
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segregation
when people of different races, sexes, or religions are kept apart so that they live, work, or study separately
ￚopposite integration racial segregation
segregation of
the segregation of men and women
Another Source
the separation of a social or racial group from others, esp. by the laws in some US states between 1896 and 1954 that prevented African-Americans from using the same schools, hotels, restaurants, seats in buses and in theaters and parks, etc., as other people
USAGE The opposite of segregation is integration; however, desegregation is usu. used when someone is referring to getting rid of a system of segregation already in place, as in the US after 1954.
—
alongside
used to say that people or things do something or exist together at the same time
Charles spent a week working alongside the miners. Organized crime continued to flourish alongside the mainstream economy.
—
exclude
to not allow someone to take part in something or not allow them to enter a place, especially in a way that seems wrong or unfair
ￚopposite include
a mainstream exhibition that excluded women artists
exclude somebody from (doing) something
The press had been deliberately excluded from the event.
Sarah heard the other girls talking and laughing and felt excluded.
No one was excluded from kitchen duty. (=everyone did it)
—
relegate
formal
to give someone or something a less important position than before
relegate somebody/something to something
Women tended to be relegated to typing and filing jobs.
—
mascot
an animal or toy, or a person dressed as an animal, that represents a team or organization, and is thought to bring them good luck
the official mascot of the 2002 World Cup Rocky the Raccoon, the team mascot
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sharecropper
(esp. formerly in the South) a farmer who farms someone else’s land (a TENANT farmer), and pays the land-owner usu. half of the crop. The farmer also owes the land-owner for a home, food, seeds, and tools, and so usu. receives very little of the crop and is very poor.
—
excel
to do something very well, or much better than most people
excel at/in
Rick has always excelled at foreign languages.
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solid
British English informal
good
—
attendance
the number of people who attend a game, concert, meeting etc
We have an average attendance of 4000 fans per game.
Last year’s fair saw attendance figures of 32,000.
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rampant
if something bad, such as crime or disease, is rampant, there is a lot of it and it is very difficult to control
Pickpocketing is rampant in the downtown area.
The country has high unemployment and rampant inflation.
a rampant crime wave.
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transition
the act of changing or passing from one form, state, subject, or place to another:
a peaceful transition from colonial rule to self-government.
a period of transition.
transition from something to something
the smooth transition from full-time work to full retirement Making
the transition from youth to adulthood can be very painful.
a society that is in transition (=changing)
the period of transition to full democracy
pitch
taunt
to try to make someone angry or upset by saying unkind things to them
taunt somebody about something
The other children taunted him about his weight.
other children taunted him about being fat
taunt somebody with something
They taunted him with the nickname ‘Fatso’.
‘And he’ll believe you, will he?’ Maria taunted.
They taunted her with her inability to swim.
He was taunted by the other schoolchildren for being fat.
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Rookie of the Year
The Rookie of the Year award is given by a number of sports leagues, mainly in North America, to the top first-time professional athlete (rookie) of a season.
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headstone
a piece of stone on a grave, with the name of the dead person written on it
ￚsynonym gravestone, tombstone
bear
▶SIGN/MARK◀
formal to have or show a sign, mark, or particular appearance, especially when this shows that something has happened or is true
ￚsynonym have
The letter bore no signature.
a car bearing diplomatic license platesThe labels bear a yellow and black symbol.
The town still bears the scars of the bombings during the war.
The store bears the hallmarks (=it has the qualities) of a family-owned business.
epitaph
a short piece of writing on the stone over someone’s grave (=place in the ground where someone is buried)
his epitaph begins thus: I am Iraj, Iraj the honey-tongued
In 1972, the United States Congress passed Title IX of the Educational Amendments. This instituted a law that would seriously affect all U.S. educational institutions’ sports programs. The law specified that it was unlawful todiscriminate on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program. This meant, among other things, that boys and girls, and men’s and women’s sports programs would have to receive equal funding and support under the new law. The law was passed in a time when feminist-inspired movements in many countries around the world were fighting for equality for women. While Title IX was a law directed at equality in education in general, it is sports programs that received the most attention. This was perhaps because of the visibility of sports and the prominent place they play, especially in American post-secondary education. Initially, Title IX met with mixed reviews. Especially vocal in opposition to the law were those who had a lot invested in men’s sports programs in the bigger educational institutions. Also, those that had administered male sports programs for years felt that the changes necessary to conform to Title IX’s standards would be difficult and expensive. In the aftermath of Title IX, a battle emerged between the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and a group that had administered women’s sports, the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Girls and Women (AIAW). The NCAA had avoided equalization for years, being devoted almost exclusively to men’s sport. In fact, it was in opposition to the NCAA that the AIAW formed in the first place. However, with federal funding now legally devoted to equalization, the NCAA made an about-turn and suddenly supported equalization. In what many consider to be an obvious and unfortunate power move, the NCAA absorbed the AIAW. The long-term effects of this move were to wrestle control of women’s sport out of the hands of women. The AIAW was administered by women for women; however, with the take-over the administration of women’s sport fell into the hands of men. Title IX did not manage to equalize funding between the sexes, at least not at first. The legislators of Title IX probably couldn’t imagine the resistance to equalization in sport that would emerge. Nor did they probably realize the extent of maleprivilege in school sport, especially at the upper, more elite levels. Almost thirty years after the legislation, there is still not equalization in many cases, although an increasing number of schools have fallen in line with the law. Today, women’s sport has achieved a much higher level of respectability and support in schools. However, there is still resistance to complete equalization, and female-supportive administrators continue to fight legal battles in support of girls’ and women’s participation in sport.
Amendment
(the act of making) a change to improve a rule, law, statement, etc.: Your plan needs some amendment.
So many amendments were made to the law that its original meaning was completely changed.
The opposition parties moved (=suggested) an amendment to the bill.
to debate/pass an amendment
constitutional amendments
amendment to
an amendment to the resolution
her arrest violated the first amendment to the constitution
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discriminate
to treat a person or group differently from another in an unfair way
discriminate against
Under federal law, it is illegal to discriminate against minorities and women.
discriminate on the grounds/basis of something It was found that the company still discriminated on the basis of race in promotions.
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pass
▶LAW/PROPOSAL◀
[transitive]to officially accept a law or proposal, especially by voting
Plans to extend the hotel have now been passed.
The motion was passed by 16 votes to 11.
pass a law/bill/act
The first Transport Act was passed in 1907.
The government has passed new legislation to protect consumers.
The United Nations Security Council has passed a resolution asking the two countries to resume peace negotiations.
the committee passed his nomination
the bill passed the senate vote
the bill passed by a slim majority
the proposal passed by unanimous vote
—
feminist-inspired/politically/religiously etc inspired
started for political, religious etc reasons
We suspect that the violence was politically inspired.
—
conform
to obey a law, rule etc
conform to/with
Students can be expelled for refusing to conform to school rules.
All new buildings must conform with the regional development plan.
products which conform to international safety standards
—
aftermath
the period of time after something such as a war, storm, or accident when people are still dealing with the results
aftermath of
the danger of disease in the aftermath of the earthquake
the aftermath of war
—
emerge
to begin to be known or noticed :
a religious sect that emerged in the 1830s emerge as
Local government has recently emerged as a major issue.
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about-turn
about-face ( also about-turn British English ) noun [ countable usually singular ]
a complete change in the way someone thinks or behaves SYN U-turn :
The administration seems to have done a complete about-face on gun-control.
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wrestle
wrestle with something to try to understand or find a solution to a difficult problem :
I have been wrestling with this problem for quite some time.
—
legislator
a maker of laws or a member of a lawmaking body
—
privilege
a special advantage that is given only to one person or group of people
He had no special privileges and was treated just like every other prisoner.
privilege of
the privilege of a good education
—
legislation
[uncountable]
a law or set of laws
This is a very important piece of legislation (=law) .
legislation on
the legislation on abortion
legislation to do something
new legislation to protect children
introduce/bring in legislation
The government has promised to bring in new legislation to combat this problem.
under new/existing/current etc legislation
Both individuals and companies can be prosecuted under the new legislation.
It has been argued that the trial of Orenthal James (O.J.) Simpson for murder was the defining cultural experience of the U.S. in the 1990s. It dominated the front pages of newspapers in the U.S. and many other countries for several months. Indeed, Simpson was for a period of time probably the most talked about person in the world, but very few of the discussions were about his athletic career. Until his internationally famous trial, Simpson was a relative unknown outside the U.S. A very wealthy and highly decorated former professional football player, Simpson made the transition to acting and television commentating after hisillustrious football career. However, when he was charged in June of 1994 with the murder of his estranged wife Nicole Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman, and after his dramatic suicide getaway attempt captured by television cameras, Simpson became known throughout the world almost overnight. Simpson was born in San Francisco in 1947 to a poor family. His father abandoned the family, and it was his mother who encouraged Simpson to pursue sport, mainly to compensate for some physical problems he had developed as a child. Simpson became a solid baseball and football player early in his life and went on to enroll in the City College of San Francisco, where he continued to play impressive football. With offers from over fifty other universities to play football, Simpson went to the University of Southern California. There, he played out a distinguished college career and earned himself the 1968 Heisman Trophy for top college player in the U.S. Simpson began his professional career by dropping out of school before graduation and immediately signing a three-year endorsement deal with Chevrolet for $250,000. Drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1969, the first few years of Simpson’s professional career were undistinguished ones. However, from 1972 on, a new coach for the team made Simpson the central figure in the team’s offence. As a result, Simpson would go on to shatter several running records in the National Football League. At the conclusion of his career, Simpson was inducted into the Professional Football Players’ Hall of Fame. After his professional football career, stories about Simpson’s alleged abuse of his wife began circulating. Nicole Simpson made the first call to police after an incident at a 1989 New Year’s Eve party, in which Simpson was fined $200. Over the next few years Nicole would make thirty emergency calls to the police, none of which led to formal charges. After the incidents surrounding Nicole’s death and Simpson’s subsequent flight from police, an exhaustive months-long trial ensued, leading to Simpson’s famous acquittal. More than just a murder trial, however, O.J. Simpson’s trial highlighted the racial tensions in the U.S. In fact, history will undoubtedly remember Simpson more for his trial than for his illustrious football career.
illustrious adjective formal
famous and admired because of what you have achieved :
She has had an illustrious career.
Wagner was just one of many illustrious visitors to the town.
—
estranged adjective
sb’s estranged husband/wife
someone’s husband or wife whom they are no longer living with, used especially in newspaper reports
—
getaway noun [ countable ]
an escape from a place or unpleasant situation, especially after committing a crime :
The gunmen made a getaway on foot. getaway car/vehicle/van (= a car etc used by criminals to escape after a crime )
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solid
good
—
drop out phrasal verb
to leave a school or university before your course has finished → dropout
drop out of
Bill dropped out of college after his first year.
—
endorse verb [ transitive ]
to sign your name on the back of a cheque to show that it is correct
—endorsement noun [ uncountable and countable ] :
celebrity endorsements
the official endorsement of his candidacy
—
shatter verb [ transitive ]
to completely destroy or ruin something such as someone’s beliefs or life :
A tragic accident shattered her dreams of Olympic glory.
A few weeks in a tiny damp room soon shattered his illusions about university life.
people whose lives have been shattered by war
to become broken break verb [ intransitive ] to become damaged and separate into pieces :
Plastic breaks quite easily.
smash verb [ intransitive ]
to break after being hit with a lot of force :
The bowl smashed as it hit the floor.
shatter verb [ intransitive ] to break into a lot of small pieces :
The glass shattered all over the pavement.
crack verb [ intransitive ] if something cracks, a line appears on the surface, which means that it could later break into separate pieces :
The ice was starting to crack.
burst verb [ intransitive ] if a tyre, balloon, pipe etc bursts, it gets a hole and air or liquid suddenly comes out of it :
She blew up the balloon until it burst.
split verb [ intransitive ] to break in a straight line :
The damp had caused the wood to split.
crumble verb [ intransitive ] to break into a powder or a lot of small pieces :
The cork just crumbled in my hand.
—
ensue verb [ intransitive ] formal
to happen after or as a result of something SYN follow ensue from
problems that ensue from food and medical shortages
—
acquittal noun [ uncountable and countable ]
an official statement in a court of law that someone is not guilty → conviction
American athlete Dick Fosburydevised the high jump technique known as the “Fosbury Flop.” His new technique revolutionized one of the oldest events in track and field competition. While Fosbury never broke the world record using his new technique, other high jumpers were inspired by his gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City, where he introduced his new jumping technique. Fosbury was born in 1946 in Oregon and went to Oregon State University. He won the gold medal in the Olympic Games at the very young age of 21. It was assumed that his odd-looking new method for clearing the bar was based on a careful study of the physics and biomechanics of high jump technique. However, Fosbury claimed it was the product of pure intuition. Prior to Fosbury’s invention, most high jumpers used a “straddle” technique. In this older style of jumping, the front leg led the jumper up and over the bar in a face down position. Fosbury’s technique involves approaching the bar in a curve with a last second acceleration. Then, at the point of take-off, the body rotates, positioning the back to the bar and leaping backwards. The head faces the sky as the body arches over the bar with the mid-body and legs trailing behind. Fosbury had begun experimenting with the technique when he was only sixteen years old. In a meet in 1968 in which Fosbury used his new technique, a local newspaper’s headline read, “Fosbury flops over the bar.” Thus, the name of the newly invented technique was born. Since Fosbury’s competitive days, his technique has been widely copied. Once experienced jumpers mastered the technique, records started to fall in the sport, due mostly to the Fosbury Flop, but also to better equipment and running surfaces. Dick Fosbury will always be known for his revolutionizing of the sport of high jump.
devise
to plan or invent a new way of doing something
She devised a method for quicker communications between offices.
to devise a remedy
to devise a new engine
he devised a new instrument for measuring temperature
They devised a plan for getting the jewels out of the country.
—
revolutionize
to cause a complete change in; cause a REVOLUTION (2) in:
The discovery of the new drug has revolutionized the treatment of many diseases.
New technology is going to revolutionize everything we do.
His work revolutionized the treatment of this disease.
computers have revolutionized production.
inspire
clear
▶GO OVER/PAST◀
[transitive] to go over a fence, wall etc without touching it, or to go past or through something and no longer be in it
The plane barely cleared the fence at the end of the runway. Edwards cleared 18 feet in the pole vault. The plane cleared Chinese airspace.
bar
▶PILE OF SAND/STONES◀
intuition
the ability to understand or know something because of a feeling rather than by considering the facts
ￚsynonym instinct
feminine intuitionIntuition told her it was unwise to argue.
I knew by intuition that it was time to act.
My intuition told me he wasn’t to be trusted.
“How did you know that, Jane?” “Woman’s intuition!”
Prior:
prior to something
formal before
All the arrangements should be completed prior to your departure.
straddle
approach
▶MOVE TOWARDS◀
to move towards or nearer to someone or something
As I approached the house, I noticed a light on upstairs.
She heard footsteps approaching.
acceleration
technical the rate at which the speed of an object increases
rotate
to turn with a circular movement around a central point, or to make something do this
ￚsynonym revolve
ￚsee also spin
The Earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours.Rotate the pan halfway through the baking time.
____________
leap
▶JUMP◀
to jump high into the air or to jump in order to land in a different place
She leapt over the fence. The smaller animals can easily leap from tree to tree.
_____________
arch
to form or make something form a curved shape
Two rows of trees arched over the driveway. The dog arched its back .
_____________
mid-body
drag
to drag or allow to drag behind, esp. without making any effort: He sat on the side of the boat and trailed his feet in the water.
experiment
1
to try using various ideas, methods etc to find out how good or effective they are
experiment with/on/in
He experimented with lighter-than-air flight.
The teacher provided some different materials and left the children to experiment.
2
to do a scientific test to find out if a particular idea is true or to obtain more information
experiment with/on
I would defend the right of scientists to experiment on animals.
—
flop
“Free agency” refers to the ability of athletes to negotiatetheir own contracts and working conditions in professional sport. Before the 1970s, most professional sports had some sort of reserve system for athletes. In their reserve systems, players were forced to play for a single team-usually for the duration of their careers-under the conditions set by the team owner and the league bosses. Historically, the sport of baseball had the most notoriousreserve system, which had been intact and strictly enforced for decades. The purpose of the reserve system was to allow owners of professional teams to control the movement of players and reduce their salaries. By being forced to play for only one team, players had little choice but to accept the contractual terms and conditions set out for the player. The player, in short, did not have the freedom to offer and negotiate his services on the open market, as is done on all other industries. This significantly reduced owners’ payroll expenses, and increased profits greatly. In North America, the major professional leagues-in the sports of baseball, football, hockey and basketball-all had some form of reserve system. In the late-1960s and 1970s, however, the reserve system encountered a number of challenges. The most important challenge came from a baseball player, Curt Flood of the St. Louis Cardinals. Flood refused the terms of a trade and offered his services on the open market of the Major League Baseball. When no offers were made, Flood filed suit in American courts under the Sherman Antitrust Act, which makes it unlawful for any business or combination of businesses to maintain amonopoly in any commercial industry. While Flood did not win the case, a series ofsubsequent legal decisions made it apparent that baseball owners had unreasonable control over their labourers-the players. The baseball players’ union became more militant as a result of the Flood case. In 1976, a court decision granted players free agency and the right to negotiate the conditions of their labour services much more freely than they had in the past. The move to free agency changed the character of the relations between professional sports clubs and their owners. Previously, owners worked or colluded together to limit the movement of players. Professional sports clubs acted like a well-organized club. Free agency meant a more competitive environment for players, and of course player salaries have risensubstantially as a result. Today, sports fans often complain that players’ salaries are too high. While certainly at times it seems difficult to justify the huge salaries of today, it should be kept in mind that before the current era of free agency and big contracts, playersbarely made a subsistence wage, and often worked under conditions ofservitude. The situation now might be less than perfect; however, it’s certainly a vast improvement over the pre-free agency days.
negotiate
to talk with another person or group in order to try to come to an agreement or settle an argument: The government says it will not negotiate with the terrorists. | negotiating for an improvement in the rate of pay | We are negotiating (with the county) to have this road closed to traffic.
—
intact
whole because no part has been touched, spoiled, or broken:
The fragile package arrived intact.
(fig.) Somehow his reputation survived the scandal intact.
Only the medieval tower had remained intact .
His reputation survived intact .
—
contractual
agreed in a contract
Tutors have a contractual obligation to research and publish
contractual obligations
a contractual duty to give three months’ notice of your intention to leave
—
term
▶CONDITIONS◀
terms [plural]
a) the conditions that are set for an agreement, contract, arrangement etc
Under the terms of the agreement, the debt would be repaid over 20 years.
your terms and conditions of employmentDelivery is within the terms of this contract. equal/unequal/the same etc terms (=conditions that are equal, unequal etc)
Small businesses have to compete on equal terms with large organisations.
Men and women should be able to work on level terms .
on somebody’s (own) terms (=according to the conditions that someone wants)
He wanted our relationship to be only on his terms.
—
payroll
the total amount of wages paid
the annual payroll was $88 million
—
suit
▶LAW◀
a problem or complaint that a person or company brings to a court of law to be settled
ￚsynonym lawsuit
Johnson has filed suit against her.a civil suit
—
maintain
▶MAKE SOMETHING CONTINUE◀
to continue to have, do, etc., as before; KEEP up:
He took the lead, and maintained it until the end of the race.
I hope you will maintain your recent improvement.
Part of her job is to maintain good relations with our suppliers.
Careers Officers maintain contact with young people when they have left school.
Britain wants to maintain its position as a world power.
A lot depends on building and maintaining a good relationship with your customers.
The hotel prides itself on maintaining high standards.
How can we maintain control of spending?
—
monopoly
if a company or government has a monopoly of a business or political activity, it has complete control of it so that other organizations cannot compete with it
monopoly of
They are demanding an end to the Communist Party’s monopoly of power .
the state monopoly of television
monopoly on/in
For years Bell Telephone had a monopoly on telephone services in the US.
a monopoly in copper trading
—
subsequent
happening or coming after something else
ￚsee also consequent
These skills were passed on to subsequent generations.
subsequent pages of the book
subsequent to something
events that happened subsequent to the accident
—
apparent
easy to notice
ￚsynonym obvious, evident
it is apparent (that)
It soon became apparent that we had a major problem.
it is apparent from something that
It is apparent from scientific studies that the drug has some fairly nasty side effects.
it is apparent to somebody that
It was apparent to everyone that he was seriously ill.
The difference in quality was immediately apparent .
He left suddenly, for no apparent reason .
Her anxiety was apparent to everyone.
The reasons for his sudden departure soon became apparent. (=were soon understood)
It’s quite apparent that she has no intention of changing her mind.
—
labourer
someone whose work needs physical strength, for example building work
a farm labourer
—
militant
a militant organization or person is willing to use strong or violent action in order to achieve political or social change
militant political activists
a militant animal rights group
After the assassination of Martin Luther King, black leaders became more militant.
—
grant
formal to give someone something or allow them to have something that they have asked for
Britain could grant Spain’s request .
I would love to be able to grant her wish.
grant somebody something
The council have granted him permission to build on the site.
grant something to somebody
A licence to sell alcohol was granted to the club.
grant that
(=used in prayers) Grant that we may know your presence and love.
They granted her request.
At last my wish was granted. (=what I wished for happened)
—
substantially
very much or a lot
ￚsynonym considerably
substantially higher prices
The deer population has increased substantially in recent years.
—
barely
only with great difficulty or effort
ￚsynonym only just
She was very old and barely able to walk.
Mary had barely enough money to live on. barely audible/perceptible/visible/discernible etc
His voice was barely audible.
She could barely understand English.
—
subsistence
the condition of only just having enough money or food to stay alive
Many of the families are forced to live at the subsistence level.
The land provided subsistence and little more.
—
servitude
the condition of being a slave or being forced to obey someone else
ￚsynonym slavery
working for this low pay is a form of servitude
—
New Zealand is a country that is located in the South Pacific ocean. The country is made up of two large islands, the North Island and the South Island, which are separated by a narrow channel of water. Although New Zealand has many beautiful mountains and forests, much of the land is used for farming. In fact, New Zealand has almost 70 million sheep, but only four million people! New Zealand’s farms are also famous for their delicious fruit, especially apples and kiwi fruit.About ten percent of the people who live in New Zealand belong to an ethnic group called the Maori. The Maori came to New Zealand by boats from small Polynesian islands. They arrived about 1000 years ago, and lived by farming, hunting, and fishing. About 200 years ago, many more people came to New Zealand. These people were from the British Isles, and they came to New Zealand to begin farms. Today, most of the people of New Zealand are descended from people who came from Britain. During the 19th century, some wars started between the Maori and the British settlers. After years of fighting, the two sides signed a treaty to end the wars. Today the Maori have achieved equal rights, but there are still some disagreements about land ownership. In recent years, many more people have come to New Zealand, mostly from Asian countries and from other Pacific Islands. There are three large cities in New Zealand. Auckland is the largest city, with more than one million people. It is located in the northern part of the North Island. The capital city of New Zealand is Wellington. It is located in the southern part of the North Island. The largest city of the South Island is Christchurch. The cities of New Zealand are very modern and clean. Many tourists enjoy visiting the cities of New Zealand, but they also enjoy the beautiful countryside. New Zealand is an excellent place for outdoor recreation, such as climbing or walking. Most of New Zealand has a mild, or temperate, climate. The summer is not very hot, and the winter is not very cold. Because New Zealand is in the southern part of the world, summer begins in December and winter begins in June. The South Island is cooler than the North Island, but both islands have similar amounts of rain. This rain gives the fields and forests of New Zealand a beautiful green colour. Each year, many tourists visit New Zealand, to experience the beautiful countryside and the interesting cultures of its people.
ethnic
relating to a particular race, nation, or tribe and their customs and traditions
The school teaches pupils from different ethnic groups ethnic violence/divisions/strife etc (=violence etc between people from different races or cultures)
ethnic background/origin
The students are from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
plans to partition the republic along ethnic lines (=in a way that keeps different ethnic groups apart)
—
descend
descend from somebody/something phrasal verb
be descended from somebody
to be related to a person or group who lived a long time ago
She claims to be descended from Abraham Lincoln.
The people here are descended from the Vikings.
—
treaty
a formal written agreement between two or more countries or governments
Both sides have agreed to sign the treaty .
The peace treaty ends nearly four years of violence.
—
recreation
an activity that you do for pleasure or amusement
ￚsee also hobby, pastime, leisure
His only recreations are drinking beer and watching football.
the provision of recreation facilities (=places or equipment for people to use to enjoy themselves) recreation ground/area/room a recreation
area for children to play in
—
mild
▶WEATHER◀
fairly warm
ￚopposite coldWe had an exceptionally mild winter last year.
a mild climate
In many parts of the world, the sport of track and field is very popular. Actually, the sport of track and field includes many different sports. In some of these sports, the athletes run on a track. The athletes race against each other to find out who can run the fastest. Some of these track events require great speed for a short distance. In the 100 metre race, the athletes must sprint as quickly as possible. Some athletes can run 100 metres in only 10 seconds! Other track races are much longer, and these events require great endurance. In the marathon, the athletes must run a distance of 42 kilometres. Because this is such a long distance, the athletes cannot run too quickly at the start. Instead, it is important to run at a steady pace and keep some energy for the end of the race. Some athletes can run the marathon in little more than two hours! Some races are called middle distance races because the distance is not very short, yet it is also not very long. For example, the 1500 metres requires a mixture of speed and endurance. Some athletes can run the 1500 metres in less than four minutes! There are also some track events for people who use a wheelchair. Wheelchair athletes can race even faster than athletes who run! Some of the races on the track are for teams of four runners. Each athlete carries a small stick called a baton. After running a certain distance, the runner must hand the baton to a team-mate, who then runs with the baton. To win this race, the team’s runners must be very fast, but they must also cooperate very well with each other. In the field events, athletes compete by jumping or throwing. In the long jump, the athletes run up to a line, and then try to jump as far forward as possible. In the high jump, the athletes must try to jump over a very high bar. Another field event is called the shot put. In this event, the athletes try to throw a heavy metal ball as far as possible. Yet another field event is called the javelin throw. In this event, the athletes try to throw a long spear as far as possible. Athletes who compete in the throwing events must be very strong! Both men and women compete in the sport of track and field. Many boys and girls enjoy track and field as part of their education in school. Those boys and girls who have much talent, and who work very hard, might someday compete in the Olympics. But for most people, track and field is just a fun and healthy way to get exercise and to make friends.
sprint
to run very fast for a short distance
ￚsee also jog
sprint along/across/up etc
Bill sprinted up the steps.
—
endurance
the ability to continue doing something difficult or painful over a long period of time
physical/mental endurance
She was pushed beyond her powers of endurance .
The marathon is a test of endurance .
endurance sports/training (=designed to test or improve your endurance)
—
pace
▶SPEED OF EVENTS/CHANGES◀
[singular] the speed at which something happens or is done
The pace of change in our lives is becoming faster and faster.
Here in Bermuda, the pace of life is very slow.
Public spending continues to rise at a steady pace .
Children learn best by studying at their own pace .
The company had been growing at breakneck pace until last year.
Support for European unity began to gather pace .
If they can keep up the pace , they should have finished by early next week.
Things are changing, but at a snail’s pace .
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baton
1
a short thin stick used by a conductor (=the leader of a group of musicians) to direct the music
2
a short light stick that is passed from one person to another during a race
3
a short thick stick used as a weapon by a police officer
ￚsynonym truncheon
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mate
▶SOMEBODY YOU DO SOMETHING WITH◀
[countable]someone you work with, do an activity with, or share something with
class/team/work etc mate
Dad’s office mates are throwing a party for him. house/flat/room mate (=someone you share a house, room etc with)
—
shot put
a sport in which you throw a heavy metal ball as far as you can
ￚshot putter noun [countable]
an Olympic shot putter
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the javelin
a sports event in which competitors throw a javelin
—
spear
a pole with a sharp pointed blade at one end, used as a weapon in the past
Thomas Edison was one of the most famous inventors of all time. He was born in a small town in the United States during the year 1847. When he was a young boy, Thomas found school to be very boring. A teacher once told Thomas’s mother that he believed the young boy was rather stupid. However, Edison’s mother knew better. She understood that her son was very intelligent. She then took him away from school and began to teach him herself. As a young man, Thomas Edison became very interested in inventing new machines. One of his first inventions was a small electrical machine that could be used for counting votes. However, the government was not interested in his invention. But Edison was not discouraged. He continued inventing, and his next invention was an electrical machine that could be used for recording the prices ofstocks. This invention was very popular and successful. Probably the most famous invention of Edison’s is the electric light bulb. Before Edison, there had been some electric lights, but these were very expensive. In 1879, Edison invented a new kind of light bulb that could shine for a long time. Within a few years, Edison’s electric lights were used on the streets of cities in many countries. Soon after, people began using electric lights in their homes. Another invention of Edison’s is no longer used today. That invention was called the phonograph. It was a machine that could be used to record sounds, such as music and conversation. When Edison invented this machine, in 1877, it was the first time that anyone had been able to preserve sounds. Today, people do not use the phonograph any more. Instead, they use compact discs (or CDs) to record music and other sounds. Edison also helped to improve some inventions that already existed. For example, he made improvements to the telephone and to the cameras that are used in making movies. However, Edison is most famous for his inventions, such as the light bulb and the phonograph. Edison lived to an old age, and he died in 1931. Although Edison was an extremely creative man, he believed that his success was due to many hours of hard work. He once said that “Genius is one per cent inspiration, and ninety-nine percentperspiration.” In other words, a successful person should have good ideas, but the most important thing is to work very hard.
once
in the past, at a time that is not stated
I once ran 21 miles.
Marx once described religion as the ‘opium of the people’.
—
stock
▶FINANCE◀
a) [countable] especially American English
a share in a company
the trading of stocks and shares
b) [uncountable] the total value of all of a company’s shares
—
light bulb
the glass object inside a lamp that produces light and has to be replaced regularly
ￚsynonym bulb
—
preserve
to cause (a condition) to last; keep unchanged:
He’s managed to preserve his independence.
It’s the duty of the police to preserve public order.
—
inspiration
a good idea about what you should do, write, say etc, especially one which you get suddenly
The Malvern Hills have provided inspiration for many artists and musicians over the decades.
He raised his eyes to the altar as if seeking inspiration .
He draws inspiration from ordinary scenes.
Mary Quant’s inspiration comes from the glam style of the 70s.
He had a sudden flash of inspiration .
He has always been a source of inspiration for me.
Another Source
something or someone that gives a person the urge or the ability to do something, esp. to produce works of the imagination: These events provided the inspiration for her first novel. | She was an inspiration to all who knew her. | His trip to South America was a source of fresh ideas and inspiration.
—
perspiration
formal
liquid that appears on your skin when you are hot or nervous
ￚsynonym sweat
He wiped the beads of perspiration (=drops) from his brow.
[h=1]Capital Punishment, or The Death Penalty[/h]فایل صوتی ندارد
In some countries, there has been much debatesurrounding the issue of capital punishment. “Capital punishment” is another term for the death penalty-the idea that some crimes should be punished with death for the criminal who commits them.Capital punishment has existed at some time within virtually all countries. In English-speaking countries, the use of capital punishment is much more limited nowadays than it was in the past. For example, in 18th century England, there were over 200 “capital crimes,” including petty theftand forgery! Few criminals were actually put to death for these minor offences, but the laws were changed so that only very serious crimes, such as murder or treason, would be punished by death. During the 19th and 20th centuries, many people began to believe that capital punishment was always wrong. They argued that the death penalty was a cruel form of punishment, and that no state had the right to take the life of an individual. Many countries began to abolish the death penalty, and today most countries no longer use capital punishment. Several countries, such as China and Saudi Arabia, continue to use capital punishment. Among English-speaking countries, the United States is the most prominentexample of a country that still has the death penalty. However, some of the states within the USA have eliminated capital punishment. There has been much debate within the United States (and other countries) about capital punishment. Some people are in favor of the death penalty, for several reasons. Some argue that a person who commits an evil crime such as murder deserves capital punishment. Others argue that the death penalty may deter criminals from committing crimes. Others argue that capital punishment is the only way to be certain that a criminal will not commit crimes again. Many other people are against the death penalty, for several reasons. Some argue that it is simply cruel and immoral to kill another person, even as punishment for committing terrible crimes. They argue that the death penalty does not really deter crime, and that the death penalty is usually applied to people who are poor or who belong to minority groups. They also point out that innocent people are sometimes mistakenly convicted and executed, and that the death penalty does not allow those mistakes to be corrected. The issue of the death penalty will probably continue to attract debate for manyyears to come. But it seems that capital punishment is gradually being eliminated throughout the world.
debate
discussion of a particular subject that often continues for a long time and in which people express different opinions
the gun-control debate in the US
The new drug has become the subject of heated debate within the medical profession.
debate over/about
There has been widespread public debate over the introduction of genetically modified food.
There was much lively debate about whether women should spend more time in the home.
A fierce debate raged over which artist’s work should be chosen for the prize.
debate between
the ongoing debate between environmentalists and the road-building lobby over the future of our countryside
Nuclear power has always been a topic that has sparked off considerable debate . —
capital punishment
punishment which involves killing someone who has committed a crime CULTURAL NOTE Several US states use capital punishment and carry it out by a variety of methods including the electric chair, poisonous gas, and INJECTION of poison.
—
criminal
someone who is involved in illegal activities or has been proved guilty of a crime
Police have described the man as a violent and dangerous criminal.
a convicted criminal (=someone who has been found guilty of a crime)
The new law will ensure that habitual criminals (=criminals who commit crimes repeatedly) receive tougher punishments than first-time offenders.
Teenagers should not be sent to prison to mix with hardened criminals (=criminals who have committed a lot of crimes and will never stop committing crimes) . —
virtually almost
ￚsynonym practically
Virtually all the children come to school by bus.
He was virtually unknown before running for office. —
petty theft
stealing small things
an arrest for petty theft (=stealing small things) —
forgery
the crime of copying official documents, money etc —
offence British Englishoffense American English
an act of wrongdoing, esp. of breaking the law; crime: Driving while drunk is a serious offense/is not a minor offense.
They won’t imprison him for a first offense. (=his first crime)
The defendant asked for ten similar offenses to be taken into consideration. (=asked for his/her sentence to be made less severe because he/she had admitted to the ten other crimes)
His evil crimes were an offense against the whole of humanity
The possession of stolen property is a criminal offence. Punishment for a first offence is a fine.
His solicitor said he committed the offence because he was heavily in debt.
The bill makes it an offence to carry a knife.
offence against
sexual offences against children —
treason
the crime of being disloyal to your country or its government, especially by helping its enemies or trying to remove the government using violence
treason against
Richter is accused of committing treason against the state.
The defendant was convicted of high treason (=treason of the worst kind) and sentenced to death. —
individual
a person, considered separately from the rest of the group or society that they live in
the rights of the individual
Each individual receives two genes, one inherited from each parent.
Most churches were built with donations from private individuals (=ordinary people, rather than the government or companies) . —
abolish stop, to officially end a law, system etc, especially one that has existed for a long time
Slavery was abolished in the US in the 19th century.
they abolished slavery.
Slavery was abolished in the US in the 19th century.
a government plan to abolish school lunch programs —
prominent important
a prominent Russian scientist play a prominent part/role (in something)
Mandela played a prominent role in the early years of the ANC.
The World Cup will have a prominent place on the agenda. —
eliminate
—
favour British English favor American English
▶SUPPORT/APPROVAL◀
[uncountable]support, approval, or agreement for something such as a plan, idea, or system
in favour of something
Senior ministers spoke in favour of the proposal.
I talked to Susie about it, and she’s all in favor (=completely approves) of going. —
deserve to have earned by one’s actions or character; be worthy of: You’ve been working all morning — you deserve a rest.
[+to-v] She deserved to win/to be punished.
What have I done to deserve this?
deserve to do something
We didn’t deserve to win.
richly/fully/thoroughly etc deserve something
the success he so richly deservesI’m sorry for the kids. They deserve better (=deserve to be treated in a better way) .
deserve a rest/break/holiday etc
I think we deserve a rest after all that hard work.
Ledley deserves a place in the team.
Paula deserves a special mention for all the help she has given us.
I would never hit anyone, even if they deserved it.
What has he done to deserve this punishment ?
deserve all/everything you get (=deserve any bad things that happen to you)
He deserves all he gets for being so dishonest.
People who are sent to prison for drunk-driving get what they deserve . —
deter to stop someone from doing something, by making them realize it will be difficult or have bad results
ￚsee also deterrent
The company’s financial difficulties have deterred potential investors.
deter somebody from (doing) something
The security camera was installed to deter people from stealing.
punishment did not deter him from repeating his crime
a good dog can deter burglars Another Source
to prevent from acting, esp. by the threat of something unpleasant:
We need severe punishments to deter people from dealing in drugs.
—
minority
a group of people of a different race, religion etc from most other people in that country
People from ethnic minorities often face prejudice and discrimination.
the very large Russian minorities in Ukraine and Moldova
children from minority groups
the teaching of minority languages in schools
minority leader/businessman/student etc American English a school with a high proportion of minority students
—
convict
to prove or officially announce that someone is guilty of a crime after a trial in a law court
ￚopposite acquit
convict somebody of something
She was convicted of shoplifting.
convict somebody on something
He was convicted on fraud charges .
a convicted murderer
They were convicted of murder.
a convicted rapist.
to convict someone of a crime
convicted criminals
there was not enough evidence to convict him —
for years/weeks/days etc to come used to emphasize that something will continue for a long time into the future
This is a moment that will be remembered and celebrated for years to come. —
Did you know that Europe and North America are slowly moving away from each other, at the rate of about four centimetres per year? This movement seems far too slow to be of any importance, but over a period of millions of years, continents can move great distances across the surface of the Earth. Until the early 20th century, scientists assumed that the locations of the continents were fixed. But a young German scientist named Alfred Wegener began to question that assumption. He noticed several facts that suggested the possibility that continents could move. First, Wegener noticed that the coastlines of some continents seemed that they could fit together. A good example of this is the west coast of Africa and the east coast of South America. This suggested that these continents had long ago “broken apart” from each other. Also, Wegener knew that some similar species of animals lived on continents that were very far apart. This made him wonder if those species had once been a single species that lived in one homeland. Those species would then have diverged when the continents divided. In addition, Wegener found that some of the landforms on distant continents were quite similar. For example, the rocks that make up the mountains of Scotland are similar to the rocks that make up the mountains of the eastern United States. At first, Wegener’s idea was ridiculed by many scientists. They thought that his theory of continental drift was absurd. Part of the reason for this was that Wegener did not know how this movement of continents could happen. Unfortunately, Wegener died in 1930, at the age of 50, when he was on a scientific expedition to Greenland. During the 1960s, scientists realized that Wegener had been right. New discoveries showed that the continents rested on top of giant “plates,” that could slide around the Earth, above a layer of molten rock. Today, the idea of continental drift has been shown to be basically correct. The movement of continents accounts for the creation of many mountain ranges, which rise when continents slowly collide. It also accounts for the creation of many valleys, which sink when continents slowly break apart. Continental drift also explains why the fossils of tropical plants and animals are sometimes found on islands in very cold places: those islands had once been located in warmer parts of the earth! Wegener’s theory of continental drift was a revolutionary and radical idea. Eventually, however, this theory turned out to be correct. It is too bad that Wegener did not live to see the acceptance of this theory.
diverge
if similar things diverge, they develop in different ways and so are no longer similar
The two species diverged millions of years ago.
Global growth rates are diverging markedly.
—
ridicule
to laugh at a person, idea etc and say that they are stupid
At the time, his ideas were ridiculed.
—
drift
very slow movement, especially over water or through the air
—
absurd
completely stupid or unreasonable
ￚsynonym ridiculous
quite/slightly/completely etc absurd
It seems quite absurd to expect anyone to drive for 3 hours just for a 20 minute meeting.
It seems an absurd idea.
—
expedition
a long and carefully organized journey, especially to a dangerous or unfamiliar place, or the people that make this journey
an expedition to the North Pole another Everest expedition
on an expedition
He went on an expedition to Borneo.
I’m sending/taking part in/going on an expedition to photograph wild animals in Africa.
an expedition to the North Pole
—
molten
molten metal or rock has been made into a liquid by being heated to a very high temperature
molten iron molten lava (=liquid rock from a volcano)
—
account
to be the reason why something happens
ￚsynonym explain
Recent pressure at work may account for his behavior.
—
range
▶MOUNTAINS/HILLS◀
[countable]a group of mountains or hills, usually in a line
a land of high mountain ranges and deep valleys range of mountains/hills
the longest range of hills in the Lake District
—
collide
—
radical
▶OPINIONS◀
radical ideas are very new and different, and are against what most people think or believe
ￚsee also conservative
He has put forward some very radical ideas .
I was shocked by her radical views.
a radical approach to education
—
acceptance
when people agree that an idea, statement, explanation etc is right or true
acceptance of
the acceptance of Einstein’s theory
acceptance that
There is still not widespread acceptance that fathers can care for children as well as mothers do.
gain/find acceptance
This type of management style gained acceptance in the 1980s.
[h=1]Evolution and Creation In School[/h]فایل صوتی ندارد
Ever since Charles Darwin proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection, in 1859, there has been controversy surrounding that theory. Today, scientists continue to debate the details of evolutionary theory, but the basic correctness of Darwin’s ideas has been firmly established by massive evidence. Among the general public, however, there is still much debate about the idea that modern species-including people-evolved from common ancestors. Throughout the 20th century, there were arguments about whether or not the idea of evolution by natural selection should be taught in schools. Many people believed that the theory of evolution was contrary to traditional Christian religious teachings, which state that the world was created in seven days. Those people argued that the theory of evolution should therefore be kept away from schools. In some places, laws were passed to make the teaching of evolution illegal. During the 1920s, there was a famous court case in the American state of Tennessee. A young teacher had been teaching the theory of evolution to his students, even though this was illegal. While two famous lawyers argued the case, newspapers in North America and Europe followed the case closely. In the end, the teacher was found guilty, and had to pay a fine of one hundred dollars. However, the trial showed that the law was based on a rejection of scientific inquiry. The teaching of evolution became more widespread after the trial. Even today, however, many people in North America believe that evolution should not be taught in schools. Instead, they would like the schools to teach the story ofdivine creation that is told in the Christian Bible. But many religious people disagree. Some churches, including the Roman Catholic Church and several Protestant churches, accept the scientific basis of the theory of evolution. They believe that humans uniquely possess souls, but they do not interpret the biblical story of creation as a scientific explanation for the origin of the earth and its people. That is, there are many people who have strong religious faith, but who accept the idea that modern humans evolved by a long process of natural selection. Even today, some people argue that evolution and creation should be taught as two alternative theories in school science classes. However, scientists point out an important difference between the two explanations for the origins of modern life. The theory of evolution was based on an analysis of many diverse facts about nature, and it generates testable predictions which have been strongly supported by new data. On the other hand, the idea of divine creation was based on a religious text rather than on the process of scientific inference. Unlike scientific theories, the idea of creation does not generate testable predictions. The debate about the theory of evolution may be over for scientists, but this debate will probably continue for some time within society at large.
inquiry
an official process to find out about something
inquiry into
a judicial inquiry into the deaths
launch/set up/hold an inquiry (into something)
The Civil Aviation Authority has agreed to hold an inquiry into the accident.
The police have launched a murder inquiry .
Parents have called for an independent inquiry into the accident.
—
divine
coming from or relating to God or a god
divine intervention/providence/revelation/guidance etc faith in divine providence
divine power
divine love
—
interpret
—
evolve
if an animal or plant evolves, it changes gradually over a long period of time
evolve from
Fish evolved from prehistoric sea creatures.
Animals have evolved camouflage to protect themselves from predators.
—
alternative
1 [ only before noun ] an alternative idea, plan etc is different from the one you have and can be used instead alternative ways/approach/methods etc
alternative approaches to learning
Have you any alternative suggestions ?
An alternative route is along the Via Unione.
2 deliberately different from what is usual, expected, or traditional alternative music/theatre etc
Tucson’s alternative radio station sources of alternative energy (= energy produced by the sun, wind etc rather than by gas, coal etc )
tolerance of alternative lifestyles alternative medicine/therapies (= medical treatment that is not based on the usual western methods )
Acupuncture is widely used by practitioners of alternative medicine.
—
inference
something that you think is true, based on information that you have
draw/make inferences (about/from something)
What inferences have you drawn from this evidence?
Mildred “Babe” Didrikson (1913-1956) was one of the mostcelebrated female athletes of the first half of the twentieth century. Competing in the 1930s and 1940s, when conventionalattitudes regarding women’s participation in sport dominated North American culture, Babe Didrikson rose to fame by dominating not just one, but a number of sports. Didrikson flouted conventionalnotions of femininity and “proper” female activity byexcelling in field events such asjavelin and shot-put, in addition to traditionally male-dominated sports such as baseball, swimming, and golf. Interestingly, Didrikson would always have to battle popular accounts that attacked or questioned her femininity and sexuality. As a woman with a large, muscular and athletic body, Didrikson was often accused of having an “unfair advantage” over other women, and often regarded as not being a “real woman.” 
