Vocabulary

access, n 1. way (in)to a place

e.g. The only access to the farm-house is across the fields.

2. (to) right, opportunity or means of reaching, using or approaching

e.g. Students must have access to good books.

accessible, adj able to be reached, used, visited, influenced, etc.

e.g. a collection of painting not accessible to the general public.

accessibility, n

alas, int. cry of sorrow or regret

comprehend, v (fml) 1. understand fully

2. include; consist of

comprehension, n 1. the mind's act or power of understanding

e.g. The problem is above/beyond my comprehension

2. exercise aimed at improving or testing one's understanding

3. (fml) power of including

e.g. a term of wide comprehension (= that has many meanings, uses, etc.)

Opp.: incomprehension, n failure to understand

comprehensible, adj that can be understood fully

e.g. a book that is comprehensible only to specialists.

Opp.: incomprehensible, adj (fml) that cannot be understood

comprehensibility, n

Opp.: incomprehensibility, n

comprehensive, adj that comprehends (2)

e.g. a comprehensive description

comprehensive, n comprehensive school (= that provides all types of secondary education)

comprehensiveness, n

comprehensively, adv.

confess, v 1. say or admit (that one has done wrong)

e.g. He confessed that he had stolen the money. I confess to having a fear of spiders.

2. make known one's sins to a priest; (of a priest) listen to a person doing this

confession, n 1. confessing; instance of this

e.g. The accused man made a full confession. She is a good Catholic and goes to confession regularly.

2. declaration (of religious beliefs, or of principles of conduct, etc.)

e.g. a confession of faith

confessional, n private place in church where a priest sits to hear confessions

confessor, n priest who has authority to hear confessions.

daze, v make (a person) feel stupid or unable to think clearly

e.g. He looked dazed with drugs/was in a dazed state.

in a daze in a bewildered condition

deprive, v take away from; prevent from having, using or enjoying

e.g. trees that deprive the house of light

deprived, adj underprivileged, i.e. not having had the educational and social advantages enjoyed by more fortunate people, social classes, nations, etc.

fade out, v ( cause to ) become gradually weaker until it ceases

e.g. music faded out. This custom is slowly fading out. Memories of the homeland slowly faded out. The idea seemed to fade out.

Syn.: fade away, v; die away, v

grave, adj serious; requiring careful consideration

e.g. grave news

gravity, n quality of being serious or solemn

gravely, adv

grind, n (infml) long, monotonous task

e.g. Do you find learning English a grind?

Cf.: drudgery, n hard, unpleasant, uninteresting work

intellect, n 1. power of the mind to reason (contrasted with feeling and instinct)

e.g. Intellect distinguishes man from other animals.

2. (coll. sing, or pl) person of good understanding, reasoning power, etc.

e.g. the intellect(s) of the age.

intellectual, adj 1. of the intellect

e.g. intellectual pursuits

2. having or showing good reasoning power

e.g. intellectual people/interests

intellectual, n intellectual person

intellectually, adv

obstacle, n sth that stops progress or makes it difficult

e.g. obstacles to world peace.

regret, v 1. be sorry for the loss of; wish to have again

e.g. regret lost opportunities

2. feel sorry for; be sorry (to say, etc. that...)

e.g.. I regret that I cannot help.

regret, n 1. feeling of being sorry or sad at the loss of sth, or of annoyance or disappointment because sth has or has not or cannot be done

e.g. hear with regret that a friend is ill. Much to my regret I cannot accept your kind invitation.

2. (pl) (in polite expressions of refusal, etc.)

e.g. I have no regrets.

regretful, adj sad; sorry.

regretfully, adv

regrettable, adj to be regretted

e.g. regrettable failures

regrettably, adv

relay (generation to generation ) v pass down; hand down (to sb), i.e. pass by tradition, inheritance, etc.

scorn, n 1. feeling that a person or thing deserves no respect

e.g. be filled with scorn for her; dismiss a suggestion with scorn

2. object of scorn

e.g. He was the scorn of the village.

scorn, v feel or show scorn for; refuse (to do sth because it is unworthy)

e.g. He scorned my advice. She scorns lying/to tell a lie.

scornful, adj showing or feeling scorn

e.g. scornful smile

scornfully, adv

thirst, n 1. feeling caused by a desire or need to drink; suffering caused by this

e.g. They died of thirst in the desert.

2. (fig) strong desire (for)

e.g. a thirst for knowledge

thirst, v 1. have thirst

2. be eager (for)

e.g. thirst for revenge.

thirsty, adj having or causing thirst

e.g. be/feel thirsty

NOTES

grade, n (Am E) a mark for the standard of a piece of schoolwork

e.g. She got good grades last semester.

Cf.: mark, n (Br E) a figure, letter, or sign which represents a judgment of the quality of someone's work, behaviour, performance in a competition, etc.

e.g. The highest mark in the test was 9 out of 10.

(fig) I'll give him full marks for trying. (= I think he tried very hard).