Unit 13 The Light of Depression Words and Expressions综合教程一

Unit 13 The Light of Depression

Words and Expressions

1. diagnose:v.

1) find out the nature of an illness by observing its symptoms

e.g. The illness was diagnosed as measles.

2) find out what the cause of a fault is, after doing tests, examinations, etc.

e.g. The book diagnoses our present economic ills, explaining what is wrong with the economy. Derivation:

diagnosis: n.

Collocations:

diagnose sb. as (having) sth.

e.g. Joe struggled in school before he was diagnosed as dyslexic.

diagnose sth. as sth.

e.g. The illness was diagnosed as mumps.

diagnose sb.with sth.

e.g. She was diagnosed with breast cancer.

2. find oneself doing sth.: do a particular thing, or realize that this is happening, esp. when one did not expect or intend it; do sth. without intending to do so

e.g. After wandering around, we found ourselves coming back to the hotel.

When he left, Karen found herself heaving a huge sigh of relief.

3. drift: v.

1) move slowly on water or in the air

e.g. The rubber raft drifted out to sea.

2) move, change, or do sth. without any plan or purpose

e.g. Jenny spent the year drifting around Europe.

3) gradually change from being in one condition, situation, etc., into another without realizing it

e.g. She was just drifting into sleep when the alarm went of

f.

Collocations:

drift out/towards

drift around/along

drift into

drift away

Derivation:

drift: n.

4. demonstrate: v.

1) show sth. clearly by giving proof or evidence

e.g. The study demonstrates the link between poverty and malnutrition.

2) show or be an example of sth.

e.g. They'll be demonstrating how to handle modern, high performance cars.

Derivations:

demonstration: n.

demonstrative: adj.

5. melancholic: adj.characterized by or causing or expressing sadness

e.g. With a melancholic nature, she often suffers from depression.

That doctoral candidate possessed a melancholic personality, which is perhaps why he failed to finish.

Derivation:

melancholy: n.

6. rummage: vt. turn things over or disarrange them while searching for sth. else

e.g.When I entered her house, she was rummaging through the contents of a drawer for something.

Mother was rummaging around in the attic for an old family album.

Collocations:

rummage in/through

Derivation:

rummage: n.

7. numb:adj. without the power to feel or move; (fig) emotionally incapable of thinking

e.g. My fingers were so numb that I could hardly write.

She was completely numb with terror.

Derivation:

numb: v.

8. haze: n. thin mist; (fig) mental confusion or uncertainty

e.g. Things were covered with a haze on that early spring morning.

She did not speak clearly about it, because her mind was in a complete haze. Collocations:

a haze of

in a haze

Derivation:

haze: vt.

9. settle (up) on/over sth.: come to rest on sth.; stay on sth. for some time

e.g. The bird settled on a branch.

Clouds have settled over the mountaintops.

A tense silence has settled over the waiting crowd.

10. apathy:n.the feeling of not being interested in sth., and not willing to make any effort to change or improve things; lack of interest, enthusiasm or concern

e.g. The campaign failed because of public apathy.

She heard the story with apathy.

她无动于衷地听了这个故事。

Derivation:

apathetic: adj.

Antonym:

sympathy

11. routine: n. a fixed and regular way of doing things; the usual order in which you do things

e.g. She found it difficult to establish a new routine after retirement.

John’s departure had upset their daily routine.

Collocation:

get into a routine: develop a fixed order of doing things

Derivation:

routine: adj.

12. remedy: vt. put right; deal with a problem or improve a bad situation; provide a remedy for sth. undesirable; rectify

e.g. To remedy the environment, the water must be chemically treated.

We must remedy injustices.

If I made a mistake, I will try to remedy it.

Derivation:

remedy: n.

e.g. The mistake is beyond/past remedy. (The mistake cannot be put right.)

Synonym:

put right

13. transcend: vt.(fml) go beyond the usual limits of sth.; go beyond the range (of human experience, belief, powers of description, etc.); be much better or greater than sb./sth.

e.g. One never can see the thing in itself, because the mind does not transcend phenomena.

一个人永远不可能认识事物自身的本质，因为思想无法超越现象。

Such matters transcend man’s knowledge.

She far transcends the others in beauty and intelligence.

Synonym:

surpass

14. invade:vt.

1) enter a country or territory with armed forces in order to attack, damage, or occupy it

e.g.The Romans invaded Britain 2000 years ago.

2) (fig) enter sth. in large numbers, esp. to cause damage

e.g. Every summer the town is invaded by tourists.

3) get involved in something in an unwanted and annoying way

e.g. What right does he have to invade my privacy?

Synonyms:

crowd into

intrude on

Derivations:

invasion: n.

invader: n.

15. strip sb. of sth.:take away (honor, property, etc.) from sb.

e.g. The general was stripped of his rank and title.

Synonym:

deprive sb. of sth.

16. distort:vt.

1) change sth. so that it is strange or unclear

e.g. Tall buildings can distort radio signals.

2) report sth. in a way that is not completely true or correct

e.g. His account was badly distorted by the press.

3) change a situation from the way it would naturally be

e.g.an expensive subsidy which distorts the market

Derivations:

distorted: adj.

distortion: n.

17. distance oneself from sb./sth.: not approve of sb./sth.; not become involved with sb./sth.; stay away far enough from sb./sth. to be safe

e.g. She needs to distance herself from some of her more extreme supporters.

You need to distance yourself from the situation for a little while first

Derivation:

distance: n.

18. abuse: n. wrong or bad use or treatment of sb./sth.; unjust or corrupt practice

e.g. Drug abuse and child abuse, as well as abuse of privilege and authority, are common problems

in modern society.

Many children suffer racial abuse at school.

Derivation:

abuse: vt.

Exercise: Choose the best answer to complete the following sentence.

It has been revealed that some government leaders ______ their authority and position to get illegal profits for themselves.

A. employ

B. take

C. abuse

D. overlook

( C)

19. addiction: n. condition of drinking alcohol, smoking, taking drugs, etc. habitually, and being unable to stop doing so without suffering

e.g. Another cause of hopelessness is addiction to drugs.

Collocation:

addiction to

Derivations:

addict: vi.

addict: n. someone who is very interested in something and spends a lot of time doing it addictive: adj.

addicted: adj.

20. alter: vt. change or make sb./sth. change; become different; change in character, position, size, shape, etc.

e.g. Her face had not altered much over the years.

The city centre has altered beyond recognition.

21. release:n. setting free

e.g. Lincoln proclaimed the release of the slaves.

After the examination I had a feeling of release.

Simon has obtained early release from prison.

Collocation:

release from

Derivation:

release: vt.

22. make up for sth.: compensate for sth.; make a bad situation better, or replace sth. that has been lost; have so much of one quality that it is not important that you do not have much of another one

e.g.I don’t eat breakfast, but I make up for it at lunch.

What Jay lacked in experience, he made up for in enthusiasm.

Nothing can make up for what they have suffered.

什么都不能补偿他们所受的痛苦。

Exercise: Choose the best answer to complete the following sentence.

Hard work can often________ a lack of intelligence.

A. make up for

B. make up

C. make out

D. make into

(A)