F2F Class Notes March 30th (Ben)

Vocabulary

synonym = (syn = same, nym = name) a word with a close or similar meaning

“Lay off” is a synonym for “fire”

eloquent = who has great speaking skills 有口才的

He is a very eloquent man; he speaks in a very clear and refined way and everyone always listens.

a connotation (co = together, note = write) = the general color, the idea of a word besides its meaning

Eloquent and big talker are both related to speaking skills. But “eloquent” has a good connotation, whereas “big talker” has a pretty negative one. So they aren’t real synonyms.

gullible (gul = swallow) = who believes everything

I told her that you could plant burgers to make a burger tree and she tried ! She is so gullible.

deceive = to cheat, 骗

Thieves and scam artists often look for gullible people to deceive.

primordial (prime = 1, order = 顺序) = very basic (knowledge, history)

The verb “to be” is primordial in English. You can’t say anything without it.

Prehistoric men used primordial tools made of stones.

disparaging = showing disrespect

Calling someone prehistoric is pretty disparaging. It has a very negative connotation

subdue (sub = under) = to bring someone under control (usually with strength

The suspect was running away, but the policeman caught him and subdued him (to the ground).

The UN threatened to use economic sanctions to subdue North Korea.

make up for = 弥补 compensate for

I overslept last week, so I will work extra hard at home to make up for the class I missed.

puberty = the moment when a teenager’s body becomes adult

During puberty, a girl’s breasts grow and her waist gets slimmer.

mimic = to copy the expression and movements of someone

Children love to mimic their parents.