F2F Class Notes (Peter)

Vocabulary

Bipolar –adjective, changing between two extremes, used to describe the mental condition or anything that wavers between two extremes

Ex. My cousin, who has bipolar disorder, often begins to suddenly feel very happy and then changes to a state of depression.

Ex. Shanghai’s weather in late March is bipolar and switches between extremes of hot and cold.

Self-conscious – adjective, very aware of your own actions and behavior, to a degree of insecurity

Ex. When I reached the speaking portion of the exam, I began to feel very self-conscious and I think that it kept me from speaking freely.

Abusive – adjective, using harsh and insulting actions or words

Ex. Many people consider the American prison system to be abusive.

Sentence – noun, a punishment given to a criminal; verb, to give someone a punishment

Ex. Prisoners with good behavior often have their sentences reduced.

Ex. The judge sentenced the murder to 25 years in federal prison.

Capital Punishment – noun, a death sentence

Ex. Although Iran is the county with the highest rate of capital punishment per capita, China is the country that sentences it the most.

Per capita – adjective, per person, as a ratio of the total population

Ex. GDP per capita is an effective way to look at the development of a country, but it does not consider inequality.

Money Laundering – noun, the act of transferring illegal money through a third party so that it looks “clean”

Ex. In China, money laundering can receive a sentence of up to 25 years.

Murderer – noun, a person who has killed at least one other person

Ex. In China, some murderers are sentenced to death.

Judicial – adjective, relating to the courts or law

Ex. Most countries have a judicial system with a supreme court at the top, whose decisions cannot be contested.

Extra-curricular activities – noun, activities outside of school

Ex. Many Chinese students dedicate their after-school time to extra-curricular activities.

Obsolete – adjective, pointless, no longer in use

Ex. With the development of the computer, many jobs became obsolete.

Cubicle – noun, a small portioned-off part of a room, usually an office

Ex. I think working in a cubicle is worse than working in an office because you often feel trapped between walls.