PTE-RA

HaiyueJune 17, 2024About 31 min

The speaker reminisces about his views of the English Revolution when he was a student and how it seemed quite clear which side he was on the aristocrats', not the puritans'. Later he realised there was more to it than that and there were several ways of interpreting the Revolution: as a struggle between the king and parliament, as a class war or as an unpredictable situation without clear sides.

reminisce verb [ I ] formal UK /ˌrem.ɪˈnɪs/ US /ˌrem.əˈnɪs/ to talk or write about past experiences that you remember with pleasure
aristocrat noun [ C ] UK /ˈær.ɪ.stə.kræt/ US /əˈrɪs.stə.kræt/ a person of high social rank who belongs to the aristocracy
puritan noun [ C ] UK /ˈpjʊə.rɪ.tən/ US /ˈpjʊr.ɪ.t̬ən/ someone who believes that it is important to work hard and control yourself, and that pleasure is wrong or unnecessary

Selective history

History is selective. What history books tell us about the past is not everything that happened, but what historians have selected. They cannot put in everything: choices have to be made. Choices must similarly be made about which aspects of the past should be formally taught to the next generation in the shape of school history class.

English colonies

English colonies emerged along the eastern seaboard for a variety of reasons. People, primarily men, originally migrated to Virginia to find gold and silver to make a quick profit. After it became evident that there were no precious metals in the area, men came to Virginia to start cultivating cash crops like tobacco.

Charlie Chaplin *

Charlie Chaplin and his brother Sydney were placed in an orphanage at a very early age. Becoming a vaudeville performer, he joined Fred Karno's company in 1906. He made his film debut in Making a Living, 1914 and introduced the famous seedy and soft-hearted gentleman-tramp routine, which became his hallmark. Numerous films for various studios brought him world fame, all based on his mastery of pathos and slapstick acrobatics.

orphanage noun [ C ] UK /ˈɔː.fən.ɪdʒ/ US /ˈɔːr.fən.ɪdʒ/ a home for children whose parents are dead or unable to care for them
vaudeville noun [ U ] US UK /ˈvɔː.də.vɪl/ US /ˈvoʊd.vɪl/ a type of theatre entertainment in the 1800s and early 1900s that included music, dancing, and jokes
debut noun [ C ] UK /ˈdeɪ.bju/ US /deɪˈbju/ the occasion when someone performs or presents something to the public for the first time
seedy adjective UK /ˈsiː.di/ US /ˈsiː.di/ looking dirty or in bad condition and likely to be involved in dishonest or illegal activities
pathos noun [ U ] literary UK /ˈpeɪ.θɒs/ US /ˈpeɪ.θɑːs/ the power of a person, situation, piece of writing, or work of art to cause feelings of sadness, especially because people feel sympathy:
slapstick noun [ U ] UK /ˈslæp.stɪk/ US /ˈslæp.stɪk/ a type of humorous acting in which the actors behave in a silly way, such as by throwing things, falling over, etc.
acrobatics noun [ U ] UK /ˌæk.rəˈbæt.ɪks/ US /ˌæk.rəˈbæt̬.ɪks/ the skills of an acrobat

Energy and Pollution

Humans need to use energy in order to exist. So it is unsurprising that the way people have been producing energy is largely responsible for current environmental problem. Pollution comes in many forms, but those that are most concerning, because of their impact on health, resulting from the combustion of fuels in power stations and cars.

combustion noun [ U ] UK /kəmˈbʌs.tʃən/ US /kəmˈbʌs.tʃən/ the process of burning

Decisions

These decisions are highly nuanced. Of coure we use a lot of data to inform our decisions, but we also rely very heavily on iteration, research, testing, intuition and human empathy. Now, sometimes the designers who work on these products are called "data-driven", which is a term that totally drives us bonkers. The fact is, it would be irrsponsible of us not to rigorously test our designs when so many people are counting on us to get it right.

nuanced adjective UK /ˈnjuː.ɒnst/ US /ˈnuː.ɑːnst/ made slightly different in appearance, meaning, sound, etc.
bonkers adjective [ after verb ] UK /ˈbɒŋ.kəz/ US /ˈbɑːŋ.kɚz/ silly or stupid
rigorously adverb UK /ˈrɪɡ.ər.əs.li/ US /ˈrɪɡ.ɚ.əs.li/ in a careful way so that every part of something is looked at or considered to make certain it is correct or safe:

Human and the planet

Conservation scientists have long tried to map how much of the planet remains undergraded by human activity. Previous estimates using satellite imagery or raw demographic data found anywhere from 20 to 40 percent of the globe was free from obvious human incursions, such as roads, light pollution or the gaping scars of deforestation. But an intact forest canopy can hide an emptied-out ecosystem below.

intact adjective UK /ɪnˈtækt/ US /ɪnˈtækt/ complete and in the original state:
canopy noun [ C ] UK /ˈkæn.ə.pi/ US /ˈkæn.ə.pi/ a cover fixed over a seat or bed, etc. for shelter or decoration

2024-07-01

Ozone *

A total of five ozone ascents were taken at Bharati station, Indian mission, Antarctica from April to June two thousand and sixteen. As stratospheric temperatures reduced to minus eighty-two point two four degrees on the twentieth June two thousand and sixteen indicating the formation of stratospheric clouds, leading scientists at Bharati station feared that Montreal Accord has not succeeded to control the emission of ozone-depleting gases in the atmosphere.

ascent noun UK /əˈsent/ US /əˈsent/ the act of climbing or moving upwards.
stratospheric adjective UK /ˌstræt.əˈsfer.ɪk/ US /ˌstræt̬.əˈsfer.ɪk/ relating to the stratosphere (= the layer of gases surrounding the earth at a height of between 15 and 50 kilometres)

Population demographics

How quickly this occurs depends on the dynamics of fertility, mortality and overseas migration. While a moderate pace of demographic change allows for gradual adjustment of the economy and policies to the changing population demographics, rapid changes are more difficult to manage. As a result, governments and society as a whole may need to take actions to address these issues.

Barley grain *

University of Adelaide researchers have uncovered fundamental new information about the malting characteristics of barley grains. They say their finding could pave the way to more stable brewing processes or new malts for craft brewers. Published in the Nature publication scientific reports, the researchers discovered a new link between one of the key enzymes involved in malt production for the brewing and a specific tissue layer within the barley grain.

barley noun [ U ] UK /ˈbɑː.li/ US /ˈbɑːr.li/ a tall plant like grass with long, straight hairs growing from the head of each stem, or the grain from this plant, used for food and for making beer and whisky
malt noun UK /mɒlt/ US /mɑːlt/ grain, usually barley, that has been left in water until it starts to grow and is then dried. It is used in the making of alcoholic drinks such as beer and whisky
pave verb [ T ] UK /peɪv/ US /peɪv/ to cover an area of ground with a hard, flat surface of pieces of stone, concrete, or bricks:
enzyme noun [ C ] UK /ˈen.zaɪm/ US /ˈen.zaɪm/ any of a group of chemical substances that are produced by living cells and cause particular chemical reactions to happen while not being changed themselves

Deaf children

Deaf children learning a language could certainly pursue the development of listening and spoken language skills if desired, and doing so would carry much less risk knowing the child would have mastery in at least one language. If a child does not succeed in mastering either a spoken language or a sign language, we must then ask how much benefit the child derived from interventions in each language relative to the amount of time and resources dedicated to those interventions.

Madagascar

Scientists have recommended actions the government of Madagascar's recently elected president Andry should take to turn around the precipitous decline of biodiversity and help put Madagascar on a trajectory towards sustainable growth. Madagascar's protected areas, some of the most important for biodiversity in the world, have suffered terribly in recent years from illegal mining, logging, and collection of threatened species for the pet trade.

precipitous adjective UK /prɪˈsɪp.ɪ.təs/ US /priːˈsɪp.ə.t̬əs/ If a slope is precipitous, it is very steep
trajectory noun [ C ] PHYSICS, MILITARY specialized UK /trəˈdʒek.tər.i/ US /trəˈdʒek.tɚ.i/ the curved path that an object follows after it has been thrown or shot into the air:

Thesis

A thesis is a claim that you can argue for or against. It should be something that you can present persuasively and clearly. The scope of your paper, so keep in mind that page count. If possible, your thesis should be somewhat original.

Executive order

But on May third, a couple of weeks later, Lincoln issued an executive order calling for 43,000 three-year volunteers for the army, and also increasing the size of the regular army and navy by 40000 men. Both of these actions were in apparent violation of the constitution.

Scientific evidence

The latest scientific evidence on the nature and strength of the links between diet and chronic diseases is examined and discussed in detail in the following sections of this report. This section gives an overall view of the current situation and trends in chronic diseases at the global level.

Australian mining industries

Australia has one of the world's most important mining industries. It is a major exporter of coal, iron ore, gold and copper and is self-sufficient in all minerals bar petroleum. Since the first discovery, the coal in 1798, mineral production has risen every year in the decade to 1992 it doubled.

Soil samples

Investigators also compared those microbes with those living in 52 other soil samples taken from all around the planet. The park had organisms that also exist in deserts, frozen tundra, forests, rainforests, and prairies. Antarctica was the only area that had microbes that did not overlap with those found in Central Park. Only a small percentage of the park's microbes were found to be already listed in databases.

tundra noun [ U ] UK /ˈtʌn.drə/ US /ˈtʌn.drə/ (part of) the very large area of land in North Asia, North America, and northern Europe where, because it is cold, trees do not grow and ground below the surface is permanently frozen
prairie noun [ C or U ] UK /ˈpreə.ri/ US /ˈprer.i/ a wide area of flat land without trees in Canada and the northern US

Father V2

Every morning, no matter how late he had been up, my father rose at five-thirty, went to his study, wrote for a couple of hours, made us all breakfast, read the paper with my mother, and then went back to work for the rest of the morning. Many years passed before I realised that he did this for a living.

Rural population

Thus, a country might possess a sizeable rural population, but have an economic system in which the interests of the voters were predominantly related to their incomes, not to their occupations or location; and in such a country the political system would be unlikely to include an important agrarian party.

agrarian adjective GEOGRAPHY specialized UK /əˈɡreə.ri.ən/ US /əˈɡrer.i.ən/ relating to the land, especially the use of land for farming

Girls outperform boys

Teenage girls are continuing to outperform boys in English while the gender gap in achievements in math and science has almost disappeared. The figures show that last year 80 percent of 14-year-old girls reached at least the expected level 5 in English, compared with 65 percent of boys. But in math, the girls are just 1 percent ahead of boys, while in science the difference is 2 percent.

Important value of literature

Certainly one of the important values of literature is that it nourishes our emotional lives. An effective literary work may seem to speak directly to us especially if we are ripe for it. The inner life that good writers reveal in their characters often gives us glimpses of some portion of ourselves. We can be moved to laugh, cry, tremble, dream, ponder, shriek, or rage with a character by simply turning the page instead of turning our lives upside down.

Australian slang V2 *

Australian speak English of course. But for many tourists and even some locals, Australian English has only tenuous links with the mother tongue. Our speech is peppered with words and phrases whose arcane means understood only by the initiate. It is these colourful colloquialisms that Australian slang sets to truly explain.

tenuous adjective UK /ˈten.ju.əs/ US /ˈten.ju.əs/ A tenuous connection, idea, or situation is weak and possibly does not exist.
pepper verb [ T ] US /ˈpep·ər/ pepper verb [T] (ATTACK) to direct something suddenly and repeatedly at someone, as if attacking the person:
arcane adjective formal UK /ɑːˈkeɪn/ US /ɑːrˈkeɪn/ mysterious and known only by a few people:
colloquialism noun [ C ] LANGUAGE UK /kəˈləʊ.kwi.ə.lɪ.zəm/ US /kəˈloʊ.kwi.ə.lɪ.zəm/ an informal word or expression that is more suitable for use in speech than in writing

Method of learning

There is no single method of learning that guarantees success. How we learn that depends on many different factors. And what works best for you will not necessarily be the same as the approach used for the other students even they study the same course. We are all unique as learners, although some patterns emerge any groups of students.

2024-07-02

Online shopping environment

A unique characteristic of online shopping environments is that they allow vendors to create retail interfaces with highly interactive features. One desirable form of interactivity from a consumer perspective is the implementation of sophisticated tools to assist shoppers in their purchase decisions by customising the electronic shopping environment to their individual preferences.

Botswana's AIDS

Although Botswana's economic outlook remains strong, the devastation that AIDS has caused threatens to destroy the country's future. In 2001, Botswana has the highest rates of HIV infection in the world. With the help of international donors it launched an ambitious national campaign that provided free antiviral drugs to anyone who need them, and by March 2004, Botswana's infection rate has dropped significantly.

The training of an actor

The training of an actor is an intensive process which requires curiosity, courage and commitment. You will learn how to prepare for rehearsal, how to rehearse and how to use independent and proactive processes that inform you to do the best work possible for both stage and screen.

Divisions of domestic work

Traditional divisions of domestic work are understood to persist because of the strong association of the home with femininity and paid work with masculinity to challenge who does what in the home is arguably equivalent to challenging what it is to be a woman or a man.

femininity noun [ U ] usually approving UK /ˌfem.əˈnɪn.ə.ti/ US /ˌfem.əˈnɪn.ə.t̬i/ the fact or quality of having characteristics that are traditionally thought to be typical of or suitable for a woman
masculinity noun [ U ] UK /ˌmæs.kjəˈlɪn.ə.ti/ US /ˌmæs.kjəˈlɪn.ə.t̬i/ the characteristics that are traditionally thought to be typical of or suitable for men:

The most measurable benefit

Perhaps the most measurable benefit of the programme has been the opportunity to me in small groups, something that is difficult to arrange such a desperate organisation. Many officers would have to work together for thirty years but would not know other's strengths and weaknesses.

Recycling

When we recycle, used materials are converted into new products, reducing the need to consume natural resources. If used materials are not recycled, new products are made by extracting fresh, raw material from the Earth, through mining and forestry. Recycling helps conserve important raw materials and protects natural habitats for the future.

Elepphant

The elephant is the largest living land mammal. During evolution, its skeleton has greatly altered from the usual mammal, designed for two main reasons. One is to cope with the great weight of huge grinding cheek teeth and elongated tusk teeth, making the skull particularly massive. The other is to support the enormous bulk of such a huge body.

Business school

Business school admissions officers said the new drive to attract younger students was in part the result of a realisation that they had inadvertently limited their applicant pool by requiring several years' work experience. Talented students who might otherwise have gone to business school instead opted for a law or policy degree because they were intimidated by the expectation of work experience.

Shrimp

Shrimp farmers used to hold animals in nursery ponds for 30 to 60 days; now they try to move them into grow-out ponds in less than 30 days. This reduces stress on the animals and dramatically increases survivals in the grow-out ponds. Many farms that abandoned nursery ponds have gone back to them, and the results have been surprisingly positive. They're using the old, uncovered, earthen, nursery ponds.

Left and right brain

The brain is divided into its' hemispheres' by a prominent groove. At the base of this lies nerve fibres which enable these two halves of the brain to communicate with each other. But the left hemisphere usually controls movement and sensation in the right side of the body, while the right hemisphere similarly controls the left side of the body.

Grand Canyon

Few things in the world produce such amazement as one's first of glimpse of the Grand Canyon; it took around more than 2 billion years to create this vast wonder, in some places. 17 miles wide, largely through the relentless force of Colorado River, which runs 277 miles along its length, a mile beneath its towering rims.

MBA courses

Along with customary classes on subjects such as finance, accounting and marketing, today's MBA students are enrolling on courses for environmental policy and stewardship. Indeed, more than half of business schools require a course in environmental sustainability or corporate social responsibility, according to a survey of 91 US business schools, published in October 2005.

Tesla & Edison

Tesla's theoretical work formed the basis of modern alternating current electric power systems. Thomas Edison promised him almost one million dollars in today's money to undertake motor and generator improvement. However, when Tesla, an ethical Serbs, asked about the money, Edison reported reply"Tesla, you don't understand our American humour." The pair becomes arch-rivals.

Restaurant

The physical location of a restaurant in the competitive landscape of the city has long been known as a major factor in its likely success or failure. Once restaurants are established in such environments they can do little about their location. All they can do is work to improve customer access to their premises. Restaurateurs often do this by engaging in battles with local authorities about car parking.

Book keepers

A national study into fraud by bookkeepers employed at small and medium-sized businesses has uncovered 65 instances of theft in more than five years, with more than 31 million stolen. Of the cases identified by the research, 56 involved women and nine instances involved men. However, male bookkeepers who defrauded their employer stole three times, on average, the amount that women stole.

Fast food

Hundreds of millions of people eat fast food every day without giving it much thought. They just unwrap their hamburgers and dig in. An hour or so later, when the burger's all gone and the wrapper's been tossed into the garbage, the whole meal has already been forgotten.

Stress

This study tracked about 1, 000 adults in the United States, and they ranged in age from 34 to 93, and they started the study by asking,' How much stress have you experienced in the last year? They also asked, How much time have you spent helping out friends, neighbours, people in your community? And then they used public records for the next five years to find out who died.

2024-07-04

Black Swans

Before the discovery of Australia, people in the old world were convinced that all swans were white, an unassailable belief as it seemed completely confirmed by empirical evidence. The sighting of the first black swan might have been an interesting surprise for a few scientists, but that is not where the significance of the story lies.

convinced adjective UK /kənˈvɪnst/ US /kənˈvɪnst/ certain
unassailable adjective UK /ˌʌn.əˈseɪ.lə.bəl/ US /ˌʌn.əˈseɪ.lə.bəl/ in such a strong position that you cannot be defeated

Legal writing

Legal writing is usually less discursive than writing in other humanities subjects, and precision is more important than variety. Sentence structure should not be too complex; it is usually unnecessary to make extensive use of adjectives or adverbs, and consistency of terms is often required.

Market Management

For any marketing course that requires the development of a marketing plan, such as Marketing Management, Marketing Strategy and Principles of Marketing, this is the only planning handbook that guides students through step by step creation of a customised marketing plan while offering commercial software to aid in the process.

Lenient parents

Two sisters were at a dinner party when the conversation turned to upbringing. The elder sister started to say that her parents had been very strict and that she had been rather frightened of them. Her sister, younger by two years, interrupted in amazement."What are you talking about?" she said."Our parents were very lenient."

Vanilla

The uniquely scented flavour of vanilla is second only to chocolate in popularity on the world's palate. It's also the second most expensive spice after saffron. But highly labor-intensive cultivation methods and the plant's temperamental life cycle and propagation mean production on a global scale is struggling to keep up with the increasing demand for the product.

scented adjective UK /ˈsen.tɪd/ US /ˈsen.t̬ɪd/ having a pleasant strong smell, usually because a pleasant-smelling substance has been added to it

The founding fathers

The founding fathers established constitutional protections for the press because they understood that leaving the watchdog function to partisan politicians wouldn't necessarily serve the public interest, both sides have too many incentives to preserve the status quo and ignore problems that elude quick fixes.

partisan adjective UK /ˌpɑː.tɪˈzæn/ /ˈpɑː.tɪ.zæn/ US /ˈpɑːr.t̬ə.zən/ strongly supporting a person, principle, or political party, often without considering or judging the matter very carefully
incentive noun [ C or U ] UK /ɪnˈsen.tɪv/ US /ɪnˈsen.t̬ɪv/ something that encourages a person to do something

Language diversity

The diversity of human language may be compared to the diversity of the natural world. Just as the demise of plant species reduces genetic diversity, and deprives humanity or potential medical and biological resources. So extinction of language takes with it a wealth of culture, art and knowledge.

Breeding areas

Major breeding areas, and breeding islands, are shown as dark green areas or darts. Open darts are shown no-breeding records on islands, and are also used for offshore sightings, that is from ships or boats. Other areas where species are not meant to be seen are plain pale green, with pale green hatching where records are usually sparse.

Industrial Revolution *

As to the Industrial Revolution, one cannot dispute today the fact that it has succeeded in inaugurating in a number of countries a level of mass prosperity which was undreamt of in the days preceding the Industrial Revolution. But, on the immediate impact of the Industrial Revolution, there were substantial divergences among writers.

inaugurate verb [ T ] UK /ɪˈnɔː.ɡjə.reɪt/ US /ɪˈnɑː.ɡjə.reɪt/
1. to put someone into an official position with a ceremony
2. to put something into use or action officially
3. to mark the beginning of a new period, style, or activity

Microbes *

Such cross-protection is usually seen between two animals. But Gore studies the same sort of mutualism in microbes. He and his team demonstrated the first experimental example of that cross-protective relationship in drug-resistant microbes, using two strains of antibiotic-resistant E. coli bacteria: one resistant to ampicillin, the other to chloramphenicol.

mutualism noun [ U ] BIOLOGY specialized UK /ˈmjuː.tʃu.əlɪ.zəm/ US /ˈmjuː.tʃu.əlɪ.zəm/ a relationship between two organisms in which they live together and benefit each other

Caffeine

Researchers gathered 160 uncaffeinated adults, people who consumed less than 500 milligrammes of caffeine a week. These decaf subjects looked at pictures of various objects, then took either a placebo or a pill containing 200 milligrammes of caffeine. That's roughly the amount you'd get from two cups of coffee.

2024-07-05

Global Warming

Such an agreement would include recognition that the world must aim as soon as possible to hold global warming to 1.5-degree Celsius; a long-term low-carbon future; 5-year updated action plans that recognise the developing climate reality; and aid to those countries that did little to cause climate change but are most at risk from it.

Rehabilitation

The primary application we're targeting at first is to give people a decision aid during rehabilitation, following an acute knee injury, to help them understand when they can perform particular activities, and when they can move to different intensities of particular activities. A useful thing to take crack at.

Study Abroad

Studying abroad is a very popular option for students who come from a wealthy family. Most people believe that overseas experience provides a deeper understanding of cultures and develops communication skills. While this may be true, not all of these new experiences are useful for finding a job. Employers tend to value interpersonal skills and industry knowledge more than cultural background.

Augusts

Augustus was given the powers of an absolute monarch, but he presented himself as the preserver of republican traditions. He treated the Senate, or state council, with great respect. He successfully reduced the political power of the army by retiring many soldiers, but giving them land or money to keep their loyalty.

Pluto

Pluto lost its official status as a planet yesterday, when the International Astronomical Union downsized the solar system from nine to eight planets. Although there had been a passionate debate at the IAU General Assembly Meeting in Prague about the definition of a planet- and whether Pluto met the specifications- the audience greeted the decision to exclude it with applause.

Immense disparity

The core of the problem was the immense disparity between the country's productive capacity and the ability of people to consume. Great innovations in productive techniques during and after the war raised the output of industry beyond the purchasing capacity of U.S. farmers and earners.

Carbon dioxide emmision

When countries assess their annual carbon dioxide emissions, they count up their cars and power stations, but bush fires are not included presumably because they are deemed to be events beyond human control. In Australia, Victoria alone sees several hundred thousand hectares burn each year in both 2004 and the present summer, the figure has been over 1 million hectares.

Blue

While blue is one of the most popular colours, it is one of the least appetising. Food researchers say that when humans searched for food, they learned to avoid toxic or spoiled objects, which were often blue, black, or purple. When food dyed blue is served to study subjects, they lose appetite.

Teen Marriage

Marriage is a big step in anyone's life and there is an argument to be made against getting married too early. As any newlywed couple knows, there is a huge amount of financial pressure associated with marriage. Firstly, the wedding reception and honeymoon will cost you an arm and a leg. Then there's the matter of home loans, rent and energy bills. If you're looking to start a family, your child's education is another thing you need to save up for. Teenagers should probably find a proper job before deciding to tie the knot.

Clouds *

Howard believed that all clouds belonged to three distinct groups: cumulus, stratus and cirrus. He added a fourth category, nimbus, to describe a cloud in the act of condensation into rain, hail or snow. It is by observing how clouds change colour and shape that weather can be predicted, and as long as it is the first three of cloud to keep their normal shape there won't be any rain.

Botanic Garden

Botanic gardens are scientific and cultural institutions established to collect, study, exchange and display plants for research and for the education and enjoyment of the public. There are major botanic gardens in each capital city. Zoological parks and aquariums are primarily engaged in the breeding, preservation and display of native and exotic fauna in captivity.

Life Expectancy

Life expectancy has increased dramatically in the last century. Most people these days will live for over 70 years. This is more than double the lifespan of the average human in the seventeenth century. We can attribute our longevity to advances in medicine and lifestyle. While everyone agrees that living longer is wonderful, overpopulation is becoming a serious environmental concern.

Age Discrimination

Many people believe that employers discriminate against older people because youths have more energy and creativity. This is not true. The main reason for hiring younger workers is payroll. In most countries, your salary is dependent on how many years of work experience you have. It is far more cost efficient to hire postgraduates, fresh out of university, than senior staff with over twenty years of industry knowledge.

2024-07-06

Roman writers

Roman writers and orators began to expand their imaginative and intellectual horizons and refine the Latin language through the study of Greek literature. Early Roman literature had two kinds of recording and examination of public life and behaviour through life stories of famous men, and the particularly Roman art of satirical comedy and drama.

satirical adjective UK /səˈtɪr.ɪ.kəl/ US /səˈtɪr.ɪ.kəl/ (also satiric, UK/səˈtɪr.ɪk/ US/səˈtɪr.ɪk/) criticizing people or ideas in a humorous way, especially in order to make a political point.

Long distance Filters

The researchers think that long-distance fliers such as the American golden-plover and the white-rumped sandpiper picked up the spores while lining their nests. Then when the birds arrive in new places they moult, leaving behind the feathers and their precious cargo to start growing again at the other end of the world.

spore noun [ C ] UK /spɔːr/ US /spɔːr/ a reproductive cell produced by some plants and simple organisms such as ferns and mushrooms.
lining noun [ C ] UK /ˈlaɪ.nɪŋ/ US /ˈlaɪ.nɪŋ/ a material or substance that covers the inside surface of something.
moult verb [ I ] UK (US molt) UK /məʊlt/ US /moʊlt/ (of a bird or animal) to lose feathers, skin, or hair as a natural process at a particular time of year so that new feathers, skin, or hair can grow.

Yellow tulip

How do we imagine the unimaginable? If we are asked to think of an object- say, a yellow tulip- a picture immediately forms in our mind's eye? But what if we try to imagine a concept such as the square root of a negative number?

Plant

Although it comes from a remote region of the western Himalayas, this plant now looks entirely at home on the banks of English rivers. Brought to the UK in 1839, it quickly escaped, colonising riverbanks and damp woodlands. Now it is spreading across Europe, New Zealand and Canada. In the Himalayas, the plant is held in check by various pests, and it grows and reproduces unhindered.

Funds

At the beginning of each fiscal year funds are allocated to each State account in accordance with the University's financial plan. Funds are allocated to each account by object of expenditure. Account managers are responsible for ensuring that adequate funds are available in the appropriate object before initiating transactions to use the funds.

Food

Food is one of the most important things you'll ever buy. And yet most people never bother to think about their food and where it comes from. People spend a lot more time worrying about what kind of blue jeans to wear, what kind of video games to play, what kind of computers to buy.

Lincoln's

Lincoln's apparently radical change of mind about his war powers to emancipate slaves was caused by the escalating scope of war, which convinced him that any measure to weaken the Confederacy and strengthen the Union war effort was justifiable as a military necessity.

History

History rubs shoulders and often overlaps with many other areas of research, from myths and epics to the social sciences, including economics, politics, biography, demography, and much else besides. Some histories are almost pure narratives, while others go in for detailed, tightly-focused analyses of, for example, the parish records of a Cornish village in the 16th century.

parish noun [ C ] UK /ˈpær.ɪʃ/ US /ˈper.ɪʃ/ in some Christian denominations, an area cared for by one priest with its own church, or (in England) the smallest unit of local government

Transportation

Not a lot is known about how the transportation of goods by water first began. Large cargo boats were being used in some parts of the world up to five thousand years ago. However, sea trade became more widespread when large sailing boats travelled between ports, carrying spices, perfumes, and objects made by hand.

Marine biologist

The speaker is a marine biologist who became interested in the Strandlopers, an ancient people who lived on the coastline, because of their connection to the sea. Their way of life intrigued him. As a child he had spent a lot of time by the sea, exploring and collecting things so he began to study them, and discovered some interesting information about their way of life, how they hunted, what tools they used, and so on.

Atlantis

For centuries, Atlantis has been one of the western world's favourite legends, a tantalising blend of fantasy and mystery. Stories tell of a rich and glorious empire that was lost to the sea, where some hope its ruins still lie, waiting to be discovered.

tantalize verb [ T ] (UK usually tantalise) UK /ˈtæn.təl.aɪz/ US /ˈtæn.ə.laɪz/ to make someone feel excited or attracted by an offer or a suggestion of something that is, in fact, unlikely to happen

Dolphins

Dolphins, whales, and porpoises are all social animals, but some species are more sociable than others. This depends on the environment because a species adopts the lifestyle most suitable for this. Among dolphins, forming groups makes it easier for them to find food, reproduce and gain knowledge. They are safer, too, because dolphins can communicate danger when there are threats around.

porpoise noun [ C ] UK /ˈpɔː.pəs/ US /ˈpɔːr.pəs/ a mammal that lives in the sea, swims in groups, and looks similar to a dolphin but has a shorter rounder nose

Sleep apnea

The second group that is particularly vulnerable are night shift workers and the third group that is particularly vulnerable are people with sleep disorders, particularly sleep apnea. One out of three men and one out of six women have sleep apnea. And yet, 85 percent are undiagnosed and untreated. And it more than doubles the risk of crashes.

Networking

Networking is easy and fun because it taps into this human predilection to talk about ourselves when asked. Consider successful networking as little more than the process of guiding a person to tell you about his life, what he's doing, the company that employs him, and his current industry.

predilection noun [ C ] formal UK /ˌpriː.dɪˈlek.ʃən/ US /ˌpred.əlˈek.ʃən/ If someone has a predilection for something, they like it a lot

Thompson

"Thompson recognised and exploited all the ingredients of a successful amusement ride," writes Judith A. Adams in The American Amusement Park Industry."His coasters combined an appearance of danger with actual safety, thrilled riders with exhilarating speed, and allowed the public to intimately experience the Industrial Revolution's new technologies of gears, steel, and dazzling electric lights."

Tsunamis

The tsunamis could provide crucial information about the habitability of ancient Mars. The first one occurred when the planet must have been relatively warm and amenable for life, because it carved out backwash channels as it returned to the sea. By contrast, the planet had become much cooler by the time the second tsunami hit, the waters apparently flash-froze after flowing onto the surface.

English Revolution

There are three main interpretations of the English Revolution. The longest lasting interpretation was that the Revolution was the almost inevitable outcome of an age-old power struggle between parliament and crown. The second sees it as a class struggle and a lead-up to the French and other revolutions. Finally, the third interpretation sees the other two as too fixed, not allowing for unpredictability, and that the outcome could have gone either way.

CD quality sound

Reiss took a stab at settling the argument with a meta-analysis, a study of studies, on whether people can really perceive better-than CD quality sound. He analysed data from 18 studies, including more than 400 participants and nearly 13,000 listening tests. Overall, listeners picked out the better-than CD quality track 52.3 percent of the time. Statistically significant, if not all that impressive.

Furniture

There are perhaps three ways of looking at furniture: some people see it as purely functional and useful, and don't bother themselves with aesthetics; others see it as essential to civilised living and concern themselves with design and how the furniture will look in a room- in other words, function combined with aesthetics; and yet others see furniture as a form of art.

aesthetics noun [ U ] (also esthetics) US /esˈθet̬·ɪks/ the formal study of the principles of art and beauty

Integration

Currently, integration is increasingly needed in the business environment. This need emerges from the efficiency and synergy requirements necessary in a complex and turbulent environment. In other words, integration is needed to facilitate coordination, which is again related to the building of competitive advantage.

synergy noun [ C or U ] BUSINESS, MEDICAL specialized UK /ˈsɪn.ə.dʒi/ US /ˈsɪn.ɚ.dʒi/ the combined power of a group of things when they are working together that is greater than the total power achieved by each working separately
turbulent adjective UK /ˈtɜː.bjə.lənt/ US /ˈtɝː.bjə.lənt/ involving a lot of sudden changes, arguments, or violence

Recent trend

A recent trend in the entertainment world is to adapt classic works of literature for either TV or movies. One argument is that this is to everyone's benefit, as it introduces people to works they might otherwise never have, but is rarely done successfully.

Language

It seems that language appeared from nowhere since no other species has anything resembling human language. However, other animals do possess basic systems for perceiving and producing sounds that enable them to communicate. These systems may have been in place before the appearance of language.

Student's comprehension *

The student's reading in his own subject slows down, and his comprehension becomes less secure. He expresses himself slowly and often fails to convey his ideas exactly. He is disappointed to find out that under pressure he makes a lot of unnecessary mistakes in areas where he knows the correct language forms. His social relations are difficult as he cannot find the right phrase quickly enough to keep a conversation going, so his language often betrays him into dullness, coldness, or worst of all, rudeness. Instead of the students being in control of the language, the language seems now to be in control of the students.

English Language

In the past, naming English as a separate subject seemed relatively easy. The textbook selected and graded items of language which were put into content and then practised intensively. New items were carefully controlled so that the student could cope quite easily. Now that English is used as a medium of instruction, however, all of this has changed. Unknown items of grammar and vocabulary appear in texts which attempt to explain new and often difficult information. Difficulties with the language interact with difficulties as regards to the subject matter.

IT

IT may well change the way you live, yet again. Welcome to the world of mobile commerce, where your hand- held device, it's a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant or any other wireless application will soon be used for commercial transactions. Sceptical? Consider these facts in Japan, mobile phones are used for location- based services where the mobile service provider tie- up with a host of other players such as restaurants or car rental companies.

Company-oriented reforms

The climate for doing business improved in Egypt more than in any other country last year, according to a global study that revealed a wave of company-oriented reforms across the Middle East. The World Bank rankings, which look at business regulations, also showed that the pace of business reforms in Eastern Europe was overtaking East Asia.

Galaxy *

One of the unidentifiable objects in this study lies just outside Centaurus NGC 5128, an elliptical galaxy located about 12 million light-years from Earth. The other is in a globular cluster of stars found just outside NGC 4636, another elliptical galaxy located 47 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo.

globular adjective UK /ˈɡlɒb.jə.lər/ US /ˈɡlɑːb.jə.lɚ/ shaped like a ball

Philippe de Montebello *

Using more than fifty interviews, award-winning writer Danny Danziger creates a fascinating mosaic of the people behind New York's magnificent Metropolitan Museum of Art from the aristocratic, acerbic director of the museum, Philippe de Montebello, to the curators who have a deep knowledge and passionate appreciation of their collections, from the security guards to the philanthropists who keep the museum's financial lifeblood flowing.

philanthropist noun [ C ] UK /fɪˈlæn.θrə.pɪst/ US /fɪˈlæn.θrə.pɪst/ a person who helps the poor, especially by giving them money

Arms

Unlike the United Kingdom, which has taken a relatively restrictive approach on the possession of arms, the United States has taken a more lenient approach. In the United States, three models have evolved regarding the interpretation of the meaning of the right to bear and keep arms as delineated in the Second Amendment.

delineate verb [ T ] formal UK /dɪˈlɪn.i.eɪt/ US /dɪˈlɪn.i.eɪt/ to describe or mark the edge of something

Free Trade

Free trade is an economic policy under which the government does not interfere with trade. No tariffs are applied to imports or exports, and people are allowed to trade goods and services as they please. Supply and demand dictate the prices for which goods and services sell and are the only factors that determine how resources are allocated to society.

tariff noun [ C ] UK /ˈtær.ɪf/ US /ˈter.ɪf/ a charge or list of charges either for services or on goods entering a country

The border

The border itself between Mexico and United States is fraught with a mix of urban and desert terrain and spans over 1, 900 miles. Both the uninhabited areas of the border and urban areas are where the most drug trafficking and illegal crossings take place. Crime is prevalent in urban cities like El Paso, Texas and San Diego, California.

The responses

As far as politics go, the responses are just as varied. Mitigation is common and calls for a reduction of emissions and less reliance on fossil fuels. Coal-burning power plants are now replaced with hydraulic power plants and electric cars are replacing some gasoline efficient cars. Many people, however, feel this is not enough.

Candidates *

While the Republican field is packed with male candidates, so far, some of the sharpest Clinton critics have come from women. Democrats successfully campaigned on an alleged GOP perpetrated"war on women" in 2012, but faltered in 2014 when they tried the same tactic. With Hillary Clinton as the likely Democratic nominee, the fight for women voters will be a central part of the 2016 campaign.

Hackers

The Office of Personnel Management was the target of the attack, but data from nearly every government agency was stolen. U. S. investigators say they believe Chinese hackers were behind the breach.

Global warming

Global warming is defined as an increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere. This trend began in the middle of the 20th century and is one of the major environmental concerns of scientists and governmental officials worldwide. The changes in temperature result mostly from the effect of increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Introvert and Extrovert

Introvert, or those of us with introverted tendencies, tends to recharge by spending time alone. They lose energy from being around people for long periods of time, particularly large crowds. Extroverts, on the other hand, gain energy from other people. Extroverts actually find their energy is sapped when they spend too much time alone. They recharge by being social.

Brain

The brain is divided into two hemispheres, called the left and right hemispheres. Each hemisphere provided a different set of functions, behaviours, and controls. The right hemisphere is often called the creative side of the brain, while the left hemisphere is the logical or analytic side of brain. The right hemisphere controlled the left parts of the body, and the left hemisphere controlled the right side.

Yellow

Cheerful sunny yellow is an attention getter. While it is considered an optimistic colour, people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms, and babies will cry more. It is the most difficult colour for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused.

Job of Doctor

In the fast-changing world of modern healthcare, the job of a doctor is more and more like the job of a chief executive. The people who run hospitals and physicians' practises don't just need to know medicine. They must also be able to balance budgets, motivate a large and diverse staff and make difficult marketing and legal decisions.

Easy-to-use statistics

The development of easy-to-use statistics is being taught and learned. Students can make transformations of variables, create graphs of distributions of variables, and select among statistical analyses all at the click of a button. However, even with these advancements, students sometimes find statistics to be an arduous task.

arduous adjective UK /ˈɑː.dʒu.əs/ US /ˈɑːr.dʒu.əs/ difficult, needing a lot of effort and energy

US Student debt

The numbers on U.S. student debt, after all, are truly staggering. The average 2015 U.S. university graduate who took out loans to help pay for tuition enters the workforce with 35,000 in student debt. In the U.S., total student debt exceeds 1.15 trillion dollars- dwarfing, for instance, the nation's credit card debt.

Energy efficiency

This finding is understandable in certain cases in spite of its high significance; that is because energy efficiency of building operation just represents a single aspect of sustainability. By the same token, an energy efficient building with poor building material choices may not be considered sustainable.

Hamburg University *

Three professors from Hamburg University's medical faculty travelled last month to Ingeborg's sitting room in East Berlin to test her on the work she carried out in prewar Germany.

Modern buildings

Modern buildings have to achieve certain performance requirements, at least to satisfy those of building codes, to provide a safe, healthy, and comfortable environment. However, these conditioned environments demand resources in energy and materials, which are both limited in supply, to build and operate.

Spelling system

Moods

Moods may also have an effect on how information is processed, by influencing the extent to which judges rely on pre-existing, internal information, or focus on new, external information. Positive moods promote more holistic and top-down processing style, while negative moods recruit more stimulus-driven and bottom-up processing.

Shakespeare

A young man from a small provincial town, a man without independent wealth, without powerful family connections and without a university education, moves to London in the late 1580's, and in a remarkably short time, became the greatest playwright. Not of his age alone but of all time. How is an achievement of this magnitude to be explained? How did Shakespeare become Shakespeare?

Akimbo

Akimbo, this must be one of the odder-looking words in the language. It puzzles us in part because it doesn't seem to have any relatives. What's more, it is now virtually a fossil word, until recently almost invariably found in"arms akimbo", a posture in which a person stands with hands on hips and elbows sharply bent outward, one that signalling impatience, hostility, and contempt.