A Red Light for Scofflaws

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A Red Light for Scofflaws
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Language points

• let alone used after a negative statement to
  indicate that a particular situation is extremely
  unlikely or impossible , because sth. much less
  difficult or unusual has never happened. (never
  mind, still less)
• No one was sure exactly what had happened, let
  alone how.
• She had scarcely ever talked to a policeman, let
  alone gone out with one.

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Language points

• take liberties with behave in a bold or impolite
  way towards
• She would never have taken a liberty with
  anyone.
• He was not the sort of man with whom one took
  liberties.
• supposedly allegedly
• a robot supposedly capable of understanding
  spoken commands
• a supposedly inferior form of life such as the
  reptile

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Language points

• ethic idea or moral belief that influences the
  behavior, attitudes, and philosophy of life of a
  group of people (principle)
• the American frontier ethic of expansion and
  opportunity
• the Protestant work ethic
• ethics moral beliefs and rules about right and
  wrong
• a conscious, rational, scientific code of
  ethics
• the basic ethics which any religion sets
  forward

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Language points

• a matter of course If sth. is done as a matter
  of course, it is done as part of a normal
  situation and is not regarded as unusual or
  exceptional. (automatically)
• The father does his share of the housework as a
  matter of course when at home.
• abound contain very large numbers of
• Rumors abounded.
• Its hills abound with/in streams and waterfalls.
  (with/in teem with)

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Language points

• exempt from not affected or bound by (excused)
• These houses are exempt from paying rates.
• convert change into a different form
  (transform)
• A solar cell takes radiation from the sun and
  converts it into electricity.
• Energy is converted from one form to another.

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Language points

• flurry a small amount (as of snow or wind) that
  suddenly appears for a short time and moves in a
  rushed, swirling way (whirl)
• Snow flurries had been predicted.
• Their front runners collided, sending up a flurry
  of sparks.
• ordinance (formal) official rule or order
  regulation
• In 1972 the city passed an ordinance compelling
  all outdoor lighting to be switched off at 900
  p.m.

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Language points

• plague keep happening and cause a great deal of
  trouble, difficulty, or suffering
• The system is still plagued by technical faults.
• He suffered severe back injuries, which plague
  him to this day.
• I dont know why we have been plagued with such
  ill luck.
• duck out of avoid doing, esp. by making an
  excuse (back out)
• It was too late to duck out of going with them.

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Language points

• fester (a difficult or unpleasant situation,
  feeling, or thought) grow worse and be
  characterized by increasing bitterness, anger,
  and hatred.
• His memories festered into hate.
• an anger that must find outlet or fester inwardly
• hazardous dangerous, esp. to peoples health or
  safety

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Language points

• flout deliberately disobey or do not follow (a
  law, an order, or an accepted way of behaving)
  (disregard)
• Be prepared to flout convention.
• Our rulers know now that were prepared to flout
  their laws if forced.
• wane (a condition, attitude, emotion, etc.)
  become weaker or smaller, often disappearing
  comp9letely in the end (lessen, fade)
• Her enthusiasm for Harold was beginning to wane.
• The bond of friendship has not waned but has
  survived the passage of time.
• be on the wane diminishing

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Language points

• make a dent in reduce considerably
• The operation had made a major dent in the trade
  of protected wildlife.
• brazen shameless
• a brazen whore
• a brazen accusation
• brazenly No industry is more brazenly oriented
  towards quick, easy profits.
• foretaste sample
• The episode was a foretaste of the bitter
  struggle that was to come.

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Language points

• stereotype a fixed general image,
  characteristic, etc that a lot of people believe
  to represent a particular type of person or thing
• The song perpetuates two racist stereotypes.
• skirt go around the edge or outside of
• As I walked through the lobby, I had to skirt a
  group of ladies.
• They skirted round a bus.

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Language points

• prospect possibility, chance, likelihood
• There was little prospect of significant military
  aid.
• The prospects for revolution are remote.
• someones prospects their chances of being
  successful in their career, esp. by being
  promoted quickly to a high position in an
  organization
• I tried to give a rosy picture of his
  prospects.
• Success or failure here would be crucial to his
  future prospects.

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Language points

• undermine make the authority less secure, often
  by indirect methods
• Many of them sought to undermine his position.
• The landowners resented government measures which
  undermined their authority.
• mandate 1)the authority that a government has to
  carry out particular policies as a result of
  winning an election. 2) (formal) a particular
  task that sb. is instructed to carry out a job
• Peters mandate was to find the best available
  investment.

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Language points

• subvert destroy the power and influence
  undermine
• Conflict and division subvert the foundations of
  society.
• The best intentions can be subverted by an
  overpowering commercial atmosphere.
• comply conform with
• New vehicles must comply with certain standards.
• If you want to run a playgroup you must comply
  with the conditions laid down by the authorities.
• compliance (formal) willingness to do what is
  required agreement ( with)
• There are ways of ensuring compliance.

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Language points

• nullify make ineffective cancel out invalidate
• This had the effect of nullifying our original
  advantage.
• The whole teams effectiveness can be nullified.
• Each state had the right to nullify the federal
  governments law.
• disquiet n. v. a feeling of worry or anxiety
  (uneasiness)
• Many physicists expressed extreme disquiet about
  the proposal.
• The intensity of his anger disquieted me.
• There was a disquieting moment as I got up to
  return to my office.

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Language points

• unwittingly unintentionally
• I had to be grateful to her for having, however
  unwittingly, saved my life.
• terminally fatally
• a hospice (???)for the terminally ill

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Text II Language points

• plead (formal) give as an excuse protest
• The Government might find it convenient to plead
  ignorance.
• Whenever she invites him to dinner, he pleads a
  prior engagement.
• I pleaded that I fell ill.
• incriminate suggest that someone is the person
  responsible for a crime
• Williams had been forced to incriminate himself
  in cross-examinations.
• incriminating evidence

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Text II Language points

• honor If you honor sth. that you have arranged,
  agreed, or promised, you keep to it and do not
  change your mind.
• The government has solemn commitments and must
  honor them.
• The policy of wage restraint was honored by the
  union.
• apt likely prone
• Babies who are small at birth are apt to grow
  faster.
• I was able to fidget a good deal during a long
  performance.

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Text II Language points

• restrain hold back
• She was raising a cautionary finger as if to
  restrain Morris from speaking.
• The young girls had difficulty in restraining
  themselves from laughter.
• inclination a feeling that makes someone act or
  want to act in a particular way without thinking
  or reasoning disposition tendency
• People decide on their aims in life according to
  their inclinations.
• She says her large family happened partly from
  inclination and partly from chance.

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Text II Language points

• skeptical having a lot of doubt about ( about)
• deviation a difference or change in behavior
  from what people consider to be normal or
  acceptable deviance
• A crime is a deviation from generally accepted
  standards of behavior.
• deviate He has not deviated from his view that
  war can never be justified.
• in good faith If you do sth. in good faith, your
  reasons for doing it are honest and sincere and
  you do not intend to harm anyone
• The two doctors were acting in good faith, the
  law insisted.
• Accusations were made as to the good faith of
  many involved.

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Text II Language points

• swindle deceive in order to get sth., esp.
  money fiddle, diddle
• Im sure they swindled you out of that money.
• He tried to swindle the railway company.
• make out (inf) do reasonably well in work or
  life
• No matter what happens, hell always make out.
• How are you making out these days?

Text II Language points
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Text II Language points

• inasmuch (formal) also spelled in as much.
  Inasmuch as is used to introduce a clause in
  which you say sth. that explains the preceding or
  following statement, or that limits it in some
  way insofar as
• The outcome of this was important inasmuch as it
  showed just what human beings were capable of.
• His duty is to assist the aggrieved person
  inasmuch as he is able.