Week 2 day 3: DR. JEKYLL OR MR. HYDE?

Under the pretext of being a surgeon he gained entry to the hospital. When interviewed by the
director, he had to fabricate a tale of his medical experience, but he was so adroit at lying that
he got away with it. It was not until the phony “doctor” began to gesticulate wildly with his
scalpel, that a vigilant nurse was able to detect the fraud. In the annals of medical history
there have been a number of such cases.

朗读视频:03.1100 Words you need to know - Week2 Day3 - Dr.Jekyll or Mr.Hyde_哔哩哔哩_bilibili

pretext

词性:n.
音标: [ˈpriːtekst]
释义:借口,托辞,假象

Pretext is a false reason given for doing something. If you catch your mother going through your drawers, and she says she was just tidying up, cleaning was her pretext for snooping.

Sometimes a government will try to take away its citizens’ rights under the pretext of national security. Though pretext sounds like text that comes before other text, the text you see in it is actually more closely related to the word textile, meaning fabric. Its Latin root meant pretty much “to pull the wool over someone’s eyes.”


Isn’t it a pity a great republic always has to find a pretext to reward its great men.


We need some pretext to arrest them.


It would give you a pretext to suggest to the Queen that she wear your gift.


Under what pretext did you lure her here?


You opened that envelope on the pretext of locating an I. D. When, in fact, it was to, once again, satisfy your curiosity.


So far, it’s eating into barely populated swampland, which we evacuated under the pretext of a chemical spill, but that won’t last much longer.

adroit
词性:adj.
音标:[ əˈdrɔɪt]
释义:熟练的,机敏的,口齿伶俐的

Someone who is adroit is clever and skillful. An adroit leader will be able to persuade people to go with his ideas. An adroit sculptor can turn a lump of clay into an object of great beauty.

If you’ve ever studied French you know that droit means “right,” both as in “right of free speech” and as in “left and right,” and à droit means both “turn right” and “properly.” Once English people borrowed à droit, they changed the meaning slightly, from doing something “properly” to “doing something well.” You may have heard the expression “surprisingly adroit,” as in, “For a guy whose wife does all the cooking, he is surprisingly adroit in the kitchen.”


these are The only things You’re adroit at.


I notice you very adroitly turned the conversation into an attack on me.

gesticulate
词性:adj.
音标: [dʒɛˈstɪkjəˌlet]
释义:做手势示意


I just Iike to begin my day with a Iittle primal gesticulating.


Come on, gesticulate with me.

Vigilant
词性:adj.
音标: [ˈvɪdʒɪlənt]
释义:警惕的,警觉的

Use vigilant to describe someone who keeps awake and alert in order to avoid danger or problems. When taking the subway, be vigilant about your wallet — always know where it is, or someone might steal it from you.

Vigilant descends from the Latin vigilare, “to be awake, watch,” from vigil, “awake, alert.” If you stay awake vigilantly all night, you’re keeping watch or keeping a vigil. A vigilante (pronounced vij-uh-LAN-tee) is a person who acts outside the legal system to punish crime.


Be alert. Be vigilant.And be aware. Let’s go. What?


That’s why I’m going to be extra vigilant in protecting your children.


It is up to us, every one of us, to remain vigilant in identifying and isolating any potential threat to our stability.

wet blanket 扫兴的人


Oh geez, you are still such a wet blanket.


Don’t go to my room. Don’t… Hey, buddy, you’re being a real fucking wet blanket,okay?

@Chatbot 你是一个英语教学的大师,你会用通俗易懂的方式给学生讲解各类英语知识,现在请你给我解释下上面帖子中我着重讲解的单词,介绍下这些单词在正式文书和口语中的各类含义,各举几个地道,自然的例子。介绍下这些单词的来历,以及我如何才能记住这些单词呢?

当然,@Tristan,我很高兴能帮助你理解这些单词。让我们详细解释每个单词的含义、用法、来历,并通过例子帮助你记住它们。

1. Pretext (借口,托辞,假象)

词性: 名词 (n.)
音标: [ˈpriːtekst]

含义: 这是指一种虚假的理由,用来掩盖真实动机或目的。比如,一个人可能用清洁的借口(pretext)来偷偷查看别人的隐私。

正式文书 示例:

  • “The company cited financial problems as a pretext to lay off employees.”

口语 示例:

  • “She used the pretext of having a headache to leave the party early.”

来历: 这个词来自拉丁语“praetextus”,意思是“掩饰,伪装”。

记忆技巧: 可以联想成“匿(pretend)在文字(text)后的理由”。

2. Adroit (熟练的,机敏的,口齿伶俐的)

词性: 形容词 (adj.)
音标: [əˈdrɔɪt]

含义: 描述一个人在某方面特别灵巧和聪敏,尤其指在处理复杂或社交场合中表现出色。

正式文书 示例:

  • “The negotiator was adroit in handling the delicate situation.”

口语 示例:

  • “He’s very adroit at making difficult decisions.”

来历: 来自法语“à droit”,意思是“正确地”。

记忆技巧: 可以联想到“聪明的右手(right)”。

3. Gesticulate (做手势示意)

词性: 动词 (v.)
音标: [dʒɛˈstɪkjʊleɪt]

含义: 用手势或动作来表达或强调自己的话语。

正式文书 示例:

  • “The lecturer often gesticulated to emphasize his points.”

口语 示例:

  • “He was excited and began to gesticulate wildly.”

来历: 源自拉丁语“gesticulatus”,意思是“做手势”。

记忆技巧: 可以联想“gesture(手势)”这个单词。

4. Vigilant (警惕的,警觉的)

词性: 形容词 (adj.)
音标: [ˈvɪdʒɪlənt]

含义: 描述一个人时刻保持警觉,以避免危险或问题。

正式文书 示例:

  • “Security personnel need to be vigilant at all times.”

口语 示例:

  • “You need to stay vigilant when walking alone at night.”

来历: 来自拉丁语“vigilare”,意思是“保持清醒,警觉”。

记忆技巧: 可以联想到“vigil(守夜)”这个单词。

5. Wet Blanket (扫兴的人)

词性: 名词短语
音标: [wet ˈblæŋkɪt]

含义: 形容一个总是使别人兴致扫地的人。

正式文书 示例:

  • “His constant complaints made him a wet blanket at the celebrations.”

口语 示例:

  • “Don’t be such a wet blanket, let’s have some fun!”

来历: 表面意思是“湿毯子”,引申为“使气氛变沉闷的人”。

记忆技巧: 可联想到“湿毯子扑灭火焰”,即“扑灭兴致”。

希望这些解释和记忆方法能帮助你更好地掌握这些单词!如果还有其他问题,随时问我哦!