Reading 1995-OCT-42-50

melody Hide phonetics
noun [C or U]
a tune, often forming part of a larger piece of music:
He played a few well-known melodies.
His songs are always strong on melody.

giai điệu

ancestor Hide phonetics
noun [C]
a person, plant, animal or object that is related to one existing at a later point in time:
There were portraits of his ancestors on the walls of the room.
This wooden instrument is the ancestor of the modern metal flute.

tổ tiên

trace (FIND) Hide phonetics
verb [T]
1 to find someone or something that was lost:
The police are trying to trace the mother of a newborn baby found abandoned outside a hospital.
Attempts to trace the whereabouts of a man seen leaving the scene of the crime have so far been unsuccessful.
Their missing daughter was finally traced to (= found in) Manchester.

2 to find the origin of something:
The phone company were unable to trace the call.
No one has yet been able to trace the source of the rumour.

3 to discover the cause or origin of something by examining the way in which it has developed:
The outbreak of food poisoning was traced to some contaminated shellfish.
The practice of giving eggs at Easter can be traced back to festivals in ancient China.
Rivalries between the gangs can be traced back to (= first happened in) the 1950s in some black and Hispanic neighbourhoods.

4 to describe the way in which something has developed:
The film traces the events leading up to the Russian Revolution in 1917.

theo dấu vết

dulcimer Hide phonetics
noun [C]
a musical instrument, consisting of a wooden box with wire strings stretched over it, played by hitting the strings with a pair of light hammers

supplant Hide phonetics
verb [T] SLIGHTLY FORMAL
to replace:
In most offices, the typewriter has now been supplanted by the computer.
Small children can often feel supplanted (in their parents' affections) (= that their parents no longer like them as much) when a new brother or sister is born.

hất cẳng

supremacy Hide phonetics
noun [U]
the leading or controlling position:
The company has begun to challenge the supremacy of the current leading manufacturers in the textiles industry.
The allies have established air supremacy (= military control of the sky).

lợi thế

metallic Hide phonetics
adjective
1 describes a sound, appearance or taste which is like metal:
a dull, metallic sound
Beer from a can often has a metallic taste.
Our new car is metallic blue.

2 SPECIALIZED consisting of, or partly consisting of, metal:
Brass is a metallic alloy of copper and zinc.

như kim loại

sympathetic Hide phonetics
adjective
1 describes someone who shows, especially by what they say, that they understand and care about someone's suffering:
He suffers from back trouble too, so he was very sympathetic about my problem.
She just needed someone who would lend a sympathetic ear to her (= listen to her in a kind and understanding way) once in a while.
NOTE: The opposite is unsympathetic.

2 If a character in a book or film is sympathetic, they are described or shown in such a way that you are able to understand their feelings and the reasons for their actions, and so you like them:
She comes across as a more sympathetic character in the film.

đồng cảm

intimate (PERSONAL) Hide phonetics
adjective
having, or being likely to cause, a very close friendship or personal or sexual relationship:
intimate relationships
The restaurant has a very intimate atmosphere.
He's become very intimate with an actress.

thân mật

vigorous Hide phonetics
adjective
1 very forceful or energetic:
a vigorous debate
There has been vigorous opposition to the proposals for a new road.
He takes plenty of vigorous exercise.

2 healthy and strong:
Cutting the bush back in the autumn will help promote vigorous growth in the spring.
mạnh mẽ

versatile Hide phonetics
adjective APPROVING
able to change easily from one activity to another or able to be used for many different purposes:
He's a very versatile young actor who's as happy in horror films as he is in TV comedies.
A leather jacket is a timeless and versatile garment that can be worn in all seasons.

ko kiên định

recoil (FEAR/DISGUST) Hide phonetics
verb [I]
1 to move back because of fear or disgust:
He leant forward to kiss her and she recoiled in horror.
I recoiled from the smell and the filth.

2 to refuse to accept an idea or principle, feeling strong disgust or disapproval:
She wondered how it would be to touch him and recoiled at the thought

nảy lại

myriad Hide phonetics
noun [C] LITERARY
a very large number of something:
a myriad of choices
And now myriads of bars and hotels are opening up along the coast.

vô số

delicate (EASILY DAMAGED) Hide phonetics
adjective
1 needing careful treatment, especially because easily damaged:
Peaches have delicate skins which are easily bruised.
Delicate plants need to be kept in a greenhouse during the winter.
delicate china
Molly's health has always been delicate (= She becomes ill easily).

2 delicate situation/matter/point, etc. a situation or matter, etc. that needs to be dealt with carefully in order to avoid trouble or offence:
I need to speak to you about a rather delicate matter.
The pay negotiations have reached a delicate point/stage.
Teachers need to strike a delicate (= carefully achieved) balance between instructing their pupils and letting them discover things for themselves.

mỏng manh

percussion Hide phonetics
noun [U]
musical instruments that you play by hitting them with your hand or object such as a stick:
Drums, tambourines and cymbals are all percussion instruments.
Jean plays the guitar and her brother is on percussion (= plays percussion instruments).

3 able to measure very small changes:
Weather-forecasters have extremely delicate equipment which helps them predict what the weather is going to be like.

4 needing to be done carefully:
Repairing damaged nerves is a very delicate operation/process.