Week 4 from WIRED

Wesrworld's Strength is Its Inhumanity


Day 1 

1.programmatic(编程的)

adjective

Programmatic ideas or policies follow a particular programme.

2.simulated (模拟的,模仿的)

1. verb

If you simulate an action or a feeling, you pretend that you are doing it or feeling it.

They rolled about on the Gilligan Road, simulating a bloodthirsty fight. [VERB noun]

He performed a simulated striptease. [VERB-ed]

Synonyms: pretend, act, feign, affect 

2. verb

If you simulate an object, a substance, or a noise, you produce something that looks or sounds like it.

The wood had been painted to simulate stone. [VERB noun]

Smoke was used to simulate steam coming from a smashed radiator. [VERB noun]

Cadets are having to use football rattles to simulate gunfire because blank ammunition is too costly. [VERB noun]

Synonyms: look like, imitate 

3. verb

If you simulate a set of conditions, you create them artificially, for example in order to conduct an experiment.

The scientist developed one model to simulate a full year of the globe's climate. [VERB noun]

Cars are tested to see how much damage they suffer in simulated crashes. [VERB-ed]

3.deft

adjective

A deft action is skilful and often quick.

[written]

With a deft flick of his foot, Mr Worth tripped one of the raiders up.

Synonyms: skilful, able, expert, clever

4.flicker

1. verb

If a light or flame flickers, it shines unsteadily.

Fluorescent lights flickered, and then the room was brilliantly, blindingly bright. [VERB]

A television flickered in the corner. [VERB]

Flicker is also a noun.

Looking through the cabin window I saw the flicker of flames.

2. countable noun [usually singular]

If you experience a flicker of emotion, you feel that emotion only for a very short time, and not very strongly.

He felt a flicker of regret. [+ of]

He looked at me, a flicker of amusement in his cold eyes. [+ of]

Synonyms: trace, drop, breath, spark

3. verb

If an expression flickers across your face, it appears very briefly.

[written]

A smile flickered across Vincent's grey features. [V across/over n]

...a shadow of disquiet flickering over his face. [V across/over n]

4. verb

If someone's eyes flicker towards something, they look at it quickly.

[written]

Dirk's eyes flickered towards the pistol. [VERB preposition/adverb]

His dark eyes flickered over her face. [VERB preposition/adverb]

5. verb

If something flickers, it makes very slight, quick movements.

In a moment her eyelids flickered, then opened. [VERB]

A few moments later Mrs Tenney's eyelids flickered open. [VERB adjective]

5.bolster (v. 支撑 , 加固)

1. verb

If you bolster something such as someone's confidence or courage, you increase it.

Hopes of an early cut in interest rates bolstered confidence. [VERB noun]

...a number of measures intended to bolster morale. [VERB noun]

Synonyms: support, help, aid, maintain   

2. verb

If someone tries to bolster their position in a situation, they try to strengthen it.

Britain is free to adopt policies to bolster its economy. [VERB noun]

Bolster up means the same as bolster.

...an aid programme to bolster up their troubled economy. [VERB PREPOSITION noun]

[Also VERB noun PREPOSITION]

3. countable noun

A bolster is a firm pillow shaped like a long tube which is sometimes put across a bed under the ordinary pillows.

Synonyms: pillow, support, pad, cushion

6.sucker

1. countable noun

If you call someone a sucker, you mean that it is very easy to cheat them.

[informal , disapproval]

But that is what the suckers want so you give it them.

Keep giving us your money, sucker!

Synonyms: fool, mug [British , slang] , dupe, victim  

2. countable noun

If you describe someone as a sucker for something, you mean that they find it very difficult to resist it.

[informal]

I'm such a sucker for romance. [+ for]

3. verb

If you sucker a person into doing something, you deceive them, usually so that they do something that is against their own interests.

[mainly US]

If you tell those folks the truth, they won't vote for you. But if you sucker them, they'll vote for you twice over. [VERB noun]

It is becoming harder for the authorities to sucker healthy banks into taking over smaller ones. [V n into -ing]

Synonyms: fool   More Synonyms of sucker

4. countable noun

The suckers on some animals and insects are the parts on the outside of their body which they use in order to stick to a surface.

7.climactic

adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]

A climactic moment in a story or a series of events is one in which a very exciting or important event occurs.

[formal]

...the film's climactic scene.

Synonyms: crucial, central, critical, peak

8.oppressed

adjective

People who areoppressedare treated cruelly or arepreventedfrom having the sameopportunities,freedom, andbenefitsas others.

Before they took power, they felt oppressed by the white English speakers who controlled things.[+by]

The socialist standpoint is that there should be no division between any oppressed group.

The oppressedare people who are oppressed.

...a sense of community with the poor and oppressed.

9.human park guests

10.bounce back

bounce back

PHRASAL VERB If you bounce back after a bad experience, you return very quickly to your previous

level of success, enthusiasm, or activity. 重新振作

• We lost two or three early games but we bounced back.

我们之前输了两三场比赛,但又重新振作了起来。

11.pitching

v. 使倾斜

12.yoke

1. singular noun [adjective NOUN]

If you say that people are under the yoke of a bad thing or person, you mean they are forced to live in a difficult or unhappy state because of that thing or person.

[literary]

People are still suffering under the yoke of slavery. [+ of]

...a domineering comedian whose son flees to Blackpool to escape the parental yoke.

Synonyms: oppression, slavery, bondage, servitude 

2. countable noun

A yoke is a long piece of wood which is tied across the necks of two animals such as oxen, in order to make them walk close together when they are pulling a plough.

3. verb

If two or more people or things are yoked together, they are forced to be closely linked with each other.

The introduction attempts to yoke the pieces together. [V n together]

The Auto Pact yoked Ontario into the United States economy. [V n + to/into]

Farmers and politicians are yoked by money and votes. [be VERB-ed]

Synonyms: unite, join, link, tie

13.stabbing

14.stabbing

1. countable noun

A stabbing is an incident in which someone stabs someone else with a knife.

2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]

A stabbing pain is a sudden sharp pain.

He was struck by a stabbing pain in his midriff.

Synonyms: sharp, shooting, violent, acute

15.notion

1. countable noun [NOUN that]

A notion is an idea or belief about something.

We each have a notion of just what kind of person we'd like to be. [+ of]

I reject absolutely the notion that privatisation of our industry is now inevitable. [+ that]

I'd had a few notions about being a journalist.

Synonyms: idea, view, opinion, belief 

2. plural noun

Notions are small articles for sewing, such as buttons, zips, and thread.

16.panache  n. 派头

If you do something with panache, you do it in a confident,stylish, and elegant way.

The BBC Symphony Orchestra played with great panache.

Her panache at dealing with the world's media is quite astonishing.

Synonyms:style,spirit,dash,flair[informal]

17.wannabe  a.) 想要称为的

18.prescient  

adjective  预知的,有先见之明的

If you say that someone or something was prescient, you mean that they were able to know or predict what was going to happen in the future.

[formal]

...'Bob Roberts', an eerily prescient comedy about a populist multimillionaire political candidate.

Synonyms: foresighted, psychic, prophetic, divining

19.uncouple

1. transitive verb

If two vehicles or pieces of equipment are uncoupled, they have been unfastened and are no longer joined together.

They uncoupled the passenger cars from the train engine.

2. transitive verb

If two things that were connected or combined are uncoupled, they have been separated from each other.

The government uncoupled the peso from the dollar yesterday for the first time in 11 years.

20.disturbingly

adjective

Something that is disturbing makes you feel worried or upset.

There was something about him she found disturbing.

There are disturbing reports of killings at the two centres.

Synonyms: worrying, troubling, upsetting, alarming

21.inert

1.adjective

Someone or something that isinertdoes not move at all.

He covered the inert body with a blanket.

Synonyms:inactive,still,motionless,dead

2.adjective

If you describe something asinert, you are criticizing it because it is not very lively or interesting.

[disapproval]

The novel itself remains oddly inert.

...her inert personality.

Synonyms:dull,dry,boring,plain

3.adjective

Aninertsubstance is one which does not react with other substances.

[technical]

...inert gases like neon and argon.

22.infidel

countable noun

If one person refers to another as aninfidel, the first person is hostile towards the second person because that person has a different religion or has no religion.

[literary,disapproval]

...a holy war, to drive the infidels and the non-believers out of this holy land.

Synonyms:unbeliever,sceptic,atheist,heretic

23.heteroglossia

众声喧哗;杂语;异质语;雜語;杂语性

24.cyborg

countable noun

In science fiction, acyborgis a being that is part human and part machine, or a machine that looks like a human being.

25.at the cusp of  

(在...尖端)

26.transcends

v. ) 胜过,超越

27.maternal

1. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]

Maternal is used to describe feelings or actions which are typical of those of a kind mother towards her child.

She had little maternal instinct.

Her feelings towards him were almost maternal.

Synonyms: motherly, protective, nurturing, maternalistic   More Synonyms of maternal

2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]

Maternal is used to describe things that relate to the mother of a baby.

Maternal smoking can damage the unborn child.

3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]

A maternal relative is one who is related through a person's mother rather than their father.

Her maternal grandfather was Mayor of Karachi.

28.strictures

1.countable noun[usually plural]

You can usestricturestoreferto severe criticism ordisapprovalof something.

[formal]

...Mencken's strictures on the 1920s, with its self-righteous prohibition on alcohol and unconventional ideas.[+on/against]

This satirical address was a thinly disguised stricture against the doctrine of the rights of man.

Synonyms:criticism,disapproval,censure,stick[slang]More Synonyms of stricture

2.countable noun[usually plural]

You can refer to things thatlimitwhat you can do asstricturesof a particularkind.

[mainly formal]

Your goals are hindered by financial strictures.

...the power of the imagination to subdue the strictures of daily life.

Synonyms:limitation,restriction,constraint,condition

29.sociopaths

30.obsolete

31.weirder

32.hyper

adj. 亢奋的; 既兴奋又紧张的; 高度紧张的;

33.dashboard (仪表板)

34.take control of(掌控)

35.swipe

1. verb

If you swipe at a person or thing, you try to hit them with a stick or other object, making a swinging movement with your arm.

She swiped at Rusty as though he was a fly. [VERB + at]

He swiped me across the shoulder with the poker. [VERB noun]

Synonyms: hit out, strike, slap, lash out at 

Swipe is also a noun.

He took a swipe at Andrew that deposited him on the floor.

2. verb

If you swipe something, you steal it quickly.

[informal]

Five soldiers were each fined £140 for swiping a wheelchair from a disabled tourist. [VERB noun]

Everywhere I went, people kept trying to swipe my copy of The New York Times. [VERB noun]

Synonyms: steal, nick [slang , mainly British] , pinch [informal] , lift [informal]  

3. countable noun

If you take a swipe at a person or an organization, you criticize them, usually in an indirect way.

Genesis recorded a song which took a swipe at greedy property developers who bought up and demolished people's homes.

In a swipe at the president, he called for an end to 'begging for aid around the world'.

4. verb

If you swipe a credit card or swipe card through a machine, you pass it through a narrow space in the machine so that the machine can read information on the card's magnetic strip.

Swipe your card through the phone, then dial. [V n + through]

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