Unit 139

civility / proclivity

civility n. 礼貌，礼仪 (polite, reasonable, and respectful behavior) / sɪˈvɪlɪti/

• Diplomats need to be paragons of polite behavior and are thus chosen hired for their civility.

proclivity n. 倾向，偏好 (a strong natural liking for something) / prəˈklɪvɪti/

• Trent's proclivity for outdoor pursuits meant that his vacations were normally spent camping and enjoying adventure sports.

purvey / purview

purvey v. 供给，供应 (to supply, usually as a matter of business) / pəˈveɪ/

• The Lindt company purveys a number of very delicious chocolates to shops worldwide.

purview n. 视野 (an area within which someone or something has authority, influence, or knowledge) /ˈpəːvjuː/

• The law is the purview of lawyers and judges.

stunt / stunning

stunt v. 阻碍…的正常生长或发展 (to hinder the normal growth, development, or progress of) / stʌnt/

• Mark is so short that we suspect his growth is stunted because he refuses to eat any fruits and vegetables.

stunning adj. 令人吃惊的 (very surprising or shocking) /ˈstʌnɪŋ/

• Seven of Lance Armstrong's Tour de France titles were rescinded following his stunning admission that he was doping during competition.

adj. 极好的 (very beautiful or pleasing)

• Supermodel Gisele Bundchen is one of the world's most stunning women.

slur / blur / spur / demur

slur n. 诽谤 (an insulting or disparaging remark or innuendo) / sləː/

• Angry at being refused another drink, the drunk shouted a number of offensive slurs at the barman.

blur v. 使...模糊不清 (to make (something) unclear or difficult to see or remember) / bləː/

• The accident happened so fast that Jeff's memory of it blurred, and he could only recall waking up in the hospital the next day.

spur v. 刺激 (to incite or stimulate) / spəː/

• The cheerleaders did their best to spur the crowd into rooting for their team.

demur v. 提出不同意见 (to disagree politely with another person’s statement or suggestion) / dɪˈməː/

• The diplomat demurred so politely that no one ever took offense when he disagreed with them.