Unit 148

desertion / dissertation

desertion n. 遗弃 (the abandonment without consent or legal justification of a person, post, or relationship and the associated duties and obligations) / dɪˈzəːʃn /

• The soldier was accused of desertion after he abandoned his platoon when they headed into battle.

dissertation n. 论文，专题 (an extended, usually written, treatment of a subject) /ˌdɪsəˈteɪʃ(ə)n /

• The student wrote a 250-page dissertation about East African architecture in order to earn her doctoral degree.

snare / snarl / sneer

snare n. 陷阱 (a position or situation from which it is difficult to escape) / snɛː /

• The police used the information from the tip off to set a snare for the bank robbers.

snarl v. 纠缠 (to cause to become knotted and intertwined) / snɑːl /

• The fishing line became so snarled around the anchor chain that it had to be cut off.

sneer v. 嘲笑 (to smile or laugh with facial contortions that express scorn or contempt) / snɪə /

• The robber sneered with delight as he jumped safely into his getaway car.

sublime / subliminal

sublime v. 升华，精炼， (to convert (something inferior) into something of higher worth) / səˈblʌɪm /

• Bronwyn loved meditating because it invariably sublimed her mood by reducing stress and promoting positivity.

subliminal adj. 微小的，难以察觉的 (inadequate to produce a sensation or a perception) / səˈblɪmɪn(ə)l /

• The study's participants reported taking no notice of the subliminal messages the advertisers attempted to introduce to the campaign.

adj. 潜意识的 (existing or functioning below the threshold of consciousness)

• Frank tried hypnosis in hopes that he could use subliminal messages to quit smoking.

improve / improvise

improve v. 改善，提高 (to make something better) / ɪmˈpruːv /

• Xavi tried to improve his lot in life by studying hard, becoming the first person in his family to attend university.

improvise v. 即兴表演 (to speak or perform without preparation) / ˈɪmprəvʌɪz /

• Rather than relying on a routine set in stone, some comedians enjoy improvising portions of their stand-up show by making it up when they get on stage.