Unit 153

propriety / property / proprietary

propriety n. 适当，得体 (behavior that is accepted as socially or morally correct and proper) / prəˈprʌɪəti /

• When the mother realized the little child had torn off its clothes and was running around nude, she admonished him to get dressed and behave with more propriety.

property n. 财产 (something that is owned by a person, business, etc.) /ˈprɒpəti /

• Even though it was his own land, zoning laws meant that Jeff had to gain the local government's permission before building another house on his property.

n. 性质 (a special quality or characteristic of something)

• Water's most notable property is its wetness.

proprietary adj. 私有的 (kept private by an owner) / prəˈprʌɪət(ə)ri /

• The "Golden Arches" are a proprietary symbol that the fast food chain "McDonald's" uses to designate its restaurants.

ensue / ensure

ensue v. 跟着发生 (to come at a later time) / ɛnˈsjuː /

• Aiden found that the harder he worked, the more good things, such as praise and raises, ensued.

v. 追求 (to strive to attain)

• Tracey worked hard on the stand up comic circuit, ensuing a successful career as a comedian.

ensure v. 确保，保证 (to make something sure, certain, or safe) / ɪnˈʃɔː /

• Beth studied day and night for several weeks in order to ensure that she did well on her exams.

hurtle / hurdle / hurdle

hurtle v. 猛冲，猛烈碰撞 (to cause (something or someone) to move or go with great speed and force) /ˈhəːt(ə)l /

• With its ability to hurtle through the air at speeds up to 7,200 kilometers per hour, the "North American X-15" is the world's fastest jet.

hurdle n. 障碍 (something that makes an achievement difficult) /ˈhəːd(ə)l /

• Bob overcame the hurdles of poverty and a learning disability to become a respected surgeon.

hurdle v. 克服 (to deal with (a problem or difficulty) successfully) / ˈhəːd(ə)l /

• The surgeon hurdled his patient's cardiac problem by executing a complicated transplant procedure.