Unit 2

aver / avert / averse / avow

aver v. 断言 (to say (something) in a very strong and definite way ) / əˈvər /

• Marcy was a staunch supporter of the Democratic Party who loudly averred her liberal opinions to all and sundry.

avert v. 防止 (to prevent (something bad) from happening ) / əˈvərt /

• Hans Brinker tried to avert disaster by plugging the hole in the dyke with his hand and thereby saved his entire town from flooding.

averse adj. 反感的 (having an active feeling of repugnance or distaste ) / əˈvərs /

• Epi pens can save the lives of people who suffer from averse reactions to allergens such as nuts and bee stings.

avow v. 承认 (to acknowledge or declare openly and unashamedly ) / əˈvou /

• Julia and Harold chose to avow their undying love of each other in an underwater wedding ceremony where they, and all their guests, used scuba gear.

advent / advert

advent n. 出现，到来的 (a coming into being or use ) / ˈadˌvent /

• The widespread use of computers ushered in the advent of the age of information, vastly changing the way we learn, work and play.

advert n. 广告 (British: announcement; notification ) / ˈædˌvərt /

• James took out a full page advert in the local newspaper in order to espouse his support for the incumbent candidate in the upcoming mayoral elections.

feckless / reckless

feckless adj. 虚弱的，无能的 (weak or ineffective ) / ˈfɛkləs /

• Adrian's feckless attempts to buttress the wall by leaning a wooden beam against it at a 45 degree angle proved utterly useless.

reckless adj. 粗心的，鲁莽的 (not showing proper concern about the possible bad results of your actions ) / ˈrekləs /

• Some people think 'drifting' is exciting, but sliding a car across three lanes of a busy highway is reckless behavior that is likely to cause an accident.

mean / mien

mean adj. 微不足道的，不重要的 (lacking distinction or eminence ; humble ) / min /

• Tony's family were so poor that they lived in a mean single-roomed shack without running water or electricity.

adj. 吝啬的，小气的 (penurious, stingy )

• Charles Dickens's character Ebenezer Scrooge was so famously mean that to call someone a "Scrooge" is to label them a stingy person.

adj. 卑劣的，心胸狭窄的 (characterized by petty selfishness or malice)

• Ted's mean personality, double-crossing any colleagues unlucky enough to work with him, made him a particularly unpopular workmate.

mien n. 态度，风采 (a person's appearance or facial expression) / mēn /

• The hostess's welcoming mien, beaming radiantly at us upon our arrival, made us feel completely at ease.