Unit 9

lucid / lurid / pellucid

lucid adj.清晰的 (very clear and easy to understand) / ˈlusəd /

• We congratulated Jun for delivering a talk that was so lucid that even the lay audience could understand her argument.

lurid adj.令人震惊的，耸人听闻的 (causing shock or disgust) /ˈlʊrəd /

• The newspaper was censured for publishing lurid details of the crime without the consent of either the victim's family or the police.

pellucid adj.清晰的 (very clear) / pəˈlo͞osəd /

• The water was so pellucid that we could clearly see small, jewel-toned fish flitting through the rocks at the bottom of the lake.

enigma / stigma / dogma / anathema / diploma / dilemma

enigma n.谜 (someone or something that is difficult to understand or explain) / iˈniɡmə /

• The fate of the dinosaurs remains an enigma; some scientists think they died out after a meteor struck the Earth while others think they were the casualty of a mini ice-age.

stigma n.污点 (a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something) /ˈstiɡmə /

• People who have gone to prison, even for minor infractions, often find that the stigma of their crimes follows them for the rest of their life.

dogma n. 教条，武断的意见 (a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted) / ˈdôɡmə /

• Cults can become dangerous when their dogma is at odds with widely accepted social standards.

anathema n.极其讨厌的人或事 (someone or something that is very strongly disliked) / əˈnæθəmə /

• As a result of his heinous crimes against humanity, Adolf Hitler's name has become an anathema and is rarely bestowed upon newborns.

diploma n. 毕业证书，学位证书 (a document which shows that a person has finished a course of study or has graduated from a school ) / dəˈploʊmə /

• Huan jumped with joy as the principal handed him his diploma at the graduation ceremony.

dilemma n. 困境 (a situation in which a person has to make a difficult choice ) /dɪˈlɛmə /

• Nathan's dilemma, whether to choose candy or popcorn to eat during the movie, was solved when his girlfriend chose for him.