Unit 93

decent / descend / descent

decent adj. 得体的 (seeming to care about the feelings or problems of other people) /ˈdiːs(ə)nt/

• Graham is an extremely decent man who is caring and thoughtful toward friends, family, and even strangers.

descend v. 下降 (to go down) /dɪˈsɛnd/

• The submarine descended deep into the depths of the ocean.

v.遗传 (to originate or come from an ancestral stock or source)

• Graham had a mixed heritage, having descended from African, European and East Asian ancestors.

descent n. 血统 (the fact or process of originating from an ancestral stock) /dɪˈsɛnt/

• Actress Jessica Alba's descent was traced when she appeared on a genealogy series called "Finding Your Roots."

malediction / valediction / benediction

malediction n.下降 (a curse or evil incantation) /ˌmalɪˈdɪkʃ(ə)n/

• Mariah paid the bill while muttering maledictions on her date for walking out on her at the restaurant.

valediction n. 告别 (an act of bidding farewell) /ˌvalɪˈdɪkʃ(ə)n/

• A valedictorian is charged with delivering a speech of valediction to his or her fellow students.

benediction n. 祝福 (the invocation of a blessing) /ˌbɛnɪˈdɪkʃ(ə)n/

• The Pope blessed us with his benediction.

rend / render / surrender

rend v. 撕碎，分裂 (to split or tear apart or in pieces by violence) /rɛnd/

• The dog shook the doll back and forth in his jaws, rending its dress into several pieces.

render v. 使...进入某种状态 (to cause (someone or something) to be in a specified condition) /ˈrɛndə/

• A blow from the grip of his enemy's gun rendered the soldier unconscious.

surrender v. 投降，屈服 (to agree to stop fighting, hiding, resisting, etc., because you know that you will not win or succeed) /səˈrɛndə/

• ISIS has finally surrendered control of the city of Mosul back to Iraq.