Unit 2 - Culture | Exercises and Flashcards

Unit 2, Speakout Advanced 3rd Exercises and Flashcards

These exercises focus on Unit 2, Speakout Advanced 3rd

Wordlist for Unit 2, Speakout Advanced 3rd

Word	Definition	Example
scale	Size or level; to measure or adjust something	They need to scale the business to succeed
ingenuity	Cleverness; the ability to solve problems creatively	Her ingenuity helped solve the problem
flaw	A mistake or defect	The plan has a major flaw
notion	An idea or belief	She rejected the notion as silly
lessen	To make something smaller or weaker	Exercise can help lessen stress
boost	To increase or improve	The new policy will boost sales
facilitate	To make something easier or help it happen	The new app will facilitate learning
assign	To give someone a task or responsibility	The teacher will assign homework
go overboard	To do too much; to be excessive	Don't go overboard with the decorations
dizzying	Causing confusion or a feeling of spinning	The view from the top was dizzying
expo	A large exhibition or event	We visited the tech expo last weekend
former	Previous; something that was in the past	He is a former student of this school
spotlight	A focus of attention; to highlight	She stepped into the spotlight to receive her award
embed	To fix or set something firmly in a surrounding substance	They embed the videos in their website
flock	To gather or move together in a group	People flock to the beach in summer
brief hurrah	A short period of excitement or celebration	They had a brief hurrah after the project was completed
remarkable	Unusual or worthy of attention	Her performance was remarkable
amplify	To make something louder or stronger	The microphone will amplify your voice
thrive	To grow or develop well	Plants thrive in the right conditions
astonished	Very surprised	She was astonished by the news
puppet	A figure moved by strings or someone controlling it	The puppet show was fun for the kids
inject	To introduce something forcefully	They inject new ideas into the program
meaningless	Without purpose or value	His apology seemed meaningless
bring long-term benefits	To provide advantages that last a long time	This decision will bring long-term benefits
do more harm than good	To cause more problems than benefits	Too much advice can do more harm than good
end up stuck with	To find yourself in a situation you don't want	We might end up stuck with too much work
facilitate cultural development	To help culture grow and improve	Art can facilitate cultural development
give the cultural life of that city a boost	To enhance the city's cultural activities	Festivals give the cultural life of that city a boost
have a detrimental effect	To harm or negatively impact something	Smoking can have a detrimental effect on health
raise the cultural profile	To increase awareness of a culture	The event will raise the cultural profile of the city
showcase the best	To display the best examples of something	The festival will showcase the best local artists
tangible benefit	A clear, real advantage	The new park has a tangible benefit for the community
interpreter	A person who translates spoken language	The interpreter helped us understand the speech
by and large	Generally; mostly	By and large, the meeting was a success
cut and dried	Clear and simple; straightforward	The decision was cut and dried
give or take	Approximately; more or less	It will take an hour, give or take a few minutes
hustle and bustle	A busy, noisy activity	I miss the hustle and bustle of the city
live and learn	To learn from experiences	We all live and learn from our mistakes
make or break	To determine success or failure	This exam is make or break for my career
out and about	Out of the house; active in the world	He enjoys being out and about on weekends
peace and quiet	A calm and quiet environment	She needs some peace and quiet to study
pick and choose	To select freely from options	You can pick and choose your favorite activities
short and sweet	Brief but effective	The meeting was short and sweet
slowly but surely	Gradually, but in a positive way	Slowly but surely, she is recovering
sooner or later	Eventually; at some point in the future	Sooner or later, you will have to decide
accept	To agree to receive or take something	I accept your offer
acknowledge	To recognize something or someone	He didn't acknowledge my message
call for	To need or require something	This job calls for patience
cite	To mention or refer to something	She will cite her sources in the paper
echo	To repeat or reflect back	His views echo mine
illustrate	To explain or make something clear with examples	This chart will illustrate our progress
maintain	To keep something in good condition	They maintain a high standard of service
ponder	To think about something carefully	She likes to ponder big questions
question	To ask something or express doubt	He questioned her about the decision
raise	To lift up or increase	She raised her hand to ask a question
voice	To express something verbally	He voiced his opinion clearly
utterance	Something that is said or spoken	His first utterance was a cry
dubbing	Adding new voices to a film or video	The movie's dubbing was well done
disjoint	To separate or disconnect	The story felt disjoint and confusing
subtitling	Adding written translations to films or videos	The subtitling made the film easy to follow
summarize	To give a brief overview of something	Please summarize the main points
inevitably	Unavoidably; certain to happen	Inevitably, the news spread quickly
convey	To communicate or express	Words cannot convey my feelings
range	A variety of things	The store has a wide range of products
fascinating	Extremely interesting	The documentary was fascinating
bilingual	Able to speak two languages	She is bilingual in English and Spanish
drawback	A disadvantage or negative aspect	The only drawback is the cost
rapidly	Quickly; in a fast manner	Technology is rapidly changing
convention	A large meeting or assembly	He challenged the social conventions
shrink	To become smaller	The shirt will shrink in hot water
blurring	Making something unclear or indistinct	The lines between work and play are blurring
exposure	Being in contact with something; revealing	Sun exposure can be harmful
diversity	Variety; difference in a group	The city is known for its cultural diversity
establish	To set up or create	They plan to establish a new company
tension	Stress or strain between people or things	There was tension in the room
oversimplify	To make something too simple, missing important details	Don't oversimplify the problem
preserve	To keep something safe or maintain it	We need to preserve our traditions
back someone up	To support someone	I will back you up in the meeting
fill someone in	To provide someone with information	Can you fill me in on the details?
reel off	To say or list quickly	He can reel off statistics easily
talk someone into	To persuade someone to do something	She talked him into going to the party
tip someone off	To give someone a hint or warning	He tipped her off about the surprise
commonplace	Ordinary; usual	Smartphones are commonplace now
deeply rooted	Firmly established; ingrained	These beliefs are deeply rooted in our culture
frown upon	To disapprove of something	Lying is frowned upon in our society
irrespective of	Without considering; regardless of	Irrespective of the weather, we will go
long-standing	Existing for a long time	They have a long-standing friendship
be peculiar to	To be unique or specific to	This custom is peculiar to this region
stereotypical	Based on oversimplified ideas about a group	That is a stereotypical view of teenagers
imply in	To suggest something indirectly	What do you imply in your message?
extraordinary	Very unusual or remarkable	She has an extraordinary talent
glimpse	A quick look	I caught a glimpse of the actor
assault on the senses	An overwhelming or intense experience for the senses	The concert was an assault on the senses
favourite topping	A preferred choice of food added on top	My favourite topping is pepperoni
fuse interesting flavours	To combine different flavors creatively	They fuse interesting flavors in their dishes
intriguing smells	Interesting and appealing scents	The market has intriguing smells
traditional dish	A meal that is part of a culture's heritage	We had a traditional dish for dinner
unique cuisine	Distinctive or special style of cooking	The restaurant offers unique cuisine

FAQ

Why is it important to learn culture-related vocabulary?

Culture-related vocabulary allows us to articulate our experiences and observations about the world. It enhances our ability to discuss cultural practices, analyze societal changes, and appreciate global diversity.

How can I use words like “preserve” and “diversity” effectively?

Use "preserve" when discussing efforts to protect cultural traditions or heritage, and "diversity" when highlighting the range of unique practices, beliefs, and customs within a community or region.

What does “thrive” mean in a cultural context?

In a cultural context, "thrive" refers to the flourishing of traditions, arts, or communities. For example, "Local artists thrive when given platforms to showcase their work."

What is the significance of “exposure” to different cultures?

Exposure to different cultures broadens perspectives, fosters understanding, and promotes appreciation of global diversity. It can also inspire innovation and facilitate personal growth.

What is meant by “assault on the senses” in relation to culture?

This phrase describes an overwhelming sensory experience, often in vibrant cultural environments. For example, a bustling market filled with colors, sounds, and smells may feel like an "assault on the senses."

How does “blurring” relate to cultural boundaries?

"Blurring" refers to the diminishing of clear distinctions between cultural elements, often due to globalization or cross-cultural exchanges. This can lead to the fusion of traditions and ideas.

Why should we avoid making “stereotypical” statements about culture?

Stereotypical statements oversimplify and generalize, often leading to misconceptions and bias. Avoiding them promotes accurate and respectful discussions about cultural practices.

What’s the difference between “spotlight” and “showcase”?

“Spotlight” means to highlight or bring attention to a particular aspect of culture, while “showcase” involves presenting it in a way that celebrates its value and uniqueness.

What are the benefits of facilitating cultural development?

Facilitating cultural development fosters creativity, strengthens community identity, and brings long-term benefits such as economic growth and improved quality of life.

How does “by and large” apply to cultural discussions?

“By and large” is used to indicate general trends or observations. For example, “By and large, traditional festivals help preserve a region's heritage.”