Unit 5 - Influence | Exercises and Flashcards

Unit 5, Speakout Advanced 3rd Exercises and Flashcards

These exercises focus on Unit 5, Speakout Advanced 3rd

Wordlist for Unit 5, Speakout Advanced 3rd

Word	Definition	Example
initial impression of	The first opinion or feeling about someone or something	My initial impression of the city was positive
acquaintance	A person you know, but not very well	She is an acquaintance from college
unperturbed	Not worried or anxious	Despite the chaos, she remained unperturbed
eagerly	With a lot of enthusiasm or interest	The children eagerly awaited the arrival of Santa
bend	To curve or change shape	He had to bend down to tie his shoelaces
perceive	To see or understand something in a particular way	She perceives the situation differently
prejudice	An unfair opinion or judgment about someone	Prejudice can lead to unfair treatment of others
privileged	Having special rights or advantages	He comes from a privileged background
pompous	Self-important or arrogant	He spoke in a pompous manner that annoyed others
subconsciously	In a way that you are not aware of; automatically	Subconsciously, he felt a sense of unease
mocking	Making fun of someone in a cruel way	His mocking tone upset his friend
put on an accent	To speak in a different way to imitate someone's voice	She can put on a British accent perfectly
presumably	Probably; assumed to be true	Presumably, they will arrive soon
cash in	To take advantage of a situation for personal gain	He decided to cash in on his fame with a book deal
reassure	To comfort someone or make them feel safe	She reassured her friend that everything would be fine
tug of envy	A feeling of jealousy	He felt a tug of envy when he saw his friend's new car
determine	To decide or conclude	Your actions will determine the outcome
adopt mannerisms	To take on certain behaviors or ways of speaking	He adopted mannerisms similar to his favorite actor
establish an immediate rapport	To quickly create a friendly relationship	She managed to establish an immediate rapport with the audience
have a bearing on	To affect or influence something	Your decision will have a bearing on the outcome
have a lasting effect	To create an impact that continues over time	The experience had a lasting effect on him
lead to problematic preconceptions	To cause misunderstandings or negative assumptions	Stereotypes can lead to problematic preconceptions
project a certain image	To present yourself in a specific way	She wants to project a professional image at work
size up	To evaluate or judge something	He sized up the competition before the race
taint our impression of	To negatively affect how we view someone or something	His behavior taints our impression of him
pass on	To share information or news	Please pass on the message to your colleagues
spread rumours	To share unverified information	People love to spread rumors about celebrities
whisper	To speak very softly	She whispered secrets to her friend
vary from	To differ from; to be different in some way	Prices can vary from store to store
skim the information	To read quickly and not in detail	I didn't have time to read the report, so I just skimmed the information
bereft	Lacking something important; deprived	He felt bereft after his dog passed away
disconcerting	Causing confusion or worry	His behavior was disconcerting to the guests
dishevelled	Messy or untidy in appearance	He arrived at the party looking dishevelled
distinctive	Unique or easily recognizable	Her laugh was distinctive and easy to recognize
gullible	Easily tricked or deceived	He's so gullible, he'll believe anything you tell him
implausible	Not believable or unlikely	His explanation seemed implausible to the detective
industrious	Hardworking and diligent	She is an industrious worker, always busy with tasks
reassuring	Comforting; making someone feel better	Her words were reassuring and comforting
self-deprecating	Making fun of oneself in a humble way	His self-deprecating humor always gets a laugh
successive	Following in order; happening one after another	The team won three successive games in a row
susceptible	Likely to be influenced or harmed	She's susceptible to allergies in the spring
unapproachable	Difficult to talk to or engage with	He seemed unapproachable at first, but he's really quite friendly
unfavourable	Negative or disadvantageous	The weather forecast is unfavourable for our picnic
unintelligible	Not able to be understood	His handwriting is so unintelligible, I can't read it
bad rep	A negative reputation	The restaurant has a bad rep for poor service
fanned the flames	To make a situation worse or increase intensity	Her comments fanned the flames of the argument
flare up	To suddenly become angry or intense	The conflict between them tends to flare up quickly
kick off	To start something	Let's kick off the meeting with a brief introduction
lit the fire	To ignite or start something (metaphorically)	His passionate speech lit the fire within the audience
out and about	Out in public or socializing	We spent the afternoon out and about in the city
boost our own self-esteem	To improve one's confidence or self-worth	Completing tasks can boost our own self-esteem
distort information	To change facts to make them less accurate	Some news outlets distort information to fit their agenda
embellish the details	To make something more interesting by adding extra details	He embellished the details of his adventure
go viral	To spread rapidly and widely on the internet	The video of the cat playing the piano went viral
sway public opinion	To influence how the public thinks	Politicians often use speeches to sway public opinion
the rumour has been quashed	The false information has been stopped or denied	The rumour has been quashed by official statements
the story escalates	The situation becomes more intense or complicated	With each retelling, the story escalates in drama
theories abound	Many different ideas or explanations are present	In conspiracy circles, theories abound about alien encounters
escalate	To increase in intensity or seriousness	Tensions between the two countries continue to escalate
self-esteem	Confidence in one's own worth or abilities	Building self-esteem is important for mental health
a clear consensus	A general agreement among a group	There was a clear consensus among the group
a negligible number	A very small amount	Only a negligible number of people attended the event
a substantial percentage	A significant amount	A substantial percentage of voters turned out for the election
overwhelming number	A very large quantity	An overwhelming number of respondents agreed with the proposal
reveal	To make known or show something	The investigation will reveal the truth
intimidate	To frighten or make someone feel afraid	His aggressive behavior can intimidate others
slouch	To sit or stand in a lazy or drooping way	Don't slouch; stand up straight
amplify	To make something larger or stronger	The microphone amplified her voice
fiddle	To play with something in a nervous or distracting way	He was fiddling with his pen during the meeting
fidget	To move around restlessly; to be unable to stay still	She tends to fidget when she's nervous
juvenile	Childish or immature	His juvenile behavior was not appropriate for the workplace
bolster their image	To improve or strengthen how someone is perceived	The company hired a PR firm to bolster their image
bring someone round to your way of thinking	To persuade someone to agree with you	She used logic to bring him round to her way of thinking
come across as	To seem or appear in a certain way	He came across as confident during the presentation
convince people of your credibility	To persuade others to trust your reliability	Providing evidence will convince people of your credibility
gauge their reactions	To measure or assess how others are responding	Watch their faces to gauge their reactions
go to extraordinary lengths	To make great efforts to achieve something	He went to extraordinary lengths to surprise his wife
own the room	To command attention and presence in a space	With her charisma, she can own the room in any situation
assured	Confident and self-reliant	She spoke with an assured tone, showing confidence
captivating	Extremely interesting or charming	Her storytelling was captivating, holding everyone's attention
cogent	Clear and convincing	He made a cogent argument in favor of the proposal
expensive	Costing a lot of money	The designer dress was too expensive for her budget
inappropriate	Not suitable or proper for a situation	His comments were inappropriate for the occasion
long-winded	Too wordy; using more words than necessary	His long-winded speeches often bored the audience
mediocre	Average; not very good	The food at the restaurant was mediocre at best
muddled	Confused or unclear	His explanation was muddled and unclear
pertinent	Relevant or applicable	Her questions were pertinent to the topic at hand
self-effacing	Modest about one's achievements	Despite his success, he remained self-effacing and humble
stiff	Rigid or formal; not relaxed	He seemed stiff and uncomfortable in social situations
subtle	Not obvious; delicate or understated	The subtle hints went unnoticed by most people
aspire to be	To hope or aim to achieve something	She aspires to be a successful entrepreneur
build them into your character	To incorporate qualities into who you are	Hard work and honesty are values I want to build into my character
career-wise	Related to one's profession or job	Taking that course will benefit you career-wise
handle yourself	To manage your own behavior or emotions	Can you handle yourself in a high-pressure situation?
have an open house	To host an event where guests can come and visit freely	They decided to have an open house for potential buyers
present yourself	To show who you are or how you want to be seen	Remember to present yourself professionally in interviews
work ethic you want to replicate	The set of values and habits regarding work that you admire	His father's strong work ethic is something he wants to replicate

FAQ

Why is influence vocabulary important?

These words help you understand and articulate the complexities of social dynamics, such as how impressions are formed, how reputations are managed, and how public opinion is shaped.

What does “establish an immediate rapport” mean?

It refers to building a quick and positive connection with someone, often through effective communication and shared understanding. This is valuable in interviews, networking, or leadership roles.

How does “taint our impression of” someone relate to influence?

This phrase highlights how negative actions or information can distort our perception of someone, often unfairly. Recognizing this helps us avoid biases and form balanced opinions.

What does it mean to “project a certain image”?

To project a certain image means to present yourself in a way that aligns with how you want others to perceive you. For example, dressing professionally to convey competence.

How can we “sway public opinion”?

Public opinion can be swayed by persuasive arguments, emotional appeals, or viral content. This can be done intentionally, such as through campaigns, or unintentionally via social media trends.

What’s the difference between “distort information” and “embellish the details”?

“Distort information” refers to misrepresenting facts, often to deceive, while “embellish the details” involves exaggerating or adding to a story for dramatic effect, without necessarily altering its truth.

How does “self-deprecating” behavior influence perception?

Self-deprecating behavior, such as making light of your own flaws, can make you seem humble and approachable. However, overusing it may undermine your confidence in others’ eyes.

What is the significance of “gauge their reactions”?

Gauging someone’s reactions means observing and interpreting their responses to adjust your approach accordingly. It’s a key skill in effective communication and persuasion.

How does body language like “slouch” or “fidget” affect impressions?

Negative body language, such as slouching or fidgeting, can convey nervousness or lack of confidence. Being conscious of your posture and gestures helps project a more assured image.

What does “go viral” mean, and why is it impactful?

“Go viral” refers to content spreading rapidly online, reaching a large audience in a short time. It’s impactful because it can quickly amplify ideas, influence trends, or sway public opinion.

How can “handle yourself” in social situations affect influence?

Handling yourself well—through confident speech, attentive listening, and calm demeanor—can enhance your credibility, foster trust, and leave a lasting positive impression.

What does it mean to “own the room”?

To own the room means to exude confidence and command attention in a group setting, making your presence and ideas impactful. This skill is vital in leadership and public speaking.