VOCABULARY

1. tide
   the periodic rise and fall of the sea level
   In the case of mobile connectivity, a rising tide does not lift all boats. 
   — Slate (Feb 9, 2012)
2. attitude
   a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings
   "Behaviours have changed and attitudes have changed," Mr Taylor said. 
   — BBC (Feb 16, 2012)
3. justify
   show to be reasonable or provide adequate ground for
   He felt sure that if the circumstances justified it, the necessary proceedings could be taken.” 
   — Anonymous
4. flag
   a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
   Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared three days of mourning and ordered flags flown at half staff. 
   — New York Times (Feb 16, 2012)
5. merit
   any admirable quality or attribute
   Thus far in our inquiry extraordinary merits have been offset by extraordinary defects. 
   — Ayres, Harry Morgan
6. manifest
   reveal its presence or make an appearance
   A too rapid transformation of existing conditions might very easily lead to an economic crisis, symptoms of which are already beginning tomanifest themselves. 
   — Vay, P?ter
7. notion
   a general inclusive concept
   Does that old notion that defense wins championships still hold up these days? 
   — Seattle Times (Jan 13, 2012)
8. scale
   relative magnitude
   And there might not be much money, so fashion shows are done on a much smaller scale. 
   — Seattle Times (Feb 17, 2012)
9. formal
   characteristic of or befitting a person in authority
   A formal decision to call off the search is likely on Wednesday, rescue officials said. 
   — New York Times (Jan 31, 2012)
10. resource
    a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed
    “Economists assume that, under normal conditions, markets will allocate resources efficiently,” he added. 
    — BusinessWeek (Feb 17, 2012)
11. persist
    continue to exist
    Old ideas, long after the conditions under which they were produced have passed away, often persist in surviving. 
    — Ingersoll, Robert Green
12. contempt
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    And with his backhanded contempt for all things ordinary, Blake is making some of the catchiest, most difficult music in recent memory. 
    — Time (Dec 20, 2011)
13. tour
    a route all the way around a particular place or area
    He typed in “South Park” and took senior executives on a tour of Web sites offering pirated episodes. 
    — New York Times (Feb 8, 2012)
14. plead
    enter a defendant's answer
    Aria pleaded not guilty, but he acknowledged that he had violated some laws. 
    — New York Times (Feb 18, 2012)
15. weigh
    to be oppressive or burdensome
    So far, the political turmoil has not appeared to have discouraged visitors, but prolonged strife could weigh on tourism. 
    — New York Times (Feb 11, 2012)
16. mode
    how something is done or how it happens
    Speaking of science, he says, in language far in advance of his times: ‘There are two modes of knowing—by argument and by experiment. 
    — Adams, W. H. Davenport (William Henry Davenport)
17. distinction
    a discrimination between things as different
    But such a distinction is quite external; at heart the men may be very much alike. 
    — Anonymous
18. inclined
    at an angle to the horizontal or vertical position
    Such an inclined passage following a seam of coal is known as a slope. 
    — Hoskin, Arthur J.
19. attribute
    an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of an entity
    The authors found that when the available prospects varied more inattributes such as age, height, occupation and educational background, people made fewer dating proposals. 
    — Scientific American (Feb 13, 2012)
20. exert
    make a great effort at a mental or physical task
    School boards may come to exert even greater influence over what students read. 
    — Forbes (Jan 23, 2012)
21. oppress
    come down on or keep down by unjust use of one's authority
    Those who managed to survive were later oppressed by Poland's post-war communist authorities. 
    — Reuters (Jan 18, 2012)
22. contend
    compete for something
    But eight men, however bold and stout-hearted, could not longcontend with an enemy at least four times their number. 
    — Strang, Herbert
23. stake
    a strong wooden or metal post driven into the ground
    His remains were buried in Cannon Street, and a stake was driven through the body. 
    — Andrews, William
24. toil
    work hard
    He toiled in the sweat of his brow, tilling the stubborn ground, taking out stones, building fences. 
    — Adler, Felix
25. perish
    pass from physical life
    Simon Wiesenthal's parents are long since deceased, with his father dying in World War I and his mother perishing in the Holocaust. 
    — BBC (Feb 14, 2012)
26. disposition
    your usual mood
    Melancholia — the state of mind — can hide behind seemingly sunnydispositions. 
    — Seattle Times (Dec 28, 2011)
27. rail
    complain bitterly
    Mr. Gray railed against lengthy stage directions, saying he crossed them out in scripts before he would begin rehearsals with his actors. 
    — New York Times (Feb 7, 2012)
28. cardinal
    one of a group of prominent bishops in the Sacred College
    Each time he names cardinals he puts his stamp on Roman Catholicism's future by choosing men who share his views. 
    — Chicago Tribune (Feb 18, 2012)
29. boast
    show off
    Mr. Estes was also well connected politically, boasting that the president of the United States took his calls. 
    — New York Times (Dec 10, 2011)
30. advocate
    a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea
    Well, safety advocates, consumers and the government dragged the automobile industry toward including seat belts, air bags, more visible taillights and other safety features. 
    — New York Times (Feb 19, 2012)
31. bestow
    present
    He bestowed public buildings and river improvements in return for votes. 
    — Gilbert, Clinton W. (Clinton Wallace)
32. allege
    report or maintain
    It is being fired into enclosed areas and homes, the human rights group alleges. 
    — BBC (Feb 7, 2012)
33. notwithstanding
    despite anything to the contrary
    He seems to have taken things easily enough, notwithstanding the sorrow and suffering that surrounded him on every side. 
    — Adams, W. H. Davenport (William Henry Davenport)
34. lofty
    of imposing height; especially standing out above others
    He found himself in an enormous hall with a lofty ceiling. 
    — Blasco Ib??ez, Vicente
35. multitude
    a large indefinite number
    Department store chains in general have been strained in recent years as a " multitude" of alternatives has emerged, all competing for customers. 
    — Chicago Tribune (Dec 28, 2011)
36. steep
    having a sharp inclination
    It was narrow and very steep, and had precipices in all parts, so that they could not mount upward except one at a time. 
    — Various
37. heed
    pay close attention to
    But Cain was already too far gone to heed the warning voice. 
    — Adler, Felix
38. modest
    not large but sufficient in size or amount
    A healthy person living in an unfashionable city with no student loans to pay off can get by on a fairly modest income. 
    — Slate (Feb 17, 2012)
39. partial
    being or affecting only a segment
    Generalizations of this sweeping order are apt to contain only partialtruth. 
    — Clarke, Helen Archibald
40. apt
    naturally disposed toward
    Another reason to display beds at an electronics show: consumers areapt to use high-tech devices while tucked in. 
    — New York Times (Jan 9, 2012)