1. pancreas [ˈpæŋkriəs]
n. Your pancreas is an organ in your body that is situated behind your stomach. It produces insulin and substances that help your body digest food.
The pancreas is a storage depot for digestive enzymes.
2. Gothic [ˈɡɒθɪk]
(1). adj. Gothic architecture and religious art was produced in the Middle Ages. Its features include tall pillars, high curved ceilings, and pointed arches.
(2). adj. In Gothic stories, strange, mysterious adventures happen in dark and lonely places such as graveyards and old castles.
(3). adj. Gothic is used to describe a style of printing or writing in which the letters are very decorative. German books and signs were often written in Gothic script.
It was famous for its use of Gothic decorative detail.
3. testimony [ˈtestɪməni]
(1). n. In a court of law, someone's testimony is a formal statement that they make about what they saw someone do or what they know of a situation, after having promised to tell the truth.
(2). n. If you say that one thing is testimony to another, you mean that it shows clearly that the second thing has a particular quality.
The pyramids are an eloquent testimony to the ancient Egyptian's engineering skills.
4. wick [wɪk]
(1). n. The wick of a candle is the piece of string in it which burns when it is lit.
(2). n. The wick of a paraffin lamp or cigarette lighter is the part which supplies the fuel to the flame when it is lit.
(3). phrase. If you say that someone or something gets on your wick, you mean that they annoy and irritate you.
5. perish [ˈperɪʃ]
(1). v. If people or animals perish, they die as a result of very harsh conditions or as the result of an accident.
(2). v. If something perishes, it comes to an end or is destroyed for ever.
(3). v. If a substance or material perishes, it starts to fall to pieces and becomes useless.
(4). phrase. If someone says perish the thought, they mean that they think that a suggestion or possibility is unpleasant or ridiculous.
When a species is no longer adapted to a changed environment, it may perish.
6. nocturnal [nɒkˈtɜːnl]
(1). adj. Nocturnal means occurring at night.
(2). adj. Nocturnal creatures are active mainly at night.
Most mice are nocturnal. but the African grass mouse is active during daylight hours.
7. membrane [ˈmembreɪn]
n. A membrane is a thin piece of skin which connects or covers parts of a person's or animal's body.
Synthetic membrane can be fabricated from a large number of different materials.
8. soothe [suːð]
(1). v. If you soothe someone who is angry or upset, you make them feel calmer.
(2). v. Something that soothes a part of your body where there is pain or discomfort makes the pain or discomfort less severe.
The music soothed the girl for a while.
9. venomous [ˈvenəməs]
(1). adj. If you describe a person or their behaviour as venomous, you mean that they show great bitterness and anger towards someone.
(2). adj. A venomous snake, spider, or other creature uses poison to attack other creatures.
The politician was accused of a venomous attack on his political opponents at the meeting.
10. chamber [ˈtʃeɪmbə(r)]
(1). n. A chamber is a large room, especially one that is used for formal meetings.
(2). n. You can refer to a country's parliament or to one section of it as a chamber.
(3). n. A chamber is a room designed and equipped for a particular purpose.
(4). n. A chamber is a hollow place inside the body of a person or animal, or inside a plant.
(5). n. The offices used by judges and barristers are referred to as chambers.
The archaeologists found themselves in a vest underground chamber.
11. sleek [sliːk]
(1). adj. Sleek hair or fur is smooth and shiny and looks healthy.
(2). adj. If you describe someone as sleek, you mean that they look rich and stylish.
(3). adj. Sleek vehicles, furniture, or other objects look smooth, shiny, and expensive.
Edward fell in love with a beautiful girl with sleek black hair and big eyes.
12. tactile [ˈtæktaɪl]
(1). adj. If you describe someone as tactile, you mean that they tend to touch other people a lot when talking to them.
(2). adj. Something such as fabric which is tactile is pleasant or interesting to touch.
(3). adj. Tactile experiences or sensations are received or felt by touch.
The poor boy not only and auditory difficulties but tactile ones.
13. choppy [ˈtʃɒpi]
adj. When water is choppy, there are a lot of small waves on it because there is a wind blowing.
The peaceful sea became choppy soon when the windstorm was coming.
14. solvent [ˈsɒlvənt]
(1). adj. If a person or a company is solvent, they have enough money to pay all their debts.
(2). n. A solvent is a liquid that can dissolve other substances.
The oil giant made many more efforts to scatter the industrial solvents for removing the oil from the polluted sea.
15. viscous [ˈvɪskəs]
adj. A viscous liquid is thick and sticky.
Studies show that this newly-found species in the tropical forest can create a kind of viscous substance.
16. yolk [jəʊk]
n. The yolk of an egg is the yellow part in the middle.
You'd better separate the egg white from the yolk to feed your baby.
17. drench [drentʃ]
v. To drench something or someone means to make them completely wet.
The expedition was caught in the heavy rain halfway and got drenched.
18. moor [mɔː(r)]
(1). n. A moor is an area of open and usually high land with poor soil that is covered mainly with grass and heather.
(2). v. If you moor a boat somewhere, you stop and tie it to the land with a rope or chain so that it cannot move away.
(3). n. The Moors were a Muslim people who established a civilization in North Africa and Spain between the 8th and the 15th century A.D.
It was about half an hour's walk from Jim's house to the moor.
19. crescent [ˈkresnt]
(1). n. A crescent is a curved shape that is wider in the middle than at its ends, like the shape of the moon during its first and last quarters. It is the most important symbol of the Islamic faith.
(2). n. Crescent is sometimes used as part of the name of a street or row of houses that is usually built in a curve.
A crescent moon hangs in the seat, and then swims into the dim clouds.
20. shroud [ʃraʊd]
(1). n. A shroud is a cloth which is used for wrapping a dead body.
(2). n. You can refer to something that surrouds an object or situation as a shroud of something.
(3). v. If something has been shrouded in mystery or secrecy, very little information about it has been made available.
(4). v. If darkness, fog, or smoke shrouds an area, it covers it so that it is difficult to see.
The languages spoken by early Europeans are still shrouded in mystery.
21. mound [maʊnd]
(1). n. A mound of something is a large rounded pile of it.
(2). n. In baseball, the mound is the raised area where the pitcher stands when he or she throws the ball.
There is a round mound among houses on which children can play.
22. eccentric [ɪkˈsentrɪk]
adj. If you say that someone is eccentric, you mean that they behave in a strange way, and have habits or opinions that are different from those of most people.
She began to dress only in white -- a habit that added in her reputation as eccentric.
23. crustal [ˈkrʌstəl]
In the end of June, 2000, intense crustal activity took place in the area.
24. glow [ɡləʊ]
(1). n. A glow is a dull, steady light, for example the light produced by a fire when there are no flames.
(2). n. A glow is a pink colour on a person's face, usually because they are healthy or have been exercising.
(3). n. If you feel a glow of satisfaction or achievement, you have a strong feeling of pleasure because of something that you have done or that has happened.
(4). v. If something glows, it produces a dull, steady light.
(5). v. If a place glows with a colour or a quality, it is bright, attractive, and colourful.
(6). v. If something glows, it looks bright because it is reflecting light.
(7). v. If someone's skin glows, it looks pink because they are healthy or excited, or have been doing physical exercise.
(8). v. If someone glows with an emotion such as pride or pleasure, the expression on their face shows how they feel.
Her face glowed with embarrassment.
25. hurricane [ˈhʌrɪkən]
n. A hurricane is an extremely violent wind or storm.
The storm surge and winds of hurricanes may be destructive to human-made structures.
26. pore [pɔː(r)]
(1). n. Your pores are the tiny holes in your skin.
(2). n. The pores of a plant are the tiny holes on its surface.
(3). v. If you pore over or through information, you look at it and study it very carefully.
(4). phrase. You can say that someone has a certain quality or emotion coming from every pore to emphasize the strength of that quality or emotion.
He pored over the classified ads in search of a new job.
27. bead [biːd]
(1). n. Beads are small pieces of coloured glass, wood, or plastic with a hole through the middle. Beads are often put together on a piece of string or wire to make jewellery.
(2). n. A bead of liquid or moisture is a small drop of it.
The Homestead Act of 1862 gave beads of families or individuals the right to own 160 acres of public land.
28. citadel [ˈsɪtədəl]
(1). n. In the past, a citadel was a strong building in or near a city, where people could shelter for safety.
(2). n. If you describe a system or organization as a citadel of a particular way of life, usually one you disapprove of, you mean that it is powerful and effective in defending that way of life.
The place was once a citadel in the First World War.
29. pinpoint [ˈpɪnpɔɪnt]
(1). v. If you pinpoint the cause of something, you discover or explain the cause exactly.
(2). v. If you pinpoint something or its position, you discover or show exactly where it is.
(3). adj. If something is placed with pinpoint accuracy, it is placed in exactly the right place or position.
Radar can help pinpoint the location of an object within its range.
30. fossil [ˈfɒsl]
n. A fossil is the hard remains of a prehistoric animal or plant that are found inside a rock.
Even scratches found on fossil human teeth offer clues.
31. turnpike [ˈtɜːnpaɪk]
n. A turnpike is a road, especially an expressway, which people have to pay to drive on.
These turnpike roads were still very slow, and traveling on them was too costly for farmers.
32. oasis [əʊˈeɪsɪs]
(1). n. An oasis is a small area in a desert where water and plants are found.
(2). n. You can refer to a pleasant place or situation as an oasis when it is surrounded by unpleasant ones.
There is a green oasis in the heart of the city.
整理自《柯林斯詞典》、《新東方託福詞彙》，侵刪歉。