Reading 22 - Passage 1 - Research using twins

Untangle (verb) /ˌʌnˈtæŋɡl/
I’m trying to untangle the complicated relationship between genes and behavior.

khám phá
to make something that is complicated or confusing easier to deal with or understand

Nurture (noun) /ˈnɜːtʃə(r)/
Children need lots of love and nurture.

sự nuôi dưỡng
(formal) care and support given to somebody/something while they are growing

Split something into + number (verb) /splɪt/
The teacher split the class into four groups.

chia thành
to divide, or to make something divide, into two or more parts

Virtually (adv) /ˈvɜːtʃuəli/
Virtually all students passed the test.

hầu như
almost or very nearly, so that any slight difference is not important

Quantify (verb) /ˈkwɒntɪfaɪ/
It’s difficult to quantify how many people are affected.

định lượng
to describe or express something as an amount or a number

Ailment (noun) /ˈeɪlmənt/
She got treatment for a minor stomach ailment.

bệnh tật
an illness that is not very serious

Heredity (noun) /həˈredəti/
Heredity plays a role in determining a person’s eye color.

di truyền
(uncountable) the process by which mental and physical characteristics are passed by parents to their children; these characteristics in a particular person

Pinpoint (verb) /ˈpɪnpɔɪnt/
It’s hard to pinpoint the exact cause of the problem.

xác định
to find and show the exact position of somebody/something or the exact time that something happened

Inheritance (noun) /ɪnˈherɪtəns/
She used her inheritance to buy a house.

sự kế thừa
[countable, uncountable] the money, property, etc. that you receive from somebody when they die; the fact of receiving something when somebody dies

Crucial (adj) /ˈkruːʃl/
This step is crucial to the success of the project.

quan trọng
extremely important, because it will affect other things

Vulnerability (noun) /ˌvʌlnərəˈbɪləti/
The report highlights the vulnerability of elderly people in cold weather.

nguy cơ
the fact of being weak and easily hurt physically or emotionally

Twist (noun) /twɪst/
The story has an unexpected twist at the end.

những thay đổi
[countable] an unexpected change or development in a story or situation

Reunite (verb) /ˌriːjuˈnaɪt/
The movie tells the story of a family reunited after years of separation.

đoàn tụ
to bring two or more people together again after they have been separated for a long time; to come together again

Radical (adj) /ˈrædɪkl/
The reforms brought about a radical change in the system.

mang tính cốt yếu
relating to the most basic and important parts of something; complete and detailed

Strengthen (verb) /ˈstreŋkθn/
Regular exercise strengthens the heart.

tăng cường, làm mạnh lên
to become more powerful or effective; to make somebody/something more powerful or effective

Immense (adj) /ɪˈmens/
The project required immense effort.

khổng lồ
extremely large or great

Pregnancy (noun) /ˈpreɡnənsi/
She announced her pregnancy in the third month.

mang thai
the state of being pregnant

Randomly (adv) /ˈrændəmli/
The winners were chosen randomly.

ngẫu nhiên
without somebody deciding in advance what is going to happen and without any regular pattern

Unalterable (adj) /ʌnˈɔːltərəbl/
The law sets unalterable limits on pollution.

không thể thay đổi
that cannot be changed

Surge (noun) /sɜːdʒ/
There was a sudden surge in demand for masks.

sự tăng mạnh
a sudden increase in the amount or number of something

Trailblazer (noun) /ˈtreɪlbleɪzə(r)/
She was a trailblazer in the field of genetic research.

người tiên phong
a person who is the first to do or discover something and so makes it possible for others to follow

Mothering (noun) /ˈmʌðərɪŋ/
She is known for her natural sense of mothering.

nuôi dưỡng
the act of caring for and protecting children or other people

Interplay (noun) /ˈɪntəpleɪ/
The interplay between genes and environment shapes human behavior.

sự tác động qua lại
the way in which two or more things or people affect each other

Genetic makeup (noun) /dʒəˈnetɪk ˈmeɪkʌp/
Each person’s genetic makeup is unique.

cấu trúc di truyền
the combination of genes that determines a person’s physical and behavioral traits

Trait measure (noun) /treɪt ˈmeʒə(r)/
Psychologists use trait measures to study personality.

thước đo đặc điểm (tính cách)
a method or tool used to assess specific traits, especially in psychology or genetics

Hardwired (adj) /ˌhɑːdˈwaɪəd/
Some behaviors seem to be hardwired into our brains.

được lập trình sẵn (trong gen)
(of a skill, quality or type of behavior) present when you are born and not changing

Epigenetics (noun) /ˌepɪdʒəˈnetɪks/
Epigenetics explains how lifestyle can influence gene expression.

biểu sinh học
the study of changes in gene activity that do not involve alterations to the genetic code but still get passed on to at least one successive generation

Live apart (verb phrase) /lɪv əˈpɑːt/
The twins were adopted by different families and lived apart for years.

sống tách biệt
to live in separate places, especially used for people who are normally expected to live together