CHAPTER 7 : SCIENCE AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

CATALYST

an agent that provokes or triggers a change → chất xúc tác; tác nhân thúc đẩy sự thay đổi
Example: The professor’s unexpected resignation served as a _ that forced the university to confront long-ignored structural problems.

CAUSTIC

a stinging or bitter remark → mỉa mai; cay độc (lời nói)
Example: Her _ critique of the committee’s plan silenced the room and exposed flaws no one else dared mention.

CRYSTALLIZE

to give a definite form → kết tinh; làm rõ ràng
Example: Months of scattered ideas finally began to _ into a cohesive thesis.

OSMOSIS

a gradual, often unconscious assimilation → sự thẩm thấu; tiếp thu dần dần
Example: Growing up in a multilingual household allowed him to absorb new expressions by _ rather than formal study.

SEDENTARY

settled; not mobile → ít vận động; ngồi nhiều
Example: Her _ routine, dictated by long research hours, contrasted sharply with her adventurous academic fieldwork.

VIRULENT

extremely toxic or hostile → độc hại; kịch liệt
Example: The debate took a _ turn when the candidate launched personal attacks rather than addressing policy issues.

EMPIRICAL

based on observation or experience → dựa trên thực nghiệm
Example: The scientist insisted that only _ data, not speculation, could resolve the controversy.

ENTOMOLOGY

the scientific study of insects → côn trùng học
Example: His fascination with the patterns of butterfly migration eventually led him to pursue _.

GESTATE

to conceive and develop in the mind → ấp ủ; nuôi dưỡng ý tưởng
Example: She spent years quietly _ a novel that would later redefine the genre.

PARADIGM

a framework or model of thought → khuôn mẫu tư duy
Example: The discovery of quantum mechanics forced physicists to abandon an outdated _ of how matter behaves.

ENTREPRENEUR

one who organizes and runs a business → doanh nhân; người khởi nghiệp
Example: As a young _, she transformed a simple idea into a global platform.

LUCRATIVE

highly profitable → sinh lợi cao
Example: The consulting firm abandoned its public-service mission in favor of more _ corporate contracts.

EXTRAVAGANT

excessive; unrestrained → phung phí; quá mức
Example: Critics condemned the governor’s _ spending as irresponsible during an economic downturn.

AVARICE

excessive greed → lòng tham vô đáy
Example: His downfall was not incompetence but a corrosive _ that alienated even his closest allies.

GLUT / PLETHORA / SURFEIT

surplus → sự dư thừa
The market collapse resulted from a _____ of speculative investments flooding the economy.

DESTUTE / IMPOVERISHED / INDIGENT

very poor → nghèo khổ
The report detailed how _____ communities bore the brunt of environmental damage.

MUNIFICENT

extremely generous → hào phóng
Example: The foundation’s _ endowment enabled the university to expand scholarships dramatically.

PARSIMONIOUS

excessively frugal; stingy → keo kiệt
Example: His _ budgeting style undermined morale, as employees lacked even basic resources.

DEPRECIATION

a decrease in value → sự giảm giá trị
Example: The economist warned that unchecked inflation would accelerate the _ of the national currency.

REMUNERATE

to compensate; to pay → trả công; trả thù lao
Example: The firm promised to _ interns fairly, reflecting a growing movement for workplace equity.

ACCORD

a formal agreement → hiệp ước; thỏa thuận
Example: After months of negotiation, the two nations finally reached an _ that balanced security with sovereignty.

ENLIGHTEN

to inform; to shed light on → khai sáng; làm sáng tỏ
Example: The documentary sought to _ viewers about the hidden consequences of consumer waste.

APPEASEMENT

concessions made to maintain peace → nhân nhượng để xoa dịu
Example: Historians often debate whether the policy of _ delayed conflict or merely emboldened aggression.

NULLIFY

to invalidate or cancel → vô hiệu hóa
Example: The court moved to _ the law, ruling it unconstitutional.

TRIUMVIRATE

a group of three leaders → bộ ba lãnh đạo
Example: Power was concentrated in a _ that controlled every major political decision.

PRETEXT

a false or weak excuse → cái cớ
Example: The board cited “financial concerns” as a _ to remove the outspoken director.

WATERSHED

a critical turning point → bước ngoặt lịch sử
Example: The invention of the microchip marked a _ in technological development.

CONSENSUS

general agreement → sự đồng thuận
Example: Despite differing backgrounds, the panel reached a _ that reform was necessary.

AUTOCRAT / DESPOT

ruler with absolute power → nhà độc tài
Example: The _ tightened censorship laws to stifle dissent.

MANIFESTO

public declaration of beliefs or intentions → tuyên ngôn
Example: The movement’s _ called for sweeping social and economic reform.

ENFRANCHISE

to grant voting rights → trao quyền bầu cử
The amendment sought to _____ groups long excluded from the political process.

COERCE

to force through pressure → ép buộc
Example: Investigators accused the official of trying to _ witnesses into changing their statements.

EGALITARIAN

promoting equality → bình đẳng chủ nghĩa
Example: Her platform emphasized an _ distribution of educational resources.

DEMARCATION

establishing boundaries → phân định ranh giới
Example: The _ between academic inquiry and political advocacy is often difficult to maintain.

INQUISITION

intense questioning; harsh investigation → cuộc thẩm vấn gắt gao
Example: The whistleblower faced an internal _ designed to discredit her claims.

AMELIORATE

to improve → cải thiện
A series of targeted reforms began to _____ conditions in overcrowded schools.

CONTIGUOUS

sharing a boundary; adjacent → tiếp giáp
Example: The two _ regions often collaborated on environmental management.

DESICCATE

to dry out completely → làm khô kiệt
Example: Prolonged drought threatened to _ the once-fertile valley.

PERTINENT

relevant; directly related → liên quan; thích đáng
Example: She raised several _ questions that shifted the direction of the discussion.

COMPLICITY

involvement in wrongdoing → đồng lõa
Example: Journalists uncovered the corporation’s _ in covering up environmental violations.

AFFLUENT / OPULENT

Example (wealthy): The museum was funded by an _____ benefactor whose collection shaped its identity.

DISENFRANCHISE

– to take away voting rights → tước quyền bầu cử
New regulations threatened to _____ thousands of eligible voters.

EXONERATE and EXCULPATE

Both mean to free from guilt or blame

What do Benjamin Franklin Gates (National

Treasure: Book of Secrets) and Harry Potter have in

common? They both ____ members of

their families of EXECRABLE crimes. Ben

successfully EXCULPATED his great-great-grand-

father, Thomas Gates, of COMPLICITY in

the plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. Harry

successfully EXONERATED his godfather Sirius Black

of the murder of Peter Pettigrew and 12 Muggles.