VOA Special English: Word Bookの1500語の中で難しそうな単語

英語

昨日も書きましたが、VOA Learning Englishは、VOA Special English という1500語の簡単な英語が使われています。その単語リストは、VOA Learning EnglishのサイトにWord Bookという名前のPDFファイル形式で保管されており、簡単にダウンロードできます。

http://media.voanews.com/documents/2009Edition_WordBook.pdf:Title=VOA Special English, Word Book


VOA Learning Englishは、読み上げるスピードはゆっくりしていますし、使われている単語が1500語に限られているのですが、聞き取れない時があります。その場合、キーとなる単語の意味が分からずそれが原因になっている場合がおおくあります。ということで、1500語の単語リストをよく見ると、結構難しそうな単語もあります。例えば......


  • aggression – n. an attack against a person or country; the violation of a country’s borders　武力侵略
  • ammunition – n. the bullets or shells fired from guns　銃弾、砲弾
  • antibodies – n. special proteins produced in the blood that kill harmful bacteria 抗体、免疫体
  • artillery – n. big guns 大砲
  • asylum – n. political protection given by a government to a person from another country 難民収容所
  • chromosome – n. a line of genes; most human cells contain 46 chromosomes 染色体
  • clergy – n. a body of officials within a religious organization 聖職者
  • denounce – v. to accuse of being wrong or evil; to criticize severely 非難する
  • dissident – n. a person who strongly disagrees with his or her government 反体制派

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  • embryo – n. a human or animal in the earliest stages of its development 胚
  • enzyme – n. a special kind of protein; it produces changes in other substances without being changed itself 酵素
  • exile – v. to force a person to leave his or her country; to expel; n. a person who is forced to leave his or her country 国外追放,亡命
  • fertile – ad. rich in production of plants or animals; producing much 〔土地が〕肥えた、肥沃な
  • fetus – n. unborn young 〔人間の〕胎児
  • fission – n. a splitting; in atomic fission, the nucleus of an atom is split to produce nuclear energy 核分裂
  • genocide – n. a plan of action to kill or destroy a national, religious, racial or ethnic group 大虐殺
  • incite – v. to urge or cause an action or emotion, usually something bad or violent 奮い立たせる
  • infect – v. to make sick with something that causes disease 〔病気を〕うつす、感染させる
  • militant – n. someone active in trying to cause political change, often by the use of force or violence 過激派
  • mob – n. a large group of wild or angry people 暴徒
  • nucleic acid – n. a molecule that holds the genetic information necessary for life; there are two kinds of nucleic acid; DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid) 核酸
  • nutrient – n. a food or substance that makes plants, humans or animals grow 栄養素

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  • oppress – v. to make others suffer; to control by the use of unjust and cruel force or power 〔権力などで〕虐げる、圧迫する
  • oust – v. to force to leave; to remove by force 追い払う,〔財産・権利などを〕取り上げる
  • overthrow – v. to remove from power; to defeat or end by force 転覆させる
  • subversion – n. an attempt to weaken or destroy a political system or government, usually secretly 破壊


Some Organs of the Body

  • intestines – tubes through which food passes after it is broken down in the stomach; a part of the intestines also removes solid wastes from the body　腸
  • prostate – a part of the male reproductive system　前立腺
  • uterus – a part of the female reproductive system where a fetus develops　子宮