Level 2 Group 2 – Class Notes – 8th October Level 2 Group 1 12th October

Objectives

Moral dilemmas
what is character
writing a description using the personality words we have used in the past couple of lessons
Using past simple, present simple & present perfect in a piece of writing
practice proof-reading
watch the exam video and practice discussion and listening

moral adjective

UK /ˈmɒr.əl/ US /ˈmɔːr-/

B2 relating to the standards of good or bad behaviour, fairness, honesty, etc. that each person believes in, rather than to laws:It’s her moral obligation to tell the police what she knows.It is not part of a novelist’s job to make a moral judgment.She was the only politician to condemn the proposed law on moral grounds (= for moral reasons).

dilemma noun [C]

UK US /daɪˈlem.ə/ /dɪ-/

B2 a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two different things you could do:The president is clearly in a dilemma about/over how to tackle the crisis.She faces the dilemma of disobeying her father or losing the man she loves.a moral/ethical dilemma

genetics noun [U]

UK /dʒəˈnet.ɪks/ US /-ˈnet̬-/

B2 the study of how, in all living things, the characteristics and qualities of parents are given to their children by their genes

dreadlocks noun [plural]

UK /ˈdred.lɒks/ US /-lɑːks/ (informaldreads )

› a hairstyle in which the hair hangs in long thick twistedpieces

ginger noun (SPICE)

› [U] the spicy root of a tropical plant that is used in cooking or preserved in sugar:ground (= powdered) gingercrystallized gingerginger biscuits/cake

ginger noun (COLOUR)

› [U] UK a red or orange-brown colour

congregation noun [C, + sing/pl verb]

UK /ˌkɒŋ.ɡrɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/ US /ˌkɑːŋ-/

› a group of people who have come together in a religiousbuilding for worship and prayer:The priest asked the congregation to kneel.

nationalism noun [U]

UK US /ˈnæʃ.ən.əl.ɪ.zəm/ /ˈnæʃ.nə.lɪ-/

› a nation’s wish and attempt to be politically independent› a great or too great love of your own country:The book documents the rise of the political right with itsaccompanying strands of nationalism and racism.

patriot noun [C]

UK /ˈpæt.ri.ət/ /ˈpeɪ.tri-/ US /ˈpeɪ.tri.ɑːt/

› a person who loves their country and, if necessary, will fightfor it

hedonism noun [U]

UK US /ˈhed.ən.ɪ.zəm/

› living and behaving in ways that mean you get as much pleasure out of life as possible, according to the belief that the most important thing in life is to enjoy yourself

hedonist

noun [C] UK US /-ɪst/

hedonistic

adjective UK US /ˌhed.ənˈɪs.tɪk/

materialism noun [U]

UK /məˈtɪə.ri.ə.lɪ.zəm/ US /-ˈtɪr.i-/

materialism noun [U] (MONEY)

C2 the belief that having money and possessions is the most important thing in life:So have we become a self-centred society, preoccupied with materialism?

materialism noun [U] (PHYSICAL)

› specialized social sciences, religion the belief that only physical matter exists and the spiritual world does not

obstinate adjective

UK /ˈɒb.stɪ.nət/ US /ˈɑːb.stə-/

› unreasonably determined, especially to act in a particular way and not to change at all, despite what anyone else says:He can be very obstinate at times.her obstinate refusal to compromise› [before noun] used to describe a problem, situation, or thing that is difficult to deal with, remove, or defeat:obstinate weedsInvading troops met with obstinate resistance by guerrilla forces.

desperate adjective

UK /ˈdes.pər.ət/ US /-pɚ-/

desperate adjective (SERIOUS)

C2 very serious or bad:desperate povertya desperate shortage of food/suppliesThe situation is desperate – we have no food, very little water and no medical supplies.› very great or extreme:The earthquake survivors are in desperate need of help.He has a desperate desire to succeed.

dispirited adjective

UK /dɪˈspɪr.ɪ.tɪd/ US /-t̬ɪd/

› not feeling much hope about a particular situation or problem:The troops were dispirited and disorganized.

dispiriting

adjective UK /-tɪŋ/ US /-t̬ɪŋ/

›It was a bit dispiriting to see so few people at the meeting.

personality noun

UK /ˌpɜː.sənˈæl.ə.ti/ US /ˌpɝː.sənˈæl.ə.t̬i/

personality noun (CHARACTER)

B2 [C or U] the type of person you are, shown by the way you behave, feel, and think:She has a very warm personality.He is well qualified for the job, but he does lack personality (= he is a boring person).

More examples

personality noun (FAMOUS PERSON)

B2 [C] a famous person:The show is hosted by a popular TV personality.

character noun

UK /ˈkær.ɪk.tər/ US /ˈker.ɪk.tɚ/

character noun (QUALITY)

B1 [C or U] the particular combination of qualities in a person or place that makes them different from others:Politeness is traditionally part of the British character.It would be very out of character (= not typical) of her to lie.One of the joys of being a parent is watching the child’s character develop

xenophobia noun [U]

UK /ˌzen.əˈfəʊ.bi.ə/ US /-ˈfoʊ-/

C2 extreme dislike or fear of foreigners, their customs, their religions, etc.

xenophobic

adjective UK US

spiritual adjective

UK US /ˈspɪr.ɪ.tju.əl/

B2 relating to deep feelings and beliefs, especially religious beliefs:Traditional ways of life fulfilled both economic and spiritual needs.

spiritualism noun [U]

UK US /ˈspɪr.ɪ.tju.əl.ɪ.zəm/

› the belief that living people can communicate with people who have died

spiritualist

noun [C]

values plural noun

US /ˈvæl·juz/

› the principles that help you to decidewhat is right and wrong, and how to act in various situations:The political platform is based on traditional values associated with the rural South.

self-conscious adjective

UK /ˌselfˈkɒn.ʃəs/ US /-ˈkɑːn-/

C1 nervous or uncomfortable because you are worried about what peoplethink about you or your actions:He looked uncomfortable, like a self-conscious adolescent.

More examples

self-consciously

adverb

narcissist noun [C]

UK /ˈnɑː.sɪ.sɪst/ US /ˈnɑːr.sə-/

› someone who has too much admiration for himself or herself

narcissistic

adjective UK /ˌnɑː.sɪˈsɪs.tɪk/ US /ˌnɑːr.sə-/

›a narcissistic personality