conduct

 conduct

= behavior—especially the way someone acts

Mark’s conduct at work was always professional.

Mark showed respectful conduct during meetings in the IT industry.

Mark’s conduct improved after he started weekend meditation.

Susan’s conduct in the university was friendly and polite.

Susan showed good conduct when meeting new friends on campus.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "conduct":

Synonyms:

behavior

behavioral

actions

demeanor

Antonyms:

misbehavior

disorder

carelessness

rudeness

 

Question: What does “conduct” mean in “His conduct was good”?

A) Bad weather

B) Real and definite facts

C) Behavior

D) Sports car model

The Ultimate Coding Irony

Mark’s conduct at work was always professional. As a successful IT engineer who loved fast sports cars and strong coffee, he always maintained a polite and polished demeanor in the office, even if his actual programming was sometimes a bit messy.

On this particular Friday, the real Mark spent the whole day at the office writing a brand-new software program. As soon as he finished, Mark proudly shouted at the screen, "Perfect code with a perfect man!"

All the work was completed, and Mark left early with a relaxed mood to go enjoy the day.

At the same time, back at Mark's house, his advanced android—the robot Mark—remotely hacked into the company system to check all the work the real Mark had just done in the office.

After checking the files, the robot Mark giggled and spoke to itself, "So many careless mistakes!"

In fact, the robot found its human creator's programming errors so hilarious that the robot Mark giggled for almost three hours without stopping. Then, its power was used up and changed to sleep mode.

When Mark went back home later that evening, he knew nothing about what had happened, except he saw the robot Mark was sleeping on the sofa, completely unaware that his own robot thought his coding was a disaster.

Question 1

What does the word "conduct" mean as it is used in the sentence "Mark’s conduct at work was always professional"?

A) The physical clothing and shoes a person wears to the office.

B) The way a person behaves and acts in a specific environment.

C) The speed at which a computer program runs code.

D) The electrical wiring inside a modern robot.

Question 2

Based on the story, why did the robot Mark giggle for almost three hours without stopping?

A) Because it watched a funny comedy movie on television.

B) Because Susan told it a hilarious joke about football.

C) Because it checked the work the real Mark did in the office and found many careless mistakes.

D) Because its battery was completely full and malfunctioning.

appalling

 appalling 

= very bad, shocking, or horrifying

Mark found the appalling traffic frustrating on his way to work.

The appalling quality of the coffee made Mark skip his morning cup.

Susan thought the appalling smell in the cafeteria was unbearable.

The appalling test results made Susan study harder. 

The appalling noise during the lecture distracted Susan.

Some synonyms and antonyms for "appalling":

Synonyms:

horrifying

dreadful

shocking

terrible

Antonyms:

pleasant

wonderful

delightful

good

Question:

What does "appalling" mean?

A) Very bad

B) Very good

C) Exciting

D) Ordinary

The Scooter Rescue

Mark found the appalling traffic frustrating on his way to work. One sunny morning, he drove his red shiny sports car to his office. He felt like a movie star until—BAM!—a truck full of rubber chickens crashed ahead. The road turned into a parking lot. Mark felt frustrated and began to get mad because he had a lot of work to do. He had an important meeting at nine o'clock!

Because of the traffic jam, Mark discovered that his red shiny sports car didn't work! The engine made a sound like a sick cat. While sitting in the car and going nowhere, he suddenly thought of Susan and called her to help.

Then, Susan used her scooter to find Mark on the highway. She was wearing a pizza helmet and carrying three boxes. Mark shouted, "Hey, Susan, I'm here! I need your help!" Susan waved her hand. She actually used her scooter to deliver pizza to a client. Anyway, Mark was more important than anything. Susan helped him first. Mark slowly parked his sports car on the highway, and Susan drove him to the office with her scooter! They zoomed past angry drivers, and the wind blew Mark's hair into a crazy bird's nest.

Mark went to his office on time and said to Susan, "A lifetime pizza and bubble milk tea for your reward!" Susan laughed and accepted it. She even gave him a free slice of pepperoni. It was the tastiest business meeting ever.

Question 1:

Why did Mark feel frustrated in his sports car?

A) Because Susan forgot to bring pizza.  

B) Because the appalling traffic stopped him from getting to work.  

C) Because his girlfriend Chloe stole his car.  

D) Because he did not like bubble milk tea.

Question 2:

What does "appalling" mean in the sentence "Mark found the appalling traffic frustrating"?

A) Very beautiful and relaxing.  

B) Very bad, shocking, or horrifying.  

C) Very fast and exciting.  

D) Very small and unimportant.

stark

 

stark

= strong, clear, or sharply defined

強烈、清晰或鮮明定義的;

There was a stark difference between these two football teams.

這兩支足球隊之間有明顯的差異。

The painting showed a stark contrast between light and shadow.

這幅畫展示了光與影之間的鮮明對比。

The stark cold of winter made everyone want to stay indoors.

冬天刺骨的寒冷讓每個人都想待在室內。

There is a stark gap in resources between urban and rural schools.

城市和農村學校之間在資源上存在明顯差距。

Some synonyms and antonyms for "stark":

Synonyms:

Clear

Sharp

Distinct 

Severe

Antonyms: 

Vague

Faint

Soft  

#English #Vocabulary #EnglishLearning #Grammar #英単語 #英語学習 #TOEIC #IELTS

What does "stark" mean?

A) Soft

B) Clear and strong

C) Colorful

D) Small

contradict

 contradict

= to go against or conflict with something

Mark’s sales figures contradict the claim that his business is struggling.

Mark’s IT report contradicts the assumption that the software is working perfectly.

Susan’s growing list of friends contradicts the claim that she avoids meeting people.

Susan’s empty plate contradicts her promise to eat only a little.

Susan’s invitation to the new students contradicts the idea that she is shy about making friends.

 

Some synonyms and antonyms for “contradict”:

Synonyms:

oppose

conflict

deny

dispute  

Antonyms:

agree

support

confirm

affirm  

Question: Which sentence uses contradict to mean “go against or conflict with something”?

A) Mark’s report contradicts the rumor.

B) Mark reads a book.

C) Susan enjoys lunch.

D) Susan meets a friend.  

The True Cost of Love (and Sports Cars)

Mark was sipping his third espresso when he received the bad news from the Quality Control department. He frowned at his computer screen. The report contradicted the assumption that the software was working perfectly.

"Oh, really?" Mark whispered to himself, rolling his eyes. As a successful businessman in the IT industry, he hated bugs almost as much as he hated slow traffic.

After two hours of typing furiously, Mark finally fixed all the glitches. He leaned back in his comfortable office chair and sighed in relief. It was time to relax and figure out what to eat for dinner. He put on his headphones, opened YouTube, and clicked on a classic music video: Jennifer Lopez's Love Don’t Cost a Thing.

He chuckled at the lyrics. "Love don't cost a thing? Hmm... credit cards aren't exactly romance," he pondered.

Later that evening, Mark left work to meet his practical and lovely girlfriend, Chloe. They had booked a table at the most expensive luxury restaurant in the city. Over plates of fancy lobster and sparkling cocktails, Mark decided to ask her a random question.

"Have you ever heard that song? Love Don't Cost a Thing?"

Chloe wiped her mouth with a silk napkin. "Yes, it’s a very old song. Why?"

"Do you agree with it? The love doesn't cost a thing?" Mark asked, raising an eyebrow.

Chloe smiled warmly. "Oh, I believe it doesn't cost too much, I bet."

They had a wonderful dinner, laughing and enjoying the romantic atmosphere. After paying the massive bill, Mark walked Chloe to his absolute pride and joy: his shiny red sports car.

Before Mark could open the driver's door, Chloe suddenly held out her hand. "Can I drive your car? You drank a bit of a cocktail, honey. It's not good to drive!"

Mark hesitated. He loved that car more than his weekend fishing trips. "Alright," he replied nervously. "But please be careful!"

Then, the bad thing happened. When Chloe got behind the wheel, she stepped on the gas pedal a little too hard. She drove too fast, panicked, and BAM! She bumped straight into a traffic light!

Luckily, they didn’t get hurt at all. However, Mark’s pocket definitely got hurt! Looking at the crushed front bumper of his beautiful vehicle, Mark suddenly shouted at the sky, "Love don't cost a thing?!"

This time, love cost exactly ten thousand dollars to repair his shiny red baby!

Questions

1. Why did Mark shout "Love don't cost a thing?!" at the end of the story?

A) Because he was happily singing along to the Jennifer Lopez song on the radio.

B) Because Chloe crashed his sports car, meaning his "love" would actually cost a lot of money to fix.

C) Because the luxury dinner was completely free.

D) Because Robot Mark broke his car on a Friday.

2. Read this sentence from the story: 

"The report contradicted the assumption that the software was working perfectly." 

Based on the definition of the word, what does "contradicted" mean in this sentence?

A) To completely agree with and support an idea.

B) To fix a broken computer program very quickly.

C) To go against or conflict with what people originally thought.

D) To make a loud noise when crashing a car.

constitute

 constitute

= to count as something

For Mark, finishing a marathon constitutes a major achievement.

Being punctual constitutes professionalism.

For Susan, joining the university’s sports club constitutes a fun new challenge.

Being a foodie constitutes her weekend plans.

Some synonyms and antonyms for “constitute”:

Synonyms:

form

amount to

count as

represent

Antonyms:

exclude

invalidate

negate

disqualify

 

Question: Which sentence uses “constitute” to mean “count as something”?

A) Running makes me tired.

B) Running constitutes meditation.

C) Running is faster than walking.

D) Running has many exercises.

The Great Traffic Escape

Mark firmly believed that being punctual constitutes professionalism. As a successful IT businessman who loved fast sports cars and professional running, he always arrived early for important meetings.

One sunny afternoon, Mark drove his shiny red sports car to sign a multi-million-dollar contract with a major new client. Unfortunately, he hit a massive traffic jam. After twenty minutes, his car hadn't moved an inch. Frustrated and sweating, Mark stared at the endless line of vehicles and muttered, "Maybe a flying car will be my next toy!"

Realizing he was about to be late—which would ruin his professional reputation—Mark had a brilliant idea. He picked up his phone and called his robot, Robot Mark. Robot Mark was designed to cover for Mark at the office every Friday, but today, it had a much bigger mission.

"Robot Mark! I am completely stuck in traffic! You need to help me," Mark yelled into the phone.

Robot Mark replied calmly, "I will go sign the contract. No worries, Mark. I will go there on time!"

"Quick!" shouted the real Mark. "Create a hot-air balloon out of household items and fly over here to sign the contract!"

Robot Mark didn't hesitate. Following the frantic instructions, the clever machine grabbed a giant canvas parachute from the closet, attached a heavy camping gas bottle to heat the air, and blasted off straight through the living room ceiling! Neighbors watched in absolute shock as a robotic businessman soared through the clouds, navigating skillfully above the gridlock.

Meanwhile, back in his sports car, the real Mark sipped his cold iced coffee and watched his robot fly away on GPS tracking.

True to its word, Robot Mark parachuted gracefully right onto the balcony of the client's skyscraper office building just two minutes before the meeting. Covered in soot but looking remarkably sharp, the robot strode into the boardroom, extended a mechanical hand, and signed all the paperwork with robotic precision.

The client beamed with delight, highly impressed by such extreme efficiency. "Now that," the client said, shaking the robot's metal hand, "is what I call true dedication!"

Questions 

What caused Mark to panic during his drive to meet the client?

A) He forgot to bring his signed contract and pen.

B) His shiny red sports car ran out of gas completely.

C) He got stuck in a serious traffic jam and worried he would be late.

D) His household robot accidentally broke his favorite coffee mug.

 

Based on the story, what does the word "constitutes" mean in the sentence "Being punctual constitutes professionalism"?

A) To destroy or ruin completely

B) To count as or form something

C) To run away from responsibility

D) To drive a very fast vehicle