学习词根---Unit 6.1
上周末的答案：
1. g 2. i 3. a 4. o 5. b 6. n 7. m 8. k 9. c 10. e 11. f 12. d 13. h 14. j 15. l
今天将学习EQU和QUIS两个词根。
EQU. 源自拉丁词语aequus, 意为"equal." To equalize means to make things equal. Things that are equivalent have the same value, use, or meaning. All three sides of an equilateral triangle are of the same length. And an equation (for instance, 21+47=68) is a statement that two mathematical expressions are equal.
equable. (1) Tending to remain calm. (2) Free from harsh changes or extreme variation.
例句：Her friends thought it odd that such an equable woman had married a man so moody and unpredictable.
Equable usually describes either climate or personality. The word seems to be used less today than in decades past, maybe because the personality type is less admired than it used to be. A steady, calm, equable personality may not produce much excitement but usually makes for a good worker and a good parent, and maybe even a longer life. In the words of the poet Robert Service:"Avoid extremes: be moderate / In saving and in spending. / An equable and easy gait / Will win an easy ending."
adequacy. Being equal to some need or requirement.
例句：Environmentalists doubt the adequacy of these regulations to protect the wilderness areas.
When we question the adequacy of health-care coverage, or parking facilities, or school funding, we're asking if they are equal to our need. The adjective adequate means "enough" or "acceptable" -- though in sentences like "His performance was adequate," it really means "no better than acceptable."
equilibrium. (1) A state in which opposing forces are balanced so that one is not stronger or greater than the other. (2) A state of emotional balance or calmness.
例句：The news had come as a shock, and it took him several minutes to recover his equilibrium.
Equilibrium contains a root from the Latin libra, meaning "weight" or "balance." As a constellation, zodiac symbol, and astrological sign, Libra is usually pictured as a set of balance scales, often held by the blindfolded goddess of justice, which symbolizes equality, and justice. Equilibrium has special meanings in biology, chemistry, physics, and economics, but in all of them it refers to the balance of competing influences.
equinox. A day when day and night are the same length.
例句：She and her friends got together for an equinox party party twice a year to celebrate the arrival of the fall and the spring.
If you know that nox means "night" in Latin, it's not hard to remember the meaning of equinox. There are two equinoxes in the year: the spring equinox, around March 21, and the fall equinox, around September 23. The equinoxes are contrasted with the solstices, when the sun is farthest north and south of the equator. The summer solstice occurs around June 22 (the longest day of the year), the winter solstice around December 22 (the shortest day).
Quis. 源自拉丁动词，意为'to seek or obtain." The root quer, quir, and ques are derived from the same Latin verb and give us words such as inquiry and question.
inquisition. A questioning or examining that is often harsh or severe.
例句：The President's first choice for the job turned him down, fearing the Senate hearings would turn into an inquisition into her past.
While an inquiry can be almost any search for truth, the related word inquisition suggests a long, thorough investigation that involves extensive and harsh questioning. Though the two words originally had about the same meaning, today inquisition tends to remind us of the Spanish Inquisition, an ongoing trial conducted by church-appointed inquisitors that began in the Middle Ages and sought out nonbelievers, Jews, and Muslims, thousands of whom were sentenced to torture and to burning at the stake.
perquisite. (1) A privilege or profit that is provided in addition to one's base salary. (2) Something claimed as an exclusive possession or right.
例句：A new car, a big house, and yearly trips to Europe were among the perquisites that made the presidency of Wyndam College such an attractive position.
Though the Latin source of perquisite originally meant "something insistently asked for," the "ask" meaning has mostly vanished from the English word. A perquisite, often called simply a perk, is instead something of value that the holder of a particular job or position is entitled to, usually without even asking. The President of the United States, for instance, enjoys as perquisites the use of Camp David and Air Force One. Perhaps because perquisites are usually available to only a small number of people, the word sometimes refers to non-job-related privileges that are claimed as exclusive rights.
acquisitive. Eager to acquire; greedy.
例句：With each year the couple became more madly acquisitive, buying jewelry, a huge yacht, and two country estates.
Unlike most tribal peoples and the populations of some older countries, we Americans live in an acquisitive society, a society devoted to getting and spending. And America often makes successfully acquisitive people into heroes; even Ebenezer Scrooge, that model of miserly greed and acquisitiveness, was once defended by a White House chief of staff. An acquisitive nation may seek to acquire other territories by force. But mental acquisition of specialized knowledge or skills--or new vocabulary!--doesn't deprive others of the same information.
requisition. A demand or request (such as for supplies) made with proper authority.
例句：The teachers had grown impatient with having to submit a requisition for even routine classroom supplies.
Requisition was originally a noun but is now probably more common as a verb. So we either can speak of sending our office's purchasing department a requisition for computers, or of requisitioning more computers from the department. The word has an official sound to it. However, one of Hollywood's bittersweet love stories begins when Omar Sharif, playing a World War II freedom fighter, says to Ingrid Bergman, who is the owner of a stately old yellow Rolls Royce, "I've come to requisition your car."
Quiz:
Indicate whether the following pairs of terms have the same or different meanings: (Same or Different)
1. equilibrium / weight
2. inquisition / curiosity
3. equable / steady
4. perquisite / salary
5. equinox / May Day
6. acquisitive / greedy
7. requisition / requirement
8. adequacy / surplus
