J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement
Classics
Classics is the study of the languages, culture, history and thought of the civilisations of ancient Greece and Rome. It is one of the most varied and interdisciplinary of all subjects. Featuring a wide range of options, the course offers the opportunity to study literature (epic, drama, historical writing, and much else), the history and archaeology of the Greek and Roman Mediterranean, philosophy (both ancient and modern), and linguistics.
commencement
a ceremony during which degrees or diplomas are given to students who have graduated from a school or college
ruby
a deep red stone that is used in jewelry. ["I found out I had friends whose value was truly above the price of ___."]
account
a description of an event or situation: a story or report about something. ["personal/firsthand/eyewitness accounts from the war"]
agoraphobia
a fear of being in open or public places
address
a formal speech. ["She was asked to give/deliver a formal ___ at the ceremony."]
anvil
a heavy iron block on which heated metal is shaped by hitting it with a hammer
setback
a problem that makes progress more difficult or success more likely. ["Despite some early ___, they eventually became a successful company."]
knack
an ability, talent, or special skill needed to do something. ["They have a ___ for telling interesting stories."]
quirck
an unusual habit or way of behaving.
ultimately
at the end of a process, period of time, etc. ["He ___ (=finally, eventually) agreed to the deal."]
wholly
completely or fully
inadvertently
doing something without realizing or wanting to; unintentionally
hasty
done or made very quickly. ["We don't want to make any ___ decisions."]
giddy
extremely happy and excited
quixotic
hopeful or romantic in a way that is not practical. ["They had ___ dreams/visions about the future."]
when it came to securing the keys to an executive bathroom.
in order to make a bunch of money/to get a great job with all the perks and benefits like a private bathroom and a jet.
to slip off
live quickly and quietly. ["She ___ to go see her boyfriend before her parents could protest."]
lone
not having a partner (such as a husband or wife). [ a ___ father/mother/parent"]
inessential
not needed: not essential. ["Failure meant a stripping away of the ___."]
humble
not proud: not thinking of yourself as better than other people. ["Despite all his achievements, he has remained humble."]
unruffled
not upset or disturbed
hardship
pain and suffering
willful
refusing to change your ideas or opinions or to stop doing something
paradox
something, such as a situation, that is made up of two opposite things and that seems impossible but is actually true or possible. ["It is a paradox that computers need maintenance so often, since they are meant to save people time."]
caprice
sudden change of behavior.
outspoken
talking in a free and honest way about your opinions. ["My father was an outspoken critic of the war."]
vicissitudes
the many changes or problems that happen over time.
temerity
the quality of being confident and unafraid of danger or punishment especially in a way that seems rude or foolish. ["No one has the temerity (=audacity) to disagree with her."]
contentment
the state of being happy and satisfied: the state of being content; [He believes that people can find peace and ___ in living simply."] ["There was a look of perfect ___ on her face."]
to attain
to accomplish and achieve something. to succeed in getting or doing something. ["She refused to let the injury keep her from ___ her goal of being in the Olympics."] ["Failure gave me an inner security that I had never ___ by passing examinations."]
to steer
to control the direction in which something, such as a ship, car, or airplane, moves
to shatter
to damage something very badly. ["His dreams were ___ by their rejection."]
to come out ahead
to end up with a profit, benefit, or advantage
to endure
to experience pain or suffering for a long time. ["He ___ five years as a prisoner of war."]
strike a balance
to find a satisfactory compromise between two extremes.
to ditch
to get rid of something
to inoculate
to give a person or animal a weakened form of a disease in order to prevent infection by the disease; to vaccinate. ["All the children have been inoculated against smallpox."]
to scort
to go with someone or something to give protection or guidance. ["He escorted (=guided, led) me to the library upstairs."]
to entail
to have something as a part, step, or result. ["The procedure ___ (=carry) certain risks."]
to squint
to look at something with your eyes partly closed. ["She had ___ to read the small print."] ["They were squinting into the sun."]
to ennoble
to make someone or something better or more worthy of admiration. ["Poverty is not an ennobling experience."]
to extol
to praise someone or something highly. ["The health benefits of exercise are widely ___."]
to strip away
to remove something that covers a surface: to pull pieces of a covering away from a surface.
to scuttle
to run with quick steps, to hurry
to rack my mind
to search your mind, try very hard to think of something.
cast your mind back
to think about something that happened in the past, but which you might not remember very well, and to try to remember as much as possible.
to envision
to think of something that you believe might exist or happen in the future: to picture (something) in your mind. ["The inventor envisioned many uses for his creation.
to collude
to work with others secretly especially in order to do something illegal or dishonest. ["He is accused of colluding with criminals."]
to scribble
to write something quickly and in a way that makes it difficult to read. ["Students ___ furiously as the professor lectured."]
petty
unimportant. ["Poverty means a thousand ___ humiliations and hardships."]
arguably
used to say that a statement is very possibly true even if it is not certainly true.
hard put
used to say that it is difficult to do something. ["He was ___ to describe their musical style."]
round the corner
very near here
exquisite
very sensitive or fine
uneasy
worried or unhappy about something