jiejie"> 268. assuage : ease. lessen(pain) * Your messages of cheer should assuage her suffering. 269. assumption : something taken for granted. the taking over or taking possession of * The young princess made the foolish assumption that the regent would not object to her Assumption of power. 270. assurance : promise or pledge. certainty. self-confidence * When Gutherie gave Guiness his assurance that rehearsals were going well,he spoke with such assurance that Guiness was convinced. 274. astringent : binding. causing contraction. harsh or severe * The astringent quality of unsweetened lemon juice made swallowing difficult. 278. asylum : place of refuge or shelter. protection来源:www.100test.com * The refugees sought asylum from religious persecution in a new land. 279. asymmetric : not identical on both sides of a dividing central line * Because one eyebrow was set markedly higher than the other, William s face had a particularly asymmetric appearance. 281. atheistic : denying the existence of God * His atheistic remarks shocked the religious worshippers. 285. attenuate : make thin. weaken * By withdrawing their forces, the generals hoped to attenuate the enemy lines. 286. attest : testify. bear witness * Having served as a member of a grand jury, I can attest that our system of indicting individuals is in need of improvement. 287. attribute : essential quality * His outstanding attribute was his kindness. 288. attribute : ascribe. explain * I attribute her success in science to the encouragement she received from her parents. 292. augment : increase * How can we hope to augment our forces when our allies are deserting us? 293. augury : omen. prophecy * He interpreted the departures of the birds as an augury of evil. 294. august : impressive. majestic * Visiting the palace at Versailes, she was impressed by the august surroundings in which she found herself. 297. auspicious : favoring success * With favorable weather conditions, it was an auspicious moment to set sail 302. authoritative : having the weight of authority. dictatorial * We accepted her analysis of the situation as authoritative. 308. avarice : greed for wealth * King Midas s avarice has been famous for centuries. 309. aver : state confidently * I wish to aver that I am certain of success. 310. averse : reluctant * He was averse to revealing the sources of his information. 311. aversion : firm dislike * Their mutual aversion was so great that they refused to speak to one another. 312. avert : prevent. turn away * She averted her eyes from the dead cat on the highway. 313. aviary : enclosure for birds * The aviary at the zoo held nearly 300 birds. 315. avocation : secondary or minor occupation * His hobby proved to be so fascinating and profitable that gradually he abandoned his regular occupation and concentrated on his avocation. 316. avow : declare openly来源:www.examda.com * I must avow that I am innocent. 338. bantering : good-naturedly ridiculing * They resented his bantering remarks because they misinterpreted his teasing as sarcasm. 342. baroque : highly ornate * Accustomed to the severe, angular lines of modern skyscrapers, they found the flamboyance of baroque architecture amusing. 343. barrage : barrier laid down by artillery fire. overwhelming profusion * The company was forced to retreat through the barrage of heavy canyons. 344. barrister : counselor-at-law * Galsworthy started as a barrister, but when he found the practice of law boring, turned to writing. 346. bask : luxuriate. take pleasure in warmth * basking on the beach, she relaxed so completely that she fell asleep. 358. beguile : amuse. delude. cheat * I beguiled himself during the long hours by playing solitaire. 362. belabor : explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree. assail verbally * The debate coach warned her student not to bore the audience by belaboring his point.