1. defile
verb
- to make something dirty or no longer pure, especially something that people consider important or holy玷污
e.g. Many victims of burglary feel their homes have been defiled.
noun:
- a narrow way through mountains峡谷
2. perch
verb：
- (of a bird)to land and stay on a branch, etc.栖息在树枝上
e.g.A robin was perching on the fence.
- to sit or to make somebody sit on something, especially on the edge of it坐在边沿
e.g. My father used to perch me on the front of his bike.
- to be placed on the top or the edge of something
e.g. The hotel perched precariously on a steep hillside.
noun:
- a place where a bird rests, especially a branch or bar for this purpose, for example in a bird’s cage栖息地
- a high seat or position高处
e.g. He watched the game from his precarious perch on top of the wall.
3. scanty
adj:
- too little in amount for what is needed不足的
e.g. His theory is based on rather scanty evidence.
- (of clothes)very small and not covering much of your body衣服过少
4. outpost
noun:
- a small military camp away from the main army, used for watching an enemy’s movements, etc. 前哨，警戒部队
- a small town or group of buildings in a lonely part of a country边区村落
e.g. the last outpost of civilization
5. countenance
noun:
- a person’s face or their expression面孔，表情
e.g. a young man of handsome countenance
verb:
- to support something or agree to something happening表示赞同
e.g. The committee refused to countenance his proposals.
6. prophecy
noun：
- a statement that something will happen in the future, especially one made by somebody with religious or magic powers预言
e.g. to fulfill a prophecy(=make it come true)
- the power of being able to say what will happen in the future预言能力
e.g.She was believed to have the gift of prophecy.
7. testimony
noun:
- a thing that shows that something else exists or is true证据
e.g. This increase in exports bears testimony to the successes of industry.
- a formal written or spoken statement saying what you know to be true, usually in court（法庭上的）证词
e.g. Her claim was supported by the testimony of several witnesses.
8. scrap
noun:
- a small piece of something, especially paper, cloth, etc.小片，碎片
e.g. She was just a scrap of a thing(=small and thin).
- a small amount of something无足轻重的(东西)，很少量的
e.g. It won't make a scrap of difference.
- things that are not wanted or cannot be used for their original purpose, but which have some value for the material they are made of废弃物
- a short fight or disagreement吵架
e.g. He was always getting into scraps at school.
verb:
- to cancel or get rid of something that is no longer practical or useful取消，抛弃
e.g. They had been forced to scrap plans for a new school building.
- to fight with somebody打架
e.g. The bigger boys started scrapping.
9. decrepit
adj:
- very old and not in good condition or health衰老的，老朽的
e.g. a decrepit building/vehicle
10. barbarian
noun:
- a member of a people who did not belong to one of the great civilizations(Greek, Roman, Christian)未开化的，野蛮的
e.g. barbarian invasions of the fifth century
- a person who behaves very badly and has no respect for art, education, etc.没教养的人
11. annals
noun
- an official record of events or activities year by year; historical records官方历史记录,编年史
e.g. His deeds went down in the annals of British history.
12. inscription
noun
- words written in the front of a book or cut in stone or metal题词，献词，碑文
e.g. There are no inscriptions or markings to identify the tombs
13. allude
verb
- to refer casually or indirectly; make an allusion (usually followed by to)暗指，间接提到
e.g. He often alluded to his poverty.
14. revolt
noun
- a protest against authority, especially that of a government, often involving violence; the action of protesting against authority造反，抗议
= uprising
e.g. The army quickly crushed the revolt.
verb
- to take violent action against the people in power抗议，反叛
= rebel
- to behave in a way that is the opposite of what somebody expects of you, especially in protest抗议
e.g. Teenagers often revolt against parental discipline.
- revolt somebody to make you feel horror or disgust厌恶
= disgust
e.g. She was revolted by the smell of stale beer and vomit in the room.
15. vanquish
verb
- to defeat somebody completely in a competition, war, etc.征服
= conquer
e.g.The stories are about saints vanquishing dragons and freeing captive maidens.
16. creed
noun
- a set of principles or religious beliefs信条，教义
e.g. discrimination on the basis of race, color or creed
17. reverence
noun
- a feeling of great respect or admiration for somebody/something敬畏，尊敬
e.g. The poem conveys his deep reverence for nature.
18. usurp
verb
- to take somebody’s position and/or power without having the right to do this 篡夺
e.g. The pretender tried to usurp the throne.
- to use without authority or right; employ wrongfully盗用
e.g. The magazine usurped copyrighted material.
19. banish
verb:
- to order somebody to leave a place, especially a country, as a punishment放逐，流放
= exile
e.g. The children were banished from the dining room.
- to make somebody/something go away; to get rid of somebody/something赶走，驱赶
e.g. The sight of food banished all other thoughts from my mind.
20. supremacy
noun:
- a position in which you have more power, authority or status than anyone else至高无上，最高地位
e.g. The company has established total supremacy over its rivals
