Notes on the text
Thomas Jefferson: (1743-1826), third President of the USA (1801-1809), drafted the Declaration of Independence, which was adopted and proclaimed on July 4th, 1776.
distaff side: the female branch in a family as opposed to the male
branch. The Executive branch is the legislative body of the government. Here, the distaff side means the women members of the US government, the more sentimental and moralistic part of the staff, who are fond of hurling the phrase "all men are created equal" in order to be brought to the notice of the public.
Active words
1. smart adj.- quick in movement, brisk as a smart walk;
a/ clever, quick-witted, skilful, as a smart lawyer( businessman, talker, writer); a smart idea (retort, saying, device, invention, etc.).
b/ clever, often in an impudent way, shrewd, as a smart answer (reply, etc.).
c/ bright in appearance, new looking, as a smart house (car, garden, ship, etc.).
d/ elegant, as a smart dress (hat, shoes), smart clothes (society).
a smart alec(k)- an impudent person who thinks he is clever.
smarten up~ v -to get you act together.
2. exchange n - giving one thing and receiving another in its place.
a/ in exchange; to get (give) smth in exchange (for smth);
b/ to exchange - to give one thing and receive another thing for it, as to exchange glances (views, classes, greetings, opinions, prisoners, etc.).
to exchange words (blows) - to quarrel, to fight. Syn. swap / swoop (inf.)
guilt n - the fact of having done wrong; a guilt complex.
Syn. Blame, fault.
to find fault with smb (smth) - to find smth wrong with smb.
Syn. to pick on smb responsibility for smth wrong.
through no fault of one's own.
through no fault of mine (her, his, ours, etc.).
Ant. Merits
guilty adj. - having committed a crime, having done wrong. Ant. innocent, guiltless
to be guilty of (doing) smth.; to find smb guilty (innocent).
(to have) a guilty look (smile, conscience, etc.).
to look (feel, sound, etc.) guilty.
to plead (not) guilty - (not) to admit the charge at a law-court.
4. trust n - a/ belief in the goodness, justice, strength of a person or thing
to have (put, repose) trust in smb (smth). Ant. mistrust
b/
a combination of
business
or commercial firms.
betray smb's trust; win smb's trust
to trust : a/ to have faith and confidence in.
to trust to chance (to luck); to trust to one's memory.
b/ to give into the care of
Syn. to entrust: to entrust smb with smth (fml).to give as a task or duty;
c/ to allow a person without misgivings or feeling of doubt to do smth;
to trust smb to do smth.
trustful adj. full of trust; not suspicious.
Syn. Trusting
trustingly adv in a trustful manner.
trustworthy adj - worthy of trust; reliable.
5. effect n - a/ immediate result, that which is produced by a cause;
to be of little (much, no) effect; to be to no effect.
b/ influence.
to have (produce) an effect on smb.
c/ performance, execution, as to take effect, go into effect.
to be in effect - to be in operation (of a rule or law.
to bring (carry) into effect (about a plan, a law, a decision, etc.).
d/ impression produced, as a pretty effect (of a painting); wonderful cloud effects
to be calculated for effect - to be intended to impress people.
to talk for effect - to impress the hearers.
effective adj. a/ having effect (ефективний), as effective measures, an effective action, remedy.
b/ producing a striking impression, as an effective picture (hat, scheme of decoration, etc.)
Ant. ineffective
efficient adj. competent, performing duties well, as an efficient secretary (workman, officer, army, staff of teachers, etc.)
efficiently adv.
6. to jerk - to pull or move suddenly; Ant. to shove.
Syn. to twitch - to move jerkily and usually uncontrollably, to pull at smth with a sudden jerk.
jerk n - a sudden quick pull; spasmodic movement .
physical jerks (colloq.) physical exercises. Ant. shove n- a vigorous push.
Syn. twitch n- a sudden pull or jerk, a sudden and usually uncontrollable movement of some part of the body.
jerky adv (with sudden stops and starts). Ant. smooth, even
7. to promote - a/ to give higher position or rank;
b/
to
encourage; to support; to help
to
grow or develop..
promotion n a/ advancement to higher rank;
b/ support, helping along to success
8. sound a- a/ healthy; in good condition, as a sound mind, body, heart, person, constitution; sound teeth, fruit, etc.
(as) sound as a bell - quite healthy.
safe and sound not harmful or injured.
b/ not worn out; free from injury or defect, as a sound ship, wine, wall, construction, machine, etc.
c/ dependable; reliable; free from error, as sound morals, views, people, relationships, criticism, common sense; a sound person, reason, etc.
d/ safe, as a sound economy, business, business firm, financial position, investment, etc.
e/ capable and careful; competent, as a sound lawyer, scholar, tennis player, etc.
f/ complete; thorough, as a sound whipping (thrashing, flogging), sleep, knowledge, etc.
soundly adv in a sound manner.
9. stake n - a/ that which is pledged.
to put smth at stake - to expose to the possibility of injury or loss.
to be at stake to be risked;
b/ to stake- to stake one's life on smth.
10. to look also, look here interj- used for drawing attention before making a statement, often angry.
to look about - to look in several different directions.
to look down on/upon - to have or show low opinion.
to look on - to watch instead of doing something.
to look out - to take care.
one's own look-out (infml - smb's own concern or responsibility.
to look up (infml )- a/ to find and visit someone; b/ to to respect someone.