Academic core

a fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause is studied

现象

• Urban heat islands are a well-documented phenomenon in cities of every size.
• Researchers struggled to explain the phenomenon until better data became available.

Collocations: a natural phenomenon · a widespread phenomenon · explain a phenomenon

to make something stronger, larger, or more intense

放大；加剧

• Climate change amplifies the health risks of extreme urban heat.
• Social media can amplify a small story into a national debate.

Collocations: amplify the effect · amplify concerns · greatly amplified

a noticeable and often unfair difference between people or things

差距；不平等

• During heat waves, the disparity in tree cover becomes a matter of public health.
• The report highlights the growing disparity between urban and rural incomes.

Collocations: income disparity · a wide disparity · reduce disparities

to make something harmful or unpleasant less severe

缓解；减轻

• Planting street trees helps mitigate the urban heat island effect.
• The company took steps to mitigate the damage caused by the recall.

Collocations: mitigate the effects · mitigate risk · mitigating measures

the path or direction in which something develops over time

轨迹；发展方向

• Wind and solar power followed the opposite trajectory, rising as coal declined.
• One decision early in her career changed its entire trajectory.

Collocations: an upward trajectory · follow a trajectory · growth trajectory

small in amount or importance; at the edge of what matters

微小的；边缘的

• In 2005, renewables made a marginal contribution of just 9 terawatt-hours.
• The new policy brought only a marginal improvement in test scores.

Collocations: a marginal difference · marginal improvement · of marginal importance

to admit that something is true or valid, often reluctantly, especially in an argument

承认；让步

• Strong essays concede the opposing view before answering it.
• The minister conceded that the reforms had moved too slowly.

Collocations: concede a point · concede that · readily concede

to limit or restrict what someone or something can do

限制；约束

• Housing costs constrain where young workers can afford to live.
• The study was constrained by its small sample size.

Collocations: severely constrained · constrained by · budget constraints

widespread; existing commonly in a particular place or time

普遍的；盛行的

• Remote work is now prevalent across the technology sector.
• The disease remains prevalent in regions with poor sanitation.

Collocations: increasingly prevalent · prevalent among · highly prevalent

to balance or cancel out the effect of something

抵消；补偿

• Higher salaries in the capital are largely offset by housing costs.
• Tree planting can partially offset the heat stored by paved surfaces.

Collocations: offset the cost · partially offset · offset by

an idea or explanation for something that is not yet proven, used as a starting point for further investigation

假设

• The researchers designed an experiment to test their hypothesis about sleep and memory.
• Her initial hypothesis was later confirmed by a much larger study.
• A good hypothesis makes a prediction that can be checked against evidence.

Collocations: test a hypothesis · propose a hypothesis · support a hypothesis

happening or coming after something else

随后的；后续的

• The initial trial showed promise, and subsequent studies confirmed the result.
• Subsequent chapters explore the economic causes in more detail.
• Subsequent to the merger, the company restructured its management team.

Collocations: subsequent to · in subsequent years · subsequent research

to obtain or develop something from a particular source

源自；推导出

• Much of the country's wealth is derived from natural resources.
• Students are asked to derive the formula rather than simply memorize it.
• The term derives from a Latin word meaning 'to flow'.

Collocations: derive from · derive a formula · derive benefit

based on observation or experiment rather than theory alone

经验主义的；实证的

• The claim lacks empirical support and remains largely speculative.
• Empirical evidence from three separate trials pointed to the same conclusion.
• Good science combines theory with careful empirical testing.

Collocations: empirical evidence · empirical research · empirical data

a standard used for judging or deciding something (plural: criteria)

标准；准则

• Relevance to the topic is the most important criterion for grading the essay.
• Applicants must meet several criteria before being shortlisted.
• The main criterion for success was whether patients recovered faster.

Collocations: meet a criterion · the main criterion · selection criteria

general agreement among a group of people

共识

• There is broad scientific consensus that global temperatures are rising.
• The committee failed to reach consensus on the new curriculum.
• Building consensus among stakeholders took nearly two years.

Collocations: reach consensus · scientific consensus · broad consensus

an idea, belief, or understanding about something

观念；想法

• The notion that intelligence is fixed at birth has been widely challenged.
• Her essay questions the common notion that success requires competition.
• The notion of a paperless office has yet to become reality.

Collocations: the notion that · challenge a notion · popular notion

to combine separate ideas, facts, or substances into a single coherent whole

综合；合成

• A strong research paper synthesizes findings from multiple studies.
• The body synthesizes vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunlight.
• Her lecture synthesized decades of research into a single clear framework.

Collocations: synthesize information · synthesize findings · synthesize evidence

complete and including everything that is necessary

全面的；综合性的

• The report offers a comprehensive review of renewable energy policy.
• A comprehensive exam covers material from the entire course.
• Comprehensive health coverage remains out of reach for many families.

Collocations: a comprehensive review · comprehensive coverage · a comprehensive approach

seeming reasonable or probably true

似乎合理的；可信的

• The witness offered a plausible explanation for the delay.
• Not every plausible hypothesis turns out to be correct.
• A plausible alternative is that the decline is driven by demographics, not policy.

Collocations: a plausible explanation · highly plausible · seem plausible

a possible effect or result of an action or decision, often not stated directly

影响；含意

• The policy has serious implications for low-income families.
• Researchers considered the ethical implications of the new technology.
• One implication of the study is that earlier intervention saves money.

Collocations: have implications for · serious implications · practical implications

having more than one possible meaning; unclear

模糊的；有歧义的

• The instructions were ambiguous, so several teams interpreted the task differently.
• Legal contracts should avoid ambiguous wording wherever possible.
• Her answer remained deliberately ambiguous.

Collocations: ambiguous wording · remain ambiguous · deliberately ambiguous