5 more English vocab words (4)

 

to jinx yourself – to do something that brings bad luck onto yourself. i.e. Two days ago I wrote on Facebook that my relationship with my girlfriend was super strong and we would love each other forever. The next day we had a huge argument and broke up. I totally jinxed myself by saying we would love each other forever. Or: I bought a new car last week and then I learned that I am not going to receive the bonus I expected. I jinxed myself by buying that car!

to execute someone – this is when the government kills a criminal who has committed a serious crime. i.e. The state of Texas recently executed a man who had killed an entire family after robbing them (stealing money from them). Or: In the USA a person can only be executed for murder or for betraying the USA to a foreign government (helping a foreign government to gain secrets about the USA).

a tragedy – this usually means someone or some people who were innocent died in an unnecessary way. i.e. It was a real tragedy that several Chinese immigrants died in a truck as they were being illegally transported into England. Or: September 11^th 2001 is a tragedy that no New Yorker will ever forget. 3,000 innocent people died in a terrorist attack.

to suffocate – to die because of a lack of air. i.e. The Chinese people who died in the truck in England may have suffocated due to the container they were in, or they may have frozen to death because it was a refrigeration container. Or: In the tragedy of the Kursk submarine, many sailors suffocated when the submarine dropped to the bottom of the ocean and it could not be brought back to the surface. (A submarine is a ship that travels underwater – about 10 years ago a Russian submarine called the Kursk had an explosion and dropped to the bottom of the ocean. Most sailors suffocated.)

a good cause (or: a cause) – this is an organized effort to improve something in the world. i.e. I like to donate money each year to a good cause. Last year I gave money to a program for orphans and the year before I donated to the cause of protecting the environment. Or: In the 1970s many women joined the cause of women’s rights. Or: In the 1980s in the USA gay rights became a major cause leading to equal rights for gay people in America’s cities. Or: I am going to donate money for research into how to end cancer. This is a good cause I want to support.