Unit 36: Beliefs

English Vocabulary in Use Advanced » Unit 36: Beliefs

Word List

Exercises

36.1 ‣ Complete the word table. Do not fill the shaded boxes.

noun – person	noun – abstract	verb	adjective
adherent	_____	_____
convert	_____	_____	_____
radical	_____	_____	_____
_____	_____		reactionary
fanatic	_____		_____

36.2 ‣ Find words and expressions in the text in B with the following meanings.

want to achieve _____
have their roots in _____
completely get rid of _____
supporters _____
organised activities to try to achieve something_____
principle _____
campaign of protest _____

36.3 ‣ Choose the correct word in the sentences below.

A gullible person believes everything even if it is _____.
- plausible
- implausible
I don’t find his story at all _____.
- credible
- incredulous
When marking exams, try to give candidates the _____ of the doubt.
- advantage
- benefit
A fanatic is someone with a very _____ point of view.
- objective
- subjective
The law says that you must be _____ innocent until proven otherwise.
- derived
- presumed
It is better to take her promises with a pinch of _____.
- salt
- pepper
In the essay you must summarise the economic problems of this area and conclude by giving your own _____ about what the government should do to solve them.
- point of view
- tenet
The play has been _____ to Shakespeare.
- presumed
- attributed

36.4 ‣ Choose words from the box to complete the sentences below.

adherents
attribute
converts
eradicate
justified
objective
pinch
resistance
subjective

The charity aims to _____ poverty in this region within five years.
It has been said that _____ to a religion can often be much more active supporters of the religion than people who were born into it.
The group felt their protest against the unfair laws was completely _____.
The criteria for judging the Poem of the Year competition are, inevitably, to some extent _____.
Many of the self-professed _____ of this philosophy have never even read its basic texts.
Historians _____ the origins of this philosophy to Ancient Greece.
A judge must try to remain _____ and not let personal values influence his or her decisions.
The Government troops offered no _____ to the rebel takeover.
I take anything said by an election candidate with a _____ of salt.

36.5 ‣

Over to you

If you have internet access, look up a world view that interests you, e.g. feminism, Marxism, humanism, Buddhism or any -ism that you want to research. Make notes about (a) the origins of the -ism, (b) what its basic beliefs are, and (c) what differences there are between its different branches (if it has them).

Answer Key

A ‣ People and their beliefs

A ‣ People and their beliefs

person	definition	related words
adherent (of)	a person who supports a particular idea or party	adherence, to adhere to
convert (to)	someone who has taken on a new set of beliefs	conversion, to convert
fanatic	(disapproving) someone with a very strong belief that something is great	fanaticism, fanatical
radical	someone who believes there should be extreme change, often political	radicalism, to radicalise
reactionary	(disapproving) someone opposed to change or new ideas	reaction, to react

B ‣ A definition of one belief

B ‣ A definition of one belief

PACIFISM Pacifists seek to eradicate¹ violence and conflict, and they believe that war can never be justified. A key tenet² shared by proponents³ of this way of thinking is that life is precious and should never be wasted. Some pacifists’ beliefs derive from⁴ their religious views, and some pacifists go as far as to oppose violence in all forms, including in self-defence. There have been several very well-known pacifists throughout history, such as Mahatma Gandhi, who campaigned for Indian independence through using non-violent civil disobedience⁵. His success has inspired others to use peaceful resistance to achieve their goals, including Martin Luther King Jr., a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States in the 1950s and 60s.

¹ abolish or get rid of
² a principle on which a belief is based
³ person who publicly supports an opinion
⁴ have their origins in
⁵ when a group of people express disapproval of laws by refusing to obey them

C ‣ Other words and expressions relating to believing

C ‣ Other words and expressions relating to believing

Emma’s viewpoint / point of view is that we should just wait and see what happens next. [way of thinking about a situation]

The boy produced a barely credible excuse for arriving late. [believable; opp. = incredible]

I was incredulous when she told me she was quitting her job to go to New Zealand. [not wanting or able to believe something]

He’s very gullible – he believes anything you tell him. [easily tricked into believing things that may not be true]

You should try to be less subjective about the situation. [influenced by beliefs or feelings rather than facts; opp. = objective]

Can’t you find a more plausible excuse than that? [convincing; opp. = implausible]

Many scholars attribute this anonymous poem to Dante. [consider something to be caused or created by]

I presume that Meena told you what happened. [believe something to be true although you are not totally certain]

We should give her the benefit of the doubt. [accept that someone is telling the truth even though it is not certain]

You should take what he says with a pinch of salt – he’s inclined to exaggerate. [do not totally believe what you are told]

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