Day 21. Reading Passage 3 (Examining the placebo effect) Word list 1 Fall behind (phr verb) - fail to keep up with one’s competitors.
Example: “Britain has fallen behind in the space business” 2 Rival (n) (C1
) - a person, group, etc. competing with others for the same thing or in
the same area.
Example: Linux is an operating system and thus a rival to Windows. 3 Generic (n) - a product, esp. a drug, that is no longer owned or legally controlled by
a particular company.
Example: The biggest difference between the brand-name drugs and the generics is price. 4 To restore (v) - to return something or someone to an earlier good condition or
position.
Example: The government is trying to restore public confidence in its management of the economy. 5 Pre-eminence (n) - the quality of being more important or better than others.
Example: His pre-eminence in his subject is internationally recognized. 6 To hinge on something (phr verb) - to depend on something, or to need something
in order to be successful.
Example: The case hinges on the evidence o f a single eyewitness. 7 To gauge (v) - 1) to calculate an amount, especially by using a measuring device;
2) to make a judgment about something.
Example: A poll was conducted to gauge consumers’ attitudes. 8 Futility (n) - the fact of having no effect or of achieving nothing.
Example: People have got tired o f the futility of war.. 9 Breakthrough (n) (B2) - an important discovery or event that helps to improve a
situation or provide an answer to a problem.
Example: Scientists are hoping for a breakthrough in the search for a cure for cancer. 10
