1. To come, appear, or lie between two things:
e.g: You can't see the lake from there because the house intervenes.
2. To come or occur between two periods or points of time:
A year intervened between the two dynasties.
3. To occur as an extraneous or unplanned circumstance:
He would have his degree by now if his laziness hadn't intervened.
4.
a. To involve oneself in a situation so as to alter or hinder an action or development:
"Every gardener faces choices about how and how much to intervene in nature's processes" (Dora Galitzki).
b. To interfere, usually through force or threat of force, in the affairs of another nation.
5. Law To enter into a suit as a third party for one's own interests.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Viable
Viable:
1) [more viable; most viable] a : capable of being done or used : workable
a: viable solution to the problem ▪Example: He could not suggest a viable alternative/option.
b: capable of succeeding ▪Example: Is she a viable candidate? ▪ a viable method
2) technical : capable of living or of developing into a living thing ▪Example: a viable human fetus ▪ viable seeds/eggs
1) [more viable; most viable] a : capable of being done or used : workable
a: viable solution to the problem ▪Example: He could not suggest a viable alternative/option.
b: capable of succeeding ▪Example: Is she a viable candidate? ▪ a viable method
2) technical : capable of living or of developing into a living thing ▪Example: a viable human fetus ▪ viable seeds/eggs
In the nick of time
On my previous post, there is a new phrase that I learned: in the nick of time. It means 'just in time' or in the precious time. Below converstion explain more about the meaning of 'in the nick of time'
English bbc conversation:
Helen: Hello, and welcome to The English We Speak. My name is Helen.
Rob: And I'm Rob. Helen, you look like you've been rushing. Here, have some water.
Helen: Oh thanks. I'm a bit out of breath. My appointment at the bank took longer than expected.
Rob: You got here just in the nick of time then.
Helen: Just in the nick of time? Shouldn't it be just in time?
Rob: You can say both. It means at the very last moment. Let's hear how this phrase is used.
Woman 1: Alice gave birth to a baby girl last night.
Woman 2: I thought she wasn't due for another three weeks.
Woman 1: It was early and they got to the hospital just in the nick of time.
Man: Sarah and I were on our way to see Beyonce in concert. But she left her mobile in the office, so we had to go back and get it.
Woman: Did you miss the show?
Man: Thankfully not, we got there just in the nick of time.
Helen: In the first example, we heard one woman got to the hospital just before her baby was born. And in the second example, a couple nearly missed their Beyonce concert.
Rob: That would've been awful. You hear this phrase often used to suggest a disaster had been averted. If the action happened any later, then something awful could happen.
Helen: I see. I have another question – is this phrase a British expression?
Rob: I don't think the phrase 'in the nick of time' is specifically British. It originated from the UK, but English speakers from all over the world use it.
Helen: Let's listen to a few more examples then.
Man: We arrived just in the nick of time. Another five minutes, our plane would have left without us.
Woman: Sam was experimenting with stir frying last night and the wok caught fire. Luke rushed in with the fire blanket just in the nick of time.
Helen: That was close. Stir frying can get pretty hot sometimes. And it's good that Luke didn't try to put out the fire with water.
Rob: That would have been a catastrophe. So Helen, are you the kind of person who likes to do things at the very last minute?
Helen: Well, I'd like to think of myself as a person who can do things in the nick of time. Thanks for listening. Bye.
Rob: Bye.
English bbc conversation:
Helen: Hello, and welcome to The English We Speak. My name is Helen.
Rob: And I'm Rob. Helen, you look like you've been rushing. Here, have some water.
Helen: Oh thanks. I'm a bit out of breath. My appointment at the bank took longer than expected.
Rob: You got here just in the nick of time then.
Helen: Just in the nick of time? Shouldn't it be just in time?
Rob: You can say both. It means at the very last moment. Let's hear how this phrase is used.
Woman 1: Alice gave birth to a baby girl last night.
Woman 2: I thought she wasn't due for another three weeks.
Woman 1: It was early and they got to the hospital just in the nick of time.
Man: Sarah and I were on our way to see Beyonce in concert. But she left her mobile in the office, so we had to go back and get it.
Woman: Did you miss the show?
Man: Thankfully not, we got there just in the nick of time.
Helen: In the first example, we heard one woman got to the hospital just before her baby was born. And in the second example, a couple nearly missed their Beyonce concert.
Rob: That would've been awful. You hear this phrase often used to suggest a disaster had been averted. If the action happened any later, then something awful could happen.
Helen: I see. I have another question – is this phrase a British expression?
Rob: I don't think the phrase 'in the nick of time' is specifically British. It originated from the UK, but English speakers from all over the world use it.
Helen: Let's listen to a few more examples then.
Man: We arrived just in the nick of time. Another five minutes, our plane would have left without us.
Woman: Sam was experimenting with stir frying last night and the wok caught fire. Luke rushed in with the fire blanket just in the nick of time.
Helen: That was close. Stir frying can get pretty hot sometimes. And it's good that Luke didn't try to put out the fire with water.
Rob: That would have been a catastrophe. So Helen, are you the kind of person who likes to do things at the very last minute?
Helen: Well, I'd like to think of myself as a person who can do things in the nick of time. Thanks for listening. Bye.
Rob: Bye.
Mind Reading Crash Course
Stopped in the nick of time (just in time)!
This road safety system uses lasers to detect potential hazards (danger). If the driver doesn't brake, the car does.
Now a new Swiss project is looking to take things further by reading drivers' minds.
Researchers are testing its viability(workability) by monitoring brainwaves to see if they can predict the driver's next move.
The hope is technology could intervene(act on behalf of someone else) to prevent accidents.
This road safety system uses lasers to detect potential hazards (danger). If the driver doesn't brake, the car does.
Now a new Swiss project is looking to take things further by reading drivers' minds.
Researchers are testing its viability(workability) by monitoring brainwaves to see if they can predict the driver's next move.
The hope is technology could intervene(act on behalf of someone else) to prevent accidents.
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