Word List. Unit 3
If something is analytic, it is related to logic and reasoning.
The analytic article criticized the new plan and presented one of its own.- To assert a fact or belief means to state it with confidence.
He asserted that his mother’s cooking was better than his best friend’s. - A bachelor is an unmarried man.
Since he was a bachelor, Jason did his shopping by himself. - Calculus is an advanced type of mathematics.
By using calculus, scientists determined small changes in the stars’ brightness. - If something is celestial, it is related to the sky or to outer space.
Comets are celestial objects that are rarely seen. - If something is cognitive, it is related to learning and knowing things.
After her physical examination, her cognitive strengths were tested. - A collision is the act of two things hitting into each another.
The collision between the two cars created a loud noise. - If someone is competent, they are able to think or act successfully.
Competent employees are much better than unknowledgeable ones. - A diploma is a certificate proving that someone has completed their studies.
After four years of college, Mary finally had a diploma. - To excel at a subject or activity means to be very good at it.
jenny excels at playing the piano. - Geology is the study of the Earth’s natural structures and how they change.
Because he studied geology, he knew how the mountains were formed. - To harness something means to control and use it, usually to make energy.
The sails harness the wind in order to move. - An intellect is a person’s ability to understand things easily.
She was known for her quick and strong intellect as well as her beauty. - If someone is keen, they are intelligent.
Only the keenest of students could have solved that math problem. - Mythology is a group of stories from a particular country or region.
Egyptian mythology was the basis fora religion. - Physiology is the study of the various parts of living things.
His work in physiology helped him understand how the human body works. - If something is radioactive, then it lets out, or is related to, radiation.
Radioactive materials can be very bad for anyone’s health. - Relativity is a set of ideas about time and space developed by Albert Einstein.
Relativity teaches that light travels at the same speed in the universe. - Sociology is the study of human society, its organizations, and problems.
Sociology teaches that people’s problems are a result of their society. - If something is theoretical, it is based on theory rather than experience.
His conclusion was only theoretical and not meant to be publicized.
The Bachelor’s Lesson
A keen young bachelor had finished his studies at the university. As soon as he had received his diploma, he asserted to everyone he met that he was the smartest person in town. “I excel at everything I study,” he said, bragging about his knowledge. “I’ve mastered calculus and physiology. I even understand the great theoretical teachings of science, such as relativity. There is nothing that I don’t know. Whether it’s the movements of celestial objects, like planets and stars, or how to harness the power of radioactive substances, I know everything.”
But actually, there was something the bachelor did not know. Though his analytic abilities were great, he failed to notice he was missing something very important in his life. One day while walking through town, the bachelor witnessed a collision between two cars. Both drivers appeared to be injured, but the scholar only stood and watched. He thought to himself, “Those idiots should have been more alert. They really must not be very competent.” He never thought the drivers needed help. “Please help me,” said the female driver in a weak voice. “Help me, too,” said the male driver. “I’m hurt and can’t move.”
Suddenly the bachelor realized he was the only person nearthe accident. He quit thinking and ran to help the drivers. He carefully helped them out of their vehicles and then called an ambulance. The drivers were saved, and the bachelor felt the best he had in his entire life. Studying mythology, sociology, and geology didn’t give him this wonderful feeling. It was the act of helping others, not his cognitive skills, that gave him this great feeling. He had learned an important lesson. He learned that intellect isn’t everything; being helpful is just as important. “Having only a brain is not enough,” he thought. “You must also have a heart.”