Topic Of The Day:-“Winter cheer: on politics around the 2018 Winter Olympics”
The Russian doping scandal continues to cast a long shadow over international sport as the 2018 Winter Olympics begin in PyeongChang, South Korea, on February 9. In December, the International Olympic Committee banned Russia from competing in the Games following investigation into an alleged state-sponsored doping programme at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The decision to ban Russia came after the IOC’s Disciplinary Commission, headed by former president of the Swiss Confederation Samuel Schmid, confirmed “systemic manipulation of the anti-doping rules and system in Russia”. The IOC had stated, however, that clean Russian athletes would be allowed to compete as neutrals and last month invited 169 of them — each to be known as Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR) — to participate in the PyeongChang Games. The announcement did not go down well outside Russia, even though the IOC declared that “more than 80%” of those athletes had not competed in Sochi and had been carefully vetted. That the OAR will form one of the largest contingents at the Games, although there will be no place for the Russian flag and anthem, makes the ‘ban’ seem a bit of a farce. Further, Russian athletes could be allowed to march under their own flag at the closing ceremony if they comply with the IOC’s conditions during the Games. There is a sense that the IOC is not able to punish a sporting superpower like Russia. Last week, there was more outrage after the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned lifetime bans on 28 Russian athletes sanctioned by the IOC following the investigation into Sochi 2014. The IOC expressed its own frustration at the decision, noting that it “may have a serious impact on the future fight against doping”. Proceedings in PyeongChang over the next fortnight will be watched keenly also for other reasons. The little-known host city, which sits some 80 km from the border with North Korea, will bear witness to on-field displays of bonhomie between the neighbours. The two nations will march together at the opening ceremony under a flag representing a unified Korea, and will field a combined women’s ice hockey team. The joint team lost to Sweden in a practice game this week and there are questions over how the two sets of players will get along, but with supporters of both countries cheering their side on together in a time of escalating political tensions, scorecards seem immaterial. North Korea has agreed to field 22 athletes in three sports and five disciplines and is expected to send hundreds of delegates and cheerleaders across the border. India, meanwhile, will be represented by luger Shiva Keshavan, competing in his sixth and probably last Olympics, and skier Jagdish Singh, taking part in his first. Keshavan has been the torch-bearer for winter sports in India for a long time; he will hope for a happy Olympic swansong.
MEANINGS AND WORDS
1) Reinforced
Meaning: Strengthen (an existing feeling, idea, or habit).
Example: “The next few months reinforced my opinion of Vince as a man of his word”
Synonyms: Strengthen, Fortify
2) Swamped
Meaning: Overwhelm with an excessive amount of something; inundate.
Example: “The country was swamped with goods from abroad”
Synonyms: Overwhelm, Inundate
3) Dampening
Meaning: Make less strong or intense.
Example: “Nothing could dampen her enthusiasm”
Synonyms: Lessen, Decrease
Antonyms: Heighten
4) Ceded
Meaning: Give up (power or territory).
Example: “In 1874, the islands were ceded to Britain”
Synonyms: Surrender, Concede
Antonyms: Keep, Gain
5) Erode
Meaning: Gradually destroy or be gradually destroyed.
Example: “This humiliation has eroded what confidence Jean has”
Synonyms: Wear away/down, Abrade
6) March
Meaning: (Of a country, territory, or estate) have a common frontier with.
Example: “His estate marches with yours”
7) Surplus
Meaning: An amount of something left over when requirements have been met; an excess of production or supply.
Example: “Exports of food surpluses”
Synonyms: Excess, Surfeit
Antonyms: Dearth, Shortage, Lack
8) Fillip
Meaning: Something which acts as a stimulus or boost to an activity.
Example: “The halving of car tax would provide a fillip to sales”
Synonyms: Stimulus, Boost
Antonyms: Curb
9) Tariffs
Meaning: A tax or duty to be paid on a particular class of imports or exports.
Example: “The reduction of trade barriers and import tariffs”
Synonyms: Tax, Duty
10) Precipitous
Meaning: Dangerously high or steep.
Example: “The track skirted a precipitous drop”
Synonyms: Steep, Sheer
11) Onslaught
Meaning: A fierce or destructive attack.
Example: “A series of onslaughts on the citadel”
Synonyms: Assault, Attack
12) Decimated
Meaning: Kill, destroy, or remove a large proportion of.
Example: “The inhabitants of the country had been decimated”
13) Entrants
Meaning: A person or group that enters or takes part in something.
Example: “The prize will be awarded to the entrant who wins the tiebreak”
Synonyms: New member, New arrival
Antonyms: Veteran
14) Cohort
Meaning: A group of people with a common statistical characteristic.
Example: “The 1940–4 birth cohort of women”
Synonyms: Group, Grouping
15) Retrogressive
Meaning: To return to an older and worse state.
Example: Retrogressive and disastrous policies.
16) Aspiration
Meaning: A hope or ambition of achieving something.
Example: “The needs and aspirations of the people”
Synonyms: Desire, Hope
17) Declining
Meaning: Diminish in strength or quality; deteriorate.
Example: “Her health began to decline”
Synonyms: Deteriorate, Degenerate
Antonyms: Flourish
18) Sheer
Meaning: Used to emphasize how very great, important, or powerful a quality or feeling is; nothing except.
Example: His success was due to sheer willpower/determination.
19) Claimed
Meaning: State or assert that something is the case, typically without providing evidence or proof.
Example: “The Prime Minister claimed that he was concerned about Third World debt”
Synonyms: Assert, Declare
20) Prevail
Meaning: Persuade (someone) to do something.
Example: “She was prevailed upon to give an account of her work”
Synonyms: Persuade, Induce
21) Leveraged
Meaning: Use borrowed capital for (an investment), expecting the profits made to be greater than the interest payable.
Example: “A leveraged takeover bid”
22) Mounting
Meaning: Organize and initiate (a campaign or other course of action).
Example: “The company had successfully mounted takeover bids”
Synonyms: Organize, Stage
23) Open the floodgates
Meaning: If an action or a decision opens the floodgates, it allows something to happen a lot or allows many people to do something that was not previously allowed.
Example: Officials are worried that allowing these refugees into the country will open the floodgates to thousands more.
24) Take-off
Meaning: (Of an enterprise) become successful or popular.
Example: “The newly launched electronic newspaper has really taken off”
Synonyms: Succeed, Do well
Antonyms: Fail, Flop
25) Revived
Meaning: Restore interest in or the popularity of.
Example: “Many pagan traditions are being revived”
Synonyms: Reintroduce, Re-establish
Antonyms: Abolish
26) Doping
Meaning: Administer drugs to (a racehorse, greyhound, or athlete) in order to inhibit or enhance sporting performance.
Example: “The horse was doped before the race”
Synonyms: Drug
27) Scandal
Meaning: An action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage.
Example: “A bribery scandal involving one of his key supporters”
Synonyms: Outrageous wrongdoing, outrageous behaviour
28) Alleged
Meaning: Said, without proof, to have taken place or to have a specified illegal or undesirable quality.
Example: “The alleged conspirators”
Synonyms: Supposed, So-called
29) Vetted
Meaning: Make a careful and critical examination of (something).
Example: “Proposals for vetting large takeover bids”
Synonyms: Screen, Assess
30) Contingents
Meaning: A group of people sharing a common feature, forming part of a larger group.
Example: “A contingent of Japanese businessmen attending a conference”
Synonyms: Group, Party
31) Farce
Meaning: An event or situation that is absurd or disorganized.
Example: “The debate turned into a drunken farce”
Synonyms: Absurdity, Mockery
32) Ceremony
Meaning: A formal religious or public occasion, especially one celebrating a particular event, achievement, or anniversary.
Example: “The winners were presented with their prizes at a special ceremony”
33) Comply
Meaning: Act in accordance with a wish or command.
Example: “We are unable to comply with your request”
Synonyms: Observe, Obey
Antonyms: Ignore, Disobey
34) Frustration
Meaning: The feeling of being upset or annoyed as a result of being unable to change or achieve something.
Example: “Tears of frustration rolled down her cheeks”
Synonyms: Exasperation, Annoyance
Antonyms: Satisfaction
35) Fortnight
Meaning: (Preceded by a specified day) used to indicate that something will take place two weeks after that day.
36) Keenly
Meaning: In an eager or enthusiastic manner.
Example: “One of this year’s most keenly anticipated movies”
37) Bonhomie
Meaning: Cheerful friendliness; geniality.
Example: “He exuded good humour and bonhomie”
Synonyms: Geniality, Congeniality
Antonyms: Coldness
38) Escalating
Meaning: Increase rapidly.
Example: “The price of tickets escalated”
Synonyms: Increase rapidly, Soar
Antonyms: Plunge
39) Immaterial
Meaning: Unimportant under the circumstances; irrelevant.
Example: “The difference in our ages is immaterial”
Synonyms: Irrelevant, Unimportant
Antonyms: Important, Significant
40) Luger
Meaning: A type of German automatic pistol.
Example: “He frowned and turned toward it, automatically reaching for the Luger he carried with him at all times”
