The World of Words: Vocabulary for College Success ... - eLibrary

Words to Learn 456. catastrophe (noun) kß-tǎstrß-fēa great disasterA 2008 earthquake in southwest China was a catastrophethat killed over 70,000 people.The computer worm was a catastrophe that shut downsystems worldwide. Related Wordcatastrophic (adjective) (kǎtß-strŏf-ĭk) Cheating can havecatastrophic effects on a student’s career.7. corroborate (verb) kß-rŏbß-rātto confirm; to make more certainFive eyewitnesses corroborated the police report.The White House press secretary corroborated rumorsthat the president was visiting troops in Afghanistan. Related Wordscorroboration (noun) Not even one report of an alienspaceship landing on Earth has received scientificcorroboration.corroborative (adjective) We need corroborative evidence forthis statement.Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.The Loch Ness Monster: Looking for CorroborationMore than 1,500 years ago, someone walking by Loch Ness (loch means“lake”) in Scotland claimed to have seen a strange creature coming out ofthe water. It looked like a combination of a snake and a dinosaur. Sincethen, there have been thousands of reports of the Loch Ness monster. In2003, the British Broadcasting Company sent researchers to determinewhether the legend was true. Despite the use of satellite navigation and600 sonar beams, they could not corroborate the existence of the monster.So it doesn’t exist, or does it . . . ?8. diplomacy (noun) dĭ-plōmß-sēa. official international relationsSuccessful diplomacy led to the release of the hostages.b. tact; skill in dealing with people without causing anger orembarrassmentIt can be difficult to combine honesty and diplomacy.