Vocabulary

• at war: Engaged in a war; fighting
• look at: To use your eyes to focus on something
• of course: Sure ; Certainly
• at least: As a minimum
• start off: To begin or commence something.
• in fact: Used to emphasize the truth of a statement, especially one that contrasts with or contradicts something else.
• in power: Having control of a country or organization.
• at risk: In danger; likely to be harmed
• number of people: The total count of individuals within a group or gathering.
• eke out: To manage to live with very little money or food.
• on the fence: Undecided; wavering between two options.
• hold the line: To wait on the telephone.
• got to: To arrive at some place
• work on: To devote effort to improve or develop something
• kick in: (Of a medicine, plan, etc.) to start to have an effect; become operative
• in the house: Located inside a building used as a dwelling.
• behind closed doors: In private; secretly or confidentially.
• take the fifth: To refuse to answer questions to avoid self-incrimination.
• decide on: To choose something, especially after thinking carefully about several possibilities
• come before: To happen or exist earlier in time than something else.
• under oath: Having promised legally to tell the truth in court.
• family members: People related by blood, marriage, or adoption.
• live on: To continue to exist or be remembered.
• tough: (Of food) difficult to chew or bite through
• basically: Used before you explain something simply, clearly
• consistent: Agreeing with or being similar to another part
• commit: To do something bad, usually a crime
• admire: To feel respect or wonder toward someone
• abuse: To mistreat or be cruel towards someone
• authority: The power to give orders to people
• escape: Act to briefly ignoring boring or bad things
• disaster: State of extreme ruin and misfortune
• resolution: End part of a story resolving the conflict
• require: To demand that someone does something
• congress: Meeting of elected or appointed representatives
• release: To free someone from a responsibility or burden
• democratic: (Of government) giving the people power, a vote
• abandon: To discard or intentionally get rid of an item
• absolute: Complete; total; pure; not limited in any way
• foreign: Being of a different place or country
• bill: Plan for a new law being discussed by a government
• policy: Document stating terms of an insurance agreement
• fact: Something that is known or proved to be true
• support: To give assistance or advice to someone
• sponsor: Person that supports the passage of a new law
• point: An item to be discussed
• middle: Place that is halfway between two things
• mansion: Very large, expensive home
• precedent: A similar action happening before now
• assembly: Process of putting the parts of something together
• intellectually: In a manner involving reasoning or complex ideas
• question: To ask for or try to get information
• hide: To go to, or put a thing where it can't be found
• descend: To go down; to move from a higher to a lower place
• disastrous: Having very unfortunate or terrible consequences
• voluntarily: Of your own free will; not because you were forced
• part: Division of a book
• betrayal: Act of giving knowledge or information to an enemy
• side: To decide to agree with one point, not the other
• senator: An elected politician belonging to the senate
• testify: To tell what you know (in court)
• hear: To be aware of sound; to perceive with the ear
• view: Opinion, belief, or idea about something
• answer: To reply to a question someone asks
• oversight: A mistake; something you forget to do
• people: Persons sharing culture, country, background, etc.
• republican: Supporter of the conservative US political party
• oath: Promise to do something
• line: Border that divides two places or regions
• close: Almost; near
• agree: To have the same opinion as someone else
• democrat: An advocate of democratic principles
• congressman: Member of the US House of Representatives
• subpoena: Legal document forcing a witness to give evidence
• ayatollah: Important religious or political leader in Iran