Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[luciaC]

1. New York has suffered high casualty figures. What does suffer mean?
2. Death toll climbs dramatically. What does dramatically mean?
3. isolated area What does isolated mean?
4. Houses were not built to high earthquake standards. What does standard mean?
5. a deck of cards Does it mean a pack of cards?
6. desperate rescuers What does desperate mean?
7. Rescuers stripped away the concrete and twisted metal with bare hands. What do strip, twisted and bare mean?
Thank you.
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Mimi

[bud]

1. In this sentence, it means "experience." "New York has experienced..."
2. Sharply; very much in a short time.
3. Probably it means in scattered areas. There have been some reports of flu in The U.S. this year, but so far it is only in isolated areas (a few in this state, a couple in another state, etc.). Another possible meaning is an area with little or no population.
4. It has different meanings, but in this sentence it means a level of quality. There are known building techniques that make buildings less prone to earthquake damage. Those techniques would be a standard for an area with a high risk for earthquakes.
5. Yes.
6. It's a high degree of concern, of anxiety, even of near hopelessness, about getting to any survivors before it is too late.
7.
Strip - to peel away. They carefully remove one piece at a time.
Twisted - bent and misshapened.
Bare hands - With no protection, such as heavy work gloves.