VOA慢速英语:From News Event Comes Common Expressions

captive ­– adj. captured and kept in a prison, cage, etc.

captor – n. someone who has captured a person and is keeping that person as a prisoner

captivity – n. the state of being kept in a place (such as a prison or a cage) and not being able to leave or be free : the state or condition of being captive

coping mechanism – n. Psychology : an adaptation to environmental stress that is based on conscious or unconscious choice and that enhances control over behavior or gives psychological comfort.

heiress – n. a girl or woman who inherits a large amount of money

wrapped up – adj. If someone is wrapped up in a particular person or thing, they spend nearly all their time thinking about them, so that they forget about other things that may be important.

utopian – adj. impossibly ideal : utopia – n. an imaginary place in which the government, laws, and social conditions are perfect

cult – n. a small religious group that is not part of a larger and more accepted religion and that has beliefs regarded by many people as extreme or dangerous

father figure – n. an older man who is respected and admired like a father

massacre – n. the act or an instance of killing a number of usually helpless or unresisting human beings under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty

jargon – n. the language used for a particular activity or by a particular group of people