Dr. Ray's News English

Counterproductive

Adjective. Having the opposite effect to the one that was intended.

• Tom realized that his attempt to speed up the project by — choose —cutting cornersmaking progresstaking shortcuts actually proved counterproductive, leading to more errors and delays in the long run.
• The strict — choose —leadershipmicromanagementteamwork style of the supervisor proved counterproductive, demotivating the team and — choose —encouragingstiflingimproving creativity.
• In an effort to save money, the company decided to reduce employee training programs, but this move was counterproductive as employee performance and — choose —salarymoraleschedule suffered.
• Jenny's — choose —healthy eatingextreme dietingregular exercise proved counterproductive to her goal of achieving a healthier lifestyle, as it led to — choose —energyfatiguestrength and weakened her immune system.

Phenomenon

Noun. An extraordinary but unusual event, action, or process.

• Rainbows are a beautiful — choose —natural phenomenoncommon eventdaily occurrence that appears in the sky after rain.
• The — choose —migrationfeedingnesting of birds over long distances is a remarkable phenomenon in the animal kingdom.
• The sudden popularity of a new song or dance can be a — choose —social media phenomenonbrief momentcommon trend.
• The eclipse of the sun is a rare — choose —geographicalastronomicalenvironmental phenomenon that many people travel to witness.
• The use of smartphones as a — choose —primary meansonly wayminor part of communication is a recent phenomenon that has rapidly changed how people connect with each other.

Counterintuitive

Adjective. When situations or results are contrary to what you expect.

• — choose —Pounding onTapping onPressing on a diamond with a hammer won't break it, but a gentle tap in the right spot will.
• John suggested we drive a longer route to get there faster. That seemed counterintuitive, but he was right, because there was less traffic and fewer — choose —stop signstraffic lightsspeed bumps.
• For centuries, researchers and — choose —professionalamateurexperienced scientists alike have battled over the counterintuitive theory that hot water freezes faster than cold.
• The best way to win an argument is to listen more and — choose —talk lessspeak louderargue back.
• Exercising when you're tired gives you more — choose —painenergystress.
• The faster you travel in space, the more time — choose —speeds upslows downstands still.

Paradox

Noun. A statement or situation that seems impossible because it contradicts itself — but it is actually true, or at least partly true.

• Everyone should be free to do as they please, but some people — choose —want to helpplease to harmchoose to agree others.
• The more you come to know, the more you realize how much you — choose —have learneddon't knowcan teach.
• I have 900 — choose —friendsfollowerscontacts on social media, and yet, I feel so lonely.
• In business, you have to — choose —save money to make moneyspend money to make moneyborrow money to make money.
• Celebrities are driven by their need for attention, yet complain about their — choose —fameprivacyschedule.
• Smart devices save time but create more — choose —funfreedomwork.
• Silence can be — choose —peacefuldeafeningrelaxing.

Dilemma

Noun. A situation where you must choose between two options, but you can only pick one. Sometimes both options are bad, and sometimes both options are good.

• You are offered your — choose —part-time jobdream jobtemporary job in another city, a 6-hour drive from where you live. However, both your and your spouse's family lives here.
• To keep my job, I have to work more. To keep my wife happy, I need to be home more. I — choose —can manage bothcan't do bothdon't want either.
• Two universities have accepted you — one is the best school for your subject, but the other is a nationally — choose —affordablerenownednearby university.
• Your best friend has done something — choose —unusualboringillegal. Do you turn him in or look the other way?
• Your daughter is performing at a piano — choose —concertrecitallesson at the same time as a very important business meeting. You can only be at one.
• A doctor has two patients who both need an — choose —emergency operationannual checkupsimple procedure, but there is only one operating room available right now.

Critical Dilemmas

• A building is on fire. A firefighter can hear two people calling for help, but from — choose —opposite sidesthe same sidethe roof of the building. There's only time to reach one.
• During a flood, a rescue boat has room for five more people, but — choose —three peopleten peopletwenty people are waiting on a rooftop. The pilot must choose who gets on.
• A — choose —city hospitalfield hospitalprivate clinic has only one unit of blood left. Two injured soldiers both need it to survive.
• A lifeboat is dangerously — choose —emptyovercrowdeddamaged and sinking slowly. If no one gets off, everyone will drown.
• During an earthquake, a mother is trapped in a — choose —newcollapsedburning building with her two children. She can only shield one of them from the falling debris.
• A surgeon has two patients who each need a new heart to survive, but only one — choose —donor hearthospital bedblood type is available.

Conundrum

Noun. A complicated and confusing problem with no easy solution. Unlike a dilemma, a conundrum may involve many factors and no clear choices.

• Building a new mall will create jobs and make thousands of people happy, but it means — choose —plantingtearing downwatering all the trees as well as destroying a neighborhood where 37 elderly people live.
• Your elderly parent needs daily care, but you live in a different city for work. Moving back means losing your — choose —hobbycareerapartment. Hiring a — choose —babysittercaregiverhousekeeper is too expensive.
• A city needs more housing, but every empty space is either a park that residents love or — choose —desertfarmlandforest that produces food. No one can agree on the best solution for — choose —tourismdecorationexpansion.
• A company wants to reduce — choose —profitspollutionproduction from its factory, but the only way to do it would cost so much money that they would have to fire half their workers.
• A deadly virus is spreading fast. A government — choose —voluntarymandatedsuggested lockdown would slow or stop the spreading, but cause businesses to fail, leaving people jobless and possibly losing their homes. Keeping businesses open means the virus continues to spread, hospitals will be — choose —emptyoverrunclosed and medical personnel overworked.
• A country is running out of clean water. They could build a dam, but it would — choose —protectfloodconnect three villages and destroy thousands of acres of farmland. They could — choose —wasteboilration water, but people are already angry and protests are growing.