HV 2.

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infer verb

to form an opinion or guess that something is true because of the information that you have

What do you infer from her refusal?

[+ that] I inferred from her expression that she wanted to leave.

inference noun [C] FORMAL

a fact that you decide is true because of the information that you have

What inferences can we draw from this?

observe verb [T]

1 WATCH to watch someone or something carefully

Children learn by observing adults.

2 NOTICE FORMAL to notice something

3 SAY FORMAL to make a remark about something you have noticed

"It's still raining," he observed.

victim noun [C]

someone who has suffered the effects of violence, illness, or bad luck

victims of crime
hurricane/flood victims

devastate verb [T]

to destroy or damage something very badly A recent hurricane devastated the city.
devastation noun [U]
HV 2.1
More to Read 1
Text 117

misfortune noun [C,U]

bad luck, or an unlucky event

[+ to do sth] He had the misfortune to fall in love with a married woman.

detect verb

to notice something that is partly hidden or not clear, or to discover something, especially using a
special method

Some sounds cannot be detected by the human ear.

Financial experts have detected signs that the economy is beginning to improve.

to discover something, usually using special equipment

High levels of lead were detected in the atmosphere.

Radar equipment is used to detect (= find the position of) enemy aircraft.

detectable adjective

yield verb (PRODUCE)

to supply or produce something positive such as a profit, an amount of food or information

an attempt to yield increased profits

The investigation yielded some unexpected results.

Favourable weather yielded a good crop.

ailment noun

an illness

Treat minor ailments yourself.