1. Improving Vocabulary Skills
Unit 2, Chapter 9

2. hypothetical
This is a story of a hypothetical student, Gabriela, of Argentina. She doesn’t really exist, but she’s typical of many students entering college today.

3. Definition
Theoretical, imaginary, supposed for the sake of argument or examination.

4. constitute
She’s just one of the 572,509 students studying in the United States that constitute the foreign or international student body.

5. Definition
To be the parts of; to make up

6. predominant
Of course, China and India are the predominant countries of origin of international students.

7. Definition
Most common or most noticeable

8. default
However, when Argentina defaulted on its loans to the IMF, many students left Argentina to study in the US.

9. Definition
To fail to do something required

10. recession
A recession in the economy soon resulted. Many would say it was worse than that and call it a depression.

11. Definition
A temporary decline in business

12. confiscate
When families couldn’t pay their bills they had their homes confiscated and became homeless.

13. Definition
To take away; seize

14. prerequisite
Once Gabriela arrived in the US she had to take the prerequisite courses her first and second year of college before she could delve into the courses she really cared about: economics.

15. Definition
Something required beforehand

16. nominal
Before the economic problems occurred in Argentina, she had only a nominal interest in economics.

17. Definition
Slight; very small compared with what might be expected.

18. decipher
She couldn’t decipher the financial pages of the newspaper. Now she wanted to know what all of those terms meant.

19. Definition
Figure out; to interpret or read (something confusing or hard to make out)

20. concurrent
Her interest in economics grew concurrently with her ambition. As she was learning more and more about economics she made plans to become the finance minister of Argentina one day.

21. Definition
Happening or existing at the same time; simultaneous