“MADRID, Dec. 10 — Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who earned great popularity by withdrawing Spanish troops from Iraq in 2004, has used his political capital to broadly reshape life here, pushing Spain to the left both socially and politically. One result is the opening of deep rifts in a country long dominated by religious conservatism.”
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More words you will want to understand before you read the rest of the article–match them with their definitions below:
1. to take for granted
2. to temper
3. to back someone up
4. to split
5. to threaten
6. agenda
7. to gamble
8. wager
9. to roil
10. to bend to someone
11. quest
12. to undertake
13. to dislodge
Definitions:
a. to moderate
b. to divide
c. List or program of things to be done
d. To do what the other person wants
e. Goal or objective
f. To displease or disturb
g. A bet where money has been pledged
h. To pledge or commit oneself
i. to support
j. to underestimate the value of something, become used to something
k. An expression of an intention to inflict pain, injury, evil, or punishment
l. To bet on an uncertain outcome
m. To remove
(See comments for answers)
Answers:
1. to take for granted: to underestimate the value of something, become used to something
2. to temper: to moderate
3. to back someone up: to support
4. to split: to divide
5. to threaten: An expression of an intention to inflict pain, injury, evil, or punishment
6. agenda: List or program of things to be done
7. to gamble: To bet on an uncertain outcome
8. wager: A bet where money has been pledged
9. to roil: To displease or disturb
10. to bend to someone: To do what the other person wants
11. quest: goal or objective
12. to undertake : to pledge or commit oneself
13. to dislodge: to remove