Williams

Level: B2

About twenty years after the time of Dr Elizabeth Blackwell, Dr Dan Williams encountered another kind of problem. How could he help to end the fierce stand against Negro doctors? The problems of Elizabeth Blackwell and Dan Williams were alike to a great extent. Both Dr Blackwell and Dr Williams had to persuade the American people to accept them and their ideas. The prospect for success of both Elizabeth Blackwell and Dan Williams was not good. However, after long years of struggle, they went on to triumph over their problems. Dr Daniel Hale Williams came to merit a place among America’s greatest surgeons. He became famous as a result of successfully performing a delicate heart operation which many doctors had said was impossible. Later, other doctors were able to improve their skills by observing his heart operations. Today, all of us can be grateful for the work of Dr Williams.

Glossary

delicate adj. needing careful treatment, esp. because easily damaged: Peaches have delicate skins which are easily bruised.

encounter v. to experience (esp. something unpleasant), or to meet (someone) unexpectedly: The army is reported to be encountering considerable resistance in some remote rural areas.

extent n. area or length; amount: From the top of the Empire State Building, you can see the full extent of Manhattan (= the area it covers).

fierce adj. physically violent and frightening, or strong and powerful, or showing strong feeling, or energetic activity: The two men had been shot during fierce fighting last weekend.

grateful adj. showing or expressing thanks, esp. to another person: I'm so grateful to you for all that you've done.

merit v. to do something to deserve praise, attention, etc.: The accident merited only a small paragraph in the local paper.

observe v. to watch carefully (the way something happens or someone does something), esp. in order to learn more about it: The role of scientists is to observe and describe the world, not to try to control it.

persuade v. to make (someone) do or believe something by giving them a good reason to do it or by talking to them and making them believe it: If she doesn't want to go, nothing you can say will persuade her.

prospect n. a possibility or likelihood of something happening: There's a reasonable prospect of reaching the trapped child before it gets dark.

triumph v. to defeat sb or sth or to be successful: The movie tells the story of a woman from a working-class ghetto who triumphs against the odds to win a place at a top university.

Synonyms

delicate- 1) a delicate matter/situation: difficult; tricky; sensitive; ticklish; critical; precarious; touchy; (inf.) sticky; dicey. 2) require delicate handling: careful; considerate; sensitive; tactful; discreet; diplomatic; politic; kid-glove.

encounter- 1) encounter an old friend: meet; meet by chance; run into; run across; come upon; stumble across; chance/happen upon; (inf.) bump into. 2) encounter problems: be faced with; confront; contend with; tussle with.

extent- 1) the full extent of the track/parklands: length; area; expanse; stretch; range; scope. 2) the extent of her knowledge: coverage; breadth; range; scope; degree; comprehensiveness; thoroughness; completeness; all-inclusiveness.

fierce- a fierce animal/enemy: ferocious; savage; wild; vicious; feral; untamed; bloodthirsty; dangerous; cruel; brutal; murderous; slaughterous; menacing; threatening; terrible; grim; tigerish; wolfish.

grateful- 1) grateful to you: thankful; filled with gratitude; indebted; obliged; obligated; under obligation; beholden. 2) a grateful letter: thankful; appreciative. 3) a grateful rest: pleasant; agreeable; pleasing; pleasurable; satisfying; gratifying; cheering; refreshing; welcome; accept-able; nice.

merit- merit a prize: deserve; be deserving of; earn; be worthy of; be worth; be entitled to; have a right to; have a claim to; warrant; rate; incur.

observe- 1) we observe him go into the bank: see; catch sight of; notice; note; perceive; discern; detect; espy; behold; watch; view; spot; witness; (inf.) get a load of. 2) police observe the house: keep under observation; watch; keep watch on; look at; keep under surveillance; keep in sight; keep in view; spy upon; monitor; reconnoitre; scan; (inf.) keep an eye on; keep tabs on. 3) doctors observe the patient: keep under observation; keep under scrutiny; scrutinize; watch; monitor; keep under surveillance; inspect; study; review; examine; check.

persuade- persuade her to go despite her disinclination: prevail upon; win over; talk someone into; bring round; induce; convince; influence; sway; prompt; coerce; inveigle; cajole; wheedle; (inf.) sweet-talk; soft-soap.

prospect- 1) there is little prospect of success: likelihood; likeliness; hope; expectation; anticipation; chance; chances; odds; probability; possibility. 2) the prospect of being unemployed frightens him: thought; idea; contemplation; outlook.

triumph- triumph over his opponent/disability: beat; defeat; conquer; vanquish; best; worst; overcome; overpower; get the better of; gain ascendancy over; gain mastery of; prevail against.

Collocations

to a great/small extent

persuade someone to do something

grateful (to someone) (for something)