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It is easy to misuse statistics to falsely convince the uninformed

to use something incorrectly,

1. Williams abused his position as mayor to give jobs to his friends. 2. People think that emotional abuse isn't as bad as physical abuse,

use something in a way that will cause damage or harm

Many of those quack doctors were busy selling their own, often more dangerous diet cures.

someone who dishonestly claims to have specialist knowledge in a particular field, usually in medicine.

Most medical practices were based on a fearful quackery, and most of the doctors were butchers or just crazy.

the word for the actions of quacks.

Are We Turning CBD Into Snake Oil?

negative words for someone who lies about their identity, perhaps pretending to be a doctor when in fact they’re not.

a bad journalist - perhaps someone who writes stories that are sensational but not completely factual. It’s a journalist or writer with no integrity.

politicians chase headlines over evidence-based policy

policy which is based on proper scientific evidence.

Transparency has always been a very important issue for the Council.

he word we use to refer to making information available and open for everyone

As the liquid cools it becomes cloudy and opaque.

opposite of transparent, but this is usually just used for things you can’t see through. We don’t usually talk about opaque companies or opaque research.

you can partly see through, like glass that is frosted and lets in light, but you can’t see detail

Jane is one of the most reliable people in the office and she is a genuine asset to the company.

We use it in everyday English for various things, like to describe people you can rely on.

This technology is very unreliable.

opposite to reliable

I think we need to get a new car. We just can’t rely on this one any more.

phrasal verb associated with the adjective reliable

It’s important to avoid bias in scientific studies because it can cause the results to be misleading.

is a preference for or against something. (Political bias, gender bias, racial bias)

I rely on your unbiased opinion

opposite to biased

Brexit has been a complete disaster so far largely because of the incompetence of government ministers in their negotiations with the EU.

This is the lack of skill or ability to do your job properly.

Naturally, if you are running a company you want to employ competent people so you can rely on them to do their jobs properly.

opposite to inccompetence

Efficacious and efficacy are the words used in the pharmaceutical industry, by medical professionals and doctors when discussing how a drug works under test conditions.

Both of these words (effectiveness and efficacy) mean when something works in the way that was intended. Another way to say this is to say that it works well.

It wasn't the most effective way to solve this problem

Steve badly misinterpreted the statistics of the survey.

misinterpreting data, research, results, information, figures, facts etc, means drawing the wrong conclusions from it.

If you are an auditor you might scrutinise the financial records of a company to make sure there is no evidence of fraud.

To scrutinise something means to examine it very carefully in a lot of detail.

his essay could use some professional scrutiny

The way in which the courts handle such claims has been the subject of close scrutiny.

(=be examined)

Anti-perspirant deodorant is the stuff that we typically put into our armpits

spaces under your arms where your arms join your body

He always perspires when he's lying.

When you get sick like that it’s normal to check your throat and neck to see if your glands are swollen

A gland is an organ in the body which produces something the body needs, like hormones or sweat.

Clogged nose, Clogged roads, A clogged drain or sink

Clogged basically means blocked, but it’s when stuff (like dirt) blocks something that usually allows things to flow smoothly.

At first glance, the place seemed deserted.

at first glance means when you first look at something quickly, without taking time to look at the details.

chemicals added to products to improve their appearance, taste, lifespan etc. Additives are usually considered to be a bad thing.

It’s full of fruit with no artificial preservatives or colourings.

are more specific types of additives which are put into products to preserve them, so they don’t go off, get mouldy, go stale or decompose.

Malaria that is invulnerable to drugs is spreading across the world.

If you are invulnerable to something, it means it can’t harm you and you can’t be affected by it.

Tourists are more vulnerable to attack, because they do not know which areas of the city to avoid.

able to be easily physically, emotionally, or mentally hurt, influenced, or attacked

The police need concrete evidence of an offence before they can prosecute someone.

That sounds a bit vague, so here’s a concrete example.

The placebo could be powerful because it meets some psychological need for attention and treatment.

the pill that patients are told is real medicine but which actually contains no medicine

There has been a startling increase in the numbers of homeless people

it is surprising and unusual. It makes you go “OH!”

You startled me! I didn't hear you come in.

to do something unexpected that surprises and sometimes worries a person or animal:

It’s likely to rain tomorrow.

If something is likely, it will probably happen or is expected

Archeologists made a chilling discovery when they uncovered some mass execution graves.

This means that it makes you feel frightened, disturbed, scared.

I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to push you.’ ‘Don’t worry, no harm done.’

If you don’t warm up properly, exercise may do more harm than good.

t's best to take what he says with a pinch of salt - he's always exaggerating.

This idiom means that you don’t need to believe what the person says.