country in civil war; country disarrayed by war; Warring States period (Japan, China); competiton in which there are several evenly-matched participants; hotly-contested game (match, market, etc.)
persistent; obstinate; tenacious; relentless; insistent; importunate
pulling up; drawing up; raising; increase; repatriation; evacuation
rough; rowdy; wild; rough person; rowdy person
to speak unanimously; to speak in chorus; to speak in unison; to speak in one voice
crisply; with a crunch; refreshingly; sharply; candidly; frankly
allied nations; the Allies (World War I, World War II); Allied powers
idealistic thought (argument)
stinging hair (of a nettle, caterpillar, etc.)
to go astray; to become corrupt; to go bad
life; living; I; me; student
reason for being; raison d'être
moron; idiot; stupid person
rooting up (weeds, etc.); eradication; rooting out; stamping out
the New Year begins; the New Year starts
to leave a note or document behind; to leave half-written; to leave out
to be transparent; to be easily seen through; to be obvious; to be apparent
capital crime; crime resulting in a death penalty
to stub out (e.g. a cigarette); to crush out; to smother (fire); to hush up; to cover up; to stifle
in order; sequential; seriatim
probe; inquiry; enquiry; investigation
to explain; to dispel doubts
to read and understand; to subject to close analysis; to read deeply; to decipher; to decode
to pass down (a story) from generation to generation; to hand down
lightning; flash of lightning; lightning bolt
how dare ...; how could ...
simultaneous; all at once
disaster; accident; shipwreck; distress
being dotted with; being scattered
creepy (feeling); uneasy (feeling); bad (feeling); giving one the creeps; hideous; scaring
to wake (someone) up (by calling for them); to awaken; to call (to mind); to bring back (memories); to evoke
to catch fire; to provoke; to catch fire from; to be ignited