VOA名师答疑2022--Crazy and Insane_在线英语听力室

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Crazy and Insane

Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question from Leah from Vietnam.

Question:

Hi! I'm Leah from Vietnam. I would like to know the difference between "insane" and "crazy".

Thank you so much!

Leah

Answer:

Dear Leah,

I really appreciate the question. These two words may appear as synonyms² in some situations. But in recent years, their usage and meanings have changed with increased knowledge of mental health issues.

Let us start with "crazy."

"Crazy" is mostly used as an adjective and can have several different meanings that are informal.

Its first meaning is foolish, strange, wild or intense.

The crazy kittens knocked over their water bowl because they were so excited.

In this example, the kittens were a little wild and foolishly spilled the water.

A second meaning of "crazy" is really enthusiastic, interested in, or in love with something. We usually use the preposition "about" with the word.

The couple is crazy about each other; they are always holding hands.

And crazy can also mean mentally sick or unbalanced. This meaning is falling out of use because now there is more awareness³ and sensitivity towards mental health issues.

An example from recent years can be seen in the TV show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

Faith Pirlo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English.

Words in This Story

synonym¹ – n. a word that is similar in meaning to another word

mental health – n. well-being⁴ of your mind, emotions, and social needs

stereotypes⁵ – n. common, over-simplified and negative ideas of people or their roles in life

enthusiastic –adj. feeling or showing strong excitement about something; filled with or marked by enthusiasm

negative –adj. harmful or bad; not wanted

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收听单词发音

1 synonym
n.同义词，换喻词
参考例句：
Zhuge Liang is a synonym for wisdom in folklore.诸葛亮在民间传说中成了智慧的代名词。 The term 'industrial democracy' is often used as a synonym for worker participation. “工业民主”这个词常被用作“工人参与”的同义词。

2 synonyms
同义词( synonym的名词复数 )
参考例句：
If you want to grasp English, you must carefully discriminate synonyms. 如果你想掌握好英语，你必须仔细区分同义词。 Study the idioms and synonyms l wrote down before your test. 学考试前我给你写的习惯用语和同义字。

3 awareness
n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智
参考例句：
There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。 Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

4 well-being
n.安康，安乐，幸福
参考例句：
He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。 My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

5 stereotypes
n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。 It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调，我看了就讨厌。来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

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VOA名师答疑2022--Crazy and Insane