1.

ramification

n. The ramifications of a decision, plan, or event are all its consequences and effects, especially ones that are not obvious at first. (尤指最初并不明顯的) 后果 e.g. The ramifications were felt far and wide. 2.

abject

adj You use abject to emphasize that a situation or quality is extremely bad. 強調(diào)糟糕透頂

squalid

adj. Squalid means dirty, untidy, and in bad condition. 臟亂的(此處指道德敗壞的)

disavowal

n. A disavowal of something is a statement that you are not connected with it or responsible for it, or that you no longer agree with or believe in it. 否認 e.g. Even Winston Churchill condemned that abject, squalid shameless disavowal. 3.

thought-provoking

adj. If something such as a book or a movie is thought-provoking, it contains interesting ideas that make people think seriously. (書籍、電影等)發(fā)人深省的; 引人深思的 e.g.You will liberate all future generations to a life of literature, humorous and thought-provoking conversation 4.

gaunt

adj. If someone looks gaunt, they look very thin, usually because they have been very ill or worried. 憔悴的 e.g. Giving that I stand before you tonight as a skinny, pale and rather gaunt second-year English student, you can see that I really am debating from the side of experience. 5.

vacuous

adj. If you describe a person or their comments as vacuous, you are critical of them because they lack intelligent thought or ideas. adj. 思想貧乏的 e.g. Voting with the opposition means that you are actively deciding for your vacuous claims rather than your concrete points of experience. 6.

pageant

n. A pageant or a beauty pageant is a competition in which young women are judged to decide which one is the most beautiful. 選美大賽 e.g. Instead of being a speaking and debating society the union will become a pageant show. 7.

mediocre

adj. If you describe something as mediocre, you mean that it is of average quality but you think it should be better. 平庸的 e.g. Wit is the capacity for inventive thought and quick understanding, while being pretty is actually quite a mediocre complement. 8.

flashiness

n. tasteless showiness 燦爛，花哨，艷俗 synonyms(近義詞):

brashness, garishness, gaudiness, glitz, loudness, meretriciousness, tawdriness

e.g. Vote proposition for those who value substance over style, for those who value thought over flashiness.