adjectives

Published on June 2016 | Categories: Types, School Work | Downloads: 58 | Comments: 0 | Views: 399
of 26
Download PDF   Embed   Report

collocational english

Comments

Content

ADJECTIVE + NOUN 1Exercise ArticleAdjectiveNounGerman Equivalent 1.– abysmalignorancebodenloses, abgrundtiefes Unwissen abysmal extremely bad, extreme, utter:to live in abysmal conditions His manners are / the food / the weather was abysmal. the abysmal wages of rural labourersan abysmal failurecf. abyss: deep bottomless hole fig .: an abyss of despair / ignorance / lawlessness 2. academicquestiontheoretische, akademische Frage academic 1. concerning education, esp. in a college or university:academic freedom The academic year runs from October to July .2. being or based on subjects that are taught to develop the mind rather than toprovide practical skills:academic studies / subjectsan academic reputation / style / book / qualification3. not related to practical situations: theoretical: Where we ought to go for our holidays is a purely academic question because wecan’t afford a holiday at all.Since the decision has already been made, the discussion is purely academic. a matter of academic concern / interest 3.– acidrainsaurer Regenremarkätzende Bemerkung acid 1. having an unpleasantly sour or bitter taste like that of vinegar or unripe fruit: A lemon is an acid fruit. an acid bath2. saying bitter or unkind things, bad-tempered, sarcastic:an acid remark / wit / tone of voiceto say sth acidlycf. an acid: substance which forms a chemical salt when combined with an alkali; itmay destroy things it touches: Vinegar is an acid.The acid burnt a hole in the carpet .acidity: to suffer from acidity of the stomachacid rain:containing harmful quantities of acid, esp. sulphuric acid and nitric acid, as a result ofindustrial pollutionsulphur:a simple substance that is found in many different forms, esp. a light yellow powdernitric acid: a powerful acid (HNO 3 ) which eats away other substances and is used inexplosives and other chemical products 12ADJECTIVE + NOUN acid

test: test that gives conclusive proof of the value or work of sth / sb: The acid test of a good driver is whether he remains calm in an emergency .( Feuer- probe, entscheidende Probe )to put sth to the acid test 4. adhesivetapeKlebeband adhesive cf. sellotape / AE: Scotch tapetrademarks: sticky, thin clear material in long narrow lengths which is used for stickingpaper, mending light objectsadhesive plasterthe adhesive side of a stampadherence to a belief / plan / ideato adhere closely / doggedly / strictly / stubbornly / tenaciously / rigidly to sb / sthto be an adherent of sthadhesion: the state of one thing sticking to another ( Klebkraft, Haftvermögen )cf. adhesive power 5. affirmativeanswerpositive, bejahende Antwort affirmative saying or meaning “yes” The answer to my question was in the affirmative / was affirmative.The answer was a strong affirmative. an affirmative gesture / nod / reaction / reply / sentence / votecf. positive cf. (to take) affirmative action: practice or principle, when choosing people for a job, offavouring people who are often treated unfairly, esp. because of their sex or race; i.e.positive discrimination: a bias in favour of a particular group or individual preciselybecause they are often the object of prejudice and discrimination: The company is an affirmative action employer. AE: Programm, das die Diskriminierung von Minderheitsgruppen bekämpft 6. affluentsocietyWohlstandsgesellschaft affluent having plenty of money or other possessions, wealthy:an affluent society / man / family / life / life styleaffluent circumstancesto live in affluence / to live a life of affluence He quickly rose to affluence (i.e. became wealthy). 7. ancillaryscienceHilfswissenschaft ancillary helping in a subsidiary way, providing help, support or additional services:ancillary equipment / duties / industries ( Zuliefer -) / roads / staffan ancillary roleancillary course: Begleitkurs

the ancillary staff of a hospital: the people who do the cleaning work, cooking, etcto be ancillary to sth ADJECTIVE + NOUN138. appositeremarkpassende, zutreffende,angemessene BemerkunganswerAntwortquestionFrage apposite apposite to / for sth: exactly suitable or directly connected with the present momentor situation: I found his speech wholly apposite to the current debate. an apposite answer / comment / comparison / example / illustration / image / phrase / quotation / remark / title 9. approvedschoolErziehungsheim approved school ( dated )a special school for children who have broken the law, now officially called a Community Home cf. borstal ( dated ): institution for reforming young offenders:after “Borstal”, a village in Kent, where the first institution was founded (in 1902). Aninformal name for an establishment where offenders aged 15-21 may be detained forcorrective training. Since the Criminal Justice Act (1982) officially known as YouthCustody Centre .cf. AE: Reformatory: place where young offenders are sent to be trained and reformed S IMILAR I NSTITUTIONS young offenders’ institution A special prison for young offenders aged under 21, replacing, from 1988, the former detention centre and youth custody centre . Boys aged from 14 to 16 can be sent to aninstitution for any period from six weeks to a year, with a maximum of four months fora 14-year-old. Girls are sentenced to custody only from the age of 15, with a maximumdetention period of four months at this age and 16. From 17 to 21 the sentences canbe longer, with a possible life sentence for serious offences. There are currently 39young offenders’ institutions in England and Wales .

attendance centre A centre where young offenders (under 17) are required to attend for physical trainingand instruction in practical subjects instead of going to prison. Offenders may beordered to spend up to a total of 24 hours at an attendance centre, usually onSaturdays and for a maximum of three hours at a time. detention centre Until 1988, a centre where young male offenders were kept for a period ranging formthree weeks to four months with a strict programme of work to do. Such offenders arenow sent to a young offenders’ institution . youth custody centre Until 1988, a special prison for young offenders aged 17 to 20. Such offenders nowserve their sentences in a young offenders’ institution . remand centre A place of detention to which young offenders are sent awaiting trial in court. Atpresent there are nine such centres. community home A special residential area where a local authority can send a young offender (under 17)if it feels that he or she is in moral danger or beyond the control of his or her parents.cf. community centre A building used by members of a community, such as a town or village, for socialgatherings, sports meetings, etc From: A. Room, An A to Z of British Life. Dictionary of Britain . Oxford 14ADJECTIVE + NOUN10. aquaticsport(s)Wassersport(arten) aquatic plants / animals / sports / pastimes / organisms 11. aquilinenoseAdler-, Hakennase aquiline of or like an eagle:her sharp aquiline profile / features 12. ArabianNightsTausendundeine Nacht Arabian of Arabia, esp. the peninsula containing Saudi-Arabia and several other countries:the Arabian desert / peninsula / Sea 13. arabicnumeralsarabische Zahlen, Ziffern alternative spelling: Arabic

Arabic 1. Semitic language or writing of the Arabs, which is the main language of North Africa, the Middle East, and Arabia: She is studying Arabic / a regional type of Arabic .2. numeral: cf. Roman numeral 14.– artificialrespirationkünstliche Beatmung artificial 1. made by humans, esp. as a copy of sth natural: The drink contains no artificial flavouring or colouring. artificial fibres / illumination / insemination / intelligence (abbr. AI) / flowers / silk / sweetener2. lacking in feeling, insincere: She welcomed me with an artificial smile .3. happening as a result of human action, not through natural process: High import taxes give their home-made goods an artificial advantage in the market . 15. atmosphericpressureatmosphärischer Druck, Luftdruck atmospheric 1. related with the earth’s atmosphere:atmospheric conditions2. beautiful and mysterious:atmospheric music / poems / songs 16. auricularconfessionOhrenbeichte auricular of or concerning the ear:auricular confession: one spoken privately into the ear of a priestcf. to make a full confession of one’s crimes The priest will hear confessions in English and French. He always goes to confession on Fridays. the confessional: enclosed place in a church where the priest hears confession:the secrets of the confessionalconfessor: priest who hears confessionsconfessant: a person who confesses to a priestto confess (to) leaving the cigarette on the chair / that he had left ... cf. oral / visual / aural: The opera was an aural as well as a visual delight. visual / aural aids / materials 17. avowedbelievererklärter Anhänger avowed to avow: to state, openly admit: The prisoner avowed his guilt / that he was guilty.Their avowed aim is to overthrow the government. He avowed himself (to be) a socialist .avowed aim / commitment / desire / goal / intent / purposean avowed traditionalist / feminist / Christianavowedly: openly, admittedly: avowedly responsible for an erroravowal: to make a(n) open / public / solemn avowal 18.

dyed-in-the-woolToryein in der Wolle gefärbter Konservativer dyed-in-the-wool ( slightly pejorative )impossible to change from a stated quality, uncompromising:a dyed-in-the-wool aristocrat / conservative / Marxist / Republican / traditionalist, etc 19. extenuatingcircumstancesmildernde Umstände extenuating to extenuate: to lessen the seriousness of (bad behaviour) by finding excuses for italso ( esp. law ): attenuating circumstancescf. He pleaded ignorance in extenuation of his crime . 20. flimsyexcusefadenscheinige, durchsichtigeEntschuldigung flimsy 1. (of material) light and thin: She felt cold in her flimsy dress .2. (of objects) easily broken or destroyed, lacking strength:a flimsy old wooden shed / a flimsy house ( Billighaus )3. weak, that does not convince: What a flimsy excuse!The evidence against him is rather flimsy. 21. foundingfather(s)Gründungsvater, -väter founding father 1. person who begins the development of sth; founder2. (cap) a person at the formal meeting of 1787 which decided the principles of theconstitution of the US: the Founding Fathers of the US 22.– graciouslivingLeben im Wohlstand, Luxus gracious 1. polite, kind and pleasant, esp. in a generous way: Busy as she was, she was gracious enough to show us round her house. 2. having those qualities which are made possible by wealth, such as comfort, beauty,and freedom from hard work: All this gracious living isn’t for me: I prefer the simple life. graceful – gracious graceful means attractive or pleasant, and is used especially to describe bodilymovements or form:a graceful dancer / way of movingIt can also be used of people’s manners, esp. when they are saying they are sorry forsth or accepting defeat: He admitted gracefully that he was wrong

. They handled their divorce as gracefully (i.e. politely) as possible.The losing candidate accepted the result of the election gracefully. gracious is usually used of people’s manners and suggests an important person beingpolite to a less important one: The Queen thanked them graciously.She gave him a gracious smile.She is gracious to all.It was gracious of her to invite us. 23. inveterategamblerleidenschaftlicher, unverbesserlicherSpieler inveterate 1. firmly settled in a usually bad habit:an inveterate criminal / drinker / liar / reader of trashy romances / novels / smoker / talker / womanizerinveterate enemies2. bad feelings, habits that have lasted for a long time and seem likely to continue:(an) inveterate dislike / distrust / drunkenness / fondness / hatred / prejudicean inveterate criminal– Gewohnheitsverbrecher inveterate hatred– abgrundtiefer Hass ; cf. abysmalinveterate liar– unverbesserlicher Lügner 24. mootpointstrittiger Punktquestionstrittige Frage moot point / question: matter which is debatable, about which there is no certaintycf. to moot (usually passive): to raise a matter for discussion, propose: The question was first mooted years ago.It has been mooted whether ... zur Debatte stellen a much / long mooted proposal 25. permissivesocietypermissive, enttabuisierte Gesellschaft permissive 1. often derogatory: allowing great freedom of behaviour, esp. to children or in sexualmatters:(a) permissive upbringing / parents / school2. showing this freedom:(a) permissive attitude / behaviourthe permissive society, i.e. the one resulting from social changes that began in the1960s, with e.g. greater freedom of sexual behaviour, lessening of censorship, etcto be permissive to(wards) sth 26. practicaljokeStreich practical joke

trick played on sb for amusement, usually involving some physical action:a practical joker – Witzbold (a) practical advice / application / mind / person 27. silentmajorityschweigende Mehrheit silent 1. making no or little sound, not accompanied by any sound:silent footstepsa silent prayer / cursethe smooth, silent running of the engine The room was silent. 2. not speaking: On certain important details the report remains strangely silent . The law is silent on this difficult point .to be / become / fall silent on / about sb / sth3. saying little: He is the strong, silent type. 4. not pronounced: The b in debtor is a silent letter (i.e. it is mute).silent majority: people with moderate views who are unable or unwilling to expressthem publicly(as) silent as the grave: completely silent, perhaps suggesting mystery 28. sillyseasonSommerloch, Sauregurkenzeitanswer/joke/alberne, blöde, dumme Frage, etc.point/question/remark silly 1. having or showing lack of good sense and judgement, foolish, not serious orsensible: It is silly (of you) to go out in the rain if you don’t have to.That’s the silliest idea I’ve ever heard! to make sb look silly2. unable to feel and think clearly, senseless: I took a swing at him and knocked him silly. After-dinner speeches bore me silly (i.e. very much / to death). silly season : period in the summer when there is not much news, so newspapers printsilly stories about unimportant things 29. viciouscircleTeufelskreis, circulus vitiosus vicious 1. acting or done with evil intentions, spiteful:(a) vicious attack / blow / campaign / criminal / fight / fighting / kick / killer / look / remark / rumour / thugto have a vicious tongue2. given up to vice, depraved:a vicious lifevicious practices / habits3. (of animals) savage and dangerous: That dog can be vicious .( bösartig

)4. violent or severe:a vicious headache, (gust of) windvicious circle: state of affairs in which a cause produces an effect which itselfproduces the original cause, so continuing the whole process: I need experience to get a job, but without a job I can’t get experience. to be caught / trapped in a vicious circlea vicious spiral: continuous rise in one thing (e.g. prices) caused by a continuous risein sth else (e.g. wages) 30.– wishfulthinkingWunschdenken wishful having or expressing a wish: wishful statementswishful thinking: belief based on wishes not on facts: I think her condition is improving but it may just be wishful thinking on my part .cf. pious wish / hope

2Exercise 1.When Ministers predict that they are on the verge of a boom they are naturally suspectedof wishful thinking .2.Can the study of information technology be anything but an ancillary science? 3.The Roman Catholic Church does no longer insist on auricular confession. 4.The silly season is upon us. Journalists at a loss for stories are looking for the tallesthollyhock, a gargantuan marrow and the greatest gooseberry. hollyhock: Stockrose marrow : Kürbis gooseberry : Stachelbeere gargantuan: gigantic, of tremendous size or volume: gargantuan appetite / meal / personGargantua: gigantic king in the novel Gargantua by François Rabelais (1494-1533) 5.He is arrogant and assertive; his abysmal ignorance is matched only by his conviction ofhis own influence.6.While the silent majority previously meant the dead, it has now come to mean the greatsoft mass of the living who put up with things, who get on with their jobs, pay their fines,rates and taxes.7.Acid

rain contains chemical substances which damage trees and crops.8.The Arabian Nights ( Entertainment ), also known as The Thousand and One Nights , are acollection of stories whose tales of Aladdin, Ali Baba and Sindbad the Sailor have almostbecome part of Western folklore.9.The question whether woman is more rational than man is purely academic.10.She glued the teacher’s book to the desk as a practical joke. 11.Some people see him as a dyed-in-the-wool Tory , others think of him as an out-of-date19th century classical liberal.12.It was essential to have a complete dossier, with every extenuating circumstances , beforeissuing a verdict.13.When you go to the chemist’s don’t forget to buy a roll of adhesive tape. 14.A penthouse in London is the height of gracious living. 15.An approved school is a place for housing, training and educating juvenile delinquents.

3Exercise 1.Whisky is something of an acquired taste. I found it rather disappointing the first time I had it. to be an acquired taste: sth that one may learn to like after a whileacquisition She is a valuable acquisition for / to the firm.This painting is my latest / a recent acquisition. to make an acquisition(second) language acquisitionacquisitive: keen on getting and possessing things, esp. material possessions: Squirrels are very acquisitive creatures. an acquisitive collector / society 2.I’m sure Helen would like to come with us to the party. But don’t press her too much. She’s at an awkward age, and rather self-conscious.

20ADJECTIVE + NOUN awkward1. making you feel so embarrassed that you are not sure what to do or say: The more she tried to get out of the situation, the more awkward it became.There was an awkward pause. to feel awkwardan awkward question / situation / corner to get round2. not convenient: I’m sorry, have I called at an awkward time? 3. moving or behaving in a way that does not seem relaxed or comfortable, esp.because you feel nervous or embarrassed:an awkward age / teenager4. difficult to use or handle: The camera has a lot of small buttons, which makes it rather awkward to use. Note: an awkward customer: difficult to deal with 3.Meddling in other people’s business was his ex-wife’s besetting sin. besetting: habitually affecting or troubling:besetting sin / weakness ( often humorously )to beset sb / sth: to surround on all sides, trouble constantly, threaten The difficulties, pressures, temptations, etc that beset us all. to be beset by / with dangers / difficulties / doubts / financial problems: The voyage was beset with dangers. 4.The cat spat and scratched in a blind fury as we worked to free her from the rabbit trap. blind faith / fury / obedience / allegiance / panic / loyalty / rage / hateto blind sb (to sth):to be blinded by smoke His determination blinded him to all the difficulties. a blinding light / headache / painNote: sth is blindingly obviousto be as blind as a bat: I’m as blind as a bat without my glasses. to be blind with sth: He was blind with tears and rage. to be blind to sb’s faults / in one eye: He seems to be blind to the consequences of his policy. to turn a blind eye / deaf ear to sth: to pretend not to see / hear, etc He often turned a blind eye to their drinking sessions. to shut / close one’s eyes to sth(a case of) the blind leading the blind: people with little information advising peoplewith even lessa blind alley / date / spot: I’ve a blind spot where computers are concerned. He first met his wife on a blind date (i.e. an arrangement made by one of his friends togo on date with sb one has never met before) . to be blind drunkto go blindto accept sth blindly

5.If only I had known that my mother-in-law is so touchy! She has just interpreted a casual remark of mine, that it was nice walking weather, to mean I was wanting her out of my way. casual1. happening by chance:a casual encounter / meeting / visit2. done / made without much thought or care; off hand:a casual remarkcasual sex3. showing little concern, irresponsible: His attitude to his job is rather casual. 4. not methodical or thorough, serious:a casual inspection / glance at stha casual observer / reader / user of drugs5. (of clothes) for informal occasions; not formal:casual wear / clothesto be dressed casually6. not permanent, part-time:to earn one’s living by casual labourcasual labourers / workersto be employed casually7. slight, superficial:a casual acquaintanceNote: casualtiesto inflict casualties on the enemyto incur / suffer casualtiesheavy / serious / light / civilian / military / traffic / combat casualtiescasualties of / from the fighting 6.Mass unemployment is one of the burning questions of our time. burning1. intense, extreme:(a) burning thirst / desire / interest / sensation2. very important, urgent, crucial3. on fire:burning firealso fig. : burning cheeks 7.A mortal sin causes the loss of God’s grace and leads to damnation unless it is confessedand forgiven. mortal1. All human beings are mortal .2. causing death, fatal:a mortal wound / injurya mortal blow to him and his familyto be mortally wounded3. lasting until death, marked by great hatred, deadly:mortal / deadly enemies4. extreme or intense:to live in mortal fear / terror / dangerto be mortally offended mortal / capital / original / venial sin the Seven Deadly Sins:Pride, Lechery / Lust, Envy, Anger / Wrath, Covetousness / Avarice, Gluttony, Sloth 8.His father and his mother were both chronic alcoholics who drank themselves to death. a chronic alcoholic / gamblera chronic disease / illness is one that cannot be cured: He’s been suffering from chronic arthritis / pain for many years now. a chronic unemploymenta chronic shortage of teachers / housingcf. acute 9.These houses are

classic examples of modern architecture. classic1. of the highest quality or class and esp. serving as a model, standard or perfectrepresentation of a particular type:a classic horse raceLewis Carroll’s classic children’s stories This film is a classic western movie. 2. a very typical and well-known kind:a classic case / mistake / example / symptom of sth3. simple in style and likely to remain fashionable for a long time:a simple classic suitclassical1. connected with, belonging to, or influenced by the art, life and literature of ancientGreece and Rome:classical authors / languages / literature / educationa building in the classical style of architecturein classical Rome / Greek theatrein the classical world2. (of music) written with serious artistic intentions and having an attraction that lastsover a long period of time: She prefers pop music to classical music .the works of several classical composers, including Bach and Mozartthe classical period3. based on or belonging to an old or established system of principles or methods,e.g. in art or science, traditional, orthodox:classical scientific ideas about sth 10.It is pointless trying to keep his extramarital affair secret – it is common knowledge already. common1. usual or familiar, happening or found in many places:a common flower / event / right Is this word in common use?Robbery is not common in this area. the common rabbit: das gemeine Kaninchen 2. common to: shared by, belonging to, done by or affecting two or more people, ormost of a group or society:common property / ownership We share a common purpose. measures taken for the common good 3. without special rank or quality, ordinary:the common people He is not an officer but a common soldier. 4. ( derog. ) of people, their behaviour and belongings, typical of the lower classes,showing a lack of taste and refinement, vulgar: She’s so common, shouting like that so that all the neighbours can hear. 5. mathematics: belonging to two or more qualities:a common denominator / factor6. as common as dirt / muckto be common knowledgeto make common cause with sbcommon sense Don’t do that, use your common sense! (the) common law

11.He was almost forty and a confirmed bachelor. We all advised Ann against marrying him. confirmed: firmly settled in a particular way of life or way of thinkinga confirmed bachelor / drunkard / gambler / sports fanatic / whisky drinker / alcoholic / vegetarian 12.He won a scholarship to Harvard. It’s a golden opportunity. golden1. of gold or like gold in value or colour:a golden crown / ringgolden hair / sand / light / corn / skin2. precious, fortunate:golden days / age / opportunitygolden handshake:a (large) sum of money given to a senior member of a company, etc when he leavesgolden handcuffs:payments made to employees, esp. those in a high position as a way of persuadingthem not to leave their jobscf. gold handcuffsa golden parachute:a large payment made to sb who has an important job with a company when they areforced to leaveto kill the goose that lays the golden egg(s)the golden mean:principles of moderation; balance between too much and too little of sth:to find the golden mean between drunkenness and total abstinencecf. happy mediumthe golden rulegolden wedding anniversarycf. a gold chain / watch / button / ring / broochthe golden triangle:the area of South East Asia covering parts of Burma, Laos and Thailand where opiumis produced, most of which is made into illegal drugs 13.The rapist was sentenced to three years’ hard labour. hardhard labour: imprisonment with hard labour, with heavy physical labour aspunishment:a hard task / book / language It’s hard to tell whether it’s true or not. A hard father treats his children severely. to be hard on sb: criticize, treat severelyhard and fast rules / regulations:that cannot be changed to fit special casesto learn sth the hard way:use the most difficult or least convenient method to do or achieve sth 14.She is a convinced Christian and would never marry a Muslim. convinced: firm in one’s beliefs:a convinced Christian / Muslim / socialistabsolutely / firmly / completely / thoroughly convincedcf. (un)convincing speaker / victory They won by a convincing margin .cf. narrow margin 15.Many reporters of the tabloid press consider the royal family fair game. fairby fair means or foulfair and square: You must play fair (and square).I hit him fair (and square) on the nose .fair game: sb / sth that it is very easy or reasonable to attack, an easy target 16.These political prophets have produced considerable quantities of

hot air. hotpiping hot: very hot Pepper makes food hot. ( cf . mild) a hot temper: excitablehot with passiona hot news itema story hot off the presshot on sth: well-informed and very interested in:hot on jazztoo hot to handle:if a problem or situation is too hot to handle it is impossible to deal with because it iscausing too much trouble and anger: The Watergate scandal eventually proved too hot to handle and the president steppeddown. hot goods: stolen goodshot air: meaningless talk or ideas 17.The fact-finding commission set up by the government published an authentic report onthe use of chemical weapons in World War I. authentic1. known to be true or genuine:an authentic document / signature / painting 2. trustworthy, reliable:an authentic statement 18.My father had the fixed idea that a woman’s place was in the home. fixedfastened, not moveable or changeable: The tables are firmly fixed to the floor. He has very fixed ideas on this subject. a fixed idea / star / staresb is of no fixed abode / addressidée fixe (pl. idées fixes): an obsession eine fixe Idee : an idea that dominates the mindto be fixed for sth How are you fixed for money? (i.e. how much do you have?) How are you fixed for Saturday evening? (i.e. what are your plans?) 19.The 17th century was the golden age of Dutch painting. cf. 12 20.People want to be entertained – they want films with happy endings. happy ending to a book / filmhappy1. well suited to the situation, pleasing: That wasn’t a happy choice of words. cf. felicitous2. fortunate, lucky: He’s in the happy position of never having to worry about money. Are you happy in your work / with your life? to find / seek / be a happy medium 21.The journalists asked a lot of

loaded questions, in the hope that the General would tellthem when the attack would be launched. to load a truck / gun / camerato load sth into / onto sth: coal into a ship / furniture onto a lorryto load sth to full capacityto load sth with sth: a lorry with coalto load the dicethe dice / odds are loaded against sb / sth: used to say that sb / sth is not likely tosucceed or winloaded dice: have weights in them so that they always fall with the same side on topload (n)to carry / lessen / lighten / dump / shed / transport a loadto take a load off sb’s minda heavy / light loadteaching load / workload 22.We had an animated discussion with Members of Parliament about tax evasion. animated1. full of spirit and excitement, lively:an animated debate / argument / conversation I had rarely seen him so animated. 2. given the appearance of movement:animated drawingsan animated cartoon a Walt Disney cartoon: a film made by photographing a series of gradually changingdrawings, giving an illusion of movement 23.The alleged murderer looked like a harmless gentleman. to allege: to state a fact but without proof, give an argument or excuse: The prisoner alleges that he was at home on the night of the crime. He alleged illness as the reason for his absence.We were alleged to have brought goods into the country illegally .the alleged culprit The novel was allegedly written by a computer. allegationto make / substantiate an allegationto deny / drop / retract / withdraw / reject / rebut / refute an allegationa(n) false / serious / slanderous / unproved / (un)substantial / vague / unsupportedallegationan allegation about / against sb / sth 24.There is an appreciable difference between socialism and communism. appreciable: enough to be felt, noticed or considered important: The temperature dropped appreciably last night. an appreciable drop in temperature The increase in salary will be appreciable. He looks appreciably thinner .an appreciable numberan appreciable drop in the number of unemployed 25.The Conservatives won the election by a very narrow margin. narrow1. small from one side to the other, esp. in comparison with length or with what isusual, not wide:a narrow road / river / gateway2. limited in range or effect:narrow ideas about religion

The decision was taken for narrow economic reasons, without considering its socialeffects. 3. almost not enough or only just successful:to win by a narrow majority (cf. close)a narrow escapeto lead by the narrowest of margins4. careful and thorough, painstaking:a narrow examination of the factsto narrow sth down to sth: The choice was narrowed down to a few candidates. 26.The Mayor was given a warm welcome when he arrived. warm(of work, exercise) causing a feeling of heat: Sawing logs is warm work.It was a warm climb to the summit .warm: showing enthusiasm, hearty:(a) warm applause / congratulations / thanks / recommendation / welcome / invitation / receptionto warm to(wards) sb / sth: begin to like: As he warmed to his subject, he infected the audience with his own enthusiasm. 27.The old doctor has only a nodding acquaintance with modern gynaecology. a nodding acquaintance with sb / sth: a very slight familiarity with a person or subjectnod (n) He greeted me with a nod (of the head). He gave me a slight nod. an affirmative / approving noda nod of approvalto give sb a nod of recognitionon the nod: (approved or accepted) by general agreement and without being talkedabout: The chairman’s proposals were usually passed / approved on the nod. to nod off: fall asleep He nodded in agreement. He nodded his agreement. cf. to shake one’s head 28.Professional jealousy has led to strained relations between the two professors. strained1. unnatural, forced and artificial, not easy or relaxed:a strained laugh / smile2. overtired and anxious: She looked very strained when I last saw her. to impose / put / place a strain on sbto feel / stand the strainto ease / relieve the straina(n) considerable / great / terrible / tremendous straina(n) mental / emotional / physical / financial straina strain on relations between partiesto be under a strain 29.If he doesn’t get down to serious work soon he is likely to have a rude awakening when he sits the exams. rude1. not at all polite, intentionally bad-mannered, offensive: Don’t be so rude to me.It was rude of you to say that. 2. (used esp. by or to children) concerned with sex: She told a rather rude joke and everybody looked embarrassed. 3. sudden and unpleasant: We had a rude shock when we discovered who he really was.

a rude awakening 30.The PM will meet the advisory committee to discuss the latest development. advisory: giving advice, having the power or duty to advise:to be employed in an advisory capacityon an advisory committee / bodymerely / only / strictly advisoryadvisedto be well- / ill-advised to do sth You would be well-advised not to buy it. 31.He published the libellous accusations under an assumed name. to assume1. to accept as true before there is proof: I’m assuming that the present situation is going to continue.We must assume him to be innocent until he is proved guilty. 2. to put on or display falsely:to assume ignorance / indifference / a look of innocence3. to begin to act in or exercise, undertake, take on:to assume office / control He assumes his new responsibilities next week.The problem is beginning to assume massive proportions .assumptionto make an assumptionto base an assumption on stha mere / pure / erroneous / false / mistaken / reasonable / safe / valid assumptionto proceed on the assumption that ... 32.Her ruling passion is classical music. ruling: prevalent, dominant:ruling party / class / factionruling (n): decision made by a judge or by some other authority: When will the committee make / give its ruling? a ruling on / about stha(n) (un)just / (un)fair / court / official rulingthe exception proves the ruleto be an exception to the rulea rule of thumb: as a rule of thumb you should ...to rule She let her heart rule her head.Charles I ruled (England) for 11 years.Don’t allow yourself to be ruled by emotion. Note:to rule: to give a decision: The chairman ruled that the question was out of order. to rule in favour of the plaintiffto rule the roostto rule with a rod of iron / with an iron handto rule sth out: exclude: This possibility can’t be ruled out. He was ruled out as a possible candidate. 4Exercise 1.The race is on to find the missing link in our evolution.2.You’d better put on your glad rags for dinner with the boss.3.The election result was a foregone conclusion.4.I’m afraid my

addled brain couldn’t make any sense of the instructions.5.He arrived at the restaurant, a portly figure in a tight-fitting jacket and a bow tie.6.Rates of juvenile delinquency are on the increase. 7.By the time I got there the party was in full swing. 8.She was found guilty of theft, but because of extenuating circumstances was not sent toprison.9.Thieves had broken into the car in broad daylight and stolen the stereo.10.They admitted to the most heinous crimes.11.The expression the fair sex is sometimes used to refer to women in general and isconsidered offensive by many people.12.It was this passion for fast cars that led to his untimely death at the age of 34.13.She was up until the small hours of the morning trying to finish her essay.14.It’s a moot question whether women or men are better drivers.15.This sort of thinking just seems to be leading us down a blind alley.16.They showed the goal in slow motion.17.You must have paid a pretty penny for that car.18.Although the groups seem very different the common denominator is their commitment tousing renewable sources of energy.19.I told him his suit looked wonderful. It was a white lie, but it cheered him up.20.A shotgun wedding is a wedding that is arranged very quickly and suddenly because thewoman is pregnant.21.Does he have to come on holiday with us? He’s such a wet blanket.22.The schoolchildren were told to walk in

single file.23.You didn’t do anything wrong. You should have a clear conscience.24.The roads were busy as we drove out of town, but after that it was plain sailing.25.I had a close shave this morning. Some idiot in a car almost knocked me off my bike.26.I have to thank my lifelong friend Jerry for helping me through the crisis.27.We live within easy reach of the station.28.These stars are too small to be seen with the naked eye.29.After losing my job it was cold comfort to be told that I’d won the office raffle. also: small 30.How relevant are the fine arts to the modern world?31.We heard loud laughter in the adjoining room.32.His parents were bitterly disappointed when they heard about their son’s amorous adventures.33.The books should be catalogued in alphabetical order. 5Exercise 1.He has been having a clandestine affair with his secretary for three years. clandestine: done secretly, kept secret:a clandestine meeting / operation of the CIA / weapons programme 2.The only reaction to his outburst of anger was a pregnant pause. pregnantto be / get pregnant She is pregnant with her third child.She is six months pregnant. to get sb pregnant Tom got his girlfriend pregnant, so they are getting married. cf. shotgun weddinga pregnant pause / silence, i.e. full of meaningpregnancya pregnancy testan unwanted / unplanned pregnancyan ectopic pregnancy: a pregnancy in which the baby developed outside the womb 3.It was an

egregious error for a statesman to show such ignorance. egregious (used attributively, usually of sth bad): exceptional, outstanding:egregious incompetencea most egregious error of judgement 4.It is difficult to discern the motive of this seemingly arbitrary decision.5.He gave a boring speech full of stale jokes. stale1. (of food) no longer fresh and often tasting or smelling unpleasant:stale bread / cake / smokea stale smell of cigars2. no longer interesting or exciting:stale news / ideas / jokesto become / go stale Their marriage had gone stale . 6.In my last job I did menial work like washing dishes and cleaning floors. menial ( usu. derog .): not requiring much skill and often boring:a menial task / jobmenial chores like sweeping the floor 7.John’s son is an avid reader of comics. also: voracious / great / keencf. bookwormto be avid (for sth) He is avid for praise / news of his son .an avid listener / collector of coinsavidity: the avidity of the press for royal gossip 8.Curiosity is only a venial sin. cf. mortal / capital / original sin 9.It’s not my fault; he has only his own bovine stupidity to blame for that. bovine: of / relating to cattlebovine diseasescf. BSE: bovine spongiform encephalopathy; commonly called: mad cow disease fig. : dull and stupid: a bovine expression / character / mentality / person 10.He put a cover over the engine to hide it from prying eyes. to pry into sth: inquire with too much curiosity into other people’s private affairs I don’t want them to pry into my affairs.

to pry sth out of sbto pry information out of sbto pry sth off sthto pry the lid off a canto pry the can open 11.His latest musical is another howling success.12.Even the most hardened criminal would have been shocked by the terrorists’ brutalities.13. Atomic energy still seems to be dominating every other source of power.14.Their bungalow is full of priceless antique furniture.15.Mike always found time for browsing in the antiquarian bookshop. antiquarian bookscf. second-hand bookshopan antiquary ( dated ) or antiquarianantiquated (of things / ideas)antiquated working conditions / ideas / attitudes / values / laws / machinery / technology / class system / industriesantique(an) antique vase / furniture / jewellery / style / shop / china / clock / fair / market / auction / stall / dealer 16.Words ending in -ate such as illiterate and obstinate are stressed on the antepenultimate syllable. ultimate – pen-ultimate – ante-pen-ultimate 17.Ann wanted to know all the details of their divorce. She’s a real nos(e)y parker.18.The tobacco industry have a vested interest in claiming that smoking isn’t harmful. vested interest: personal interest in a state of affairs, usu. with an expectation ofgaining sthto vest sth (in sb / sth) (usu. passive): to give as a firm or legal right: Copyright is vested in the author. to vest sb / sth with sthto vest sb with authority / power Parliament is vested with the power of making laws.The country has vested all its hopes in the peace negotiations. 19.The soldiers marched on in the sweltering heat. to swelter: to be so hot that it is uncomfortable; to suffer from the heat:to lie sweltering on a beach

The country is sweltering in a heatwave. a sweltering (hot) day / summer / climate 20.It’s just another poem on the pain of unrequited love. unrequited: esp. of love: not returned or rewarded:unrequited passionto requite: to give sth in return for sth else; to repayin requital for sthto be killed in requital for one’s crimes 21.The doctor suggested she might consider a caesarean section. alternative spellings: C(a)esarean / Caesarian She had to have a caesarean section.The baby was delivered / born by Caesarean section. a Caesarean birth / delivery 22.They were cycling along at breakneck speed. also: at a breakneck pacecf. a breakneck drive 23.She was conscious of her rather dishevelled appearance. dishevelled (of hair / clothes / appearance): very untidy: They arrived back tired, dishevelled and bleeding. 24.After only a cursory glance he tore up the note.25.You blithering idiot! You could have killed me with that knife.26.They won their first match of the season 5-1, which was an auspicious start. auspicious: promisingan auspicious date for a weddingunder the auspices of sb: with the help, support of:to set up a business under the auspices of a government aid schemea relief expedition under United Nations’ auspices 27.I saw him cast a furtive glance at the woman at the table to his right. furtive1. done secretly and quietly so as not to be noticed:a furtive movement / phone call2. (of people or their behaviour) nervous or attracting suspicion; suggesting that one isguilty of sth or does not want to be noticed 28.Marguerite often recalled the halcyon days of her youth. halcyon ( dated or rhet .): peaceful and happy

29.The people who turned up to the meeting were a motley crew. motley ( derog. ): of many different types of people or things:to wear a motley collection of old clothes She was surrounded by a motley crew / assortment of musicians, singers, comedians and drunks. 30.The little hut was full of the smell of rancid butter and woodsmoke. rancid: tasting or smelling bad because old:rancid oil / butter / fatto go / turn rancid 31.He produced cogent reasons for the change of policy. cogent (of arguments, reasons): convincing:cogent evidencea cogent argument / speech / answer / examination of factsto argue cogently 6Exercise 1.He’ll get £50,000 from the company when he retires, which is a ti dy sum.2.In the future the public will be offered a wi de ( r ) choice of television programmes.3.Mmm, what are you cooking? There’s a deli cious smell in here.4.Looking after the health of 700 children is a he avy responsibility.5.The amount of money spent on defence is in st ark contrast to the amount spent onhousing and health.6.We had a fur ious row last night.7.I don’t think that is a very str ong argument.8.He avy showers of rain will become more widespread after the next 36 hours.9.Do you have any parti cular preference where we sit?10.The room was filled with the put rid smell of rotting meal.11.There’s a stri king contrast between what he does and what he says he does.12.Don’t come near me – I’ve got a stre

aming cold.13.Th ick fog has made driving conditions dangerous.14.Ta ll trees lined the roads.15.I told him I loved him – I’ve made a drea dful fool of myself.16.The rebels were no match for the government troops with their vastly supe rior weapons.17.It was by sh eer determination that he succeeded.18.Although French is her native language, she speaks with an impec cable English accent.19.The party turned out to be a hu ge disappointment.20.He has suffered a mi ld heart attack – nothing serious.21.She’s a dis tant relative of mine, something like my aunt’s husband’s great grandmother.22.They were caught in a torre ntial downpour and got soaked to the skin.23.His mother’s death when he was aged six had a very prof ound effect on him.24.We got out in time but it was a nar row escape.25.He was found guilty of reck less driving, fined £1,000 and disqualified from driving for threemonths.26.It was sh eer coincidence that I remembered his phone number.27.I thought I could detect a sli ght West Country accent.28.Getting the essay done on time will be a ta ll order.

Sponsor Documents

Or use your account on DocShare.tips

Hide

Forgot your password?

Or register your new account on DocShare.tips

Hide

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive a link to create a new password.

Back to log-in

Close