Monday, November 30, 2015

C1 25-26/11/15

p. 43

ex‧cerpt [countable]
a short piece taken from a book, poem, piece of music etc
excerpt of/from
An excerpt of the speech appeared in the Sunday paper.

foot‧age [uncountable]
cinema film showing a particular event:
old footage from the First World War

sto‧rey British English ; story American English [countable]
a floor or level of a building:
a staircase leads to the upper storey
two-storey/five-storey etc (=having two etc storeys)

in-between
in the middle between two points, sizes, periods of time etc:
She was at that in-between age, neither a girl nor a woman.

width /wɪtθ/ noun
Word partners for width
the width of sth • [1 metre/5 feet, etc] in width • the full width of sth
1 DISTANCE [ MEASURES ] [ C , U ] the distance from one side of something to the other side
a width of 2 metres
height, length, and width
2 SWIMMING [ SPORT ] [ C ] the distance across the shorter side of a swimming pool when you swim across it

Strait /streɪt/ [countable]
1 also straits [plural] a narrow passage of water between two areas of land, usually connecting two seas:
the Bering Strait
2 be in dire straits
to be in a very difficult situation, especially a financial one:
After the war the country's economy was in dire straits.
The firm is now in dire financial straits.

Lousy /ˈlaʊzɪ/comparative lousier, superlative lousiest
1 especially spoken of very bad quality [= awful, terrible]:
What lousy weather!
The food was lousy.
A lousy film

Unleash /ˈʌnˈliːʃ/ [transitive]
1    to suddenly let a strong force, feeling, etc, have its full effect:
Lefèvre's comments unleashed a wave of protest.
2    to let a dog run free after it has been held on a  leash.

Powerhouse [countable] informal
1 an organization or place where there is a lot of activity or where a lot of things are produced:
Europe's industrial powerhouse
2 someone who is very strong or has a lot of energy:
a powerhouse of a man

Cable-stayed bridge

Dangle /ˈdæŋgl/
1 [intransitive and transitive] to hang or swing loosely, or to make something do this
dangle from
A light bulb dangled from a wire in the ceiling.
dangle something in/over etc something
I dangled my feet in the clear blue water.

Soar /sɔːʳ/ look tall [not in progressive] if buildings, trees, towers etc soar, they look very tall and impressive:
 Here the cliffs soar a hundred feet above the sea.
 A soaring skyscrape

Cement /sɪˈmɛnt/  [uncountable]
Building a mixture of clay and limestone, usually mixed with water and sand, etc., to form concrete, used as a building material.
A floor made of cement.

Consortium /kənˈsɔrʃiəm/ [countable] plural consortia  or consortiums
A group of companies or organizations who are working together to do something:
A consortium of oil companies.
The aircraft will be built by a European consortium.

Figure somebody/something ↔ out 
phrasal verb
1 to think about a problem or situation until you find the answer or understand what has happened
Figure out how/what/why etc
Can you figure out how to do it?
If I have a map, I can figure it out.
Don't worry, we'll figure something out (=find a way to solve the problem).

Setback [countable]
a problem that delays or prevents progress, or makes things worse than they were
setback for
The December elections were a major setback for the party.
The team's hopes of playing in Europe suffered a setback last night.

The shoreline

From scratch
if you start something from scratch, you begin it without using anything that existed or was prepared before:
We had to start again from scratch.
He had built the business up from scratch.

Feet: a unit of length equal to 12 inches or 30.48 centimetres.
Inch: 2.54 centimetres.

maintenance /ˈmeɪnt ə nəns/ noun [ U ]
Word partners for maintenance
carry out maintenance • high / low maintenance • maintenance of sth
1 WORK the work that is done to keep something in good condition
car maintenance
I want a garden that's very low maintenance (= easy to look after) .
2 MONEY [ FINANCE ] UK regular amounts of money that someone must pay after they have left their family so that the family still has money to live
child maintenance

moisture /ˈmɔɪstʃə r / noun [ U ]
very small drops of water in the air or on a surface

nut /nʌt/ noun [ C ]
1 FOOD [ BIOLOGY , FOOD ] the dry fruit of some trees which grows in a hard shell, and can often be eaten
a brazil/cashew nut
2 METAL a piece of metal with a hole in it through which you put a bolt (= metal pin) to hold pieces of wood or metal together
3 KEEN informal a person who is keen on a particular subject or hobby
She's a real sports nut.
4 the nuts and bolts
the basic parts of a job or an activity
Law school can teach you theory, but it can't teach you the nuts and bolts of the profession.

washer /ˈwɒʃə r / noun [ C ]
1 RING a thin, flat ring that is put between a nut and a bolt (= metal objects used to fasten things together)
2 MACHINE a machine that washes clothes

ˈ Cable ˌ car noun [ C ]
A vehicle that hangs from thick cables and carries people up hills and mountains

Zip line

float  /fləʊt/ noun [ C ]
1 VEHICLE a large, decorated vehicle that is used in public celebrations


Tuesday, November 24, 2015

C1 23-24/11/15



have cold nature or be cold-blooded

p.41
alongside /əˌlɒŋˈsaɪd/ adverb preposition
1 NEXT TO next to someone or something
A car pulled up alongside ours.
2 WITH together with someone
She enjoyed working alongside such famous actors.

/ɪnˈhɑːns/
ad‧mit‧ted‧ly [sentence adverb] /ədˈmɪtɪdlɪ/
used when you are admitting that something is true:
This has led to financial losses, though admittedly on a fairly small scale.
He was admittedly the one who had lost the documents.
admittedly /ədˈmɪtɪdli/ adverb
used when you are agreeing that something is true although you do not want to
Admittedly I was partly to blame but it wasn't all my fault.

although /ɔːlˈðəʊ/ conjunction
1 DESPITE despite the fact that
She walked home by herself, although she knew it was dangerous.
2 BUT but
He's coming this evening, although I don't know exactly when.

Even though-> although
He still smokes, even though he's got asthma.

Indeed /ɪnˈdid/  
- [sentence adverb] formal used to introduce an additional statement that emphasizes or supports what you have just said:
I didn't mind at all. Indeed, I was pleased.
- especially British English used with 'very' and an adjective or adverb to emphasize a statement or description:
Most of the essays were very good indeed.
Thank you very much indeed.

Thus formal
1 [sentence adverb] as a result of something that you have just mentioned:
Most of the evidence was destroyed in the fire. Thus it would be almost impossible to prove him guilty.
! In spoken English it is more usual to use so.

Jeopardize ( also UK jeopardise ) /ˈdʒepədaɪz/ verb [ T ]
To put something in a situation where there is a risk of failing or being harmed
Bad weather could jeopardize all our plans.

Purchasing power


I can’t believe how beautiful the new girl is.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

C1 18-19/11/15

 pee /piː/ verb [ I ] present participle peeing , past peed informal
to urinate
pee noun [ no plural ] informal
Do I have time for a pee before we go?

Poo

Wee 1 /wiː/ noun [ no plural ] mainly UK informal
When you urinate
To have a wee
I need a wee.
Wee verb [ I ] present participle weeing , past weed

Have a leak

Scaffolding /ˈskæf ə ldɪŋ/ noun [ U ]
A temporary structure made of flat boards and metal poles used to work on a tall building
to erect scaffolding

p. 38, ex. 8

ˈ Cash ma ˌ chine ( also UK cashpoint ) noun [ C ]
[FINANCE] a machine, usually in a wall outside a bank, that you can get money from using a plastic card

ATM /ˌeɪtiːˈem/ noun [ C ] mainly US
[FINANCE] abbreviation for automated teller machine: a machine that you get money from using a plastic card

Bankrupt 1 /ˈbæŋkrʌpt/ adjective
[FINANCE] unable to continue in business because you cannot pay your debts
He went bankrupt after only a year in business.

Walk on thin ice

I’m not studying much for my competitive exam, so the writing is on the wall for me.

The check-up didn’t show anything good, so, I’m afraid the writing’s on the wall for me.

Eavesdrop /ˈiːvzdrɒp/ verb [ I ] present participle eavesdropping , past eavesdropped
To secretly listen to a conversation
He stood outside the door eavesdropping on their conversation.
eavesdropper noun [ C ]

wall /wɔːl/ noun [ C ]
drive sb up the wall informal
to make someone very angry
She drives me up the wall.

fly on the wall
If you say that you would like to be a fly on the wall in a certain situation, you mean that you would like to be there secretly to see and hear what happens.

Be banging your head against a brick wall
to do, say, or ask for something repeatedly but to be unable to change a situation
I keep asking her not to park there, but it's like banging my head against a brick wall.

Ex. 10
incisor /ɪnˈsaɪzə r / noun [ C ]
incisor
[ ANATOMY ] one of the sharp teeth at the front of the mouth which cut food when you bite into it
canine 2 /ˈkeɪnaɪn/ noun [ C ]
canine
[ ANATOMY ] one of four pointed teeth in a person's mouth
molar 1 /ˈməʊlə r / noun [ C ]
molar
[ ANATOMY ] one of the large teeth at the back of the mouth used for crushing food
ˈ wisdom ˌ tooth noun [ C ] plural wisdom teeth
[ ANATOMY ] one of the four teeth at the back of your mouth that are the last to grow

tooth /tuːθ/ noun [ C ] plural teeth
Word partners for tooth
brush / clean your teeth • your back / front teeth • have a tooth removed / taken out • a set of teeth
tooth
1 MOUTH [ ANATOMY ] one of the hard, white objects in your mouth that you use for biting and crushing food
You should brush your teeth twice a day.

surgery /ˈsɜːdʒ ə ri/ noun
1 TREATMENT [ HEALTH ] [ U ] when a doctor cuts your body open and repairs or removes something
to have surgery
heart/knee surgery
2 PLACE [ HEALTH ] [ C ] UK a place where doctors or other medical workers treat people

open-plan /ˌəʊp ə nˈplæn/ adjective
describes a room or a building without many walls
an open-plan office


Every now and then/every so often
Sometimes, but not often
We still meet up every now and then.

gum 1 /gʌm/ noun
1 MOUTH [ ANATOMY ] [ C ] the hard, pink part inside your mouth that your teeth grow out of
[ usually plural ] Protect your teeth and gums by visiting your dentist regularly.
gum disease

drill 1 /drɪl/ noun
1 TOOL [ C ] a tool or machine for making holes in a hard substance
an electric drill

anesthetic /ˌænəsˈθetɪk/ noun [ C , U ]
[ HEALTH ] US spelling of anaesthetic (= a drug that makes you unable to feel pain during an operation)
anesthetist /əˈnesθətɪst/ noun [ C ]
[ HEALTH ] US spelling of anaesthetist (= a doctor who gives anaesthetics to people)

vertigo /ˈvɜːtɪgəʊ/ noun [ U ]
when you feel slightly ill because you are in a high place and feel as if you might fall

sadistic /səˈdɪstɪk/ adjective
getting pleasure from being cruel or violent
sadistic behaviour
a sadistic murderer
sadist /ˈseɪdɪst/ noun [ C ]
someone who gets pleasure from being cruel or violent
sadism /ˈseɪdɪz ə m/ noun [ U ]

The little horror shop
(I’m a) dentist


Wednesday, November 18, 2015

C1 16-17/11/15




Homework: reading act. P. 38 (1, 2 and 3)

ORANGERIE
Netflix
1 Foulmartlaw Cottage
Gallowhill
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 3TZ

have had your fill of something
informal to have done something or experienced something, especially something unpleasant, so that you do not want any more:
I've had my fill of screaming kids for one day.


Nighty night /night night.
Don’t let the bedbugs bite you.
Rise and shine.

Interactive video-sculpture.

p.40
relate /rɪˈleɪt/ verb
1 CONNECT [ I , T ] to be connected, or to find or show the connection between two or more things
How do the two proposals relate?
2 TELL [ T ] formal to tell a story or describe a series of events
relate to sb/sth phrasal verb
to be connected to, or to be about someone or something
Please provide all information relating to the claim.
relate to sb phrasal verb
to understand how someone feels
Most teenagers find it hard to relate to their parents.

shape 1 /ʃeɪp/ noun
Word partners for shape
an irregular / pleasing / strange / unusual shape • change shape • in the shape of sth
1 [ C , U ] the physical form of something made by the line around its outer edge
a circular/rectangular shape
You can recognize trees by the shape of their leaves.
Very few people are really happy with their body shape.
See picture shapes
2 in good/bad/great, etc shape
in good/bad, etc health or condition
She runs every day so she's in pretty good shape.
3 out of shape
[ HEALTH ] not healthy or physically strong
4 keep in shape
to stay healthy and physically strong
5 take shape
to start to develop and become more clear or certain
The project is slowly beginning to take shape.
6 all shapes and sizes
many different types of people or things
We saw people there of all shapes and sizes.





Monday, November 16, 2015

C1 11-12/11/15



Homework: p. 36-37 ex. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7

cramped
1 a cramped room, building etc does not have enough space for the people in it [↪ crowded]:
The kitchen was small and cramped.
a cramped apartment
The troops slept in cramped conditions with up to 20 in a single room.

crammed
crammed with/crammed full of something
completely full of things or people [= packed]:
The guide is crammed full of useful information.
The streets were crammed with people.

distinctly
1 clearly:
Speak clearly and distinctly.
He distinctly remembered the day his father left.
2 very:
Paul was left feeling distinctly foolish.
distinctly uncomfortable/uneasy/unhappy etc
3 used to say that something has a particular quality or character that is easy to recognize:
dishes with a distinctly Jewish flavor

p.35, ex. 11
deadly/dead serious (=definitely not joking)

I could see she was highly amused (=very amused).
The man looked a little amused.

mildly
1 slightly:
The drug is only mildly addictive.
I felt mildly depressed.

familiar to
The signs of drug addiction are familiar to most doctors.
This kind of situation was all too familiar (=very familiar) to John.
Her face seems vaguely familiar, but I can't quite place her.
be familiar with something
to have a good knowledge or understanding of something:
Are you familiar with this type of machine?
I'm not familiar with her poetry.

optimistic /ˌɒptɪˈmɪstɪk/ adjective
always believing that good things will happen
We're optimistic about our chances of success.
[ + (that) ] I'm not optimistic that we'll reach an agreement.
The opposite is pessimistic

optimistic about
Bankers are cautiously optimistic about the country's economic future.

amused at/by
Ellen seemed amused by the whole situation.

unlucky to do something
Inter Milan were unlucky to lose the match.
unlucky with
We were unlucky with the weather this weekend. It rained constantly.

be serious about
Is she serious about giving up her job?


fin‧ished
1 [not before noun] no longer doing, dealing with, or using something [= done]:
I'm almost finished.
finished with
Are you finished with my tools yet?

Whatchamacallit?
A word used when the actual name of the object in question will not come to mind. Very versatile but often very vague. It is derived from the phrase "what-you-may-call-it" which can be found in T. H. White's The Once and Future King.
Claire- "Hey, Adam, hand me the- the- you know, the whatchamacallit."

Adam- "The what?

Ex.1, p. 36
leaf‧y
1 having a lot of leaves:
leafy green vegetables such as spinach
2 having a lot of trees and plants:
a leafy suburb

spraw‧ling
spreading over a wide area in an untidy or unattractive way:
a vast, sprawling city

commute /kəˈmjuːt/ verb [ I ]
to regularly travel between work and home
commuter noun [ C ]

EXTRA VOCAB

knackered /ˈnækəd/ adjective
UK informal extremely tired

huff 1 /hʌf/ verb
huff and puff
informal to breathe loudly, especially because you have been exercising
Pam was huffing and puffing by the time she reached the top of the stairs.

dare 1 /deə r / verb
1 dare (to) do sth
to be brave enough to do something
I didn't dare tell Dad that I'd scratched his car.
2 dare sb to do sth
to try to make someone do something dangerous
She dared her friend to climb onto the roof.
3 Don't you dare
informal used to tell someone angrily not to do something
Don't you dare hit your sister!
4 How dare she/you, etc
used to express anger about something someone has done
How dare you talk to me like that!
5 I dare say
( also I daresay ) used when you think that something is probably true or will probably happen
I dare say she'll change her mind.

treadmill /ˈtredmɪl/ noun [ C ]
1 EXERCISE [ SPORT ] a machine with a moving part which you walk or run on for exercise
2 BORING a job which is boring because you have to repeat the same thing again and again