Objective Proficiency p 38. Keys and Vocabulary

Ex 1
The picture is a ‘still’ from the film The Perfect Storm, showing the fishing boat amidst massive waves.

Possible answersThe steel grey sea looks bitterly cold and very sinister.
The huge waves tower menacingly over the fishing boat.
Such a vast amount of heaving water threatens the lives of everyone on board the vessel.

Vocabulary

• Still: a photograph of a scene from a film/movie or video. Sp. Fotograma. E.g. A publicity still from his new movie. The police studied the stills from the security video.
• Cling clung clung: to hold on tightly to somebody/something. Agarrarse, aferrarse. Cling to somebody/something: E.g. Survivors clinging to a raft. Leaves still clung to the branches.
• Wreckage: /ˈrekɪdʒ/ the parts of a vehicle, building, etc. that remain after it has been badly damaged or destroyed. Sp. Restos, ruinas. E.g. A few survivors were pulled from the wreckage.
• Heavy sea: dangerous because of big waves, etc. E.g. Strong winds and heavy seas.
• Bitterly cold: very cold. E.g. The steel grey sea looks bitterly cold and very sinister. 
• Sinister: seeming evil or dangerous; making you think something bad will happen. E.g. There was something cold and sinister about him.
• Tower over/above somebody/something: to be much higher or taller than the people or things that are near. E.g. The cliffs towered above them. He towered over his classmates.
• Menacingly: /ˈmenəsɪŋli/ seeming likely to cause you harm or danger. E.g. The thunder growled /ɡraʊld/ (Sp. gruñir) menacingly.
• Heaving: /ˈhiːvɪŋ/ Heave: to rise up and down with strong, regular movements. E.g. The boat heaved beneath them. Such a vast amount of heaving water threatens the sailor's life.

Ex 2

• Lead-in: an introduction to a subject, story, show, etc. E.g. He told an amusing story as a lead-in to his speech.

Advice

• Preface: /ˈprefəs/ preface something by/with something| preface something by doing something: (formal) to say something before you start making a speech, answering a question, etc. E.g. I must preface my remarks with an apology.