Objective Proficiency p 58. Key and Vocabulary

Ex 1
The pictures show:
1. a 'macrophoto' of the human eye, showing the dark central pupil surrounded by a blue iris 
2. the eye of a needle with thread 
3. a cat's eye, the device used on main roads to guide drivers at night.

Ex 2
Questions:   
stare (at somebody/something) to look at somebody/something for a long time. E.g. I screamed and everyone stared.

resort to something to make use of something, especially something bad, as a means of achieving something, often because there is no other possible solution. Synonym: have recourse to. Sp. recurrir a. E.g. They felt obliged to resort to violence. Resort to doing something We may have to resort to using untrained staff.

False eye spots:

Make eye contact:

 

keep an eye on somebody/something to take care of somebody/ something and make sure that they are not harmed, damaged, etc. E.g. We've asked the neighbours to keep an eye on the house for us while we are away.

Sceptical: /ˈskeptɪkl/ sceptical (about/of something) having doubts that a claim or statement is true or that something will happen. E.g. I am sceptical about his chances of winning. The public remain sceptical of these claims. She looked highly sceptical.

Prompt: to make somebody decide to do something; to cause something to happen. Provoke. E.g. The thought of her daughter's wedding day prompted her to lose some weight.

Keen: (senses) highly developed. Sharp. E.g. Dogs have a keen sense of smell. My friend has a keen eye for (= is good at noticing) a bargain. His eyesight was no longer as keen as it once was.

Liken something/somebody to something/somebody: (formal) to compare one thing or person to another and say they are similar. E.g. Life is often likened to a journey.
Pad: a thick piece of soft material that is used, for example, for absorbing liquid, cleaning or protecting something. Sp. Almohadilla. E.g. medicated cleansing pads for sensitive skin. Sanitary pads (= that a woman uses during her period ).
 
Assembly: /əˈsembli/ the process of putting together the parts of something such as a vehicle or piece of furniture. E.g. Putting the bookcase together should be a simple assembly job. A car assembly plant. The correct assembly of the parts. 

KEY

1. B



2. A



3. C



4. B



5. B



6. A

Script
Extract 1
feature: if something features a particular person or thing, they are an important part of it. E.g. This month's magazine features the new James Bond on the front cover.

Zoologist: /zəʊˈɒlədʒɪst/ a scientist who studies animals and their behaviour.

There's/that's… for you: (often ironic) used to say that something is a typical example of its kind. E.g. She might at least have called to explain. There's gratitude for you.

misinform somebody (about something) to give somebody wrong information about something. E.g. They were deliberately misinformed about their rights.

Moth: a flying insect with a long thin body and four large wings, like a butterfly, but less brightly coloured. E.g. Moths fly mainly at night and are attracted to bright lights.

stare somebody out: to look into somebody's eyes for a long time until they feel embarrassed and are forced to look a way. E.g. Don't try to stare me out. I have nerves of steel. I tried to stare out my opponent, but it didn't work.

subtle: /ˈsʌtl/ not very noticeable or obvious. E.g. subtle colours/ flavours/ smells, etc. There are subtle differences between the two versions.

play: the activity or operation of something; the influence of something on something else. E.g. the free play of market forces. The financial crisis has brought new factors into play. Personal feelings should not come into play when you are making business decisions.

rear-view mirror: a mirror in which a driver can see the traffic behind

Dazzle: if a strong light dazzles you, it is so bright that you cannot see for a short time. Sp. Deslumbrar. E.g. He was momentarily dazzled by the strong sunlight. A pair of dazzling headlights eyeballing you. 

headlight: a large light, usually one of two, at the front of a vehicle.

Eyeball somebody/something (informal): to look at somebody/something in a way that is very direct and not always polite or friendly. E.g. They eyeballed each other across the room.

overtake (somebody/something) to go past a moving vehicle or person ahead of you because you are going faster than they are. E.g. He pulled out to overtake a truck. It's dangerous to overtake on a bend.

Extract 2
Stifle: to prevent something from happening; to prevent a feeling from being expressed. Suppress. Sp. Reprimir. E.g. She managed to stifle a yawn. They hope the new rules will not stifle creativity. The government failed to stifle the unrest.  

turn a blind eye (to something) to pretend not to notice something bad that is happening, so you do not have to do anything about it. E.g. The authorities were either unaware of the problem or turned a blind eye to it.

Felt-tip pen: a pen that has a point made of felt (a type of soft thick cloth made from wool or hair that has been pressed tightly together. Sp. Fieltro)

Funnel: a metal chimney, for example on a ship or an engine, through which smoke comes out.

Hit the roof:  to become very angry. E.g. When I told him how much it cost, he just about hit the roof.

magnum opus: /ˈmæɡnəm ˈəʊpəs/ a large and important work of art, literature or music, especially one that people think is the best work ever produced by that artist, writer, etc.

canvas: cloth on which artists paint with oil paints. 

Wind sb up: /waɪnd/ wound, wound /waʊnd/ to deliberately say or do something in order to annoy somebody. E.g. Calm down! Can't you see he's only winding you up? That can't be true! You're winding me up.

Leaning (toward(s) something): a tendency to prefer something or to believe in particular ideas, opinions, etc. Inclination, tendency. E.g. a leaning towards comedy rather than tragedy. A person with socialist leanings.

be into something: (informal) to be interested in something in an active way. E.g. He's into surfing in a big way. He is heavily into information technology.


Extract 3
have an eye for something to be able to judge if things look attractive, valuable, etc. E.g.  I've never had much of an eye for fashion. She has an eye for a bargain.
 
Glint:  a sudden flash of light or colour shining from a bright surface. Sp. Destello. E.g. the glint of the sun on the water. Golden glints in her red hair. She saw a glint of silver in the grass.

for good:  permanently. E.g. This time she's leaving for good (= she will never return).



come up with something [no passive] to find or produce an answer, a sum of money, etc. E.g. She came up with a new idea for increasing sales. How soon can you come up with the money?

Steer: to control the direction in which a boat, car, etc. moves. Sp. Conducir. E.g. He steered the boat into the harbour.


Ubiquitous: /juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/ seeming to be everywhere or in several places at the same time; very common. E.g. the ubiquitous bicycles of university towns. The ubiquitous movie star, Tom Hanks.

2002 Edition:
Questions: 

• Sceptical: /ˈskeptɪkl/ sceptical (about/of something) having doubts that a claim or statement is true or that something will happen. E.g. I am sceptical about his chances of winning. The public remain sceptical of these claims. She looked highly sceptical.
• Vindicate: 1. vindicate something to prove that something is true or that you were right to do something, especially when other people had a different opinion. Justify. E.g. I have every confidence that this decision will be fully vindicated.
• Prompt: to make somebody decide to do something; to cause something to happen. Provoke. E.g. The thought of her daughter's wedding day prompted her to lose some weight.
• Keen: (senses) highly developed. Sharp. E.g. Dogs have a keen sense of smell. My friend has a keen eye for (= is good at noticing) a bargain. 
• Liken something/somebody to something/somebody: (formal) to compare one thing or person to another and say they are similar. E.g. Life is often likened to a journey.
• Pad: a thick piece of soft material that is used, for example, for absorbing liquid, cleaning or protecting something. Almohadilla. E.g. medicated cleansing pads for sensitive skin. Sanitary pads (= that a woman uses during her period ).
• Assembly: /əˈsembli/ the process of putting together the parts of something such as a vehicle or piece of furniture. E.g. Putting the bookcase together should be a simple assembly job. A car assembly plant. The correct assembly of the parts. 
• Spot: a small round area that has a different colour or feels different from the surface it is on. E.g. Which has spots, the leopard or the tiger? False eye spots:

Transcript:

• Stifle: to prevent something from happening; to prevent a feeling from being expressed. Suppress. Reprimir. E.g. She managed to stifle a yawn. They hope the new rules will not stifle creativity. The government failed to stifle the unrest.  
• Felt-tip pen: a pen that has a point made of felt (a type of soft thick cloth made from wool or hair that has been pressed tightly together. Fieltro)

• Funnel: a metal chimney, for example on a ship or an engine, through which smoke comes out.

• Hit the roof:  to become very angry.
• Wind sb up: /waɪnd/ wound, wound /waʊnd/ to deliberately say or do something in order to annoy somebody. E.g. Calm down! Can't you see he's only winding you up? That can't be true! You're winding me up.
• Leaning (toward(s) something): a tendency to prefer something or to believe in particular ideas, opinions, etc. Inclination, tendency. E.g. a leaning towards comedy rather than tragedy. A person with socialist leanings. 
• Come down to something: [no passive] to be able to be explained by a single important point. Ser cuestión de. E.g. What it comes down to is, either I get more money or I leave. 
• First off: before anything else. E.g. First off, let's see how much it'll cost. 
• Not see eye to eye with somebody (on something): to not share the same views as somebody about something. E.g. The two of them have never seen eye to eye on politics.
• Glint:  a sudden flash of light or colour shining from a bright surface. Destello. E.g. the glint of the sun on the water. Golden glints in her red hair. She saw a glint of silver in the grass.
• Steer: to control the direction in which a boat, car, etc. moves. Conducir. E.g. He steered the boat into the harbour. 
• Ubiquitous: /juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/ seeming to be everywhere or in several places at the same time; very common. E.g. the ubiquitous bicycles of university towns. The ubiquitous movie star, Tom Hanks.
• Zoologist: /zəʊˈɒlədʒɪst/ a scientist who studies animals and their behaviour. 
• There's/that's… for you: (often ironic) used to say that something is a typical example of its kind. E.g. She might at least have called to explain. There's gratitude for you.
• Moth: a flying insect with a long thin body and four large wings, like a butterfly, but less brightly coloured. E.g. Moths fly mainly at night and are attracted to bright lights.

• Dazzle: if a strong light dazzles you, it is so bright that you cannot see for a short time. Deslumbrar. E.g. He was momentarily dazzled by the strong sunlight.
• Eyeball somebody/something (informal): to look at somebody/something in a way that is very direct and not always polite or friendly. E.g. They eyeballed each other across the room.

Ex 3
Suggested answers
sense of colour: a feeling for how colours work together


magnum opus: major work 


no leaning towards: without any interest in


the perfect substitute: the ideal replacement


serious setback: a problem that affects your ability to do something


ubiquitous invention: an invention that is in use everywhere.