Objective Proficiency p 75. Key and Vocabulary

Ex 3
KEY
To be within your rights:  acting legally in one's own interest. E.g. I know I am within my rights when I make this request. You are not within your rights!

a nose
To be right under your nose: when something is extremely obvious yet you can't see. Right in front of you. E.g. Doesn't the answer always seem to be right under one's nose?


b burst
a burst of applause 

Applause: /əˈplɔːz/ (U) E.g. The audience broke into rapturous (ecstatic) applause. Give her a big round of applause! A burst of applause.


c singularly

singularly very; in an unusual way. E.g. singularly beautiful. He chose a singularly inappropriate moment to make his request.

d stroke
Stroke of luck: E.g. It was a stroke of luck that I found you here.


e for granted
take somebody/something for granted to be so used to somebody/ something that you do not recognize their true value any more and do not show that you are grateful. E.g. Her husband was always there and she just took him for granted. We take having an endless supply of clean water for granted.



f eye
in the public eye well known to many people through newspapers and television. E.g. She doesn't want her children growing up in the public eye.



g exception
take exception to something to object strongly to something; to be angry about something E.g. I take great exception to the fact that you told my wife before you told me. No one could possibly take exception to his comments.



h chord
strike/touch a chord (with somebody) to say or do something that makes people feel sympathy or enthusiasm. E.g. The speaker had obviously struck a chord with his audience.



i widely
widely: by a lot of people; in or to many places. E.g. a widely held belief. The idea is now widely accepted. He has travelled widely in Asia.
 
staggeringly so great, shocking or surprising that it is difficult to believe. E.g. staggeringly beautiful/ expensive.  A staggeringly unjust society. Staggeringly effective.



j thunder
a rumble of thunder

Rumble (of something): a long deep sound or series of sounds. E.g. the rumble of thunder. Inside, the noise of the traffic was reduced to a distant rumble. (Figurative) Although an agreement has been reached, rumbles of resentment can still be heard.


k tune
be in/out of tune (with somebody/something) to be/not be in agreement with somebody/ something; to have/ not have the same opinions, feelings, interests, etc. as somebody/ something. E.g. These proposals are perfectly in tune with our own thoughts on the subject. The President is out of tune with public opinion. 



l view
take the view that: E.g. We take the view that it would be wrong to interfere.

take a firm stand/ line to state your opinion and refuse to change it. E.g. to take a firm stand on something. The government has taken a firm line on illegal immigration.



m seen
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.



n childish
youthful typical of young people. E.g. youthful enthusiasm/ energy/ inexperience.


o note 
of note of importance or of great interest. E.g. a scientist of note. The museum contains nothing of great note.



Ex 3 (2002 Edition) 
KEY

1 fit
Fit:  

- (of coughing/laughter) a sudden short period of coughing or of laughing, that you cannot control. E.g. a fit of coughing. He had us all in fits (of laughter) with his jokes.
- (of clothing) (often with an adjective) the way that something, especially a piece of clothing, fits. E.g. a good/bad/close/perfect fit.
- (of strong feeling) a short period of very strong feeling. E.g. to act in a fit of anger/rage/temper.

Carve something up: (disapproving) to divide a company, an area of land, etc. into smaller parts in order to share it between people. E.g. They have been accused of carving up the industry for their own benefit.



2 notice 



3 high



4 peak

Streak: a long thin mark or line that is a different colour from the surface it is on. Sp. Raya. E.g. There was a streak of blood on his face. Streaks of grey in her hair. Dirty streaks on the window. Streaks of sunlight.

In the wake of somebody/something: coming after or following somebody/something. E.g. There have been demonstrations on the streets in the wake of the recent bomb attack. A group of reporters followed in her wake. The storm left a trail of destruction in its wake.



5 strikes

Show sb up: to make somebody feel embarrassed by doing something better than them. E.g. Don't worry about being shown up by the kids—they've always used computers.

Strike up something (with somebody): to begin a friendship, a relationship, a conversation, etc. E.g. He would often strike up conversations with complete strangers.

Strike/touch a chord (with somebody): to say or do something that makes people feel sympathy or enthusiasm. E.g. The speaker had obviously struck a chord with his audience.



6 bar

Clip: to hit the edge or side of something. E.g. The car clipped the kerb as it turned. She clipped the ball into the net.

The bar of a goal: the bar joining the two vertical posts of a goal. 

Ex 4
Writing
KEY

1 C



2 A



3 E



4 B



5 D

Vocabulary

• Pickled (preserved) in formaldehyde: /fɔːˈmældɪhaɪd/ a liquid made by mixing formaldehyde (a gas with a strong smell CH2O) and water, used for preserving biological specimens.

• Crave: to have a very strong desire for something. E.g. She has always craved excitement.  
• Bound up with something: closely connected with something. E.g. From that moment my life became inextricably bound up with hers.
• Ruthless: hard and cruel; determined to get what you want and not caring if you hurt other people. E.g. a ruthless dictator.
• Urbane: /ɜːˈbeɪn/ good at knowing what to say and how to behave in social situations; appearing relaxed and confident. Fino y cortés. E.g. He was charming and urbane, full of witty conversation.
• Discerning: / dɪˈsɜːnɪŋ/ able to show good judgement about the quality of somebody/something. Exigente, con criterio. E.g. The discerning customer will recognize this as a high quality product.
• Hype: /haɪp / to advertise something a lot and exaggerate its good qualities, in order to get a lot of public attention for it. E.g.  This week his much hyped new movie opens in London.
• Jangle: / ˈdʒæŋɡl/ if your nerves jangle, or if somebody/something jangles them, you feel anxious or upset. E.g. She was suddenly wide awake, her nerves jangling. 
• Shun: to avoid somebody/something. E.g. She was shunned by her family when she remarried. An actor who shuns publicity.
• Fathom: / ˈfæðəm/  to understand or find an explanation for something. E.g. It is hard to fathom the pain felt at the death of a child. He couldn't fathom out what the man could possibly mean.
• Old hat: something that is old-fashioned and no longer interesting. E.g. Today's hits rapidly become old hat. 
• The jury is (still) out on something: used when you are saying that something is still not certain. E.g. The jury is still out on whether wine can be good for you.
• Sway:  power or influence over somebody. E.g. Rebel forces hold sway over much of the island. She was brought up under the sway of Communism. He was quick to exploit those who fell under his sway.

Crossword 

• Somebody's pet hate: something that you particularly dislike. 
• Too close to call: ( a competition or an election) impossible to guess the result in advance. E.g. Tonight's semifinals match is too close to call.
• Too hot to handle: to be too difficult to deal with or talk about.  
• Be/stand in awe of somebody/something: to admire somebody/something and be slightly frightened of them/it. E.g. While Diana was in awe of her grandfather, she adored her grandmother.
• Moronic: /məˈrɒnɪk/ an offensive way of referring to something that you think is very stupid. E.g a moronic TV programme.
• Fatuous: /ˈfætʃuəs/ stupid. E.g. a fatuous comment/grin.
• Tight: difficult to manage with because there is not enough. E.g. We have a very tight budget. The president has a tight schedule today. The deadline for finishing the project is too tight (= too soon).
• Stream of something: a large number of things that happen one after the other. E.g. A constant stream of enquiries. The agency provided me with a steady stream of work. Most of the letter consisted of a stream of abuse.