Vocabulary
Multiple Choice Cloze
taciturn:
/ˈtæsɪtɜːn/ (said about men) tending not to say very much, in a way that seems
unfriendly. E.g. a taciturn and serious young man.
0. goodly
goodly: physically attractive; of good quality
chivalrous: /ˈʃɪvəlrəs/ (of men) polite, kind and behaving
with honour, especially towards women. Gallant. E.g. a chivalrous man is polite
and kind and shows respect to women. I think you are the most chivalrous man I
have ever met.
doting: /ˈdəʊtɪŋ/ (used
of both, men and women but it usually collocates with dad or father) showing a
lot of love for somebody, often ignoring their faults. E.g. a doting mother/father. E.g. Doting
dad Seb is delighted with his beautiful new daughter.
1. brandishing
brandish something to hold or wave
something, especially a weapon, in an aggressive, threatening or excited way.
E.g. a man leaped out brandishing a
knife.
chuck in: quit. E.g. The simple truth is, if you chuck in your job and
decide to write full time, unless you're very lucky, you're going to run out of
cash pretty soon.
hang back: show
reluctance to act or move. E.g. I do not believe that our Government will
hang back from taking drastic measures.
draw back: choose not
to do something that one was expected to do: the government hasn't drawn
back from attempting a new reform.
walk out (on somebody): (informal) to suddenly leave somebody that you are having a relationship with and
that you have a responsibility for. E.g. How could she
walk out on her kids?
scrounge: / skraʊndʒ/ (informal, disapproving) to get something from somebody by asking them for it rather than by
paying for it. Sp. gorronear. E.g. scrounge (something) (off/from somebody) He's always
scrounging free meals off us. Can I scrounge a cigarette from you? I don't want
to spend the rest of my life scrounging off other people. Scrounge (for something) What is she scrounging for this time?
seethe: to be extremely angry about something but try not to show other people
how angry you are. E.g. She seethed silently in the corner. Seethe with something He marched off,
seething with frustration. Seethe at something Inwardly he was
seething at this challenge to his authority.
2. clip clopping
clip-clop: (N) a sound like
the sound of a horse's hoofs on a hard surface.
clip-clop: (V) move with a clip-clop. E.g. the horses clip-clopped slowly
along the street
shady: /ˈʃeɪdi/ seeming to be
dishonest or illegal. Sp. sospechoso. E.g. a shady businessman/deal. A shady character.
uncharitable: /ʌnˈtʃærɪtəbl/ unkind and unfair in
the way that you judge people. Uncharitable thoughts. Sp. poco caritativo. E.g. I don't want to be uncharitable, but he isn't very intelligent, is he?
3. weary
weary: /ˈwɪəri/ making you feel tired or bored. E.g. a weary journey. Weary hours spent in negotiation.
grimy: /ˈɡraɪmi/ covered with dirt. E.g. grimy hands/windows. His clothes were grimy and bloodstained.
tutted
tut: (also tut-tut)
(V) to express disapproval by the exclamation of "tut-tut". E.g. I
see other people tutting and staring in the supermarket when he is throwing a
tantrum.
tut: (also tut-tut) (N) used as the written or
spoken way of showing the sound that people make when they disapprove of
something. E.g. Tut-tut, I
expected better of you. Tut-tuts of disapproval.
4. collared
collar somebody: /ˈkɒlə(r)/ to
stop somebody in order to talk to them. E.g. I was
collared in the street by a woman doing a survey.
scrub: to clean something by rubbing it hard, perhaps with a
brush and usually with soap and water. E.g. I found him in
the kitchen, scrubbing the floor. He stepped into the shower and scrubbed
himself all over.
crunch something up: to crush something completely. Sp. triturar. E.g. He crunched up the empty pack and threw it out of the window.
haunt: /hɔːnt/ 1. Haunt something/somebody if the ghost of a dead person haunts a place,
people say that they have seen it there. E.g. A headless rider haunts the country lanes. I'll come back to
haunt you! 2. Haunt somebody to continue to cause
problems for somebody for a long time. E.g. That decision came back to
haunt him. She has been
haunted by her past during her career. 3. haunt somebody if something unpleasant haunts you, it keeps
coming to your mind so that you cannot forget it. E.g. The memory of that day still haunts me. For years she
was haunted by guilt.
mug
mug a person who is
stupid and easy to trick. A gullible person. E.g. They made me look a complete mug. He's no mug.
transpired
transpire: / trænˈspaɪə(r)/ transpire that… if it transpires that something has happened or is
true, it is known or has been shown to be true. E.g. It
transpired that the gang had had a contact inside the bank. This story, it
later transpired, was untrue.
seasoned
seasoned: having a lot of experience of a particular activity. E.g. a seasoned campaigner/performer/traveller, etc.
rant
rant (on) (about something)| rant at somebody to speak or complain
about something in a loud and/ or angry way. E.g. she was still ranting on about the unfairness of it all.
dilettante: /ˌdɪləˈtænti/ pl dilettanti /ˌdɪləˈtæntiː/ or dilettante: a person who does or studies something but is not serious about it and
does not have much knowledge. E.g. a dilettante artist (Sp. de poca monta).
5. curmudgeonly
curmudgeonly /kɜːˈmʌdʒənli/
(adj) bad-tempered. E.g. I don't know, it's hard to explain how I feel
without sounding curmudgeonly and bitter.
curmudgeon /kɜːˈmʌdʒən/ (N) a bad-tempered person, often an old one. E.g. Only the worst curmudgeon could dislike this site.
destitute: /ˈdestɪtjuːt/ without money, food and the other things necessary for life. E.g. When he died, his family was left completely destitute
(Sp. quedó en la indigencia).
unsightly: /ʌnˈsaɪtli/ not pleasant to look at. Ugly. E.g. an unsightly scar. Unsightly factories.
rapt: so interested in one particular thing that you are not aware of anything
else. Sp. embelesado. E.g.
a rapt audience. She listened to the speaker with rapt attention. He watched
her with a rapt expression. Jill stared at
them blankly, rapt in thought.
ravage: /ˈrævɪdʒ/ ravage something to damage something
badly. Devastate.
E.g. a country ravaged by
civil war. A recession that has ravaged the textile industry.
wide-ranging: including or dealing with a large number of different
subjects or areas. E.g. The commission has been given
wide-ranging powers. A wide-ranging discussion. A wide-ranging review of
public spending.
6. rasping
rasp: /rɑːsp/ to make a rough unpleasant sound. E.g. a rasping cough/ voice
Tannoy
Tannoy: /ˈtænɔɪ/ (TM) a system
with loudspeakers used for giving information in a public place. E.g. to make
an announcement over the Tannoy.
officialdom
officialdom /əˈfɪʃldəm/
(disapproving)
(uncountable) people who are in positions of
authority in large organizations when they seem to be more interested in
following rules than in being helpful. E.g. The report is critical of attempts
by officialdom to deal with the problem of homelessness.
Muzak
Muzak: /ˈmjuːzæk/ (TM) continuous recorded music that is played in shops, restaurants,
airports, etc. E.g. And apart from faint background muzak, it is awfully
quiet, for the other diners don't say much to each other.
mellow
mellow: /ˈmeləʊ/ soft and pleasant. E.g. Mellow music and lighting
helped to create the right atmosphere.
hangar: a large building in which aircraft are kept.
tip: an untidy
place. E.g. Their flat is a tip!
(Sp. pocilga)
7. hangout
hangout: a place where somebody lives or likes to go often. Haunt. E.g. This cafe is a popular hang-out for tourists.
stationery: /ˈsteɪʃənri/ materials for writing and for using in an office, for example paper,
pens and envelopes. Sp. Artículos de papelería.
cheery
cheery: happy and
cheerful. E.g. a cheery remark/smile/waveHe
left with a cheery ‘See you again soon’. Soft music would now be heard
on the background, and happy and cheery voices as well.
8. garish
garish /ˈɡeərɪʃ/ very brightly coloured in an unpleasant way. Gaudy. E.g. garish clothes/ colours. It's a little too garish for my taste.
convoluted: /ˈkɒnvəluːtɪd/ extremely complicated and difficult to follow. E.g. a convoluted argument/ explanation. A book with a convoluted plot.
conceal: /kənˈsiːl/ to hide somebody/something. E.g. The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of
plaster. Tim could barely conceal his disappointment. For a long time his death
was concealed from her.
intricate: /ˈɪntrɪkət/ having a lot of different parts and small details that
fit together. Sp. complejo. E.g. intricate patterns. An intricate
network of loyalties and relationships.
riot
riot of something (formal) a collection of a lot of different types of the same thing. E.g. The garden was a riot of colour. The market was a riot of unfamiliar sounds and smells. A riot of
emotions raged through her.
9. joints
joint a place where people meet to eat, drink, dance, etc, especially one that
is cheap. E.g. a fast-food
joint. The joint was jumping (= full of people and activity).
fuddy-duddy: /ˈfʌdi dʌdi/ a person who has old-fashioned ideas or habits.
Sp. Carca. E.g. You're such an old
fuddy-duddy! (Adjective) fuddy-duddy ideas.
swirl: / swɜːl/ the movement of something that twists and turns in
different directions and at different speeds. Sp. Remolino E.g. The dancers left the stage in a swirl of skirts. Swirly
(adj)
somersault: /ˈsʌməsɔːlt/ a movement in which somebody turns over completely,
with their feet over their head, on the ground or in the air. E.g. to do/ turn a somersault. He turned back somersaults. (figurative) Her heart did a complete somersault when she saw him.
scrumptious
scrumptious: /ˈskrʌmpʃəs/
tasting very good. E.g. a scrumptious chocolate tart. You can never
go wrong by serving chocolate chip cookies - they work as well in a scrumptious
dessert with ice cream as a school lunchbox.
Bliss
bliss extreme happiness.
E.g. married/wedded/domestic
bliss. My idea of bliss is a month in the
Bahamas. Swimming on a hot day is sheer
bliss.
route march
route march: a long march for soldiers over a
particular route, especially to improve their physical condition. E.g. About
1,000 feet below us there was a squad of soldiers on a mountain route march.
10. neck of the woods
neck of the woods (informal) a particular place or area. E.g. He's from your neck of the woods (= the area where you live). What are you doing in this neck of the woods?
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.
11. schlepping
schlep: to go somewhere, especially if it is a slow, difficult journey, or you
do not want to go. E.g. The restaurant's supposed to be
great but I don't feel like schlepping all the way out there.
tuck in/ tuck
into something (British English, informal): to eat a lot of food, especially when it is done
quickly and with enthusiasm. E.g. Come on, tuck in everyone! He was tucking into a huge plateful of
pasta.
latch onto sb/ sth: to become attached to somebody/something. Sp. Agarrarse. E.g. antibodies that latch onto germs.
sustenance
sustenance: /ˈsʌstənəns/
the food and drink that people, animals and plants need to
live and stay healthy. E.g. There's not much sustenance in
a bowl of soup.
St Bernard
St Bernard: /ˌsnt
ˈbɜːnəd/ a large strong dog, originally from Switzerland,
where it was trained to help find people who were lost in the snow. It was originally kept to rescue travellers by the monks of the
Hospice on the Great St Bernard. E.g. St Bernards were
used as rescue dogs.
in store
in store (for somebody) waiting to happen to somebody. E.g. We don't know
what life holds
in store for us. If she had known what lay in store for her, she would never have agreed to go. They think it'll be easy
but they have a surprise
in store.
horde: a large crowd of people. E.g. There are always hordes of tourists here in the summer. Football fans turned up in hordes.
flukey (also fluky) /ˈfluːki/ a lucky or unusual thing that happens by accident, not
because of planning or skill. Sp. Chiripa. E.g. a fluky goal.
puff: a small amount of air, smoke, etc. that is blown from somewhere. E.g. a puff of wind.
12. whiff
whiff: /wɪf/ whiff
(of something) a slight amount,
sign or feeling of something. E.g. a whiff of danger.
onslaught /ˈɒnslɔːt/ an overwhelmingly large number of people or things.
E.g. in some parks the
onslaught of cars and people far exceeds capacity.
turnstile: /ˈtɜːnstaɪl/ a gate at the entrance to a public building, stadium, etc. that turns in a circle when pushed, allowing one person to go
through at a time.
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.
13. garnish
garnish: /ˈɡɑːnɪʃ/ a small amount of food that is used to decorate a larger dish of food.
E.g. a garnish of tomato. Keep some olives to one side for
garnish.
dismal
dismal not skilful or successful; of very low quality. E.g. The singer gave a dismal performance of some old
songs. Their recent attempt to increase sales has been a dismal failure.
lap something up: (informal) to accept or receive something with great
enjoyment, without thinking about whether it is good, true or sincere. E.g. acoger con entusiasmo. E.g. It's a terrible movie but audiences
everywhere are lapping it up. She simply lapped up all the compliments.
14. hiked up
hike something (up) to increase prices,
taxes, etc. suddenly by large amounts. E.g. The government hiked up the price of milk by over 40%.
freshen something
(up) to make something cleaner, cooler, newer or more
pleasant. E.g. The walls need
freshening up with white paint. The rain had freshened the air. Using a
mouthwash freshens the breath.
conjure sth up: /ˈkʌndʒə/ to make
something appear as a picture in your mind. Evoke. E.g. That smell always conjures up memories of holidays in
France. He strained to conjure up her face and voice, but they had vanished.
grim
grim unpleasant and depressing. E.g. grim news.
The Naughty Chair
The Naughty Chair in this technique
the child goes on a chair for a certain amount of time actually based on their
age. Later, the child apologizes and is hugged by the parent.
swagger /ˈswæɡə/ a way of
walking or behaving that seems too confident. E.g. She walked to the front of the class with a swagger.
babble /ˈbæbl/ the
sound of many people speaking at the same time. Sp.
Murmullo. E.g. a babble of voices.
15. fare
fare: food that is offered as a meal. E.g. The
restaurant provides good traditional fare.
splurge: /splɜːdʒ/ an act of spending a lot of money on something that
you do not really need. Sp. Derroche. E.g. the annual pre-Christmas splurge. That was a first-night splurge with friends, but most of the food we'll
eat will be simple and as authentic as possible and that usually means
inexpensive.
gulp-worthy
gulp: an act of breathing in or of swallowing something. E.g. ‘Can you start on Monday?’ Amy gave a gulp. ‘Of course,’ she said. He
drank the glass of whisky in
one gulp. The prices are gulp-worthy, but it appears that you might just get what you pay for.
eaterie
eaterie (also eatery) /ˈiːtəri/ a
restaurant or cafe. E.g. The resort has a vast selection of restaurants
and eateries, serving French, Italian, American and Indian cuisine.
Open Cloze
mint
in mint condition: new or as good
as new; in perfect condition
boasts
boast: (not used in the progressive tenses) boast something to have something that is impressive and that you can be proud of. E.g. The hotel also boasts two swimming pools and a golf
course. Rhodes boasts 300 days of sunshine a year.
white elephants
white elephant a
possession that is useless or troublesome, especially one that is expensive to
maintain or difficult to dispose of (get rid of). E.g. a
huge white elephant of a house that needed ten thousand spent on it.
is up for
up for something: on offer for something. E.g. The house is up for sale.
steal
be a steal to
be for sale at an unexpectedly low price. E.g. This
suit is a steal at $80.
catch
catch: a hidden problem or disadvantage in an apparently ideal
situation. E.g. All that money for
two hours' work—what's the catch? There’s
a catch in it somewhere.
outstanding
outstanding: not yet paid, done, solved,
etc. E.g. She has outstanding debts of over £500. A lot of work
is still outstanding. The negotiations failed to solve outstanding issues.
further
further: more;
additional. E.g. Cook for a further 2 minutes. Have you
any further questions? For further details call this number. We have decided to
take no further action. The museum is closed until further notice(= until we say that it is open again).
payoffs
payoffs: a
payment of money to somebody especially as a
bribe or on leaving a job. E.g. he left the company with an £800,000
pay-off. The company is offering large
pay-offs to anyone accepting voluntary redundancy.
meet
meet something: to pay something. E.g. The cost will be met by the company.
reserve
price
reserve price (also reserve) [countable] (British English) the lowest price that somebody will accept for something, especially
something that is sold at an auction. E.g. The painting failed to reach to its reserve and was withdrawn from the
sale.
egregious
egregious /ɪˈɡriːdʒiəs/ extremely bad. E.g. egregious behaviour. An egregious error
boom
boom: a sudden increase in trade and economic activity; a
period of wealth and success. E.g. Living standards improved rapidly during the post-war boom. Boom in something a boom in car sales.
A boom year (for trade, exports, etc.). A property/housing boom. A chaotic period of boom and bust.
vainglory
vainglory: /ˌveɪnˈɡlɔːri/ inordinate (excessive) pride in oneself or one’s achievements; excessive
vanity. E.g. his
vainglory put the Republic at risk
barons
baron: an important or powerful person in a specified business or industry.
E.g. a press baron.
plundered
plunder: to steal things from a place, especially using force during a time of
war. The troops crossed
the country, plundering and looting as they went. The abbey had been plundered
of its valuables. Only a small amount of the money that he plundered from his
companies has been recovered.
feasibility
feasibility: the state or degree of being easily or conveniently
done. E.g. a feasibility study on the proposed new airport. I doubt the feasibility of the plan.
proponents
proponent (of something): (formal) a person who supports an idea or course of action. Advocate. E.g. a strong proponent of the free market and liberal trade policies.
filed for
file: (law) to present something
so that it can be officially recorded and dealt with. E.g. file for something to file for divorce. File something to file a claim/ complaint/ petition/ lawsuit. File to do something He filed to divorce
his wife.
Word formation
dormant: /ˈdɔːmənt/ not
active or growing now but able to become active or to grow in the future.
Inactive. E.g. a dormant volcano. During the winter the
seeds lie dormant in the soil.
dormancy: /ˈdɔːmənsi/ is a period in an
organism's life cycle when growth, development, and (in animals) physical
activity are temporarily stopped. E.g. The holly bush is
said to be considered a symbol of the continuation of life because it remains
green during winter dormancy.
breed: a type of person.
E.g. He represents a new breed of politician. Players as
skilful as this are a
rare breed.
make off with something: to steal something and hurry away with it. E.g. burglars made off with all their
wedding presents.
make, etc. a dent in something: to reduce the amount of something, especially money. E.g. The lawyer's fees will make a dent in our finances.
opportunistic /ˌɒpətjuːˈnɪstɪk/ OR opportunist /ɒpəˈtjuːnɪst/: making use
of an opportunity, especially to get an advantage for yourself; not done in a
planned way. E.g. an opportunistic crime. Smith marked his debut match with an
opportunist goal.
spate /speɪt/ spate of something a large number of things, which are usually
unpleasant, that happen suddenly within a short period of time. E.g. The bombing was the latest in a spate of terrorist attacks. A recent spate of killings/thefts.
shipment: the process of
sending goods from one place to another. E.g. The goods
are ready for shipment. The illegal shipment of arms. Shipment costs.
scruple: /ˈskruːpl/ a feeling that prevents you from doing something that
you think may be morally wrong. E.g. I overcame my moral scruples. He had no scruples about spying on her. She is totally without scruple.
unscrupulous:
/ʌnˈskruːpjələs/ without moral principles; not honest or fair. E.g. unscrupulous methods.
Gapped sentences
kiss
something goodbye/ kiss goodbye to something: (informal) to accept that you will lose something or be unable to
do something. E.g. Well, you can kiss goodbye to your chances of
promotion.
kiss
something better: (informal) to take away the
pain of an injury by kissing it. E.g. Come here and let me kiss
it better.
Kiss
up to: to
try to please a powerful person, because you want them to do something for you.
E.g. He's being kissed up
to in public, but the knives are out for him.
fan
the flames (of something): to make a feeling such as anger, hatred, etc. worse. E.g. His writings fanned the flames of racism.
fan mail: letters from fans to the person they admire.
nip
something in the bud: to stop something when it has just begun because you can see that
problems will come from it. E.g. We need to nip this bad behaviour in the bud.
nip: to harm or damage something.
E.g. nip
(at something) The
icy wind nipped at our faces. The vegetable garden, nipped now by frost. It was so cold that the frost nipped at your nose
while wrapped in a scarf. What has happened to Sheila's tree every year is that
it has been nipped by a late frost.
nip: to go somewhere quickly and/or for
only a short time. E.g. He's just nipped out to the bank.
A car nipped in (= got in quickly)
ahead of me. I’m just
nipping down to the Post Office.
stroke: a mark made by moving a pen, brush, etc. once across a
surface. E.g. to paint with fine brush strokes. At the stroke of a pen(= by signing something) they removed thousands of people from the welfare
system.
stroke (of something) a single successful action or event. E.g. Your idea was a stroke of genius. It was a stroke of luck that I found you here. It was a bold stroke to reveal the identity of the murderer on the first
page. She never
does a stroke (of work)(= never does any work).
fence-mending: an attempt to improve relations between two people or
groups and to try to find a solution to a disagreement between them. the action of making
peace with a person or group. E.g. the two countries have some fence-mending to do. He hopes that a fence-mending trip will bring the
hostilities to an end.
Key word transformation
handle: to deal with a situation, a person, an area of work or
a strong emotion. E.g. A new man was appointed to handle the crisis. She's
very good at handling her patients.
