Close-up p 67. Vocabulary

fire someone’s imagination: to make someone feel very interested in something and excited about it. E.g.  He fired the imagination of contemporaries and of later generations.

set your sights on something/on doing something: 
to decide that you want something and to try very hard to get it.

She's set her sights on getting into Harvard.
I had set my sights on a career in journalism.
He says he wants to win the trophy, but I think he's setting his sights too high.
She has her sights set on becoming a writer.

 

make your way (to/towards something) to move or get somewhere; to make progress. E.g. Will you be able to make your own way to the airport (= get there without help, a ride, etc.)? Is this your plan for making your way in the world? Make your way in life.

turn over a new leaf
​to change your way of life to become a better, more responsible person. E.g. He says he’s turned over a new leaf, but I have my doubts.

 

slip through the net

(also fall/slip through the cracks)

​when somebody/something slips through the net, an organization or a system fails to find them and deal with them. To not be dealt with by a system that is designed to help you or to stop you doing something. If someone or something falls or slips through the net, a system which was designed to help or check them has not succeeded in doing this.

• We tried to contact all former students, but one or two slipped through the net
• Too many neglected children are slipping through the cracks. 
• In a class of 30 children it is easy for some to slip through the net and learn nothing

get down to something      ​to begin to do something; to give serious attention to something         

E.g. Let's get down to business.         I like to get down to work by 9.         get down to (doing) something It's time I got down to thinking about that essay. We need to get down to some serious talking. It’s time we got down to work. I always find it hard to get down to revising.

 

It's (about/high) time+ past: used to say strongly that you think something should happen soon or should already have happened.

 

heed: heed somebody/something to pay careful attention to somebody’s advice or warning. Notice. Sp. hacer caso a. E.g.

• They failed to heed the lessons of history.
• If only they had heeded his warnings!
• Calls for more legislation to protect tenants were not heeded.
• He failed to heed our warnings.
• The government would do well to heed this advice.