Part I. Multiple Choice Cloze
TV Talk Shows
Heart (of something): the most important part of something. E.g. the heart of the matter/ problem. The committee's report went to the heart of the government's dilemma. The distinction between right and wrong lies at the heart of all questions of morality.
Expectant: /ɪkˈspektənt/ hoping for something, especially something good and exciting. E.g. children with expectant faces waiting for the fireworks to begin. A sudden roar came from the expectant crowd.
Expectant mother/father/parent used to describe somebody who is going to have a baby soon or become a father. E.g. Smoking by expectant mothers may increase the chances of brain damage in their babies.
Outrageous: /aʊtˈreɪdʒəs/ very shocking and unacceptable. E.g. outrageous behaviour. ‘That's outrageous!’ he protested.
Utmost: /ˈʌtməʊst/ greatest; most extreme. E.g. This is a matter of the utmost importance. You should study this document with the utmost care.
Ultimate: /ˈʌltɪmət/ happening at the end of a long process. Final. The last in a series can be described as the ultimate. A cheeky kid, when asked what she wants to be when she grows up, might say, "I want to be an actress, a singer, and a veterinarian, but my ultimate goal is to be President of the United States."
Blend: a pleasant or useful combination of different things. E.g. a blend of youth and experience.
Ratings: a set of figures that show how many people watch or listen to a particular television or radio programme, used to show how popular a programme is. Sp. índice de audiencia. E.g. The show has gone up in the ratings. The BBC is currently ahead in the ratings war.
Air (something): to broadcast a programme on the radio or on television; to be broadcast. E.g. The show will be aired next Tuesday night. The programme aired last week.
Antagonise somebody: /ænˈtæɡənaɪz/ to do something to make somebody angry with you. E.g. Not wishing to antagonize her further, he said no more.
Allow somebody to do something: e.g. His parents won't allow him to stay out late.
Allow something: We do not allow smoking in the hall.
Assist in something: e.g. their presence would assist in keeping the peace
Assist somebody in doing something: e.g. We will assist you in finding somewhere to live.
Assist somebody to do something: e.g. a course to assist adults to return to the labour market.
Help (to) do something: e.g. She helped (to) organize the party.
Credit (for something) praise or approval because you are responsible for something good that has happened. E.g. I can't take all the credit for the show's success—it was a team effort.
Recognition (for something) public praise and reward for somebody's work or actions. E.g. She gained only minimal recognition for her work. His work was slow to gain recognition. He received the award in recognition of his success over the past year.
Praise: words that show approval of or admiration for somebody/something. E.g. His latest movie has won high praise from the critics.
Work through: to resolve (a problem, esp an emotional one), by thinking about it repeatedly. E.g. He may also be working through his own emotions after a job loss or career change.
Sweep something under the carpet: (US also sweep something under the rug) to try to stop people from finding out about something wrong, illegal, embarrassing, etc. that has happened or that you have done. E.g. An earlier report, implicating the government, had been conveniently swept under the carpet.
Poke something + adverb/preposition: to push something somewhere or move it in a particular direction with a small quick movement. Sp. empujar. He poked his head around the corner to check that nobody was coming. Someone had poked a message under the door.
Regard: to think about somebody/something in a particular way. E.g. regard somebody/something/yourself as something Capital punishment was regarded as inhuman and immoral. He regards himself as a patriot. She is widely regarded as the current leader's natural successor.
The epitome of something (formal) /ɪˈpɪtəmi/ a perfect example of something. Embodiment. Sp. personificación, paradigma. E.g. He is the epitome of a modern young man. Clothes that are the epitome of good taste.
Judgement: /ˈdʒʌdʒmənt/
Part II. Open Cloze
Language and Thought
Straightforward: easy to do or to understand; not complicated. E.g. It's quite straightforward to get here.
Part III. Word Formation
Ray Charles- The Gentle King of Soul Music
Fuse: /fjuːz/ when one thing fuses with another, or two things fuse or are fused, they are joined together to form a single thing. Sp. fusionar. E.g. Our different ideas fused into a plan. The two companies have been fused into a single organization.
Raw: powerful and natural; not controlled or trained. E.g. songs full of raw emotion. He started with nothing but raw talent and determination.
Earthy: unadorned and simple in style. Sp. práctico, no pretencioso, sencillo. E.g. an earthy homemade stew.
Mar something: /mɑː(r)/ to damage or spoil something good. E.g. The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans.
Hardship: a situation that is difficult and unpleasant because you do not have enough money, food, clothes, etc. E.g. economic/ financial, etc. hardship.
Strike struck struck: to happen suddenly and have a harmful or damaging effect on somebody/ something. E.g. Two days later tragedy struck. The area was struck by an outbreak of cholera. Disaster soon struck.
Troublesome: causing trouble, pain, etc. over a long period of time. Sp. problemático. E.g. a troublesome cough/ child/ problem.
Troubled: having a lot of problems. Sp. lleno de problemas. E.g. a troubled marriage. We live in troubled times.
Succumb: /səˈkʌm/ to not be able to fight an attack, an illness, a temptation, etc. Sp. sucumbir. E.g. The town succumbed after a short siege. They were all offered bribes and some of them succumbed. Succumb to something His career was cut short when he succumbed to cancer. He finally succumbed to Lucy's charms and agreed to her request. She succumbed to the temptation of another drink.
Old-world: belonging to past times; not modern. E.g. an old-world hotel with character and charm. He was full of old-world courtesy.
Courtesy: /ˈkɜːtəsi/
Part IV. Gapped Sentences
Dough: /dəʊ/ a mixture of flour, water, etc. that is made into bread and pastry. E.g. Knead the dough on a floured surface.
Bulk: the (large) size, shape or quantity of something. E.g. Despite its bulk and weight, the car is extremely fast.
Late: no longer alive. E.g. her late husband. The late Paul Newman.
Seclusion: /sɪˈkluːʒn/ the state of being private or of having little contact with other people. Sp. aislamiento, reclusión. E.g. the seclusion and peace of the island. He spends much of his time in seclusion in the mountains.
Count: to consider somebody/something in a particular way; to be considered in a particular way. E.g. I count him among my closest friends. I count myself lucky to have known him. She counts herself one of the lucky ones.
Service: a bus, train, etc. that goes regularly to a particular place at a particular time. E.g. the cancellation of the 10.15 service to Glasgow.
Part V. Key-Word Transformation
Steady: not changing and not interrupted. Regular. His breathing was steady. A steady job/ income. a steady boyfriend/ girlfriend (= with whom you have a serious relationship or one that has lasted a long time)to have a steady relationship.
Get somebody down: (informal) to make somebody feel sad or depressed. E.g. Don't let it get you down too much.
Indispensable: /ˌɪndɪˈspensəbl/ too important to be without. Essential. E.g. Cars have become an indispensable part of our lives. She made herself indispensable to the department. A good dictionary is indispensable for learning a foreign language.
Have/ keep (one's) wits about (one): to remain alert or calm, especially in a crisis. To be aware of what is happening around you and ready to think and act quickly. E.g. keep your wits about you or you’ll forget something important.
