Mock Exam. Listening. Vocabulary

Vocabulary

PART ONE. GAP FILL.

smelliness: strong or unpleasant smell.

odours: /ˈəʊdə(r)/ a smell, especially one that is unpleasant. E.g. a foul/musty/pungent, etc. odour the stale odour of cigarette smoke. (Figurative) the odour of suspicion.

musty: smelling damp and unpleasant because of a lack of fresh air.

downright: used as a way of emphasizing something negative or unpleasant. Sp. realmente. E.g. She couldn't think of anything to say that wasn't downright rude. It's not just stupid—it's downright dangerous.

astronaut: /ˈæstrənɔːt/

sniffer: A person who sniffs something. E.g. a glue sniffer.

sniff: to breathe air in through the nose in order to discover or enjoy the smell of something.

stringent: /ˈstrɪndʒənt/ (of a law, rule, regulation, etc.) very strict and that must be obeyed. E.g. stringent air quality regulations. Licences are only granted under the most stringent conditions.

cramped: a cramped room, etc. does not have enough space for the people in it. E.g. working in cramped conditions. He lived for six months in a cold, cramped attic room.

circuit boards: /ˈsɜːkɪt/ a board that holds electrical circuits inside a piece of electrical equipment.

mascara /mæˈskɑːrə/ a substance that is put on eyelashes to make them look dark and thick. E.g. waterproof mascara. Don’t cry or your mascara will run. I wiped most of the mascara from under my eyes.

sealed: to close a container tightly. E.g. The organs are kept in sealed plastic bags.

aftertaste: a taste (usually an unpleasant one) that stays in your mouth after you have eaten or drunk something.

strap: a strip of leather, cloth or other material that is used to fasten something, keep something in place, carry something or hold onto something. E.g. the shoulder straps of her dress. A watch with a leather strap.

blister: to form blisters; to make something form blisters. E.g. His skin was beginning to blister. Blister something Her face had been blistered by the sun.

blister: (N) a swelling on the surface of the skin that is filled with liquid and is caused, for example, by rubbing or burning. Sp. ampolla. E.g. These shoes have given me blisters on my heels.

scrutiny: careful and thorough examination. E.g. Foreign policy has come under close scrutiny recently. The situation is bound to come under the scrutiny of the public health authorities.

hit the nail on the head: to say something that is exactly right.

abort: to end or cause something to end before it has been completed, especially because it is likely to fail. E.g. We had no option but to abort the mission.

co-opt somebody (onto/into something): to make somebody a member of a group, committee, etc. by the agreement of all the other members. E.g. She was co-opted onto the board.

cheesy: not very good or original, and without style, in a way that is embarrassing but amusing. Sp. cursi. E.g. a cheesy horror movie. That’s the cheesiest chat-up line I’ve ever heard.

PART TWO. MULTIPLE CHOICE.

Questions

Avidly: with a lot of enthusiasm. Keenly E.g. She reads avidly.

Avid: very enthusiastic about something (often a hobby). E.g. an avid reader/collector. She has taken an avid interest in the project (= she is extremely interested in it).

Voraciously: /vəˈreɪʃəsli/ in a way that involves wanting a lot of new information and knowledge. Avidly. E.g. Ever since her childhood she had read voraciously.

Read something out:  to read something using your voice, especially to other people. E.g. Shall I read this out to you?

Relish: great enjoyment or pleasure. E.g. She savoured the moment with obvious relish.

Timescale: the period of time that it takes for something to happen or be completed. Sp. Período de tiempo, plazo. E.g. What's the timescale for the project? A tight timescale. We hope the negotiations will be completed within a six-month timescale.

Ostracize: /ˈɒstrəsaɪz/ ostracize somebody (formal) to refuse to let somebody be a member of a social group; to refuse to meet or talk to somebody. E.g. He was ostracized by his colleagues for refusing to support the strike. The regime risks being ostracized by the international community.

on cloud nine extremely happy.

Under a cloud: if somebody is under a cloud, other people think that they have done something wrong and are suspicious of them. E.g.  She resigned under a cloud. The cabinet minister left office under a cloud after a fraud scandal. Someone stole some money at work, and now everyone is under a cloud of suspicion. Even the manager is under a cloud.

under the weather: (informal) if you are or feel under the weather, you feel slightly ill/sick and not as well as usual.

in character, out of character: typical/not typical of a person’s character. E.g. Her behaviour last night was completely out of character.

in character (with something): in the same style as something. E.g. The new wing of the museum was not really in character with the rest of the building.

Understatement: the practice of making things seem less impressive, important, serious, etc. than they really are. E.g. Typical English understatement. He always goes for subtlety and understatement in his movies.

rapture: a feeling of extreme pleasure and happiness. Delight. E.g. Charles listened with rapture to her singing. The children gazed at her in rapture. Never before had she known such rapture.

Obnoxious: /əbˈnɒkʃəs/ extremely unpleasant, especially in a way that offends people. Offensive. E.g. obnoxious behaviour.

obnoxiousness: I am outraged at the degree of obnoxiousness with which students are treating the new teacher.

Rant and rave (disapproving) to show that you are angry by shouting or complaining loudly for a long time.

Acrimonious: /ˌækrɪˈməʊniəs/ (adj) (of an argument, etc.) angry and full of strong bitter feelings and words. Bitter. E.g. His parents went through an acrimonious divorce. The split-up was not acrimonious and Adam spent time with both his mother and father.

furore /fjuˈrɔːri/ /ˈfjʊərɔː(r)/ (also furor /ˈfjʊərɔː(r)/) [singular] great anger or excitement shown by a number of people, usually caused by a public event. Uproar. E.g. furore (among somebody) His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. Furore (about/over something) the recent furore over the tax increases. Such a major policy reversal is certain to spark a furore among conservatives. Cause, create, provoke a furore His choice of words created quite a furore. The furore which surrounded her appointment as chairman. His resignation passed almost unnoticed amid the furore of the elections. The furore about/over/surrounding the furore over the proposed introduction of tax on fuel. The sale of the two best players caused a furore among the fans.

zest: zest (for something) enjoyment and enthusiasm. E.g. He had a great zest for life.

despondency: a feeling of being sad and without much hope. E.g. a mood of despondency. Life's not all gloom and despondency. Despondency (about/over something) a situation of high unemployment and despondency about the future.

Unswerving: /ʌnˈswɜːvɪŋ/ strong and not changing or becoming weaker. Steady. Constant. Sp. Inquebrantable, a toda prueba. E.g. unswerving loyalty/ support, etc.

to be unswervingly loyal to sb Sp. ser totalmente leal a algn
to hold unswervingly to one's course Sp. no apartarse ni un ápice de su rumbo

she remained unswervingly loyal to him Sp. siguió totalmente fiel a él

he continued unswervingly on his chosen course Sp. continuó sin vacilar por el camino que había elegido.

Enlightened: educated, wise, open-minded.

Cantankerous: /kænˈtæŋkərəs/ bad-tempered and always complaining. E.g. a cantankerous old man.

Transcript

Avidly: with a lot of enthusiasm. Keenly E.g. She reads avidly.

Avid: very enthusiastic about something (often a hobby). E.g. an avid reader/collector. She has taken an avid interest in the project (= she is extremely interested in it).

Trepidation: great worry or fear about something unpleasant that may happen. Sp. Inquietud. E.g. He knocked on the door with some trepidation.

Sustain: /səˈsteɪn/ sustain something to make something continue for some time without becoming less. Maintain. E.g. a period of sustained economic growth. A sustained attack.  She managed to sustain everyone's interest until the end of her speech. Kangaroos can sustain high speeds over long distances.

Plough: /plaʊ/ plough (something) to dig and turn over a field or other area of land with a plough. Sp. Arar, labrar. E.g. ploughed fields.

Selection: the process of choosing somebody/something from a group of people or things, usually according to a system. E.g. The final team selection will be made tomorrow. The random selection of numbers. Selection criteria. The selection process.

Outset: at/from the outset (of something) at/from the beginning of something I made it clear right from the outset that I disapproved. You should have made that clear right at the outset.

Hooked: hooked (on something) (informal) enjoying something very much, so that you want to do it, see it, etc. as much as possible.

Brilliance: /ˈbrɪliəns/ the quality of being extremely impressive, intelligent or skilful. E.g. There were flashes of brilliance from the soloists, but generally the playing and singing lacked sparkle. The technical brilliance of his later films. Academic brilliance.

Doomed: doom somebody/something (to something) doom somebody/something to do something to make somebody/something certain to fail, suffer, die, etc.  Sp. Condenado al fracas. E.g. The plan was doomed to failure. The marriage was doomed from the start.

Havoc: /ˈhævək/ a situation in which there is a lot of damage, destruction or confusion. Sp. Devastación, confusion, caos. E.g. The floods caused havoc throughout the area. Continuing strikes are beginning to play havoc with the national economy. These insects can wreak havoc on crops.

Poignant: /ˈpɔɪnjənt/ having a strong effect on your feelings, especially in a way that makes you feel sad. Moving. E.g. a poignant image/moment/memory, etc. Her face was a poignant reminder of the passing of time.

Breathe: breathe something (formal) to be full of a particular feeling or quality. E.g. Her performance breathed wit and charm.

Breathe new life: Reinvent. Sp. Dar un nuevo aire, dar una nueva vida. E.g. Hiring Edie with her fresh new ideas will breathe new life into this company. Sp. Contratar a Edie, con su creatividad, infundirá nueva vida a esta empresa.

Fashion: to make or shape something, especially with your hands. Sp. Formar, moldear. E.g. She fashioned a pot from the clay.

Disaffected: /ˌdɪsəˈfektɪd/ no longer satisfied with your situation, organization, belief, etc. and therefore not loyal to it. Sp. Marginado. E.g. Some disaffected members left to form a new party.

Bitingly: in a cruel and critical way. E.g. ‘You're lying,’ he said bitingly. A bitingly funny show. Bitingly critical. A bitingly critical article. He was also bitingly critical of academic textbooks.

Stint: (usually used in negative sentences) to provide or use only a small amount of something. Sp. Escatimar. E.g. stint (on something) She never stints on the food at her parties. Stint yourself We don't need to stint ourselves—have some more!

Crunch: a noise like the sound of something firm being crushed. E.g. the crunch of feet on snow. The car drew up with a crunch of gravel.

cobblestones: (also cobbles) small stones used to make the surfaces of roads, especially in the past. E.g.  a cart clattering over the cobbles.

smear: an oily or dirty mark. E.g. a smear of jam.

Quill: (also quill pen) a pen made from a quill feather (a large feather from the wing or tail of a bird).

oblique: /əˈbliːk/ not expressed or done in a direct way. Indirect. E.g. an oblique reference/ approach/ comment.

deadpan: without any expression or emotion; often pretending to be serious when you are joking. E.g. deadpan humour. She looked up, completely deadpan.

ludicrous: unreasonable; that you cannot take seriously. Absurd. Ridiculous. E.g. a ludicrous suggestion. It was ludicrous to think that the plan could succeed. He is paid a ludicrous amount of money.

farce: /fɑːs/ a funny play for the theatre based on ridiculous and unlikely situations and events; this type of writing or performance. E.g. a bedroom farce (= a funny play about sex).

in-passing: done or said while you are giving your attention to something else. Said or mentioned as an aside.  Casually. E.g. He only mentioned it in passing and didn't give any details. I just heard your name in passing. I didn't hear more than that. The lecturer referred to George Washington in passing.

zestful: full of enjoyment and enthusiasm.

sobering: /ˈsəʊbərɪŋ/ making you feel serious and think carefully. E.g.  a sobering effect/ experience/ thought, etc. It is sobering to realize that this is not a new problem. It had a sobering effect on me (Sp. fue aleccionador). It's a sobering thought (Sp. da que pensar).

gusto: /ˈɡʌstəʊ/ enthusiasm and energy in doing something. E.g. They sang with gusto. She attacked the huge slice of chocolate cake with great gusto.

forlorn: /fəˈlɔːn/ (of a person) appearing lonely and unhappy. E.g. She looked so forlorn, standing there in the rain.

Rise to the challenge/ occasion: to show that you can deal with a difficult situation successfully. E.g. In the exam she rose to the occasion and wrote a brilliant essay. You can depend on Kelly to rise to the challenge. We were not able to rise to the challenge and we lost the contract.

gothic: (of a novel, etc.) written in the style popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, which described romantic adventures in mysterious or frightening surroundings.

devastatingly: in a very impressive and powerful way. E.g. a devastatingly handsome man. The play was devastatingly funny.

prey: be/fall prey to something  1. (of an animal) to be killed and eaten by another animal or bird. E.g. Many small birds and rodents fall prey to the domestic cat. 2. (of a person) to be harmed or affected by something bad. Since the attack, she had fallen prey to irrational fears.

lurid: /ˈlʊərɪd/ /ˈljʊərɪd/ 1. too bright in colour, in a way that is not attractive. Sp. chillón, estridente. E.g. She was wearing a lurid orange and green blouse. 2. (especially of a story or piece of writing) shocking and violent in a way that is deliberate. Sp. morboso, escabroso, sensacionalista, horripilante, espeluznante. E.g. lurid headlines. The paper gave all the lurid details of the murder. In lurid detail (Sp. sin omitir los detalles más escabrosos).

totter: 1. to walk or move with weak unsteady steps, especially because you are drunk or ill/sick. Stagger. E.g. She managed to totter back to her seat. 2. to be weak and seem likely to fall. E.g. the tottering walls of the castle. (Figurative) a tottering dictatorship (Sp. tambaleante).

slant: slant (on something/somebody) a way of thinking about something, especially one that shows support for a particular opinion or side in a disagreement. Sp. punto de vista, enfoque. E.g. She put a new slant on the play. Her book looks at his writings from a feminist slant.