Showing posts with label
Objective Proficiency Edition 2002 U02.
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Showing posts with label
Objective Proficiency Edition 2002 U02.
Show all posts
Ex 3
- Endorse: /ɪnˈdɔːs/ to say publicly that you support a person, statement or course of action. E.g. I wholeheartedly endorse his remarks. Members of all parties endorsed a ban on land mines. It endorses the condemnation of art theft. I endorse this view.
- Purchaser: /ˈpɜːtʃəsə(r)/ a person who buys something. E.g. Consider the position of the purchaser.
- Strongly-worded: using words to express an idea strongly. E.g. A strongly-worded article on art.
- Dead: (infrml) adv. completely; exactly. E.g. You're dead right! Dead serious.
- Nick: (infrml) to steal something.
- Irreplaceable works: /ˌɪrɪˈpleɪsəbl/ too valuable or special to be replaced. E.g. These pictures are irreplaceable.
- Trashed something: to damage or destroy something. E.g. The band was famous for trashing hotel rooms. These works of art are often completely trashed.
- Carve: to make objects, patterns, etc. by cutting away material from wood or stone. Tallar. E.g. Ancient carved faces and limbs are smashed in the rush to remove them.
- Where does this leave the art dealers? Are they also to be described as thieves? But where does this leave teachers? Often with a lot of responsibility and very little assistance
- Artefact: /ˈɑːtɪfækt/ an object that is made by a person, especially something of historical or cultural interest. E.g. Many dealers are more than willing to buy these artefacts.
- Band together: (infrml) to form a group in order to achieve something. Unirse. E.g. Local people banded together to fight the drug dealers.
- Police: to make sure that a particular set of rules is obeyed. Monitor. E.g. I doubt whether it would ever be possible to police this effectively.
- Be rolling in money: (infrml) to have a lot of money. Unless you are rolling in money, you should know about how to survive on a student budget.
Ex 4
- Liaise: /liˈeɪz/ to work closely with somebody and exchange information with them. Mantener un estrecho contacto. E.g. He had to liaise directly with the police while writing the report. That is something for the British and Greek governments to liaise over.
- Beyond: used to say that something is not possible. E.g. The bicycle was beyond repair (= is too badly damaged to repair: ya no tiene arreglo). The situation is beyond our control.
Ex 6
- On view: being shown in a public place so that people can look at it. Exponer. E.g. The new discoveries will be on view in London in the spring.
Ex 7
- To my mind: in my opinion. E.g. It was a ridiculous thing to do, to my mind.
- Laze: to relax and do very little. We lazed by the pool all day. I've spent the afternoon just lazing around. When I was a teenager there was no time to laze around.
- 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. Subestimar. 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. My own grandchildren take everything for granted.
- Reid: /riːd/
- Take issue with somebody (about/on/over something): (formal) to start disagreeing or arguing with somebody about something. Discrepar. E.g. I must take issue with you on that point. I would like to take issue with some of his criticism.
- In a good, bad, favourable, etc. light: if you see something or put something in a good, bad, etc. light, it seems good, bad, etc. E.g. You must not view what happened in a negative light. They want to present their policies in the best possible light. The article shows teenagers in a bad light.
- Vouch: /vaʊtʃ/ to say that you believe that something is true or good because you have evidence for it. Confirm. E.g. I was in bed with the flu. My wife can vouch for that. I can vouch for the fact that my classmates and I are not lazy.
- Maintain: to keep stating that something is true, even though other people do not agree or do not believe it. Insist. Sostener. E.g. The men maintained (that) they were out of the country when the crime was committed. They do not "take everything for granted", as the writer maintains.
- Assist: to help somebody to do something. E.g. We are looking for people who would be willing to assist in the group's work. I assist with the usual chores.
Ex 2
- Strip: to remove all the things from a place and leave it empty. E.g. The current practice of stripping sites of art treasures for commercial gain should be stopped.
- Raise: to mention something for people to discuss or somebody to deal with. E.g. The article raises the issue of ownership of ancient works of art.The book raises many important questions. I'm glad you raised the subject of money.
- Belong: to be in the right or suitable place. E.g. It argues that the Egin Marbles belong in Greece. Several of the points you raise do not belong in this discussion. A person like that does not belong in teaching.
Exam spot
- Aim at: E.g. The government is aiming at a 50% reduction in unemployment. They're aiming at training everybody by the end of the year.
- Settle sb down: to become or make somebody become calm, less excited, etc. E.g. It always takes the class a while to settle down at the start of the lesson.
- It's my belief that knowledge is power.
- For my part I prefer to stay at home.
- Speaking personally, I'd leave everything as it is.
- On the whole I would rather prepare myself a healthy and more appetising meal.
- By and large: used when you are saying something that is generally, but not completely, true. E.g. By and large, I enjoyed my time at school.
- For the most part: mostly; usually. E.g. The contributors are, for the most part, professional scientists. For the most part, I would agree with you.
- Undecided: not having made a decision about somebody/something. E.g. I'm still undecided (about) who to vote for. He was undecided as to what to do next.
- Ambivalent (about/towards somebody/something): having or showing both good and bad feelings about somebody/something. E.g. She seems to feel ambivalent about her new job.
- Be in two minds about something/about doing something: to be unable to decide what you think about somebody/something, or whether to do something or not. E.g. I was in two minds about the book (= I didn't know if I liked it or not). She's in two minds about accepting his invitation. I'm in two minds as to whether I would want to go there. For more idioms with mind click here.
Ex 5
- Cynical: 1. believing that people only do things to help themselves rather than for good or honest reasons. E.g. Do you have to be so cynical about everything? A cynical view/smile. 2. not believing that something good will happen or that something is important. E.g. I'm a bit cynical about the benefits of the plan. Her experiences with men have made her thoroughly cynical about love.
- Creature comforts: all the things that make life, or a particular place, comfortable, such as good food, comfortable furniture or modern equipment. Comodidades. E.g. They have all the creature comforts you need.
- On balance: after considering all the information. E.g. On balance, the company has had a successful year.
Ex 6
- Heir to sth: a person who has the legal right to receive somebody's property, money or title when that person dies. E.g. To be heir to a large fortune.
- Grate sth: to rub food against a grater in order to cut it into small pieces. E.g. grated apple/carrot/cheese, etc. Grate the cheese and sprinkle it over the tomatoes.
- Toss: To throw something lightly or carelessly. Tirar, lanzar. E.g. He tossed the ball to Anna. Toss your head/hair: to move your head/hair suddenly upwards. Sacudir. E.g. She just tossed her head and walked off.
- Mane: the long hair on the neck of a horse or a lion. Crin. E.g. The horse tossed its mane and neighed.
- Neigh: /neɪ/ when a horse neighs it makes a long high sound. Relinchar. E.g. When the horse neighed, all the horses neighed
- Plaice: /pleɪs/ a flat sea fish that is used for food. Platija. E.g. Plaice is my favourite fish but it is the hardest to find.
Idiom spot
- To shoulder responsibility: /ˈʃəʊldə(r)/ to accept the responsibility for something. Cargar con. E.g. Bringing home a puppy or dog means that you have to shoulder the responsibility of having to train him.
- To foot the bill: to be responsible for paying the cost of something. Asumir la cuenta. E.g.
- to make a signal with your thumb to passing drivers to ask them to stop and take you somewhere. E.g. We managed to thumb a lift with a lorry driver.
- to push somebody with your elbow, usually in order to get past them. E.g. She elbowed me out of the way to get to the front of the line. He elbowed his way through the crowd.
- to present something formally for discussion. Presentar. E.g. To table a question/motion in Parliament
- to get a person or an animal into a place or situation from which they cannot escape. Acorralar. E.g. The man was finally cornered by police in a garage.
- to walk using the front parts of your feet only, so that other people cannot hear you. Andar de puntillas. E.g. I tiptoed over to the window.
- be in charge of a place or a machine. Encargarse de. E.g. To man a ship (tripular).
- To coat: to cover something with a layer of a substance. E.g. Cookies thickly coated with chocolate. A film of dust coated the table. To coat with paint.
- To cash in on: to gain an advantage for yourself from a situation, especially in a way that other people think is wrong or immoral. Aprovecharse de. E.g. The film studio is being accused of cashing in on the singer's death. To cash in on an idea.
- To ship: to send or transport somebody/something by ship or by another means of transport. E.g. The company ships its goods all over the world.
- To house: to provide a place for somebody to live. Alojar. E.g. The government is committed to housing the refugees. To house asylum /əˈsaɪləm/ seekers (persona que solicita asilo político).
- Sale: an occasion when a shop/store sells its goods at a lower price than usual. The woman elbowed her way into the store to grab the first bargains in the sale. I bought a coat in the sales.
Ex 1
- Coin something: to invent a new word or phrase that other people then begin to use. E.g. The term ‘cardboard city’ was coined to describe communities of homeless people living in cardboard boxes.
- Allure: /əˈlʊə(r)/ the quality of being attractive and exciting. Encanto. E.g. The allure of the big city. Alluring: /əˈlʊərɪŋ/ Adj. attractive and exciting in a mysterious way. E.g. An alluring smile.
- From scratch: 1 without any previous preparation or knowledge. Empezar desde cero. E.g. I learned German from scratch in six months. He built the orchestra up from scratch. 2 From the very beginning, not using any of the work done earlier. E.g. They decided to dismantle the machine and start again from scratch.
- Plague: /pleɪɡ/ 1. to cause pain or trouble to somebody/something over a period of time. Trouble. Asolar. E.g. Financial problems are plaguing the company. The team has been plagued by injury this season. 2. to annoy somebody or create problems, especially by asking for something, demanding attention, etc. Harass. Acosar. E.g. Rock stars have to get used to being plagued by autograph hunters.
Ex 2
- Utopia: /juːˈtəʊpiə/ an imaginary place or state in which everything is perfect. E.g. For the moment this is just a utopia. Utopian /juːˈtəʊpiən/ Adj. having a strong belief that everything can be perfect, often in a way that does not seem to be realistic or practical. E.g. Utopian ideals
- Surface: /ˈsɜːfɪs/ to suddenly appear or become obvious after having been hidden for a while. Emerge. Aparecer. E.g. Doubts began to surface. No further information has surfaced yet.
- Plato: /ˈpleɪt əʊ/
- Withstand sth, withstood withstood: To be strong enough not to be hurt or damaged by extreme conditions, the use of force, etc. Soportar, aguantar, resistir. E.g. The materials used have to be able to withstand high temperatures. They had withstood siege, hunger and deprivation.
Ex 3
- Haven: /ˈheɪvn/ a place that is safe and peaceful where people or animals are protected. Refugio. E.g. The hotel is a haven of peace and tranquility. The river banks are a haven for wildlife. Tax haven: a place where taxes are low. Paraíso fiscal.
- Cosmopolitan: /ˌkɒzməˈpɒlɪtən/ containing people of different types or from different countries, and influenced by their culture. E.g. A cosmopolitan city/resort. The club has a cosmopolitan atmosphere.
- Bill somebody/something as something: to advertise or describe somebody/something in a particular way. E.g. He was billed as the new Tom Cruise.
- Average sth: /ˈævərɪdʒ/ to be equal to a particular amount as an average. Hacer un promedio. E.g. Economic growth is expected to average 2% next year. Drivers in London can expect to average about 12 miles per hour (= to have that as their average speed).
- Luxurious: /lʌɡˈʒʊəriəs/
- Venture: /ˈventʃə(r)/ a business project or activity, especially one that involves taking risks. Operación. E.g. A disastrous business venture lost him thousands of dollars.
- Revenue: /ˈrevənjuː/ the money that a government receives from taxes or that an organization, etc. receives from its business. Ingresos. E.g. Advertising revenue finances the commercial television channels. The company's annual revenues rose by 30%.
- Vessel: a large ship or boat. E.g. Ocean-going vessels
- Enforce: /ɪnˈfɔːs/ to make sure that people obey a particular law or rule. E.g. It's the job of the police to enforce the law.
- Attempt: an act of trying to do something. E.g. Two factories were closed in an attempt to cut costs.
- Toe the line: to say or do what somebody in authority tells you to say or do, even if you do not share the same opinions, etc. Acatar la disciplina. E.g. One or two of them refused to toe the line. To toe the party line.
- Outbreak: the sudden start of something unpleasant, especially violence or a disease. Comienzo, estallido. E.g. The outbreak of war.
- Cohesion: /kəʊˈhiːʒn/
- Turn out to be: to be discovered to be; to prove to be. Resultar. E.g. The job turned out to be harder than we thought.
- Dystopia: /dɪsˈtəʊpiə/ an imaginary place or state in which everything is extremely bad or unpleasant. E.g. It could well turn out to be more of a dystopia, than a utopia.
- Sanguine: /ˈsæŋɡwɪn/ cheerful and confident about the future. Optimistic. Cofiado, optimista. E.g. They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. He tends to take a sanguine view of the problems involved.
- Prospects: the chances of being successful. Perspectivas. E.g. Good job/employment/career prospects. At 25 he was an unemployed musician with no prospects.
Ex 4
- Spacefaring: To be Spacefaring is to be capable of and active in the art of spacetravel. E.g. The importance of America being a spacefaring nation with the ability to explore and exploit space.
- Barren: /ˈbærən/ not good enough for plants to grow on it. Estéril. E.g. A barren desert. A barren landscape (= one that is empty, with few plants).
- Viable: /ˈvaɪəbl / that can be done; that will be successful. Feasible. E.g. There is no viable alternative.
- Arena: /əˈriːnə/ an area of activity that concerns the public, especially one where there is a lot of opposition between different groups or countries. Ruedo. E.g. The political/international arena.
- Set off: to start a process or series of events. E.g. Panic on the stock market set off a wave of selling.
- Thaw: /θɔː/ Melt. E.g. The country was slowly thawing out after the long cold winter.
- Snowcap: Snow covering a mountain peak, especially such snow existing year-round. E.g. High in the Andes, water from the melting snowcaps runs into ice cold lakes.
- Open frontier: undeveloped region that is open to settlement. Open border. E.g. Outer space is an open frontier.
Ex 4
- Record: (also criminal record) the fact of having committed crimes in the past. Antecedentes penales. E.g. Does he have a record?
- Cop Show: a crime TV drama.
Style extra
- Figurative: /ˈfɪɡərətɪv/ used in a way that is different from the usual meaning, in order to create a particular mental picture. E.g. A figurative device.
- Spin: 1. to turn round and round quickly; to make something do this. Girar. E.g. The plane was spinning out of control. 2. To make thread from wool, cotton, silk, etc. by twisting it. Hilar, tejer. E.g. She sat by the window spinning. Her hair is like spun gold.
- Crisp: 1. pleasantly hard and dry. Crujiente. E.g Bake until the pastry is golden and crisp. 2. Firm and fresh. E.g. Snow as crisp as an apple
- Fluffy: Looking as if it is soft and light. Suave y sedoso. E.g. Fluffy white clouds.
- Like water off a duck's back: (informal) used to say that something, especially criticism, has no effect on somebody/something. Como quien oye llover. E.g. I can't tell my son what to do; it's water off a duck's back with him.
- As clean as a whistle: (informal) very clean. Limpio como una patena. When he finished washing his car, it was as clean as a whistle.
- As deaf as a post: (informal) very deaf. Más sordo que una tapia. E.g. My uncle can't hear a thing. He's as deaf as a post.
- Like chalk and cheese: (British English) if two people or things are like chalk and cheese or as different as chalk and cheese, they are completely different from each other. E.g. Frank and I will never get along. We're chalk and cheese.
- Like a bat out of hell: (informal) very fast. E.g. She was driving like a bat out of hell.
- As warm as toast: very warm and cozy. E.g. The baby will be warm as toast in that blanket. We were as warm as toast by the side of the fire.
- As white as a sheet: To be very pale, usually because you are frightened or ill. E.g. She was trembling all over and as white as a sheet.
- Have a memory/mind like a sieve: (informal) to have a very bad memory; to forget things easily. Tener la cabeza como un colador. E.g. I've never known anyone so forgetful - she's got a memory like a sieve.
Ex 5
- Appearance: the moment at which something begins to exist or starts to be seen or used. Aparición. E.g. the early appearance of daffodils in spring. The appearance of organic vegetables in the supermarkets.
- Surge: a sudden increase in the amount or number of something; a large amount of something. Repentino aumento. E.g. A surge in consumer spending.
- Bewildering: /bɪˈwɪldərɪŋ/ making you feel confused because there are too many things to choose from or because something is difficult to understand. Confusing. Desconcertante. E.g. Here is a bewildering variety of software available.
- Wilderness: /ˈwɪldənəs/ a large area of land that has never been developed or used for growing crops because it is difficult to live there. E.g. The Antarctic is the world's last great wilderness.
- Doubtless: almost certainly. Without doubt. E.g. He would doubtless disapprove of what Kelly was doing. Doubtless Williams, as the star of the movie, is getting five times the salary of everyone else.
