Objective Proficiency Edition 2002 p 31. Vocabulary

Ex. 2

• In jeopardy: /ˈdʒepədi/ in a dangerous position or situation and likely to be lost or harmed. E.g. The civil war has put thousands of lives in jeopardy. The future of the school and 50 jobs are in jeopardy.
• Jeopardise sth/sb: /ˈdʒepədaɪz/ to risk harming or destroying something/somebody. E.g. He would never do anything to jeopardize his career.
• Come to terms with sb: to reach an agreement with somebody; to find a way of living or working together. E.g. The enemy was eventually forced to come to terms.
• Come to terms with sth: to accept something unpleasant by learning to deal with it. E.g. She is still coming to terms with her son's death. My grandmother has finally come to terms with living alone. 
• Upturn: a situation in which something improves or increases over a period of time. Mejora. E.g. An upturn in the economy. A sharp upturn in the number of tourists visiting the capital. Their fortunes have taken an upturn. The restaurant trade is on the upturn.

Objective Proficiency Edition 2002 p 30. Vocabulary

Ex. 1

• Result in sth: to make something happen. Lead to. E.g. The cyclone has resulted in many thousands of deaths. Result in sth/sb doing sth: E.g. These policies resulted in many elderly people suffering hardship. Repeated use of a hammer on a screw may result in it breaking.  
• Relish: /ˈrelɪʃ/ to get great pleasure from something; to want very much to do or have something. To enjoy. E.g. to relish a fight/challenge/debate. To relish the idea/thought of something. I don't relish the prospect of getting up early tomorrow. Nobody relishes cleaning the oven.
• Prospect: an idea of what might or will happen in the future. Perspectiva, panorama. E.g. The prospect of becoming a father filled him with alarm.
• Thankless: unpleasant or difficult to do and unlikely to bring you any rewards or thanks from anyone. Ingrato. E.g. Sometimes being a mother and a housewife felt like a thankless task.
• Take somebody to task (for/over something): to criticize somebody strongly for something they have done. E.g. The local newspaper has been taking the city council to task over its transport policy. The policeman took his son to task for throwing the stone through the window.
• The tides turn: to start to come in or go out. E.g. The tide is turning—we'd better get back.
• To turn with every available tide: to change opinion very quickly. E.g. Politicians seem able to turn with every available tide, depending on what suits them.
• Make everyone's head turn: attract attention. E.g. Marilyn Monroe had the ability to make everyone's head turn.
• Turn out: to happen in a particular way; to develop or end in a particular way. E.g. Despite our worries everything turned out well. You never know how your children will turn out. If the day turns out wet, we may have to change our plans. 
• Strictly speaking: if you are using words or rules in their exact or correct sense. E.g. Strictly speaking, the book is not a novel, but a short story. Using the word in that context is not, strictly speaking, correct. 
• In accordance with something: /əˈkɔːdns/ (formal) according to a rule or the way that somebody says that something should be done. E.g. In accordance with legal requirements. We acted in accordance with my parents' wishes. You must act strictly in accordance with the wishes of your colleagues in this matter, regardless of what you yourself want. 
• Distinguish yourself (as something):  to do something so well that people notice and admire you. E.g. She has already distinguished herself as an athlete. The soldier managed to distinguish himself in battle, despite his obvious fear beforehand.
• Foothill: a hill or low mountain at the base of a higher mountain or range of mountains. E.g. The foothills of the Himalayas.
• Disgrace: to behave badly in a way that makes you or other people feel ashamed. Deshonrar. Disgrace yourself: E.g.  I disgraced myself by drinking far too much. Disgrace somebody/something: E.g. He had disgraced the family name. 

Objective Proficiency 2002 p 29. Vocabulary

Ex 3

• Unapologetic: /ˌʌnəˌpɒləˈdʒetɪk/ not saying that you are sorry about something, even in situations in which other people might expect you to. E.g The driver was unapologetic about his bad behaviour. Adv: unapologetically
• Indiscreet: /ˌɪndɪˈskriːt/ not careful about what you say or do, especially when this embarrasses or offends somebody. E.g. An indiscreet comment. It was indiscreet of him to disclose that information. Adv: indiscreetly
• Inexhaustible: /ˌɪnɪɡˈzɔːstəbl/ that cannot be exhausted (= finished); very great. E.g. An inexhaustible supply of good jokes. Her energy is inexhaustible.
• Assertive: /əˈsɜːtɪv/ expressing opinions or desires strongly and with confidence, so that people take notice. E.g. You should try and be more assertive. Assertive behaviour. Unassertive:  not assertive. Liz is a very unassertive type of person. 
• Tricky: difficult to do or deal with. E.g. A tricky situation.
• Misleading: giving the wrong idea or impression and making you believe something that is not true. Engañoso. E.g. Misleading information/advertisements. It would be seriously misleading to suggest that television has no effect on children.

Ex 4

• Infuriating: /ɪnˈfjʊərieɪtɪŋ/ making you extremely angry. E.g. An infuriating child/delay. It is infuriating to talk to someone who just looks out of the window. Adv: infuriatingly: E.g. To smile infuriatingly. Infuriatingly, the shop had just closed.
• Queue jumping: a situation in which a person moves to the front of a queue to get served before other people who have been waiting longer.  E.g. A 57-year-old shopper was in a critical condition after he was attacked inside a supermarket by a man who accused him of queue-jumping 
• Jump the queue: (British English) (US jump the line) to go to the front of a line of people without waiting for your turn. Cut in line. Colarse. E.g. As a rule I never jump the queue
• Overcharge: to make somebody pay too much for something. E.g. Make sure they don't overcharge you for the drinks. We were overcharged by £5 
• Clear off: to go or run away. E.g. He cleared off when he heard the police siren. You've no right to be here. Clear off!
• Din: a loud, unpleasant noise that lasts for a long time. Estruendo. E.g. The children were making an awful din. We couldn't hear ourselves speak above the din. What a din! 
• Bugbear: /ˈbʌɡbeə(r)/  A thing that annoys people and that they worry about. Pesadilla. E.g. Inflation is the government's main bugbear.

Objective Proficiency 2002 p 24. Vocabulary

Ex 1

• Refraction: /rɪˈfrækʃn/ the change in direction of a wave due to a change in its speed. E.g The red sky at night is something to do with the refraction of ice crystals in the atmosphere.

Ex 2

• Rain goose: E.g. The rain goose's behaviour is surprising.

• Lore: knowledge and information related to a particular subject, especially when this is not written down; the stories and traditions of a particular group of people. Tradición popular. E.g. Weather lore. Celtic lore. Traditional lore.
• Come out with: to say something, especially something surprising or rude. E.g. He came out with a stream of abuse. She sometimes comes out with the most extraordinary remarks.
• “If birds fly low, expect rain and a blow.” When the air pressure is high, it is easier for birds to fly at a higher altitude. If the air pressure is low, indicating bad weather, birds can’t fly as high because the air is less dense.
• Sceptical: /ˈskeptɪkl/ having doubts that a claim or statement is true or that something will happen. E.g. I am sceptical about his chances of winning. The public remain sceptical of these claims. She looked highly sceptical. The announcement was greeted sceptically by the press.
• Bite: to have an unpleasant effect. E.g. The recession is beginning to bite.
• Swift: a small bird with long narrow wings, similar to a swallow. Vencejo. E.g. Birds that fly very high like swifts and swallows (golondrinas) stand very little chance of survival if they get caught in a bad storm.

Swift: 

 

Swallow:

• Starling: a common bird with dark shiny feathers and a noisy call. Estornino. E.g.  a murmuration of starlings (a flock of starlings)
• Feeder: an animal or plant that eats a particular thing or eats in a particular way. E.g. The swallows are insect feeders.
• Imminent: /ˈɪmɪnənt/ likely to happen very soon. E.g. The imminent threat of invasion. The system is in imminent danger of collapse. An announcement about his resignation is imminent.
• Water- repellent: /ˌwɔːtə rɪˈpelənt/a material, etc. that is water-repellent is specially treated so that water runs off it rather than going into it. E.g. a water-repellent spray. 
• Get up: if the sea or wind gets up, it increases in strength and becomes violent. E.g. The wind started to get up.
• Gale: an extremely strong wind. E.g. The gale blew down hundreds of trees. Gale-force winds.
• Due: arranged or expected. E.g. A gale was due from the north.
• Doom and gloom: a general feeling of having lost all hope, and of pessimism (= expecting things to go badly). Todo negro. E.g. Despite the obvious setbacks, it is not all doom and gloom for the England team.
• Brighten (up): (of the weather) to improve and become brighter. Despejarse. E.g. According to the forecast, it should brighten up later. 
• Set off: to begin a journey. E.g. We set off for London just after ten.
• Breeding: the producing of young animals, plants, etc. Cría. E.g. The breeding season. Some birds set off for their breeding grounds.
• Harvesting: the act of cutting and gathering crops. E.g. You just have to wait and watch and then plan your harvesting.
• Intrinsically linked: belonging to or part of the real nature of something/somebody. E.g. Farming and weather are intrinsically linked.   
• A vested interest: a personal reason for wanting something to happen, especially because you get some advantage from it. E.g. They have a vested interest in keeping the club as exclusive as possible. She thinks that lawyers have a vested interest in making the legal process move slowly.
• Clutch at straws: to try all possible means to find a solution or some hope in a difficult or unpleasant situation, even though this seems very unlikely. Aferrarse desesperadamente a una esperanza. E.g. I know I'm just clutching at straws here, but is it possible that the doctors are wrong? They were really clutching at straws when they observed animal and bird behaviour and linked it to the weather.

Idiom spot

• Give and take: to be willing, in a relationship, to accept what somebody else wants and to give up some of what you want. E.g. You're going to have to learn to give and take. There needs to be a bit of give and take in every relationship.
• Time and again: used for saying that something happens many times. E.g. I've told you time and again, you must wear a helmet. Time and again, we see this pattern of behaviour repeating itself.
• High and dry: 1 (of a boat, etc.) in a position out of the water. Encallado, varado. E.g. Their yacht was left high and dry on a sandbank. 2 in a difficult situation, without help or money. A la buena de Dios. E.g.  All my workers quit and left me high and dry. All the children ran away and left Billy high and dry to take the blame for the broken window.
• Fame and fortune: E.g. She went to Hollywood in search of fame and fortune. 
• Flesh and blood: when you say that somebody is flesh and blood, you mean that they are a normal human with needs, emotions and weaknesses. De carne y hueso. E.g. Listening to the cries was more than flesh and blood could stand. 
• Your (own) flesh and blood: a person that you are related to. De tu propia sangre. E.g. You can't do that to your own flesh and blood!
• At sixes and sevens: in confusion; not well organized. Estar hecho un lío. E.g. I haven't had time to clear up, so I'm all at sixes and sevens. The house is at sixes and sevens while it's being decorated.
• (In) black and white: in a way that makes people or things seem completely bad or good, or completely right or wrong. E.g. It's a complex issue, but he only sees it in black and white. This is not a black-and-white decision (= where the difference between two choices is completely clear).
• In black and white: in writing or in print. Por escrito. E.g. I never thought they'd put it in black and white on the front page.
• Through thick and thin: Even when there are problems or difficulties. Tanto en las duras como en las maduras. E.g. He's supported the team for over ten years through thick and thin. In marriage, you have to stick together through thick and thin.
• Touch and go: used to say that the result of a situation is uncertain and that there is a possibility that something bad or unpleasant will happen. Estado inseguro. Situación crítica. E.g. She's fine now, but it was touch-and-go for a while (= there was a possibility that she might die). It was touch-and-go whether they'd allow him into the country or not. It was touch and go whether we would arrive at the airport in time
• Safe and sound: E.g. They turned up safe and sound.  
• First and foremost: more than anything else. Antes que nada. E.g. He does a little teaching, but first and foremost he's a writer. First and foremost, let's review the minutes from last week's meeting. 
• The life and soul of the party, etc.: the most amusing and interesting person at a party, etc. E.g. My brother James is the life and soul of any family party.