6

Question 1

1 the situation, events, or information that are related to something and that help you to understand it

2 the words that come just before and after a word or sentence and that help you understand its meaning

3 take/quote something out of __________
to repeat part of what someone has said or written without describing the situation in which it was said, so that it means something quite different

Answer 1

con‧text S2 W2 AC / kɒntekst $ kɑn- / noun [ uncountable and countable ]

1 political/social/historical etc context
the political context of the election

place/put/see etc something in context
To appreciate what these changes will mean, it is necessary to look at them in context .

in the context of something
These incidents are best understood in the broader context of developments in rural society.

2 The meaning of ‘mad’ depends on its context.

3 take/quote something out of context
His comments, taken out of context, seem harsh.

COLLOCATIONS

adjectives

the social/political/historical etc context You often need to understand the cultural context of jokes.

a wider/broader/larger context (= a more general situation, set of events etc ) It’s important to look at the story in the wider context of medieval Spain.

an international/European/British etc context We study the work of these artists in their European context.

a general context This problem is occurring within a general context of economic difficulty.

verbs

see something in the context of something (= consider and understand something in relation to a particular situation ) His life and work must be seen in the context of his youth.

look at/examine etc something in context Although this does not seem to be a good result, let’s examine it in context.

put something in/into context (= consider something in context ) These statistics need to be put into context.
place/set something in context (= consider something in context ) The issue must be placed within its historical context.

provide a context for something The study provides a context for future research.

Question 2

directly relating to the subject or problem being discussed or considered OPP ir____________

Answer 2

rel‧e‧vant S2 W2 AC / reləv ə nt, relɪv ə nt / adjective

Relevant documents were presented in court.
We received all the relevant information.

relevant to
What experience do you have that is relevant to this position?

— relevance ( also relevancy ) noun [ uncountable ]
— relevantly adverb

THESAURUS

related/connected adjective used about things that have a connection with each other. Connected is not used before a noun : Physics and Maths are closely related. | The two problems are connected. | homelessness and other related issues

linked adjective having a direct connection – often used when one thing is the cause of the other : Skin cancer is directly linked to sun exposure and damage. | Two closely linked factors produced this result.

interrelated/interconnected adjective used about two or more things that are connected with each other and affect each other in a complicated series of ways : The various parts of society are closely interrelated. | The book consists of a series of interconnected essays.

interdependent used about two or more things, countries, people etc that depend on each other, and cannot exist or continue without each other : The two countries’ economies have become increasingly interdependent. | interdependent relationships between species | Darwin said that all life on earth is interdependent.

relevant adjective related to what is being discussed or to a particular area of activity : The exam tests the way you select and organize information relevant to the question. | Applicants should have several years’ relevant experience.

be bound up with something to be very closely connected – used about two things that need to be considered together : The history of the city has long been bound up with the sea. | Your professional development is closely bound up with personal growth.

Question 3

1 change job/class   
to leave your present job, class, or activity and start doing another one

2 change/develop
a) to develop in your life, and change your relationships, interests, activities etc

b) to change, progress, improve, or become more modern as time passes

3 ____ somebody __British English
to order someone to leave a particular place – used especially about police

4 change subject
to start talking about a new subject in a discussion, book etc

5 continue journey
to leave the place where you have been staying and continue to another place

6 time
if time, the year etc ____s __, the time passes

7 time is ____ing __ British English spoken
used to say that you must leave soon or do something soon, because it is getting late

Answer 3

move on phrasal verb

1 I enjoyed my job, but it was time to move on.

move on to
When you finish, move on to the next exercise.

move on to higher/better things (= get a better job or social position – used humorously )
Jeremy’s leaving the company to move on to higher things.

2 a) I’ve moved on since high school, and now I don’t have much in common with some of my old friends.

move on from
She has long since moved on from the roles of her youth.

b) By the time the software was ready, the market had moved on.

3 move somebody on British English
The police arrived on the scene and began moving the protesters on.

4 Before we move on, does anyone have any questions?

5 After three days we decided it was time to move on.

move on to
The exhibition has now moved on to Edinburgh.

6 As time moves on, I’d like the children to play more challenging music.

7 time is moving on British English spoken
Time’s moving on – we’d better get back to the car.

Question 4

1 [ plural, uncountable ] cruel or violent treatment of someone

2 [ uncountable and countable ] the use of something in a way that it should not be used SYN misuse

3 [ uncountable ] rude or offensive things that someone says when they are angry

Answer 4

a‧buse 1 S2 W3 / əbjus / noun

1 several cases of child abuse

physical/sexual/racial abuse
Many children suffer racial abuse at school.
An independent committee will look into alleged human rights abuses.

2 abuse of
government officials’ abuse of power
A self-monitoring tax system is clearly open to abuse (= able to be used wrongly ) .

alcohol/drug abuse (= the practice of drinking too much or taking illegal drugs ) → solvent abuse

3 vandalism and verbal abuse directed at old people

a torrent/stream of abuse (= a series of rude or angry words )

shout/hurl/scream abuse at somebody
The other driver started hurling abuse at me. → a term of abuse at term 1 ( 3 )

Question 5

1 court [ uncountable and countable ]
a legal process in which a judge and often a jury in a court of law examine information to decide whether someone is guilty of a crime → try

2 test [ uncountable and countable ]
a process of testing to find out whether something works effectively and is safe

3 try somebody/something [ uncountable and countable ] a short period during which you use or do something or employ someone to find out whether they are satisfactory for a particular purpose or job → try

4 by/through _____ and error
if you do something by _____ and error, you test many different methods of doing something in order to find the best

5 difficulty [ countable usually plural ]
something that is difficult to deal with, and that is worrying or annoying → trying

6 sports
_____s [ plural ] British English
a special sports competition in which people who want to be on a team are tested, so that the best can be chosen SYN tryout American English

Answer 5

tri‧al 1 S3 W2 / traɪəl / noun

1 The trial is due to start next week.

on trial (for something) 
Brady was on trial for assault.  →   show trial 

2 a new drug that is undergoing clinical trials

3 on trial
They let me have the computer on trial for thirty days.
The security system will be reviewed after a three-month trial period .
Smith was hired on a six-month trial basis .
trial separation (= a period of time in which a husband and wife do not live together, to find out whether they want to stay married )

4 by/through trial and error
I learned most of what I know about gardening through trial and error.

5 the daily trials of living in a poor country

be a trial (to/for somebody)
My brothers and I were always a real trial to my parents.
the trials and tribulations of running a business

6 horse/sheepdog trials (= a sporting competition in which horses or dogs compete )

COLLOCATIONS

verbs

be on trial (= be being judged in a court of law ) Her son is on trial charged with murder.

stand/face trial (= be judged in a court of law ) Doctors said he was unfit to stand trial.

go on trial Taylor went on trial accused of fraud.

be awaiting/facing trial Its managing director is awaiting trial on corruption charges.

put somebody on trial They should never have been put on trial, let alone convicted.

bring somebody to trial The people who were responsible for this crime must be brought to trial.

be sent for trial ( also be committed for trial British English ) Smith’s lawyer battled to stop him being sent for trial in Britain.

a trial is held We believe the trial will be held sometime next month.

a trial opens (= officially begins ) The trial opened 5 weeks ago.

a trial is adjourned (= it is officially stopped for several days, weeks, or months ) The trial was adjourned until November.

ADJECTIVES/NOUN + trial
a murder/fraud etc trial She was a witness in a murder trial.
a fair trial He is entitled to a fair trial.
a criminal trial (= for cases involving a crime ) In a criminal trial, guilt has to be proven beyond reasonable doubt.
a civil trial (= for cases dealing with the private affairs of citizens, rather than cases involving a crime ) In civil trials, the jury’s decision need not be unanimous.

phrases
a case goes/comes to trial If the case ever went to trial, he would probably lose.

nouns
the trial judge The trial judge acquitted the accused on the charge of assault.
the trial lawyer He is regarded as one of the finest trial lawyers in the state.
the trial court The evidence will be fully tested in the trial court.
a trial date No trial date has been set because of procedural delays.
the trial verdict His lawyers have said they will appeal the civil trial verdict.

Question 6

1 [ transitive ] to formally ask someone to write an official report, produce a work of art for you etc

2 be _____________ed (into something) to be given an officer’s rank in the army, navy etc

Answer 6

commission 2 AC verb

1 The report was commissioned by the Welsh Office.

commission somebody to do something
Macmillan commissioned her to illustrate a book by Spike Milligan.

2 be commissioned (into something)
I was commissioned into the RAF.

Question 7

a member of a jury

Answer 7

ju‧ror / dʒʊərə $ dʒʊrər / noun [ countable ]

Question 8

1 [ intransitive ] to breathe quickly with short noisy breaths, for example because you have been running or because it is very hot

2 [ transitive ] to say something while you are ____ing:

____ ___ something phrasal verb
to want something very much

Answer 8

pant / pænt / verb

1 He came in panting after running up the steps.
He was panting for breath .
The dog lay panting on the doorstep.

2 ‘I can’t run any farther,’ she panted.

— pant noun [ countable ]

pant for something phrasal verb

He came in panting for a cup of tea.

Question 9

the state of being saved from harm or danger → salvation

Answer 9

de‧liv‧er‧ance / dɪlɪv ə rəns / noun [ uncountable + from ] formal

Question 10

1 [ transitive ] to follow a person or animal quietly in order to catch and attack or kill them → shadow

2 [ transitive ] to follow and watch someone over a long period of time in a way that is very annoying or threatening, and that is considered a crime in some places

3 [ intransitive always + adverb/preposition ] to walk in a proud or angry way, with long steps

4 [ transitive ] literary if something bad stalks a place, you see or feel it everywhere in that place

Answer 10

stalk 2 verb

1 a tiger stalking its prey
We know the rapist stalks his victims at night.

2 She was stalked by an obsessed fan.

3 stalk out/off/away
Yvonne turned and stalked out of the room in disgust.

4 Fear stalks every dark stairwell and walkway.

stalk / stɔk $ stɒk / to secretly follow an animal in order to kill it, or to secretly follow a person in order to attack them : a tiger stalking its prey | He had a long history of stalking women in his neighbourhood.

Question 11

to express feelings of anger, hatred etc, especially by doing something violent or harmful

Answer 11

vent 2 verb [ transitive ]

vent something on somebody
If he’s had a bad day, Paul vents his anger on the family.

vent something by doing something
I could hear mum venting her frustration by banging the pots noisily.
The meeting gave us a chance to vent our spleen (= anger ) .

Question 12

very badly affected by trouble, illness, unhappiness etc

Answer 12

strick‧en / strɪkən / adjective formal

Fire broke out on the stricken ship.

stricken by/with
a country stricken by severe economic problems

drought-stricken/cancer-stricken/tragedy-stricken etc
drought-stricken farmers

→ grief-stricken , panic-stricken , poverty-stricken

Question 13

to fasten a ship or boat to the land or to the bottom of the sea using ropes or an anchor

Answer 13

moor 2 verb [ intransitive and transitive ]

Two or three fishing boats were moored alongside the pier.

Question 14

1 to untie the rope that fastens your boat to the shore so that you can sail away

2 ____ somebody/something ↔ ___ literary
to remove or get rid of something or someone that you no longer want or need

3 to finish a piece of knitting by removing the stitches from the needle to make an edge that will not come undone

Answer 14

cast off phrasal verb

2 cast somebody/something ↔ off literary
His family had cast him off without a penny.

3 cast something ↔ off
Cast off four stitches.

Question 15

1 strong and healthy and able to bear difficult living conditions

2 a _____ plant is able to live through the winter

Answer 15

har‧dy / hɑdi $ hɑrdi / adjective

1 hardy mountain goats

— hardiness noun [ uncountable ]

Question 16

1 food
a) [ uncountable ] the seeds of crops such as corn, wheat, or rice that are gathered for use as food, or these crops themselves

b) [ countable ] a single seed of corn, wheat etc

2 lines in wood etc [ singular ]
the natural lines you can see in a substance such as wood, which are the result of its structure

3 small piece [ countable ]
a single very small piece of a substance such as sand or salt

4 a _____ of something
a very small amount of something

5 against the _____
if something goes against the _____ , it is not what you would naturally or normally do

6 measure [ countable ]
the smallest unit for measuring weight, equal to about 0.06 grams. It is used for weighing medicines.

Answer 16

grain / ɡreɪn / noun

1 food
a) big sacks of grain
Last year’s grain harvest was the biggest ever.

b) grains of rice

2 along the grain (= in the same direction as the grain )
Cut along the grain of the wood.
across the grain (= at 90 degrees to the grain )

3 grain of
a grain of sand
There were crumbs and grains of sugar on the table.

4 a grain of something
The story wouldn’t have fooled anyone with a grain of sense.
There is a grain of truth in all folklore and legend.

5 against the grain
Mary is always honest and it went against the grain to tell lies.

→ take something with a pinch/grain of salt at salt 1 ( 3 )

Question 17

1 wet sand that is dangerous because you sink down into it if you try to walk on it

2 a bad situation that keeps getting worse, and that you cannot escape from

Answer 17

quick‧sand / kwɪksænd / noun [ uncountable and countable ]

Question 18

to deliberately encourage people to fight, argue etc → encourage

Answer 18

in‧cite / ɪnsaɪt / verb [ transitive ]

They were charged with inciting racial hatred.

incite somebody to do something
a person who incites others to commit an offence

incite somebody to something
There was no evidence that he had incited members of the group to violence.

— incitement noun [ uncountable and countable ] :
incitement to murder

Question 19

1 the good or bad feelings that a particular person, place, or situation seems to produce and that you react to

2 a vibraphone

Answer 19

vibes / vaɪbz / noun [ plural ] informal
1 good/bad etc vibes
I have good vibes about this contract.

Question 20

informal to spend time talking to people who are in a higher social position than you

Answer 20

hob‧nob / hɒbnɒb $ hɑbnɑb / verb ( past tense and past participle hobnobbed , present participle hobnobbing ) [ intransitive ]

hobnob with
He spent the first day hobnobbing with the management.

Question 21

1 [ transitive always + adverb/preposition ] to push something somewhere roughly

2 [ intransitive ] to make a sudden movement forward with a sword or knife

Answer 21

thrust 1 / θrʌst / verb ( past tense and past participle thrust )

1 She thrust a letter into my hand.
He thrust me roughly towards the door.

2 thrust at
He skipped aside as his opponent thrust at him.

Question 22

used when you admit that something is true SYN admittedly

Answer 22

grant‧ed / ɡrɑntəd, ɡrɑntɪd $ ɡræn- / adverb [ sentence adverb ]

Granted, the music is not perfect, but the flaws are outweighed by the sheer joy of the piece.

Question 23

1 crazy or behaving in a very strange way

2 old-fashioned suffering from dementia

Answer 23

de‧men‧ted / dɪmentəd, dɪmentɪd / adjective

1 She was almost demented with grief.

Question 24

1 [ intransitive and transitive ] to laugh at a person or idea, and talk about them in a way that shows you think they are stupid

2 [ transitive ] British English informal to eat something very quickly

Answer 24

scoff / skɒf $ skɒf, skɑf / verb

1 scoff at
David scoffed at her fears.
Officials scoffed at the idea.
‘You, a scientist!’ he scoffed.

2 She scoffed the plate of biscuits.

Question 25

1 having strong religious beliefs, and showing this in the way you behave → piety

2 if you describe what someone says as _____ talk, words etc, you mean that they are trying to sound good or moral but you do not believe that they are sincere or will really do what they say

3 _____ hope/wish
something that you want to be true or to happen, but that is very unlikely

Answer 25

pi‧ous / paɪəs / adjective

1 He was a quiet, pious man.

2 pious speeches by politicians about ‘family values’

3 pious hope/wish
All these agreements and ideas remain little more than pious hopes in the present climate.

— piously adverb

Question 26

unkind laughter or remarks that are intended to make someone or something seem stupid

Answer 26

rid‧i‧cule 1 / rɪdəkjul, rɪdɪkjul / noun [ uncountable ]

the ridicule of his peers
The government’s proposals were held up to ridicule (= suffered ridicule ) by opposition ministers.
He had become an object of ridicule among the other teachers.

Question 27

[ uncountable ] a feeling of satisfaction and excitement, often because something bad has happened to someone else SYN delight

Answer 27

glee / ɡli / noun

Manufacturers are rubbing their hands with glee as they prepare to cash in.

Question 28

1 extremely good to eat or drink

2 informal very sexually attractive

Answer 28

lus‧cious / lʌʃəs / adjective

1 a luscious and fragrant dessert wine

2 her luscious body

Question 29

noun [ uncountable ] informal

sleep

Answer 29

shut-eye noun [ uncountable ] informal

We’d better get some shut-eye .

shut-eye informal especially humorous sleep : I really need to get some shut-eye .

Question 30

1 to beat a person or animal with a whip or stick

2 informal to sell something

3 be ____ging a dead horse spoken
to be wasting time or effort by trying to do something that is impossible

4 ____ something to death British English informal
to repeat a story or use an idea etc so often that people become bored with it

Answer 30

flog / flɒɡ $ flɑɡ / verb ( past tense and past participle flogged , present participle flogging ) [ transitive ]

1 He was publicly flogged and humiliated.

2 informal
I’m going to flog all my old video tapes.

3 be flogging a dead horse spoken

4 flog something to death British English informal They take a good idea and flog it to death.

Question 31

old-fashioned informal

nonsense

Answer 31

pif‧fle / pɪf ə l / noun [ uncountable ] old-fashioned informal

Question 32

1 _____ eyes are small, round, and shiny – used especially about someone who you think looks dishonest or strange

2 have/keep your _____ eye(s) on somebody/something especially British English
to watch someone or something very carefully – used humorously

Answer 32

bead‧y / bidi / adjective
1 beady eyes

2 have/keep your beady eye(s) on somebody/something especially British English

Question 33

to be the chairperson of a meeting or committee

Answer 33

chair 2 verb [ transitive ]

The inquiry was chaired by a judge.

Question 34

1 turn around [ intransitive and transitive ]
to turn around and around very quickly, or to make something do this

2 sb’s head is ____ning ( also the room is ____ning)
if your head or the room is _______ , you feel as if you might faint (= become unconscious ) because you are shocked, excited, or drunk

3 situation/information [ transitive ]
to describe a situation or information in a way that is intended to influence the way people think about it – used especially about what politicians or business people do

4 ____ a tale/story/yarn
to tell a story, especially using a lot of imagination

5 wool/cotton [ intransitive and transitive ]
to make cotton, wool etc into thread by twisting it

6 drive [ intransitive always + adverb/preposition ] written
to drive or travel quickly SYN speed

7 ____ your wheels American English
to continue trying to do something without having any success

8 wet clothes [ transitive ] British English
to get water out of clothes using a machine after you have washed them

9 insect [ transitive ]
if a spider or insect ____s a web or cocoon , it produces thread to make it

Answer 34

spin 1 S3 / spɪn / verb ( past tense and past participle spun / spʌn / , present participle spinning )

1 The plane’s propellers were spinning.

spin (something/somebody) around
She grabbed Norm’s arm and spun him around to face her.

2 sb’s head is spinning ( also the room is spinning )
I was pouring with sweat, and my head was spinning.
The room started to spin.

3 Supporters attempted to spin the bill’s defeat to their advantage.

4 spin a tale/story/yarn
She spun a story about a trip to Athens to meet one of the authors.

6 spin past/along etc
Barbara spun past in her new sports car.

7 spin your wheels American English
I felt like I was just spinning my wheels trying to make him understand.

Question 35

noun [ uncountable ] British English

cups, dishes, plates etc → cutlery

Answer 35

crock‧e‧ry / krɒkəri $ krɑ- / noun [ uncountable ] British English

a stack of dirty crockery

Question 36

1 to continue to believe or do something, even though it may not be true or useful any longer

2 to stay in a position of power or stay ahead, when this is difficult, or to try to do this

Answer 36

cling to something ( also cling on to something ) phrasal verb

1 cling to the hope/belief/idea etc (that)
He clung to the hope that she would be cured.

2 an attempt to cling to power

Question 37

1 seeming lonely and unhappy

2 a place that is _______ seems empty and sad, and is often in bad condition

3 [ only before noun ] a _______ hope, attempt, or struggle etc is not going to be successful

Answer 37

for‧lorn / fəlɔn $ fərlɔrn / adjective

1 a forlorn figure sitting all by herself
Ana sat with a bowed head and spoke in a forlorn voice.

2 The house looked old and forlorn.

3 the forlorn hope of finding a peace formula

— forlornly adverb

Question 38

1 [ singular ] a natural skill or ability → talent

2 have a _____ of doing something British English
to have a tendency to do something

Answer 38

knack / næk / noun informal

1 knack for doing something
Some people seem to have a knack for making money.

knack of doing something
Thomson’s knack of scoring vital goals makes him important to the team.

2 have a knack of doing something British English
He has a knack of saying the wrong thing.

COLLOCATIONS

verbs

have a knack He seems to have a knack for getting people to agree with him.

get the knack Once you’ve got the knack, you’ll never forget how to do it.

lose the knack He proved that he hadn’t lost the knack for scoring goals.

adjectives

an uncanny knack (= an ability that seems surprising or strange ) She has an uncanny knack for knowing what you’re really thinking.

an unhappy knack (= a knack that you would not want ) He had the unhappy knack of making enemies.

Question 39

1 to escape from someone or something, especially by tricking them SYN avoid

2 if something that you want _____s you, you fail to find or achieve it

3 if a fact or the answer to a problem _____s you, you cannot remember or solve it SYN escape

Answer 39

e‧lude / ɪlud / verb [ transitive ]

1 He eluded his pursuers by escaping into a river.

2 She took the exam again, but again success eluded her.

3 The exact terminology eludes me for the moment.

Question 40

11 a) if parts of a situation that you have been trying to understand ____ ____ _____, you start to understand how they are connected with each other

b) if the parts of something that you want to happen ____ ____ _____, they start to happen in the way that you want

Answer 40

fall into place
a) Suddenly, all the details started falling into place.

b) I was lucky because everything fell into place at exactly the right time.

Question 41

an area of land that is far from the coast, large rivers, or the places where people live

Answer 41

hin‧ter‧land / hɪntəlænd $ -ər- / noun [ singular ]

the rural hinterland

Question 42

1 [ intransitive and transitive ] to move smoothly over a surface while continuing to touch it, or to make something move in this way

2 [ intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition ] to move somewhere quietly and smoothly, or to move something in this way

3 [ intransitive ] if prices, amounts, rates etc slide, they become lower SYN drop OPP rise

4 [ intransitive ] to gradually become worse, or to begin to have a problem

5 let something _____
a) to let a situation get gradually worse

b) spoken to ignore a mistake, problem, remark etc, without becoming angry or trying to punish it

Answer 42

slide 1 S3 W3 / slaɪd / verb ( past tense and past participle slid / slɪd / )

1 slide along/across/down etc
Francesca slid across the ice.

slide something across/along etc
He opened the oven door and slid the pan of cookies in.
He slid open the door of the glass cabinet.

2 slide into/out of etc
Daniel slid out of the room when no one was looking.
She slid into the driver’s seat.

slide something into/out of etc something
He slid the gun into his pocket.

3 Stocks slid a further 3% on the major markets today.

4 Students’ test scores started to slide in the mid-1990s.

slide into
Murphy gradually slid into a pattern of drug abuse.

5 let something slide
a) Management has let safety standards slide at the factory.

b) Well, I guess we can let it slide this time.

Question 43

1 ( also _____ something ↔ back ) to cut off some of the branches of a tree or bush to make it grow better

2 especially British English to make something smaller by removing parts that you do not need or want

Answer 43

prune 1 / prun / verb [ transitive ]

1 ( also prune something ↔ back )
The roses need pruning.

2 especially British English
The company is pruning staff in order to reduce costs.
The original version of the text has been pruned quite a bit.

Question 44

used to say that someone is no longer young – used humorously

Answer 44

spring chicken noun [ countable ]

somebody is no spring chicken

Question 45

1 [ uncountable and countable ] spoken
something that is annoying, because it causes problems or is difficult to do

2 [ countable ] American English informal
an argument between two people or groups

Answer 45

has‧sle 1 / hæs ə l / noun

1 I don’t feel like cooking tonight, it’s too much hassle.
It’s such a hassle not having a washing machine.

2 hassles with the management

COLLOCATIONS
adjectives

a real hassle (= used to emphasize that something is very annoying or causes a lot of problems ) Carrying a heavy bag around all day is a real hassle.

a big hassle I find putting on make-up a big hassle.

legal/bureaucratic/administrative hassle It took weeks of bureaucratic hassle to get a replacement passport.

verbs 
get hassle  (= be made to experience problems )   Liz is getting a lot of hassle about the claim from her insurance company. 

have hassle (= experience problems ) If we book now, we won’t have the hassle of picking up the tickets at the box office.

give somebody hassle (= make someone experience problems ) Did the teacher give you any hassle about that homework?

avoid hassle Many couples get married abroad to avoid the hassle and cost of a big wedding.

phrases
it’s not worth the hassle (= something is not worth doing because it involves a lot of problems ) I’m not going to argue with him – it’s just not worth the hassle.

take the hassle out of something (= remove the problems related to doing something ) The internet takes all the hassle out of shopping.

go through the hassle of doing something (= experience the problems of doing something ) The shirt didn’t fit so I had to go through the hassle of taking it back to the shop.

THESAURUS

hassle spoken a situation that is annoying because it causes problems : Just trying to store all this stuff is a hassle.

Question 46

1 to make a place look tidier by putting things back where they belong

2 _____ something ↔ __
to explain or solve something, or make it easier to understand

3 if the weather _____s __, it gets better

4 if an illness or infection _____s __, it disappears

Answer 46

clear up phrasal verb

1 I don’t mind you using the kitchen as long as you clear up afterwards.

clear something ↔ up
Adam, clear up this mess before your father sees it.

clear up after
I get really tired of clearing up after you (= tidying places that you have made untidy ) .

2 clear something ↔ up
The White House hopes these problems can be cleared up soon.
There are a couple of points we need to clear up before the meeting begins.

Question 47

a small thin furry animal that kills and eats rats and birds

Answer 47

wea‧sel 1 / wiz ə l / noun [ countable ]

Question 48

informal a word used instead of another word when someone wants to be less direct, honest, or clear

Answer 48

weasel word noun [ countable ]

Question 49

informal to avoid doing something you should do by using clever or dishonest excuses

Answer 49

weasel 2 verb ( past tense and past participle weaselled , present participle weaselling British English , weaseled , weaseling American English )

weasel out phrasal verb

weasel out of
He’s now in court trying to weasel out of $25 million in debts.

Question 50

1 dress/behave ( also __ about British English )
to behave or dress in a particular way

2 illness
__ _____ (something) ( also __ about (something) British English )
if an illness is __ing _____, a lot of people get it

3 news/story
__ _____ (something) ( also __ about (something) British English )
if news, a story, a joke etc is __ing ______, a lot of people hear it and are talking about it

4 __ ______ with somebody/__ _____ together ( also __ about with somebody British English )
to meet someone often and spend a lot of time with them

5 enough/plenty to __ _______
enough for each person

6 what __es ______ comes ______
used to say that if someone does bad things now, bad things will happen to them in the future

7 __ ______ in your head
if words, sounds etc __ ______ in your head, you keep remembering them for a long time

Answer 50

go around ( also go round British English ) phrasal verb

1 go around doing something
You can’t go around accusing people like that.
He goes around in a T-shirt even in winter.

2 He had a bad dose of the flu virus that was going around.
There are a lot of nasty bugs going around the school.

3 A rumour was going around that I was having an affair with my boss.
There was a lot of gossip going around the village.

4 go around with somebody/go around together ( also go about with somebody British English )
I used to go around with a bad crowd.

5 enough/plenty to go around
Is there enough ice cream to go around?
There were never enough textbooks to go around.

6 what goes around comes around

7 go around in your head
That stupid song kept going around in my head.
→ go around/round in circles at circle 1 ( 5 )

Question 51

to waste time, money, or effort on something small or unimportant

Answer 51

frit‧ter 1 / frɪtə $ -ər / verb

fritter something ↔ away phrasal verb

fritter something ↔ away on
He frittered away a fortune on fast cars and gambling.

Question 52

informal certain to succeed

Answer 52

sure‧fire / ʃɔfaɪə $ ʃʊrfaɪr / adjective [ only before noun ]

Children soon learn that bad behaviour is a surefire way of getting attention.
a surefire recipe for success

Question 53

1 push [ always + adverb/preposition ]
to push or put something into a small space, especially in a quick careless way SYN shove

2 fill
to fill something until it is full

3 food
to fill a chicken, pepper etc with a mixture of bread or rice, onion etc before cooking it

4 dead animal
to fill the skin of a dead animal in order to make the animal look still alive

5 _____ yourself ( also _____ your face ) informal
to eat so much food that you cannot eat anything else

6 get _____ed British English spoken
used to tell someone very rudely and angrily that you do not want to talk to them or accept their offer

7 somebody can _____ something spoken
used to say very angrily or rudely that you do not want what someone is offering

8 _____ it spoken
used to say angrily or rudely that you do not care about something or do not want something

Answer 53

stuff 2 verb [ transitive ]

1 stuff something into/in/up something
She stuffed two more sweaters into her bag.

2 Volunteers were busy stuffing envelopes.

be stuffed with something
a pillow stuffed with feathers
boxes stuffed full of papers

4 a stuffed owl

5 stuff yourself ( also stuff your face )
stuff yourself with
The kids have been stuffing themselves with candy.

6 get stuffed British English spoken
He only offered me £10 for it, so I told him to get stuffed.

7 somebody can stuff something spoken
‘All right. You can stuff your money!’ Reynolds exploded.

8 stuff it spoken
I thought, stuff it, I’ll do what I want.

Question 54

disappoint a group of people that you belong to

Answer 54

let the side down British English

Question 55

formal

to make a great effort to achieve something

Answer 55

strive / straɪv / verb ( past tense strove / strəʊv $ stroʊv / , past participle striven / strɪv ə n / ) [ intransitive ] formal

I was still striving to be successful.

strive for/after
We must continue to strive for greater efficiency.

— striving noun [ uncountable and countable ]

Question 56

the most that can be done

Answer 56

utmost 2 noun [ singular ]

to the utmost
Both runners had pushed themselves to the utmost.

The medical staff did their utmost (= tried as hard as they could ) to save the patient’s life.

Question 57

1 to play a _____ that beats someone else’s card in a game

2 to do better than someone else in a situation when people are competing with each other

_____ something ↔ __ phrasal verb
to use false information to make someone seem guilty of doing something wrong

Answer 57

trump 2 verb [ transitive ]

1 to play a trump

2 By wearing a simple but stunning dress, she had trumped them all.

trump something ↔ up phrasal verb

They had trumped the whole thing up to get rid of him.

— trumped-up adjective :
Dissidents were routinely arrested on trumped-up charges .

Question 58

if a lot of people _____ something __ , they buy it quickly so that soon there is none left

Answer 58

scoop something ↔ up phrasal verb

Fans scooped up the trading cards in the first few hours of the sale.

Question 59

doing something as much as possible SYN keen

Answer 59

av‧id / ævəd, ævɪd / adjective [ only before noun ]

an avid collector of old jazz records
an avid reader

avid [ only before noun ] written used when you want to emphasize that someone does something a lot or is very interested in something : an avid golfer | She was an avid reader all her life. | I’ve become an avid collector of his work. | Henry is an avid fan of the sport. | As a schoolboy he had an avid interest in birds.

Question 60

1 to twist two things together or to wind one thing around another

2 be _______ed (with something)
to be closely connected with something in a complicated way

Answer 60

en‧twine / ɪntwaɪn / verb [ intransitive, transitive often passive ]

1 They walked together with their arms entwined.

2 be entwined (with something)
Our views of leadership are entwined with ideas of heroism.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/may/13/successful-women-pursuit-perfection?CMP=fb_gu

Question 61

1 [ intransitive and transitive ] to accidentally make a mark on something, especially one that cannot be removed, or to be marked in this way

2 [ transitive ] to change the colour of something, especially something made of wood, by using a special liquid → dye

3 _____ sb’s name/honour/reputation etc literary
to damage the good opinion that people have about someone

Answer 61

stain 1 / steɪn / verb

1 Be careful you don’t stain the carpet.
This tablecloth stains very easily.
Her fingers were stained yellow from years of smoking.

stain with
a cowboy hat stained with dust and sweat

2 We’ve decided to stain the shelves blue.

3 stain sb’s name/honour/reputation etc literary

Question 62

1 [ uncountable and countable ] the amount of goods or passengers that can be carried by a vehicle, or the goods that a vehicle is carrying → cargo

2 [ countable ] the amount of explosive that a missile can carry

Answer 62

pay‧load / peɪləʊd $ -loʊd / noun
1 payload of
The helicopter is designed to carry a payload of 2,640 pounds.

Question 63

something that is ___________ has been burned until it is black

Answer 63

charred / tʃɑd $ tʃɑrd / adjective

the charred remains of a body

Question 64

written
1 to hold someone or something tightly, closing your fingers or arms around them SYN grip

2 to fasten something with a _____

Answer 64

clasp 2 verb [ transitive ] written

1A baby monkey clasps its mother’s fur tightly.

clasp your hands/arms around/behind something
Fenella leaned forward, clasping her hands around her knees.
She stood with her hands clasped tightly together .

clasp somebody/something in your hands/arms
She clasped the photograph in her hands.

clasp somebody to your chest/bosom (= hold someone tightly with your arms )

clasp written to hold someone or something tightly, closing your fingers or arms around them : She was clasping a bunch of small summer flowers. | He clasped her in his arms and kissed her.

Question 65

1 [ countable ] a small metal object for fastening a bag, belt, piece of jewellery etc

2 [ singular ] a tight hold SYN grip

Answer 65

clasp 1 / klɑsp $ klæsp / noun

2 the firm clasp of her hand

Question 66

very frightening or shocking and making you feel very upset

Answer 66

har‧row‧ing / hærəʊɪŋ $ -roʊ- / adjective

a harrowing experience
a harrowing story

Question 67

making you feel very upset or anxious :

Answer 67

gut-wrenching adjective

a gut-wrenching description of life in the war zone

Question 68

if a river, road, train, or line _____s somewhere, it moves in long twisting curves SYN wind

Answer 68

snake 2 verb [ intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition ]

snake along/past/down etc
The road snaked along the valley far below.
The train was snaking its way through the mountains.

Question 69

1 [ intransitive and transitive ] to cut lines on a metal plate, piece of glass, stone etc to form a picture or words

2 be ____ed on/in your memory/mind literary
if an experience, name etc is et____ed on your memory or mind, you cannot forget it and you think of it often

3 [ transitive usually passive ] if someone’s face is ____ed with pain, sadness etc, you can see these feelings from their expression

4 [ transitive ] to make lines or patterns appear on something very clearly

Answer 69

etch / etʃ / verb

1 etch on
a gravestone with three names etched on it
A laser is used to etch a pattern in the smooth surface of the disc.

2 be etched on/in your memory/mind literary
The island remained etched in my memory.

3 etch with
Her face was etched with tiredness.
Craig saw lines of pain etched around her mouth.

4 etched glass

Question 70

to be on both sides of someone or something

Answer 70

flank 2 verb [ transitive ]

Lewis entered flanked by two bodyguards.
mountains flanking the road

Question 71

1 [ uncountable and countable ] a situation that is unusual or amusing because something strange happens, or the opposite of what is expected happens or is true

2 [ uncountable ] when you use words that are the opposite of what you really mean, often in order to be amusing

Answer 71

i‧ron‧y / aɪərəni $ aɪrə- / noun ( plural ironies )

1 Life is full of little ironies.

tragic/cruel/bitter etc irony
The tragic irony is that the drug was supposed to save lives.

2 trace/hint/touch of irony
Wagner calls his program ‘the worst talk show in America,’ without a hint of irony.

heavy irony British English (= a lot of irony )
‘Of course Michael won’t be late; you know how punctual he always is,’ she said with heavy irony. → sarcasm , dramatic irony

THESAURUS
techniques used in language

metaphor a way of describing something by referring to it as something different and suggesting that it has similar qualities to that thing : The beehive is a metaphor for human society.

simile an expression that describes something by comparing it with something else, using the words as or like , for example ‘as white as snow’ : The poet uses the simile ‘soft like clay’.

irony the use of words that are the opposite of what you really mean, often in order to be amusing : ‘I’m so happy to hear that,’ he said, with more than a trace of irony in his voice.

bathos a sudden change from a subject that is beautiful, moral, or serious to something that is ordinary, silly, or not important : The play is too sentimental and full of bathos.

hyperbole a way of describing something by saying that it is much bigger, smaller, worse etc than it actually is – used especially to excite people’s feelings : In his speeches, he used a lot of hyperbole. | journalistic hyperbole

alliteration the use of several words together that all begin with the same sound, in order to make a special effect, especially in poetry : the alliteration of the ‘s’ sound in ‘sweet birds sang softly’

imagery the use of words to describe ideas or actions in a way that makes the reader connect the ideas with pictures in their mind : the use of water imagery in Fitzgerald’s novel ‘The Great Gatsby’ | She uses the imagery of a bird’s song to represent eternal hope.

rhetorical question a question that you ask as a way of making a statement, without expecting an answer : When he said ‘how can these attitudes still exist in a civilized society?’, he was asking a rhetorical question.

Question 72

someone whose job is to help someone who has an important job, especially a politician

Answer 72

aide / eɪd / noun [ countable ]

a presidential aide

Question 73

1 limit
to keep someone or something within the limits of a particular activity or subject SYN restrict

2 keep somebody in a place
to keep someone in a place that they cannot leave, such as a prison

3 stop something spreading
to stop something bad from spreading to another place

4 stay in one place [ usually passive ]
if you are confined to a place, you have to stay in that place, especially because you are ill

Answer 73

con‧fine W3 AC / kənfaɪn / verb [ transitive ]

1 confine something to something
The police cadet’s duties were confined to taking statements from the crowd.
We confined our study to ten cases.

confine yourself to (doing) something
Owen did not confine himself to writing only one type of poem.

2 confine somebody to something
Any soldier who leaves his post will be confined to barracks (= made to stay in the barracks ) .

be confined in something
He was allegedly confined in a narrow dark room for two months.

3 confine something to something
Firefighters managed to confine the fire to the living room.

4 Vaughan is confined to a wheelchair .
She’s confined to bed with flu.

Question 74

a monument built to remind people of soldiers, sailors etc who were killed in a war and are buried somewhere else

Answer 74

cen‧o‧taph / senətɑf $ -tæf / noun [ countable ]

Question 75

a condition in which someone’s breath smells very bad SYN bad breath

Answer 75

hal‧i‧to‧sis / hælətəʊsəs, hælɪtəʊsəs $ -toʊ- / noun [ uncountable ] technical

Question 76

having a strong bad smell SYN stinking

Answer 76

fet‧id / fetəd, fetɪd / adjective formal

the black fetid water of the lake
the dog’s fetid breath

Question 77

related to, full of, or used with sulphur

Answer 77

sul‧phu‧rous British English , sulfurous American English / sʌlfərəs / adjective

Question 78

unpleasant and likely to offend people SYN offensive

Answer 78

ob‧jec‧tion‧a‧ble / əbdʒekʃ ə nəb ə l / adjective formal

objectionable odours
This programme contains scenes some viewers may find objectionable .

— objectionably adverb

Question 79

an infection of the tonsils

Answer 79

ton‧sil‧li‧tis / tɒnsəlaɪtəs, tɒnsɪlaɪtəs $ tɑn- / noun [ uncountable ]

Sam’s got tonsillitis .

Question 80

your tonsils are the two small round pieces of flesh at the sides of your throat

Answer 80

ton‧sil / tɒns ə l $ tɑn- / noun [ countable ]

If you keep getting throat infections you might have to have your tonsils out (= have them removed ) .

Question 81

the tube which food passes down from your mouth to your stomach
→ digestive system at digestive

Answer 81

oe‧soph‧a‧gus British English , esophagus American English / ɪsɒfəɡəs $ ɪsɑ- / noun ( plural oesophaguses or oesophagi / -ɡaɪ / ) [ countable ]

→ digestive system at digestive

Question 82

1 the person who is guilty of a crime or doing something wrong → victim

2 informal the reason for a particular problem or difficulty

Answer 82

cul‧prit / kʌlprət, kʌlprɪt / noun [ countable ]

1 Police finally managed to catch the culprit.

2 informal
High production costs are the main culprit .

Question 83

1 a thin line cut into a hard surface

2 be stuck in a ____________
to do something in the same way for a long time so that it becomes boring

3 informal the beat of a piece of popular music

Answer 83

groove / ɡruv / noun [ countable ]

1 The bolt slid easily into the groove.
a shallow groove cut into the cliff

2 be stuck in a groove
Our product range was stuck in a groove.

3 informal a hypnotic dub groove

THESAURUS

on the ground/on the surface of something

line
a long thin mark on a piece of paper, the ground, or another surface :
The teacher put a red line through the first sentence. | If the ball goes over the line, it’s out of play.

groove
a thin line that has been cut into a surface :
Deep grooves had been cut into the stone to channel the water. | Lyle ran his fingernail along the groove in the table.

rut
a deep line in the ground which has been made by the wheels of vehicles :
The deep ruts made by the trucks were full of water. | The tractor’s wheels caught a rut in the field and jolted him.

crease/wrinkle
a line on clothes, material, or paper where it has been folded or crushed :
She was trying to smooth out the creases in her dress. | She had wrinkles in her skirt where she had sat.

Question 84

1 sad and serious SYN grave

2 dark and without any bright colours

Answer 84

som‧bre British English , somber American English / sɒmbə $ sɑmbər / adjective

1 They sat in sombre silence.
We were all in a somber mood that night.
a sombre expression
on the sombre occasion of his mother’s funeral

2 a sombre grey suit

— sombrely adverb
— sombreness noun [ uncountable ]

THESAURUS

not joking

grave written quiet and very serious – used especially about the way people look when something important or worrying happens : She consulted Doctor Staples and returned looking grave. | He listened with a grave expression on his face.

sombre British English ( also somber American English ) / sɒmbə $ sɑmbər / written sad, quiet, or serious because something unpleasant or worrying has happened or is going to happen : They sat in sombre silence. | The meeting began in a sombre mood.

earnest very serious and sincere – often used about someone who is young and not very experienced : He was a rather earnest-looking young man. | ‘That’s wrong,’ she said, her voice sounding very earnest.

Question 85

to remember and talk about things that happened in the past

____ ____ __ something phrasal verb
to be similar to something in the past

Answer 85

hark back phrasal verb

hark back to
It’s useless to continually hark back to the past.

hark back to something phrasal verb

music that harks back to the early age of jazz

Question 86

1 to treat someone cruelly or unfairly over a period of time, especially because of their religious or political beliefs

2 to deliberately cause difficulties for someone by annoying them often SYN harass

Answer 86

per‧se‧cute / pɜsɪkjut $ pɜr- / verb [ transitive ]

1 The Puritans left England to escape being persecuted.

2 Like many celebrities, she complained of being persecuted by the press.

— persecutor noun [ countable ]

— persecution / pɜsɪkjuʃ ə n $ pɜr- / noun [ uncountable and countable ] :
the persecution of writers who criticize the government

Question 87

1 a man who is ____ moves or speaks in the way that people used to think was typical of homosexual s

2 ( also ____y American English ) clothes, decorations etc that are ____ are very strange, bright, or unusual

Answer 87

camp 3 adjective

Question 88

a lucky or successful situation where people can make a lot of money

Answer 88

bo‧nan‧za / bənænzə, bəʊ- $ bə-, boʊ- / noun [ countable ]

2008 was a bonanza year for the oil industry.
an amazing cash bonanza

Question 89

making people remember something by producing a feeling or memory in them

Answer 89

e‧voc‧a‧tive / ɪvɒkətɪv $ ɪvɑ- / adjective

evocative of
a picture that is wonderfully evocative of a hot, summer’s day
evocative music

Question 90

very frightening or shocking and making you feel very upset

Answer 90

har‧row‧ing / hærəʊɪŋ $ -roʊ- / adjective

a harrowing experience
a harrowing story

Question 91

1 formal to take power or influence away from someone, especially when this is difficult

2 literary to pull something away from someone violently

Answer 91

wrest / rest / verb [ transitive always + adverb/preposition ]

1 formal
They are fighting to wrest control of the party from the old leaders.

2 literary
I managed to wrest the photograph from his grasp.

Question 92

1 opposite
the _______
the exact opposite of what has just been mentioned

2 in _______
in the opposite way to normal or to the previous situation → vice versa

3 go into _______ /put something into _______
to start to happen or to make something happen in the opposite way

4 car [ uncountable ]
the position of the gear s in a vehicle that makes it go backwards

5 defeat [ countable ] formal
a defeat or a problem that delays your plans SYN setback

6 other side [ singular ]
the less important side or the back of an object that has two sides

Answer 92

reverse 2 AC noun

1 the reverse
quite/just/precisely/exactly the reverse
I didn’t mean to insult her – quite the reverse (= in fact, I meant to praise her ) .
I owe you nothing. If anything, the reverse is true (= you owe me ) .

2 in reverse
US video recorders cannot play European tapes, and the same applies in reverse.

3 go into reverse/put something into reverse
The incident threatened to put the peace process into reverse.

4 into/in reverse
Put the car into reverse.

5 Losing the Senate vote was a serious reverse for the President.

6 on the reverse
The British ten-pence coin has a lion on the reverse.

Question 93

1 bell
a) [ intransitive and transitive ] to make a bell make a sound, especially to call someone’s attention to you or to call someone to help you

b) [ intransitive ] if a bell ____s, it makes a noise

2 telephone
a) [ intransitive and transitive ] British English
to make a telephone call to someone SYN call , phone

b) [ intransitive ] if a telephone ____s, it makes a sound to show that someone is telephoning you

3 sounds [ intransitive ]
a) if your ears ____, they make a continuous sound that only you can hear, after you have been somewhere very noisy or heard a loud sound

b) literary if a place ____swith a sound, it is full of that sound

4 ____ a ____ informal
if something ____s a ____ , it reminds you of something, but you cannot remember exactly what it is

5 not ____ ____
if something does not ____ ____, you do not believe it, even though you are not sure why

6 ____ the ________ British English
to make changes to something, not because it needs changing but just in order to make it more interesting, more attractive etc

7 ____ _________
if something that someone says ____s ________,
you do not feel that it is true or sincere

8 ____ in your ____
if a sound or remark ____s in your ____,
you continue to remember it very clearly, exactly as it sounded, after it has finished

Answer 93

ring 2 S1 W2 / rɪŋ / verb ( past tense rang / ræŋ / , past participle rung / rʌŋ / )

1 a) I rang the doorbell but no one came.

ring for
The sign said, ‘Ring for service’.
Instead of ringing for the maid, she made the tea herself.

b) The bell rang for the end of break.

2 a) I was going to ring you but I don’t have your number.

ring for
Sally rang for a taxi.

b) The phone hasn’t stopped ringing all day.

3
a) your ears ring
The explosion made our ears ring.

b) literary a place rings with a sound

ring with
The whole room rang with their laughter.

4 ring a bell informal
Her name rings a bell but I can’t remember her face.

5 not ring true
It was a possible explanation, but it didn’t quite ring true.

6 ring the changes British English
Choose a variety of foods and ring the changes with meals.

7 ring hollow
Assurances that things have changed ring hollow in many ears.

8 ring in your ears
He left Washington with the president’s praises ringing in his ears.

Question 94

to move quickly with short steps, especially because you are in a hurry

Answer 94

scur‧ry / skʌri $ skɜri / verb ( past tense and past participle scurried , present participle scurrying , third person singular scurries ) [ intransitive always + adverb/preposition ]

People were scurrying off to work.

— scurry noun [ singular ]

Question 95

1 to destroy something, or to be destroyed, by an explosion

2 ____ something ↔ __
to fill something with air or gas

3 if a situation, argument etc ____s __, it suddenly becomes important or dangerous

4 ____ something ↔ __
if you ____ __ a photograph, you make it larger SYN enlarge

5 informal to become very angry with someone

6 if bad weather ____s __, it suddenly arrives

7 ____ __ in sb’s ____
if something you have done or planned to do ____s __ in your ____, it suddenly goes wrong

Answer 95

blow up phrasal verb

1 The plane blew up in midair.

blow something ↔ up
Rebels attempted to blow up the bridge.

2 blow something ↔ up
Can you blow up this balloon ?
We’ll blow the tyres up .

3A crisis had blown up over the peace talks.

4 blow something ↔ up

5 informal
Jenny’s father blew up when she didn’t come home last night.

blow up at
I was surprised at the way he blew up at Hardy.

6 bad weather blows up
It looks as if there’s a storm blowing up.

7 blow up in sb’s face
One of his deals had just blown up in his face.

Question 96

1 waste
a place where unwanted waste is taken and left
rubbish ____ British English garbage ____ American English

2 weapons
a place where military supplies are stored, or the supplies themselves

3 unpleasant place informal
a place that is unpleasant to live in because it is dirty, ugly, untidy etc

4 ____ in the ____s informal
very sad and without much interest in life

5 computer technical
the act of copying the information stored in a computer’s memory onto something else, such as a disk

6 ____ a ____ informal not polite
to pass solid waste from the bowel s

Answer 96

dump 2 noun [ countable ]

1 The fire probably started in a rubbish dump.
Put the rest into a sack to take to the dump .
an underground nuclear waste dump
a dump site

2 There has been a series of explosions in an ammunition dump.

3 ‘ What a dump ,’ she added as they entered the village.
Why are you living in a dump like this?

4 down in the dumps informal
She’s feeling a bit down in the dumps.

5 a screen dump

6 take a dump informal not polite

Question 97

1 bullets, shells ( shell ) etc that are fired from guns

2 information that you can use to criticize someone or win an argument against them

Answer 97

am‧mu‧ni‧tion / æmjənɪʃ ə n, æmjʊnɪʃ ə n / noun [ uncountable ]

2 give somebody ammunition/provide somebody with ammunition
His mistakes provided political opponents with even more ammunition.

Question 98

1 [ intransitive and transitive ] to form a word by writing or naming the letters in order

2 [ transitive not in passive ] if letters _____ a word, they form it

3 _____ trouble/disaster/danger etc
if a situation or action _____s trouble etc, it makes you expect trouble etc

4 [ transitive ] American English
to do someone else’s work for them for a short period so that they can rest

Answer 98

spell 1 S2 / spel / verb ( past tense and past participle spelt / spelt / especially British English or spelled especially American English )

1 How do you spell ‘juice’?
Pupils should know how to spell commonly used words.

spell something wrong/wrongly
You’ve spelled my name wrong.

2 B-O-O-K spells ‘book’.

3 spell trouble/disaster/danger etc
The lack of rain could spell disaster for farmers.

4 I can spell you if you get tired.

Question 99

1 if police or soldiers _____ __ a particular group of people, they find them and force them to go to prison

2 to find and gather together a group of people, animals, or things

3 to increase an exact figure to the next highest whole number → _____ down

Answer 99

round somebody/something ↔ up phrasal verb

1 Thousands of men were rounded up and jailed.

2 See if you can round up a few friends to help you!
His dog Nell started to round up the sheep.

Question 100

1 very distant

2 spread out over a very large area

Answer 100

far-flung adjective

1 far-flung corners/places/regions etc
expeditions to far-flung corners of the globe
people flying to far-flung destinations

2 Email enables far-flung friends to keep in touch.

Question 101

the period of time after something such as a war, storm, or accident when people are still dealing with the results

Answer 101

af‧ter‧math / ɑftəmæθ $ æftər- / noun [ singular ]

aftermath of
the danger of disease in the aftermath of the earthquake

Question 102

1 opinion [ transitive ]
to express your opinions publicly

2 tv/radio [ intransitive and transitive ]
to broadcast a programme on television or radio

3 room [ transitive ] especially British English ,
___ something out American English
to let fresh air into a room, especially one that has been closed for a long time

4 clothes [ intransitive and transitive ] especially British English , ___ (something) out American English
to put a piece of clothing in a place that is warm or has a lot of air, so that it smells clean

Answer 102

air 2 verb

1 air your views/grievances/complaints etc
Staff will get a chance to ask questions and air their views.

2 KPBS airs such popular children’s programs as ‘Barney’ and ‘Sesame Street’.
The program is due to air next month.

4 I’ve left my sweater outside to air.
→ airing , → air your dirty laundry at dirty 1 ( 7 )

air to talk about your opinions, worries, or the things you disagree about : air your views/grievances/differences : The programme will give listeners the chance to air their views about immigration. | Workers were able to air their grievances.

Question 103

a belief that you have been treated unfairly, or an unfair situation or event that affects and upsets you

Answer 103

griev‧ance / ɡriv ə ns / noun [ uncountable and countable ]

anyone who has a legitimate grievance against the company
a means of overcoming genuine grievances
There must be an opportunity for both sides to air their grievances .
The teachers’ contract established a grievance procedure .
the sense of grievance which characterized him as a young man

COLLOCATIONS

adjectives

a genuine grievance (= one that is definitely true ) He felt that he had a genuine grievance and was prepared to take the company to court over the matter.

a legitimate grievance (= one that is reasonable ) Many people feel that the rebels have a legitimate grievance.

an old grievance (= one that you have felt unhappy about for a long time ) Years later, we became friends again and sorted out our old grievances.

a personal grievance He has no personal grievance against Frank.

verbs

have a grievance (against somebody) I had no grievance against him.

air your grievances (= tell people you think you have been treated unfairly ) These committees act as a forum for various groups to air their grievances.

nurse a grievance (= think a lot or for a long time about the fact you have been treated unfairly ) He was nursing a grievance about not being picked for the team.

file a grievance American English (= officially complain ) She filed a grievance after failing to get a promotion.

settle a grievance (= solve one ) The union decided to settle its grievance in the law courts.

redress/remedy a grievance formal (= do something to make a problem better ) Governments which have not redressed genuine grievances often pay a heavy price later on.

grievance + NOUN

a grievance procedure (= a system for dealing with employees’ grievances ) You should pursue your complaint through the company’s grievance procedure.

phrases

a sense of grievance (= when you feel that you have been treated unfairly ) Anti-Americanism in these countries comes from a deep sense of grievance against the United States.

a source of grievance (= something that causes grievance ) Salaries are a traditional source of grievance in industry.

grievance something that you feel unhappy about because you think that you have been treated unfairly – use this especially about an official complaint you make about the place where you work : file a grievance (= officially complain ) : She filed a grievance last year after her supervisor refused to promote her. | grievance against : Anyone who has a legitimate grievance against the company can take it to the arbitration committee. | air a grievance (= discuss a grievance publicly ) : The meetings give employees the opportunity to express their views or air grievances.

Question 104

1 if someone is _______ed , they are officially given back their job after it was taken away

2 to make something such as a law, system, or rule exist again

Answer 104

re‧in‧state / riɪnsteɪt / verb [ transitive ]

2 California reinstated the death penalty in 1977.

— reinstatement noun [ uncountable and countable ]

Question 105

1 to send someone back to their own country → deport

2 to send profits or money you have earned back to your own country

Answer 105

re‧pat‧ri‧ate / ripætrieɪt $ ripeɪ- / verb [ transitive ]

1 After the war, prisoners were repatriated.

Question 106

1 a fight using a lot of energy, in which two people get hold of each other and struggle SYN struggle

2 a struggle or argument in which people try to beat each other to get something SYN contest

Answer 106

tus‧sle 1 / tʌs ə l / noun [ countable ]

1 After quite a tussle, I finally wrenched the letter from him.

2 his defeat in the leadership tussle

Question 107

a _________ of something

a place where a lot of a particular type of activity, especially bad or violent activity, happens

Answer 107

hot‧bed / hɒtbed $ hɑt- / noun

a hotbed of something
the university was a hotbed of radical protest

Question 108

a type of jazz music

Answer 108

be‧bop / bibɒp $ -bɑp / noun [ uncountable ]

Question 109

a white or grey substance that grows on walls or other surfaces in wet, slightly warm conditions

Answer 109

mil‧dew / mɪldju $ -du / noun [ uncountable ]

— mildewed adjective

Question 110

1 necessary changes or repairs made to a machine or system

2 when a system or method is changed in order to improve it

Answer 110

o‧ver‧haul 2 / əʊvəhɔl $ oʊvərhɒl / noun [ countable ]

1 The car needs a complete overhaul .

2 overhaul of
an overhaul of the tax system

Question 111

1 [ transitive ] to pull a plant and its roots out of the ground

2 [ intransitive and transitive ] to make someone leave their home for a new place, especially when this is difficult or upsetting

Answer 111

up‧root / ʌprut / verb

2 He rejected the idea of uprooting himself and moving to America.

Question 112

1 length of land/water [ countable ]
an area of land or water, especially one that is long and narrow

2 time [ countable ]
a continuous period of time

3 body [ countable ]
the action of _______ing a part of your body out to its full length, or a particular way of doing this

4 by any __________ (of the imagination) spoken
used to emphasize that a negative statement is true

5 the home/final _________

a) the last part of a track before the end of a race
b) the last part of an activity, trip, or process

6 material [ uncountable ] the ability a material has to increase in length or width without tearing → _________y

7 at full _________ British English
a) using everything that is available

b) with your body or part of your body _________ed as far as possible

8 jail [ countable usually singular ] informal
a period of time spent in prison

Answer 112

stretch 2 noun

1 stretch of
a beautiful stretch of countryside

2 stretch of
a stretch of three weeks without sunshine
She doesn’t leave the house for long stretches of time .
She rarely sleeps for eight hours at a stretch (= without stopping ) .

3 The ski instructor showed us some special stretches.

4 by any stretch (of the imagination) spoken
My family wasn’t wealthy by any stretch of the imagination.

5 the home/final stretch

b) As they enter the home stretch of the campaign, the president’s lead has grown.

7 at full stretch British English

a) With staff shortages and appalling weather conditions, the emergency services were at full stretch.
b) He dived and caught the ball at full stretch.

Question 113

1 [ intransitive and transitive ] to go past a moving vehicle or person because you are going faster than them and want to get in front of them

2 [ transitive ] to develop or increase more quickly than someone or something else and become more successful, more important, or more advanced than them

3 [ transitive ] if something bad, especially a feeling, _________s you, it happens to you suddenly and has a strong effect on you → overcome

4 be _________n by events
if you are _________ by events, the situation changes, so that your plans or ideas are not useful any more

Answer 113

o‧ver‧take / əʊvəteɪk $ oʊvər- / verb ( past tense overtook / -tʊk / , past participle overtaken / -teɪkən / )

1 He pulled out to overtake the van.
Never try to overtake on a bend.

2 Television soon overtook the cinema as the most popular form of entertainment.
Hingis has now overtaken her in the world tennis rankings.

3 be overtaken by something
She was overtaken by emotion and started to cry.
A terrible sense of panic overtook him.

4 be overtaken by events
The diplomatic negotiations were soon overtaken by events.

Question 114

a social system within a group of people or animals in which each member knows who has a higher or lower rank than themselves

Answer 114

pecking order noun [ singular ]

Nobody wants to be at the bottom of the pecking order .

Question 115

7 to be the type of person or thing that you want

Answer 115

fit the bill

We wanted an experienced sportscaster, and Waggoner fit the bill.

Question 116

informal an idea, a plan, or a person that has no chance of success

Answer 116

non‧start‧er / nɒnstɑtə $ nɑnstɑrtər / noun [ countable usually singular ]

informal

In its present form the scheme is a non-starter.

Question 117

1 reasonable and likely to be true or successful OPP im___________

2 someone who is _________ is good at talking in a way that sounds reasonable and truthful, although they may in fact be lying

Answer 117

plau‧si‧ble / plɔzəb ə l, plɔzɪb ə l $ plɒ- / adjective

1 His story certainly sounds plausible.
a plausible explanation

2 a plausible liar

— plausibly adverb
— plausibility / plɔzəbɪləti, plɔzɪbɪləti $ plɒ- / noun [ uncountable ]

Question 118

1 old-fashioned to hurt someone badly so that they cannot walk properly SYN disable

2 to damage something badly so that it no longer works or is no longer effective

Answer 118

cripple 2 verb [ transitive ]

1 She was crippled in a car accident.

2 Industry is being crippled by high interest rates.

— crippled adjective :
landing the crippled plane

Question 119

irregular verb

1 [ intransitive always + adverb/preposition ]
to move or bend your body in a particular direction

2 [ intransitive always + adverb/preposition ]
to support yourself in a sloping position against a wall or other surface

3 [ intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition ] to put something in a sloping position where it is supported, or to be in that position

4 [ intransitive ] to slope or bend from an upright position

____ __ somebody phrasal verb
1 to depend on someone for support and encouragement, especially at a difficult time

2 informal to try to influence someone, especially by threatening them

____ ________ something phrasal verb
to tend to support, or begin to support, a particular set of opinions, beliefs etc

Answer 119

lean 1 S3 / lin / verb ( past tense and past participle leaned or leant / lent / especially British English )

1 lean forward/back/over etc

They were leaning forward, facing each other.
Lean back and enjoy the ride.
She leant towards him and listened.

2 lean against/on
He was leaning on the bridge, watching the boats go by.

3 lean (something) against/on something
A huge mirror was leaning against the wall.
He leant his bicycle against the fence.

4 trees leaning in the wind

lean on somebody phrasal verb

1 The couple lean on each other for support.

2 informal
He won’t pay unless you lean on him.

lean towards something phrasal verb

Canada, the UK and Japan leant towards the US view.