Module 9

Question 1

Gathering

Answer 1

A meeting, a group of people meeting together

1. The family gathering included relatives from all over the country.
2. The student gathering in the quad was a great opportunity to meet new people.
3. They organized a gathering to celebrate the end of the semester.

Question 2

To Gossip

Answer 2

To talk about other people’s personal lives and events

1. The coworkers often gossip during their lunch break.
2. She tends to gossip about her neighbors’ relationships.
3. The teenagers would gossip about their classmates at sleepovers.

Question 3

Deal with

Answer 3

To manage, to give your attention, and resolve a problem

1. She had to deal with many challenges in her new job.
2. The manager knows how to deal with difficult customers effectively.
3. Parents must learn to deal with their children’s tantrums.

Question 4

Gossiper

Answer 4

A person who gossips

1. The office gossiper always knows the latest news about everyone.
2. She was known as the neighborhood gossiper who spread stories.
3. The school gossiper created drama among friends.

Question 5

Lash out at

Answer 5

To speak to someone very angrily or critically

1. He lashed out at his colleague during the stressful meeting.
2. The student lashed out at the teacher when receiving a bad grade.
3. She lashed out at her brother after he broke her favorite vase.

Question 6

Find out

Answer 6

To discover

1. I need to find out when the next train leaves.
2. She tried to find out why her computer wasn’t working.
3. The detective worked hard to find out who committed the crime.

Question 7

Keep it together

Answer 7

To maintain composure, to avoid an exaggerated reaction

1. Despite the pressure, she managed to keep it together during the presentation.
2. He had to keep it together at the funeral despite his grief.
3. The athlete kept it together after losing the championship game.

Question 8

Lose your temper

Answer 8

To become very angry and shout at someone and show that you have lost control

1. He lost his temper when he saw the damage to his car.
2. The teacher lost her temper when the students wouldn’t stop talking.
3. She lost her temper after waiting in line for two hours.

Question 9

Run into

Answer 9

Meet someone unexpectedly

1. I ran into my old friend at the supermarket.
2. She ran into her ex-boyfriend at the coffee shop.
3. We ran into our neighbors while hiking in the mountains.

Question 10

Switch

Answer 10

To change

1. She decided to switch careers and become a teacher.
2. The twins like to switch clothes to confuse people.
3. He had to switch trains three times to reach his destination.

Question 11

Talk behind your back

Answer 11

To talk about someone secretly, without their knowledge

1. She was hurt when she learned her friends were talking behind her back.
2. The employees were talking behind the manager’s back about his decision.
3. Students were talking behind the teacher’s back about the difficult exam.

Question 12

Clear one thing up

Answer 12

To solve or explain something

1. Let me clear one thing up: I never agreed to that proposal.
2. The professor helped clear one thing up about the complex theory.
3. The manager wanted to clear one thing up about the new policy.

Question 13

Endeavor

Answer 13

To try to do something very hard

1. She will endeavor to complete the project on time.
2. The team will endeavor to win the championship this year.
3. He would endeavor to improve his English skills every day.

Question 14

Harvest

Answer 14

To gather something that has been grown

1. The farmers will harvest the corn next week.
2. They harvest grapes for wine production in September.
3. Local volunteers help harvest apples in the community orchard.

Question 15

Cover up

Answer 15

To hide the truth

1. The company tried to cover up the accounting scandal.
2. The students attempted to cover up their mistake on the test.
3. Politicians often try to cover up their past misdeeds.

Question 16

Closeness

Answer 16

A connection, the quality of affection or intimacy in a relationship

1. The siblings shared a special closeness from childhood.
2. The team’s closeness contributed to their success.
3. Their closeness grew stronger after facing difficulties together.

Question 17

Ache for

Answer 17

To want something very, very much

1. She ached for her hometown after moving away.
2. He ached for the opportunity to prove himself.
3. The children ached for summer vacation to begin.

Question 18

Messy

Answer 18

Disorganized

1. His room was always messy despite his mother’s complaints.
2. The kitchen became messy after the cooking experiment.
3. The artist’s studio was messy but creative.

Question 19

Narc

Answer 19

A person who reports someone’s wrongdoing to authority figures

1. Nobody liked the class narc who always told on other students.
2. The office narc reported every minor violation to management.
3. He was labeled as a narc after telling the teacher about the cheating.

Question 20

Skillful

Answer 20

Good at something, having a good ability

1. She is a skillful pianist who can play complex pieces.
2. The skillful chef created amazing dishes without recipes.
3. He was a skillful negotiator who always got the best deals.

Question 21

Harmful

Answer 21

Causing harm, prejudicial

1. Smoking is harmful to your health.
2. Plastic waste is harmful to marine life.
3. Excessive screen time can be harmful to your eyes.