notions

Question 1

accelerate the (ageing) process, inflation accelerates

Answer 1

to happen faster or earlier; to make something happen faster or earlier

Question 2

advanced towards a better understanding of…

Answer 2

progress or a development in a particular activity or area of understanding

Question 3

the accumulative effects of pollution

Answer 3

growing by increasing gradually

Question 4

augment (income)

Answer 4

to increase the amount, value, size, etc. of something

Question 5

boost

Answer 5

profits, productivity, spending, (one’s) career, one’s confidence/morale/ego

Question 6

[adj] + boost (n)

Answer 6

great/tremendous/welcome, much-needed, wonderful…

Question 7

(slow/steady…) build-up

Answer 7

build-up of traffic, carbon dioxide build-up

Question 8

a downward spiral

Answer 8

a situation that is getting worse very quickly, and which is difficult to control

Question 9

make a leap

Answer 9

from (television) to (movies), make a (great) leap forward with sth

Question 10

a leap in the dark/the unknown

Answer 10

an action or a risk that you take without knowing anything about the activity or what the result will be

Question 11

proliferate

Answer 11

cell/animals proliferate, books and articles…

Question 12

a close thing

Answer 12

a situation in which success or failure is equally possible

Question 13

all the better, harder, more…

Answer 13

so much better, harder, etc.
ex: Her difficult childhood makes her achievements all the more remarkable.

Question 14

beginner’s luck

Answer 14

good luck or unexpected success when you start to do something new

Question 15

breakthrough

Answer 15

make/achieve a breakthrough, significant/major breakthrough

Question 16

conquer the world/the (US) market

Answer 16

to become very popular or successful in a place

Question 17

gain ground

Answer 17

to become more powerful or successful

Question 18

gain - to gradually get more of sth

Answer 18

gain experience/knowledge/understanding/insight, gain momentum

Question 19

gain - to obtain an advantage or benefit from something or from doing something

Answer 19

What do you hope to gain by this?, There is nothing to be gained from…

Question 20

lifeblood

Answer 20

the thing that keeps something strong and healthy and is necessary for successful development

Question 21

form the mainstay of…, (economic) mainstay

Answer 21

a person or thing that is the most important part of something and enables it to exist or be successful

Question 22

open sesame

Answer 22

an easy way to gain or achieve something that is usually very difficult to get
ex: Academic success is not always an open sesame to a well-paid job.

Question 23

(live) the American dream

Answer 23

the belief that America offers the opportunity to everyone of a good and successful life achieved through hard work

Question 24

stepping stone

Answer 24

a stepping stone to a more lucrative career

Question 25

yardstick

Answer 25

a standard used for judging how good or successful something is
ex: Exam results are not the only yardstick of a school’s performance.

Question 26

gateway TO sth

Answer 26

a means of getting or achieving something
ex: Increasingly our role is as a gateway to information.

Question 26

road map

Answer 26

a plan for the future, usually with a particular goal

Question 27

strike gold

Answer 27

to find or do something that brings you a lot of success or money

Question 28

a (growing) tide of opinion/opposition/optimism

Answer 28

the direction in which the opinion of a large number of people seems to be moving

Question 29

turn the tide, the tide turned for sb/sth

Answer 29

there is a change in somebody’s luck or in how successful they are being

Question 30

rising tide (of crime), stem the tide of… (= stop if from getting worse)

Answer 30

a large amount of something unpleasant that is increasing and is difficult to control

Question 31

true to life

Answer 31

(of a book, film, etc.) seeming real rather than invented

Question 32

spur = motivation

Answer 32

a (powerful) spur to (action), provide a spur for … (reform)