Unit 4

Question 1

nonchalant

Answer 1

calm, cool

Question 2

petrified

Answer 2

terrified

Question 3

morass

Answer 3

swamp

Question 4

to endear

Answer 4

cause to be loved or liked

Question 5

to veer

Answer 5

change direction suddenly

Question 6

rim

Answer 6

edge of something

e.g.: The rim of the cup was chipped and broken.

Question 7

incredulous

Answer 7

not wanting or not able to believe something

doubtful

Question 8

to devour

Answer 8

to eat something eagerly and in large amounts so that nothing is left

e.g.: The young cubs hungrily devoured the deer.

Question 9

to relish

Answer 9

to like or enjoy something

e.g.: I always relish a challenge.

Question 10

prong

Answer 10

sharp points on an object, especially a fork

Question 11

effeminacy

effeminate

Answer 11

an effeminate man behaves or looks similar to a woman

Question 12

to proliferate

Answer 12

to increase a lot and suddenly in number

e.g.: Small businesses have proliferated in the last ten years.

Question 13

sensuous

Answer 13

aesthetic

Question 14

luscious

Answer 14

having a pleasant sweet taste or containing a lot of juice, delicious

Question 15

exquisite

Answer 15

beautiful, elegant

Question 16

to have sth on your plate

Answer 16

to have something, usually a large amount of important work, to deal with

e.g. : She’s got a lot on her plate - especially with two new projects starting this week.

Question 17

to put all your eggs in one basket

Answer 17

to depend for your success on a single person or plan of action

e.g.:I’m applying for several jobs because I don’t really want to put all my eggs in one basket.

Question 18

to sugar the pill (UK)

to sweeten the pill (US)

Answer 18

to make something bad seem less unpleasant

e.g.:Plans to improve public services are a way of sugaring the pill of increased taxation.

Question 19

to have a bigger fish to fry

Answer 19

to have something more important to do

Question 20

to take sth with a pinch of salt (UK)

to take sth with a grain of salt (US)

Answer 20

to not completely believe something that you are told, because you think it is unlikely to be true

e.g.: You have to take everything she says with a pinch of salt, because she tends to exaggerate.

Question 21

to spill the beans

Answer 21

to tell people secret information

e.g.: So who spilled the beans about her affair with David?

Question 22

to get/have egg on your face

Answer 22

If you have egg on your face, you look stupid because of something that you have done

e.g.:This latest scandal has left the government with egg on its face.

Question 23

to eat humble pie

Answer 23

to admit that you were wrong

Question 24

marsh

Answer 24

ground near a lake, a river, or the sea that often floods and is always wet

Question 25

to flee

Answer 25

to run away

Question 26

feud (fjuːd)

Answer 26

prolonged argument, dispute

Question 27

to undertake

Answer 27

to commit oneself to sth, promise to do a particular thing

Question 28

to tackle

Answer 28

to try to deal with something or someone e.g.:There are many ways of tackling this problem.

Question 29

shrewd

Answer 29

clever, far-sighted

Question 30

fruition

Answer 30

fulfilment, realisation

Question 31

to deem

Answer 31

to consider or judge something in a particular way: e.g.: The area has now been deemed safe.

Question 32

to come down to sth

Answer 32

if a situation or decision comes down to something, that is the thing that influences it most e.g.: It all comes down to money in the end.

Question 33

to set sth (off) against sth

Answer 33

to use one thing, especially the cost of something, in order to reduce or remove the effect of another e.g.: Costs of new equipment or machinery, such as a computer, can also be set against tax.

Question 34

to live up to

Answer 34

to fulfil (expectations), to be as good as something e.g.: David's cooking was brilliant - we'll never live up to that.

Question 35

to get sth over with

Answer 35

to do or finish an unpleasant but necessary piece of work or duty