Ready for C2. U2 - values

abundantly clear

extremely clear:

You've made your feelings ___ ___.

It is ___ ___ from the chaos of the past few months that the policy has failed.

to temper sth

[frml]

to make something less strong, extreme, etc.:

My enthusiasm for the venture was ___ by my knowledge of the hard work that would be involved.

I learned to ___ my criticism.

I learned to ___ my ambitions

check in with smn

to contact someone by making a phone call, short visit, etc., usually in order to make sure there are no problems or to tell them that there are no problems:

My son ___ ___ regularly ___ me when he's travelling.

impressionable

[disappr.] easily influenced by other people, especially because you are young:

He's at that ___ age when he's very easily led by other children.

budding

beginning to develop or show signs of future success in a particular area:

While still at school she was clearly a ___ genius.
As a ___ entrepreneur, you will have to make a special effort for people to take you seriously.

rife

If a place is ___ ___ something unpleasant, it is full of it:

The office is ___ ___ rumors that many of us will be fired.

innate

An ___ quality or ability is one that you were born with, not one you have learned:

Cyril's most impressive quality was his ___ goodness.

edifice

[frml] a system that has been established for a long time:

political ___ It looks as if the whole political ___ of the country is about to collapse.
social ___
Without it, the entire ___ of social life collapses

bedrock

the main principles on which something is based:

Some people believe that the family is the ___ of society.
form the ___

sobering finding

a discovery or result that is serious and thought-provoking, often challenging comfortable assumptions
The report's most ___ ___ was that people who claimed the strongest moral convictions were no more likely to act ethically than anyone else.

conception

the way in which something is understood, imagined, or defined; an abstract idea or mental framework
Our ___ of what constitutes a good life is heavily influenced by the culture we grow up in.

hold up under scrutiny

to remain valid, credible, or intact when examined closely and critically
Not all widely held moral beliefs ___ ___ ___ ___; some dissolve the moment you begin to question their underlying assumptions.

liberating

producing a strong sense of freedom, particularly from previously held constraints, expectations, or limiting beliefs
Many people find it deeply ___ to realise that their values are not fixed — that they have the power to consciously choose what they stand for.

ingrained

so deeply established through long habit or repeated experience that it is very difficult to change
Some of our most ___ assumptions about success and failure were formed before we were old enough to question them.

integrity

the quality of being consistently honest and adhering firmly to strong moral principles, even when it is inconvenient to do so

Acting with ___ means making the same choices whether or not anyone is watching.

mismatch

a lack of compatibility or alignment between two things that ought to correspond
Researchers identified ___ ___ people's stated values and their actual day-to-day behaviour — a gap most were entirely unaware of.

conversely

used to introduce a statement that contrasts with or reverses what has just been said

Some individuals thrive under rigid structure; ___ others find that too many rules stifle their creativity and motivation.

exhibit

to display or demonstrate a quality, behaviour, or characteristic, often in a way that is observable to others

Children who are given genuine autonomy tend to ___ greater self-confidence and resilience than those who are closely controlled.

virtue

a quality or trait considered morally good and desirable, particularly one that reflects consistent ethical behaviour

Patience is a ___ that is rarely celebrated in modern culture, yet it underpins almost every meaningful long-term achievement.

advocate for

to publicly and actively support a cause, principle, or group, often in the face of opposition She spent the latter part of her career ___ ___ restorative justice as an alternative to purely punitive approaches.

ignite

to trigger or spark something, particularly a significant process of change or transformation

A single honest conversation with a mentor can sometimes ___ a process of self-examination that reshapes a person's entire outlook.

foster autonomy

to encourage and develop an individual's capacity to think and act independently

The most effective educators don't simply transmit knowledge — they ___ ___ by teaching students how to question, evaluate, and decide for themselves.

assertively

in a manner that is confident, direct, and self-assured without being aggressive or dismissive of others

Learning to express your values ___ — without either apologising for them or imposing them on others — is one of the more demanding aspects of emotional maturity.

imprint

an occasion when an event or experience becomes fixed in someone's memory or leaves its mark in some way on their appearance:

War has left its ___ on the strained faces of these people.