Destination C1&2 Unit 22

Quality and arts

aggravate /ˈæɡ.rə.veɪt/

to make sth bad become worse, especially a situation or a medical condition

E.g. His headache was ______________(ed) by all the noise.

better

to be higher in quality, amount etc than someone or something else

E.g. His total of five gold medals is unlikely to be __________(ed).

blemish

a mark or spot that spoils the appearance of something

E.g. The painting was spoiled for me by a ________ on the frame. (~ I no longer like the painting because of its ________ on the frame)

chaos

cause/create/bring ………

E.g. Snow has caused __________on the roads this morning.

contaminate

to make sth dirty, polluted or poisonous by adding a chemical, waste or infection

E.g. Industrial sewage continues to ____________ our beaches.

defective

not made correctly or not working correctly

E.g. The car was found to have _______ brakes.

devastate

~ seriously destroy

~ make sb feel very shocked and upset

E.g. Mary’s sisters were __________(ed) by her disappearance.

exacerbate

to make a problem become worse

E.g. Complaining will only __________ an already difficult situation.

exquisite

extremely beautiful and delicate

E.g. It was an _________hand-painted vase from China.

first-rate (adj)

of the highest quality

E.g. a __________ restaurant/ service/ performance

flaw

a mistake or fault in sth that makes it useless, less attractive, or less beautiful

E.g. There are serious ______(s) in the way we train our teachers.

invaluable

extremely useful

E.g. The Internet is an __________resource for students.

outclass

to be much better than someone or something else

E.g. The team was completely ____________(ed) by the opposition.

prime

most important, most suitable or of the highest quality

E.g. Our __________ concern was the safety of our customers.

redeeming feature

a good quality that somewhat makes up for the bad qualities in a person or thing (tính tốt)

E.g. His one ________________ is that he is completely honest in what he says.

refurbish

to improve a room or a building by cleaning and painting it, adding new furniture or equipment

E.g. They’re going to __________ the teacher’s room.

reinforce

to make an idea, belief, or feeling stronger

E.g. The latest figures _________ the view that economic growth is slowing.

renovate

to make sth old look new again by repairing and improving it, especially a building

E.g. The coucil’s planning to ___________ the old fire station.

rotten (adj)

of a low quality, standard, or ability

E.g. She’s a ______ singer.

shambles

something that is very badly organized and does not operate effectively

E.g. Government corruption has left the economy in a _________.

shoddy (adj)

badly and carelessly made, using low-quality materials

E.g. The work they did on the new road was very __________ in places.

sound (adj)

~ thorough

E.g. You need a _________ understanding of basic teaching skills before you enter the classroom.

stale

(food) old and no longer fresh

E.g. Wrap the bread up well or it’ll go ______.

streamline

to improve a business, organization, process,.. by making it more modern or simple

E.g. We need to __________ the whole process.

ultimate

as good as or as bad as possible

E.g. The house provides the _____ luxury retreat. (Ngôi nhà là thiên đường nghỉ dưỡng đỉnh cao của sự sang trọng.)

wreck

sth that has been badly damaged

E.g. The car was a __________ after the accident.

wreck

to severely damage

E.g. The town has been _________ by the bombing.

auction

a public occasion when things are sold to the people who offer the most money for them

E.g. They bought the paintings at ______ in 1989.

audition

a short performance in which you sing, dance or act so that someone can decide if you are good enough to perform in a particular play

E.g. I’ve got an __________ for the school play tomorrow.

collector’s item

a rare or valuable object that collectors want to own

E.g. Do you think this watch is a ____________?

curator

someone whose job is to look after the objects in a museum, library

E.g. Ask the _________, he’ll be able to tell you more about it.

fine art

a type of art that is admired for its beauty, for example painting, sculpture, music, and dance

installation

a form of modern sculpture where the artist uses sound, movement, or space as well as objects in order to make an often temporary work of art

E.g. The new __________ adds an exciting interactive element to the museum's central atrium.

paperback

a book with a cover made of thick paper

E.g. His collection of poetry is now out in __________.