2B

collocation

a combination of words that often go together naturally e.g. "Strong coffee" is a common … in English; "powerful coffee" sounds wrong.

seek refuge

to look for a safe place, often during difficulty e.g. After her marriage broke up, she … with friends in the countryside.

complete amazement

a state of being totally astonished e.g. To our …, our daughter passed all her exams.

quick temper

a tendency to get angry very easily e.g. My grandfather has quite a … — he shouts about small things.

a couple of

two or a few e.g. I spent … hours yesterday looking through old photos.

distant relatives

family members who are not closely related e.g. We've got … in Australia we've never met.

career move

a change of job that helps your career progress e.g. I don't think going freelance is a very good … for you.

hurt feelings

to make someone feel emotional pain e.g. I'm sorry if I … your … — I didn't mean to be rude.

rough itinerary

a plan for a trip without exact details e.g. I haven't really planned my trip yet, but I have a … .

strongly opposed

firmly against something e.g. We are … to the government's new policy on taxes.

under pressure

in a stressful situation that requires action e.g. I'm not very good in a crisis. I hate being … .

sought-after

wanted by many people because it is good or rare e.g. She has one of the most … jobs in the company.

ill-fated

unlucky and ending in failure or disaster e.g. The … expedition lost three climbers in a storm.

siblings (formal)

brothers and sisters e.g. She has four …: two older brothers and two younger sisters.

resign (formal)

to formally leave your job (more formal than "quit") e.g. After ten years, the CEO decided to … from her position.

require (formal)

to need (more formal than "need") e.g. This job … excellent communication skills.

benefit (formal)

an advantage of a job, like health insurance (more formal than "perk") e.g. The position offers a competitive salary and good … .

opposed to (formal)

against (more formal than "against") e.g. Many residents are … the new airport project.

resemble (formal)

to look like (more formal than "look like") e.g. She closely … her mother in both appearance and personality.

guy (informal)

a man (informal word for "man") e.g. Who's that … over there in the blue jacket?

chat (informal)

to talk in a friendly informal way (less formal than "conversation") e.g. We sat in the cafe and had a long … about her trip.

unfortunate (formal)

unlucky or sad (more formal than "ill-fated") e.g. It was a most … incident which damaged the company's reputation.

task (formal)

a piece of work that has to be done (more formal than "job") e.g. Your … is to write a 2,000-word essay by Friday.

go round (a place)

to look around or visit different parts of a place e.g. Look out for the Picasso drawings when you … the exhibition.

put off

to postpone something to a later time e.g. We should … the meeting till next week — half the team is ill.

get over

to recover from an illness or difficult experience e.g. She was really ill and it took her a long time to … it.

come up with

to think of an idea or solution e.g. She finally … a brilliant solution to the problem.

carry on

to continue doing something e.g. Don't stop — … with what you're doing, you're doing well.

make up

to invent a story or excuse e.g. He often … excuses for why he's late to work.

dress up

to put on special or fancy clothes e.g. The children love to … in their grandparents' clothes.

turn out

to happen to be (in the end), to prove to be e.g. The book sounded fascinating, but it … to be really dull.

lay off

to dismiss workers because there is not enough work e.g. A thousand workers were … when the factory closed.

carry out

to perform or complete a task or instructions e.g. He's completely useless. He can't even … simple instructions.

white lie

a small lie told to be polite or avoid hurting someone e.g. I told a … because I didn't want to upset him.

catch someone's eye

to attract someone's attention e.g. We tried to … the waiter's …, but he just ignored us.

the dead of night

the middle of the night, when it is very quiet e.g. I woke up suddenly in … — there was a noise downstairs.

devoted to / dedicated to

loyal and committed to someone or something e.g. He's a really nice guy — very … to his elderly mother.

a pain in the neck

a person or thing that is very annoying e.g. This printer is such a …; it never works when I need it.

how on earth

used to emphasize a question, expressing surprise e.g. … could you spend $2,000 on a watch?

to the letter

exactly as instructed, in every detail e.g. I followed the instructions …, but I still couldn't get the wifi to work.

the bigger picture

the most important and general aspects of a situation e.g. Let's not focus on the details. We need to see … .

have one's nose to the grindstone

to work very hard without resting e.g. Jack's got his …, revising for his exams.

have a gut feeling

to have a strong instinct about something e.g. I've got … that this meeting is going to go badly.

literacy

the ability to read and write e.g. Low … has been linked to higher rates of unemployment.

illiterate

unable to read or write e.g. Around 750 million adults worldwide are still … .

knock-on effect

an indirect result that affects other things or people e.g. If children take longer to learn to read, it has a … on their whole education.

offender

a person who has committed a crime e.g. Education helps prevent former … from returning to crisis.

reoffend

to commit a crime again after being punished e.g. Prisoners with good education are less likely to … after release.

behind bars

in prison e.g. He has spent the last ten years … for armed robbery.

irregular

not following the normal pattern or rule e.g. English spelling is famously … — many words are not spelt as they sound.

derive from

to come or develop from a particular source e.g. Many English words … old German and Norman French.

maintain

to keep something in the same condition e.g. The original spelling was … even when pronunciation changed.

estimate

to make an approximate calculation or judgement e.g. Experts … that around 80% of English words follow a spelling pattern.

accent

the way someone pronounces words, often showing where they are from e.g. She has a strong Scottish … that some people find hard to understand.

RP (Received Pronunciation)

the standard British accent traditionally used in dictionaries and on BBC e.g. News presenters in the past used to speak only in … .

inward-looking

focused only on yourself or your own group, not interested in outside influences e.g. He described his hometown as friendly but a bit … .

multicultural

including people from many different cultures e.g. Toronto is a very … city with fantastic facilities and beaches.

blockbuster

a very successful film or book e.g. The new Marvel film is expected to be the biggest … of the summer.

pounce on

to suddenly grab or seize something eagerly e.g. The press was quick to … the new nickname for the bomb.

devastating

causing very great damage or shock e.g. The hurricane had a … effect on the small island.

borrow (a word)

to take a word from another language and use it in your own e.g. The English word "boy" was probably … from the French "embuie".

pick up

to learn something gradually, often without formal teaching e.g. Children can … a new language amazingly quickly when they live abroad.

resurrect

to bring something back into use after a long time e.g. The term "treadmill" was … in the 1950s for a piece of gym equipment.

crush

to press something so hard that it breaks into small pieces e.g. The mineral was … and heated to produce a fine black dust.

confidently

in a way that shows you believe in yourself e.g. She walked into the interview … and shook everyone's hand.

warmly

in a friendly and welcoming way e.g. We will … welcome you when you arrive at the hotel.

on three occasions

three separate times e.g. I saw her on … last month — at the cafe, the park, and the cinema.

on their journey

during their trip e.g. Something unexpected happened to them … home from Italy.

the government

the group of people who run a country e.g. … is planning to raise taxes next year, which is unpopula