English Advanced Lessons

approach

to come near or nearer to something or someone in space, time, quality, or amount.

have/has been around

it means they have had a lot of experience of different people and situations.

Example: That company has been around since the 1950s.

tissue

a group of cells that work together to perform a specific function in an organism.

squish

to compress or squash something, often resulting in deformation or change of shape.

undergo

to experience or endure a process, change, or action.

Example: She underwent an operation on a tumour in her left lung last year.

seek/sought/sought

to try to find or get something, especially something that is not a physical object.

Examples:

• Are you actively seeking jobs? she asked.

• Hundreds of dissidents are seeking refuge/asylum in the US embassy.

yeast

a microorganism used in fermentation and baking that converts sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.

wrap

to cover or enclose something, typically with paper or fabric.

put in(to) perspective

to compare something to other things so that it can be accurately and fairly judged.

Example: Total investments for this year reached $53 million, and, to put this into perspective, investments this year were double those made in 2013.

monk

a member of a religious community who lives under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, often dedicated to contemplative life.

offspring

the young of an animal, a person's children.

inheritance

the genetic transmission of characteristics from parents to offspring.

whatsoever

used after a negative phrase to add emphasis to the idea that is being expressed.

Example: I can honestly say that I have no interest whatsoever in the royal family.

fond

having a strong liking or affection for someone or something, to do something often.

Examples:

• I'm very fond of you, you know.

• My brother is fond of pointing out my mistakes.

plot

the sequence of events that make up a story, including the conflict and resolution.

seldom

occurring infrequently or rarely.

Example: Now that we have a baby, we seldom get the chance to go to the cinema.

trace back

to find the origin or source of something.

staring

looking at something for a long time with the eyes wide open, especially when surprised, frightened, or thinking.

Example: In the darkness we could just make out the blank staring eyes of a child.

steward

a person whose job it is to organize a particular event, or to provide services to particular people, often in a role related to hospitality.

chain

of events or actions that connect one occurrence to another, often in a sequence.

Example: The synthetic polymer is a plastic composed of long chains of molecules.

myriad

a countless or extremely large number of something.

Example: And now myriads of bars and hotels are opening up along the coast.

live something out

to spend your life or the remaining part of your life in a particular way.

Example: He wanted to help his mother live her life out in comfort.

gut-wrenching

making you feel very upset or worried.

burst

to feel a strong emotion, or strong wish to do something.

Example: I knew they were bursting with curiosity but I said nothing.

talk someone out of something

to persuade someone not to do something.

Example: Her parents tried to talk her out of getting engaged.

helplessness

the feeling or state of being unable to do anything to help yourself or anyone else.

despair

the feeling that there is no hope and that you can do nothing to improve a difficult or worrying situation.

nasty

unkind.

reassure

to comfort someone and stop them from worrying.

Example: I was nervous on my first day at college, but I was reassured to see some friendly faces.

core

the basic and most important part of something.

Example: The core of our workforce comes from local families.

constrain

to limit someone's freedom, or to limit the way something develops or grows.

Example: The country's progress was constrained by a leader who refused to look forward.

hesitate

to pause before you do or say something, often because you are uncertain or nervous about it.

Example: "Do you love me?" she asked. He hesitated and then said, "I'm not sure."

survey

an examination of opinions, behaviour, etc., made by asking people questions.

Example: A recent survey found/revealed/showed that 58% of people did not know where their heart is.

sheer

used to emphasize how very great, important, or powerful a quality or feeling is.

Example: It was sheer coincidence that we met.

trace

to find someone or something that was lost.

Example: The police are trying to trace the mother of a newborn baby found abandoned outside a hospital.

dump

to put down or drop something in a careless way.

Example: He came in with four shopping bags and dumped them on the table.

20-something

a person between 20 and 29 years old. It's often used when the exact age isn't known or when the speaker wants to use a more informal term.

Example: My friend is a 20-something and she's already planning her wedding.

go through the roof

to rise to a very high level, to get very angry.

Examples:

• Prices have gone through the roof.

• When I was expelled from school, my parents went through the roof.

plausible

seeming likely to be true, or able to be believed.

Example: a plausible explanation/excuse.

blaze a trail

to do something that has never been done before.

Example: Le Corbusier blazed a trail in architecture.

belt something out

to sing or play a musical instrument very loudly.

spoil

to destroy or reduce the pleasure, interest, or beauty of something.

gather around someone/something

to come together in a group, especially to see something or to listen to someone.

Examples:

• Some workers gathered around a television to watch events.

• Gather round, children, and I'll tell you a story.

engage

to interest someone in something and keep them thinking about it.

Example: The debate about food safety has engaged the whole nation.

just as…so (too)

in the same way / correspondingly.

Examples:

• Just as I love to travel, so (too) does my wife

• Just as you are tall, so (too) is your brother.

though

despite the fact that.

infer

to form an opinion or guess that something is true because of the information that you have.

Example: I inferred from her expression that she wanted to leave.

snippet

a small and often interesting piece of news, information, or conversation.

frisson

a sudden feeling of excitement or fear, especially when you think that something is about to happen.

Example: Do you start to feel a frisson when the first warm breezes of spring arrive?

trigger

to cause something to start.

Example: Ultraviolet-B radiation triggers the skin to produce vitamin D.

soothe

to make someone feel calm or less worried.

Example: to soothe a crying baby.

pitter-pattter

a series of quick, light knocking sounds.

Examples:

• I heard the pitter-patter of tiny feet (= the noise of children running).

• The rain pitter-pattered on the roof.

• For a few moments, my heart pitter-pattered in my chest.

on the flip side

is a synonym for ‘on the other hand’.

Example: I’ll have to work really long hours and be away from my family, but, on the flip side, I’ll get the opportunity to travel around the world.

hence

that is the reason or explanation for (synonym of therefore).

Example: His mother was Italian, hence his name Luca.

pick and choose

to take only the things you want from a group.

Examples:

• The richest universities can pick and choose which students they take.

• He's such a good player, he's able to pick and choose the tournaments he plays in.

to carry

o hold something or someone with your hands, arms, or on your back and transport it, him, or her from one place to another.

throughout

in every part, or during the whole period of time

Example: People throughout the country are out of work.

overly

too; very.

Examples:

• Earlier sales forecasts were overly optimistic.

• His films have been criticized for being overly violent.

punitive

intended as a punishment.

towards

in the direction of, or closer to someone or something.

Example: The treaty was seen as overly punitive by many of the defeated nations, and resentment in Germany towards the victors.

hardship

(something that causes) difficult or unpleasant conditions of life.

Example: economic hardship.

Self-determination

the process by which a group of people form their own state and choose their own government.

aftermath

the period that follows an unpleasant event or accident, and the effects that it causes.

harsh

unpleasant, unkind, cruel, or more severe than is necessary.

widespread

existing or happening in many places and/or among many people.

Example: The campaign has received widespread support.

moreover

(used to add information) also and more importantly.

Example: The whole report is badly written. Moreover, it's inaccurate.

ripple effect

a situation in which one event produces effects which spread and produce further effects.

Example: The bank crash has had a ripple effect on the whole community.

appointed

officially chosen for a job or responsibility.

Example: I'd like to introduce our newly appointed members of staff.

set about something

to start to do or deal with something.

Example: and quickly set about consolidating his power.

suppress

to end something by force

Example: The Hungarian uprising in 1956 was suppressed by the Soviet Union.

appeasement

the act of giving the opposing side in an argument or war an advantage that they have demanded, in order to prevent further disagreement.

embolden

to make someone brave.

Example: Emboldened by drink, he walked over to speak to her.

drag

to move something by pulling it along a surface, usually the ground.

outbreak

a time when something suddenly begins, especially a disease or something else dangerous or unpleasant.

breathtaking

extremely exciting, beautiful, or surprising.

map something out

to plan something in detail.

face

If you face a problem, or a problem faces you, you have to deal with it.

Examples:

• This is one of the many problems faced by working mothers.

• Passengers could face long delays.

be faced with You're faced with a very difficult choice there.

roughly

approximately.

stretch

to spread over a large area or distance.

epoch

a long period of time, especially one in which there are new developments and great change.

stick together

to support each other.

Example: If we all stick together, we can succeed.

clump

a solid mass of something.

vast

extremely big.

sprinkle

to drop a few pieces or drops of something over a surface.

Example: Sprinkle a few herbs on the pizza.

tract

a large area of land, or a measured area of land.

Example: The house is surrounded by vast tracts of woodland.

leaderboard

a board or list showing the names and scores of those who are doing best in a game, competition, etc.

stick

to cause something to become fixed, for example with glue or another similar substance.

stumble across/on/upon something/someone

to discover something by chance, or to meet someone by chance.

overload

to put too many things in or on something.

hoard

to collect large amounts of something and keep it for yourself, often in a secretplace.

outcome

a result or effect of an action, situation, etc.

Example: It's too early to predict the outcome of the meeting.

pivotal

central and important.

advocate

to publicly support or suggest an idea, development, or way of doing something.

Example: He advocates the return of capital punishment.

encompass

to include different types of things.

Example: The festival is to encompass everything from music, theatre, and ballet to literature, cinema, and the visual arts.

tailor

to adjust something to suit a particular need or situation.

Example: Their services are tailored to clients’ needs.

underlying

real but not immediately obvious.

Examples:

• It is important to look at all the underlying causes of the conflict.

• The underlying message of the film is that love transcends everything else.

grasp

to quickly take something in your hand(s) and hold it firmly.

Example: Rosie suddenly grasped my hand.

target

a person or a particular group of people that something is directed at, or that something is intended for.

Example: The target audience for the TV series is young people aged 13 to 18.

guideline

information intended to advise people on how something should be done or what something should be.

stiffness

the quality of being very formal and not relaxed.