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

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.