D21

learned

adj) having a lot of knowledge because you have studied a lot ●The ___________ professor knew all the ancient texts

gruelling

adj) // exhausting and extremely difficult ● The ten-kilometre run across the countryside in the rain was ___________

treacherous

adj) // extremely dangerous ● The climb to the summit in the snowstorm was ___________ .

sever

v) // cut ● He ___________ the rope with a sharp knife.

confine to

 restrict [to] ● Reviews of his books are ___________ serious literary journals. They are not published in daily newspapers.

air one’s views

expr) // say one’s opinion ● The journalist often ________________ on politics on morning radio.

set out

phr v) start doing sth in order to achieve a particular result ● I ______________ to write a short story but it ended up being a novel.

second to none

expr) // excellent; the best ● Lionel Messi’s dribbling is ______________

ordeal

n) // a very difficult and unpleasant experience ●Breaking his leg was an ______________ for Grandpa

screech

v) // shout unpleasantly and loudly ● The man’s wife ______________ at him to stop the car at the red traffic light.

take sb aback

phr v) surprise sb ● The surprise visit by her cousin from Greece _______ Mary __________

cheat death

expr) stay alive in a very dangerous situation ●He ______________ when he survived the plane crash

spotty

adj) // having a lot of spots [or pimples) on your skin

●She used to be a ______________ adolescent, but now she has a beautiful clear skin.

hours on end

expr) many hours

● She watched TV for ______________ , sometimes for a whole day.

virtually

adv) almost ● ______________ everyone I know has a mobile phone.

miniature

adj) tiny ● He has a ______________ Batman car in his collection of toy vehicles

groggy

adj) weak and ill ● He felt ______________ after the rough ferry crossing.

unrivalled

adj) // better than any other ● She succeeded in solving the problem because of her ______________ powers of concentration.

traumatise

v) shock sb so badly that they cannot work or think normally ● The terrible experience ______________ the child

cut [sth) off

phr v) stop the supply of electricity or water or access to the telephone ● He couldn’t pay his bill so the phone company _______ him _______ .

blast

v) // criticise very strongly ● The critics ______________ the actor’s terrible performance.

slam

v) // criticise severely ● The team was ______________ by their furious coach for losing 6-0.

ideal

n) // an idea that seems perfect and worth trying to achieve ● Working for world peace is an honourable ______________ but difficult to achieve.

phishing

n) // sending emails or having a website intended to trick sb into giving away personal information ● He was the victim of a ______________ scam when his credit card was used by somebody else.

unsuspecting

adj) // not aware sth is going to happen ● She sold fake good to ______________ customers.

max out

expr) // use all the money available ● I can’t buy anything else because I’ve ______________ my credit card.

domain

n) // a web address ● The letters ‘gr’ signify that the ______________ is Greece.

bring down

phr v) cause sb to lose power ● The financial scandal ______________ the politician, who had to resign.

cut in

phr v) interrupt sb while they are speaking ● Do you mind if I ______________ before you finish your comment?

get back at

phr v) take revenge ● she ______________ him for his nasty comments by ignoring him all evening.

take to

phr v) start liking sb/sth ● Mary and I ______________ each other as soon as we met.

detractor

n) a critic ● ______________ said the comedy was so bad that nobody would laugh watching it.

corrupt

adj) // dishonest ● There are so many ______________ politicians and public servants in this country that I don’t know how we’ll get rid of them all.

under construction

expr)______________ still being made ● No one can visit my website yet because it is still ______________

go blank

expr) stop showing any pictures ● The TV screen ______________ when the antenna broke.

In confidence

expr) ______________ on the understanding that you don't tell anybody else ● I’m telling you this ______________ so don’t tell anyone else.

on occasion

expr) sometimes ● ______________ he goes for a walk but mostly he stays indoors.

at a guess

expr) probably ● ______________ I’d say she is under fifty but I really don’t know.

guts

pl n) the courage to do something difficult ●The bully didn’t have the ______________ to actually fight, so he ran away

to sb’s face

expr) directly to sb ● She told him ______________ how much she hated him and then walked off.

straight from the horse’s mouth

expr) from the source ● Spielberg told the reporter the name of his new film, so it’s _______________________

sing like a canary

expr) reveal everything ● The thief ______________ and told the police the names of all his gang.

wouldn’t say boo to a goose

expr) used to describe a shy and quiet person ●Bob is shy and ______________

a little bird told me

expr) // said by sb when they know who gave them the information being discussed but will not say who it was ● ______________ that you’re getting married.

have a frog in one’s throat

expr) have difficulty speaking because your throat feels dry and you want to cough ● The lecturer drank some water because he _________________

cat’s got your tongue

expr) sth you say to sb when you are annoyed because they will not speak ●What’s the matter? Has the ______________

itinerary

n) a plan of a journey and the route you will take ●We prepared our ______________ before we left on our holiday.

a host of

expr) many; a lot of ● There is a whole ______________ reasons why I don’t want to live in London.

out of bounds

expr) beyond the place you are allowed to be ● The building site is ______________ to members of the public.

unprecedented

adj) never having happened before ● PCs in every home was an ______________ development in the 20th century.

identity theft

n) illegal use of sb’s personal details, especially in order to steal money from them ●He was a victim of ___________________ when his credit card number was used by someone he didn’t know

wary

adj) /______________ cautious ● Be ______________ of crossing the road here as there have been some nasty accidents.

double-edged sword

n) sth that seems to be good but that can have a bad effect ● Researching online is a _________________ because although there is a lot of information, you don’t know if it is correct or not

have sth at one’s fingertips

expr) have what you need and be able to find or use it easily ● He knows a lot about history and ______ the facts ______________

coordinator

n) organiser ● The event ______________ told everyone what to do.