Creating and building

ancient (adj)

• Meaning 1:

  • ancient Greece/Egypt/Rome

  • Archaeologists are excavating the ruined temples of this ancient civilization.

• Meaning 2:

  • ancient myths/traditions/culture

  • an ancient oak tree

• belonging to a period of history that is thousands of years in the past

• very old; having existed for a very long time

cổ đại, cổ xưa

checked (adj)

• checked material

• He’s wearing a checked shirt to the office.

• Checked shorts are too informal for me to wear, I guess.

having a pattern of squares, usually of two colours - ca-rô

cotton (n)

• Meaning 1:

  • They grew cotton, tobacco, corn and fruit.

  • bales of cotton

• Meaning 2:

  • This blanket is made of cotton.

  • The sheets are 100 per cent pure cotton.

• a plant grown in warm countries for the soft white hairs around its seeds that are used to make cloth and thread - bông

• the cloth made from the cotton plant - vải cotton

[uncountable]

create (v)

• Meaning 1:

  • I have created “Sportipusi”, which plays remixes of Cupcakke and Jiafei, and I think this will help their fans enjoy the songs more without any interruption.

  • Create a new folder and put the files into it.

  • The main purpose of industry is to create wealth and more jobs for people.

  • The government plans to create more jobs for young people.

• Meaning 2:

  • He’s eager to create a good impression at work.

  • The company is trying to create a young, energetic image.

• ____ sth to make something happen or exist - sáng tạo

• ____ sth to produce a particular feeling or impression

tạo ra

design (v)

• Meaning 1:

  • This very dress is skilfully designed by a student! Do you believe it?

  • They aked me to design a poster (for the campaign).

• Meaning 2:

  • This machine is designed to catch rubbish and remind people not to litter.

• to decide how something will look, work, etc., by drawing plans, making computer models, etc.

• [often passive] to think of and plan a system, a way of doing something, etc., usually for a particular purpose or use

thiết kế [transitive]

design (n)

• Meaning 1:

  • The basic design of the apartment is really common with most other apartments nowadays: pool, park, shops, etc..

  • The system has a fundamental design flaw.

• Meaning 2:

  • This is a very nice design of a dress, Honekawa.

  • I’m doing a course in art and design.

• Meaning 3:

  • His designs are getting more detailed. I’m looking forward to seeing his final design.

  • Becky loves aeroplanes, so she always has tons of designs for aircraft.

• Meaning 4:

  • floral/abstract/geometric designs

  • The tiles come in a huge range of colours and designs.

• [uncountable, countable] the general arrangement of the different parts of something that is made, such as a building, book, machine, etc.

• [uncountable] the art or process of deciding how something will look, work, etc. by drawing plans, making computer models, etc.

• [countable] a drawing or plan from which something may be made

• [countable] an arrangement of lines and shapes as a decoration - hoạ tiết

(bản/sự) thiết kế

fix (v)

• Meaning 1:

  • Can you fix this bus wheel for me?

  • We need to get/have the aircon fixed.

  • Businesses and the government have spent billions of dollars to find and fix the bug.

• Meaning 2:

  • Has the date of the next meeting been fixed?

  • Their prices are fixed until the end of the year (= will not change before then).

• Meaning 3:

  • Should I fix this meeting now or later?

  • You need to fix the tour up in advance to avoid trouble later.

• ____ sth to repair or correct something - sửa chữa

• to decide on a date, a time, an amount, etc. for something - xác định

• to arrange or organize something - tổ chức, sắp xếp

fold (v)

• Meaning 1:

  • You should be skilled at folding papers to learn about origami.

  • He folded the map up and put it in his pocket.

  • Don't fold back pages to mark your place in a book.

• Meaning 2:

  • The bike can be folded away if you are to take it through the underground.

  • The table folds up/away when not in use.

• Meaning 3:

  • She gently folded the baby in a blanket.

  • She folded a blanket around/round/over the baby.

• [transitive] to bend sth, especially paper or cloth, so that one part lies on top of another part

• [transitive, intransitive] to bend sth so that it becomes smaller or flatter and can be stored or carried more easily; to bend or be able to bend in this way

• ​[transitive] to wrap something around sb/sth

gấp lại

gallery (n)

• Meaning 1:

  • If my mind serves me right, there is an indoor gallery which exhibits contemporary art monthly.

  • the most famous sculpture in the gallery

• Meaning 2:

  • Do you want to visit my photo gallery?

  • an extensive gallery of colour photographs

• a room or building for showing works of art, especially to the public - triển lãm

• a collection of pictures - bộ sưu tập ảnh

[countable]

improvement (n)

• Meaning 1:

  • There is much significant improvement to make our lives better.

  • We hope to see further improvement over the next year.

• Meaning 2:

  • You have had amazing improvements! How do you do that?

  • There has been a marked improvement in the quality of teaching.

• [uncountable] the act of making something better; the process of something becoming better

• [countable] a change in something that makes it better; something that is better than it was before

sự cải thiện

loose (adj)

• Meaning 1:

  • This button is so loose that it doesn’t give any pedestrian signal over there, even if I press it umpteen times!

  • One of the bricks feels slightly loose.

• Meaning 2:

  • She loves to let her hair loose.

  • The potatoes were sold loose, not in bags.

• Meaning 3:

  • The horse had broken loose (= escaped) from its tether.

  • The animals ran loose without collars or leashes.

• Meaning 4:

  • You should wear loose clothing and comfortable shoes to have a better experience on the flight.

  • loose shirts/shorts/etc.

• not securely fixed where it should be; able to become separated from something

• not tied together; not held in position by anything or contained in anything

• [not usually before noun] free to move around without control; not tied up or shut in somewhere

• not fitting closely

lỏng

maintain (v) [1]

• Meaning 1:

  • The two countries have always maintained close relations since we had so many difficulties back then.

  • She maintained a dignified silence.

• Meaning 2:

  • The house needn’t maintaining too much.

• to make something continue at the same level, standard, etc. (syn.: preserve)

• _____ sth to keep a building, a machine, etc. in good condition by checking or repairing it regularly

duy trì - [transitive]

maintain (v) [2]

• Meaning 1:

  • His income can barely maintain his life, not to mention his children and wife’s.

• Meaning 2:

  • + speech ‘But I'm innocent!’ she maintained.

• ____ sb/sth to support sb/sth over a long period of time by giving money, paying for food, etc. - duy trì (syn.: keep)

• to keep stating that something is true, even though other people do not agree or do not believe it - giữ vững quan điểm (syn.: insist)

[transitive]

match (v) [1]

• Meaning 1:

  • Match the words to/with their definitions.

  • Match the words and pictures.

  • The control group in the experiment was matched for age and sex.

• Meaning 2:

  • This handwriting matches that of my class’ best student. Therefore, I’m certain that there was cheating at that time.

• [transitive] to find sb/sth that goes together with or is connected with another person or thing - nối, kết nối

• [transitive, intransitive] ____ (sth) if two things ____, or if one thing ____ another, they are the same or very similar - giống

match (v) [2]

• Meaning 1:

  • You know what? Those two people over there really match each other.

  • My house’s shelves and tables were made woodlike to match its aesthetic.

• Meaning 2:

  • Job opportunities in the industry do not match the level of interest.

  • The teams were evenly matched.

• [transitive, intransitive] if two things ____, or if one thing ____ another, they have the same colour, pattern, or style and therefore look attractive together - phù hợp

• [transitive] ____ sb/sth to be as good, interesting, successful, etc. as sb/sth else - cân xứng

material (n) [1]

• Meaning 1:

  • building materials (= bricks, sand, glass, wood, etc.)

  • All the furniture is crafted from natural/recycled/synthetic/man-made materials.

  • Clay is a malleable material that can be shaped and hardened to create pottery and sculptures.

• Meaning 2:

  • They collect and publish a variety of teaching/educational materials.

  • Advertising and promotional materials target the children's market.

• Meaning 3:

  • Those materials won’t be enough to prepare for the exam. You can use mine.

• [countable, uncountable] a substance that things can be made from - nguyên liệu

• [countable, usually plural, uncountable] things that are needed in order to do a particular activity - vật liệu

• [uncountable] information or ideas used in books, etc. - tài liệu

material (n) [2]

• Meaning 1:

  • You’ll need a piece of material about a square metre.

  • “What material is this dress made of?” - “Silk.”

• Meaning 2:

  • Those celebrities are my boyfriend materials! They are so kind, intelligent as if there was nothing to complain about.

• [uncountable, countable] cloth used for making clothes, curtains, etc. - vải (syn.: fabric)

• a person with particular qualities or suitable for a particular opportunity - người hoàn hảo, phù hợp với cái gì đó

notice (v)

• Meaning 1:

  • Do you notice (that) Jim always yawns?

  • The first thing I noticed about the room was its capacity.

  • I didn’t notice him leaving/leave.

• Meaning 2:

  • Notice his next behaviour towards the girl over there.

  • Notice the way the bridge is supported by its suspension cables.

• Meaning 3:

  • As I can see, popular girls love to keep getting themselves noticed by posting on social media or hiding their posts, etc.

[not usually used in the progressive tenses]

• [intransitive, transitive] to see or hear somebody/something; to become aware of somebody/something

• [transitive] ____ somebody/something to pay attention to somebody/something

• [transitive] get (yourself) ____d to get attention from other people - tạo sự chú ý

chú ý, để ý, nhận thấy

notice (n) [1]

• Meaning 1:

  • There was a notice on the public board saying there would be a fix for the road.

  • A large notice about the up-and-coming walking bridge has been set on the sidewalk.

• Meaning 2:

  • There was a notice saying “No U-turn”.

  • There are notices about where to register.

• Meaning 3:

  • notices of births, marriages and deaths

• [countable] a sheet of paper giving written or printed information, usually put in a public place - bảng thông tin

• [countable] a board or sign giving information, an instruction or a warning - bảng chú ý

• [countable] a small advertisement or announcement in a newspaper or magazine - thông báo

notice (n) [2]

• Meaning 1:

  • There are just two notices this week.

• Meaning 2:

  • I’m sorry, it’s such short notice - we haven’t prepared at all.

  • Prices may be altered without notice.

  • This restaurant is closed until furthur notice (= until you are told that it is open again).

• Meaning 3:

  • Don’t take any notice of what you read in the papers. The news might be exaggerated.

  • Their disagreements have really made the government sit up and take notice (= realise the importance of the situation).

• [countable] a short announcement made at the beginning or end of a meeting, a church service, etc.

• [uncountable] information or a warning given in advance of something that is going to happen

• bảng thông báo

• [uncountable] the fact of somebody paying attention to somebody/something or knowing about something - sự chú ý

pattern (n)

• Meaning 1:

  • We have no way of predicting next time’s weather patterns.

  • behaviour/sleep/growth patterns

  • stress/intonation/speech patterns

  • Wages in both sectors have followed a similar pattern.

• Meaning 2:

  • This system sets the pattern for others to follow.

  • Providing the most value for the lowest cost is the traditional pattern for corporate success.

• Meaning 3:

  • complex geometric patterns

  • a pattern of diamonds and squares

  • a shirt with a floral pattern

• the regular way in which something happens or is done - khuôn mẫu

• [usually singular] ____ for something an excellent example to copy - hình mẫu

• a regular arrangement of lines, shapes, colours, etc., for example, as a design on material, carpets, etc. - họa tiết

pile (n)

• Meaning 1:

  • The hats were stacked in neat piles.

  • I’ve sorted the books into three separate piles.

• Meaning 2:

  • piles of dirty washing

  • The house was reduced to a pile of rubble (đống đổ nát).

  • He threw the remaining stones onto the pile.

• Meaning 3:

  • He made a pile of cash from the sale of his house.

  • He walked out, leaving a pile of debt behind him.

  • I have piles of work to do.

• [countable] several things that have been placed on top of each other - một chồng

• [countable] a mass of something high in the middle and wider at the bottom than at the top

• [countable, usually plural] ____ of something (informal) a lot of something

một đống

practical (adj) [1]

• Meaning 1:

  • to have gained practical knowledge and experience of the work

  • Practical skills are neccessary, even in this digital age.

  • Yoga helps with practical matters, like injury prevention.

• Meaning 2:

  • I soon realised that it would have been more practical to get exercise.

  • The government should have taken more practical steps on reducing gas-powered vehicles.

• connected with real situations rather than with ideas or theories - có tính thực tế

• (of an idea, a method or a course of action) right or sensible; likely to be successful - hữu dụng

practical (adj) [2]

• Meaning 1:

  • One of the more practical warning signs for pedestrians has been recently added on Ton Duc Thang Street, Ho Chi Minh City.

  • a briefcase that is practical for both travelling and days at the office

• Meaning 2:

  • Let’s be practical and work out the cost first.

  • Sarah is quite practical about love and relationships.

• (of things) useful or suitable - có ích và phù hợp

• (of a person) sensible and realistic - thực tế

rough (adj)

• Meaning 1:

  • It takes a lot of time to travel on rough roads.

  • Trim rough edges with a sharp knife.

  • The skin on her hands was hard and rough.

• Meaning 2:

  • I’ve got a rough idea of the presentation

  • a rough calculation/estimate of the cost

• having a surface that is not even or regular - gồ ghề

• not exact; not including all details - chưa chính xác, thô, sơ bộ

shape (n) [1]

• Meaning 1:

  • a rectangular/spherical/cylindrical shape

  • fantastic creatures that can change shape and be either visible or invisible

  • The pool was in the shape of a heart.

• Meaning 2:

  • A bizarre shape loomed up out of the mist directly in front of me.

  • Ghostly shapes moved around in the dark.

• [countable, uncountable] the form of the outer edges or surfaces of something; an example of something that has a particular form - hình

• [countable] a person or thing that is difficult to see clearly - hình thù, hình hài

shape (n) [2]

• Meaning 1:

  • What sort of shape was the truck in after the incident?

  • He’s not in any shape (= not well enough) to be working.

• Meaning 2:

  • Will AI change the shape of new videos?

• [uncountable] the physical condition of sb/sth - tình trạng, dáng (?)

• [uncountable] the particular qualities or characteristics of sth - diện mạo (?), hình dáng

silk (n)

• Meaning 1: The caterpillar spins the silk around its entire body.

• Meaning 2:

  • His skin was as smooth as silk.

  • These fine silks are produced in Italy.

• [uncountable] fine soft thread produced by silkworms - tơ

• [uncountable, countable] a type of fine smooth cloth (vải) made from silk thread; a piece of this cloth - lụa

sleeve (n)

• a suit with short/long sleeves

• Dan rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands.

a part of a piece of clothing that covers all or part of your arm - tay áo

smooth (adj) [1]

• Meaning 1:

  • The water was as smooth as glass.

  • The new motorway surfaces were smooth as silk.

• Meaning 2:

  • Mix the powder with the water carefully to form a smooth paste.

  • Once the mixture is smooth, spread it over the cake.

• completely flat and even, without any rough areas or holes - mềm mại, nhẵn, bằng phẳng, láng

• (of a liquid mixture) without any solid pieces

mịn

smooth (adj) [2]

• Meaning 1:

  • Her dance was so smooth that it impressed the entire audience.

• Meaning 2:

  • The car’s improved suspension gives you a smoother ride.

  • The plane made a smooth landing.

• happening or continuing without any problems

• even and regular, without sudden stops and starts

mềm mại, trơn tru

stretch (v)

• Meaning 1: Stop stretching your sweater like that, or that will be torn.

• Meaning 2: The trousers stretch to provide a perfect fit.

• Meaning 3: Stretching is one of our warm-up exercises.

• Meaning 4: She stretched up to reach the top shelf.

• [transitive, intransitive] ____ (something) to make something longer, wider or looser, for example by pulling it; to become longer, etc. in this way - căng ra

• [intransitive] (of cloth) to become bigger or longer when you pull it and return to its original shape when you stop - căng ra

• [intransitive, transitive] to put your arms or legs out straight and contract your muscles - giãn cơ, duỗi cơ, căng cơ

• [intransitive, transitive] to put out an arm or a leg to reach something - giãn cơ, duỗi cơ

striped (adj)

• He loves wearing blue striped T-shirts.

• striped shorts

marked with a pattern of stripes - kiểu có sọc

style (n) [1]

• Meaning 1:

  • a wide range of teaching styles

  • a style of management

  • Caution was not her style (= not the way she usually behaved).

• Meaning 2:

  • My mum has a wide variety of styles and designs

  • That style used to be popular in the 1960s.

• Meaning 3:

  • style-conscious youngsters

  • I don’t think short skirts will be in style (= fashionable) again.

• [countable, uncountable] the particular way in which something is done - cách

• [countable] a particular design of something, especially clothes - kiểu đồ

• [uncountable] the quality of being fashionable in the clothes that you wear - phong cách thời trang

phong cách

style (n) [2]

• Meaning 1:

  • Many traffic lights have been replaced, so it has lost many traditional styles.

  • She does everything with style and grace.

• Meaning 2:

  • one of the common styles of Vietnam’s contemporary literature

  • The film has a unique visual style.

• Meaning 3:

  • Please follow the house style (= the rules of spelling, etc., used by a particular publishing company).

• [uncountable] the quality of being attractive and made or done to a high standard

• [countable, uncountable] the features of a book, painting, building, etc. that make it typical of a particular author, artist, historical period, etc.

• [uncountable, countable] the correct use of language

phong cách

suit (v)

• Meaning 1: Does this T-shirt suit you? Not really, it is a bit tight, but I think it’s okay

• Meaning 2: I love cold colours because they suit me more.

• Meaning 3: I don’t think this climate suits me. I guess I have to adapt to and get used to it.

• to be convenient or useful for somebody

• (____ sb) (especially of clothes, colours, etc.) to make you look attractive

• ​____ somebody/something (especially British English)(usually used in negative sentences)to be right or good for somebody/something

phù hợp

suit (n)

• Meaning 1:

  • Hey, look how adorable she is, even when she is wearing an office suit!

  • They won’t let men into the restaurant without a suit and tie.

  • He is dressed in a formal black suit.

• Meaning 2:

  • a diving/flying/bathing/etc. suit

  • a suit of armour

  • His parents had bought him a new suit of clothes for the occasion.

• a set of clothes made of the same cloth, including a jacket and trousers or a skirt - bộ đồ vest

• a set of clothing worn for a particular activity - bộ đồ

suitable (adj)

• He is suitable because he has met all the requirements.

• These shorts are very suitable for you!

​right or appropriate for a particular purpose or occasion - phù hợp

tear (v)

• His clothes were badly torn.

• I tore a hole in my swimsuit.

• I tore the package open/open the package.

[transitive, intransitive] to damage something by pulling it apart or into pieces or by cutting it on something sharp; to become damaged in this way - xé, cắt, làm rách

tear (n)

• Meaning 1: There are many tears on your shirt! Who did that? Answer me!

• Meaning 2: His tears fell down as he was scolded by his dad before.

• [countable] a hole that has been made in something by tearing - lỗ rách

• [usually plural, countable] ​a drop of liquid that comes out of your eye when you cry - giọt nước mắt

tight (adj)

• Meaning 1: If only I could tie a not-tight knot on my pants. It is too uncomfortable.

• Meaning 2: As you can see, this shirt is not as tight as you thought.

• Meaning 3: Heri’s family would have to get used to a tight budget.

• Meaning 4: His mom set him an unreasonable and tight set of rules.

• held or fixed in position securely; difficult to move, open or separate - chặt

• fitting closely to your body and sometimes uncomfortable - chật

• difficult to manage because there is not enough - khó khăn, hẹp

• very strict and hard to resist, avoid, etc. - siết chặt

tool (n)

• Meaning 1: Are there any tools nearby that I can fix this new bookshelf?

• Meaning 2: Here for advice? I have got an amazing tool, but I bet most people here will know this, as it is so common. It is called “Google Calendar”.

• an instrument that you hold in your hand and use for making things, repairing things, etc. - dụng cụ

• a thing that helps you to do your job or to achieve something - công cụ