[BALANCE 3] Unit 1 - Lexical Items

absorb (v)

Take/draw in heat/gas/liquid
Hấp thụ, hút vào (chất lỏng, nhiệt, khí)
The sponge quickly ~ the spilled coffee, leaving the surface completely dry.
~ into

absorb (v)

Take information, etc. into the mind and understand it
Tiếp thu, lĩnh hội kiến thức, thông tin
Students often struggle to ~ complex theories presented in academic lectures without visual aids.
~ information/knowledge/lesson

absorb (v)

Reduce the effect of impact/shock/exchange
Giảm bớt tác động, chấn động
The helmet ~ most of the impact, protecting the cyclist from serious injury.
~ shock/impact/pressure/costs

absorb (v)

Hold sb's attention/interest completely
Thu hút hoàn toàn sự chú ý
She was so ~ in the novel that she forgot her surroundings completely.
be ~ in

act (n)

Something done
Hành động, việc làm
His ~ of kindness towards strangers earned him widespread respect and admiration.
~ of

act (n)

A main division of a play/opera
Hồi (trong kịch, nhạc kịch)
The tension escalated significantly during the final ~ of Shakespeare’s tragedy.
~ I/II/III

act (n)

A law
Đạo luật
The government introduced a new ~ to regulate online data privacy protection.
~ on/upon/under; ~ of Parliament

act (n)

A pretence
Giả vờ, làm bộ
His politeness was just an ~, hiding his irritation and impatience.
put on an ~

act (n)

A short piece of entertainment
Tiết mục biểu diễn
The comedy ~ kept the audience laughing throughout the entire evening show.
perform an ~, circus ~

active (a)

Physically/mentally lively
Năng động, hoạt bát
Children are naturally ~, requiring constant opportunities to play and explore.
physically ~, mentally ~

active (a)

Involved in a particular activity
Tham gia, hoạt động trong lĩnh vực nào đó
She has been ~ in environmental campaigns for over two decades.
~ in politics, ~ in community work

active (a)

Working, functioning, able to produce efforts
Đang hoạt động, có hiệu lực
The volcano remains ~, posing a constant threat to nearby settlements.
~ volcano, ~ service, ~ ingredient

afford (v)

Have enough money/time to be able to do sth
Có đủ tiền/thời gian để làm gì
Many families cannot ~ expensive tuition fees for international schools.
~ to do sth; ~ N

afford (v)

Be able to withstand/do sth without serious damage
Chịu được, không bị hại
The company cannot ~ another financial mistake after last year’s crisis.
cannot ~ to V

afford (v)

Give/provide sth
Đem lại, cung cấp
The hotel room ~ a stunning view of the surrounding mountains.
~ opportunity/view/protection

air (n)

The mixture of gases that we breathe
Không khí
Fresh ~ is essential for maintaining both physical and mental health.
breathe ~, in the ~

air (n)

Melody, tune
Giai điệu
The violinist played a gentle ~ that calmed the anxious audience.
play an ~

air (n)

Character/appearance/atmosphere
Vẻ ngoài, không khí
The room had an ~ of elegance with its vintage furniture.
~ of mystery/confidence/sadness

air (n)

Being broadcast
Phát sóng
The program will go on ~ next week during prime time hours.
on ~, off ~

apply (v)

Request sth, usually in writing
Nộp đơn, xin
Thousands of students ~ to prestigious universities but only few were accepted.
~ for (job, visa, scholarship)

apply (v)

Put/spread sth onto sth
Bôi, phết, đắp
~ sunscreen generously to protect your skin from harmful ultraviolet rays.
~ cream/paint/pressure to

apply (v)

Be relevant
Áp dụng, thích hợp
The new regulations ~ to all businesses operating within the city.
~ to

apply (v)

Make use of
Áp dụng, sử dụng
She successfully ~ theoretical knowledge to solve real-world engineering problems.
~ a method/rule/theory

apply (v)

Make full use of energy/thoughts
Chuyên tâm, tập trung
He ~ himself diligently to completing the complex research project on time.
~ oneself to

appreciate (v)

Understand and enjoy the good qualities of sth
Thưởng thức, đánh giá cao
I deeply ~ fine art that reflects cultural heritage and human emotions.
~ beauty/quality/work

appreciate (v)

Understand sth and take it into account
Hiểu, nhận ra
He failed to ~ the seriousness of the problem until it was too late.
~ importance/difficulty/risk

appreciate (v)

Be grateful for
Biết ơn
I truly ~ your support during the most difficult moments of my life.
~ help/support/kindness

appreciate (v)

Increase in monetary value
Tăng giá trị
The value of property in urban areas has ~ significantly over decades.
property/currency ~ in value

attend (v)

Be present at
Tham dự
Thousands ~ the conference to discuss advances in renewable energy technologies.
~ a meeting/conference/class

attend (v)

Pay attention
Chú ý
Students must ~ carefully to instructions before beginning the laboratory experiments.
~ to

attend (v)

Deal with
Giải quyết, xử lý
The nurse ~ to the injured passenger with remarkable professionalism.
~ to

awkward (a)

Clumsy
Vụng về
His ~ movements revealed his nervousness during the formal dance performance.
~ movement/gesture

awkward (a)

Difficult to use/carry
Khó dùng, cồng kềnh
The box was ~ to carry through the narrow, crowded staircase.
~ shape/position/size

awkward (a)

Embarrassing, inconvenient
Ngượng nghịu, phiền toái
She found herself in an ~ situation when both ex-boyfriends arrived unexpectedly.
~ situation/moment/question

awkward (a)

Difficult to deal with, unwilling to help
Khó chịu, khó đối phó
The customer was ~, refusing to provide details about his complaint.
~ customer/problem

backing (n)

Help/support, usually financial
Hỗ trợ, ủng hộ (thường tài chính)
The project succeeded largely thanks to strong financial ~ from private investors.
~ from/for

backing (n)

Material that is used to make the back of something
Lớp lót, lớp đệm phía sau
The carpet has a rubber ~ to prevent it from slipping.
~ of/with

backing (n)

Musical accompaniment
Nhạc đệm
She sang beautifully with a subtle piano ~ throughout the performance.
~ vocals/track/band

balance (n)

Equilibrium
Cân bằng
Work-life ~ is increasingly important in modern fast-paced societies.
~ between

balance (n)

An amount that is left
Số dư, phần còn lại
The remaining ~ in his account was insufficient to cover the rent.
account ~, ~ of

balance (n)

The ability to stay upright
Khả năng giữ thăng bằng
The gymnast maintained perfect ~ during a challenging routine on the beam.
keep/lose/regain ~

band (n)

A group of musicians
Ban nhạc
The ~ performed live, thrilling thousands of fans with their latest songs.
rock ~, jazz ~, join a ~

band (n)

A strip of metal, etc.
Dải, vòng (kim loại, cao su, v.v.)
The ring was decorated with a delicate gold ~ around the diamond.
~ of/around

band (n)

A group of people doing something together
Nhóm, băng nhóm
A ~ of volunteers helped distribute food to the homeless during winter.
~ of

band (n)

A range of numbers/amounts/radio waves, etc.
Dải (sóng, số liệu)
Internet speed falls within the higher ~ of international standards.
frequency ~, ~ of

band (n)

A line/stripe coloured differently from the colour(s) on either side
Vạch, sọc màu
The bird’s wings were marked with a bright red ~ near the tips.
~ of/around

bargain for/on (phrasal verb)

Expect (sth to happen)
Mong đợi, lường trước
She hadn’t ~ such fierce opposition when she proposed the new plan.
~ difficulties, ~ trouble, ~ support

be after (phrasal verb)

Want sth or be searching for sth
Muốn có, tìm kiếm
The police are ~ the man who stole several valuable paintings last night.
~ fame, ~ money, ~ information

be down on (phrasal verb)

Be hostile, disapprove of, or critical towards sb
Ghét, chống đối, chê trách
The teacher is really ~ him for constantly being late to class.
~ sb, ~ employees

be down with (phrasal verb)

Be ill with
Bị bệnh
He couldn’t attend the conference because he was ~ severe influenza.
~ flu, ~ fever

be in for (phrasal verb)

Be about to experience sth (usually unpleasant)
Sắp phải trải qua
If you ignore the warnings, you will ~ serious trouble soon.
~ a shock, ~ trouble

be in with (phrasal verb)

Be friendly with, especially to gain advantage
Thân thiết, có quan hệ tốt (để hưởng lợi)
He’s ~ the management, which explains his sudden promotion over other candidates.
~ the boss, ~ influential people

get cold feet (idiom)

Become nervous or frightened before an important event
Lo sợ, mất can đảm
She ~ just before the wedding ceremony and nearly called it off.
~ about sth

with the naked eye (idiom)

Without binoculars, microscope, or telescope
Bằng mắt thường
The comet was so bright that it could be seen ~.
see ~, visible ~

bark is worse than bite (idiom)

Someone seems more unpleasant or aggressive than they really are
Trông đáng sợ hơn thực tế
Don’t worry about the manager—his ~.
sb’s ~

not keep a straight face (idiom)

Unable to stop laughing or looking amused
Không giữ được vẻ mặt nghiêm túc
During the ceremony, he couldn’t ~ when his friend stumbled.
not ~ at sth

out of breath (idiom)

Breathing heavily after exertion
Thở hổn hển
After running up the long staircase, she was completely ~.
be ~, get ~

beat about the bush (idiom)

Avoid saying sth directly or delay giving an answer
Nói vòng vo, tránh vào trọng tâm
Stop ~ and tell me exactly what you want.
~ instead of…

(pass) with flying colours (idiom)

Succeed exceptionally well
Thành công rực rỡ
She passed her final law exams ~ and received several job offers.
pass ~, succeed ~

be up in arms (idiom)

Be very angry and protest strongly
Nổi giận, phản đối dữ dội
Residents are ~ about the government’s plan to demolish the park.
~ about sth

let the cat out of the bag (idiom)

Reveal a secret unintentionally
Lỡ tiết lộ bí mật
He accidentally ~ about their surprise party.
~ on sth

at the drop of a hat (idiom)

Without hesitation, immediately
Ngay lập tức, không chần chừ
She’s always ready to help her friends ~.
do sth ~

go to (one’s) head (idiom)

Make sb arrogant or conceited
Khiến ai đó trở nên kiêu ngạo
Success at an early age ~ and damaged his humility completely.
fame ~, power ~

be on the verge of sth (idiom)

Be about to do or experience sth
Sắp, gần như
The species is ~ extinction due to constant habitat destruction.
~ tears, ~ collapse

put (one’s) foot down (idiom)

Assert authority to stop sth from happening
Kiên quyết, cứng rắn
The teacher finally ~ and stopped the disruptive behavior in class.
~ about sth

get a chip on (one’s) shoulder (idiom)

Behave rudely or aggressively due to feeling inferior or unfairly treated
Mang mặc cảm, hậm hực
Ever since being overlooked for promotion, he’s had a real ~.
have/get ~ about sth

ignorance is bliss (proverb)

Not knowing something can make you happier
Không biết thì yên ổn hơn
Sometimes ~; I’d rather not know all those depressing details.
say ~, believe ~

slow on the uptake (idiom)

Slow to understand, unintelligent
Chậm hiểu
He’s a bit ~, so instructions must be repeated carefully.
be ~

burst at the seams (idiom)

Extremely full, overcrowded
Chật ních, quá tải
The stadium was ~ with fans eager to see the match.
be ~ with sth

be in deep water (idiom)

In serious trouble
Gặp rắc rối lớn
After borrowing heavily, the company found itself ~ with creditors.
~ financially, ~ legally

be born with a silver spoon in (one’s) mouth (idiom)

Be born into a wealthy or privileged family
Sinh ra đã ngậm thìa bạc (giàu có, may mắn)
He was ~, never knowing hardship.
~

give (sb) a piece of (one’s) mind (idiom)

Tell sb strongly what you think of their bad behavior
Mắng, nói thẳng thắn
She ~ after his rude remarks yesterday.
~ about sth

condense (v)

Make smaller or more compact
Làm ngưng tụ, cô đọng
The writer managed to ~ the lengthy report into a concise two-page summary.
~ information into sth, ~ ideas into form

contract (v)

Become shorter, narrower, or smaller
Co lại, thu nhỏ
Metals ~ when cooled, which engineers must consider in construction projects.
~ in size, ~ muscles

decline (v)

Get worse, decrease in quality or quantity
Suy giảm, từ chối
The company’s profits ~ steadily over the last three consecutive fiscal years.
~ sharply, ~ steadily, ~ in value

decrease (v)

(Cause to) become less
Giảm bớt
Measures were taken to ~ pollution levels in major industrial cities.
~ significantly, ~ gradually, ~ by percentage

deduce (v)

Work out from facts or evidence
Suy luận
From the evidence, detectives ~ that the suspect had left through the window.
~ from evidence, ~ logically

deduct (v)

Subtract from a total
Khấu trừ, trừ đi
Tax will automatically be ~ from your monthly salary before payment.
~ tax from, ~ amount from total

diminish (v)

(Be) reduced in size, importance, or value
Giảm bớt, làm yếu đi
His influence within the party has ~ significantly since the scandal broke out.
~ rapidly, ~ importance, ~ confidence

discharge (v)

Allow sb to leave (hospital, army, etc)
Cho xuất viện, giải ngũ
The patient was ~ from the hospital after a week of intensive care.
~ sb from hospital, ~ sb from army

disclose (v)

Make something known, usually information
Tiết lộ, công khai
The company refused to ~ details of the merger until negotiations were complete.
~ information, ~ details, ~ identity

dismiss (v)

Reject something as unimportant or ask/order sb to leave or sack sb
Gạt bỏ, coi thường; sa thải, cho nghỉ
The judge ~ the argument as irrelevant to the main legal issue.
~ claims, ~ suggestions, ~ sb from a job

dispel (v)

Remove doubts, fears, or negative feelings
Xua tan, loại bỏ
The scientist’s clear explanation ~ many myths about the dangers of vaccines.
~ doubts, ~ fears, ~ myths

display (v)

Show, make visible
Trưng bày, biểu lộ
The museum ~ rare manuscripts that had never been shown before.
~ skills, ~ courage, ~ artwork

dissolve (v)

Officially end an organization or arrangement
Giải thể, tan rã
The committee was ~ after failing to reach a decision for months.
~ parliament, ~ partnership, ~ marriage

evacuate (v)

Empty a place in time of danger
Sơ tán
Residents were ~ when the volcano showed signs of imminent eruption.
~ a building, ~ civilians, ~ residents

exhibit (v)

Show publicly
Trưng bày, triển lãm
The gallery will ~ modern sculptures by international artists next month.
~ paintings, ~ talent, ~ behavior

expel (v)

Force to leave (school, country, etc.)
Đuổi, trục xuất
The student was ~ for repeated violations of school rules.
~ sb from school, ~ sb from country

expose (v)

Leave sth unprotected or visible; show that sth is bad or immoral
Phơi bày, để lộ; vạch trần, phanh phui
The journalist ~ corruption within the government’s top ranks.
~ to danger, ~ corruption, ~ lies

impose (v)

Force rules, laws, or burdens on others
Áp đặt
The government ~ strict regulations to reduce environmental pollution.
~ restrictions, ~ fines, ~ taxes on

extradite (v)

Send a suspect back to another country for trial
Dẫn độ
The suspect was ~ to face trial in his home country.
~ a criminal, ~ sb to another country

flail (v)

Wave wildly and energetically
Vung vẩy, quẫy
He ~ his arms desperately as he struggled in the deep water.
~ around, ~ wildly

flaunt (v)

Show off in an obvious way
Khoe khoang
She openly ~ her wealth by buying the most expensive designer clothes.
~ wealth, ~ beauty, ~ success

flourish (v)

Hold sth in a way to attract attention
Vung, giơ cao (thể hiện)
The speaker ~ a letter before the audience to emphasize his point.
~ a sword, ~ documents

flout (v)

Intentionally disobey rules or authority
Coi thường, xem thường luật lệ
Companies that ~ environmental laws should face severe penalties.
~ the law, ~ regulations, ~ convention

lower (v)

Reduce in volume, amount, or value
Hạ xuống, giảm
They ~ the price of tickets to attract more customers.
~ costs, ~ prices, ~ expectations

minimise (v)

Reduce sth unpleasant to the lowest possible level
Giảm thiểu
Safety procedures are designed to ~ the risk of workplace accidents.
~ risk, ~ damage, ~ impact

reduce (v)

Make less in size, amount, or value
Giảm bớt
The new program aims to ~ poverty in rural communities.
~ costs, ~ pollution, ~ waste

reveal (v)

Let sth be seen or shown
Tiết lộ, để lộ
The investigation ~ serious flaws in the financial reporting system.
~ the truth, ~ details, ~ identity

across the board (phrase)

Affecting everyone or everything equally
Toàn diện
The company announced ~ salary cuts to survive the financial crisis.
~ changes, ~ reductions