TỪ VỰNG CÔ TRANG - UNIT 7 - BRIDGE THE GAP

a (good) grasp of

(idiom/phrase) know sth well e.g: He has a good _____ English grammar.

a (good) mind to

(idiom/phrase) seriously think about doing sth e.g: I have a good _____ complain to the manager.

a bet on

(idiom/phrase) gamble (on horses, etc.) e.g: He placed a _____ the winning horse.

not a clue about

(idiom/phrase) know nothing about e.g: I haven't _____ how to solve this puzzle.

a lot going for

(idiom/phrase) have a lot in one's favour e.g: She is young, smart, and has _____ her.

a brush with sb

(phrase) have an argument / unpleasant encounter with sb e.g: He had a brief _____ the law last year.

an/no inkling (of sth/that…)

(phrase) have some / no knowledge of sth secret or not previously known e.g: I had no _____ that they were planning a surprise party.

one's wits about one

(idiom) be / remain alert and ready to act e.g: In an emergency, you need to keep your _____ you.

a head start

(noun phrase) have an advantage over others e.g: It's not fair; he's got a _____!

one's eye on sth

(idiom) want sth very much e.g: She has her _____ that designer handbag.

sth on the go

(idiom) be involved in sth e.g: He always has several projects _____.

money to burn

(idiom) have so much money that one can spend it freely e.g: Look at his new sports car! He must have _____.

the gall / cheek / nerve / effrontery / audacity to

(phrase) have bold or rude behaviour without any feeling of shame e.g: He had the _____ ask for a loan after insultingly rejecting my help.

(no) recollection of

(phrase) (not) remember e.g: I have no _____ meeting him before.

my way

(idiom) get what you want e.g: If I have _____, we will leave right now.

it in for sb

(idiom) have sth against sb e.g: The teacher seems to have _____ me.

a (good) laugh (about)

(phrase) find amusing e.g: We had a good _____ his silly mistake.

one's say

(idiom) a chance to state one's opinion e.g: Everyone should have _____ in this decision.

(sth) to say for oneself

(idiom) be ready to talk, give one's views or justify what one has done e.g: What do you have _____ after breaking the window?

a go / crack / shot / stab / try at

(idiom) try sth e.g: Why don't you have _____ solving the riddle?

a go at sb

(idiom) criticise sb e.g: The boss had _____ him for coming late.

it both ways

(idiom) benefit from two opposing opinions / actions e.g: You can't have _____—you must choose one option.

sth / it coming to one

(idiom) deserve sth bad e.g: He got fired, but he had _____ after skipping work.

(too) many irons in the fire

(idiom) have (too) many interests, jobs or work to do at the same time e.g: He has too _____ to concentrate on any one thing for long.

the best of both worlds / all possible worlds

(idiom) the benefits of widely differing situations enjoyed at the same time e.g: Living in the countryside while working in the city gives her _____.

a (good) command (of)

(phrase) be able to use or control e.g: She has an excellent _____ English vocabulary.

a nest egg

(idiom) have a sum of money saved for future use e.g: They built a comfortable _____ for their retirement.

one's work cut out

(idiom) face a difficult task e.g: We have our _____ to finish the project on time.

other fish to fry

(idiom) have more important business to attend to e.g: I can't deal with this minor issue now; I have _____.

in the light of

(prepositional phrase) in view of sth; considering sth e.g: _____ your excellent work record, we have decided to promote you.

in contrast to

(prepositional phrase) being opposite, different e.g: _____ the majority of workers, you have been dependable.

in addition to

(prepositional phrase) as an extra person, thing, circumstance e.g: _____ your reliability, you showed great initiative.

in recognition of

(prepositional phrase) giving a reward to show gratitude e.g: _____ your efforts, I'm going to give you a bonus.

in the view of

(prepositional phrase) in the opinion of e.g: The promotion, _____ the board, is well deserved.

in terms of

(prepositional phrase) considering e.g: Could you tell me _____ money what my promotion means?

in the event of

(prepositional phrase) if sth specified happens or is done e.g: _____ a major problem, I may not be up to dealing with it.

in defence of

(prepositional phrase) defending e.g: He spoke _____ his colleagues during the meeting.

in advance (of)

(prepositional phrase) before, ahead of time e.g: You need to book tickets well _____.

in pursuit of

(prepositional phrase) looking for or trying to find sb/sth; following or chasing sb/sth so as to catch them/it e.g: She traveled the world _____ truth and knowledge.

in the context of

(prepositional phrase) circumstances in which sth happens or in which sth is to be considered e.g: You must view these comments _____ the whole conversation.

in the absence of

(prepositional phrase) a. being away; b. lacking; not existing or not being available e.g: _____ any new evidence, the police closed the case.

in bulk

(prepositional phrase) in large amounts e.g: He believes in buying goods _____.

in common

(prepositional phrase) sharing similar qualities e.g: They have a lot _____ despite their age difference.

in a flash

(idiom) very quickly e.g: The ambulance arrived _____.

in connection with

(prepositional phrase) with reference to sb/sth e.g: A man was questioned _____ the theft.

in preparation for

(prepositional phrase) the action of preparing e.g: He was working hard _____ his upcoming exams.

in line with

(prepositional phrase) similar to, in agreement with e.g: His salary is _____ industry standards.

in answer to

(prepositional phrase) saying, writing or doing sth as a response to deal with a question e.g: _____ your letter, we are pleased to offer you the job.

in conjunction with

(prepositional phrase) acting/planning together e.g: The police are working _____ local authorities.

get around / get from A to B

(phrasal verb) move about; go to different places e.g: Everyone has to _____ in the city efficiently.

public transport

(noun phrase) system of carrying passengers via bus, train, etc. from one place to another e.g: _____ is crucial in both urban and rural areas.

network

(noun) large system of lines, paths, similar structures, etc. that are interconnected e.g: Public transport consists of a _____ of bus routes.

rush hour (= peak hours)

(noun phrase) time in the morning and evening when people are going to and from work and when streets, trains, buses, etc. are crowded e.g: Roads are heavily congested during _____.

commuters

(noun) people who travel from home to work and back in a car, train, bus, etc. e.g: Many _____ face long delays every day.

hub

(noun) a centre of activity; a busy place e.g: The station is the central _____ of the city's transport system.

mainline

(noun/adj) one of the major railway lines e.g: We took a train from the _____ train station.

subsidise

(verb) pay part of the cost of sth for sb else e.g: Public transport is heavily _____ by the government.

staffing / manning costs

(noun phrase) costs resulting from providing a company, business, etc. with enough employees/workers so that a job can be done properly e.g: High _____ increased the company's expenses.

congestion

(noun) heavy traffic e.g: Traffic _____ is a major issue in inner-city areas.

inner-city

(noun/adj) close to the centre of a city e.g: We need better infrastructure in _____ areas.

maintenance work

(noun phrase) work intended to keep equipment and supplies in good condition e.g: Trains were delayed due to urgent _____.

signal failures

(noun phrase) malfunctions in traffic or railway lights e.g: The train was canceled because of _____.

cost-efficient

(adjective) economical e.g: Public transport is more _____ than driving a private car.

fuel consumption

(noun phrase) amount of fuel used (up) e.g: Electric cars help lower total _____.

maintenance / running costs

(noun phrase) costs related to the normal upkeep/ongoing operation of (a vehicle) e.g: The _____ of keeping an old car can be very high.

pedestrian precincts

(noun phrase) areas within a town, city where vehicular traffic is prohibited e.g: The municipality converted the shopping street into _____.

get a ticket

(phrase) be fined for a traffic-related offence e.g: If you park illegally, you will _____.

be towed away

(verb phrase) have one's car removed by a vehicle equipped with rope/chain e.g: Park legally or your car will _____.

travel under one's own steam

(idiom) (travel) by one's own power/effort e.g: Cycling allows you to _____.

weave in and out (of traffic)

(verb phrase) move so that one is turning and changing direction frequently e.g: Motorbikes often _____ on crowded streets.

at the mercy of the elements

(idiom) exposed to the weather e.g: Cyclists are completely _____ during storm season.

set the wheels in motion

(idiom) begin sth / begin putting into operation e.g: We have _____ to launch the new project.

take a back seat

(idiom) leave sb else in charge e.g: He decided to _____ and let his assistant lead.

end of the line

(idiom) point at which one can go no further / condition that comes when one can do/get away with no more e.g: When the company went bankrupt, it was the _____ for us.

get into gear

(idiom) prepare oneself to do sth e.g: We need to _____ if we want to hit the deadline.

do a U-turn

(idiom) reverse one's position / opinion completely e.g: The government did a complete _____ on its economic policy.

go / be back to where one started

(idiom) return to one's starting point e.g: After the deal failed, we were _____.

take a wrong turning

(idiom) make a mistake (with bad consequences) e.g: He took a _____ when he invested all his money in that risky stock.

go off the rails

(idiom) go wrong / do sth wrong / lose control e.g: The project went _____ due to poor management.

be streets ahead (of)

(idiom) be much better / more advanced than e.g: Their products are _____ the competition.

life in the fast lane

(idiom) lifestyle devoted to getting ahead / living a very fast-paced lifestyle, always busy and constantly on the go e.g: He got tired of _____ and moved to a quiet village.

one for the road

(idiom) a last drink before departing e.g: Let's have _____ before we go home.

on the road (to fame and fortune/stardom)

(idiom) heading towards (a specified consequence) e.g: She is well _____ to becoming a famous artist.

public relations officer

(noun phrase) individual in a company, firm, etc. responsible for establishing and promoting favourable relationship with the public e.g: The company hired a new _____ to handle media queries.

public company

(noun phrase) one offering shares in itself for sale to the public on the stock exchange e.g: They decided to list the business as a _____.

ran out of steam

(idiom) became tired; lost one's energy e.g: The runners _____ towards the end of the marathon.

full steam ahead

(idiom) forward at the greatest speed possible; with as much energy and enthusiasm as possible e.g: It was _____ once the budget was approved.

in line for

(idiom) about to get e.g: She is next _____ a promotion.

in the line of duty

(idiom) as part of one's responsibilities in doing one's job e.g: The officer was injured _____.

wheels

(noun) sturdy circular object that turns around a central point and is connected to an axle e.g: The carriage rolled smoothly on its heavy _____.

oil the wheels of

(idiom) make function more smoothly e.g: Good communication helps _____ any project.

hard and fast rules

(idiom) strict rules e.g: There are no _____ in creative writing.

pull a fast one on sb

(idiom) deceive; trick; gain the advantage over one's opponent unfairly e.g: You can't _____ me; I know the truth!

up in the air

(idiom) not decided e.g: It is still entirely _____ whether we will join you in London.

vanish into thin air

(idiom) disappear without trace e.g: The keys seemed to _____ from my bag.

a breath of fresh air

(idiom) sth/sb new and refreshing e.g: Her positive attitude was like _____ in the meeting.

clear the air

(idiom) resolve an unpleasant situation e.g: We had a long discussion to _____ between us.

give oneself airs

(idiom) give the impression of being important e.g: Ever since his promotion, he has been giving _____.

hold water

(idiom) withstand testing e.g: The police knew his alibi wouldn't _____.

pour cold water on a plan

(idiom) spoil or stop a plan e.g: You're always _____ my ideas!