vocab

by a process of elimination

by removing from several possible answers the ones that are unlikely to be correct until only one is left:
We eventually found the answer by a \______ \____ \_____

fetch

to go to another place to get something or someone and bring it, him, or her back:
Could you \_________ me my glasses from the other room, please?

to be sold for a particular amount of money:
The paintings \_________ over a million dollars.

to hit someone with the hand:
I \________ him a smart blow on the ear!

fence

a structure that divides two areas of land, similar to a wall but made of wood or wire and supported with posts

erosion

the fact of soil, stone, etc. being gradually damaged and removed by the waves, rain, or wind:
soil/coastal \_______

the fact of a good quality or situation being gradually lost or destroyed:
The survey reveals a gradual \_______ of the president's popularity and support.

divert

to cause something or someone to change direction:
Our flight had to be \________ to Newark because of the storm.

to use something for a different purpose:
Should more funds/money/resources be \______ from roads into railways?

densely

with a lot of things close together:
England was once a \______ wooded country (\= a lot of trees grew close together there).

rejuvenated

make somebody/something look or feel younger, more
lively or more modern

suburb

an area on the edge of a large town or city where people who work in the town or city often live:
Box Hill is a \_______ of Melbourne.

rural

in, of, or like the countryside:
The area is still very \________ and undeveloped.

staircase

a set of stairs inside a building, usually with a bar fixed on the wall or onto vertical poles at the side for you to hold on to:
She descended the sweeping (\= long and wide) \_______ into the crowd of photographers and journalists.

juggling

working on many projects at the same time

commute

to make the same journey regularly between work and home:
It's exhausting \________ from Brighton to London every day.

be up to neck

to be very busy

more often than not

usually

supreme

having the highest rank, level, or importance:
the \________ commander of the armed forces

octogenarian

a person who is between 80 and 89 years old

wheel of fortune

a gambling device consisting of a revolving wheel with sections indicating chances taken or bets placed.

make into

change someone or something so that they become something else
They've \______ the spare room \_______ an office.

a leopard can't/doesn't change its spots

something you say that means a person's character, especially if it is bad, will not change, even if they pretend that it will

all mod cons

all modern conveniences, the machines and pieces of equipment in your house that make life easy and comfortable

break the mould

to be new and different:
Their approach to sports teaching \____ \_____ \______.

use up

to finish a supply of something:
Don't use up all the milk - we need some for breakfast.

change your tune/sing a different tune

change your opinion or attitude

have a change of heart

change your opinion about something or decide not to do something you were planning to do

against the clock

If you do something \______ \_____ \______ , you do it as fast as possible and try to finish it before a certain time.

know sth inside out

be very familiar with

reinvent

to produce something new that is based on something that already exists:
The story of Romeo and Juliet was \_______ as a Los Angeles gangster movie.

reinvent the wheel

to waste time trying to create something that someone else has already created

stick to your guns

to continue to have your beliefs or continue with a plan of action, even if other people disagree with you:
Despite harsh criticism, she's \_____ \_____ \_____ \____ on this issue.

the tools of the trade

the skills and equipment that you need in order to do your job

turn over a new leaf

change your life by starting to be a better person or stopping a bad habit

round-the-clock

happening or done all day and all night:
He's very sick and needs \____ \_____ \____ care.

changeover

a complete change from one system or method to another:
The \_________ to the new taxation system has created a lot of problems.

clockwise

in the same direction as the rotating hands of a clock

interchange

an exchange, especially of ideas or information, between different people or groups:
An international medical conference was established for the \_________ of new ideas and approaches.

a junction at which smaller roads meet a main road

junction

a place where things, especially roads or railways, come together:
You should slow down as you approach the \______.

continuity

the fact of something continuing for a long period of time without being changed or stopped:
There has been no \_________ in that class - they've had six different teachers.

the way in which different parts of a film or television programme are joined together so that the action happens without any pause or change

continuation / continuance

the fact of continuing or a thing that continues or follows from something else:
The \__________ of the strike caused a lot of hardship.

maturation

the process of becoming completely developed mentally or emotionally

to establish a link between

enstablish a connection between

renewal

the act of making an official document, agreement, or rule continue for more time:
Do you deal with season-ticket \________ here?

revolting

extremely unpleasant:
a \________ smell of rotting cabbage

treadmill

any type of repeated work that is boring and makes you feel tired and seems to have no positive effect and no end:
There were days when having kids seemed like an endless \________ of feeding, washing, and nappy-changing.

an exercise machine that consists of a moving strip or two step-like parts on which you walk without moving forward

burn

to copy information, recorded music, images, etc. onto a CD:
\________ your favourite songs or your important files onto CDs.

have money to burn

to spend a lot of money on things that are not necessary:
I don't know what her job is but she certainly seems to have \______ \______ \_______.

missile

a flying weapon that has its own engine so that it can travel a long distance before exploding at the place that it has been aimed at

burst

to break open or apart suddenly, or to make something do this:
I hate it when balloons \_______.
Suddenly the door \_______ open (\= opened suddenly and forcefully) and police officers rushed in.

to feel a strong emotion, or strong wish to do something:
I knew they were \________ with curiosity but I said nothing.

to suddenly burn strongly, producing a lot of flames:
\______ into flames
Smoke started pouring out from underneath, then the truck \_____ into flames.

hollow

having a hole or empty space inside:
a \________ tube

If you have \______ cheeks or eyes, your cheeks curve in or your eyes look deep in your head because you are old, tired, or ill:
He was an elderly man with \_____ cheeks.

(of situations, feelings, or words) without value, or not true or sincere:
It was something of a \__________ victory - she won the case but lost all her savings in legal fees.

consent

permission or agreement:
They can't publish your name without your \_______.

sign language

asset

a useful or valuable quality, skill, or person:
He'll be a great \______ to the team.

something valuable belonging to a person or organization that can be used for the payment of debts:
A lot of his wealth is in the form of stock, but he has little in liquid \________ (\= money or things that can easily be changed into money).

someone who provides secret information to a government or intelligence organization about what another government or organization is doing

overburdened

having too much to carry, contain, or deal with:
We're trying to stop development in areas with \_________ roads and schools.

martial

relating to soldiers, war, or life in the armed forces

scruffy

untidy and looking a little dirty :
They live in a \________ part of town.

keen

very good or well developed:
a \_______ sense of smell

extreme or very strong:
\________ interest
Many people are taking a \_________ interest (\= a very great interest) in the result of the vote.

very interested, eager, or wanting (to do) something very much:
Joan wanted to go to a movie but I wasn't \_______ (\= I didn't want to go).
They were very \________ to start work as soon as possible.

vice

a moral fault or weakness in someone's character:
Greed, pride, envy, and lust are considered to be \_______.

illegal and immoral activities, especially involving illegal sex, drugs, etc.:
The chief of police said that he was committed to wiping out \________ in the city.

ecstatic

extremely happy:
The new president was greeted by an \________ crowd.

a school of dolphins/whales/etc.

a large number of fish or other sea creatures swimming in a group:

model yourself on sb

to try to make yourself very similar to someone else:
Lots of young singers \______ themselves \______ Beyoncé.

dish the dirt

to tell people unpleasant or shocking personal information about someone:
She agreed to \_____ \____ \_____ on her ex-husband for a large fee.

words fail me

said to emphasize your surprise or shock, especially at something you have just seen or been told:
"So what did you think of Olive's pink outfit?" "\____ \_____ \_____. I've never seen anything quite like it!"

satellite dish

zenith

the highest point reached by a heavenly body (\= any object existing in space, especially a planet, or the sun) as it travels around, or appears to travel around, another body:

ray

a narrow beam of light, heat, etc. travelling in a straight line from its place of origin:
A \_______ of sunshine shone through a gap in the clouds.

a small amount of a feeling that makes you feel happier or more full of hope:
There's still a \_______ of hope that the missing child will be found alive.

a large, flat sea fish with a long, narrow tail

scorch

to (cause to) change colour with dry heat, or to burn slightly:
The iron was too hot and he \_______ the shirt.

(especially of motorcycles and cars) to travel or be driven very fast:
The sports car \______ past and disappeared into the distance.

lease

to make a legal agreement by which money is paid in order to use land, a building, a vehicle, or a piece of equipment for an agreed period of time:
The building's 60 units are currently \______ to students of the university.

a new lease of life

an occasion when you become more energetic and active than before:
His grandchildren have given him a \_____ \_____ \_____ \_____

an increase in the period for which something can be used or continued:
The project suddenly got a \_____ \_____ \______ \______ when the developers agreed to provide some more funding.

muscular build

hen party

a party for women only, before the wedding

scour

to remove dirt from something by rubbing it hard with something rough:
You'll have to \_______ out those old cooking pots before you use them.

to search a place or thing very carefully in order to try to find something:
The police are \_______ the area for the missing child.

search party

a group of people who look for someone who is lost:
A \_______ \______ was sent out to look for the missing climbers.

digest

to change food in your stomach into substances that your body can use:
I find that I don't \_______ meat easily.

pick sb's pocket

to steal small objects, especially money, from someone's pockets or bag

in someone's pocket

completely under someone's influence
The whole town was his. Even the mayor was in his pocket

shipwreck

an accident in which a ship is destroyed or sunk at sea, especially by hitting rocks, or a ship that has been destroyed or sunk in such an accident:
The danger of \_______ is much greater in fog.

hectic

full of activity, or very busy and fast:
a \______ schedule

tumult

a loud noise, especially that produced by an excited crowd, or a state of confusion, change, or uncertainty:
You couldn't hear her speak over the \______ from the screaming fans.

sense of duty

moral obligation

amend

to change the words of a text, especially a law or a legal document:
In line 20, "men" should be \______ (\= changed) to "people".

deteriorate

to become worse:
She was taken into hospital last week when her condition suddenly \______.

distort

to change the shape of something so that it looks strange or unnatural:
The map \_______ Greenland to appear four times its actual size.

endure

to suffer something difficult, unpleasant, or painful:
We had to \_______ a nine-hour delay at the airport.

refine

to make something pure or improve something, especially by removing unwanted material:
Crude oil is industrially \________ to purify it and separate out the different elements, such as benzene.

to improve an idea, method, system, etc. by making small changes:
Engineers spent many months \________ the software.

the status quo

the present situation:
Certain people always want to maintain the \_____ \_____

maintain

to continue to have

to keep in existence, or not allow to become less:
The army has been brought in to \_______ order in the region.

to keep a road, machine, building, etc. in good condition:
A large house costs a lot to \______.

to express firmly your belief that something is true:
Throughout his prison sentence, Dunn has always \__________ his innocence.

substitute

to use something or someone instead of another thing or person:
You can \_____ oil for butter (\= use oil instead of butter) in this recipe.

sustain

to cause or allow something to continue for a period of time:
The economy looks set to \_________ its growth into next year.

to keep alive:
The soil in this part of the world is not rich enough to \_____ a large population.

breakthrough

an important discovery or event that helps to improve a situation or provide an answer to a problem:
Scientists are hoping for a \__________ in the search for a cure for cancer.

broadband

consumer electronics

electronic products that are bought by people for their own use:

manual

done with the hands:
the \_____ sorting of letters

used to describe a vehicle in which the driver has to change the gears, or a feature of such a vehicle:
He was driving a \_________ car when he only had a licence for an automatic.

a book that gives you practical instructions on how to do something or how to use something, such as a machine:
a DIY \_________

nuclear

change into

stop being in one state, condition or form and start being in another, or make something do this

take off the clothes or a piece of clothing you are wearing and put on different ones

dish sth out

to give or say things to people without thinking about them carefully:
A good doctor listens to the patient rather than just \___ \______ drugs.

to give or serve food to people:
Jon, could you \_____ the carrots \____ for me, please?

key in

put information into a computer or other electronic machine using keys or a keyboard

grin

a wide smile:
I assumed things had gone well for him because he had a big \_______ on his face.

come to sb's attention/notice

I didn't know about her problems. They never came to my \________

crook

a very dishonest person, especially a criminal or a cheat:
These politicians are just a bunch of \________.

dead duck

someone or something that is very unlikely to be successful, especially because of a mistake or bad judgment:
Thanks to the lack of market research, the project was a \____ \___ right from the start.