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1000.english - Collocations.in.10.minutes.a.day 2013 128p
1000.english - Collocations.in.10.minutes.a.day 2013 128p
net
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Introduction
Thanks for buying the e-book!
In these 50 lessons, youre going to learn 1000+ collocations that will expand your vocabulary and help
your English sound more natural.
Collocations are the typical or common combinations of words we use together.
Here are some simple examples:
take a picture
do a picture
make a picture
a quick shower
a fast shower
When you make mistakes with collocations, the other person will usually understand you but your
English wont sound natural because its different from the way a native speaker would say it.
Although its possible to communicate successfully with incorrect collocations, using collocations
correctly can help you speak more fluently.
I suggest completing one lesson in this book per day, but of course you can study at your own pace.
Always do the quiz after each lesson this is essential to review and practice what youve learned! The
answers are at the end of the book.
At the end of each audio file, theres an opportunity for you to listen to and repeat the collocations. If
youre really short on time, you can skip that part but its nice for practicing your pronunciation, as
well as reinforcing the phrase in your memory.
As an additional exercise, I recommend creating your own example sentences with a few of the
collocations from each lesson. Try to make them as personal as possible, as this helps you remember
the expressions better.
If you have any questions, doubts, comments, etc., you can send me an e-mail at
[email protected]
Happy studying!
Shayna Oliveira
EspressoEnglish.net
1000 English Collocations in 10 Minutes a Day
Shayna Oliveira 2013
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Lesson 1 Family
Lets begin our study of collocations by learning some common expressions about the family. Your
parents and siblings (brothers and sisters) are your immediate family and your extended family
includes all your relatives uncles, cousins, great-aunts, etc.
You can use a family tree to diagram the relationships among your family members. A person who is
related to you by a long series of connections can be called a distant relative.
If youre lucky, you have a loving family or a close-knit family these expressions refer to a family that
has good relationships, where everyone loves each other and helps each other. If you were raised in a
loving family, then you probably had a carefree childhood that means you had nothing to worry about
when you were young.
On the other hand, a family in which the relationships are bad or unhealthy can be called a
dysfunctional family. If the children experience abuse, poverty, or problems with the law, we can say
they had a troubled childhood.
Perhaps the parents went through a bitter divorce that means a separation in which there were
bad/angry feelings between the husband and wife. Its also possible to have a messy divorce, with a
prolonged legal battle involving lots of conflicts about the separation of the former couples assets
(money and possessions). The decisions about the separation of assets are made in the divorce
settlement. A family in which there are divorces or separations is sometimes called a broken home.
Sometimes the mother and father fight over custody of the children that refers to who has the
primary responsibility of caring for the kids. A judge can grant joint custody that means the exhusband and ex-wife share the responsibility or sole custody to only one parent. For example, a judge
might award sole custody to the mother, and the father has to pay child support regular payments to
help with expenses for the kids.
If it was a mutual divorce/separation that means the ex-husband and ex-wife agreed to separate
without fighting then they will probably stay on good terms with each other (meaning to have a polite
relationship without conflicts).
If a woman gets pregnant without being married or in a relationship, then she will become a single
mother. Some women in this situation choose to have an abortion, and others prefer to give the baby
up for adoption. The time when the baby is planned to arrive is called the due date you can also say
the baby is due in mid-October, for example.
After the woman has the baby (or gives birth to the baby), the baby is given to the adoptive parents,
who will raise the child or bring up the child as if it was their own. Sometimes, when the adopted child
is older, he or she tries to find their birth mother (biological mother).
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Lesson 1 Quiz
Circle the best word to complete each sentence:
1. A friend of mine gave / took / went birth to her son at home with the help of a nurse.
2. A number of the kids in my classroom come from broken / damaged / hurt homes.
3. After a hostile / cruel / bitter divorce from his wife of 20 years, the actor married a woman
young enough to be his daughter.
4. I see my excepted / expanded / extended family once a year, during our annual family vacation.
5. I was raised in a very joyful / loving / tender family, in which everyone helped each other.
6. I was created / grown / raised by my grandparents after my parents passed away.
7. I'm on good friends / relations / terms with all my former boyfriends.
8. John had a carefree / careful / careless childhood, growing up with happily married parents and
three brothers.
9. Many women regret giving / having / taking an abortion years afterwards.
10. My aunt's going through a messy / sloppy / untidy divorce; she's paying a fortune in legal fees.
11. My husband doesn't get along with a few of my family people / individuals / members.
12. Although my salary is low, I get child assistance / provision / support from my ex-husband.
13. My sister got / had / made pregnant immediately after she got married.
14. My son is making a diagram of our family roots / tree / web for a school project.
15. My wife is pregnant with twins. They're come / due / here in February.
16. Sally was granted sole custody / guardian / keeping of the children from her first marriage.
17. Teenagers who had a distressed / troubled / worsened childhood often have behavior
problems in school.
18. The celebrity wrote a book about his debilitated / defective / dysfunctional family.
19. The divorce contract / reimbursement / settlement awarded the wife $500,000.
20. There are four people in my close / immediate / neighboring family.
21. They have three biological children and two adopted / adoptive / adopting children.
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Lesson 2 Relationships
When you move to a new city, it can be hard to make friends. Youll probably have a number of casual
acquaintances people who you know on a basic level, but with whom you dont have a significant
relationship. Over time, some of these may become good friends or close friends these collocations
refer to friends with whom you have an especially strong relationship.
Do you believe in love at first sight? Thats when two people meet each other and immediately fall in
love perhaps because they have strong chemistry this expression describes strong compatibility or
connection between two possible romantic partners. Some people believe that their significant other
(their boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife) is their soul mate this is a poetic expression that means
that two people are destined to be together.
Its possible for one person to have feelings for another person this expression is an indirect way to
describe romantic feelings but if the other person doesnt feel the same way, then the feeling is not
mutual. The other person might say hes/shes just not my type meaning that they are interested in
people of a different type of personality/appearance. Ah, theres nothing sadder than unrequited love!
(Love that is not returned)
Some people marry their childhood sweetheart or high school/college sweetheart this expression
refers to a boyfriend or girlfriend from your childhood, teenage, or college years. Other couples are
introduced by a mutual friend one friend that the two people have in common. When the couple is
ready to make a commitment, the man proposes to the woman he asks her to marry him. If the
marriage is good, then we say the couple is happily married.
Unfortunately, not all love stories have a happy ending. Sometimes a husband or wife has an affair
they have sex with a different person. We can also say that they are cheating on their husband/wife.
The expression have an affair is typically used only for married couples, and the expression cheating
on can be used for married couples or for boyfriends/girlfriends.
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Lesson 2 Quiz
1. The process of creating friendships is called...
a) getting friends
b) earning friends
c) making friends
b) falling in love
4. If only one of the two people has romantic feelings, we say the feeling is not...
a) mutual
b) returned
c) together
5. A polite way to say you're not attracted to someone is: "He/she's not my..."
a) kind
b) style
c) type
6. A man who marries a woman who he met when both were very young, has married his childhood...
a) darling
b) lover
c) sweetheart
7. When two people get married, they make a ___________ to each other.
a) commitment
b) compromise
c) guarantee
8. Many men try to find a creative and romantic way to __________ to their girlfriends.
a) propose
b) proposition
c) purpose
9. A lot of marriages end when one member of the couple has an...
a)affair
b) experience
c) intimacy
10. If you catch your significant other in bed with another person, then he/she is _________ on you.
a) betraying
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b) cheating
c) deceiving
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Lesson 3 Appearance
My best friend Joanna is absolutely gorgeous (extremely beautiful). She has long, sleek, jet-black hair
(sleek = smooth and straight, jet-black = perfectly black), pale blue eyes (pale = light color), and a
radiant complexion (skin that appears healthy and full of energy).
People always compliment her on her hourglass figure (when a woman has large breasts and hips, but a
small waist) and ask her what the secret is to maintaining such a slender waist (a thin waist). She has a
round face with an upturned nose, and she actually bears a striking resemblance (looks extremely
similar) to a famous singer.
Joanna could get any guy she wanted so I was really surprised when she introduced me to her latest
boyfriend, who I think is hideously ugly. He has curly, shoulder-length hair that looks rather unkempt
(unkempt hair = messy hair, it appears that the person doesnt take care of their hair).
He has a square face and a ruddy complexion (reddish skin). His deep-set eyes (eyes that are far back in
the persons face) are almost hidden under his bushy eyebrows (big eyebrows with lots of hair), and he
sports a thick mustache and a huge, shaggy beard (a beard with lots of hair). I guess Joanna doesnt
mind his facial hair (facial hair = beard and/or mustache).
His body isnt bad he has an athletic build (body with a lot of muscles), with broad shoulders (wide
shoulders) and muscular arms. If he would only trim his beard (cut his beard a little shorter) and comb
his hair, I suppose he could be considered somewhat attractive (more or less beautiful/handsome).
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Lesson 3 Quiz
comb / curly / deep-set / facial / medium / muscular / radiant / slender / striking / trim
1. This moisturizer will give you a __________________ complexion.
2. She has a __________________ waist and wide hips.
3. He bears a __________________resemblance to a good friend of mine.
4. I've never liked my __________________ hair; I wish it was straight.
5. His __________________eyes make him look very pensive.
6. I love men with __________________ hair - I think it's sexy.
7. Would you please __________________your hair? It looks like you've just gotten out of bed.
8. Im not changing my hairstyle Im just getting a __________________.
9. He has a __________________ build - he's not particularly strong, but not especially skinny either.
10. My soccer coach has very __________________ legs.
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Lesson 4 Quiz
1. A lot of successful entrepreneurs have not only a bright / lucid / vivid imagination, but also the
willingness to work hard.
2. He really hurt my emotions / feelings / senses when he called me an idiot.
3. His superiority belief / complex / tendency makes him impossible to work with because he
won't listen to suggestions.
4. I had to chew / eat / swallow my pride and apologize to Janet for overreacting to her criticism.
5. I like to date men with a great feel / sense / touch of humor.
6. In some cultures, it's considered very rude to say / speak / talk your mind.
7. It's good to get / put / set others first, but not at the expense of your own well-being.
8. Most people who work as comedians have very outgoing / tendency / upcoming personalities.
9. My brother is brutally / carefully / painfully shy, but I'm trying to encourage him to come out of
his case / shell / skin.
10. My daughter gets along with her classmates, but she has a competitive spot / streak / strip
when it comes to academics.
11. My husband forgives other people very easily; he's not one to bear / hurt / swallow a grudge.
12. She would never cheat on her husband; she's angrily / brutally / fiercely loyal to him.
13. The kids were suspended for playing a grudge / prank / streak on the teacher - they put a live
snake inside her desk.
14. Working with a therapist has helped me overcome my problems with deep / low / small selfesteem.
15. You need to develop a fatter / harder / thicker skin; you can't let every little comment upset
you.
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Lesson 5 Feelings
I experienced a roller coaster of emotions when my son was born (many different emotions one after
another). During my wifes pregnancy, I was ridiculously excited about the prospect of becoming a dad.
On the big day, Id imagined that everything would go smoothly and wed be blissfully happy but there
were complications during the delivery and my wife had to have emergency surgery while I waited in the
reception area, worried sick (very worried).
As time went by, I got increasingly anxious because the doctors werent telling me anything. After two
hours I was seething with anger (ready to explode with anger), and I and shouted at one of the nurses.
Then the security guards came and escorted me out of the hospital.
My wife was visibly disappointed (it was obvious that she was disappointed) that I wasnt by her side
when she woke up from surgery. She didnt say anything shes not really one to show her feelings; she
prefers to bottle up her emotions (keep her emotions hidden inside her) but I knew I had let her down
and I was terribly sorry that I had lost my temper (lost control and shown anger).
The months that followed were tough. My wife became deeply depressed, and I too was an emotional
wreck (a person who is very sad, confused, and upset) as I tried to juggle the demands of work and
family life. But now things are starting to turn around Ive been pleasantly surprised at the all help
weve gotten from our friends and neighbors.
Im just immensely grateful that my wife and son are healthy, and sometimes Im overwhelmed with
emotion as I reflect on how lucky we are (when emotion is so strong that its difficult to think or speak).
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Lesson 5 Quiz
1. At his mother's funeral, he was so incapacitated / overwhelmed /seething with emotion that he
couldn't finish his speech.
2. I was deeply / pleasantly / significantly surprised by the excellent customer service - that company
really cares about its customers.
3. I'm sorry I forgot / lost / wrecked my temper with you yesterday. It was a really stressful day at
work.
4. Instead of confronting his issues, he bottles / guards / rolls up his emotions and tries to pretend
everything's OK.
5. It's normal to go through a helicopter / roller coaster / ocean wave of emotions after the end of a
long-term relationship.
6. My mother was worried bad / ill / sick when it passed midnight and my brother still hadn't come
home.
7. The boss was pleasantly / sickly / visibly annoyed when the employees told him about the
problems.
8. The fans were seething with anger / disappointment / temper when the team lost the game in the
last 5 minutes.
9. We're badly / horribly / terribly sorry, but we won't be able to go to your graduation.
10. We're blissfully / immensely / largely grateful for all the help you've given us in this project.
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Lesson 6 Quiz
1. Her father paid the affordable / down / studio payment on her apartment.
2. I can't stand living with my parents; I need a place of my independent / own / short-term.
3. I hope the apartment is decorated / furnished / upscale, because I can't afford to buy appliances.
4. I was having so much fun during my semester abroad that I didn't feel cramped / homesick /
housewarm at all.
5. It's a ten- level / room / story building with two elevators.
6. My bedroom window overlooks / oversees / overviews the mountains.
7. My parents finished paying off their borrow / budget / mortgage after 25 years.
8. This weekend I'm helping my cousin change / move / turn into his new place.
9. We're going to need a more short-term / spacious/widespread apartment now that we're going to
have a baby.
10. We're regenerating / rejuvenating / remodeling the bathroom, so you'll have to use the one on the
second floor.
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Lesson 7 Eating
My mother radically changed her eating habits a few years ago. In the past, she ate a lot of junk food
(food that is not nutritious/healthy) and was overweight. Sometimes she would try to go on a diet (eat
less food and healthier food), but it would never last. But now she understands how unhealthy
processed foods are theyre full of food additives (chemicals added to food) that contribute to weight
gain and heart problems.
Nowadays, she eats a balanced diet including a lot of nourishing meals (meals that are healthy and
nutritious) that she prepares herself. She doesnt buy organic food because she thinks the prices are
outrageous, but she stocks up on fresh produce (fresh fruits and vegetables) so that she can grab an
apple or some veggies when she wants a quick snack (something small and fast to eat). She has also
learned to eat in moderation and watch her portion sizes (how much food you take).
I often stop by her house when Im in the mood for a home-cooked meal. The other day she made a
hearty stew (a thick soup with lots of flavors and ingredients) that was full of beans and vegetables. My
brother, who has a healthy appetite (the capacity to eat a lot), had a second helping (a second portion)
but I found the stew so filling that I could barely finish my bowl.
My mother recently told me that shed like to try some international cuisine. I was surprised to hear
that, because a few years ago she had a bad experience after getting food poisoning (when you get sick
because of contaminated food) at a Japanese restaurant. So tomorrow Im taking her to a Brazilian
steakhouse. I told her to eat light meals (small meals) during the day so that she doesnt spoil her
appetite for dinner (spoiling your appetite means eating food earlier, and then not being hungry for a
meal later).
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Lesson 7 Quiz
cuisine / diet / fresh / helping / junk / moderation / nourishing / poisoning / processed / snack
1. During the summer, our kids eat a lot of __________ food - popcorn, candy, ice cream, cookies, etc.
2. He got food __________________ after eating some seafood from a street vendor.
3. I buy __________________ produce at the farmer's market.
4. I drink in __________________; I don't like getting drunk.
5. I'm not a huge fan of Mexican __________________. It's too spicy for me.
6. I've lost ten pounds so far while on this new __________________.
7. Spinach is one of the most __________________ vegetables - it's full of vitamins and minerals.
8. That lasagna is delicious; I think I'll have another __________________.
9. The food at this restaurant is all natural - they don't use any type of __________________food.
10. We stopped driving to grab a quick __________________ at a roadside cafe.
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Lesson 8 Quiz
1. A movie from an amateur filmmaker was based / nominated / presented for three awards at an
international film festival.
2. Did you see the trailer / trilogy / theater for the new Star Wars movie? It looks like it'll be
awesome!
3. The opening chapter / genre / scene of the movie is very violent.
4. I didn't like the close / end / finish of the movie; it just didn't seem believable.
5. I enjoyed the book because I could really identify with the main character / role / star.
6. It was a very moving film - and it was based on a factual / real / true story.
7. It's an enjoyable page / read / scene, written in a humorous and relatable style.
8. Oh no! I lost a book that I borrowed / loaned / returned from the library.
9. The documentary deals with a number of controversial / debatable / polemic topics.
10. The first movie was excellent, but the sequel got mediocre analyses / critics / reviews.
11. The movie Titanic hits / shoots / stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.
12. We couldn't get a ticket for initial / opening / beginning night - they were all sold out.
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Lesson 9 Music
My older brother Alex is very musically gifted (he has a natural talent for music). He can play any tune
from memory, without looking at sheet music (musical notation written on paper). He spends all his free
time strumming a guitar (playing a guitar), composing music (creating music), and writing song lyrics
(the words to a song).
Alex and his friends formed a band that has attracted a sizable following (a lot of fans) in our city. They
started out playing gigs (giving small, informal performances) in bars and clubs, and they used the
money they earned to record their debut album (record their first CD).
A remixed track (a song that has been modified electronically) from that CD then became a massive hit
(a very popular song) on the local radio station thanks to its catchy tune (memorable melody) and
upbeat tempo (fast rhythm).
Their second album will be released (it will be made available to the public) at the end of the year;
theyll record it live at their next show. Alex dreams of going on tour hes just waiting for his big break
(big opportunity to become famous) to get his foot in the door of the music industry.
As for me, I love singing along (singing together) to my brothers music, but a career in music isnt for
me Im completely tone-deaf (unable to correctly identify different musical notes) and I always sing
off-key (sing the incorrect melody)!
Additional collocations:
contemporary music = modern music
classical music
orchestral/instrumental music = music with instruments only (no singing)
rock music
solo album = CD featuring one singer alone, not in a group of singers
compilation album = a CD with a collection of songs from many different singers/bands
cult following = a very dedicated/devoted group of fans
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Lesson 9 Quiz
gifted / lyrics / remixed / debut / strumming / tune / gig / following / tour / off-key / hit / upbeat
1. I can't stand that song; I don't know why it's such a _____________.
2. I like the song, but I don't understand the _________________.
3. I'm not really musically ______________, but I practice the violin every day.
4. It's such a catchy _____________, I can't get it out of my head!
5. My cousin's band is going on ____________ next summer; they've lined up shows in eleven different
states.
6. Someone in the choir was singing _____________, and it sounded terrible.
7. The band's _____________ album was a huge success.
8. The DJ played some _______________ tracks at the wedding reception.
9. The singer has attracted quite a devoted _____________ in Korea - her concerts there are always
sold out.
10. The street musician sat on a park bench, _______________ his guitar.
11. This music is so slow it's putting me to sleep. Let's listen to something with a more ___________
tempo.
12. We're going to play a ____________ at the Jazz Club on Friday night.
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Lesson 10 Sports
The first important collocation involving sports is when to use the verbs play, do, and go. We typically
use play for team sports you play soccer, play basketball, play tennis, play baseball, and play golf.
The verb do is used for more individual sports you do yoga, do gymnastics, do martial arts, and do
aerobics. Also, in more general terms, you do exercise. Another common individual exercise is to lift
weights.
The verb go is used with most activities that end in ing: you go swimming, go biking, go surfing, go
rock climbing, go bowling, and go fishing.
With the team sports, we can use the word game or match: a soccer game, a basketball game, a tennis
match, etc. You can win the game, lose the game, or tie the game thats when the final score is 1-1 or
2-2, for example.
A team can play a home game when they play in their own stadium or field or an away game when
they play at the opposing teams stadium or field. When there are many teams that are playing many
games to see which one is the best, we call this a tournament.
When one team is winning in the middle of the game for example, 3-1 we say that team has the
lead. However, the other team can make a comeback score points from a losing position and take
the lead, 4-3.
With the sports that use do and go, we typically use the word competition a gymnastics
competition, a martial arts competition, a surfing competition, an ice skating competition, etc. The
exception is sports where you go from one place to another like running, biking, and swimming in
that case, we often call the event a race.
Athletes can enter a competition and try to win first place. Some athletes try to enhance their
performance with illegal substances such as steroids. But if they fail a drug test, theyll be disqualified
from participating.
If the athlete is performing well, they may achieve a personal best and if they perform better than
ANYONE ever has in the past, then they could even break the world record or set a new world record. If
they get injured, however, they might have to withdraw from the competition (voluntarily leave the
competition).
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Lesson 10 Quiz
1. Barbara has made / put / set a new world record, with 5 consecutive Olympic gold medals in
judo.
2. Do you want to do / go / play hiking with us this weekend?
3. How long have you been doing / going / playing football?
4. I did / played / went volleyball in college.
5. If a soccer game is failed / led / tied, they do penalty kicks to determine the winner.
6. Jeff and Diana did / played / went rock climbing in the mountains.
7. My son wants to do / go / play karate.
8. Our team won third lead / place / record in the basketball competition/ performance /
tournament.
9. She's been doing / going / playing gymnastics since she was 5 years old.
10. The baseball team was unable to make a comeback / setback / takeback and lost the game 5-2.
11. The biker from Australia currently has the best / first / lead, but the bikers from Russia and Peru
are close behind.
12. The ice skater broke / removed / withdrew from the competition due to a knee injury.
13. The runners were stretching before the match / race / test began.
14. Tim Randall has achieved / enhanced / won a personal best with his time of 23.04 seconds.
15. What was the final place / record / score of the baseball game?
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Lesson 11 Quiz
Match the two halves of these sentences:
1. Adults who have diabetes need to make some
lifestyle
2. After a series of exams, Diana was diagnosed
f)
i)
j)
balanced
11. The patient in room 4 is terminally
school today.
k) changes, such as cutting down on
sugar.
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Lesson 12 Computers
Im teaching my grandmother how to use a computer. First I showed her how to start up and shut down
the computer. Then, I helped her get online or access the internet so that she can check her e-mail. She
quickly learned how to write and send messages, reply to an e-mail and forward an e-mail (send a
complete e-mail that you received to a new person), but it was a little hard for her to remember how to
attach a file to an outgoing message.
We tried to log into her bank account online, but the banks website was down (the website was not
functional, or was not online). There was a notice on the home page (the main page of the website) that
they were doing some scheduled maintenance on the system so well try again tomorrow.
This afternoon, Ill teach her how to use a search engine. I think shell really enjoy surfing/browsing the
web (exploring the internet) and using social media. If she needs to do something more advanced, like
burn a CD (put files from a computer onto a CD), then I can do that for her.
Shes a little bit afraid of pressing the wrong key and accidentally deleting an important file, but I told
her that we can always recover the file from the recycling bin. I also explained that if the computer
freezes or locks up (stops moving/functioning), she can simply restart/reboot the computer.
Its also a good idea for her to back up her files (make an extra copy of the information) so that she
doesnt lose her data if the computer crashes (the computer breaks) and cant be repaired. I installed a
program that periodically runs scans for viruses and spyware to ensure that her computer hasnt been
infected.
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Lesson 12 Quiz
1. After my computer was stolen, I was so glad I had backed up / locked up / started up all my
data on an external hard drive.
2. Could I use your computer for a minute? I'd like to check / look / verify my e-mail.
3. Do I need to attach / implement / install a special program to be able to view this video?
4. I burned / locked / scanned you a CD of some of my favorite music.
5. I can't check the event schedule online because the conference website seems to be off / down
/ frozen.
6. If you want more space on your hard drive, you should crash / delete / shut down old files that
you no longer need.
7. I'm trying to log into / start up / reboot my account, but I can't remember the password.
8. More and more people are getting / scanning / surfing the web on their cell phones nowadays.
9. My computer down / freezes / infected when I have too many programs open at the same time.
10. Never open attachments from people you don't know - they could disease / infect / lock up
your computer with a virus.
11. The boss wants everyone to close / shut down / turn out their computers before leaving work.
12. You forgot to add / annex / attach the file to your message.
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Lesson 13 Study
Most children begin their studies at 5 or 6 years old in pre-school, followed by kindergarten. After that
comes primary/elementary school, which consists of first grade through fifth grade. Then theres
middle school sixth grade through eighth grade and high school, which is ninth grade through
twelfth grade.
After high school, you apply to colleges/universities to see which ones will accept you. You send
in/submit your application and then wait for the results. If you got good grades in high school, you
might get / be awarded a scholarship to help pay the tuition (the cost of studying).
In college, youll take classes/courses on various subjects. You should always take notes as the teacher
is giving the lecture. Some teachers may ask the students to give/make presentations or do research
and write an essay, an assignment, a report, or a paper. After you hand in your work, the teacher will
grade the assignment (give you an evaluation, for example, 90%) and give you feedback (comments on
your work).
To evaluate your progress, youll take tests/exams. If you get the minimum number of points required,
youve passed the test; if you dont get the minimum number of points, youve failed the test. Its also
possible to pass/fail a course.
If the course proves to be too difficult, or if you dont like it, you can withdraw from or drop the course.
Withdraw from is the more formal expression, and drop is the more informal expression.
Most college students choose a major/concentration. To talk about a concentration of studies, you can
use major as a verb or a noun for example,
I majored in biology / I was a biology major.
My daughter is majoring in philosophy. / My daughters a philosophy major.
When you graduate from college, youll get a diploma. Afterwards, you can say you have a degree in
the area of your concentration. You can have a bachelors degree, masters degree, or doctorate
(Ph.D.), for example:
I have a bachelors degree in chemistry.
I have a masters degree in linguistics.
I have a Ph.D. in theology.
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Lesson 13 Quiz
1. Christine has been a central / medium / middle school teacher for many years.
2. Could you give me some degree / concentration / feedback on my presentation? I'd like to
know how to improve it.
3. He's applying / submitting / trying to all the best universities in the country.
4. I think I got every question on the exam wrong - I have no doubt that I dropped / failed / lost.
5. I'm having / taking / going a course on Latin American politics.
6. My daughter's 12 - she's in sixth class / grade / level.
7. My father promised he'd buy me a car if I got / made / took good grades in my final year of high
school.
8. No, my son hasn't chosen a degree / major / series yet. He's debating between sociology and
anthropology.
9. She awarded / formed / graduated from the University of California in 1999.
10. The professor took ten points off my test because I handed it in / gave it up / passed it a few
minutes late.
11. The top five students in the class were awarded / submitted/ withdrawn a scholarship to a local
college.
12. This topic will be on the test - make sure to take detailed lectures / notes / writings.
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Lesson 14 Quiz
1. I wasn't convinced by the article; I didn't think the author adequately helped / provided /
supported his claims.
2. In her book, Clara Jones aims to refute / refuse / revise the dominant theory using five main
counter-arguments.
3. Steve Jobs' leadership was a brief / key / perfect factor in Apple's success.
4. The first case / draft / try of his report was full of factual errors.
5. The reasons for the war fall into two main categories / summaries / theories: political reasons
and economic reasons.
6. The trajectory of the country after 1930 is a clear / obvious / main illustration of Smith's theory
in action.
7. These thought-provoking poems draw / make / raise questions about what it means to love
unconditionally.
8. This essay draws / goes / proves parallels between the main character in the novel and the
author's life.
9. This paragraph has nothing to do with any of your main cases / outlines / points, you should get
rid of it.
10. We'd like to carry out / fall into / touch on several issues in today's meeting.
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Lesson 15 Work
If youve just graduated from college and youve never had a job, you can start your career by doing an
internship (a temporary, low-level job) to gain experience. Depending on the company, the internship
could lead to an opportunity to get an entry-level job (a job that doesnt require much skill or
experience) at the same company.
Although you might be earning minimum wage (the minimum salary required by law), if you do
excellent work and are a good team player (you cooperate well with your co-workers) you could get a
promotion (get an increase in responsibility) or get a raise (get an increase in salary) hopefully both!
Just dont slack off, otherwise youll be fired/dismissed (lose your job).
Its normal for there to be periods of time when you have a heavy workload (a lot of work) and need to
work overtime (work extra hours). But if you have a very demanding job (an intense job with lots of
responsibilities) and youre stressed out all the time, then it might be time to quit your job (leave your
job voluntarily) and look for another one.
Now that you have experience, youll be able to get a job with a more competitive salary (salary that is
higher than average) and generous benefits (extra benefits like health insurance, discounts, a company
car, etc). If you cant find a well-paid and rewarding job in your field, it might be time for a career
change.
The typical way of applying for a job is to read the job ads in the newspaper or online, then send your
resume to the company with a cover letter. The company will then interview the candidates it feels are
most qualified, based on the job description.
Sometimes job seekers (people looking for a job) need to take a menial job (job requiring a very low
level of skill) in order to earn a living (get enough money to survive) while theyre between jobs. But if
youre persistent, a great job offer should come your way sooner or later maybe even for your dream
job (a job that would be perfect for you)!
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Lesson 15 Quiz
Complete the blanks in this conversation between two managers looking to hire a journalist:
applied
between
candidates
competitive
demanding
description
dismissed
dream
entry-level
generous
internship
interview
living
minimum
offer
overtime
rewarding
Melissa: Hi Terry, let's go over the list of people who have _____________ for the job.
Terry: Sure. There's Bob, who's fresh out of college and says this would be his "___________ job."
Melissa: Although I admire his enthusiasm, this isn't an _____________ job - we really need someone
with a bit of experience.
Terry: Here's a resume from Dana - she's a freelance writer who's looking for a more stable way to earn
a ____________. Unfortunately, she mentions in her cover letter that she's not willing to work
_____________ because she has two small kids at home.
Melissa: Hmm... this is a rather _____________ job and sometimes we do need to work late. Let's not
rule her out, though. Who else is in the running?
Terry: There's Steven, a veteran reporter who's currently ______________ jobs. He makes it clear in his
cover letter that he expects a ______________ salary and ______________ benefits.
Melissa: He might be worth it. Why did he leave his last job?
Terry: Um, well, I checked his references and it turns out he was _____________ for sexual harassment
of a co-worker.
Melissa: Oh... that's not ideal. Do we have any other __________________?
Terry: None who are particularly qualified - there's a marketing consultant looking for a ___________
change, and a few people who apparently didn't read the job _____________ and sent us generic
letters.
Melissa: Maybe we could __________ Dana the job, and if it's too much work for her to handle, we
could have Bob do an _______________ to help her out. We could only afford to pay him ____________
wage, but he might find the experience ______________.
Terry: OK lets ______________ both of them next week.
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Lesson 16 Business
If you dont want to work for someone else, you can go into business for yourself. You can set up a
company (establish a company) in an industry that interests you of course, its always good to do
market research (investigate the market), to determine if theres a need for your product or service.
Its normal for small businesses to operate at a loss (the business is losing money) for the first couple of
years before they start to break even thats when the money coming in equals the money going out. If
theres tough competition and your start-up isnt able to gain market share (secure a significant number
of customers), then your business runs the risk of going bankrupt (or going under) losing all its money
and having to shut down. But if the amount of money coming into the company from sales is greater
than the amount spent on expenses, then you are making a profit.
As your business grows, you can hire/take on staff/employees. Another possibility is to make a deal
(make an agreement) with other companies to do business together in this case, representatives from
both companies will sign a contract (put your name on a contract) that establishes each partys rights
and responsibilities.
Whenever youre planning to launch a new product, its essential to provide excellent customer service
(help for the customers). Otherwise, your customers will take their business elsewhere theyll start
buying from a rival company (a company that is your competitor) instead of from yours.
Its not easy to run a business (manage a business), but with a combination of luck, skill, and hard work,
your business just might take off (become popular/successful). One way to describe a period of time of
major growth and success is to say that business is booming.
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Lesson 16 Quiz
Circle the correct words to complete this auto-biography of a successful entrepreneur:
Growing up, I always knew that my father expected me to gain / make / run the family farming business
someday - but I really wanted to break in / set up / take on my own company. Plus, my dad was terrible
at managing his finances, and his business was constantly on the verge of going bankrupt / dead /
exhausted.
I didn't want to be a conflict / rival / loss to my parents' company, so I opened a small supermarket in a
neighboring town and hired / signed / drew two employees. We made a deal / share / promise with my
father, agreeing that he would be our primary supplier of fresh fruits and vegetables. Despite the tough
competition / contest / opposition in the sector, our little store managed to break equal / even / level
its first year in operation.
Our market contract / profit / research showed that there was a big demand for organic food in the
area, so we began offering primarily organic products and raised our prices. Some of our customers ran
/ took / went their business elsewhere, but others came from miles away due to our reputation for
excellent products and friendly customer attendance / kindness / service.
Last fall, we drove / hired / launched our own line of organic fruit juices, and that's when things really
started to break up / make out / take off. We opened up a caf next door to the supermarket, and
business is blasting / booming / exploding.
With the budget / profit / output we're making, we can now invest in expansion and open a branch in
another city. We're even doing / making / taking business internationally - I'm about to sign a contract /
product / staff with an organic coffee supplier from South America.
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Lesson 17 Money
There are a lot of things you can do with money!
First, you need to earn money or make money both of these verbs refer to receiving money from your
work. Another way to obtain money is to inherit money receive money from a family member or
friend after that person dies. If the person was very rich, you could inherit a fortune (a fortune is a lot of
money).
You can take your money to the bank and make a deposit put money into your bank account. Later,
you can make a withdrawal remove money from your bank account. Of course, everyone likes to
spend money use money to buy things but its important not to waste/squander your money. These
verbs refer to using money in a way thats not productive.
If money is tight (meaning you have very little money), you should make a budget a plan for how
much to spend on things every month and then you need to stick to the budget (continue following
the plan). Otherwise, you might be broke by the end of the month! Someone who is broke has no
money available.
A person who is financially savvy (intelligent, perceptive, and well-informed on the subject of money)
will always save money. Its a good idea to have an emergency fund of at least 3-6 months of living
expenses (the amount money you use to survive in everyday life). You can also invest money in the
stock market you could make a nice profit, but theres also the risk of losing money if the economy
goes downhill (starts to get worse).
Lets say you want to purchase an expensive item like a car. If you havent saved up money or set aside
money for the purchase, you can borrow money from the bank which is also called taking out a loan.
The disadvantage of this is that youll need to pay the money back in installments plus interest (extra
money).
When you travel, youll need to change/exchange money to be able to buy things with the local
currency. Make sure to change money only at official locations like banks and travel agencies
otherwise, you could be tricked into receiving counterfeit bills (false paper money that is not legally
valid).
Finally, you can consider donating money (giving money without receiving anything in return) to a good
cause, such as preserving the environment or researching cures for diseases. Non-profit organizations
are always trying to raise money (get donations) for their various projects.
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Lesson 17 Quiz
Circle the best word to complete each sentence:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
I lent Bill $20; he says he'll pay / spend me back next week.
Excuse me, it's none of your business how much money I get / make.
Greenpeace raised / rose five million dollars to help preserve the Atlantic rainforest.
How much of my income should I inherit / invest, and how much should I put into savings?
I can't believe I ruined / wasted $10 on a calculator that doesn't even work!
I didn't have enough savings to pay my college tuition, so I had to pick / take out a student loan.
Sometimes your employer can pay your salary by doing / making a deposit directly in your bank
account.
I really admire rich people who donate / sponsor a large portion of their wealth to charity.
I try not to eat out at restaurants too often; I'm trying to keep / save money.
Let's exchange / replace money here at the airport so that we can get a taxi to the hotel.
My son earned / won $50 for taking care of the neighbor's dogs over the weekend.
We need to give / make a budget so that we don't end up spending more than we earn.
Sentence Matching
1. She moved to a smaller apartment
because money is
2. Greg inherited a
emergency
4. Two men were arrested after trying
drinks.
d) expenses have gone down quite a bit.
to use counterfeit
5. A lot of lottery winners squander
f)
my living
7. I know nothing about the stock
i)
j)
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Lesson 18 Travel
Last week I had the worst business trip Ive ever taken. Normally a travel agency takes care of booking
my flight (buying a plane ticket) and making my hotel reservation, but this time I decided make the
travel arrangements myself. Big mistake!
First of all, the plane was overbooked (there were more passengers than seats available) so I was
bumped to a later flight. When they gave me my new boarding pass (the ticket that allows you to enter
the airplane), they didnt ask me if Id prefer a window seat or an aisle seat (a seat next to the corridor)
and I was stuck in the middle. To top it off, it was a very bumpy flight (a flight with a lot of turbulence).
I then missed my connecting flight and had a ten-hour layover (I had to wait ten hours for my next
flight) in Chicago. Unfortunately, my checked luggage (the bags in the airplanes cargo compartment)
had already gone through to my final destination, so all I had was my carry-on bag (the bag you take
with you on the plane). I checked into a hotel near the airport just so I could take a nap.
When I finally arrived in Los Angeles, it turns out that I had made a mistake with my hotel reservation,
and instead of booking a room at a five-star hotel, I had booked three nights at a seedy hotel (a hotel
that is not very safe or comfortable) in the red-light district (an area of the city where there are many
sex shops, strip clubs, etc.)! So I was stuck sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress in a dingy room (a
dirty and dark room) while my colleagues enjoyed the luxury hotel.
The trip home was uneventful, but when I arrived I discovered that the airline had lost my luggage. All in
all it was a miserable experience.
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Lesson 18 Quiz
1. Are you adding / bumping / checking any bags today?
2. Hello, I need to change the dates of my hotel district / layover / reservation.
3. I always try to get a window chair / seat / spot on long flights.
4. I won't be in the office next week - I'll be on a business flight / travel / trip.
5. On their honeymoon, Will and Cassie spent a week at a five-star / ten-point / gold-star hotel.
6. Sorry, sir, but your bring-in / carry-on / take-up bag is too heavy.
7. The gate number is printed on your boarding / checking / entering pass.
8. The checkout / layover / stop-off was only 30 minutes I had to run to catch my attaching /
connecting / linking flight!
9. The rooms of the hotel were nice, but the fitness center was rather dingy / red-light / one-star.
10. The travel agency / organization / department is offering a great deal on a 5-day package in
Miami.
11. We felt sick on the plane because the flight was really bumpy / seedy / messy.
12. You should book / make / set your flight now, before prices go up.
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Lesson 19 Weather
Do you want to know if itll be sunny or rainy next weekend? Then you should check the weather
forecast thats the prediction of the weather in the near future.
If the forecast says the sun will be shining brightly, with clear skies (no clouds in the sky) and high
temperatures, then its a good day to go to the beach and bask in the sunshine (or soak up the
sunshine) these expressions mean to enjoy the suns heat and light.
However, if the forecast says itll be oppressively hot, scorching hot, or swelteringly hot, then you
might want to stay inside and turn up the air conditioning! Another common phrase is hot and humid
that means hot with a lot of water in the air (so you will sweat a lot).
The weather forecast might say it will be partly cloudy (the sky partially covered by clouds). Another way
to say this is that there are scattered clouds (just a few clouds). If there are heavy clouds, then you
wont be able to see the sun at all and if there are storm clouds, then it will probably rain very soon.
One way to express this is to say It looks like rain.
We can have light rain (little rain) or heavy rain (lots of rain, intense rain) and if the rain gets REALLY
intense, we can describe it as torrential rain. If the rain continues without stopping, then we call it
continuous rain or constant rain but if its the type of rain that starts and stops various times
throughout the day, its called intermittent rain or scattered showers. When it stops raining, you can
say the rain let up.
Rain is usually accompanied by wind, which can be light/slight winds or high/strong winds. If the wind
is especially strong and violent, you can say fierce winds or gale-force winds this last expression is
usually used for winds at the level of a hurricane. When the wind is increasing in intensity, we say The
wind is picking up, and when it is decreasing in intensity, we say The wind is dying down.
Sometimes we describe the wind with an adjective that emphasizes the cold such as a biting wind or
an icy wind. Finally, a sudden instance of wind can be called a blast of wind or a gust of wind.
Snow, like rain, can be light or heavy. Light snow can also be called snow flurries. When the snow is
being blown around in the wind, we can describe it as driving snow or swirling snow. It can be
wonderful to walk through fresh, powdery, newly-fallen snow but not so nice to drive on it. So we
clear the snow or plough the snow with vehicles to remove it from the roads. You can also do this
manually thats called shoveling the snow. At the end of winter, when temperatures rise, the snow
melts it turns into water and disappears.
Sometimes the weather is unusual for a particular time of year. For example, in the winter, you might
have a day that is unseasonably warm, and in the summer, you might have a day that is unseasonably
cool. When the temperature reaches an extreme, we call that a record high or a record low.
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Here are some alternative ways of saying the weather was good. You can say the weather was beautiful,
lovely, ideal, superb, or perfect. To say the weather was bad, you can say the weather was lousy,
miserable, nasty, dreadful, or terrible.
Other ways to describe the weather:
gloomy/dismal weather = weather that is dark, rather rainy, and depressing
muggy/sultry weather = weather that is very hot and humid or wet
mild / calm weather = weather that is nice and not extreme
harsh/severe/wild weather = weather that is extreme and violent
Lesson 19 Quiz
clear
let up
muggy
perfect
forecast
light
oppressively record
storm
high
torrential partly
mild
wild
scattered
Now it's time for your weather ______________. Right now we have __________ weather, with
___________ skies and a _________ wind from the east. It's __________ weather for a walk in the park.
There will be some _____________ showers overnight, but it the rain should __________ by tomorrow
morning.
Saturday will be __________ cloudy and ____________ hot. We might even see a __________ high
temperature. The _________ weather continues into Sunday, with _________ clouds forming in the late
afternoon. On Monday we'll have some __________ weather, with _____________ rain and _________
winds.
cleared
heavy
nasty
flurries
driving
icy
thaw
unseasonably
We're seeing __________ clouds and a few snow ____________ right now, but we have some
__________ winter weather ahead, with _______ winds and record ________ temperatures at night. Be
careful if you go out in the ___________ snow, especially if you're on a road where the snow hasn't yet
been ___________. The snow will probably __________ next week, as we're expecting some
_____________ warm weather.
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Lesson 20 City
When my parents retired last year, they traded the towering skyscrapers (very tall buildings) and noise
pollution (excessive noise) of Los Angeles for the peace and quiet of a small coastal city (a city near the
ocean) in southern France. They said they were tired of living in a high-rise building right next to an
industrial zone. Now they live in a cozy little house on the outskirts of the city (on the outer edge of the
city, not in the center).
Life in their new town is quite different from the hectic pace (the fast and chaotic rhythm) of L.A., where
the bustling streets (busy streets filled with people) are strewn with litter (filled with garbage) and you
can count on spending hours in traffic jams (stopped traffic).
Instead, the narrow cobblestone streets of the city center are lined with eighteenth-century buildings
that are now home to quaint shops (charming and old-fashioned shops) and gourmet restaurants
specializing in the local cuisine (the typical food of the region).
The best day to visit is Saturday, when theres an open-air market (an outdoor market) in the main
square. You can buy souvenirs from the street vendors (people selling things on the street) and have
lunch at one of the trendy cafs (modern, stylish, and popular cafs) in the area. Theres virtually no
street crime here, in contrast to the inner-city areas (older, central, crowded part of a city, usually filled
with poor people and possibly violence) of L.A.
Is there anything that my parents miss about Los Angeles? Well, they do miss the cultural diversity. But
theyre past the age where being in a place with a pulsating nightlife (having many exciting bars and
clubs) is important to them.
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Lesson 20 Quiz
Match the two halves of these sentences:
1. I do yoga so that I can
coastal
4. If you bargain with the
peaceful place.
d) litter after the New Year's party.
street
5. That nightclub is on the
outskirts
6. The beach was strewn
f)
with
7. The shop is located on a
bustling
8. This lovely sixteenth-
century
9. You don't realize how
i)
j)
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Lesson 21 Countryside
If youre living in an urban area and looking for a little change of scenery, why not take a weekend trip
to the surrounding countryside? You can walk through the wildlife preserve (special area where
animals are protected), where a winding footpath (a road you can walk on, that has many turns and
changes of direction) will lead you through varied landscapes including dense forests, vast meadows,
and gentle, rolling hills.
More adventurous visitors will enjoy exploring the rocky landscape of Yosemite National Park with its
towering cliffs (very tall cliffs) and magnificent waterfalls. You can take a hiking trail that goes up the
steepest face of the tallest mountain in the park (the side of a mountain is called a face and steep
means it is very vertical). The trail starts at the foot of the mountain (the base of the mountain) and the
ascent takes about four hours; you can stop to have lunch on the banks of a clear, bubbling mountain
stream.
From the summit, theres a spectacular panoramic view (meaning you can see in all directions) of the
area. To the east, you can see the jagged, snow-covered peaks of a distant mountain range (a group or
chain of mountains); you can gaze at the lush green countryside (an area with lots of healthy
vegetation) to the south, and when looking west, you can see the slow-moving, shallow river (a river
that is not very deep or fast) that flows lazily towards the ocean.
The coastline is just a three-hour drive from the mountains, with miles of sun-drenched, sandy
beaches. You can stay overnight at a family-run hotel in the picturesque fishing village (beautiful, good
for taking pictures), where every room has an unobstructed view (there are no obstacles blocking the
view) of the sea. The beaches tend to get crowded in the summer, so one option is to take a boat trip
across the bay and explore the secluded beaches (beaches that are hidden) on the island its well
worth the trip (meaning its a good use of your time to go there).
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Lesson 21 Quiz
1. Don't bother going to the village - it's not merit / worth / value the trip, there's really nothing to
see.
2. From our window, we had an unobstructed look / sight / view of the castle up on the mountain.
3. If you want more privacy, there's a winding / secluded / unobstructed beach an hour's drive
outside the city.
4. Moving from New York City to a small farm in the midwest was quite a dramatic change of face
/ scenery / view.
5. The all-day boat / ship / sailor trip leaves at 7 AM every morning and takes you to 5 different
islands.
6. The hikers tried to find the trail through the dense / heavy / jagged forest.
7. The stream is quite lush / gentle / shallow - the water only comes up to your ankles.
8. This mountain range / span / scenery extends north to Canada.
9. We went bird-watching in the countryside / fauna / wildlife preserve.
10. You can't get there by car; you have to take the footpath / footroad / footstreet.
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Lesson 22 Crime
When a person breaks the law (does something illegal), we say they have committed a crime.
Especially horrible crimes like a savage rape or a brutal murder can be described as barbaric,
horrible, or vicious crimes.
If someone tries to commit a crime but does not succeed, we use the word attempted for example, an
attempted murder, attempted kidnapping, or attempted break-in. If someone accuses another person
of a crime, but it is not yet proven, then we use the word alleged for example, an alleged assault,
alleged harassment, or alleged rape.
After the victim reports the crime to the police, the police will begin to investigate the crime. Theyll
visit the crime scene and gather forensic evidence (collect details like bullets, fingerprints, or blood
samples that can show what happened). If witnesses come forward, the police will interview them to
hear a first-hand account (a story told by a person who saw the event) of what happened. They also
consider possible motives for the crime.
Police can arrest suspects who they believe have committed a crime but the suspect can prove their
innocence by providing a solid alibi that means giving a confirmed explanation of where they were at
the time of the crime. If it is never discovered who committed the crime, then the case remains an
unsolved crime. The statistics about number of crimes in a particular area is called the crime rate. And
when there is a big increase in the crime rate, we can call this a crime wave.
There are also a number of collocations we can use to describe criminals. A first-time offender is
someone who has broken the law for the first time, whereas someone who has broken the law in the
past has a criminal record. A criminal who is famous like a serial killer (a person who has killed
multiple people over time) or a person who is heavily involved in organized crime can be called a
notorious criminal.
Collocations for specific crimes / criminals:
a cold-blooded killer/murderer a person who doesnt have feeling or emotion
a crazed/psychopathic killer a killer who is insane or mentally unbalanced
domestic violence when there is violence inside a home, for example, a husband beating his
wife
drug trafficking the purchase, sale, and transport of illegal drugs
identity theft when a criminal steals an innocent persons identifying information and uses it in
an illegal way
sexual harassment when one person makes undesired sexual advances towards another
person
petty crime a minor crime
armed robbery when criminals steal something, while using weapons
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Lesson 22 - Quiz
arrested
broke
gathered
proved
reported
attempted
committed
had
provided
unsolved
One of my favorite TV shows is about detectives who investigate ____________ crimes. In the last
episode, they were looking into a murder that had happened over ten years ago. The suspect who was
___________ at the time was the victim's ex-boyfriend and ___________ a long criminal record - but he
___________ his innocence with a watertight alibi.
The detectives then began to investigate the person who had found the girl's body and ___________ the
crime. He had never ___________ the law, but a man who matched his description had been accused of
an ____________ kidnapping of another young woman around the same time.
The police called him in for questioning, and the alibi that he _____________ didn't match the one on
record. They then ___________ DNA evidence from the new suspect, and it proved that he had indeed
____________ the crime. It took more than ten years, but justice was finally served!
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Lesson 23 Law/Justice
The government is responsible for passing laws (approving new laws to be put into practice), and the
courts and legal system are in charge of upholding and enforcing the law (applying the law to the
population).
When a person is charged with a crime (formally accused of the crime), he or she must appear in court
to stand trial (be judged guilty or innocent). Both the prosecution and the defense will present their
cases before the judge and jury. After consideration, the judge or jury will reach a verdict (arrive at a
decision).
If there is irrefutable, overwhelming, or concrete evidence, this means that it is very obvious that the
person committed the crime, and its possible that the jury will be unanimous (meaning they all agree)
in their decision. However, if the evidence is circumstantial or inconclusive (the evidence does not 100%
prove the conclusion), then the decision will be more difficult its possible to have a hung jury, which
cannot agree on the verdict.
Less serious crimes will receive a light sentence (a small punishment) for example, the offender may
have to pay a fine or do community service. For more serious crimes, the person will probably go to
prison and especially heinous crimes can result in a harsh sentence such as life in prison (or life
imprisonment) or, in some places, the death penalty.
After the decision is made, the lawyers can choose to appeal the verdict (try to change the decision),
and the case may turn into a prolonged legal battle as the courts decide whether to uphold or overturn
the original verdict uphold meaning to continue with the original decision, and overturn meaning
to change the decision.
As a convicted criminal is serving time (spending time in prison), he or she should remember the
possibility of being released from prison early for good behavior, as long as they are not deemed a
threat to society (possibly dangerous to other people).
A criminal who is released early is said to be on parole, meaning that he or she must comply with
certain conditions after getting out of jail such as getting a job and refraining from drug/alcohol use.
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Lesson 23 Quiz
1. After being evacuated / left / released from prison, Jim found it hard to get a job.
2. Although everyone believes she's guilty, the evidence was too appealed / inconclusive /
refutable for a conviction.
3. Due to his links to terrorist groups, Mr. Smith represents a threat / battle / death to society.
4. He was declared innocent by a unanimous / universal / uniform jury.
5. I couldn't believe what a light conviction / sentence / threat she got - a mere 30 days in jail!
6. I don't support the death pain / penalty / punishment - I think everyone deserves a chance to
change.
7. Patty and her ex-husband are involved in a prolonged lawful / legal / trial battle over the
ownership of their house.
8. Ron will stand court / jury / trial for an assault charge after hitting his girlfriend.
9. The banking executive was charged / stood / upheld with fraud.
10. The U.S. government just hung / passed / served a new law about immigration.
11. There was concrete / enforced / harsh evidence that the doctor had falsified the records.
12. They haven't yet reached a court / parole / verdict in the kidnapping case.
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Lesson 24 Quiz
Read this news report from the year 3013 and circle the correct word to complete each collocation.
Special report:
Strains / Tensions are rising between the residents of Earth and Mars, causing some to speculate that
the fragile / weak peace between the two planets may soon come to an end. The latest round of
violence erupted / ruptured when Martian soldiers established / stationed at the Martian embassy on
Earth opened fire / shooting on a group of Earth residents who were protesting outside the consulate.
Although war has not been declared / stated, both planets are ready to react if the other launches an
affront / offensive. There are rumors that Mars has been stockpiling / storming illegal weapons to
defend itself from Earths much better-equipped military.
Diplomats from both planets are doing everything possible to bring stability / steadiness to the
situation, but there are concerns that radical extremist groups on Earth may be planning an uneasy /
unprovoked attack for the express purpose of causing a war to break out / take off.
Everyone remembers the hatreds / horrors of the last interplanetary war, in which the decisive /
determined battle resulted in hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties / collateral and a large
number of refugees who fled / deployed to the colony on the Moon.
Even after a ceasefire / crossfire was negotiated, isolated incidents of violence against Martian citizens
brought the two planets to the brink / edge of war several times. The president of Earth has authorized
the recruitment and training of additional peacekeeping forces / truces; however, a forever / lasting
peace continues to be a complicated issue for our Solar System.
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Lesson 25 Quiz
Read this debate between two politicians and fill in the gaps with the correct words:
alleviating
endangered
irreparable
shelters
clean
fossil
line
shortages
climate
harming
margins
warming
disadvantaged
hunger
renewable
welfare
Jim: If I'm elected, my number one priority will be ___________ poverty. A large portion of our country's
population lives below the poverty ____________, and it's a fact that young people from
_____________ backgrounds are more likely to engage in criminal activity. My opponent, on the other
hand, wants to cut funding for the ____________ program and leave millions of people without help.
George: I believe it is a mistake to focus on our country alone; we must remember that we are part of a
global community. Opening up more homeless ______________ is not a long-term solution to help
those on the ___________ of society. However, investing in _____________ energy will enable us to
grow our economy without __________ the environment. This will benefit our country and our world.
Jim: That's a noble goal, but we have more pressing problems. I seriously doubt our citizens who are
dying of _____________ care about protecting ____________ species and preventing global
___________. Plus, it's not scientifically proven that humans can even cause ____________ damage to
the planet.
George: Don't you see that the two issues are related? Due to _________ change, the rain patterns have
changed and our agricultural sector is not as strong as it once was. This results in food __________. It's
only going to get worse unless we end our dependence on __________ fuels and start using
____________ resources.
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Lesson 26 Time
Are you always in a rush, or do you take your time? Do you spend your time efficiently, or do you waste
time and procrastinate important tasks then stay up working until ungodly hours (very late at
night/early in the morning)?
It has taken me ages (taken a very long time), but Ive finally adopted some time-management habits:
Plan things well in advance and dont underestimate the amount of time things will take
otherwise youll end up being a slave to your grueling schedule (very intense schedule).
Take care of time-consuming tasks (things that take a lot of time) on a day when you have no
pressing commitments (urgent appointments or things to do).
Establish a timeline for major projects, so that you dont leave things to the last minute and
risk running out of time. Then, stick to the schedule and try to get ahead if possible. Theres
nothing worse than falling behind on a project with a strict deadline (a definite date before
which it needs to be finished).
Leave home and work a little earlier than normal to avoid rush hour (the time when there is a lot
of traffic because everyone is going to work or coming home from work).
Sleep for eight solid hours (eight hours without interruption) every night; youll wake up with
more energy.
If youre working from dawn till dusk (from the early morning to the late evening) and you have little or
no spare/free time, it could mean that youre overworked, and you should cut back on your hours
(reduce your working hours) to free up some time (make more time available).
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Lesson 26 Quiz
1. He worked on fixing the computer for two compact / solid / tight hours before giving up and
calling tech support.
2. He's always in a press / quick / rush; he never has time to chat.
3. I have a consuming / grueling / ungodly schedule this semester - classes from Monday to
Friday, 7 AM to 7 PM!
4. I left / spent / took the assignment to the last minute and then stayed up all night to write it.
5. In my rush / spare / stick time, I like to read.
6. Organizing all these files is very time- consuming / pressing / falling; I wish I had someone to
help me.
7. Sarah cut back on / got ahead with / stuck to her hours as she entered her eighth month of
pregnancy.
8. She's a fitness nut; she passes / runs / spends ten hours a week at the gym.
9. Leave / Take / Waste as much time as you need to review this information - we don't need a
response right away.
10. The amount / quantity / portion of time my daughter spends on her cell phone is unbelievable.
11. The company is offering training in time administration / commitment / management to
improve the efficiency of its staff.
12. There is a strict deadline / limit / period for the delivery of this shipment - it must arrive by
January 1, otherwise we'll lose the contract.
13. There's a slowdown on highway I-84 due to rush hour / time / span traffic.
14. We've fallen back / before / behind on our English lessons; the class is on Lesson 10 but we're
on Lesson 6.
15. You need to schedule your dentist appointment two weeks in advance / ahead / forward.
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Lesson 27 Sound
Lets begin by looking at the difference between sound and noise. Sometimes these words are
interchangeable, but not always. A sound can be pleasant, neutral, or unpleasant but noise is
always either neutral or unpleasant.
I woke up to the lovely sound of my wife playing the piano.
(pleasant)
I could hear the soft sound of their voices in the other room.
(neutral)
The fighting cats made horrible screeching sounds.
(unpleasant)
I cant hear you; theres a lot of background noise. Could you call me back?
(neutral)
My car is making an annoying buzzing noise whenever I turn on the A/C.
(unpleasant)
If a noise or sound is very strong, we can describe it as a loud sound/noise and if it is REALLY intense,
then we can describe it as a deafening sound/noise. On the other hand, if we can barely hear it, then it
is a faint or soft sound/noise. Theres also a muffled sound when it seems that something is blocking
the sound.
Noise that doesnt stop is called constant/incessant noise. Youll hear this type of noise if your house is
close to the highway, for example youll hear the roar of traffic day and night. If you work in a factory,
then you might hear the hum of machinery all day long. And if you live next door to college students,
youll probably hear music blaring as they party every night.
Nature is full of noises, too such as birds chirping and dogs barking. If you sit near the ocean, you can
listen to the waves crashing. When youre in a remote, deserted area, you might hear the wind
whistling through the trees. And if theres a storm, youll hear the rumble of thunder or be scared by a
sudden thunderclap.
Now lets talk about the absence of sound. Theres a difference between the words quiet and silent.
Quiet means that there is very little noise, whereas silent means there is no noise at all.
You can emphasize the totality of the silence by saying that it was absolutely, completely, or perfectly
silent. When it begins to be silent, you can say that silence descended or fell, and then when a noise
interrupts the silence, it breaks or shatters the silence.
Its also common to use collocations to give an emotional tone to the quiet/silence:
The kids were oddly/strangely/uncharacteristically quiet (the fact that it is quiet is unusual, not
normal)
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His joke about sex was followed by an awkward/uncomfortable silence. (the silence is due to
embarrassment)
After yelling at her brother, she lapsed into a stony/sullen silence. (the silence is due to anger)
There was a shocked/stunned silence after the president announced his resignation. (the
silence is due to extreme surprise)
The city becomes ominously/eerily quiet after midnight. (the quiet is frightening and possibly
dangerous)
Lesson 27 Quiz
1. A high / loud / strong noise woke me up from my nap.
2. His cell phone makes an angering / annoying / incessant noise every time he gets a text
message.
3. I could tell Dan was still mad, as he glared at me in stony / strange / stunned silence.
4. I wasn't able to relax on the beach because some teenagers had a stereo with music blaring /
crashing / deafening.
5. It was extremely / hardly / perfectly silent inside the old, abandoned house.
6. It's eerily / oddly / sullen quiet in that classroom - are the students taking a test?
7. My neighbor's dogs start barking / chirping / whistling whenever someone walks past their
house.
8. She sang a lullaby lightly / muffled / softly to help put the baby to sleep.
9. The complete / constant / long noise in the office makes it difficult to concentrate.
10. The conversation on their first date was full of awkward / ominous / uncharacteristic silences.
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Lesson 28 Size
This lesson will help clarify when to use the confusing words big, small, large, little, tall, short, high, and
low. Often, the only difference between them is in their collocations.
Big is much more common than large. The word large is a little more formal, but in many
sentences, it makes no difference: She lives in a big house. = She lives in a large house.
So lets focus on the collocations in which large is almost always used knowing that you can use big
for other objects. We tend to use large with drink sizes a large coffee, a large soda as well as with
clothing sizes small, medium, and large.
Large is usually used with words referring to statistics and measurements, such as quantity, number,
amount, increase, and proportion. We say:
A large number of students enrolled in the course.
A big number of students enrolled in the course.
We also use the expressions large scale and small scale to refer to the size of an operation; for
example, The factory began large-scale production of automotive parts.
There are a number of collocations in which we must use big and we cannot use large. These include
situations and events, for example: a big accomplishment, a big decision, a big disappointment, a big
failure, a big improvement, a big mistake, and a big surprise. You can also use the informal expressions
big brother and big sister to refer to a sibling who is older than you.
The words tall and short are used for physical objects, and refer to the total height from the bottom
to the top. So we talk about a tall building, tall trees, and a tall man/woman. The words high and
low refer to distance above the ground so we say that an airplane is flying 10,000 feet high, or that
an apple is on a low branch of a tree.
High and low are also used with non-physical things, especially those which have different levels:
high/low prices
high/low levels
high/low quality
high/low rate
high/low degree
Finally, lets tackle small and little. The word little can imply that you feel some affection or
sympathy for the object, whereas the word small is neutral. Thus, little often appears together with
adjectives like nice, cute, pretty, poor, and tiny.
She lives in a small house.
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She lives in a cute little house.
They have three small children.
They have three pretty little girls.
We adopted a small dog.
We adopted a poor little dog that had been abandoned in the park.
Another difference is that the word small usually refers to physical size, whereas the word little can
refer to quantity it means not very much and is the opposite of a lot:
For example, we can say:
I made a little money from a temporary job. (not small money)
I slept very little last night. (not slept very small)
Theres little salt in this food. (not small salt)
Lesson 28 Quiz
1. A big / large percentage of the human body is made up of water.
2. Choosing whether or not to have children is a big / large decision.
3. I'll have a hamburger and a big / large milkshake.
4. My wedding ring has tiny little / small diamonds embedded in it.
5. The biggest / largest challenge in losing weight is changing your eating habits.
6. The number of people buying CDs is getting littler / smaller every year as MP3s become more
popular.
7. The police have released little / small information about the case.
8. There was a big / large mistake in the report; we'll have to print a revised copy.
9. These jeans are too little / small for me.
10. This foundation provides grants for little / small businesses in developing countries.
11. This new policy will affect a big / large number of our employees.
12. We had a lovely little / small picnic by the lake.
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Lesson 29 Light
We use the expression the sun is shining to talk about the sun emitting light. If the light is so strong
that its difficult to see, we can describe it as blinding sunlight and if the light is not very strong, then it
is weak sunlight.
When the sun sets (disappears below the horizon), everything grows dark. If theres a full moon, then
there will still be some light. But if theres a crescent moon or a new moon, then it will be pitch
dark/black (completely black) and youll be able to see the stars twinkling in the night sky.
To describe the strength of a light, you can use the words bright and dim. A fluorescent light bulb
emits bright light, and the faint glow of a flickering candle is dim light. When light shines on an object,
it makes the object cast a shadow. An area that protected from the sunlight is often called the shade.
If you dont want to get sunburned, its a good idea to sit in the shade.
We use the word lighting to refer to a system of artificial lights, especially inside a house or building. A
place can have bright/strong lighting or the opposite soft/subdued lighting (a low level of illumination
for artistic/romantic purposes). And along the highways and roads, we have street lights.
If its nighttime and the power goes out (or there is a power outage a lack of electrical power), then
the city will be plunged into darkness. You can describe the darkness as complete/total darkness to
emphasize that it is 100% dark. People will have to use flashlights or light candles to be able to see
until the next morning when the sun rises/comes up.
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Lesson 29 Quiz
Read this passage from a story and select the right word to complete each sentence:
Amanda knelt in an enclave of the seventeenth-century church and said a silent prayer. The church was
completely / ultimately dark except for the dozens of flickering / shining candles which lit up the image
of Mary, mother of Jesus. Amanda enjoyed the quiet, sacred atmosphere of these ancient cathedrals
much more than the bright / vivid lighting and loud music of modern churches.
She hit / lit a candle in honor of her grandmother and left the church, shielding her eyes from the
blinding / glowing afternoon sunlight. She climbed a hill near the city and sat in the darkness / shade of
an enormous oak tree, where she remained lost in thought until the sky began to grow / plunge dark.
The sliver / crescent moon rose over the mountains and the stars twinkled / weakened in the mostly
clear sky. Amanda could see the road / street lights and the faint / pitch glow of a television set through
the window of each house. She decided to maintain her vigil until the sun came up / went out.
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Lesson 30 Color
Today youre going to expand your vocabulary by learning various collocations about colors.
You can describe a color as light or dark for example, someone can have light brown or dark brown
hair. If a color is very intense, you can describe it as bright for example, a bright red apple. If the color
is not very intense, you can describe it as pale for example, a pale green dress.
When describing colors in general, you can talk about bold/vivid colors which are very intense or
pastel colors, which are light or pale.
We can use other words to describe specific shades of a color (variations of a specific color). These
words are usually a typical object with that particular color. For example, sky blue is a light shade of
blue, like the color of the sky. Here are some of the most common collocations:
ruby red
cherry red
fiery orange
burnt orange
lemon yellow
golden yellow
emerald green
olive green
sky blue
royal blue
navy blue / midnight blue
When you have something that is primarily one color, but with a little bit of another color included, we
can use the word tinge. There are two ways to structure the sentence:
The flowers are yellow with a tinge of pink in the middle.
My cats fur is light gray with a slight brownish tinge.
You can also use this form a color word plus ISH to describe mixes of colors. For example, reddish
brown is a shade of brown with a strong portion of red, whereas yellowish brown is a shade of
brown with a strong portion of yellow.
Some colors look good together in this case, we can say that the colors match. Other colors look
terrible together in this case, we can say that the colors clash. When the color of a persons clothes
looks good with that persons skin tone (color of their skin), you can say that color suits you or that
color looks good on you.
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Finally, one tip about changing the color of something. We use the verb paint in most cases you
paint a house and paint your nails. But we use the verb dye for hair and cloth/fabric so you dye
your hair blonde and dye a shirt blue.
Lesson 30 Quiz
Circle the correct word to complete this commentary from a reporter at a fashion show.
Cassandra is wearing a fiery / flaming orange blouse and a king / royal blue skirt - those certainly are
very bold / brave colors! Here comes Susan, wearing a long, fair / light pink dress and navy / ruby red
heels. Those pastel / pasty colors look wonderful with her skin tone / type.
The designer of the next outfit is known for his highly innovative style... Joanne is wearing an ember /
emerald green top and cherry / olive green shorts - hmmm... in my opinion the two different shades /
tinges of green don't look so great together. They kind of clash / dye.
Up next is Tanya, with a retro-style greenest/greenish-blue dress with some lemon / lime yellow details
- very interesting look, although the colors might not match / suit everybody. Finally we have Ashley,
who's wearing a sexy burnt / dark purple dress with a golden / silvery yellow belt, a combining /
matching purse, and cloud / sky blue heels - that's quite unusual, but the overall visual effect is
stunning.
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Lesson 31 Texture
The word texture refers to the way something feels, and there are many different collocations used to
describe it. Lets look at them in pairs of opposites.
Dry hair / Oily or greasy hair You need to wash oily hair more often than you need to wash dry hair.
Dry skin / Oily skin Oily skin is prone to acne, whereas dry skin often needs moisturizer.
A Smooth / Rough surface Surfaces such as the ground, a road, and your skin can be smooth (with a
consistent surface) or rough (with a varied surface).
Calm / Choppy or rough water The water of the ocean is calm when the weather is mild, and it is
choppy/rough when there are high winds.
Hard / Soft object A mattress or pillow, for example, can be hard or soft.
Tender / Tough meat Meat that is tender is easy to cut and chew, and meat that is tough is
difficult to cut and chew.
A Sharp / Dull blade or point A knife or a pencil can be sharp meaning it can cut or dull,
meaning it has lost its ability to cut.
The verbs soften and harden describe the process of becoming soft and becoming hard. For
example, potatoes soften when you cook them in boiling water. And snow hardens if the temperature
decreases and the snow begins turning into ice.
We can also use soften and harden in a more metaphorical way we can say a persons voice
softens when they begin speaking in a more friendly tone, and their voice hardens when they begin
speaking in a less friendly tone. A persons attitude or views can also soften (become more
friendly/tolerant) or harden (become less friendly/less tolerant).
Texture words are often used when describing food:
creamy - describes a smooth and rich texture, like cream. Sauces, soups, puddings, and
chocolate can be creamy.
crunchy/crispy describe something that makes a noise when you chew it. Crackers, chips,
bacon, granola, and other hard foods can be crunchy or crispy.
chewy describes food that requires some effort to chew. Caramels and other types of candy
can be chewy. This word can have a negative connotation if the food is not supposed to be
chewy for example, when you overcook meat, it becomes tough and chewy.
greasy describes food with a lot of oil. Hamburgers, French fries, and chicken wings can be
greasy.
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Lesson 31 Quiz
Match the two halves of these sentences:
1. After my dental surgery, I could only
eat soft
2. His facial expression
f)
i)
j)
slices of pizza.
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Lesson 32 Smell
Today well continue learning collocations related to the five senses, with expressions for describing
different smells. Lets begin by looking at some commonly confused words.
Aroma, scent, and fragrance all describe a good smell. You can talk about the wonderful aroma of a
cake that has just been taken out of the oven, the fresh scent of flowers, and the sweet fragrance of a
womans perfume.
The word smell is neutral; you can have the lovely smell of fresh-baked bread, or the horrible smell of
rotting food. The word smell can be a noun or a verb so you can also say It smells delicious or It
smells nasty.
The words stench, stink, and odor all describe bad smells theres the foul odor of a dead animal, and
the revolting stench of sewage. The unpleasant smell of a person who doesnt take showers or use
deodorant is called body odor.
To describe the strength of smells, you can say they are light/faint smells or strong smells. When a
smell is extremely strong, you can say it is an overpowering smell. A smell that you recognize can be
called a familiar smell, and a smell that is unique and easy to identify can be called a distinctive smell or
an unmistakable smell.
Smells can waft that means float through the air. For example, the mouth-watering scent of
chocolate chip cookies wafted across the room. Another verb used with smell is fill the acrid smell of
smoke filled the hallway. Finally, if a smell stays in a place for a long time, we can use the verb linger
the spicy aroma of her cooking lingered in the kitchen for hours.
Here are some additional collocations for describing smells:
earthy/fishy/fruity/metallic smell smells like soil/dirt, fish, fruit, or metal
rancid/putrid smell a disgusting smell of things that are rotten
damp/dank smell a smell of wet things and mold
a pervasive smell a smell that tends to fill the space and remain there
a pungent smell a smell that is sharp and strong; it almost hurts your nose when you smell it
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Lesson 32 Quiz
1. I can't stand the extensive / pervasive / prevalent odor of smoke in that bar.
2. I love the familiar / pungent / revolting smell of my grandmother's chicken soup.
3. I sensed the differential / distinctive / distinguished smell of frying onions.
4. She breathed in the earthy / metallic / putrid fragrance of the forest.
5. Something in the fridge smells damp / rancid / stink - like rotting meat.
6. The bathroom smells so fresh / frisky / foul right after it's been cleaned!
7. The smell of vomit continued / lasted / lingered in the hospital room.
8. There was a faint / small / mild smell of alcohol on his breath.
9. This wine has a light fruity aroma / odor / stench.
10. Your sweaty gym clothes smell faint / nasty / spicy.
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Lesson 33 Taste
Lets begin this lesson by looking at the commonly confused words taste and flavor.
The word taste is often used as a verb, so you can say that a food tastes good or tastes bad. If you want
to be a little more extreme in your description, you can say that a food tastes divine/heavenly (for an
extremely good taste) or tastes gross/disgusting (for an extremely bad taste).
Another expression is it tastes funny that means it tastes unusual, with a negative connotation. For
example, This milk tastes funny it might be past its expiration date. Its very common to say that
something tastes like something else: I had frogs legs once they tasted like chicken.
The word flavor is typically used as a noun. We can say something has a nutty, fruity, cheesy, minty, or
salty flavor to compare the flavor to another food (nuts, fruit, cheese, etc.) You can also use the word
taste as a noun for example: This wine has a fruity taste / fruity flavor.
Flavors or tastes can also be described by category, or by the sensation they cause in your mouth a
bitter flavor, a sour taste, a sweet taste. When you enjoy the taste of something, and want to keep it in
your mouth for a long time, we say you savor the taste.
If a food has a LOT of flavor, then it can be described as strong or rich the strong flavor of garlic, the
rich flavor of chocolate. When the level of flavor is low, it is a mild flavor or a subtle flavor. Both of
these words have a positive connotation This cheese has a nice, mild flavor or, The subtle flavor of
ginger adds a nice touch to this marinade.
The expression bland taste or bland flavor is a way to describe food with little flavor, with a negative
connotation. For example These crackers have such a bland flavor that it feel like Im snacking on
cardboard.
There are some foods that people usually dont enjoy the first time they try them but with time,
people learn to like the flavor. A food like this can be described as an acquired taste.
Theres no quiz today but to expand your vocabulary even more, check out this link for 101+ words for
describing food (with example sentences): http://www.squidoo.com/food-vocabulary
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Lesson 34 Statistics
First, lets clarify the difference between number and amount we use number with countable
nouns, and amount with uncountable nouns.
A large number of people
A massive amount of damage
A significant number of countries
A considerable amount of money
A tiny number of computers
A miniscule amount of alcohol
Numbers and statistics can increase or decrease (more formal), rise or fall (also formal) or go up and go
down (more informally). When a number goes up or down very fast, we can describe this as sharp or
dramatic for example, the sudden improvement in the economy has resulted in a dramatic drop in
unemployment and a sharp rise in consumer spending. When a number goes up or down slowly, then
we can talk about a gradual increase in population or a slow decline in the number of violent crimes.
And if a number doesnt change, then it remains steady or remains constant.
We use the word widespread to describe something that is happening frequently in many places. For
example, there being widespread dissatisfaction with the government, or a new book winning
widespread acclaim in the literary world. A hurricane can cause widespread damage, and a presidential
candidate can have widespread support among voters of a certain demographic.
In conversational English, we often use the structure keep + -ING to describe something that happens
frequently. For example,
Im trying to work, but my colleagues keep interrupting me.
Why do you keep asking me about the problem? Ive told you a thousand times I dont know
how to solve it.
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Lesson 34 Quiz
Choose the best word to complete this opinion letter in a magazine:
The heavy / sharp rise in obesity is a major cause for concern. A significant / steady percentage of
adults are now overweight, and the amount / number of children with weight problems is also getting
up / going up. This crisis is partly due to the overall / widespread consumption of processed foods with
high amounts / numbers of fat and sugar. We're exposed to an excessive amount / number of
advertisements that keep / stay encouraging us to consume more and more food with less and less
nutritional value.
Other contributing factors to the obesity epidemic include a gradual / low increase in portion sizes and a
drop / lack in the average amount / number of physical exercise practiced by the population. A short /
miniscule number of kids nowadays play sports; instead, they prefer to spend a considerable /
conventional amount of time in front of computers, TVs, and video games.
Health problems caused by excess weight have resulted in a dramatic / vivid increase in health care
costs, and although the life expectancy has remained reliable / steady over the past 30 years, we can
expect to see a decay / decline if the trend of over-eating and under-exercising continues.
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Lesson 35 Quiz
Match the two halves of these sentences:
1. After he got five speeding
speedy
3. He ended up regretting his
hasty
4. I took a quick
f)
to a
9. The lifeguard's swift
i)
j)
came to a
11. The speed
l)
the race.
14. With a burst of
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Lesson 36 Changes
To talk about making small changes, you can say make adjustments, make alterations, or make
modifications. More informally, you can say make tweaks We made a few tweaks to the website.
To talk about bigger changes, you can use the verbs transform and revolutionize:
The internet has revolutionized the way people communicate.
The city transformed the vacant lot into a playground.
(you usually transform one thing into something else)
When you put on different clothes, you change your clothes. When you remove a babys dirty diaper
and put on a clean one, you change the babys diaper. When you reverse a decision or opinion, then
you change your mind. And when you introduce a different topic of conversation, then you change the
subject. When you change your religion, then we often use the verb convert I converted to
Christianity; my brother wants to convert to Islam.
Other verbs used for changes are turn, become, and get. Lets look at their different collocations.
Use turn with colors:
Bananas turn black if you put them in the refrigerator.
You can also use turn into as a less formal expression for transform into:
Our living room couch turns into a bed.
Use become with emotions and states of being, including comparative adjectives:
My sister became angry when she found out Id broken her computer.
Its becoming apparent/clear that the treatment isnt working.
The bands music became popular among teenagers.
Its becoming more difficult to separate ones personal and professional life.
You can also use become with professions: My brother became an actor.
The word get can be used as a less formal alternative to become with emotions and comparative
adjectives (but NOT with professions or states of being).
Im getting excited about my upcoming trip to Spain.
Its getting more expensive to rent a place in this neighborhood.
Will it ever get easier for me to understand movies in English?
We also use the word go in a few specific collocations involving changes:
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go bald = lose your hair
go blind = lose your ability to see
go deaf = lose your ability to hear
go crazy/insane = lose your mental control
Lesson 36 Quiz
Complete the sentences with make, turn, change, become, get, or go:
(note: you may need to change the form of the verb: makes, made, making, etc.)
1. After losing his job, George decided to _____________ a consultant.
2. Daniel is embarrassed that he's starting to __________ bald, so he often wears a hat.
3. Her face _________ red when she gets embarrassed.
4. He's not going to ___________ his mind. He seems pretty firm in his decision.
5. I like to experiment in the kitchen - I __________ tweaks to the recipes in the cookbook.
6. I'll be ready in 10 minutes - just let me ___________ my clothes.
7. I'm ___________ annoyed with my bank's terrible customer service.
8. My conversations with my sister always ___________ into arguments.
9. We have fewer funds available than we expected, so we need to ____________ some
adjustments to the budget.
10. If you want to ____________ better at playing the piano, you should practice more.
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Lesson 37 Speaking
Want to become a better conversationalist? Here are a few tips for making small talk (talking casually
about simple topics):
To strike up a conversation (start a conversation), you can make comments about the weather
or the local surroundings.
Stay away from delicate subjects (sensitive topics) like religion and politics you dont want to
get into a lengthy discussion (a long discussion) or have an argument (have a verbal fight).
If theres a lull in the conversation (a pause in the conversation) ask the other person a question
about themselves.
If you tell a story, dont go on and on (talk too much) - remember that youre having a brief chat
(a quick conversation); youre not making a speech.
Be careful about cracking jokes you might end up having to apologize profusely (apologize
many times) if the person is offended.
Having good communication skills can really improve your relationships. People appreciate it when you
get straight to the point (talk directly about the essential message) rather than dropping hints (trying to
communicate very indirectly).
Of course, nobody trusts a person who tells lies (says things that arent true) or stretches the truth
(exaggerates and distorts the facts). If you always tell the truth, then people know they can count on
you when you give your word (make a promise or statement of the truth).
Its also important to watch your tone of voice (the emotion with which you speak) and avoid making
sarcastic remarks or disparaging comments (very negative and destructive comments). If you must
make a complaint, try to give constructive criticism (criticism that helps the situation improve). And if
you need to ask a favor of someone, always do it politely dont forget to say Please!
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Lesson 37 Quiz
ask
hints
lull
brief
lengthy
made
remarks
struck
had
lies
make
straight
told
went
1. After the last argument I ___________ with my brother, we didn't speak to each other for
months.
2. At my college graduation, a famous entrepreneur ___________ a speech about the importance
of innovation.
3. Bill ___________ on and on about his weekend fishing trip - I really didn't need to know all the
details!
4. Can I ___________ you a favor? I need a ride to the doctor's office tomorrow morning.
5. Dave apologized ___________ for forgetting about our appointment.
6. During a ___________ in the conversation, she excused herself to go make a phone call.
7. Have I ever ___________ you the story of how I met my husband?
8. I don't like networking events - spending hours trying to ___________ small talk with strangers
just isn't my cup of tea.
9. I had a ___________ chat with my manager and gave him an update on the project.
10. I ___________ up a conversation with a woman at the library, and she gave me some interesting
book recommendations.
11. Jim and Nicole had a ___________ discussion about the best school to put their children in.
12. John may have ___________ the truth a bit when talking about how successful his company is.
13. My father doesn't talk a lot; when he has something to say, he gets ___________ to the point.
14. My mother taught me always to speak with a respectful ___________ of voice.
15. Rachel's sarcastic ___________ kept making me laugh during the movie.
16. Sally has been dropping ___________ that she's interested in Kevin.
17. Telling ___________ may be convenient at the time, but it can get you into trouble later.
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Lesson 38 Quiz
1. As the concert drew / took / went to a close, the lead singer thanked the fans for their support.
2. I like moving to a new city because you can make a fresh / pure / nice start.
3. It rained continuously for the first three days we were in Miami - a bit of a deadly /
disappointing / disbelieving start to our vacation.
4. My son got a job working directly under a prominent businessman. It's a very complimentary /
excellent / promising start to his career.
5. Our kids are sad that their summer vacation is being / coming / running to an end.
6. The artist put the completing / finishing / finalizing touches on her painting.
7. The back injury put a direct / rushed / sudden end to his tennis career.
8. The famous athlete talked about his humble / lowly / simple beginnings on his town's local
basketball team.
9. The negotiations got off to a scary / shaky / steady start, as neither side was willing to even
consider the other's proposal.
10. There seems to be no end in sight / view / watch to the country's political conflicts.
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Lesson 39 Quiz
1. Edward certainly bet / took / won my respect when he turned down an unethical business deal.
2. Efforts to reduce teen pregnancy through better sex education have seen average / modest /
ordinary success.
3. Getting a new haircut has made a crowning / dramatic / theatrical improvement in his overall
appearance.
4. I made a real breakdown / breakover / breakthrough in my English when I started practicing
listening more often.
5. I wanted to try waterskiing, but I lost my heart / nerve / spirit and ended up staying inside the
boat.
6. I'm not a complete pacifist; I just believe war should be the last option / prospect / resort.
7. Immigration reform was the championing / charming / crowning achievement of the
president's term in office.
8. My attempts at losing weight have failed inadequately / miserably / strongly - in fact, I've
gained a few pounds!
9. My girlfriend really brings / gets / helps out the best in me - I'm a better person thanks to our
relationship.
10. Putting inexperienced teachers into the country's worst schools is a method / program / recipe
for disaster.
11. Researchers have invented a new, highly / richly / sharply effective treatment for leukemia.
12. The company's advertising campaign was a miraculous / spectacular / wonderful failure - it
didn't attract a single new customer.
13. The new movie has been a mediocre / phenomenal / supernatural success, with billions of
dollars in ticket sales.
14. There's a lot of area / room / space for improvement in his writing skills.
15. We thought the repairs on the car would cost about $500, but our estimate was way off the
mark / point / spot - it was $4000.
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Lesson 40 Quiz
1. An earthquake has caused extensive damage / defects / uproar in the countryside.
2. Everyone was surprised by the understated / unexpected / unimpressive outcome of the
presidential election.
3. Food additives may be one of the critical / elementary / underlying causes of the rising
incidence of cancer.
4. I'd like to see some concrete / material / stable results from your work - so far, all you've
presented are theories.
5. New regulations on pollution have unfortunately had a negligible / preliminary / tangible effect
on water contamination levels.
6. Parents are concerned about the long-span / long-term / long-time effects of kids playing
violent video games.
7. Paulo Coelho's books have had a profound / reflective / thorough impact on my life.
8. The company's financial problems are the inevitable / inflexible / irresistible result of years of
poor management.
9. The increase in gang violence in the neighborhood is cause for alarm / alert / injury.
10. The medication I'm taking has a few unpleasant border / lateral / side effects.
11. The singer caused a huge unhappiness / uproar / upset when he announced he was leaving the
band.
12. We need to find the base / origin / root cause of our employees' lack of motivation.
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Lesson 41 Memories
Im trying to think of my earliest memory. I vaguely remember (remember a little bit, not in much detail)
when my brother was born I was three years old at the time but I distinctly remember my first day
of kindergarten, when I was around five.
When I look at photos, even more memories come flooding back (memories come to mind) I
remember my school, my classmates, and my teacher, who would constantly remind us to clean up the
classroom, because we were always making a mess. Id completely forgotten the teachers name,
though, and my mother had to refresh my memory (remind me of a fact Id forgotten).
I still have a lot of my toys from when I was a kid. They bring back fond memories (pleasant memories)
of long afternoons spent playing with my brother. I also remember a family vacation to Switzerland
when I was about eight that was an unforgettable experience.
My most traumatic memory is of my uncle dying in a car crash when I was ten. He was only 32 years old
younger than my dad and the memory of the funeral still haunts me (the sad/profound memory
stays with me). I still wear a bracelet that was a Christmas present from him; it serves as a sobering
reminder (it provides a serious reminder) not to take a single day of life for granted.
Unfortunately, I have a terrible memory for peoples names, unless the name is unusual or particularly
memorable. Just the other day, I was talking to an acquaintance from church and my mind went blank
(I couldnt think of anything) when I tried to think of her name. I racked my brain (tried hard to
remember something), but nothing came to mind. My husband gently reminds me that I really need to
pay more attention, because it makes a bad impression when I call people by the wrong name.
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Lesson 41 Memories
blank
distinctly gently
refresh
traumatic
completely flooding
constantly
racked
fond
terrible
vaguely
1. Did you put my jacket somewhere? I ____________ remember leaving it here on this chair.
2. He ____________ his brain, but he couldn't think of the password to his online bank account.
3. I have ____________ memories of summer camp when I was a kid - I looked forward to it every
year.
4. I ____________remember reading that book... remind me how exactly it ended?
5. If I pause while giving a presentation, my mind goes ____________ and I have to look at my
notes.
6. I'm ____________ reminding myself to sit with good posture.
7. I'm studying a beginner English grammar book to ____________ my memory of the basics.
8. My boss has a ____________ memory, so he keeps track of all his appointments on a calendar
on his cell phone.
9. Oh no! I ____________ forgot that today is my wife's birthday. I need a present - quick!
10. All the circus performers were great, but I thought the acrobats were ____________
memorable.
11. Rachel ____________ reminded me that I still needed to e-mail her the information.
12. Seeing my ex-boyfriend made all the memories of our relationship come ____________ back.
13. She has ____________ memories of the time she was robbed while walking home alone at
night.
14. Taking a helicopter ride over New York City was an ____________ experience.
15. The monument is a ____________ reminder of how many innocent people died in the war.
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Lesson 42 Quiz
1. I agree in basis / foundation / principle that we need to spend less time on our iPhones... but I
can't seem to stop using mine!
2. I am worlds along / apart / away from my parents when it comes to our religious views.
3. I highly / totally / very agree with the company's decision to relax the dress code for
employees.
4. I'm afraid / fearful / scared I disagree with your analysis; I think you've overlooked some
important points.
5. My best friend and I have always been able to conclude / satisfy / settle our disagreements
without fighting.
6. My roommates and I arrived / entered / reached a compromise about cleaning the apartment.
7. She agreed comprehensively / generously / wholeheartedly with my suggested changes to the
design.
8. Some people prefer to argue indefinitely rather than trying to answer / resolve / resume the
conflict.
9. The other students combine / divide / share my opinion that the teacher is not very
knowledgeable.
10. The soccer players had a large-scale / major / principal disagreement with the referee.
11. Those two countries have a long-running dispel / dispute / disturbance over that particular
territory.
12. Tom and Larry had a slight / slim / weak disagreement about where to park the car.
13. We agree with your plans up to a limit / place / point, but we think you should reconsider a few
aspects.
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Lesson 43 Quiz
1. Aaron is so arrogant; he seems to have an unfeasible / unlikeable / unshakable belief in his own
superiority.
2. After another / further / supplemental consideration, we decided to buy a van rather than a
car.
3. Although I was hired for the job, I still have a bothering / nagging / staying doubt about
whether or not I'm truly qualified for it.
4. Bill Clinton's affair cast / put / thrust doubt on his honesty as a president.
5. Against / Contrary / Opposite to popular belief, blonde and blue-eyed Brazilians do exist.
6. Don't let your fears color / light / sound your judgment.
7. I hate it when people make assumptions / inferences / suspicions about me based on my skin
color.
8. I have a cunning / sneaking / tricky suspicion that my friends are planning a surprise birthday
party for me.
9. I heavily / securely / strongly believe that everything happens for a reason.
10. If you have a psychic / subconscious / unaware belief that you don't deserve success, then
you'll probably never attain it.
11. Meeting an 80-year-old professional athlete enlarged / hardened / strengthened my belief that
age is no limit!
12. The evidence proved, before / beside / beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Carson was guilty of
the crime.
13. The results of the customer satisfaction survey lead / put / take us to the conclusion that our
service needs to be improved.
14. There's a common misconception / misconstruction / misunderstanding that tomatoes are
vegetables - but they're technically fruits.
15. We sounded / told / voiced doubts about the feasibility of the plan, but our colleagues said we
were worrying too much.
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Lesson 44 Quiz
asked
discussed keep
take
considering have
make
defend
remained weigh
having
trust
Choosing which college to attend was tough. I was ______________ 12 different universities, and every
person who I _____________ for advice gave me a different suggestion. I ______________ undecided
until a week before the deadline, when my parents reminded me that if I didn't ______________ my
decision soon, I would ______________ no choice but to wait another year before reapplying. My
mother told me to ______________ my intuition, and I decided to ______________ her advice - but the
college I most wanted to go to was also the most expensive, and I started ______________ second
thoughts. I ______________ the issue in-depth with my dad, and he helped me ______________ the
possible outcomes of taking out student loans. In the end, I chose to go to a less expensive university
that was also excellent - though I had to ______________ my decision from my grandmother, who had
wanted me to go to the "best" college in the country. The next choice I'll have to make is what area to
major in - I really have no idea, so I'm going to ______________ my options open as long as possible!
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Lesson 45 Quiz
1. A disclosed / escaped / leaked document shows that the U.S. is planning to build additional
military bases in Central America.
2. A lot of people believe the completely impossible / malicious / unfounded claims they read on
the internet, and never actually research the issue.
3. In the interview, the director heavily implied / included / intended that there would be a sequel
to the film.
4. My cousin wanted to give me a job at his restaurant, but I denied / refused / repelled the offer.
5. Some parents are honestly / openly / transparently accusing the teacher of favoritism in the
classroom.
6. That university is hugely / unjustly / widely acknowledged to be the best place in the world to
study law.
7. The corporation laid off 10,000 workers, inflaming / firing / fueling speculation that it is close to
bankruptcy.
8. The human resources manager defends / denies / denounces the allegations that the company
hired illegal immigrants.
9. The police are claiming / facing / implying accusations of using excessive violence to arrest a
teenager, after some witnesses filmed the situation on their cell phones.
10. The sports team declared / issued / transmitted a statement apologizing for the athlete's
offensive behavior.
11. The tabloid magazines are divulging / growing / spreading the rumor that the actress is
pregnant.
12. Whenever my brother calls me "just to say hi," there's always an ulterior / ultimate /
undercover motive - usually he needs to borrow some money.
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Lesson 46 Quiz
1. Brian caught / got / took an instant dislike to his father's new girlfriend.
2. I hate soap operas with a frenzy / passion / rage; I don't understand why anyone would watch
that trash.
3. I have nothing but aversion / condemn / contempt for parents who abandon their children.
4. I was sad when my parents gave away my childhood toys; I had brought / come / grown quite
attached to them.
5. I'm a big / great / large admirer of your poetry - it's really inspiring.
6. Life is Beautiful is my all-time / everlasting / long-term favorite movie.
7. My grandfather is a forever / lifelong / permanent fan of his old college basketball team.
8. My husband has an impossible / incoherent / irrational hatred of cats.
9. Some people don't like their parents, but I hold mine in the highest regard / reserve / value.
10. The customers have a clear / fair / light preference for inexpensive products.
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Lesson 47 Quiz
1. Her parents refused to give their blessing / grace / thanksgiving to her marriage to a man from
a different culture.
2. I animatedly / enthusiastically / forcefully support the campaign for humane treatment of farm
animals.
3. My son is my parents only grandchild, so of course they think the globe / earth / world of him.
4. Some men will do anything to catch / stand / win the approval of the woman they love.
5. That course seems excellent - everyone who takes it speaks very deeply / greatly / highly of it.
6. The actress' distinguished / outstanding / warm performance in the film won her an Oscar.
7. The article made some burning / grudging / scathing criticisms of the corruption in the
country's political system.
8. The author's new book received a barrage / barricade / blast of criticism from people who
disagree with her philosophy.
9. The manager attacked / countered / defended criticism that he was overspending by showing
how the investments would grow the business' profit in the future.
10. We emotionally / heartily / politely approve of your proposal.
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Lesson 48 Metaphor
A number of words in English are used metaphorically with a meaning that is not exactly the same as
their literal meaning. Usually they apply a quality of one word to another word. For example, when we
say that something is lightning fast, we are using the quality of lightning (which is almost instantaneous)
to describe something that is extremely fast.
Another example is the root of the problem the literal meaning of the word root is the part of a
plant or tree that is under the soil. The roots are what support and sustain the entire tree. Therefore,
the root of the problem is the deepest, most basic or fundamental reason for the problem.
Many metaphors are related to elements in the natural world, such as light and dark, water, fire, and
plants in this lesson, youll learn 5 collocations in each category.
WATER
You can say that ideas are flowing or conversation is flowing to describe when it is proceeding
easily and naturally.
Water metaphors are often used to describe the movement of groups of people you can say
that people poured/streamed into the stadium (to describe continuous movement of large
groups of people) or that people trickled into the church (when only a few people come,
occasionally).
The expressions waves of disappointment or waves of sadness refer to strong feelings.
FIRE
A heated discussion or heated debate is one that is very intense, often with negative emotions
like anger.
If someone has a fiery temper, it means that when they get angry, they get VERY angry, and
could possibly explode. Theres also the expression tempers flared to describe a situation when
people began to get angry.
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The verbs kindle and spark describe the act of starting fires. Kindle is usually used for starting
positive things something can kindle interest/enthusiasm/hope and spark is usually used
for starting negative things something can spark outrage/controversy.
PLANTS
Its difficult for a plant to grow in soil that has a lot of rocks. So if something gets off to a rocky
start, it means that it encountered many problems in the beginning.
Thorns are the small, sharp growths that appear on some plants (such as roses). The expression
a thorny issue describes a matter that is difficult, complicated, and possibly dangerous.
The word blossom is used to describe when a flower appears and opens, revealing all its
beauty. So if a romance/friendship is blossoming, then it is developing in a beautiful way.
If your efforts begin to produce the desired results, we can say your efforts are bearing fruit.
A seed represents something very small that can grow into something big. So if some event
plants seeds of hope / seeds of jealousy, it means it produces a small feeling that can grow into
a stronger emotion over time.
Lesson 48 Quiz
1. A new TV show has sparked argument / contention / controversy by showing the positive side
of dropping out of college.
2. A flood / roll / wave of disappointment came over me when I heard that the show had been
canceled.
3. Having lots of pets as I was growing up ignited / kindled / started my interest in studying
veterinary medicine.
4. Her face lit / shone / turned up when I asked her about the award she'd recently won.
5. I was thrilled to see a romance blossoming / rooting / shining between two of my best friends.
6. My grandmother remembers the black / dark / shady days of the civil war.
7. The boxer dodged his opponent's punch and threw a lightning / streaming / thunder fast
counterattack.
8. The city's efforts to cut down on pollution are finally bearing / growing / producing fruit.
9. The legality of abortion is a flowing / sharp / thorny issue involving questions of human life,
women's rights, and societal responsibility.
10. Hundreds of people dripped / poured / trickled into the store the moment the doors opened.
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close / shut
Close and shut are the same for doors, windows, mouths, and eyes.
Close the door / Shut the door so that the mosquitoes dont get in.
Its cold in here; could you please close the window / shut the window ?
She shut her eyes / closed her eyes as she began to meditate.
Dans mouth was closed / shut.
Note: The word "shut" can be used with a word that implies the action was noisy:
She slammed the door shut.
The wind made the gate bang shut.
Note: The phrase "Shut your mouth!" is a rude way to tell somebody to stop talking.
Close (not shut) is used for shops, banks, etc. as well as for airports and roads that are not open or
available at a particular time:
What time does the bank close?
The roads are closed due to construction.
The shop is closing in 30 minutes.
We use expressions with "close" to refer to the end of an event or process:
Lets bring this meeting to a close.
It appears that the economic crisis is drawing to a close / coming to a close.
Messi scored a goal in the closing moments of the game.
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You can win a game, win a race, win a competition, or win the lottery. You can also win a medal (like in
the Olympics), a prize, or an award. In conflicts, you can win an argument, win a battle or win the war.
The word earn means to get something in exchange for your work or effort.
Sarah is a famous lawyer; she earns a lot of money.
Im not rich, but I earn a decent salary.
My bank account earns 2% interest per month.
The salesman earns a 10% commission on every sale he makes.
The word gain means to receive/obtain or to increase (it may or may not be the result of work or effort).
Ive gained weight ever since I stopped exercising.
Jacks car gained speed as he drove down the mountain.
This training has helped me gain insight into modern educational methods.
In my last job, I gained a lot of experience.
He has gained a reputation for complete honesty in his business dealings.
save / keep
Save is used for conserving something you can save energy, save time, or save space. It can also be
used for rescuing, as in the expression "save someone's life." The expression "save money" has two
meanings - to conserve money by paying less, for example: "Coupons help me save money at the
supermarket." It also means to keep money for a long time, for example: "I'm saving money for my
vacation in December." In this second case, we often say "saving up money."
The word keep means to maintain something in your possession for example, if someone gives you a
jacket, and you try to return it, but the other person tells you to keep it. There are various other
expressions using keep in the sense of maintaining or continuing:
keep trying = continue trying
keep an eye on / keep track of = continue to observe/monitor a situation
keep in mind = continue being aware of something
keep in touch = maintain contact with a person
keep something clean/safe, keep someone happy/quiet = maintain the object or person in that
state
keep a promise = do the action that you promised to do
keep a secret = maintain a secret hidden, not tell it to anybody
spend / pay
You spend money and time:
I spent $100 on tickets to the baseball game.
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We spent three hours waiting in line to buy the tickets!
You can also spend a period of time like the morning, afternoon, night, weekend, week, etc.
I spent the weekend making repairs to the house.
The students spent the afternoon volunteering at the animal shelter.
You pay the request, bill, or demand for the money: pay rent, pay a fine, pay your bills, pay your taxes
Its also possible to use pay with quantities of money, but we use a different preposition:
I spent $100 on the tickets.
I paid $100 for the tickets.
Lesson 49 Quiz
Complete the sentences with close, shut, gain, win, earn, save, keep, spend, or pay.
(Note: You may need to change the form of the verb: close, closed, closing)
1. As the movie drew to a ______________, there were some surprising twists in the story.
2. He slammed his book _____________ and stormed out of the room.
3. I have so many different projects, it's hard to ____________ track of everything that needs to be
done.
4. I love shopping - I _____________ several hundred dollars on new clothes every month.
5. I was thrilled that my daughter _____________ first place in the skating competition.
6. I've ____________ in touch with my childhood friends for over 30 years.
7. Last week, he ____________ two days in the hospital recovering from surgery.
8. Let's take the highway, not the local roads - it'll ____________ time.
9. My son is ______________ up money to buy a new video game system.
10. No thanks, I don't want any chocolate cake. I'm trying to avoid __________ weight.
11. Some people ____________ outrageous salaries considering how little work they do!
12. The supermarket is _____________ on Sundays.
13. The Union forces ______________ the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.
14. This is a part-time job; you'll ______________ about $700 a month.
15. Volunteering as a teacher's assistant enabled me to ___________ experience in the classroom.
16. We prefer to ____________ our bills electronically; it's much more convenient.
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HAVE
have a baby / have children
have a good time / have a blast / have fun
have breakfast/lunch/dinner/ a snack
have an opportunity
have an advantage
TAKE
take a shower/bath
take a class/test/exam
take a bus/train/taxi
take a break / take a rest
= pause from an activity in progress
take advantage of
take care of
take action
PAY
In the previous lesson, you learned collocations with pay involving money. Here are some collocations
with pay that have nothing to do with money:
pay attention = give attention, observe
pay tribute = give honor or recognition
pay someone a compliment = give someone a compliment
pay someone a visit = an informal way to say visit someone
pay (your) respects = express your admiration for someone (often used for someone who has
died)
BREAK
break a habit = stop doing a habit
break a promise = fail to do what you promised to do
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break the ice = (informal) initiate conversation and social interaction, especially in a group that is
a little quiet or reserved
break the rules/law = disobey
break the news to someone = tell someone important news (usually bad news)
CATCH
catch a cold / the flu = when you get sick due to a bacteria/virus transmitted from another
person
catch fire = when something begins to burn
catch sight of / catch a glimpse of = get the opportunity to look at something
catch someones eye = make eye contact with someone
catch the bus/train/subway = an informal way to say that you went on the bus, train, or subway
COME
come into force/effect = begin to have an effect
come to an end
come to terms with = learn to accept someone or something
come under attack/scrutiny
come close = to approximate someone or something in a specific quality
GET
As you learned in Lesson 36 about changes, get can be used in the sense of become:
get married/divorced
get drunk/pregnant
get angry/scared/excited/tired
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Lesson 50 Quiz
Complete the sentences with have, take, pay, break, catch, come, and get.
(Note: You may need to change the form of the verb: take, taking, took, etc.)
1. Are you ___________ married in a church?
2. Billy ___________drunk and started making really stupid comments.
3. He smiled when I ___________ him a compliment.
4. He ___________ a quick shower after his workout.
5. I can't seem to ___________ the habit of procrastination.
6. I ___________ a glimpse of the wolf before it disappeared into the forest.
7. I'm ___________ close to my limit of cell phone minutes for the month.
8. I'm going to ___________ a computer class.
9. I'm ___________ care of my sister's kids this weekend.
10. It took years for his family to ___________ to terms with his sexual orientation.
11. Let's ___________ the 6 AM train.
12. Our kids ___________ a blast at the amusement park.
13. Regina is going to ___________a baby next month.
14. She was disqualified for ___________ the rules of the competition.
15. The car engine ___________ fire after the accident.
16. The doctor ___________ the news to me that I'd need another operation.
17. The new policy will ___________ into effect next Monday.
18. We haven't seen Frank in a long time. Let's ___________ him a visit soon.
19. We're ___________ dinner right now; can I call you back later?
20. You're not ___________ attention - look at me when I'm talking to you!
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During the summer, our kids eat a lot of junk food - popcorn, candy, ice cream, cookies, etc.
He got food poisoning after eating some seafood from a street vendor.
I buy fresh produce at the farmer's market.
I drink in moderation; I don't like getting drunk.
I'm not a huge fan of Mexican cuisine. It's too spicy for me.
I've lost ten pounds so far while on this new diet.
Spinach is one of the most nourishing vegetables - it's full of vitamins and minerals.
That lasagna is delicious; I think I'll have another helping.
The food at this restaurant is all natural - they don't use any type of processed food.
We stopped driving to grab a quick snack at a roadside cafe.
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6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
I can't stand that song; I don't know why it's such a hit.
I like the song, but I don't understand the lyrics.
I'm not really musically gifted, but I practice the violin every day.
It's such a catchy tune, I can't get it out of my head!
My cousin's band is going on tour next summer; they've lined up shows in eleven different
states.
Someone in the choir was singing off-key, and it sounded terrible.
The band's debut album was a huge success.
The DJ played some remixed tracks at the wedding reception.
The singer has attracted quite a devoted following in Korea - her concerts there are always sold
out.
The street musician sat on a park bench, strumming his guitar.
This music is so slow it's putting me to sleep. Let's listen to something with a more upbeat
tempo.
We're going to play a gig at the Jazz Club on Friday night.
Barbara has set a new world record, with 5 consecutive Olympic gold medals in judo.
Do you want to go hiking with us this weekend?
How long have you been playing football?
I played volleyball in college.
If a soccer game is tied, they do penalty kicks to determine the winner.
Jeff and Diana went rock climbing in the mountains.
My son wants to do karate.
Our team won third place in the basketball tournament.
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9. She's been doing gymnastics since she was 5 years old.
10. The baseball team was unable to make a comeback and lost the game 5-2.
11. The biker from Australia currently has the lead, but the bikers from Russia and Peru are
close behind.
12. The ice skater withdrew from the competition due to a knee injury.
13. The runners were stretching before the race began.
14. Tim Randall has achieved a personal best with his time of 23.04 seconds.
15. What was the final score of the baseball game?
4. d
7. j
10. i
2. a
5. c
8. b
11. g
3. l
6. h
9. e
12. f
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11. The boss wants everyone to shut down their computers before leaving work.
12. You forgot to attach the file to your message.
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I didn't want to be a rival to my parents' company, so I opened a small supermarket in a neighboring
town and hired / signed / drew two employees. We made a deal with my father, agreeing that he would
be our primary supplier of fresh fruits and vegetables. Despite the tough competition in the sector, our
little store managed to break even its first year in operation.
Our market research showed that there was a big demand for organic food in the area, so we began
offering primarily organic products and raised our prices. Some of our customers took their business
elsewhere, but others came from miles away due to our reputation for excellent products and friendly
customer service.
Last fall, we launched our own line of organic fruit juices, and that's when things really started to take
off. We opened up a caf next door to the supermarket, and business is booming.
With the profit we're making, we can now invest in expansion and open a branch in another city. We're
even doing business internationally - I'm about to sign a contract with an organic coffee supplier from
South America.
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Sentence Matching
1. j
6. d
2. e
7. g
3. f
8. h
4. b
9. c
5. a
10. i
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6. d
2. a
7. h
3. e
8. j
4. g
9. c
5. b
10. i
Don't bother going to the village - it's not worth the trip, there's really nothing to see.
From our window, we had an unobstructed view of the castle up on the mountain.
If you want more privacy, there's a secluded beach an hour's drive outside the city.
Moving from New York City to a small farm in the midwest was quite a dramatic change of
scenery.
5. The all-day boat trip leaves at 7 AM every morning and takes you to 5 different islands.
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6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
The hikers tried to find the trail through the dense forest.
The stream is quite shallow - the water only comes up to your ankles.
This mountain range extends north to Canada.
We went bird-watching in the wildlife preserve.
You can't get there by car; you have to take the footpath.
After being released from prison, Jim found it hard to get a job.
Although everyone believes she's guilty, the evidence was too inconclusive for a conviction.
Due to his links to terrorist groups, Mr. Smith represents a threat to society.
He was declared innocent by a unanimous jury.
I couldn't believe what a light sentence she got - a mere 30 days in jail!
I don't support the death penalty - I think everyone deserves a chance to change.
Patty and her ex-husband are involved in a prolonged legal battle over the ownership of
their house.
Ron will stand trial for an assault charge after hitting his girlfriend.
The banking executive was charged with fraud.
The U.S. government just passed a new law about immigration.
There was concrete evidence that the doctor had falsified the records.
They haven't yet reached a verdict in the kidnapping case.
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Jim: That's a noble goal, but we have more pressing problems. I seriously doubt our citizens who are
dying of hunger care about protecting endangered species and preventing global warming. Plus, it's not
scientifically proven that humans can even cause irreparable damage to the planet.
George: Don't you see that the two issues are related? Due to climate change, the rain patterns have
changed and our agricultural sector is not as strong as it once was. This results in food shortages. It's
only going to get worse unless we end our dependence on fossil fuels and start using renewable
resources.
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6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
It's oddly quiet in that classroom - are the students taking a test?
My neighbor's dogs start barking whenever someone walks past their house.
She sang a lullaby softly to help put the baby to sleep.
The constant noise in the office makes it difficult to concentrate.
The conversation on their first date was full of awkward silences.
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4. e
7. k
10. b
2. h
5. a
8. i
11. c
3. j
6. l
9. d
12. f
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4. i
7. h
10. n
13. f
2. k
5. j
8. b
11. g
14. m
3. c
6. e
9. a
12. l
15. d
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7. I'm getting annoyed with my bank's terrible customer service.
8. My conversations with my sister always turn into arguments.
9. We have fewer funds available than we expected, so we need to make some adjustments to
the budget.
10. If you want to get better at playing the piano, you should practice more.
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4. My son got a job working directly under a prominent businessman. It's a very promising
start to his career.
5. Our kids are sad that their summer vacation is coming to an end.
6. The artist put the finishing touches on her painting.
7. The back injury put a sudden end to his tennis career.
8. The famous athlete talked about his humble beginnings on his town's local basketball team.
9. The negotiations got off to a shaky start, as neither side was willing to even consider the
other's proposal.
10. There seems to be no end in sight to the country's political conflicts.
Edward certainly won my respect when he turned down an unethical business deal.
Efforts to reduce teen pregnancy through better sex education have seen modest success.
Getting a new haircut has made a dramatic improvement in his overall appearance.
I made a real breakthrough in my English when I started practicing listening more often.
I wanted to try waterskiing, but I lost my nerve and ended up staying inside the boat.
I'm not a complete pacifist; I just believe war should be the last resort.
Immigration reform was the crowning achievement of the president's term in office.
My attempts at losing weight have failed miserably - in fact, I've gained a few pounds!
My girlfriend really brings out the best in me - I'm a better person thanks to our
relationship.
Putting inexperienced teachers into the country's worst schools is a recipe for disaster.
Researchers have invented a new, highly effective treatment for leukemia.
The company's advertising campaign was a spectacular failure - it didn't attract a single new
customer.
The new movie has been a phenomenal success, with billions of dollars in ticket sales.
There's a lot of room for improvement in his writing skills.
We thought the repairs on the car would cost about $500, but our estimate was way off the
mark - it was $4000.
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4. I'd like to see some concrete results from your work - so far, all you've presented are
theories.
5. New regulations on pollution have unfortunately had a negligible effect on water
contamination levels.
6. Parents are concerned about the long-term effects of kids playing violent video games.
7. Paulo Coelho's books have had a profound impact on my life.
8. The company's financial problems are the inevitable result of years of poor management.
9. The increase in gang violence in the neighborhood is cause for alarm.
10. The medication I'm taking has a few unpleasant side effects.
11. The singer caused a huge uproar when he announced he was leaving the band.
12. We need to find the root cause of our employees' lack of motivation.
Lesson 41 Memories
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Did you put my jacket somewhere? I distinctly remember leaving it here on this chair.
He racked his brain, but he couldn't think of the password to his online bank account.
I have fond memories of summer camp when I was a kid - I looked forward to it every year.
I vaguely remember reading that book... remind me how exactly it ended?
If I pause while giving a presentation, my mind goes blank and I have to look at my notes.
I'm constantly reminding myself to sit with good posture.
I'm studying a beginner English grammar book to refresh my memory of the basics.
My boss has a terrible memory, so he keeps track of all his appointments on a calendar on
his cell phone.
Oh no! I completely forgot that today is my wife's birthday. I need a present - quick!
All the circus performers were great, but I thought the acrobats were particularly
memorable.
Rachel gently reminded me that I still needed to e-mail her the information.
Seeing my ex-boyfriend made all the memories of our relationship come flooding back.
She has traumatic memories of the time she was robbed while walking home alone at night.
Taking a helicopter ride over New York City was an unforgettable experience.
The monument is a sobering reminder of how many innocent people died in the war.
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Her parents refused to give their blessing to her marriage to a man from a different culture.
I enthusiastically support the campaign for humane treatment of farm animals.
My son is my parents only grandchild, so of course they think the world of him.
Some men will do anything to win the approval of the woman they love.
That course seems excellent - everyone who takes it speaks very highly of it.
The actress' outstanding performance in the film won her an Oscar.
The article made some scathing criticisms of the corruption in the country's political system.
The author's new book received a barrage of criticism from people who disagree with her
philosophy.
9. The manager countered criticism that he was overspending by showing how the investments
would grow the business' profit in the future.
10. We heartily approve of your proposal.
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4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Her face lit up when I asked her about the award she'd recently won.
I was thrilled to see a romance blossoming between two of my best friends.
My grandmother remembers the dark days of the civil war.
The boxer dodged his opponent's punch and threw a lightning fast counterattack.
The city's efforts to cut down on pollution are finally bearing fruit.
The legality of abortion is a thorny issue involving questions of human life, women's rights,
and societal responsibility.
10. Hundreds of people poured into the store the moment the doors opened.
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6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
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