Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 1
1 ENTERTAINMENT
Pages 8–9
background /ˈbækˌɡraʊnd/ Noun
if an object is in the background, it is behind the main
thing you are looking at. Sounds you can hear but are
not listening to are in the background
Collocates: background music | background noise | in
the background
the TV was on in the background | you could see it in
the background | the dance music continued in the
background
ban /bæn/ Verb
if someone in authority bans something, they do not
allow it. If they ban someone from doing something, they
do not allow them to do it
Collocates: ban someone from doing something
my parents banned me from playing video games |
he was permanently banned from visiting his ex-wife |
all flights have been banned in the volcano region |
tobacco advertising was banned years ago
Adverb: commercially
the film was a flop commercially | the restaurant isn’t
commercially viable (able to make a profit)
control /kənˈtrəʊl/ Verb
if you control something or control how much someone
can do something, you check and limit the amount or
level of it
my parents control how much time I spend on Minecraft
| he’s trying to control his diet | you should control how
much you eat | it’s not possible for governments to
control the Internet
Noun: control
Collocates: keep control of something | something is
under control
the control of inflation | you need to keep control of your
spending
disturbing /dɪˈstɜː(r)bɪŋ/ Adjective
something that is disturbing makes you feel worried or
upset
Noun: ban | Adjective: banned
Collocates: find something disturbing
the public smoking ban was introduced in 2007 | he
received a lifetime ban from baseball for drug abuse |
he was charged with possession of banned publications
the news was deeply disturbing | viewers may find some
scenes disturbing | a disturbing thought struck Melissa |
a disturbing trend towards long-term unemployment
big-budget /bɪɡ ˈbʌdʒɪt/ Adjective
a budget is the amount of money you have available or
that you plan to spend on things. A big-budget film is
one that costs a lot of money to make
Collocates: a big-budget movie/film/production
we’ve made big-budget dramas and we’ve also made
little half-hour shows | she co-starred with Brad Pitt in the
big-budget film “Troy” | the first big-budget jazz film
Opposite – Adjective: low-budget
Collocates: a low-budget movie/film/production
I worked on low-budget films that nobody saw | both
movies were low-budget, and were never released in
Britain
catchy /ˈkætʃi/ Adjective
a catchy tune, slogan, phrase etc. is one that is very easy
to remember
it’s an easy tune to remember – so catchy | a great song
with a catchy chorus | a catchy slogan
commercial /kəˈmɜː(r)ʃ(ə)l/ Adjective
commerce is business. If something is commercial it is
related to business or making money. When you say
music or a film is commercial, you’re suggesting that
it isn’t very good because it was only made in order to
make money and quality was not a major consideration
a commercial TV channel (run as a business, not paid for
by a government) | the film had good reviews but wasn’t
a commercial success (people thought it was good,
but it didn’t make money) | a commercial product | the
property is not for commercial use
Verb: disturb | Adjective: disturbed
Collocates: be disturbed by/about/at something
nothing ever seemed to disturb him | his father was
disturbed at the lack of progress he was making
at school
glued /ɡluːd/ Verb
glue is something you use to stick things together so
they can’t move. If you say that your headphones are
glued to your ears, you mean that they are always there
and don’t move. Or if you say you are glued to the TV or
your seat, you mean that you don’t move because what
you’re watching is so exciting
Collocates: be glued to something
he’s been glued to his desk all day | I was glued to the
radio and Internet news reports | we were glued to the
screen | Charlie sat glued to the bar stool | the pages
were cut and then glued together
Noun: glue
Collocates: strong/thick glue
a jar of glue | use colourless glue if you can
gripping /ˈɡrɪpɪŋ/ Adjective
if something is gripping, it is extremely exciting
Collocates: a gripping tale/story/drama/novel
the film was absolutely gripping | a really gripping ending
| a gripping account of how the battle was fought | it’s his
best and most emotionally gripping story yet
Verb: grip | Adjective: gripped
the story really grips you from the very start | we were all
gripped by the TV reports
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hilarious /hɪˈleəriəs/ Adjective
something that is hilarious is extremely funny
the film was hilarious | hilarious YouTube clips | the entire
speech was hilarious, from start to finish | a hilarious joke
Adverb: hilariously | Noun: hilarity
it was hilariously funny | the woman laughed hilariously
and gave him a kiss on the cheek | his accent was the
cause of much hilarity
inspiring /ɪnˈspaɪərɪŋ/ Adjective
something or someone that is inspiring makes you
excited and strongly interested and enthusiastic
an inspiring teacher | his inspiring leadership was
directly responsible for the company’s success | one
of the most inspiring speeches I have ever heard | a
ship under full sail is a glorious and inspiring sight | an
inspiring message of hope for the future
Verb: inspire | Adjective: inspired
her passion inspires both students and other teachers
| this inspired me to live a better life | the coloured
envelopes were an inspired idea | it was an inspired
performance by the goalkeeper
on demand /ɒn dɪˈmɑːnd/ Phrase
if you demand something you ask for it and want it
immediately. So if a service is on demand you can ask
for and get it immediately
I tend to watch films on demand at home | our
programmes are available online and on demand |
sporting content that you can watch on demand
over-the-top /ˌəʊvə(r) ðə ˈtɒp/ Adjective
if something is over-the-top, it is so extreme that it
seems silly. You can also use just the initials and say that
something is OTT
it was completely over-the-top | I think that’s a bit overthe top | The film has loads of fight scenes and over-thetop acting | his reaction was really over-the-top | it was
very funny, without being OTT
remake /ˈriːˌmeɪk/ Noun
if a film is a remake, it has the same story and usually the
same title as a film that already exists
a remake of “The Italian Job” | a television remake was
produced in 2006 | a 1983 remake starring Al Pacino |
the remake was a total flop (nobody came to see it and
it failed to make any money)
Verb: remake
the show has been remade several times
stuff /stʌf/ Noun uncount
you can use stuff to refer to things such as a substance,
a collection of things, events, ideas, or the contents of
something in a general way without mentioning the thing
itself by name
the Beatles? That’s the kind of stuff my dad listens to
| we played games like Monopoly and stuff like that | I
hate opera and that kind of stuff | we need to buy some
stuff for the house | just dump your stuff in the corner,
we’ll show you your room later
tear /tɪə(r)/ Noun
tears are small drops of liquid which come from your
eyes when you cry. If someone is in tears, they are crying
because they are upset or because something is sad
Collocates: be in tears | be close to tears | burst into
tears
she had tears running down her face | the ending of the
film had me in tears (made me cry because it was so
sad) | as soon as he was alone, Fergus burst into tears
(suddenly started to cry)
Adjective: tearful | Adverb: tearfully
Elizabeth looked tearful as she watched her parents
leave | her tearful face was turned toward Alice | the girl
tearfully shook her head
uplifting /ʌpˈlɪftɪŋ/ Adjective
something that is uplifting makes you feel happy and full
of hope
it’s a really inspiring story, really uplifting | a joyful and
uplifting occasion | an uplifting experience | energetic
and uplifting music | it was uplifting to see the results of
all her hard work
Adjective: uplifted
I felt totally uplifted by the end of the film
Pages 10–11
abstract /ˈæbstrækt/ Adjective
abstract art does not try to represent real people or
things but uses shapes and colours in order to create
particular feelings or effects
an exhibition of abstract paintings | he started doing
abstract compositions while he was still at art school |
his work was purely abstract, but full of life and colour |
the drawing was simple, almost abstract
Noun: abstract
he submitted two abstracts for the exhibition
affair /əˈfeə(r)/ Noun
if someone has an affair, they develop a sexual
relationship with someone who is not their long-term
partner
Collocates: have an affair
Clark had had several affairs during his marriage | my
husband had an affair 20 years ago | he accused her of
having an affair | she had a brief affair with a colleague |
both she and her spouse had extramarital affairs
ambiguous /æmˈbɪɡjuəs/ Adjective
if something is ambiguous, its meaning is not clear and it
could be understood in more than one way
his later paintings are quite ambiguous | some of the
language is a bit ambiguous | I think she was being
deliberately ambiguous | the interpretation of this
ambiguous phrase led to a serious argument between
the two professors
Adverb: ambiguously | Noun: ambiguity || Opposites –
Adjective: unambiguous | Adverb: unambiguously
he deliberately answered ambiguously | there’s a lot
of ambiguity in what he said | I worded it carefully to
avoid ambiguity | he gave his opinion in clear and
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unambiguous terms | any conditions attached to the
offer must be stated unambiguously
bankruptcy /ˈbæŋkrʌptsi/ Noun
bankruptcy is a situation when someone does not have
enough money to pay all their debts
Collocates: declare bankruptcy
he later fell into bankruptcy | the couple now face
bankruptcy | she was close to bankruptcy | the number
of bankruptcies has risen | he declared bankruptcy and
eventually lost his home | Steve Jobs brought Apple
from near bankruptcy to profitability by 1998
Adjective: bankrupt | Verb: bankrupt
Collocates: go bankrupt | be declared bankrupt
the company went bankrupt last year | they have
been declared bankrupt | he’s virtually bankrupt | just
one more major accident will bankrupt the company |
due to poor financial management, the company was
bankrupted
bold/ bəʊld/ Adjective
bold colours are very bright and catch your attention
very quickly. In books and magazines, bold letters are
slightly thicker and look darker than the other letters so
that they catch your attention easily
don’t be scared to wear bold colours this season |
headings should be in bold | in the autumn its leaves
turn a bold red
conventional /kənˈvenʃ(ə)nəl/ Adjective
if something is conventional, it is done in the usual way
and is not at all new or different
a conventional portrait | a conventional novel | his ideas
are all quite conventional | a conventional education | a
highly conventional upbringing | the design was rather
conventional
Adverb: conventionally || Opposite –
Adjective: unconventional
she was brought up quite conventionally in Surrey |
a conventionally trained artist | an unconventional
approach to art | a rather unconventional teacher
-AL
Some adjectives are formed by adding -al to a noun. For
example, follow convention / conventional ideas. Have an
accident / accidental damage; good behaviour / behavioural
problems; help commerce / have a commercial advantage;
cause a major controversy / a controversial decision; a rare
exception / in exceptional circumstances; round the globe /
a global effort; it’s not the norm / normal relations; a big
organisation / undergo organisational changes.
democratic /ˌdeməˈkrætɪk/ Adjective
a democratic political system involves people voting so
that their representatives are chosen by a majority of
people. If an activity is democratic, it is organised in a
way that has the agreement or approval of the majority
of people who are involved
art is most definitely not democratic | a democratic
country where free speech is guaranteed | school life
was far from democratic | our nation was founded to
perpetuate democratic principles | English has always
been a thoroughly democratic language
Adverb: democratically | Noun: democracy || Opposite
– Adjective: undemocratic
it is undemocratic to rule over people without seeking
their votes | the government condemned the strike as
undemocratic | a democratically elected government |
a democratically managed organisation | they argued
that socialism without democracy is impossible | the
dictatorship was overthrown and democracy restored
dominant /ˈdɒmɪnənt/ Adjective
if a person or thing is dominant, they have more power
or influence than others around them
the dominant partner in the relationship | a dominant
personality | the company has a dominant position in the
world market | big business remained dominant in the
economy
Verb: dominate | Noun: dominance
as usual, Williams dominated the meeting | the political
and economic dominance of the USA
dramatic /drəˈmætɪk/ Adjective
if something is dramatic, it is quite exciting and impressive
a dramatic painting of the Battle of Trafalgar | Cumbria
is famous for its dramatic scenery | the story ended in
a highly dramatic fashion | the whole experience was
quite dramatic
Adverb: dramatically
he kicked open the door and leapt dramatically into
the room
edge /edʒ/ Noun
if there is an edge to a situation, people realise that
there is some danger or that something exciting might
be about to happen
a fact which lends a disturbing edge to the portrait | it
gave the show a certain edge | the presence of his exwife gave the meeting an extra edge
enable /ɪnˈeɪb(ə)l/ Verb
to enable something to happen means to make it
possible for that thing to happen
art is the lie that enables us to realise the truth | the long
holiday enabled us to finish the repairs to the farmhouse
| good communication enabled them to increase total
efficiency | this option enables you to print your ticket
before going to the airport
Adjective: enabled
web-enabled mobile devices
experimental /ɪkˌsperɪˈment(ə)l/ Adjective
an experiment is a scientific test that you do to see
what happens under certain conditions. Experimental
art or music involves trying new methods in an attempt
to create something completely different from what has
gone before
his paintings became more and more experimental |
I was always attracted to experimental music | his
creative process in doing art is mostly experimental
frank /fræŋk/ Adjective
if you are frank, you say exactly what you believe in a
clear, honest, and truthful way
Collocates: be frank (about something) | be frank with
someone
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to be frank, I’d never really thought about it | she was
quite frank about the affair | a frank exchange of views
(an argument) | I’ve always been frank with you (told you
the truth)
Adverb: frankly | Noun: frankness
quite frankly, I’m bored with the whole thing | frankly
speaking, I don’t know my neighbours at all | she
answered his questions frankly and cheerfully | he talked
about his past with complete frankness | the frankness
of her reply surprised him
friction /ˈfrɪkʃ(ə)n/ Noun
if there is friction between people, there is unfriendliness
or disagreement between them
they know each other intimately (they know personal
details about each other) | things he only talked about in
the intimacy of the home
jealousy /ˈdʒeləsi/ Noun uncount
jealousy is the feeling of anger you have when someone
you like or love seems to be starting a close relationship
with someone else
she was overcome with jealousy and fear | the crime
was fuelled by jealousy | he felt no jealousy when he
saw them together | Lisa’s jealousy was aroused by
Patrick’s behaviour towards Jennifer
Adjective: jealous | Adverb: jealously
Collocates: be jealous of someone
there was friction between the two sisters | the usual
frictions between parents and teenagers | money was a
source of friction between them | Eric refused to give it
back, and that’s where the friction arose
a jealous husband | Dan was jealous of his sister and
her friends | he watched her jealously as she walked
through the restaurant
get away with /ɡet əˈweɪ wɪð/ Phrasal verb
if you get away with a crime or with doing something
wrong, you are not caught and don’t get punished for it
landscape /ˈlæn(d)ˌskeɪp/ Noun
the landscape is the view that you can see when you
are in the country, away from towns and buildings.
A landscape is also a painting or photograph of the
countryside
he can’t keep getting away with it | it’s too risky, you’ll
never get away with it | his mum lets him get away with
murder (doesn’t punish his bad behaviour) | he robbed a
bank and got away with it
impression /ɪmˈpreʃ(ə)n/ Noun
if you get an impression about something, you get a
feeling about it or form an opinion about it
a beautiful landscape | the natural landscape and
setting was beautiful | he preferred painting portraits to
landscapes | a rocky and windswept landscape
minimal /ˈmɪnɪm(ə)l/ Adjective
something that is minimal uses or involves the smallest
amount possible of something
Collocates: get an impression (about something) |
give someone an impression | leave someone with an
impression | a first/initial impression | a wrong impression
| a good/bad impression | a vivid impression
I’d had only a minimal amount of training | the medicine
had only a minimal effect | we were given minimal
amounts of food | the fees they charge are minimal |
minimal art
I got the impression that someone had died | I got the
distinct impression (the very strong impression) that we
weren’t welcome | I don’t want to give you the wrong
impression | it left me with the impression that she’s not
very happy | what was your first impression of her? | the
painting gives a vivid impression of London in 1850
childhood?
Adverb: minimally
interpretation /ɪnˌtɜː(r)prɪˈteɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun
your interpretation of something is the particular way
you choose to understand it. If something is open to
interpretation, different people are likely to understand it
in several different ways
I think the book’s open to interpretation | what’s
your interpretation of the novel? | that’s one possible
interpretation | poetry invites alternative interpretations
from readers | the story has several possible
interpretations
Verb: interpret
it’s difficult to interpret dreams accurately | how do you
interpret his behaviour?
intimate /ˈɪntɪmət/ Adjective
something that is intimate is about a person’s private life
an intimate painting of the duke’s family at home | an
intimate friend of the artist | did they have an intimate
relationship (a sexual relationship)? | the newspaper
published intimate details of his private life
office routine was minimally affected during the building
works | minimally invasive heart surgery (an operation
on someone’s heart that involves the least possible
damage to the rest of the body)
restore /rɪˈstɔː(r)/ Verb
to restore something that has been badly damaged
means to mend it so that it returns to its original
condition
the painting couldn’t be restored | the cottage was
completely restored in 2007 | the aims of the society
are to preserve and restore the canal | the building was
restored and reopened in 1979
Noun: restoration
the painting underwent significant restoration | when
restoration was complete, the castle reopened to visitors
seated /ˈsiːtɪd/ Adjective
if someone is seated, they are sitting down. If they are
seated on something, they are sitting on it
a young man with a white cat seated on his lap | she
remained seated on the floor | she was seated on the
grass | please remain seated until the plane has stopped
Verb: seat
I sat down and he seated himself beside me
Adverb: intimately | Noun: intimacy
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slice /slaɪs/ Verb
to slice something means to cut it into thin pieces using
a knife or something else that is sharp
Van Gogh sliced his ear off | slice the courgettes thinly |
he sliced his hand open by accident
Noun: slice | Adjective: sliced
a slice of cheese | a few thin slices of tomato | a loaf of
sliced bread
strike /straɪk/ Verb
if something strikes you in a particular way, it makes you
think about it in that way and influences the opinion that
you form
Collocates: strike someone as something | be struck by
how something happens
this may strike you as a conventional painting | doesn’t
his behaviour strike you as odd? | the first thing that
struck me was how few people were there | I was struck
by how cheerful she seemed (I noticed it)
Adjective: striking | Adverb: strikingly
the two books have striking similarities | the second
example was even more striking | her own conclusions
were strikingly different
subtle /ˈsʌt(ə)l/ Adjective
subtle colours, tastes, smells etc. are not very strong, but
in a very pleasant way
subtle colours are softer and more delicate | the subtle
flavour of green tea | the walls were painted a subtle
shade of blue
Adverb: subtly
a subtly flavoured dish of rice and peas | subtly different
colours blended to give a calming effect
symbolic /sɪmˈbɒlɪk/ Adjective
a symbol is an object, picture, or shape that is used to
represent a particular idea or feeling in art or literature.
If something is symbolic, it uses pictures or shapes to
represent ideas or feelings
Collocates: highly/heavily symbolic | symbolic meaning/
significance
the picture is heavy with symbolic meaning | animals
were highly symbolic figures in Egyptian art | the flowers
are symbolic of life (they represent it) | the symbolic
significance of the tree was obvious | a highly symbolic
act (with an important meaning)
Noun: symbol | Verb: symbolise | Noun: symbolism
Collocates: a symbol of something | a powerful symbol
the dog in the painting is a symbol of loyalty | the dove
is traditionally the symbol of peace | the gun was a
powerful symbol of authority | a dove is often used to
symbolise peace | the event symbolises the country’s
struggle for democracy | trying to analyse the symbolism
in the painting
symbolise /ˈsɪmbəlaɪz/ Verb
if an object, picture, or shape symbolises a particular
idea or feeling in art or literature, it is used to represent
that feeling or idea
the cat symbolises jealousy | a dove is often used to
symbolise peace | the event symbolises the country’s
struggle for democracy
Noun: symbol | Adjective: symbolic | Noun: symbolism
the dog in the painting is a symbol of loyalty | the dove
is traditionally the symbol of peace | the picture is heavy
with symbolic meaning | animals were highly symbolic
figures in Egyptian art | trying to analyse the symbolism
in the painting
tension /ˈtenʃ(ə)n/ Noun
tension is a feeling of excitement or fear, or a feeling of
distrust between people
there’s a lot of tension in the painting | the tension builds
throughout the film | there is mounting tension between
the two communities | growing tension along the border
between the two countries | tensions are high in the
capital following the president’s resignation | the tension
finally erupted into violence on the streets
Adjective: tense
the atmosphere in the city is still tense | there was a
tense silence in the room | the arrival of the police only
made a tense situation worse | the increasingly tense
relationship between her parents
undergo /ˌʌndə(r)ˈɡəʊ/ Verb
if you undergo something, you experience it
we’re undergoing a big change in the organisation | the
building has undergone some renovations | you may
need to undergo surgery | she underwent an emergency
operation
urge /ɜː(r)dʒ/ Noun
if you have an urge to do something, you suddenly want
to do it or feel that you cannot stop yourself doing it
Collocates: feel an urge (to do something)
the urge to destroy is also a creative urge | Annie felt
an urge to phone her mother (wanted very much to
phone) | he was fighting the urge to fall asleep | just
give in to your urge to laugh | have you ever had an
uncontrollable urge to do something wrong?
Verb: urge
Collocates: urge someone to do something
shoppers have been urged to change their habits |
parents who smoke are strongly urged to quit
willing /ˈwɪlɪŋ/ Adjective
if you say that you are willing to do something, you mean
that you will easily agree to do it and do not have any
objections
Collocates: be willing to do something | perfectly/quite
willing
it’s very worthwhile for people who are willing to make
the effort | I am perfectly willing to wait | finding a willing
helper is easier than you think | they are always willing
to try new types of food
Adverb: willingly | Noun: willingness || Opposites
– Adjective: unwilling | Adverb: unwillingly |
Noun: unwillingness
John had never seen men work so willingly or
cheerfully | he willingly keeps silent to protect his
brother | I really appreciate your willingness to help
| willingness doesn’t always indicate readiness | he
was unwilling to stay another week | an unwilling
participant in the crime | she unwillingly held out her
hand | it is certain that they left Vienna unwillingly | her
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unwillingness to take part in the conference | what was
the cause of his unwillingness?
challenge | the company was facing a very specific
challenge
Verb: challenge | Adjective: challenging
Pages 12–13
approach /əˈprəʊtʃ/ Verb
to approach someone or something means to move
towards them so that you get close to them
the hero approaches the monster | a dark figure slowly
approached him | they approached slowly, not wanting
to make a noise | I could hear footsteps approaching
Noun: approach | Adjective: approaching
she glanced up at my approach (when she saw me
coming closer) | a heavy footstep announced his
approach | the approaching ship was a pirate ship |
Madison inspected the approaching figure with interest
assert /əˈsɜː(r)t/ Verb
to assert your power, authority, or rights means to
behave in a way that shows you have that power,
authority, or right and that you intend to use it
the villain asserted his power over the prisoners | as an
employee you need to assert your rights before you lose
them | he felt a need to assert his superiority | the king
asserted his authority by force
Noun: assertion | Adjective: assertive |
Adverb: assertively
an assertion of the rights of all women | her continual
assertions of cultural authority | she was being more
than usually assertive | you need to adopt a more
assertive approach | the ability to handle difficult
situations assertively | you need to speak more
assertively in class
bound /baʊnd/ Adjective
if something is bound to happen, it is certain to happen
as a natural result of the present situation
the couple are bound to get together | a healthy lifestyle
is bound to help | I suppose it was bound to happen | the
speech was bound to annoy the liberals
bully /ˈbʊli/ Verb
to bully someone means to treat them very badly because
they are not strong enough to be able to fight back
he was often bullied at school | he used to bully his little
brother | he often bullies colleagues if he thinks they are
too weak to respond | soon, other kids were bullying her
both online and in person
Noun: bully | Noun: bullying
we all avoided Mark, the school bully | kids can be
bullies or victims – and sometimes both | this bullying
behaviour needs to stop | everyone was worried about
bullying in the factory
challenge /ˈtʃæləndʒ/ Noun
a challenge is a problem that you face, which will need
a lot of effort and determination for you to succeed in
defeating it
Collocates: overcome a challenge | tackle a challenge |
a serious/tough/major challenge | face a challenge
the monster presents a serious challenge| I had great
support that helped me overcome these challenges |
once we win that battle, we can tackle the next
none of these statements were challenged by the
police | films that challenge the viewer| the course will be
challenging, but worthwhile | yoga can be a physically
challenging activity
confront /kənˈfrʌnt/ Verb
if you confront a difficult situation, you make a strong
effort to deal with it successfully. If you confront
someone who is opposed to you, you deliberately
approach them and show you are prepared to fight or
argue with them
the hero confronts the monster for the first time | never
confront a burglar alone if possible | riot police were
confronted by angry protestors | we need to confront
the problem more directly | next morning, she angrily
confronted her boss about the decision
Noun: confrontation | Adjective: confrontational
a confrontation with someone | a confrontation betwee
people
a confrontation between a motorist and a cyclist |
violent confrontations with the police were common |
you need to be less confrontational when dealing
with strangers | the government had a confrontational
relationship with the unions
deed /diːd/ Noun
a deed is an action or something that someone does.
People usually use the word deed when they are making
a judgement about whether something was a good or
bad action
Collocates: a good/bad deed
bad deeds will bring their own punishment | the bombing
was condemned as an evil deed | one bad deed was
enough for him to go to prison | a reward for all your
good deeds
defeat /dɪˈfiːt/ Verb
to defeat someone means to beat them in a fight,
argument, election, or sport
Collocates: decisively/heavily/easily defeat someone |
defeat an enemy/opponent
religious stories, like David defeating the giant Goliath |
he crushed the revolt and defeated his opponents |
the right-wing candidates were soundly defeated |
the invasion was bitterly resisted and decisively
defeated | Spurs narrowly defeated Arsenal 1–0 | the
Japanese decisively defeated Russia in 1905
Noun: defeat
Collocates: suffer a defeat | admit defeat
a strong UEA team inflicted the first defeat of the season
against NCC | the US Army suffered a huge defeat | she
hated to admit defeat
disguise /dɪsˈɡaɪz/ Verb
to disguise yourself means to change your appearance
so that people will not recognise you because you look
very different
Collocates: disguise yourself (as someone)
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she disguised herself as a police officer | even though
he had disguised himself, they caught him before he
reached the border | he was disguised as a bus driver
Noun: disguise
Collocates: in disguise
he wore a disguise | she put on a different disguise | he
travelled in disguise (wearing a disguise) | no one saw
through his disguise
encounter /ɪnˈkaʊntə(r)/ Verb
to encounter something means to experience it
the hero encountered a problem | the idea has
encountered fierce opposition | we encountered a few
problems | United Nations forces encountered some
resistance
Noun: encounter
some violent encounters with the police | a close
encounter with a snake | our first encounter (the first
time we met)
exploit /ɪkˈsplɔɪt/ Verb
to exploit something means to use it in a way that gives
you an advantage or benefit
he escaped by exploiting the monster’s only weakness |
the technique exploits developments in satellite
technology | the coal could not be commercially
exploited until a railway had been built | the country
needs to exploit its rich mineral resources
Noun: exploitation
commercial exploitation of wind power is increasing
face /feɪs/ Verb
if you face something dangerous or unwanted, if you
are faced with it, or if it faces you, it is present and might
cause harm to you
the hero is trapped and faces death | the council was
faced with several difficult problems | the second
major problem facing the country is the economy | the
environmental issues facing the United Nations today |
the music business is facing huge challenges from
piracy and theft
fatal /ˈfeɪt(ə)l/ Adjective
an illness or injury that is fatal will kill someone. A fatal
problem or difficulty will have a very bad effect and cause
someone or something to fail in what they are trying to do
Collocates: a fatal accident/crash | a fatal mistake | a
fatal flaw | prove fatal
does the monster have a fatal flaw? | three fatal
accidents happened over the weekend | Brian’s fatal
mistake was to borrow more than he could afford |
without medicine, his condition could prove fatal
Adverb: fatally
this economic model was fatally flawed | one of the men
was fatally stabbed
flaw /flɔː/ Noun
a flaw is a slight fault in something. If a person has a
flaw, they have a particular weakness or fault in their
character
Collocates: a fatal flaw
the monster has a fatal flaw (a weakness that will
definitely lead to failure) | John had some serious
character flaws | a fundamental design flaw (a problem
with something as a result of its design rather than
its manufacture) | there were several obvious flaws in
his plan
Adjective: flawed | Adjective: flawless
the reasoning was seriously flawed | the hero of the
story is a deeply flawed character | her performance
was almost flawless | a flawless scheme that was bound
to succeed
fulfil /fʊlˈfɪl/ Verb
to fulfil a duty, requirement, or obligation means to
succeed in doing or providing what is necessary
these plots fulfil a deep psychological need for moral
order | we will be able to fulfil all our orders before
Christmas (deliver all the goods that have been ordered)
| on top of his research, he had to fulfil his normal
teaching duties | the school made sure it fulfilled its legal
obligations
Noun: fulfilment
we can’t guarantee fulfilment of last minute requests
| this was the fuflilment of the promise made two
years ago
get away with /ɡet əˈweɪ wɪð/ Phrasal verb
if you get away with a crime or with doing something
wrong, you are not caught and punished for it
he can’t keep getting away with it | it’s too risky, you’ll
never get away with it | his mum lets him get away with
murder (doesn’t punish his bad behaviour) | he robbed
a bank and got away with it
insight /ˈɪnsaɪt/ Noun
an insight is a clear way of understanding something
Collocates: insight into something
a new insight that helped make him a better person | an
experience which gave her insight into the struggle of
farmers | the film provides invaluable insights into their
lives | his writing lacks insight | she’s got a lot of insight
into this problem | the book gives a real insight into the
causes of the war | his words provide valuable insight on
this subject
Adjective: insightful
the book is well written and insightful | she writes a
highly insightful blog
moral /ˈmɒrəl/ Adjective
moral issues, choices, or beliefs are based on ideas of
what is right and wrong
a deep psychological need for love and moral order
| it shows children the importance of moral choices |
suicide is a moral issue | you have a moral obligation
to do something | a moral duty | he has very high moral
standards | a set of moral values | a woman of strict
moral principles | a highly moral individual who loves his
fellow man | no moral judgement can decide the value
of life
Noun: morality | Adverb: morally || Opposites –
Adjective: immoral | Noun: immorality
is morality a human invention? | what role does morality
play in formulating law? | any action that is not morally
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wrong must be morally right | the need to distinguish
between what is morally acceptable and what is legal
| she believes that using food crops as fuel is immoral |
he’d been accused of illegal and immoral behaviour | an
increase in violence and immorality
myth /mɪθ/ Noun
a myth is a story that has existed for a long time, which is
probably not true, but which people like to believe, often
because it explains something about the world
Collocates: a popular myth | perpetuate a myth
the myths and legends of the ancient Greeks | learning
the piano is relatively easy, contrary to popular myth
(what most people believe) | there are numerous myths
concerning the origin of the castle | a myth that explains
why the sea is salty
Adjective: mythical | Noun: mythology |
Adjective: mythological
the plot was very complicated | a long book with a
surprisingly simple plot | the plot was interesting, but the
writing was awful | a plot twist (an unexpected event in
the story that is deliberately meant to surprise people)
poverty /ˈpɒvə(r)ti/ Noun uncount
poverty is the continuous state of not having enough
money to be able to pay for essential things like food,
clothing, or rent
the hero was living in poverty | our aim is a world free
from extreme poverty | overcrowded cities suffered from
widespread poverty | child poverty is the worst problem
we face in this country
predictable /prɪˈdɪktəb(ə)l/ Adjective
if something is predictable, it happens in exactly the way
you think it will. If a film or story is predictable, it is not
very interesting because you can easily guess how it will
finish
Collocates: popular mythology | classical/Greek/Celtic
mythology
Collocates: highly/utterly/totally predictable | a
predictable result/outcome
Hermes is the messenger god of classical mythology |
the power of ancient mythology | paintings of
mythological scenes
the ending of the film was quite predictable | the
utterly predictable result was that sea levels rose |
other environmental changes are less predictable | his
objections were both predictable and unwelcome
obstacle /ˈɒbstək(ə)l/ Noun
an obstacle is a problem or difficulty that stops you from
going somewhere or from achieving what you are trying
to do
an obstacle to success | lack of money is a serious
obstacle | an obstacle to communication | what were
the major obstacles you encountered? | she’s had to
overcome a lot of obstacles along the way | they are
calling on the government to remove obstacles to free
trade
order /ˈɔː(r)də(r)/ Noun singular
if there is order, everything is correct and everything
happens as it is meant to
they are rewarded and order is restored | it was almost
daylight before order had been established again | steps
were taken to maintain social order | by late afternoon,
order prevailed (things were back to normal)
overcome /ˌəʊvə(r)ˈkʌm/ Verb
to overcome something that is dangerous or difficult
means to succeed in doing what you want to do by
surviving the danger or achieving something that was
difficult
Collocates: overcome an obstacle/barrier/difficulty |
successfully overcome something
the story is about overcoming a monster | even the most
challenging of our issues were successfully overcome |
our role is to help students overcome these obstacles |
these translations made it possible to overcome the
language barrier | how have they tried to overcome their
difficulties?
plot /plɒt/ Noun
the plot of a story, film, or play is all the linked the events
that happen during it
Collocates: a complicated/simple plot | a plot develops/
unfolds
Adverb: predictably | Verb: predict | Noun: prediction
Collocates: accurately predict something | successfully
predict something | an accurate prediction | a prediction
proves (to be) right/wrong
the results were, predictably, not good | opinions were
predictably divided | she successfully predicted the
outcome of the general election | can history help
us predict the future? | her predictions proved to be
correct | Smith has been criticised for his inaccurate
predictions
present /prɪˈzent/ Verb
if something presents a challenge, difficulty, or
opportunity, it causes it or provides it
the monster presents a serious challenge | the war
presented unique challenges for industry | this situation
presents both opportunity and risk | a number of other
cases present similar difficulties
pretend /prɪˈtend/ Verb
if you pretend, you behave in a way that deliberately
suggests something about you that is not true
they pretend to be someone different | those TV
programmes everyone pretends to hate | we all
pretended not to hear what he’d said | she had decided
to pretend that nothing had happened | I had to pretend
I really liked the film
Noun: pretence
Jess made a pretence of drinking the water (she didn’t
actually drink it) | his interest was not all pretence
psychological /ˌsaɪkəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l/ Adjective
psychological means relating to someone’s mind and
thoughts
these plots fulfil a deep psychological need for moral
order | doctors had dismissed her illness as “purely
psychological” (they believed she only thought she was
ill and wasn’t really ill) | the psychological well-being
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of children is very important | he was known to have a
psychological disorder | it may result in psychological
and social problems
Noun: psychology | Adverb: psychologically
her teaching interests include general psychology
and developmental psychology | all participants were
physically and psychologically healthy | his experiences
in the war left him psychologically damaged
rags /ræɡz/ Noun plural
rags are old clothes that are not in good condition. If
someone is wearing rags, their clothes are in very bad
condition because they do not have enough money to buy
proper clothes. A rags-to-riches story is about someone
who was once very poor but who becomes rich
he never bathed, had horrible teeth, and dressed in rags |
his story is one of rags to riches | the rags-to-riches tale of
an orphan from Dublin | his rise from rags to riches
reveal /rɪˈviːl/ Verb
if something reveals a fact or something that was not
known before, it makes it known
the problem revealed a dark side to the new world | the
investigation revealed the causes of the accident | the
research revealed several significant trends | the truth
was finally revealed in the last chapter
Adjective: revealing | Noun: revelation
the expression on her face was particularly revealing |
the letter included some revealing details | recent
revelations about the minister forced his resignaton |
various revelations emerged during the trial
revenge /rɪˈvendʒ/ Noun uncount
revenge is the action of doing something harmful or bad
to someone because you think they did something bad
or harmful to you
Collocates: seek revenge | take/get revenge
suicide /ˈsuːɪsaɪd/ Noun
suicide is the action of killing yourself
Collocates: commit suicide
the central character commits suicide | he attempted
suicide twice when he was in prison | he died in what the
police said was an apparent suicide | the suicide rate
increased by 15% (the number of people who commited
suicide rose)
Adjective: suicidal
feeling suicidal is a very worrying state to be in | he’d
had suicidal thoughts before
threatened /ˈθret(ə)nd/ Adjective
if you feel threatened by something or someone, you
think they will hurt you or do something bad to you
Collocates: feel threatened (by something/someone)
everyone in the village felt threatened | the person
experiencing this anxiety constantly feels threatened |
people who feel threatened are more likely to buy guns
Verb: threaten | Adjective: threatening |
Adverb: threateningly | Noun: threat
Collocates: threaten someone with something | threaten
to do something | face a threat (of something)
Galileo was threatened with physical torture | when
danger threatens, horses run away | the government
repeatedly threatened to close the university | she
looked at me and made a threatening gesture |
she was charged with posting a threatening letter
to the President | he shook his fist, and advanced
threateningly | one of them laid his hand threateningly
on my arm | the threat of global warming | they faced
threats of violence
tire /ˈtaɪə(r)/ Verb
if you tire of something, you become bored with it
because it is no longer new or interesting to you
relatives of the victim were seeking revenge | she got
her revenge by accusing him of theft | 12 people died in
a revenge attack | police suspect a revenge killing
Collocates: never tire of something
Verb: revenge
Adjective: tired
Collocates: revenge yourself (by doing something)
Collocates: be/get/grow tired of something
he revenged himself by stealing the car keys | he was
determined to revenge his father’s murder
I grew tired of his rudeness | he was getting tired of the
whole adventure | I’m tired of arguing with you
reward /rɪˈwɔː(r)d/ Noun
a reward is something valuable that you get because
you have done something well or done something
helpful for someone
vice versa /ˌvaɪsi ˈvɜː(r)sə/ Adverb
you use vice versa to say that a two-part statement can
be expressed in either order. For example, “what is art
is beautiful and vice versa” means that it is also true that
“what is beautiful is art”
if you do it right, the rewards are much greater than the
risks | rewards such as extra holiday were offered to
the most productive team | the approach used is simple
reward-based learning | seeing the patient recover was
reward enough
Verb: reward | Adjective: rewarding
Collocates: be handsomely/generously rewarded |
richly/immensely/hugely rewarding
they were handsomely rewarded for their hard work |
our patience was rewarded when the results were
announced | teaching is an immensely rewarding job |
the whole experience was very rewarding
we never tire of these plots | many pilots soon tire of the
same routine | she quickly tired of his dreadful jokes
men were disguised as women and vice versa (women
were disguised as men) | do social problems cause
economic problems, or vice versa? | historians became
scientists and vice versa
voyage /ˈvɔɪɪdʒ/ Noun
a voyage is a long journey, usually across the ocean on
a ship
the voyage took over two weeks | the sea was rough
throughout the voyage | he hardly slept during the entire
voyage | a transatlantic voyage
Noun: voyager
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the Vikings were great explorers and voyagers | the island
was discovered by Dutch voyagers in the 18th century
weapon /ˈwepən/ Noun
a weapon is something such as a gun, knife, or bomb
that can be used to deliberately hurt or kill someone
Collocates: nuclear weapons | chemical/biological
weapons | a murder weapon
he’d been given a special weapon | the murder weapon
has never been found (the weapon that was used to
murder someone) | a demonstration against nuclear
weapons | he was arrested for carrying an offensive
weapon in a public place | weapons were illegally
carried across the border
Noun: weaponry
she had an interest in military weaponry | they were
surrounded by forces with heavy weaponry
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EXERCISES
Collocations
Prepositions
E Match the adjectives to the nouns. Look up the
adjectives if you need help.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 There was a confrontation
two motorists.
1 a big-budget
a) personality
2 his fatal
b) impression
3 an intimate
c) film
4 a dominant
d) joke
3 There’s a lot of tension
the two communities.
5 her initial
e) flaw
4 Many drivers soon tire
the same routine
6 a hilarious
f) relationship
2 Does it strike you
odd?
5 What’s your interpretation
6 She was jealous
the painting?
her brother’s success.
7 He was the dominant partner
8 They were threatened
their relationship.
a group of youths.
B Choose the correct preposition.
F
Complete the missing adjectives from the unit.
1 a really g _ _ p _ _ _ g novel
2 I found the film deeply d _ _ t _ _ b _ _ g
3 a h _ _ _ r _ _ _ s joke
4 she was perfectly w _ _ _ _ _ g
1 He’s been banned from / of driving.
5 The ending was utterly p _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ e
2 The flowers are symbolic for / of death.
6 a highly c _ _ v _ _ t _ _ _ _ l approach to art
3 He’s been glued to / on his computer all day.
4 I could sense the friction with / between them.
5 The cat was seated on / by my lap
6 He disguised himself as / in a medical student.
7 Let me be frank to / with you.
8 There is one major obstacle to / with progress.
G Complete the sentences with the correct nouns.
Look up the nouns if you need help.
bankruptcy
tears
interpretation
impression (x2)
deed
temptation
obstacles
1 After the accident, she burst into
2 He was rewarded for his good
Word families
3 His family now faces
C Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
4 She’s had to overcome a lot of
6 I tried to resist the
message.
1 an uplifting experience
feel
5 I don’t want you to get the wrong
by a speech
2 the tension builds throughout the novel
the atmosphere in the room was very
7 I got the distinct
welcome.
to read the
we weren’t
8 Her intentions are open to
3 Her early work is quite ambiguous
he answered rather
4We will have to confront the problem immediately
a violent
with the police
5The statue had to undergo important restoration
It took fifty years to fully
the building
D Tick the words which are both a noun and
a verb.
1 urge
2 disturb
3 pretend
4 affair
5 disguise
6 slice
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2 SIGHTSEEING
Pages 16–17
affluent /ˈæfluːənt/ Adjective
if someone is affluent, they have a lot of money and
are able to live comfortably. If an area is affluent, it has
expensive housing and shops that sell good quality
items, and the people who live there are quite rich
Collocates: an affluent suburb/neighbourhood/area |
an affluent lifestyle
Egremont developed as an affluent residential area in
the early 19th century | an affluent, carefree lifestyle |
Evans was born into an affluent family in North London |
there was a golf course used by some of the more
affluent residents | there are pockets of poverty, but
in general this is an affluent area
Noun: affluence
her climb out of poverty to greater affluence | the family
lived in relative affluence
base /beɪs/ Verb
if a business or organisation is based somewhere,
that is where its main offices are. If a person is based
somewhere, that is where they normally live or work
when they are not travelling for their job
all the embassies are based in this district | I’m based in
Amsterdam now, but spend one week a month in Berlin |
the company moved to the London area, and based
itself in Barnet
boom /buːm/ Verb
a boom is a period when a country’s economy is very
successful and when there is a lot of business activity.
When this is happening, you can say that the economy is
booming
the area was already starting to boom | the economy
was booming | business is booming at the moment
Adjective: booming | Noun: boom
a booming economy | solar power is a booming industry
| the city is undergoing an economic boom | the building
boom of the 1990s | a boom in house prices
deprived /dɪˈpraɪvd/ Adjective
a place that is deprived is one where very poor people
live. You can also say that a person is deprived
Collocates: a deprived childhood/background | a
deprived area
one of the most deprived areas in the country | a
deprived inner city school | deprived children | he wrote
a play about his deprived background (about growing
up very poor) | she had a very deprived childhood
Noun: deprivation
the city has high levels of deprivation | a life full of
hardship and deprivation
dominate /ˈdɒmɪneɪt/ Verb
if something dominates a place or situation, it is bigger
or more important than other things, and stops people
noticing or thinking about anything else
the new skyscrapers really dominate the city | the church
dominates the town square | the town is dominated by a
huge power station | the economy dominated the election
campaign | as usual, Williams dominated the meeting
Adjective: dominant | Noun: dominance
the company has a dominant position in the world market |
big business remained dominant in the economy | the
political and economic dominance of the USA
emperor /ˈemp(ə)rə(r)/ Noun
an emperor is a person who controls not just one
country but several countries. These countries are
known as an empire
the church contains the tomb of the last emperor | the
emperor had absolute power | a magnificent statue of
the emperor | the museum was founded in 1814, during
the reign of the Emperor Napoleon
Adjective: imperial
he was not afraid to use his imperial authority | an
imperial prince (the son of an emperor)
erect /ɪˈrekt/ Verb
to erect something means to build it
the monument was erected in 1928 | high-rise blocks
were erected in the east of the city | they have erected a
security fence around the factory | trying to erect a tent
| the old hospital buildings were demolished and new
buildings erected
Noun: erection
the date of its erection is unclear | the erection of a new
tower followed a year later
glimpse /ɡlɪmps/ Noun
if you get a glimpse of something or someone, you see
them for a very short time
Collocates: catch/get a glimpse of someone/something
I caught a glimpse of the stadium from the train | she got
a brief glimpse of the eagle as it flashed by| we got a
glimpse of the sea | people queued up for a glimpse of
the star
Verb: glimpse
I glimpsed a man walking past the house | she was sure
he was the man she had glimpsed earlier that evening
grand /ɡrænd/ Adjective
if something is grand, it is big and impressive
the houses looked very grand | a grand public building |
he’s got grand plans | two grand staircases go up to the
top floor
Noun: grandeur
the 18th century grandeur of the palace | the hotel
has many modern facilities whilst keeping its Victorian
grandeur
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hideous /ˈhɪdiəs/ Adjective
something that is hideous is extremely ugly or horrible
a hideous modern building | she looks hideous in that
dress | how could anyone compose such hideous music?
Adverb: hideously
his face was hideously deformed | they’re hideously
expensive (extremely expensive)
historic /hɪˈstɒrɪk/ Adjective
a building or event that is historic was important in the past
Collocates: a historic building/landmark/site
many historic buildings were destroyed in the fire| the
entire district is listed as a national historic landmark |
he has already restored several historic houses
house /haʊz/ Verb
to house something means to be the building where that
thing is or where it operates from
the old police station now houses an art gallery | almost all
public libraries now house a computer lab | the cathedral
houses the oldest church organ in Europe | the building
now houses offices, classrooms and seminar rooms | the
office was housed temporarily in old government buildings
investment /ɪnˈves(t)mənt/ Noun
investment is the use money for an activity which you
hope will have a good effect, either because it will help
create something useful, or because it will make money
for you. An investment is also something you buy which
you hope will increase in value over the years
Collocates: private/public investment | foreign/inward
investment
the whole area needs renovation and investment | they
encourage foreign investment | large investments are also
necessary in the electricity industry | the government is
actively promoting private investment in clean technology
| a poor investment, likely to achieve only a 6% return
Verb: invest | Noun: investor
the plan requires investing £50m over five years |
government invested heavily in the development of
the road network | the business needs to attract more
investors | investor confidence is currently high
knock down /nɒk ˈdaʊn/ Phrasal verb
to knock down a building means to destroy it. A more
formal word is demolish
they thought the Eiffel Tower was so ugly it should be
knocked down | my old school is going to be knocked
down | they’re knocking down some of the old high-rise
blocks | I think it’s time they knocked it down
landmark /ˈlæn(d)ˌmɑː(r)k/ Noun
a landmark is a famous building or monument that a lot
of people recognise. A landmark is also an event that
stands out as being very significant
one of the city’s most famous landmarks | the Statue of
Liberty and other well-known landmarks | the revolution
was a landmark in French history | this is a landmark
decision by the court | after 1945, many of its historic
landmarks were restored
property /ˈprɒpə(r)ti/ Noun
property is land, houses or flats. The word property is used
especially when talking about its value, its ownership, or
when someone is buying or selling land or houses
property prices in London have risen 10% this year |
military property is public property, not private property |
demand for residential property has increased | a large
one-bedroom property suitable for a couple or a small
family | thanks to rising property values, your flat is now
worth £400,000
residential /ˌrezɪˈdenʃ(ə)l/ Adjective
a residential area is one where most of the buildings
are houses and flats where people live, rather than
shops or offices
Collocates: a residential area/neighbourhood/suburb
new residential areas are still being developed |
the campus is largely surrounded by residential
neighbourhoods | the suburb is primarily residential,
with some light industry to the south | a mix of
commercial, residential and industrial areas
Noun: resident | Noun: residence
local residents were told to stay inside | the city centre
has few residents left | the fire destroyed several
residences nearby | his residence stood in the centre
of the little town
rough /rʌf/ Adjective
a rough area, school, or other place is one where there
is a lot of crime and violence
tourists should keep away from such rough areas | it
was the roughest school in the town | Watson grew up
in a rough neighbourhood of Kansas City | his day to
day struggles in the rough streets of Mumbai
run-down /rʌn ˈdaʊn/ Adjective
a building that is run-down is not in good condition
because it is old and hasn’t been looked after well.
You can also say that an area of a town or city is
run-down
some run-down buildings | the school is rather run-down |
a run-down inner city area | some parts of the city are
very run-down | huge areas of run-down, poor quality
housing
site /saɪt/ Noun
a site is a place where something is or where something
happens
Collocates: a building site | a burial site
it’s on the site of a much older church | a building site
(where building work is going on) | an ancient burial site
| a landfill site (for burying rubbish in the ground) | the
most visited archaeological site in Mexico | the power
station occupies a 24 hectare site
Verb: site
their cities were typically sited near rivers | the three main
passenger terminal buildings are sited next to each other
soar /sɔː(r)/ Verb
if prices soar, they increase very quickly and by a
large amount. If the rate or level of something soars,
it increases greatly and quickly. A less formal expression
is shoot up
property prices in London have soared | prices are
soaring in the area | unemployment has soared to 15% |
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profits have soared dramatically | inflation looks set to
soar in the coming months
Adjective: soaring
soaring levels of student debt | the need to control
soaring inflation | soaring gold prices nearly caused
another financial crisis
tomb /tuːm/ Noun
a tomb is a place where a dead person is buried,
especially when this is covered by a stone structure
the church contains the tomb of the last emperor | the
queen’s tomb | there are five people buried in the tomb |
six pots were found inside the tomb
INCREASES AND DECREASES
Pages 18–19
There are a lot of words used to describe increases and
decreases. For example, prices soared (increased a lot) or
prices plunged (decreased a lot).
Increase: soar, shoot up, rocket, climb, surge, jump, rise,
creep up (slowly).
Decrease: plunge, plummet, crash, drop, fall, slide.
attach /əˈtætʃ/ Verb
to attach something to something else means to fix it
there so that the two things stay together. To attach
something to an email means to send a computer file
along with the message you have written, for example
containing photos or documents
stab /stæb/ Verb
to stab someone means to attack and hurt them by
pushing a knife into them
he was stabbed outside the nightclub | he was stabbed
to death | she stabbed him twice and ran downstairs
Noun: stab | Noun: stabbing
in one incident a man suffered stab wounds | the stab
was too low to reach his heart | there have been three
stabbings so far this month | he was arrested five hours
after the stabbing
steer clear /stɪə(r) ˈklɪə(r)/ Phrase
if you steer clear of something, you deliberately do not
go there or have anything to do with it
it’s a rough part of town – I’d steer clear of it if I were
you | he tried to steer clear of the reporters | I try to steer
clear of processed food (not eat it)
stunning /ˈstʌnɪŋ/ Adjective
something that is stunning is very beautiful. You can also
describe a very attractive person as stunning
Collocates: absolutely stunning | stunning scenery | a
stunning view
a stunning building | the room looked stunning and
was arranged beautifully | she’s absolutely stunning |
a stunning view from the hotel window | the cottage
is set in stunning scenery | the stunning countryside
of Wensleydale
Adverb: stunningly
a stunningly beautiful woman
tile /taɪl/ Noun
tiles are flat, usually square, pieces of a solid material
that are stuck onto walls or floors as a covering or as
decoration. Tiles are also used as the top covering of
roofs
Collocates: floor/wall tiles | roof tiles
a factory that produces tiles | we used black and white
tiles in the bathroom | how many tiles will the roof need? |
ceramic floor tiles | the tile floors were beautiful but cold
Verb: tile | Adjective: tiled | Noun: tiler | Noun: tiling
we’re going to tile the lower half of the walls | a tiled hall |
the bathroom is fully tiled | he worked as a decorator
and tiler | the tiling looked brand new after the clean-up |
elegant Victorian tiling in the entrance hall
I’ve attached a few photos | I forgot to attach the map
with directions to our house | my mail software won’t let
me attach files bigger than 2MB | my electronic business
card is attached
Noun: attachment
please print the attachment and sign it before posting it
back to us | I’ve sent three photos in the attachments
band /bænd/ Noun
a band is a group of musicians who play music together
Collocates: a rock/punk/brass/jazz band | a dance band
| a live band
a comfortable bar with a jazz band | they hired a live
band for the reception (the musicians were there, not a
recording of them) | the band spent November on tour
(travelling around a country to different concerts) | the
band performs regularly in Italy | four months later, the
band announced their split
bonfire /ˈbɒnˌfaɪə(r)/ Noun
a bonfire is a big fire outdoors, either in order to burn
rubbish or as part of a celebration. In Britain, Bonfire Night
is on November 5th, when people have bonfires and let
off fireworks to remember the day when Guy Fawkes tried
to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605
we’re making a bonfire | throw some more wood on the
bonfire | the bonfire didn’t go out till the morning | luckily,
the rain came too late to spoil the bonfire
costume /ˈkɒstjuːm/ Noun
a costume is a special set of clothes that people wear
for a particular occasion or event, such as a parade or
street festival
we all dressed up in a costume for the parade | a national
costume | she was wearing a very elaborate costume
fireworks display /ˈfaɪə(r)wɜː(r)ks dɪˌspleɪ/ Noun
fireworks are devices that create colourful moving
shapes and patterns in the sky. They use explosive
chemicals and often make a loud noise when they are
lit. Firework displays are large public events when lots
of large and impressive fireworks are set off to celebrate
occasions like New Year’s Day or Independence Day in
the United States
Collocates: a fireworks display/show
the fireworks started going off at 7 o’clock | a spectacular
fireworks display | at midnight there was a big fireworks
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 2
show | the fireworks exploded and nearly destroyed the
building | never throw fireworks into a bonfire
join in /ˈdʒɔɪn ˌɪn/ Phrasal verb
if you join in an activity that other people are doing, you
start to take part in it along with the others
we joined in the fun | come and join in! | everyone joined
in the celebrations | when the dancing started, she was
too shy to join in
land /lænd/ Verb
if something lands on a surface or lands on you, it falls
there from above
a wasp landed on my arm | the bottle slipped out of his
hand and smashed when it landed on the floor | toast
always lands with the buttered side down | he fell out of
the tree and landed on his shoulder
mask /mɑːsk/ Noun
a mask is something that covers part or all of someone’s
face. People sometimes wear decorative masks at a
party or celebration. Robbers sometimes wear masks so
that no one will be able to see their faces and recognise
them later
she wore a gold mask with a white nose and lips | two
robbers entered the store wearing masks | the children
wore carnival masks and costumes | I’m making a mask
for tomorrow’s party
Adjective: masked
have shot up in recent months | inflation shot up to 6%
last year | his blood pressure shot up dangerously |
applications to study here have shot up since the new
faculty opened
shower /ˈʃaʊə(r)/ Verb
if someone is showered with something, other people
throw it over them. You can also say that you shower
someone with gifts if you give them a lot of gifts, or
shower them with praise if lots of people say positive
things about them
the couple are showered with confetti | they showered
her with presents | viewers showered praise on the film
spectacular /spekˈtækjʊlə(r)/ Adjective
if something is spectacular, it is extremely impressive
to look at or watch
Collocates: absolutely/truly spectacular | spectacular
scenery | a spectacular view
a spectacular show | a spectacular firework display | the
dancing was absolutely spectacular | a spectacular view
of the mountains | the scenery is absolutely spectacular
Adverb: spectacularly
Salisbury is the most spectacularly beautiful cathedral in
Britain | the theatre is spectacularly decorated
stick to /ˈstɪk tʊ/ Phrasal verb
if you stick to something, you continue to do it or use it
rather than changing to something different
three masked men burst into the bank | masked gunmen
opened fire on the police | a masked ball (a big social
occasion where people dance, and where everyone
wears a mask)
the locals stick to wearing traditional costumes | let’s
stick to the original plan | I always find it hard to stick to
a diet | he stuck to his principles | she stuck to her word
(she did what she had promised to do)
parade /pəˈreɪd/ Noun
a parade is a big public event when a lot of people or
vehicles go through the streets of a town as part of a big
celebration
sweep up /ˈswiːp ˌʌp/ Phrasal verb
if you sweep up things that are on the floor, you use a
brush to bring them together so that you can throw them
away when you are cleaning somewhere and making
it tidy
the parade took over an hour to pass by the front of
our shop | a military parade | there were street parades
and then fireworks in the evening | the parade marched
along 5th Avenue in Manhattan
set off /ˈset ˌɒf/ Phrasal verb
to set off a device that will explode or make a noise
means to make it explode or make a noise
people were setting off fireworks in the street | burglars
set off the alarm when they broke the door down | the
phone ringing set the dogs off barking | terrorists set off
two bombs in the shopping centre
set up /ˈset ˌʌp/ Phrasal verb
to set something up means to do what is necessary for it
all to work properly
we set up the sound system outside the town hall | she
spent the evening setting up her new computer | the
lighting in the theatre had been very badly set up
shoot up /ˈʃuːt ˌʌp/ Phrasal verb
if prices shoot up, they increase very quickly and by a
large amount. If the rate or level of something shoots up,
it increases greatly and quickly. A more formal word is
soar
plane fares really shoot up at Easter | interest rates
we had to sweep up all the confetti afterwards | he
swept up the broken glass | I had a job sweeping up hair
at the barber’s shop
transform /trænsˈfɔː(r)m/ Verb
to transform something means to change it so that is
very different, and usually better than it was before
the city is transformed during the carnival | mobile
phones have transformed our lives | the railways
transformed the English landscape | the internet has
transformed the way we do business
Noun: transformation
Collocates: undergo a transformation | a complete
transformation
the building’s transformation from a school to a
community centre | the party has undergone a complete
transformation | the transformation won’t be complete
until the roof is finished | the most dramatic body
transformations happen in the first 30 minutes of
exercise
uni /ˈjuːni/ Noun
uni is a short form of the word university, used especially
by students
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 2
most uni students here get part-time jobs | he’s away at
uni | back in my uni days I regularly stayed up all night |
she got involved in student politics at uni
Pages 20–21
affordable housing /əˌfɔː(r)dəb(ə)l ˈhaʊzɪŋ/ Noun uncount
affordable housing is flats or houses that are available to
rent or buy at prices which ordinary people can afford,
especially when they are in an area where most housing
is very expensive. Some areas need affordable housing
so that essential workers such as nurses and teachers
can live there and work in the local schools and hospitals
a desperate shortage of affordable housing | the area
offers affordable housing and excellent schools | we
need more affordable housing here
amusement /əˈmjuːzmənt/ Noun
amusement is any activity that is not work and that you
do because you enjoy it. An amusement park is a place
where there are a lot of machines that you can ride on
for pleasure and fun, and where you can play games in
order to try and win prizes
the amusement park is open from April to October
| there are two amusement arcades by the beach |
old fashioned amusement rides | bumper cars, water
slides, and other amusement park attractions | the
development of the amusement park industry
campaign /kæmˈpeɪn/ Noun
a campaign is a set of organised activities that are
intended to achieve a particular result
Collocates: a campaign against something | a campaign
for something | an advertising/marketing campaign | an
election campaign
a campaign against the new tourist development | an
extensive public education campaign | the campaign
aims to create jobs in the manufacturing sector | their
latest advertising campaign was launched last year | the
campaign was successful and management dropped
the plan | the election campaign was limited to 90 days
Verb: campaign | Noun: campaigner
Collocates: campaign against something | campaign for
something
a protest group campaigned against the proposed
reforms | campaigning for a change in the law | a
campaigner for political freedom | local campaigners
protested outside the factory
dedicated /ˈdedɪˌkeɪtɪd/ Adjective
if something is dedicated to a particular subject or
activity, it deals only with that subject or activity and
not with anything else
the museum opened a new wing dedicated exclusively
to Asian art | a dedicated collector of 20th century
Russian maps | we are dedicated professionals who
understand the business of selling houses
Verb: dedicate
she dedicated her life to the fight against poverty | his
last years were dedicated to religious activities
desire /dɪˈzaɪə(r)/ Noun
someone’s desire for something is their strong wish to
have or achieve that thing
Collocates: a desire for something | a desire to do
something | a strong desire
we understand the club’s desire to boost its income |
they have a genuine desire to learn | she had a strong
desire for success | their deepest secrets and desires
Verb: desire | Adjective: desirable | Adjective: desired |
Noun: desirability || Opposite – Adjective: undesirable
those who sincerely desire peace | do any of them
honestly desire to know the answer? | previous
experience is desirable but not essential | our customers
say this is a highly desirable feature | his actions
achieved the desired result | pull the ends until the bow
is the desired shape | there is disagreement about the
desirability of this kind of development | there may be
undesirable effects from this drug | the outcome was
highly undesirable
development /dɪˈveləpmənt/ Noun
a development is a set of new buildings, or changes
made to existing buildings so that they can start being
used for a different purpose
Collocates: a housing development
a campaign against the new tourist development | a
housing development is now being planned along the
canal | the industrial development was financed by
foreign investment | today, residential developments are
replacing farms
Verb: develop | Noun: developer
the site will be developed for new housing | private
developers built the new housing estate
donation /dəʊˈneɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun
a donation is money or goods that someone gives to
help or support a charity or other organisation
Collocates: make a donation | a generous donation |
request a donation | accept a donation
we’ve received some very generous donations | the
money was raised through private donations | a donation
of £5 is requested from all visitors to the exhibition | these
donations have helped the theatre stay open | entrance is
free, but donations are gratefully accepted
Verb: donate | Noun: donor
Collocates: donate something to something
they donated £2,000 to the hospital | every dollar
you donate goes toward the rebuilding project | using
a credit card, you can donate online | donors have
given over £30,000 | an anonymous donor | the donor
countries (the countries who gave money)
expansion /ɪkˈspænʃ(ə)n/ Noun
the expansion of something is an increase in its size
any expansion of the stadium will make things worse |
they presented their businesses and plans for expansion |
economic expansion slowed considerably in the 1970s |
the company is set for a major expansion | suburbs began
a rapid expansion and car ownership increased
Verb: expand
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 2
the business expanded dramatically | in the 1950s, the
town expanded considerably
faint /feɪnt/ Verb
if you faint, you become unconscious, for example
because you are not well or because you are too hot or
because you have had a strong emotional feeling
I think I’m going to faint | she almost fainted when she
heard the news | he had never fainted in his life | she
was the sort of girl who wouldn’t scream and faint in a
crisis
forthcoming /fɔː(r)θˈkʌmɪŋ/ Adjective
a forthcoming event has been planned and is due to
happen soon
she talked about her forthcoming trip | the forthcoming
general election | their forthcoming wedding | the
forthcoming Rembrandt exhibition
innovative /ˈɪnəveɪtɪv/ Adjective
something that is innovative involves the use of new
ideas to create something that is original
an innovative approach to traffic management | the new
packaging has an innovative design | it was a highly
innovative product when it was launched | his ideas did
not seem very innovative
Verb: innovate | Noun: innovation | Noun: innovator
all organisations need to constantly innovate and learn
| those who do not innovate will simply not survive | the
industry grew rapidly thanks to the latest innovations
| technological innovations came rapidly as the 20th
century advanced | Ron was an innovator – an “ideas”
man | we need to identify the next generation of
innovators
leisure /ˈleʒə(r)/ Noun uncount
leisure is time when people are not working and can do
activities that they enjoy
Collocates: leisure time | leisure pursuits/activities | a
leisure centre/complex/facility
provision of better leisure facilities | my leisure time was
spent reading crime novels | leisure pursuits such as
golf or tennis | leisure facilities here include a gym and a
swimming pool
military /ˈmɪlɪt(ə)ri/ Adjective
military means relating to the army and other armed
forces of a country
Collocates: military personnel/leaders/forces | military
equipment | military action/campaign/operation/exercise/
conflict/intervention | military base | military aid
an exhibition of old military vehicles | offensive military
operations | the hotel was turned into a military base |
he was a great military commander | serving military
officers
Noun: military
he joined the military when he was just 17 | the military
launched the attack after dark
opposition /ˌɒpəˈzɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun uncount
if there is opposition to something, people disagree with
it and try to stop it from happening or continuing
why is there so much opposition to the proposal? |
there was strong opposition to the expansion plan |
the attempt to build a new road met with widespread
opposition | the proposal has faced opposition from
local residents
Verb: oppose | Adjective: opposed | Noun: opponent
Collocates: be opposed to something
a majority of Scots voters opposed independence |
Clarke opposed the invasion of Iraq | we are strongly
opposed to nuclear weapons | he had opponents both in
his own party and in the government party
oversee /ˌəʊvə(r)ˈsiː/ Verb
if you oversee an activity, process, or organisation, you
are in charge of it and it is your job to make sure that
everything happens properly and in the way it is meant to
having overseen the collection, I know the exhibition will be
sensational | as regional chief, he oversaw four research
laboratories | he oversees the daily running of the centre |
my job was to oversee operations and handle the finances
Noun: oversight
a new committee was formed to provide the necessary
oversight | a board of directors will provide oversight of
the charity’s operations
persuasion /pə(r)ˈsweɪʒ(ə)n/ Noun uncount
persuasion is the act of talking to someone and making
them believe what you want them to believe or do what
you want them to do, even if they do not want to at first
Collocates: gentle/firm persuasion | be open to
persuasion
she used her powers of persuasion to convince him to
come out | he didn’t need much persuasion to come to
the cinema | I’m open to persuasion (I’m prepared to
listen to what someone has to say) | he tried to keep
me with gentle persuasion and higher pay, but I was
determined to leave
Verb: persuade | Adjective: persuasive |
Adverb: persuasively | Noun: persuasiveness
Collocates: persuade someone to do something
they didn’t need much persuading | how do I persuade
my colleagues to help? | no one was persuaded by his
argument | his analysis is highly persuasive | there was
persuasive evidence of his guilt | she spoke clearly
and persuasively | the author persuasively argues
for tax reform | buyers make purchases based on the
persuasiveness of the salesperson | his persuasiveness
overcame all the objections
planning permission /ˈplænɪŋ pə(r)ˌmɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun uncount
in Britain, planning permission is official permission from
a local authority that allows someone to build a house or
make changes to an existing house
Collocates: apply for planning permission | grant
planning permission | refuse planning permission
the club has applied for planning permission to extend the
clubhouse | planning permission was granted last April |
the proposal was refused planning permission | planning
permission is not normally needed for minor works
promote /prəˈməʊt/ Verb
if you promote something, you support or encourage it,
and want people to become aware of it
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 2
he went on TV to promote his latest book | a new
campaign to promote recycling | an effort to promote
trade between the two countries | she is raising
awareness and promoting peace through education
Noun: promotion
Collocates: the promotion of something
trade promotion activity | the promotion of sport gained
support from other ministers
spin /spɪn/ Verb
if someone or something spins around, they move round
and round in circles, usually quickly
all that spinning around has made me dizzy | the
helicopter blades started to spin round | the car spun
round twice before crashing into the tree | my head was
spinning (I couldn’t think clearly)
Collocates: be technically possible | be technically true
it is technically possible to get a visa to travel there |
the legend is technically true but highly misleading |
Florida is not technically considered a southern state |
he gave you money, so technically you sold it to him |
it’s technically feasible, but it would be too expensive to
manufacture it commercially
tension /ˈtenʃ(ə)n/ Noun
tension is a feeling of distrust between people
further tensions between residents and developers |
there is mounting tension between the two communities |
growing tension along the border between the two
countries | tensions are high in the capital following the
president’s resignation | the tension finally erupted into
violence on the streets
Adjective: tense
tank /tæŋk/ Noun
a tank is a military vehicle that is made of very strong
and thick metal to protect it, that has several guns, and
that can travel over difficult ground
the atmosphere in the city is still tense | there was a
tense silence in the room | the arrival of the police only
made a tense situation worse | the increasingly tense
relationship between her parents
the Soviets won a fierce tank battle at Kursk in 1943 |
a regiment of armoured tanks | a tank commander |
anti tank weapons (guns that are powerful enough to
damage a tank)
wing /wɪŋ/ Noun
a wing is a part at the side of a building which sticks out
from the main building
technically /ˈteknɪkli/ Adverb
if something is technically true or technically possible,
then it is true or possible, but not very relevant or likely
Prince Charles officially opened the new wing of the
gallery | the east wing of the castle was built in 1374 | a
single-storey wing was added to the hospital in 1971
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 2
D Complete the sentences with the correct form
of the verbs from the box. Look up the nouns in
bold if you need help.
EXERCISES
Prepositions
make
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 There was strong opposition
2 There was growing tension
3 We caught a glimpse
5 Any expansion
worse.
a donation to the charity
the two countries.
3 You should
caution when
approaching these animals.
a hazard for buildings.
4 I
a glimpse of the Pope in Rome.
E Complete the sentences with the correct nouns.
Look up the words in bold if you need help.
his argument.
lifestyle
sites
the car alarm.
the artist’s mother.
facilities
view
months
1 More tourists will visit in the forthcoming
.
Word families
2 We had a stunning
B Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
3 Sarah had an affluent
from the hotel.
.
4 The city is full of historic
.
5 The hotel had excellent leisure
1 a deprived childhoodeconomic
2 my CV is attached open the
.
Phrasal verbs
F
3 a grand buildingthe 17th century
of
the house
4 the internet has
a complete
transformed our lives
5 my job was to oversee
provide an
financial operations
6 a hideous outfit
expensive
7 an affluent neighbourhoodan area of fast-growing
Choose the correct word to complete the
phrasal verb.
1 Let’s stick to / on the plan.
2 They were setting down / off fireworks in their
garden.
3 The price of air tickets has shot up / away recently.
4 They knocked down / over my old school.
5 We had to sweep out / up all the broken glass.
6 Forget about your work and join up / in the fun!
Patterns
Collocations
C Match the adjectives to the nouns. Look up the
adjectives if you need help.
G Complete the sentences with the correct form
of the verbs in the box. Use to + infinitive or –ing.
attach
spin
promoteerect
join in
1 spectacular
a) base
2 a dedicated
b) professional
3 a run-down
c) scenery
1 He went on TV
4 residential
d) area
2
5 military
e) neighbourhood
3 I forgot
6 a forthcoming
f) product
4 Would you like
g) event
5 My head was
7 an innovative
exercise
2 Moisture
success.
8 This exhibition is dedicated
constitute
the proposal.
the stadium will make things
6 She wasn’t persuaded
7 I accidentally set
1 I
the emperor’s tomb.
4 She had a strong desire
catch
his new film.
something means to build it.
the file.
?
.
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 3
3 THINGS YOU NEED
Pages 26–27
bandage /ˈbændɪdʒ/ Noun
a bandage is a long piece of cloth that you wrap around
a part of your body that is injured
we put a bandage on it | I wrapped the bandage round
his arm | he had a bandage on his hand | once the
bandage is removed, you’ll be able to have a shower |
the nurse came every day to change the bandages
Verb: bandage
we bandaged his leg | he pointed to his bandaged arm |
she bandaged Ray’s foot with her scarf
bucket /ˈbʌkɪt/ Noun
a bucket is a container with a handle and an open top
that you use for carrying water. The amount that a bucket
can contain is a bucketful
Collocates: a bucket of water
a plastic bucket | as a joke, she threw a bucket of water
over me | the bucket contained a sponge as well as
warm soapy water
Noun: bucketful
she pulled a bucketful of water from the well
clip /klɪp/ Noun
a clip is a small piece of metal or plastic that holds
something in position
have you got a clip to keep these papers together? |
a paper clip | a bulldog clip (a large clip for holding a lot
of papers together) | she bought a new hair clip
Verb: clip
clip the papers together | the opened envelopes were
clipped to the accompanying letters
crack /kræk/ Noun
a crack is a line you can see on something made of
china or glass that shows it is damaged
there was a crack in one of the roof tiles and it started
leaking | an old mug with a crack in it | some very fine
cracks in the wall | a hairline crack (very thin)
Verb: crack | Adjective: cracked
the dish cracked when I put it in the oven | she held up
a cracked vase | the jug was badly cracked
handle /ˈhænd(ə)l/ Noun
a handle is the part of a device or tool that you hold in
your hand when you are using it or if you have to pick
it up
you could use the handle of the wooden spoon | the
handle of the frying pan was too hot to hold | a plastic
bucket with a metal handle
hang up /ˈhæŋ ˌʌp/ Phrasal verb
if you hang something up, you put it somewhere so that
the top of it is attached to something like a wall or a
hook, and the rest of it can move freely
I washed my clothes and hung them up to dry | hang
your coat up in the hall, then come through | she hung
up her hat and sat down
leak /liːk/ Verb
if something leaks, liquid or gas can escape from it
when it is not supposed to. If liquid or gas is leaking, it
is escaping from somewhere when it is not supposed to
there was a crack in one of the roof tiles and it started
leaking | the radiator is leaking | the shower tray has
been leaking for weeks | water was leaking out through
the broken pipe | everyone could smell that gas was
leaking
Noun: leak | Noun: leakage
Collocates: spring a leak
engineers found a leak in the oil tank | our dishwasher
has sprung a leak (has suddenly developed a leak) |
the road was closed because of a gas leak | the school
had to close because of a nearby leakage of dangerous
chemicals | there’s a leak in the hot water tank
mend /mend/ Verb
if you mend something that is broken or damaged, you
do something to it to return it to the state it was in before
it became broken or damaged
he tried to mend the rip in his trousers | I need to mend my
glasses | can you take my shoes in to be mended? | she
used to mend her own clothes when she had no money
needle /ˈniːd(ə)l/ Noun
a needle is a thin pointed piece of metal that you put
a thread through and use for sewing things. A knitting
needle is a long thin pointed piece of plastic or wood
that you use for knitting
a needle and thread | a sewing needle | I couldn’t see
well enough to thread a needle (put thread through the
hole in the top of it) | he could hear the clicking of the
knitting needles
rip /rɪp/ Noun
a rip is a long cut or hole in some cloth or paper
he tried to mend the rip in his trousers | there’s a rip in
the sheet | there were no rips or tears in the leather
Verb: rip | Adjective: ripped
I’ve ripped my jacket | she ripped the letter open | look –
it’s ripped | wearing ripped jeans | his clothes were
ripped to shreds (badly ripped)
rub /rʌb/ Verb
if you rub a part of your body, you use your hand
to press on it and move your hand backwards and
forwards. If you rub something into a surface, you press
it into the surface by pushing it backwards and forwards
across the surface
rub some salt into the meat | she sat up and rubbed her
eyes | he was rubbing his hair with a towel | my shoes
were rubbing (they were pressing against my feet in a
painful way)
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smash /smæʃ/ Verb
if something smashes, it breaks into a lot of very small
pieces
I knocked over a cup and it smashed on the floor | the
bottle smashed | I’m sorry, I’ve accidentally smashed a
glass | they threatened to smash his windows
stain /steɪn/ Verb
a stain is an unwanted mark on something that is very
difficult to remove
do you know how to get rid of these stains? | there was
a coffee stain on his shirt | blood stains | grass stains |
some stains are difficult to remove | don’t rub it; you’ll
just spread the stain
Verb: stain | Adjective: stained
blood from the accident stained the floor | it might
stain your clothes, so handle it carefully | wash that out
quickly or it will stain | his clothes were stained with
blood | he wore dirty jeans and a stained T-shirt
wax /wæks/ Noun uncount
wax is a solid substance that is used to make candles.
Hair wax is a soft substance that you put on your hair to
hold it in shape
some candle wax dripped onto the table | a jar of hair
wax | wax turns to liquid as it melts
Pages 28-29
acquire /əˈkwaɪə(r)/ Verb
to acquire something means to get it, for example by
buying it
he acquired a number of valuable paintings | I recently
acquired a copy of the report | he had acquired a
reputation as a troublemaker | the cost to acquire the
property was $5 million | the way in which children
acquire language | to acquire knowledge
Noun: acquisition
the acquisition of language | let me show you my recent
acquisition (something I got recently)
admission /ədˈmɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun
if you make an admission, you say that you have done
something wrong or something that people will not
approve of
Collocates: an admission of something | an admission that
Henry’s letter contained a clear admission of early
mistakes | what he said was not an admission of guilt
| I hope your admission will help others with the same
problems | there was no admission that any change
had taken place | by his own admission, his data was
unreliable
Verb: admit | Adverb: admittedly
Collocates: admit doing something | admit to (doing)
something | admit that
they’ll never openly admit being wrong | he admitted to
being a liar | the farmers finally admitted that they had
acted wrongly | admittedly, the problems this creates are
enormous | admittedly, not every detail is authentic
army /ˈɑː(r)mi/ Noun
an army is a large number of soldiers who are trained to
fight on land in wars
he served as a tank commander in the British army |
the Austrian army was completely defeated | the British
and French armies retreated to Dunkirk | he joined the
regular army (an army of soldiers who chose to join,
and were not forced to join by the government) | before
the Winter War, no army had fought in such freezing
conditions | his army marched direct to Prague | the
army advanced quickly towards Berwick
caution /ˈkɔːʃ(ə)n/ Noun uncount
caution is behaviour that deliberately tries to avoid any
danger or problems
Collocates: advise caution | great/extreme caution | do
something with caution | exercise caution
the animals should be approached with great caution |
caution is advised when driving in snow | always
exercise extreme caution when catching snakes | a few
words of caution (advice to exercise caution)
Adjective: cautious | Adverb: cautiously
he’s very cautious | a cautious driver | she’s cautious
about investing such a large sum | the police decided
to adopt a cautious approach | she held out her hand
cautiously
commander /kəˈmɑːndə(r)/ Noun
a commander is an officer in charge of a group of
soldiers or of a military operation
James Bond was a navy commander | a tank
commander in the British army | an air force commander
| the commander ordered his men to fire | the Dutch
commander refused to surrender | the president held a
meeting with top military commanders
Verb: command
each regiment was commanded by a colonel | the three
generals commanded a force of nearly 110,000 men
dictator /dɪkˈteɪtə(r)/ Noun
a dictator is a ruler who has complete power in a country
he accused the local council of acting like dictators | an
evil dictator | a fascist dictator | an attempt to overthrow
the dictator | a military dictator
Noun: dictatorship
he was very active against the dictatorship | Venezuela
saw ten years of military dictatorship from 1948 to 1958
fine line /ˈfaɪn ˌlaɪn/ Phrase
if there is a fine line between two qualities, they are very
similar and one could easily become the same as the
other. If you walk a fine line, you are in a situation where
you have to be very careful not to do something you do
not want to do
Collocates: a fine line between things | walk/tread a
fine line
there is a fine line between reporting and opinion | the
fine line between being cooked and overcooked | the
script walks a fine line between realism and fantasy
genetic /dʒəˈnetɪk/ Adjective
your genes are the parts of the cells in your body that
control how you grow and develop. Genes are passed
on from parents to children. All humans, animals, and
plants have genes. Genetics is the study of genes and
the way they influence us. You use genetic when talking
about things that relate to genes and genetics
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research suggests the condition is genetic | such genetic
changes can cause cancer | genetic modification has
been possible for many years now | some bacteria
also transfer genetic material between cells | genetic
engineering (artificially altering the genes of a person,
animal, or plant)
Noun: genetics | Noun: gene | Adverb: genetically
Collocates: genetically modified/engineered
she studied genetics for many years | the current
understanding of human genetics | the variation
between individual humans is controlled by genes |
gene therapy (treatment of a disease by modifying
someone’s gene) | genetically modified crops (plants
that have had their genes artificially altered) | humans
are genetically related to many other animals
guarantee /ˌɡærənˈtiː/ Noun
a guarantee is a formal promise by the maker of a
product to repair or replace it if it breaks or does not
work properly. Guarantees usually last for a certain
number of years
Collocates: come with a guarantee | be under guarantee
the washing machine came with a three-year guarantee
| it’s a good idea to keep the guarantee | it’s still under
guarantee (the guarantee still applies to it) | it was
expensive, but has a lifetime guarantee (the guarantee
will last for ever)
Verb: guarantee
all our cars are fully guaranteed for 12 months | the
wood is all guaranteed against rot (the makers promise
that it will not rot, and will replace it if it does)
hazard /ˈhæzə(r)d/ Noun
a hazard is something that is dangerous and might
cause damage to someone or something
Collocates: a fire hazard | a health hazard | pose a
hazard | constitute a hazard
his house became a fire hazard (it risked causing a fire) |
it had become a health hazard | an occupational hazard
(one that you face as part of a job) | the chemicals pose
a hazard to human health | firefighters face a lot of
hazards | this poses hazards to the life and health of
miners | moisture constitutes a hazard for buildings and
their occupants
Adjective: hazardous
hazardous chemicals | a hazardous job | flying through
through the storm was especially hazardous | hazardous
waste has to be treated very carefully
intention /ɪnˈtenʃ(ə)n/ Noun
if you have an intention to do something, you have
decided that you want to do it
Collocates: an intention to do something | an intention
of doing something | have/be full of good intentions |
announce/express an intention
he came in full of good intentions | protestors entered
the building with the deliberate intention of damaging
it | buying a new car wasn’t my original intention | she
announced her intention to stand in the election
Verb: intend | Adjective: intentional |
Adverb: intentionally
Collocates: intend to do something | intend someone to
do something
Walker had originally intended to compete in five races
| the comment was evidently intended as an insult | this
website is intended for personal research | I couldn’t tell
if it was accidental or intentional | intentional misconduct
is when someone deliberately hurts you | you should
never intentionally harm another person | the range of
topics was intentionally broad
invade /ɪnˈveɪd/ Verb
when an army invades a country, it goes in there and
uses force to take control of the country
Germany invaded Poland at the start of the Second
World War | Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812 | England
was last invaded in 1066
Noun: invasion | Adjective: invading | Noun: invader
there was an allied invasion of Sicily in 1943 | the planned
invasion was cancelled at the last minute | the invading
arny turned south towards the capital | the invading forces
numbered 1.5 million men | the invaders took control of
the entire country within weeks | the abbey at Whitby was
destroyed by Danish invaders in 867
leaflet /ˈliːflət/ Noun
a leaflet is a piece of paper or a small book containing
information about something
a leaflet about the local gym | a tourist information
leaflet | a leaflet with instructions about how to apply
for a grant | the leaflet gives details about the local
bus routes | these leaflets are available from local post
offices | in July, over 350,000 leaflets were distributed
obsession /əbˈseʃ(ə)n/ Noun
if you have an obsession with something, you think
about it or do it all the time and cannot change your
behaviour
Collocates: an obsession with (doing) something
Perhaps it was the trauma that caused his obsession
| she seemed to have an obsession with cleaning |
revising for exams can become an obsession | behaviour
that was bordering on obsession | she had an unhealthy
obsession with social media
Collocates: be obsessed with something
an obsessive desire to keep fit | Barry displayed
obsessive behaviour | her desire to lose weight had
become obsessive | some people are obsessional
about cleanliness and tidiness | he is madly and
obsessively in love with Lenore | I listen to Beethoven
almost obsessively every night | he grew up completely
obsessed with football | why are people so obsessed
with celebrities?
optimism /ˈɒptɪˌmɪzəm/ Noun uncount
optimism is having the belief that good things are going
to happen in the future
Collocates: optimism about something
everyone I spoke with expressed optimism about the
project | I don’t share her optimism | there’s a mood of
cautious optimism in the country | he was still young and
full of optimism
Adjective: optimistic | Adverb: optimistically |
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Noun: optimist
Collocates: optimistic about something | optimistic that
are you optimistic about the future? | the results were
better even than the most optimistic forecasts | I am
cautiously optimistic that this might work | both sides
have spoken optimistically about the talks | he believed,
optimistically, that sales would increase | the optimist
sees the glass as half full, while the pessimist sees it as
half empty
pile /paɪl/ Noun
a pile is an arrangement of things on top of each other
he sorted the rubbish into piles | a pile of books | she
arranged the letters in neat piles | a pile of junk in the
corner of the room | we slept on piles of old newspapers
Verb: pile
she sat at a desk piled high with papers | there were
some old clothes piled in the corner
potential /pəˈtenʃ(ə)l/ Adjective
you use potential to refer to someone or something who
might develop into a particular type of person or thing in
the the future
if we’re honest, we’re all potential hoarders | who are
your current and potential customers? | the building was
a potential fire hazard | the risks may outweigh potential
benefits | let your potential employer know you are
willing to learn
Noun: potential | Adverb: potentially
she never realised her true potential | freedom to explore
your own potential | five million potentially productive
workers | potentially dangerous weather conditions
precede /prɪˈsiːd/ Verb
if one thing precedes another, it happens before the
other thing
the meal was preceded by a few short speeches |
theories in physics often precede actual observation |
George W Bush immediately preceded Barack Obama
as president of the USA | the meeting preceded the
press conference
Adjective: preceding
read the last two sentences in the preceding paragraph
again | prices moved up more slowly in October than in
the preceding few months
purchase /ˈpɜː(r)tʃəs/ Noun
purchase is the act of buying something. A purchase is
something that you have bought
an impulse purchase (something you buy suddenly
without planning to buy it) | I went home with my
purchases | they put pressure on us to make a purchase |
the receipt shows the date of purchase | local restaurants
offer delicious food for purchase | the full purchase price
will be returned, excluding shipping costs
Verb: purchase | Noun: purchaser
the original property was purchased in 1933 | do you
recommend purchasing tickets in advance? | the house
was sold to a private purchaser | we are negotiating with
a number of potential purchasers
put up with /pʊt ˈʌp wɪð/ Phrasal verb
to put up with something that you do not like or do
not want means to accept it in a patient way without
complaining
I can’t put up with that noise any longer | I don’t know
why they put up with it | we left at 5 and just had to put
up with the rush hour traffic | we have to put up with very
slow broadband speeds here
recover /rɪˈkʌvə(r)/ Verb
to recover something means to get it back after it was
taken away, thrown away, or almost destroyed
he would recover things from bins | police have
recovered the stolen jewellery | families trying to recover
their possessions from the debris of their homes | his
aircraft was later recovered and repaired | the money
taken during the robbery has never been recovered
resist /rɪˈzɪst/ Verb
if you resist something you like, you stop yourself from
doing it or having it even though you want to. If you
resist something you don’t want, you try to stop it from
happening
Collocates: resist (doing) something | resist (the)
temptation (to do something)
he resisted arrest by the police | will he resist the
temptation to interfere? | I can never resist chocolate | I
couldn’t resist having a look inside | it’s difficult to resist
an offer like that | the bank has resisted increasing its
charges | some people try to resist change | he resisted
pressure from his parents to marry
Adjective: resistant | Noun: resistance
Collocates: be resistant to something | resistance to
something
the employees had been very resistant to change |
they remain resistant to his efforts to get them to resign
| there was local resistance to the plans | seeing that
resistance was useless, Kidd surrendered | she is in no
mood to offer resistance
settle /ˈset(ə)l/ Verb
if you settle somewhere, you start to live there
permanently
he settled in Birmingham after the war | they settled
just north of London | between 1826 and 1852, many
Europeans settled in the country | those pioneers who
settled in the American West
Noun: settler
European settlers arrived, starting around 1845
sort /sɔː(r)t/ Verb
to sort things means to look through them and arrange
them in smaller groups according to size, type etc
he sorted the junk into piles | sort your kitchen waste into
food, glass and plastic | thousands of carefully sorted
postcards | the information can be retrieved and sorted
very easily | he began to sort and arrange his papers
sponsor /ˈspɒnsə(r)/ Verb
if you sponsor someone or something, you provide
money for a particular event or activity. People often
sponsor friends who are raising money for charity.
People also sponsor children or families in poor areas,
for example by providing money for schoolbooks or
medicines. Companies often sponsor big public events,
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usually in exchange for being allowed to advertise at the
event
we’re sponsoring a family in Namibia | will you sponsor
me? I’m going to swim 5 miles for Cancer Research |
Disney eventually sponsored three research field trips
| Samsung has sponsored the team since 2000 | many
years ago, the cricket World Cup was sponsored by a
tobacco company
Noun: sponsor | Noun: sponsorship
some sponsors are large national and multinational
companies | original corporate sponsors included
two local banks | BP is providing £1m of sponsorship |
commercial sponsorship of women’s football is growing |
corporate sponsorship is a popular marketing tool
stack /stæk/ Noun
a stack of things is a large pile of them
surrounded by stacks of old newspapers | each player
has a stack of coloured counters | Emma was counting a
neat stack of folded handkerchiefs | my clothes were all
folded up in stacks
Verb: stack
five large cardboard boxes were neatly stacked by the
front door | lift them very carefully and stack them ready
to use again
tank /tæŋk/ Noun
a tank is a military vehicle that is made of very strong
and thick metal to protect it, that has several guns, and
that can travel over difficult ground
the Soviets won a fierce tank battle at Kursk in 1943 |
a regiment of armoured tanks | a tank commander |
anti-tank weapons (guns that are powerful enough to
damage a tank)
trauma /ˈtrɔːmə/ Noun
a trauma is a very horrible and upsetting experience that
affects you for a long time
he reacted badly to the trauma of his father’s death |
the trauma of what he lost when he left Poland | leaving
their home was a major trauma | anxiety can be caused
by childhood trauma | children who have suffered
psychological traumas | the emotional trauma remained
Adjective: traumatic | Verb: traumatise
the treatment may be emotionally traumatic for many
children | hair loss can be a traumatic experience for
many people | a particularly traumatic period in his
life led to a breakdown | the accident left him deeply
traumatised | it traumatised her for life
veteran /ˈvet(ə)rən/ Noun
a veteran is someone who was involved in something for
a long time, or a long time ago. A war veteran is a soldier
who fought in a particular war
a Polish war veteran | a veteran of the Second World
War | a Vietnam veteran | I work with disabled veterans
at the hospital | a veteran of several election campaigns
(someone who has taken part in them)
Adjective: veteran
a veteran politician, known for his socialist views | the
veteran French photographer
Pages 30–31
assume /əˈsjuːm/ Verb
if you assume something, you think it must be true, even
though you do not have any direct evidence to support
this belief
Collocates: assume that
it was assumed that the customer was at fault | I
mistakenly assumed the fish was fresh | she just
assumed that he would follow her | why do you
automatically assume that every American is rich?
Noun: assumption | Conjunction: assuming
there is no way of knowing if your assumption is correct
| it was a reasonable assumption that was later proved
to be correct | read the documents before making any
assumptions | assuming he’s telling the truth, we’ll have
to think again about who did it
blame /bleɪm/ Verb
if you blame someone, you accuse them of being
responsible for something bad that has happened
Collocates: blame someone for something | blame
something on someone or something | be to blame
don’t blame me if your life is a disaster! | nobody is
blaming you – it was an accident | Murray blamed his
defeat on a lack of concentration | she blamed me for
the accident | he was to blame for our being late
Noun: blame | Adjective: blameless | Adverb: blamelessly
Collocates: the blame lies/rests with someone | get the
blame | put/pin the blame on someone
some of the blame lies with the hospital | I always got
the blame when my sister was naughty | he pinned the
blame on the prime minister | she had led a blameless
life | she knew her own conduct had not been entirely
blameless | she acted blamelessly throughout the
whole process
case study /ˈkeɪs ˌstʌdi/ Noun
a case study is a detailed examination of the
development of a particular person, group, or situation
over a period of time. Case studies are often done in
order to be able to make general statements about a
whole class of people or things, not just the ones that
have been studied
case studies of patients with severe heart failure |
the analysis is based on seven case studies covering
11 countries | the next two chapters present the case
studies | this case study illustrates a number of points
come off /ˈkʌm ˌɒf/ Phrasal verb
if something comes off, it becomes separated from the
object it is meant to be attached to
the strap has come off my watch | the door handle came
off as soon as I tried to turn it | the paint was coming off
the walls | the label had come off the bottle
compensation /ˌkɒmpənˈseɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun uncount
compensation is money or goods that you are given
because a person or organisation has done something
bad to you
Collocates: compensation for something | in
compensation | as compensation | demand/claim
compensation | award someone compensation
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they offered a gift as compensation | she is demanding
compensation for the damage to her property | he was
later awarded £10,000 in compensation | we were given
just £20 as compensation
Verb: compensate
Collocates: compensate someone for something
he was compensated for the loss of his left hand in the
accident | he was ordered to compensate the victims of
his actions
implication /ˌɪmplɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun
the implications of something are the things that are
likely to happen or become important as a result of it
Collocates: implications of something | implications
for something
the case has wider implications for customer services |
this research has important practical implications | the
new regulations have serious implications for British
agriculture | in this blog post he examines the
implications of the delay
–ATION
Verb: imply
Some nouns are formed by adding -ation to a verb. For
example: compensate for the loss / award compensation;
combine several ideas / a combination of tastes; confront
his accusers / avoid confrontation; consider all the options /
give it careful consideration; declare an interest / a
declaration of intent; expect a lot / be beyond expectations;
found a charity / the anniversary of the foundation of the
republic; occupy a country / be under foreign occupation;
sense a change / have a strange sensation.
the ability to read does not necessarily imply the ability
to write | these findings strongly imply that Henderson
was at the scene
deep /diːp/ Adjective
you use deep to emphasise how serious and important a
problem or situation is
this shows there is a deeper problem in the company |
these are the deep problems that we must address in
the years ahead | the letter made a deep impression on
Edward | the poem was deep with truth and feeling
Noun: depth
the film had a surprising depth of emotion
efficiently /ɪˈfɪʃ(ə)ntli/ Adverb
if something happens or is done efficiently, it happens or
is done well and without wasting any time or money
the problem was resolved quickly and efficiently | the
whole process went smoothly and efficiently | I don’t
work very efficiently early in the morning | a rail system
that can efficiently transport thousands of commuters
every day
Adjective: efficient | Noun: efficiency || Opposites –
Adjective: inefficient | Adverb: inefficiently
the staff are friendly and efficient | a very efficient way
of managing your time | the kitchen staff were highly
efficient | the changes should lead to greater efficiency
| it may also improve the efficiency of the system |
there were too many small, inefficient firms | the food
distribution system is highly inefficient | water is used
inefficiently nearly everywhere | the business was being
run very inefficiently
fall apart /ˈfɔːl əˌpɑː(r)t/ Phrasal verb
if something falls apart, it breaks into pieces because it
is old or not well made
my shoes are falling apart | an old book that was falling
apart | the suitcase just fell apart while I was packing it |
their relationship fell apart (failed)
fault /fɔːlt/ Noun uncount
if a bad situation or a mistake is your fault, you are
responsible for causing it. When this happens, you can
also say that you are at fault
it was assumed that the customer was at fault | do we
know whose fault it was? | it was an unfortunate incident,
but the school was not at fault
incident /ˈɪnsɪd(ə)nt/ Noun
an incident is something that happens, often something
that is slightly shocking or unusual
Collocates: an incident happens/occurs | a violent
incident
the incident left him feeling very disappointed | the
incident happened shortly before 7 yesterday morning |
police emphasised this was only an isolated incident |
several violent incidents occurred in the city centre | two
more unfortunate incidents took place outside the station
insole /ˈɪnˌsəʊl/ Noun
an insole is a soft layer of material the same shape as
your shoe, which you put inside your shoe and which lies
under your foot
one of his shoes had an insole missing | further
cushioning is provided by the padded insoles | to help
shoes dry out more quickly, take any insoles out
leak /liːk/ Noun
a leak is a small hole in a container or pipe that allows
liquid or gas to escape
Collocates: spring a leak
I realised the kettle had a leak | engineers found a
leak in the oil tank | our dishwasher has sprung a leak
(has suddenly developed a leak) | the road was closed
because of a gas leak | there’s a leak in the hot water tank
Verb: leak | Noun: leakage
the radiator is leaking | water was leaking out through
the broken pipe | everyone could smell that gas was
leaking | the school had to close because of a nearby
leakage of dangerous chemicals
let down /ˈlet ˌdaʊn/ Adjective
if someone lets you down, they don’t do something that
they were meant to do, and this causes a problem for you.
When this happens, you can say that you feel let down
the incident left him feeling let down and upset | despite
what she said, she felt terribly let down
Phrasal verb: let down
I’m determined not to let you down | it wasn’t the first
time that she had been let down by her brother
outcome /ˈaʊtˌkʌm/ Noun
the outcome of a process or activity is the final result of it
the final outcome was disappointing | the outcome of
the election | a successful outcome | actions which will
achieve the desired outcome | the outcome is uncertain
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privacy /ˈprɪvəsi/ Noun uncount
privacy is the state in which you can control what other
people know about you. If you have no privacy, people
can watch you or find out things about you that you do
not want them to know
new laws on data protection and privacy | advice on how
to protect your privacy online (stop other people getting
information about you, such as your passwords or bank
card details) | the high fence around the garden ensured
a degree of privacy | some like having neighbours nearby,
while others like the idea of complete privacy
Adjective: private
she’s a very private person (she never says much about
herself to anyone) | he has the right to a private life
(to live without people watching and reporting on what
he does)
put together /ˈpʊt təˌɡeðə(r)/ Phrasal verb
if you put something together, you make it by joining all
its different pieces to each other
when I tried to put it together, I realised there was a
piece missing | he put together the bookcase with glue
and no nails | the cupboard was very badly put together
| I thought my bike was broken, but dad helped me put it
together again
refund /ˈriːfʌnd/ Noun
if you get a refund, a shop gives you back the money
you paid for something because it is broken or does
not work properly. You can also get a refund if you have
paid too much for a service or if the service was not
acceptable
Collocates: claim/request/demand a refund | receive/
obtain a refund
he took the watch back and they gave him a refund | I
got a tax refund | passengers can claim a refund if they
are delayed more than two hours | we received a refund
after we complained to the manager | return order within
seven days for replacement or refund if unsatisfactory
Verb: refund
Collocates: refund monies/money
the amount you paid will be fully refunded | we will
refund all monies you have paid us | we will only refund
tickets if the performance has been cancelled
replacement /rɪˈpleɪsmənt/ Noun
a replacement is something that takes the place of
another thing that you no longer have or can use
Collocates: a replacement for something
they gave him a replacement for his watch | a hip
replacement (an artificial hip used to replace someone’s
real hip) | the current replacement cost is £350 | some of
the furniture requires replacement | several of the sales
team are leaving, so we’ll have to find replacements for
them | if a suitable replacement is not available, a full
refund will be issued | a replacement TV
Verb: replace
we need to replace the batteries | the V8 engine was
replaced by a new unit | a brick wall replaced the old
wooden fence
resolve /rɪˈzɒlv/ Verb
if you resolve a problem, you find a solution to it
Collocates: resolve a problem/issue | be resolved
satisfactorily/peacefully
it will be difficult to resolve the situation | in the end,
everything was resolved | the matter hasn’t been fully
resolved | they want to resolve things quickly | let’s
hope things can be resolved peacefully | the issue was
resolved within three hours
Noun: resolution
everyone is hoping for a quick resolution of the conflict
| we believe we have achieved a satisfactory resolution
to the problem
retain /rɪˈteɪn/ Verb
if you retain something or someone, you are able to stop
them leaving and can carry on using them or getting
benefit from them
it costs less to retain customers than to find new ones
| the company is trying to retain staff by offering large
bonuses | she insisted on retaining control of the
company | every company needs to attract and retain
their salespeople
Noun: retention
staff retention is a major problem at the factory | a
strong brand builds loyalty and customer retention
ripped /rɪpt/ Adjective
if paper or cloth is ripped, it has a long tear or hole in it
the curtains are ripped | wearing ripped jeans | his
clothes were ripped to shreds (badly ripped)
Verb: rip | Noun: rip
I’ve ripped my jeans | she ripped the letter open | he
tried to mend the rip in his trousers| there’s a rip in the
sheet | there were no rips or tears in the leather
scratched /skrætʃt/ Adjective
if something is scratched, it has a small cut or mark on
its surface
the screen was scratched | how did the table get
scratched? | his clothes were torn and his face was
scratched | the top of the desk was all scratched | avoid
using old, scratched plastic bottles
Verb: scratch | Noun: scratch
mind you don’t scratch the car | the back of the door
handle had scratched the paint | there was a scratch on
the windscreen | there were tiny little scratches on the
glass
spirit /ˈspɪrɪt/ Noun
the spirit of an action or statement is the way it is meant
to be understood
complaints are made in the spirit of improving a service |
the display was put on in the spirit of fun | this is certainly
against the spirit of the law (even if it is legal, it is not
what the law intended to allow)
spot /spɒt/ Noun
a spot is a small lump or mark on someone’s skin,
especially on their face
I came out in spots (I suddenly had a lot of spots) | use
this cream next time you get spots | she had a spot
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where the wasp had stung her | his face was a mass
of wrinkles and spots
strap /stræp/ Noun
a strap is a length of material such as cloth or leather
that is used to hold something in place
the strap has come off my watch | it was an expensive
leather strap | a dress with very wide shoulder straps |
the drummers used white straps to support their drums
Verb: strap
they do have a valid point | not enough evidence to
reach a valid conclusion | I just don’t agree that his
criticism was valid | do you have any valid reasons for
thinking that? | they raised a number of valid objections |
there is no valid argument against the proposal
Noun: validity || Opposite: invalid
assessing the validity of his explanation | questioning
the validity of her beliefs | most of his arguments in
favour of the plan were invalid
their weapons were strapped to their belts | the pilot
wouldn’t start the plane until everyone had strapped
themselves in
valid /ˈvælɪd/ Adjective
ideas or opinions that are valid are based on reasonable
thinking and can be justified even if you do not agree
with them
Collocates: a valid reason/excuse | a valid argument/
opinion | a valid objection
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 3
E Match the nouns to the verbs. Look up the nouns
(a–e) if you need help.
EXERCISES
Prepositions
1 to approach with
a) compensation
2 to have an
b) purchase
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
3 to walk
c) caution
4 to claim
d) obsession
5 to make a
e) a fine line
1 I need to fix that crack
2 I rubbed salt
the wall.
the meat.
3 They recovered their possessions
4 Handle that drill
great caution.
5 He had a bandage
his hand.
6 He tried to mend the rip
the debris.
F
Complete the sentences with the correct word
from the box. Look up the words in bold if you
need help.
emotional
practical
his shirt.
hairline
occupational
Word families
1 She suffered
childhood.
B Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
2 This research has important
implications.
1 protect your privacy
online
a very
2 acquire a property
a new
3 an admission of guilt
4 a fire hazard a
person.
being wrong
line of work
5 a military commander
the two generals
the army
6 the trauma of his death
by the
experience
C Which TWO words in the box below are NOT
both a noun and a verb?
clip
leak
settle
crack
stack
purchase
guarantee
pile
refund
army
3 A
last week.
violent
trauma in her
incident occurred in the town
4 This vase is beautiful but it has a
crack in it.
5 Mixing chemicals is an
pharmacists.
hazard for
Phrasal verbs
G Choose the correct word to complete the
phrasal verb.
1 The wardrobe was very badly put together / off.
2 We’re going to get rid by / of our old furniture.
3 That’s the second time you’ve let me down / up!
4 Their marriage is falling down / apart.
5 We have to put up / in with loud neighbours.
Collocations
D Complete the collocations with the verbs in the
box. Look up the nouns if you need help.
pin
demand
spring
make
1
a hazard
2
the blame
3
a purchase
4
a leak
5
a refund
pose
Patterns
H Complete the sentences with the correct form
of the verbs in the box. Use to + infinitive or –ing.
acquire
resist
resolve
replace
1 It will be easy
2 He insisted on
3 He wanted
retain
the problem.
control.
a valuable painting.
4 She tried
arrest.
5 We need
the fridge.
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 4
4 SOCIETY
Pages 34–35
bankrupt /ˈbæŋkrʌpt/ Adjective
if a company is bankrupt, it does not have enough
money to pay all its debts and so cannot continue to
exist. People who are bankrupt cannot pay their debts,
and their affairs are taken over by solicitors
state bureaucrats controlled even the smaller details
of everyday life | he blamed the faceless bureaucrats
who made the rules | a senior bureaucrat in the defence
ministry | there were problems caused by bureaucratic
inefficiency | a lengthy and exhaustive bureaucratic
process | the current planning system is too centralised
and bureaucratic
Collocates: go bankrupt | be declared bankrupt
a lot of companies have gone bankrupt recently | the
company was declared bankrupt last year | the business
is almost bankrupt | later in life he became bankrupt | the
country is effectively bankrupt with debts of £7 trillion
Verb: bankrupt | Noun: bankruptcy | Noun: bankrupt
the losses nearly bankrupted the business | just one
more major accident will bankrupt the company | the
firm later fell into bankruptcy | the couple now face
bankruptcy | an undischarged bankrupt may not act
as the director of a company (someone who became
bankrupt and whose affairs are still not under his or her
control) | I was officially declared a bankrupt
barrier /ˈbæriə(r)/ Noun
a barrier is a physical object that blocks a road or path
and stops you getting past. You can refer to any problem
that stops you doing what you want to do as a barrier
Collocates: a barrier to (doing) something
won’t the language be a barrier? | we want to remove
barriers that prevent poorer students going to university |
young families are facing several barriers to becoming
home buyers | the biggest barrier to her success was fear
boost /buːst/ Verb
to boost something means to improve it or increase it.
their policies have boosted our reputation | this could
help to boost profits | an attempt to boost tourism in
the area | this win has boosted the team’s confidence |
the hot weather dramatically boosted demand for
cold drinks
Noun: boost
Collocates: give something a boost
this should provide a boost for the economy | a boost
for her confidence | some tips on how to give your
Facebook profile a much needed boost
bureaucracy /bjʊəˈrɒkrəsi/ Noun
a bureaucracy is a system of administration that involves
a lot of employees. Bureaucracy is the set of rigid and
complicated rules that are typical of such a system
there’s too much bureaucracy involved | they tend not
to perform well in bureaucracies | the aim was to reduce
unnecessary bureaucracy | the health care system
has a totally inefficient bureaucracy surrounding it |
a centralised bureaucracy replaced the old system |
government promises to cut bureaucracy
Noun: bureaucrat
Noun: bureaucrat | Adjective: bureaucratic
bureaucratic /ˌbjʊərəˈkrætɪk/ Adjective
if a process is very bureaucratic, it involves a lot of rigid
and complicated rules
there were problems caused by bureaucratic inefficiency |
a legal and bureaucratic nightmare | a lengthy and
exhaustive bureaucratic process | the current planning
system is too centralised and bureaucratic
Noun: bureaucrat | Noun: bureaucracy
state bureaucrats controlled even the smaller details
of everyday life | he blamed the faceless bureaucrats
who made the rules | a senior bureaucrat in the
defence ministry | the aim was to reduce unnecessary
bureaucracy | a centralised bureaucracy replaced the
old system | government promises to cut bureaucracy
come across /kʌm əˈkrɒs/ Phrasal verb
if someone comes across in a particular way, that is the
impression you have of them
Collocates: come across as something
he comes across as being very reasonable | she comes
across as so pleasant | Dan came across very poorly
in the interview (he made a bad impression) | he came
across as a man of warmth and charm | the second
candidate came across much better
controversial /ˌkɒntrəˈvɜː(r)ʃ(ə)l/ Adjective
if something or someone is controversial, different
people hold different views about them very strongly
and cannot reach agreement
Collocates: highly/deeply controversial | a controversial
subject/issue/topic | a controversial decision | a
controversial remark/comment
the government has done a few controversial things |
a highly controversial issue | a controversial politician |
the referee made a number of controversial decisions |
his controversial remarks were widely reported on radio
and TV
Adverb: controversially | Noun: controversy
Collocates: cause/provoke/arouse (a) controversy
the government controversially decided to withdraw its
support for the project | controversially, there were no
women in the new cabinet | the proposals have caused
a lot of controversy | some recent controversies in the
media | the proposal aroused a fierce controversy
corrupt /kəˈrʌpt/ Adjective
if someone is corrupt, they are prepared to do things
that are morally wrong in order to get money or power.
Their behaviour can also be referred to as corrupt
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Collocates: morally corrupt
Adjective: investigative
he seems to think that all politicians are corrupt |
Dickens portrays the rich as being morally corrupt |
officials frequently engaged in corrupt practices | a
man of splendid abilities, but utterly corrupt | he was
eventually sent to prison for his corrupt dealings
specialists were called in to investigate the causes
of the explosion | the police are now investigating a
possible fraud | the accident needs to be thoroughly
investigated | crash investigators concluded that the
pilot had fallen asleep | investigators searched the
house for the murder weapon | investigative journalism
(reporting that goes into a lot of detail and reveals a
lot of facts about an important issue) | they promised to
cooperate in the independent investigative process
Verb: corrupt | Noun: corruption | Adjective: corruptible ||
Opposite – Adjective: incorruptible
there’s a famous saying: “power corrupts, and absolute
power corrupts absolutely” | he was corrupted by the
criminals he was mixing with | there has been widespread
corruption in the banking sector | he was convicted on
41 counts of bribery, corruption and conspiracy | he
was determined to expose police corruption | everyone
is corruptible at a price | as a judge, he had to be
incorruptible
cut back /kʌt bæk/ Phrasal verb
to cut back on something means to reduce it or to
reduce the amount of it that you use
Collocates: cut back on something
they’ve done a lot to cut back the bureaucracy | the
bank is cutting back on staff | I’ve managed to cut back
my coffee consumption | community services have been
cut back and hospitals have closed
Noun: cutback
Collocates: make cutbacks | severe cutbacks
a cutback in funding for schools | the company may
have to make cutbacks | there have been severe
cutbacks in the housing budget
desperate /ˈdesp(ə)rət/ Adjective
if someone is desperate, they are in a very difficult
situation and want or need something very badly
Collocates: be desperate for something | be desperate
to do something
they’re desperate for more staff | the hungrier people
are, the more desperate they are | we were getting
desperate | he’s desperate to get a job | they’re in
desperate need of help | a desperate effort to reach an
agreement | she grew more and more desperate as her
money ran out
Adverb: desperately | Noun: desperation
the people desperately need food | people are heading
for the cities in desperation
investigation /ɪnˌvestɪˈɡeɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun
if someone carries out an investigation into something,
they examine all the facts that they can find about it in
order to decide exactly what happened, if anyone is to
blame, and what action they need to take
Collocates: an investigation into something | an
investigation is underway | an ongoing investigation |
a thorough investigation | conduct/launch/carry out an
investigation | be under investigation
the police made such a mess of the investigation| by
evening, a full scale police investigation was underway |
the problem was discovered as a result of an ongoing
investigation | a thorough investigation into the issue
was launched a few days ago | both men found
themselves under criminal investigation
Verb: investigate | Noun: investigator |
make ends meet /meɪk endz miːt/ Phrase
if it’s difficult for you to make ends meet, you don’t have
enough money to pay for the things that you regularly
have to pay for, such as rent, food, heating etc.
I don’t know how people can make ends meet | she
was barely making ends meet | people are struggling to
make ends meet | to make ends meet, he took on a job
in a bar six nights a week | many couples rely on two
incomes to make ends meet
pace /peɪs/ Noun
the pace of something is the speed at which it happens
Collocates: the pace of something | (at) a slow/gentle/
leisurely pace | a brisk/fast pace
the pace of life is so fast here | she walked back to the
hotel at a leisurely pace | they kept up a brisk pace
all the way home | the pace of change in our lives is
growing ever faster
permit /ˈpɜː(r)mɪt/ Noun
a permit is a document that proves that you have been
given official permission to do something
I had to fill in four forms to get a work permit | apply for
a residency permit | you need a travel permit | my permit
has expired (I no longer have permission to do what it
allowed) | do you have a permit for that gun?
Verb: permit | Noun: permission | Adjective: permitted |
Adjective: permissible
students are not permited to bring tobacco onto the
campus | a card which legally permits you to drive a car |
if you’re under 18 you must have writtem permission
from a parent | permission was granted to start building
the new swimming pool | payments in cash are no
longer permissible | noise from the establishment was
above the permissible level
recession /rɪˈseʃ(ə)n/ Noun
if there is a recession, there is much less business activity
in a country, so some businesses do not make enough
money to survive and some people lose their jobs
Collocates: a global/worldwide/world recession | a deep/
severe recession | a prolonged recession | a recession
deepens | be in recession
the whole world is facing a global recession | an economic
recession | the recession deepened in November | the
country is in recession | since the recession ended,
companies have created nearly 4.5 million jobs | the
economy could sink into recession again | the measure
failed to get the country out of recession
scandal /ˈskænd(ə)l/ Noun
a scandal is a situation in which shocking information
about someone or something becomes public
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it caused a huge public scandal | a scandal engulfed
the royal family | the scandal involved two major banks |
in the last days of 1990 a new scandal broke (became
known about) | stories of corruption, scandal and
government incompetence
tuition /tjuːˈɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun uncount
tuition is the work of teaching people
they put up tuition fees for students again | he pays for
private tuition | maths tuition | he gave us some extra
tuition
Adjective: scandalous | Adverb: scandalously
Noun: tutor | Noun: tutorial | Noun: tutoring
he denied all the rumours of scandalous behaviour |
a scandalous affair involving forged bank notes | she
scandalously ran away to Hamburg with a German
engineer | this statement has been attacked as
scandalously inaccurate
he was educated by private tutors | the school has
several music tutors | weekly online tutorials encourage
student interaction | teaching includes lectures, tutorials,
and seminars | students can have free, 20-minute online
tutoring sessions | she ran a private tutoring business
shortage /ˈʃɔː(r)tɪdʒ/ Noun
if there is a shortage of something, there is not enough
of it
Collocates: a shortage of something
there are a lot of water shortages | a desperate
shortage of medical supplies | a serious shortage of
teachers | the drought led to a shortage of food | many
companies are facing severe staff shortages
Adjective: short
Collocates: be short of something
I’m a bit short of cash at the moment. Can you lend me
£10? | if you’re short of carrots, just use potato
soft /sɒft/ Adjective
you can say that someone is soft if they are not strict
enough and if they allow things to happen that they do
not want
Collocates: be soft on someone/something
the government is soft on drugs | he’s too soft with his
kids | community service is seen as a soft option (prison
would be a better punishment)
terrorism /ˈterəˌrɪz(ə)m/ Noun uncount
terrorism is the use of violence against ordinary people
in order to achieve a political objective
the government is soft on terrorism | we will fight terrorism
at home and abroad | a spokesman condemned terrorism
in all its forms | the government wants more powers to
tackle terrorism | the growing threat of terrorism in the
late 20th century
Noun: terror | Noun: terrorist
the war on terror | ten people died in the terrorist
attack | both terrorists were killed when police stormed
the building | he denied having any connection with a
terrorist organisation |
tourism /ˈtʊərɪz(ə)m/ Noun uncount
tourism is all the business and activity involved in
providing the services needed by people who are
travelling on holiday. Tourism also refers to the activities
of people who visit places when on holiday
they haven’t done anything to boost tourism | the growth
in mass tourism meant the town had to expand | tourism
contributes hugely to the regional economy | the festival
was held in order to attract tourism during the quiet
winter period
Noun: tourist
the streets were crowded with tourists and their cameras |
a tourist attraction (something interesting that visitors will
want to see) | over a million foreign tourists visit Jamaica
every year | Alexandria is also an important tourist resort
undermine /ˌʌndə(r)ˈmaɪn/ Verb
to undermine something means to weaken it or make it
less effective
their policies are undermining national unity | a scandal
that threatens to undermine the government’s authority |
criticising her will seriously undermine her confidence |
his position in the government has been seriously
undermined | senior ministers were undermined by lack
of support from the president
Pages 36–37
abuse /əˈbjuːs/ Noun
abuse is a bad or wrong use of something, especially
when this can cause harm to someone
Collocates: drug/alcohol/substance abuse | racial abuse
the problem of drug and alcohol abuse | the abuse of
power | a horrific case of child abuse | he suffered racial
abuse (cruel treatment because of his race) | the report
documented widespread human rights abuses | domestic
abuse that includes physical violence is called domestic
violence
Verb: abuse | Noun: abuser | Adjective: abusive |
Adverb: abusively
she began to abuse alcohol as a teenager | a small
minority of parents beat and abuse their children | most
child abusers are people the child knows | suicide is
very common in young alcohol abusers | any abusive
behaviour in the school is unacceptable | she told me
she’d left her abusive boyfriend | he married her, but
treated her abusively
assault /əˈsɔːlt/ Verb
to assault someone means to attack them violently
Collocates: physically/brutally assault someone | verbally
assault someone
she denied physically assaulting her boss | he was
accused of assaulting a student | she was savagely
assaulted | she violently assaulted me on at least half a
dozen occasions | he verbally assaulted the boy every
time he saw him
Noun: assault
Smith was charged with sexual assault (attacking
someone in a sexual way) | the building was not
designed to resist an assault
breakdown /ˈbreɪkˌdaʊn/ Noun
if there is a breakdown, a process, relationship, or
machine stops working properly
the problem of family breakdown | a breakdown in
communication | we had a breakdown on the motorway
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 4
(the car stopped working) | during his childhood he
had three nervous breakdowns (incidents when he
suffered serious mental depression) | we try not to tell
passengers about mechanical breakdowns
Phrasal Verb: break down
the car’s always breaking down | his marriage broke
down last year
capture /ˈkæptʃə(r)/ Verb
to capture something on film means to successfully
record it
the attack was captured on CCTV | it was all captured
on film | a passer-by captured the moment on his mobile
carry out /ˈkæri aʊt/ Phrasal verb
to carry out a task or a piece of work means to do
everything that is involved in that particular task or
piece of work
the work will be carried out by a British firm | we need
to carry out more research | the police will carry out an
investigation | they carried out a survey
claim /kleɪm/ Noun
a claim is a statement that someone makes which they
say is true, but which some people believe is not true.
A claim is also a demand for something that someone
thinks they have a right to
her claim is entirely false | the judge dismissed his claim |
officials have promised to investigate the claims | the
court upheld her claim and awarded her compensation
Verb: claim | Noun: claimant
Grant unsuccessfully claimed damages from MacDonald |
he also claimed that his laptop had been stolen | the
claimant can request a private hearing | both claimants
are entitled to compensation
conduct /kənˈdʌkt/ Verb
to conduct a process or activity means to do everything
that is involved in that process or activity
the police are now conducting investigations | who will
conduct the enquiry? | to conduct a survey of attitudes
to climate change | these experiments were conducted
over several years | the interviews were conducted
between 1971 and 1974
damages /ˈdæmɪdʒɪz/ Noun plural
if you win damages, a court orders a person or
organisation to give you money because they have
made you suffer in some way
Collocates: award someone damages | win damages |
claim damages
he won damages of £30,000 | the court awarded her
substantial damages | she’s claiming damages for the
injuries she suffered | he got half a million dollars in
damages | she is seeking $5 million in damages
deny /dɪˈnaɪ/ Verb
if someone denies you something, they do not let you
have it. You can also say that you have been denied
something when you have not been allowed to have it
she claimed she was denied promotion | they were
denied access to the building | they denied him his right
to a lawyer | should doctors deny treatment to patients
who are obese? | his claim for compensation has been
denied twice
destruction /dɪˈstrʌkʃ(ə)n/ Noun uncount
the destruction of something happens when it becomes
so damaged that it is completely broken or no longer
exists
the destruction of the environment | the storm caused
widespread destruction of houses and shops | Dresden
suffered almost complete destruction in the bombing
raid | the flooding brought about death and destruction
Verb: destroy | Adjective: destructive |
Adverb: destructively
the building was destroyed during the war | in 1940
an earthquake destroyed the city of Lima | these
were destructive weapons | oil spills can be extremely
destructive to the marine environment
domestic /dəˈmestɪk/ Adjective
domestic means relating to or happening within people’s
homes and within the family
domestic violence | 30 years of domestic happiness
ended when his wife died | domestic chores ( jobs like
cleaning the house and doing the washing) | domestic
abuse that includes physical violence is called
domestic violence
dropout /ˈdrɒpaʊt/ Noun
a dropout is someone who leaves school, college, or
university before they finish their course of studies
dropouts often complain that their classes were too
boring | a pair of college dropouts who couldn’t find
work | school dropout rates were rising
Phrasal verb: drop out
he dropped out at the end of the second semester |
why do so many students drop out of school?
excessive /ɪkˈsesɪv/ Adjective
if you say that something is excessive, you mean that it
seems to be more than is necessary or reasonable
it all seemed a bit excessive | the amount seems a bit
excessive | some people see the charges as excessive
| police employed excessive violence during the arrest |
the prices charged are often excessive
Adverb: excessively | Noun: excess | Adjective: excess
Collocates: do something to excess | an excess of
something
excessively high taxes | the film lasted an excessively
long time | an excess of chemicals in the water | he
drinks, but not to excess | cycling is a good way to lose
excess weight
gender /ˈdʒendə(r)/ Noun uncount
someone’s gender is whether they are male or female
the company was accused of gender discrimination
| discrimination on the grounds of gender | are there
gender differences in attitudes to work? (do men and
women think differently about work?) | it’s important to
combat gender stereotypes
initiative /ɪˈnɪʃətɪv/ Noun
an initiative is an important new plan
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the launch of a new initiative aimed at getting young
people off the streets | a new initiative for peace | the
government has announced a new education initiative
| we welcome the UN initiative in Somalia | I hope that
the other parties will also support this initiative | none of
these business initiatives was particularly successful
Verb: initiate
the government initiated market reforms | a
modernisation programme was initiated in 1990
pressure group /ˈpreʃə(r) ɡruːp/ Noun
a pressure group is a group that tries to influence
people’s opinions or achieve political change
an environmental pressure group | an anti-smoking
pressure group | they set up a pressure group to
campaign for change | some pressure groups get
attention because of their expert knowledge
rule /ruːl/ Verb
if someone in authority rules something, they make
an official decision and announce it. For example, if a
judge rules that someone is too ill to stand trial, then
that person does not have to go on trial
Collocates: rule that | rule in favour of someone | rule
against someone
the court ruled in her favour | the tribunal ruled that he
had been unfairly dismissed from his job | her death was
initially ruled an accident | the court ruled against him
Noun: ruling
the judge made a ruling in favour of the defendant | the
court issued a ruling overturning the ban
tolerate /ˈtɒləreɪt/ Verb
if you tolerate something, you allow it to happen even
though you do not approve of it
that kind of behaviour shouldn’t be tolerated | our
culture has decided to tolerate traffic violence | he would
not tolerate any interference | political dissent was not
tolerated
Noun: toleration | Adjective: tolerant |
Adjective: tolerable || Opposites – Adjective: intolerant |
Adjective: intolerable | Noun: intolerance
toleration of slavery was a national evil | religious toleration
(when people are allowed to observe whatever religion
they want) | I consider myself a very tolerant person |
he was much more tolerant of opposition parties and
human rights | at the time it was annoying but tolerable |
he was not intolerant towards other religions | what kind
of intolerant society are we living in? | conditions in the
factory were intolerable | such misuse of British passports
was intolerable | sadly, both sides teach violence and
intolerance | disputes about religious intolerance
uphold /ʌpˈhəʊld/ Verb
if someone in authority upholds a claim or a decision,
they decide officially that the claim or decision was right
Collocates: uphold a claim | uphold a decision/verdict
her claim was upheld in court | his conviction was upheld
by the court of appeal | the ruling was upheld by three
appeal judges | the court upheld the previous verdict
Opposite – Verb: overturn
the decision was later overturned
victory /ˈvɪkt(ə)ri/ Noun
a victory is when a person or group succeeds in beating
another person or group, for example in a sport, a war,
or an election
Collocates: a decisive victory | win a victory | secure victory
the most decisive naval victory of the war | the
government has won a very important victory | goals
from Rose and Kane secured victory for Tottenham |
victory at Wimbledon earned him £1.75 million | after the
battle, both sides claimed victory
Adjective: victorious | Adverb: victoriously | Noun: victor
the victorious army marched at once to Dublin | the
warriors returned to their camp victorious | the army
advanced victoriously to the gates of the capital | it is
usually the victors who record history | the war ended
without a clear victor
vulnerable /ˈvʌln(ə)rəb(ə)l/ Adjective
if someone is vulnerable or in a vulnerable position,
they can be hurt or upset easily
Collocates: feel/remain vulnerable | be vulnerable
to something
more help is needed for vulnerable teenagers | I’m
feeling a slightly vulnerable at the moment | children
who are vulnerable to abuse | some families are more
vulnerable to social change than others | the elderly are
among the most vulnerable in today’s society | plans to
support vulnerable groups such as young people
Noun: vulnerability || Opposite: invulnerable
I could sense her vulnerability | consider too the
vulnerability of the homeless person | an attempt to
make the region invulnerable to attack
Pages 38–39
advisor /ədˈvaɪzə(r)/ Noun
an advisor is someone whose job is to provide specialist
advice to a person or group of people
a special advisor to the UN Secretary General | Larson
will remain within the company as a senior advisor | for
more information, consult your tax advisor | a technical
advisor to the Department of City Planning
Verb: advise | Noun: advice | Adjective: advisory
she advises both technology firms and investors | he
advised clients on mergers and other financial matters |
she took expert advice before buying the company |
they were impressed with the professional advice and
guidance provided | the advisory committee meets
four times each year | he also held several important
advisory positions
aid /eɪd/ Noun uncount
aid is money or other things that are sent by a country
to people who are suffering because of war, poverty,
hunger etc
Collocates: humanitarian aid | financial aid | foreign aid |
military aid
current aid is $24 billion per year | the country relies on
foreign aid | send emergency food aid | fresh appeals for
humanitarian aid | foreign aid is expected to double to
$50 billion | a Red Cross aid convoy
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alarm /əˈlɑː(r)m/ Noun
an alarm is a warning that something bad is about to
happen very soon
a neighbour heard screaming and raised the alarm | the
phone call turned out to be a false alarm (nothing bad
was going to happen) | the alarm was spread and many
people ran to help in putting out the fire | he saw and
heard nothing to excite alarm
attendance /əˈtendəns/ Noun
attendance is the fact of being present somewhere
where you are meant to be or have paid to be. The
attendance at an event such as a football match is the
number of people who go to it
Collocates: compulsory attendance | regular attendance |
church/school attendance |
free school meals boost school attendance | in Germany,
school attendance isn’t compulsory until age six |
regular church attendance was difficult for her | church
attendance dropped in the following decade | 42,000
turned up, the highest attendance of the season | the
festival now records average attendances of about
10,000
Verb: attend | Noun: attendee
my son has been attending school since age 4 | the cost
to attend is £35 | we average 20–35 people attending
every meeting | ticket sales are limited to 500 attendees |
the conference featured over 100 speakers and
600 attendees
auction /ˈɔːkʃ(ə)n/ Noun
an auction is a sale at which people offer increasing
amounts of money until nobody wants to offer any more.
The item is then bought by the person who made the
last and highest offer
Collocates: hold/conduct an auction | sell something at
auction
let’s hold an auction to raise some money | the contents
of the house were sold at public auction | the eight
paintings were sold at auction | an auction house (a
business which holds auctions) | an online auction site
(where you can make offers over the Internet) | a charity
auction raised nearly £1 million
on the first Saturday of the month, the village hall hosts
a craft fair | I sell most of what I make at craft fairs | we
visited several craft fairs in the Harrogate area
crop /krɒp/ Noun
a crop is a plant such as wheat or corn that is grown by
farmers in order to sell
Collocates: a cash crop | a staple crop | grow/cultivate
a crop
traders came directly to the farms to buy the crops |
better farming techniques will increase crop yields | they
grow a variety of crops | a staple crop (that provides
most of someone’s food) | a cash crop (that someone
grows to sell) | they grew crops in large open fields | rice
is the principal crop cultivated here
donate /dəʊˈneɪt/ Verb
if you donate something to a charity or organisation, you
give it without getting anything in return because you
want to help the charity or organisation
Collocates: donate something to something
they donated £2,000 to the hospital | every dollar you
donate goes toward the rebuilding project | using a
credit card, you can donate online | please donate
generously as every little bit counts | the school was built
with funds donated by the Colmore family
Noun: donation| Noun: donor
Collocates: make a donation | a generous donation |
request a donation | accept a donation
we’ve received some very generous donations | a
donation of £5 is requested from all visitors to the
exhibition | entrance is free, but donations are gratefully
accepted | donors have given over £30,000 | an
anonymous donor | the donor countries (the countries
who gave money)
donor /ˈdəʊnə(r)/ Noun
a donor is someone who gives money to help an
organisation or charity
$50 comes from donors and the rest from government |
donors have given over £30,000 | an anonymous donor |
the donor countries (the countries who gave money) |
more than £8,000 was contributed by private donors
Verb: auction | Noun: auctioneer
Noun: donate | Verb: donation
Collocates: auction something off
they donated £2,000 to the hospital | every dollar you
donate goes toward the rebuilding project | using a
credit card, you can donate online | we’ve received
some very generous donations | the money was raised
through private donations | these donations have helped
the theatre stay open
the office closed down and all the contents were
auctioned off | the silver will be auctioned tomorrow and
the pictures on Tuesday | buyers were gathered round
the auctioneer’s table
conflict /ˈkɒnflɪkt/ Noun
conflict is violent fighting between groups of people or
countries
Collocates: armed conflict | provoke a conflict
in any armed conflict there will be civilian casualties |
conflicts erupted in the 1850s, resulting in a number of
wars | tensions increased and came close to provoking
an international conflict | the territorial dispute could
spark a violent conflict (could start a conflict)
craft fair /krɑːft feə(r)/ Noun
a craft fair is an event where people sell things that they
have made by hand, such as jewellery, pots, clothes etc.
downward /ˈdaʊnwə(r)d/ Adjective
a downward trend or process involves something getting
worse or decreasing
these measures could reverse the downward spiral | the
downward population trend slowed down | a downward
revision to its profit forecast | workers will see significant
downward pressure on wages
Adverb: downward
sales trended downward after Christmas | any earlier
predictions must now be revised downward
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extreme /ɪkˈstriːm/ Adjective
extreme means very great in degree or very severe in
effect
how would you define extreme poverty? | always
exercise extreme caution when catching snakes |
extreme cold kills twice as many people as extreme
heat | Arkansas is known for extreme weather and many
storms | such extreme temperatures can be a threat to
health (very hot or very cold temperatures)
Adverb: extremely
an extremely difficult task | in November, the situation
became extremely dangerous
harvest /ˈhɑː(r)vɪst/ Noun
harvest is the process of collecting crops from the fields
where they have been growing. A harvest is all the crops
once they have been collected
better farming techniques will lead to better harvests |
the weather stayed fine throughout the harvest | the
harvest takes between 10 and 30 days | after three
weeks, the harvest was all gathered in | the wheat
harvest yielded 2,500 tons of grain | there was a record
harvest in 2014 (the biggest amount ever was collected)
Verb: harvest
boys were released from school to help the farmers
harvest their crops | the crop was harvested early to
make room for summer vegetables
hunger /ˈhʌŋɡə(r)/ Noun uncount
hunger is the state of wanting to eat because you have
not had enough food. In extreme cases, hunger can
cause death
hunger is still a major problem | global efforts to reduce
poverty, hunger and disease | wolves, in cases of
extreme hunger, will eat their puppies | too many still
suffer homelessness and hunger
Adjective: hungry
Collocates: go hungry | feel hungry
he spotted a hungry bear watching him | close to a
billion people go hungry every day | I didn’t feel hungry
measure /ˈmeʒə(r)/ Noun
measures are actions taken by a government or
organisation to help solve a problem
we need to implement a range of measures | the
government has promised to take measures to tackle
crime | the company is introducing new safety measures |
tough new measures to combat speeding | such extreme
measures were not necessary | the measure was
opposed by the business community
military /ˈmɪlɪt(ə)ri/ Adjective
military means relating to the army and other armed
forces of a country
Collocates: military personnel/leaders/forces | military
equipment | military action/campaign/operation/exercise/
conflict/intervention | military base | military aid
military spending reached $700 billion | an exhibition of
old military vehicles | offensive military operations | the
hotel was turned into a military base | he was a great
military commander | serving military officers
Noun: military
he joined the military when he was just 17 | the military
launched the attack after dark
mortality /mɔː(r)ˈtæləti/ Noun uncount
mortality is the number of people who die in a particular
group, at a particular age, in a particular place, or in a
particular period of time
Collocates: infant/child mortality | mortality rates
child mortality rates | we are seeing reduced mortality
from cancer | rising mortality among men in Eastern
Europe | studies have shown those who cycle to have a
significantly lower mortality rate | married people face a
lower mortality risk than unmarried people
poverty /ˈpɒvə(r)ti/ Noun uncount
poverty is the continuous state of not having enough
money to be able to pay for essential things like food,
clothing, or rent
the hero was living in poverty | our aim is a world free
from extreme poverty | overcrowded cities suffered from
widespread poverty | child poverty is the worst problem
we face in this country
raise /reɪz/ Verb
to raise something means to tell people about it or make
them think about it more
he also raises an alarm that this could be the last
chance we have | a campaign to raise awareness of
AIDS (tell people more about it) | he didn’t raise the
subject of money (he didn’t talk about it) | the accident
has raised concerns about safety regulations | your
letter raises two important questions | no one else raised
any objection
reflect /rɪˈflekt/ Verb
if you reflect on something, you think about it a lot
Collocates: reflect on something
as I reflected on my actions, I had to accept that they
were wrong | Paul reflected on an enjoyable and
successful year | as she goes about her day, she reflects
on her life’s choices
Noun: reflection | Adjective: reflective |
Adverb: reflectively
upon reflection, I think that there are several reasons |
that simple fact is worth some reflection | he waited,
sensing she was in a reflective mood | the mayor paused
and glanced at me reflectively | Peter was staring out of
the window reflectively
reverse /rɪˈvɜː(r)s/ Verb
to reverse something means to change it to the opposite
these measures could reverse the downward spiral | an
attempt to reverse the decline in tourism | the High Court
reversed the decision | the downward trend has not yet
been reversed
Noun: reversal
the economy underwent a dramatic reversal from 2008 |
he said this represented a reversal of the government’s
policy
root /ruːt/ Noun
the root of a problem is its main or original cause
Collocates: the root cause(s) (of something)
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the root causes are interconnected | bad diet lies at the
root of a lot of health problems | the war had religion at
its root
skip /skɪp/ Verb
if you skip something that you regularly do or have, you
do not do it or have it on one occasion
I try never to skip lunch | she skipped the last lesson of
the day to go to the concert | she made up an excuse to
skip gym that evening (to not go to the gym)
soil /sɔɪl/ Noun
soil is the earth in which plants grow
fertilisers that will improve the soil | a good fertile soil |
struggling to grow crops in poor soils | a sandy soil |
a clay soil | well drained soil is also essential for these
plants | these soil samples were analysed
step /step/ Noun
a step is one part of a process that will need several
things to happen, one after the other
Collocates: step by step | a first step | a major step | take
(a) step(s)
providing every child with an anti-mosquito bed net
would be a major first step | seven steps towards
improving morale in the workplace | a major step
forward is within sight | his next step was to hire an
office manager | here are the basic steps needed to
create your own development plan | he took steps to
improve the department’s finances | the plan must be
carried out step by step (in the right order, and not trying
to do everything at once)
straightforward /ˌstreɪtˈfɔː(r)wə(r)d/ Adjective
if something is straightforward, it is very simple, and
there are no problems or difficulties involved
Collocates: relatively/fairly straightforward | perfectly
straightforward | a straightforward matter/case
these problems can be overcome in relatively
straightforward ways | a fairly straightforward decorating
job | it should be relatively straightforward to set
everything up
strain /streɪn/ Noun
if there is a strain on something, there is a problem
because there is too much demand for it. If there is a
strain on a relationship, problems and disagreements
mean that two people or groups have trouble living or
working together
Collocates: be under strain | put a strain on something
this puts a great strain on scarce resources | the holiday
put a real strain on our finances | a flu epidemic would
place a considerable strain on the health service | her
marriage was under considerable strain | the drop in
business relieved some strain on the transport network
Verb: strain | Adjective: strained
the extra costs are likely to strain our finances | the
incident has strained relations between the two
countries | the friendship between the two leaders
became strained | relations between the central and
regional authorities were strained
widespread /ˈwaɪdˌspred/ Adjective
something that is widespread exists in a lot of different
places
there is widespread conflict across the continent |
corruption was widespread in the capital | overcrowded
cities suffered from widespread poverty | physical
punishment was widespread throughout the school
system
yield /jiːld/ Noun
the yield of an area of land is the amount of crops that
are grown on it in one season
better farming techniques will increase crop yields | the
average crop yields are low | sunlight increases tomato
yields | grain yields declined by about 5% | I expect to
double the yield of corn this harvest
Verb: yield
the rich soil yielded a good harvest | the 2 acre orchard
yields five tons of apples a year
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EXERCISES
Collocations
Prepositions
D Complete the collocations with nouns from
the unit.
1 a decisive v _ _ _ _ _ y
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 A lot
2 walk at a leisurely p _ _ e
3 provoke an armed c _ _ _ _ _ _ t
companies have gone bankrupt.
2 The work will be carried out
a private company.
4 plant a cash c _ _ p
3 We need to get to the root
the problem.
5 find the r _ _ t cause
4 Everything was captured
5 Pollution puts strain
6 The court ruled
6 follow the plan s _ _ p by step
film.
the environment.
E Choose the correct verbs to complete the
collocations. Look up the nouns to help you
if necessary.
his favour.
7 There will be an investigation
the issue.
1 provoke / raise a conflict
2 be announced / declared bankrupt
Word families
3 cut back / conduct an investigation
B Complete the sentences with the correct nouns
from the verbs in the box.
donate
reverse
tolerate
reflect
1 The judge made a
I help save people’s
F
Which of the following words do not collocate
with the nouns?
2 humanitarian / fashion / financial / foreign aid
3 conduct / launch / decide / carry out an investigation
3 There will be spending
bad sales.
because of
of slavery was not considered
4 award / win / succeed / claim damages
G Complete the missing adjectives.
1 She’s too s_ _ t on her son.
5 That simple fact is worth some
6 There was a dramatic
government policy.
5 harvest / launch a new initiative
1 drug / food / alcohol / substance abuse
against her.
2 I am a blood
lives.
4 The
acceptable.
cut back
rule
4 award / capture someone damages
.
in
C Tick the words which are both a noun and
a verb.
2 He was convicted of p_ _ _ _ _ _I assault.
3 People lose their jobs during an e _ _ _ _ _ _ c
recession.
4 It was a highly c _ _ t _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ l decision.
5 He thinks all politicians are m _ _ _ _ _ y corrupt.
1 abuse
2 claim
3 undermine
4 assault
Phrasal verbs
H Choose the correct phrasal verb.
5 conduct
1 We are going to carry out / cut off some
laboratory tests.
6 boost
2 He comes across / comes out as very rude.
3 The doctor told me to wipe out / cut back on
fast food.
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 5
5 SPORTS AND INTERESTS
Pages 44–45
breath /breθˌ/ Noun
your breath is how quickly you are breathing in and out
Collocates: be out of breath | be short of breath | get
your breath back
it took me ten minutes to get my breath back (start
breathing easily after exercise) | she gets out of breath
just walking up the stairs (has difficulty breathing) |
he sometimes gets short of breath (unable to breathe
easily) | I was gasping for breath by the time I reached
the top (I was breathing very fast)
Verb: breathe | Adjective: breathless
Collocates: breathe heavily | breathe easily | breathe
deeply
I was breathing more and more heavily | as nightfall
approached he was barely breathing | Lucien breathed
deeply and closed his eyes | he was breathless from
running so fast | she was quite breathless, and thought
she was going to faint
bump /bʌmp/ Verb
if you bump into something, you knock against
it accidentally. If you bump a part of your body, it
accidentally knocks against something
I’m always tripping over and bumping into things | I
bumped my knee on the table | mind you don’t bump
your head | I fell down and bumped my nose
Noun: bump
I got a bump on the head | you’ll pick up bumps and
bruises playing rugby
compete /kəmˈpiːt/ Verb
to compete in a sport or competition means to take part
in it and try to win
Collocates: compete in something | compete for
something
I started competing more seriously after I joined the
fencing club | all four schools compete in the local
championship | the chess team has competed at
national level | competing for prize money of £50,000 |
six teams will compete this weekend’s event | in 2014,
over 6,500 runners competed
Noun: competition | Noun: competitor |
Adjective: competing | Adjective: competitive
the competition was open to teams from all over the
country | he won the competition four years running |
four competitors failed to finish the race | the event
attracted 98 competitors last year | the eight competing
teams are divided into two groups | he’s always so
competitive on the tennis court
coordination /kəʊˌɔː(r)dɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun uncount
your coordination is how well you can move the different
parts of your body together
you need good hand-eye coordination to play tennis
well | exercises designed to develop flexibility and
improve coordination
Adjective: coordinated || Opposite –
Adjective: uncoordinated
how coordinated are you? | I’m totally uncoordinated
demanding /dɪˈmɑːndɪŋ/ Adjective
a person or situation that is demanding is difficult to deal
with because they need a lot of your time or energy
the aerobics class was just too demanding for me | it is
a physically demanding journey | she has an extremely
demanding job | he always took on the least demanding
tasks at work | quality products that will satsify even the
most demanding customers
Verb: demand
the lecture demanded her full attention | the task
demands 100% concentration
figure /ˈfɪɡə(r)/ Noun
a woman’s figure is the shape of her body
she had a good figure | if I eat too much I’ll lose my
figure | No cake for me, thanks. I’m watching my figure
(trying to keep a good shape)
fixture /ˈfɪkstʃə(r)/ Noun
fixtures are things like baths, sinks, or door handles that
are fixed in place, and that stay in a house when it is sold
Collocates: fixtures and fittings
a factory producing bathroom fixtures | ceiling fans and
overhead light fixtures | before selling the house, it’s a
good idea to repair or replace old or damaged fixtures |
what fixtures and fittings are included in the sale? (all the
fixed items in the house)
flexibility /fleksəˈbɪləti/ Noun uncount
your flexibility is your ability to bend and move your body
doing yoga really helps your flexibility | improve your
flexibility | maintain your flexibility | we need more
flexibility in the workplace (the ability to make changes
easily)
Adjective: flexible
I’m not flexible enough to touch my toes | employees
need to be flexible these days (able to make changes
easily)
keep up (with) /ˈkiːp ˌʌp/ Phrasal verb
if you keep up with other people, you move at the same
speed as them or make the same amount of progress as
they do
Collocates: keep up with someone
I couldn’t keep up with the others in the class | she was
walking quickly, and I was struggling to keep up | come
on – try to keep up! | she moved to a different class
where it was easier to keep up | we slowed the pace so
that Jeff could keep up with us
knitting /ˈnɪtɪŋ/ Noun
knitting is making things from wool, using two long
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 5
needles. Knitting is also the thing that is being made
I find knitting very relaxing | she put her knitting down
and stood up | I like sewing and knitting | she was doing
her knitting while she spoke | he’s knitted loads of
scarves | we’ll sort out the knitting tomorrow morning
Verb: knit | Adjective: knitted
I’m going to knit a scarf for Sally | this morning I learnt how
to knit a sock from the toe up | a pair of knitted gloves
lift /lɪft/ Verb
to lift something means to move it upwards using your
hands and arms
he can lift 50 kilos | keep your back straight when you’re
lifting something heavy | she leant forward and lifted the
rock from the ground | his main hobby is lifting weights
(lifting heavy weights as a sport) | can you lift the table
so I can slide the carpet underneath?
master class /ˈmɑːstə(r) klɑːs/ Noun
a master class is a lesson in music or a sport, given
by someone who has been very successful and who
is very famous
a master class with a top Russian fencer | a violin master
class | she was invited to attend a master class | a
master class given by a famous pianist | several of these
master classes were televised | she teaches master
classes in acting and singing
self-conscious /self ˈkɒnʃəs/ Adjective
if you are self-conscious, you feel embarrassed about
what you look like and think that everyone is looking at
you and making a judgement about you
I’m always self-conscious when I dance | I felt a bit selfconscious | it makes me self-conscious when everyone
looks at me | he’s starting to get self-conscious about his
weight | she was too self-conscious and didn’t dare try
speaking German
Adverb: self-consciously | Noun: self-consciousness
she smiled rather self-consciously | I self-consciously
handed the letter to Caroline | the change from selfconfidence to self-consciousness | self-consciousness
is the measurement of how easily someone is
embarrassed
SELFYou can add self- to lots of adjectives and nouns to mean
‘(in/to) yourself’. For example: I’d be a bit self-conscious
lack self-confidence; have low self-esteem; show selfdiscipline; a self-employed plumber; take self-defence
classes; he’s not very self-aware; a self-inflicted wound;
paint a self-portrait; he’s a self-taught artist; be motivated
by self-interest; a self-catering holiday
shape /ʃeɪp/ Noun uncount
your shape is how fit and healthy you are
Collocates: be out of shape | be in (good) shape | get
(back) in shape
he’s got really out of shape since he stopped going to
the gym (become unfit) | I wanted to get back in shape
(become fitter) | an exercise machine to help you keep
in shape | he’s in much better shape now | it’s not far to
walk, but it depends what sort of shape you’re in
stamina /ˈstæmɪnə/ Noun uncount
stamina is strength that allows you to continue doing
hard exercise for a long time
you need a lot of stamina to do marathon running | I
haven’t got the stamina to walk that far | help to build up
your stamina | he’s got a lot of mental stamina | you can
increase your stamina with some simple exercises
strength /streŋθ/ Noun
strength is the physical power that makes someone
strong and able to do things like lift heavy objects
Collocates: physical strength | brute strength | gain/
regain your strength
she possessed great physical strength and courage |
this needed skill rather than brute strength (the use of
force rather than thought) | he was not eating enough
to regain his strength | he has both strength and mental
toughness
Verb: strengthen | Adjective: strong
these exercises help strengthen your neck muscles | she
needs to do something that will stretch and strengthen
her tired muscles | he was the strongest boy in the class |
I wasn’t strong enough to lift the box
sweat /swet/ Noun uncount
sweat is water that comes out of your body onto your
skin when you are very hot or ill or doing hard physical
exercise
Collocates: work up a sweat | come out in a sweat
he works up a sweat just running for the bus | sweat
was pouring down his face | he came out in a cold sweat
(he felt slightly afraid) | the bedclothes were soaked in
sweat | Alan wiped the sweat from his forehead
Verb: sweat | Adverb: sweaty
he was sweating heavily in the heat | I was shivering
and sweating at the same time | his hands were sweaty |
a pair of sweaty socks
top /tɒp/ Adjective
you use top to refer to people or things who are
considered to be the best and most successful in a
particular area of activity
he was a chef in a top London restaurant | one of the
country’s top universities | he used to coach some of
the top tennis professionals | today’s top violinists are
beginning to use modern instruments
trip /trɪp/ Verb
if you trip, you lose your balance because your foot has
unexpectedly hit something
Collocates: trip over | trip up
I’m always tripping over and bumping into things | I
tripped up on the carpet and fell over | she leapt up,
stumbled, tripped and fell | he accidentally tripped over
a step and broke his wrist
wander round /ˌwɒndə(r) ˈraʊnd/ Phrasal verb
if you wander, you walk somewhere casually, without
any real purpose. When you do this, you can say you
are having a wander
Collocates: a wander round somewhere
I’m going to have a wander round the market | we went
for a wander round the shops | we wandered along the
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river bank
Verb: wander
Collocates: wander round somewhere
she wandered into the gallery not knowing what to
expect | they wandered round the exhibition getting
bored | we wandered through the old town | the kids
had wandered off | we were just wandering aimlessly
Pages 46–47
boredom /ˈbɔː(r)dəm/ Noun uncount
boredom is the state of being bored
Collocates: sheer boredom | relieve the boredom
they end up committing crime simply out of boredom |
the film was two hours of sheer boredom | the scenery
was flat, with not even any trees to relieve the boredom |
put toys in your rabbit’s cage to prevent boredom
Verb: bore | Adjective: boring | Adjective: bored |
Noun: bore
am I boring you? | such a boring meeting | I was bored
stiff (extremely bored) | if you’re bored indoors, why don’t
you go outside and play? | don’t be such a bore | you’re
becoming a terrible bore, Boris
cheat /tʃiːt/ Noun
to cheat means to do something that is not allowed by
the rules
if everyone starts cheating the game will fall apart | I’m
sure Dan cheated in the exam | cover your eyes and
count to ten, and don’t cheat! | students who cheat know
it’s wrong
Noun: cheat | Noun: cheating
I’m not playing any more. You’re such a cheat! | cheats
never prosper (people who don’t follow the rules will
never be successful) | there was a lot of cheating
involved | online cheating has become more difficult
close /kləʊs/ Adjective
if a game or match is close, the two players or teams are
very equal
it was a close game, which we drew 2–2 | a close
match that could have gone either way | he came a
close second | I think the election will be pretty close |
after a close first half, Wales scored 20 points to win
comfortably
complete /kəmˈpliːt/ Verb
if you complete something, you finish doing all of it
she completed the puzzle quickly | registration can
be completed online | he left before the project was
completed | I was asked to complete a three-page
questionnaire | Harry has recently completed his
A level course
Adjective: complete | Noun: completion || Opposite –
Adjective: incomplete
most of my coursework is complete for this term | this is
our complete price list | the projected completion date
is late 2017 | time allowed for completion of the exam is
2 hours | the ring road project was left incomplete | the
lists are obviously incomplete
cope /kəʊp/ Verb
if you cope with something disappointing or unpleasant,
you are able to carry on without it having a bad effect
on you
Collocates: cope with something
sport teaches us to cope with disappointment | she was
good at coping with stress | I have trouble coping with
the heat
disappointment /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt/ Noun
disappointment is the feeling of unhappiness that you
get when something you wanted does not happen, or
when you do not get something you were hoping to get
sport teaches us to cope with disappointment | book
early to avoid disappointment | the film was a terrible
disappointment (it wasn’t as good as we hoped it would
be) | he expressed his disappointment at the result | I
tried to smile and hide my disappointment | to my huge
disppointment, the app kept crashing
Adjective: disappointed | Adjective: disappointing |
Verb: disappoint
he felt disappointed and let down | he was a very
disappointed man | the book had disappointing sales |
my exam results were hugely disappointing | I didn’t
want to disappoint her | the singer disappointed her fans
by arriving three hours late for the concert
draw /drɔː/ Verb
to draw a sports match means to end the game with the
same number of goals or points as your opponent, so
that neither side is the winner
Collocates: draw with someone
we should have drawn with them at least | they drew 2
all with Chelsea | City and United drew nil all (no one
scored any goals) | we drew both our first matches in the
tournament | Kane scored 2 minutes from the end and
the match was drawn
Noun: draw
we got a draw against Arsenal | the match ended in
a draw | Bolton fought back to secure a draw
exclude /ɪkˈskluːd/ Verb
to exclude someone or something means to deliberately
stop them being part of a group or taking part in a
particular activity
cheats are looked down on and excluded | no one
should be excluded from sport | an attempt to exclude
the press from the event | I felt a bit excluded | he’s been
excluded from school (told to leave)
Noun: exclusion
the exclusion of some vital data from the report | her
exclusion from school
experiment /ɪkˈsperɪˌment/ Verb
to experiment with something means to do a test on it in
order to find out what happens
Collocates: experiment with something | experiment on
someone or something
they experimented with different types of brick | we
need to experiment further | surgeons experimented on
rabbits before using the technique on humans | Portugal
briefly experimented with Continental Time in the 1990s
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 5
Noun: experiment | Adjective: experimental |
Adverb: experimentally | Noun: experimentation
something travels miles, you mean it is a very long way
away or that it travels a very long way
Collocates: do/conduct/carry out/perform an experiment
| an experiment shows/proves something | experimental
methods/data/results
I hit the ball and it went miles off to the left | you’ll never
get there in time. It’s miles away | I lost all my friends
when I was six and we moved to a new house that was
miles away | I’m not walking home from here. It’s miles!
permission to conduct the experiment was granted | the
experiment was a failure | the experiment showed no
harmful effects of the drug | no changes were allowed
during the experimental period | the experimental
methods of Dr Hughes | an experimental research
project |the theory cannot be tested experimentally | this
can be demonstrated experimentally under laboratory
conditions | experimentation is highly encouraged here |
successful experimentation requires careful attention to
detail
judge /dʒʌdʒ/ Noun
in some sports, such as diving, gymnastics, or boxing,
judges are people who decide how many points a
competitor should receive
the judges made some really dubious decisions | judges
award points for technique | in boxing, points are
awarded by three corner judges | the judges gave him
maximum points for his second dive
look down on /lʊk ˈdaʊn ɒn/ Phrasal verb
to look down on someone means to have a very bad
opinion of them and think they are worse than you
cheats are looked down on in this school | she looks
down on people with less money than herself | my
mother always looked down on the neighbours
because they didn’t have a car
membership /ˈmembə(r)ʃɪp/ Noun
membership is the fact of being a member of a club or
other organisation
Collocates: membership of something
he took out gym membership in January | the annual
membership subscription is £100 | membership costs
£20 month | I decided not to renew my membership for
next year | he resigned his membership in 2013 | life
membership of the golf club (permanent membership
that you don’t need to renew) | membership is available
to anyone over the age of 21 | I forgot to pay my
membership fee
Noun: member
Collocates: a member of something
I’ve been a member of the tennis club since 2008 | the
committee consists of ten elected members | the UN
has 193 member nations (countries that are members
of the UN)
mild /maɪld/ Adjective
something that is mild is not very strong or extreme
people who suffer from mild depression | you might feel
a mild burning sensation | winters here are mild (they do
not get very cold) | he suffered a mild heart attack
Adverb: mildly
he looked mildly surprised by the question (surprised,
but not extremely surprised)
miles /maɪlz/ Noun plural
if you say that somewhere is miles away, or that
opponent /əˈpəʊnənt/ Noun
your opponent is the person or team trying to beat you
in a competition, election, or other activity
to win the tournament, the player must beat all
12 opponents | Liverpool’s opponents next week are
Sunderland | his opponent was too strong for him |
he won the election, with 2,000 votes more than
his opponent
overtake /ˌəʊvə(r)ˈteɪk/ Verb
if you overtake another vehicle when you are driving,
you go past it because you are moving faster
he was trying to overtake on a corner | you shouldn’t
overtake on the inside | you’re not allowed to overtake
here | a van overtook us | he drove fast, overtaking at
every opportunity
pointless /ˈpɔɪntləs/ Adjective
something that is pointless has no purpose or end result,
which makes people think it is bad and unnecessary
games like that are dull and pointless | the trip turned
out to be a pointless waste of money | arguing with him
was just pointless | the film’s ending was utterly pointless
after everything that had come before
powerful /ˈpaʊə(r)f(ə)l/ Adjective
a powerful action is one that is done with a lot of force
and strength
she hit a powerful drive and made a hole in one | he
received a powerful blow on the chest that knocked
him down | the soldiers rapidly fell back in the face of a
powerful attack | the explosion was so powerful that it
caused nearby buildings to shake
Noun: power | Adverb: powerfully
the great power of hydrogen bombs | exercises to improve
your strength and leg power | a powerfully built man
sack /sæk/ Verb
if someone sacks you or if you get sacked, you are
officially told by your employer that you no longer have
a job, usually because you did something wrong or
because you did not work well enough
Collocates: sack someone from something | sack
someone for (doing) something
she sacked her coach after a string of defeats | he was
sacked for stealing from the kitchens | the company
sacked him for passing secrets to a rival | Williams, 47,
was sacked from his post as finance director
Noun: sack | Noun: sacking
Collocates: give someone the sack | get the sack
getting the sack was the start of his troubles | she
threatened to give me the sack if I didn’t finish the
project in time | there’ve been several sackings since
Christmas in an attempt to save the company money |
More than 30 managers lost their jobs this morning, and
further sackings are sure to follow | a sacking offence
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 5
(an action that is so seriously wrong that it can result in
someone getting the sack)
serve /sɜː(r)v/ Verb
to serve in a game such as tennis means to start the
game by hitting the ball to your opponent
Murray chose to serve in the first game | I served a
double fault | it’s Federer to serve next | she’s served
brilliantly in this match
Noun: serve
a fantastic serve| his first serve was out | she’s finding it
difficult to return Serena Williams’ serve
substitute /ˈsʌbstɪˌtjuːt/ Noun
a substitute is a player who does not start a match but
comes on later if someone is injured or if the manager
wants to change the team
Collocates: a substitute for someone
I came on as a substitute after a player got injured | he
was brought on as a substitute for Rooney | Fletcher was
an unused substitute in the final (he was ready to play
but was not needed) | he made an appearance as a
second-half substitute
Verb: substitute | Noun: substitution
Cole was substituted ten minutes before the end |
Soldado pulled a muscle and was substituted by Eriksen |
Aston Villa are going to make another substitution
tackle /ˈtæk(ə)l/ Verb
to tackle someone in a game such as football or hockey
means to take the ball away from them
I was tackled just when I was about to shoot | he tackled
the striker just outside the box | improve your tackling
skills | the midfield players tackled hard
Noun: tackle
that was a great tackle | penalised for a late tackle | a
fair tackle | a crunching tackle (with a lot of force) | he
skipped past the tackles | he missed the tackle, and Bale
got past to score
tactics /ˈtæktɪks/ Noun plural
tactics are the methods you choose to use that will help
you achieve what you are trying to do, especially in a
competition, election, or battle
they called a time-out to discuss tactics | Bennett
employed a range of tactics to win the election | the unit
lost many soldiers as a result of his aggressive tactics |
the tactics worked and they took the city within a week
Adjective: tactical | Adverb: tactically | Noun: tactician
their retreat was purely tactical | this was clearly a
tactical decision | the Iranian commanders were more
tactically skilled | tactically and strategically, these
operations made no sense | Edward was a brilliant
tactician and leader in battles | Mrs Merkel is, after all,
Europe’s master tactician
therapy /ˈθerəpi/ Noun
therapy is treatment for physical or mental problems that
does not involve drugs or surgical operations
I’d rather go to the gym than have therapy | he’s had
some therapy | cancer therapy | alternative therapies |
exercise therapy was effective in reducing pain | he
still is undergoing physical therapy twice a week |
occupational therapy (treatment to help someone get
back skills they lost after being ill or injured)
Noun: therapist | Adjective: therapeutic
consult a local therapist for more information | Marina
suffers from depression and is being treated by a
therapist | my therapist helped me get through the
experience | her approach is based on solid therapeutic
principles | these products are fresh and therapeutic
Pages 48–49
bruise /bruːz/ Noun
a bruise is a dark mark on your skin where you have hit it
he had some cuts and bruises | a nasty bruise on his
face | she only suffered a few minor bruises | a dark
bruise on one cheek | my leg was badly bruised
Verb: bruise | Noun: bruising
I bruise quite easily (even a gentle knock will give me
a bruise) | Curry bruised his ribs during training | he
suffered a broken nose and bruising | the bruising was
caused by kicks to the face
consciousness /ˈkɒnʃəsnəs/ Noun uncount
if you lose consciousness, you uncontrollably fall asleep
or become unconscious, for example if you faint or if you
are hit very hard. When you regain consciousness, you
wake up again
Collocates: lose consciousness | regain consciousness
she lost consciousness for a minute | he died three
days later without regaining consciousness | when
consciousness returned I was lying flat on my back in
hospital
Adjective: conscious | Adjective: unconscious
he was fully conscious throughout the operation |
he staggered backwards clutching the wound, but
remained conscious | Lewis had been knocked
unconscious before he drowned | he was severely
beaten until he fell unconscious
dose /dəʊs/ Noun
a dose of medicine is the exact amount of it that the
doctor says you should have at one time. If you say that
something or someone is all right in small doses, you
mean that you do not want to have much of it or spend a
long time with them
he’s OK in small doses | I can take his humour, but only
in small doses | classical music is fine, so long as it’s in
small doses
drown /draʊn/ Verb
if someone drowns, they die by being under water for
too long and being unable to breathe any air
she drowned in the sea | I’m terrified of drowning |
Liam’s mother accidentally drowned whilst swimming |
at least 15 passengers drowned while dozens remain
missing | the boat overturned and a sailor was drowned |
a tragic drowning in the local swimming pool
eyesight /ˈaɪˌsaɪt/ Noun uncount
your eyesight is how well you are able to see things
carrots are supposed to be good for your eyesight |
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 5
as we get old, our eyesight gets worse | Dennis has
struggled with poor eyesight for years | exercises that
can improve your eyesight
fool /fuːl/ Noun
if you call someone a fool, you mean you think they are
stupid and do stupid things. If you say you made a fool of
yourself, you mean that you did something stupid
I’m scared of making a fool of myself | she was trying to
make a fool of me | don’t be a fool | what a fool I’ve been
Adjective: foolish | Adverb: foolishly | Noun: foolishness
it was foolish to set off when it was still raining | he was
afraid of looking foolish | what he did was utterly foolish |
I foolishly agreed to go with him to Paris | you behaved
foolishly last night | it was foolishness that made me
do it | the foolishness of his remarks
keep up /ˈkiːp ˌʌp/ Phrasal verb
if you keep something up, you carry on doing it for a
certain length of time
he was doing handstands and kept it up for half an
hour | I can’t keep this up any longer | you’re doing fine,
Tom. Keep it up! | how long do you think you can keep
this pretence up?
knock out /ˌnɒk ˈaʊt/ Phrasal verb
to knock someone out means to make them
unconscious by hitting them. To knock yourself out
means to have an accident and become unconscious
she knocked herself out when she fell | a blow to the
head which knocked him out | he was knocked out in
the second round of the fight | some tablets which really
knocked me out (made me feel very tired)
Adjective: knockout | Noun: knockout
in the fifth round, Ali landed a knockout punch (a punch
that knocked out his opponent) | his drink contained
knockout drops (a drug that would make him fall asleep) |
Moore was beaten by a knockout in four rounds
reluctant /rɪˈlʌktənt/ Adjective
if you are reluctant to do something, you do not really
want to do it
Collocates: be reluctant to do something
I was a bit reluctant to talk about it | she seemed
reluctant to take the job | I felt reluctant to ask for more
money | he was initially reluctant, but finally agreed to
do it
Adverb: reluctantly | Noun: reluctance
Collocates: reluctantly agree/accept (to do something) |
with reluctance | great reluctance
he came with us rather reluctantly | the driver reluctantly
admitted that he’d been going too fast | the Board
reluctantly accepted her resignation | I couldn’t
understand his reluctance to go on the trip | with great
reluctance he handed over the money | she accepted
with some slight show of reluctance
sprain /spreɪn/ Verb
if you sprain your knee, ankle, wrist etc., you hurt it and
damage it by twisting it suddenly
he fell out of a tree and sprained his neck | I sprained my
knee | I think I’ve sprained my ankle | no one was hurt
except the driver, who sprained his wrist
Noun: sprain | Adjective: sprained
this was a severe sprain and needed months of therapy |
you haven’t broken it – it’s only a sprain | she had a
sprained wrist | he suffered a sprained left shoulder
tear /teə(r)/ Verb
if you tear a muscle or a ligament, you damage it by
moving in a way that puts too much strain on it
I tore my knee ligaments | he tore a muscle just before
the match started | a completely torn tendon (cord that
joins muscle to bone) requires surgery
twist /twɪst/ Verb
if you twist a part of your body such as your ankle or
knee, you hurt it by turning it suddenly. You use the word
twist when the injury is less serious than a sprain
I twisted my ankle playing football | she fell and twisted
her knee | the 70 year old actor had twisted his back
playing golf
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 5
EXERCISES
Collocations
Prepositions
E Match the two halves of the collocations. Look
up the nouns a–h if you need help.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 He’s self-conscious
his appearance.
2 Don’t make a fool
yourself.
3 The school competes
the local championship.
4 She was excluded
his school.
5 It will help you keep
shape.
6 He was reluctant to talk
it.
7 My dog is always bumping
8 We went
b) strength
3 sheer
c) boredom
4 brute
d) breath
Complete the collocations with nouns from the
unit.
3 make a f _ _ l of yourself
4 hand-eye c _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ n
5 be short of b _ _ _ _ h
your face?
Word families
B Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
agree
2 a half-time substitution player
3 feel self-conscious
2 lose
2 f _ _ _ _ _ _ s and fittings
a wander in the park.
1 a reluctant decision
a) consciousness
1 out of s _ _ _ e
the furniture.
9 How did you get that bruise
F
1 short of a lazy
G Choose the correct verbs to complete the
collocations. Look up the nouns to help you
if necessary.
1 get / find the sack
2 make / do a fool of me
3 find / regain consciousness
4 work up / pick up a sweat
5 sprain / relieve the boredom
dance
4 a powerful blow
improve your leg
Phrasal verbs
5 work on your flexibilitya
body
6 express your disappointment
result
a
7 a knitting needle
sweater
a
C Tick the words which are both a noun and a
verb.
H Choose the correct word to complete the
phrasal verb.
1 We wandered off / round the town
2 You’ve always looked down on / off me
3 He was knocked out / by in a football collision.
4 He couldn’t keep up on / with us.
5 This class is too difficult. I can’t keep in / up.
1 cheat
2 sprain
3 stamina
4 sack
5 tactics
6 tackle
Word-building
D Complete the sentence with a negative form
of the correct adjective.
able
1 I’m
coordinated
conscious
complete
to sleep because I’m so worried.
2 The building work was still
.
3 He suffered a blow to the head which left him
.
4 I don’t play sports. I’m very
.
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 6
6 ACCOMMODATION
Pages 52–53
camp /kæmp/ Verb
if you camp somewhere, you stay there for a short time
and sleep in a tent that you put up
we camped on the festival site | we didn’t have enough
money for hotels so we camped | the farmer let us camp
in one of his fields
Noun: camp | Noun: camping
Collocates: pitch/set up camp | go camping
at nine o’clock we pitched camp (put up tents and made
the camp ready) | they spent a pleasant evening around
the camp fire | we used to go camping every weekend
in the summer | he packed up the camping gear and put
it in the car | I enjoy outdoor activities like fishing and
camping
deserted /dɪˈzɜː(r)tɪd/ Adjective
if a place is deserted, there is no one there at all
the beach was deserted so we had it to ourselves |
the room was deserted and cold | the town looked
completely deserted | walking through the deserted
streets | a deserted village | the path alongside the
abbey was entirely deserted
dump /dʌmp/ Noun
if you refer to a place as a dump, you mean it is very
dirty, untidy, or in a bad condition
the place was a bit of a dump | his flat was a real dump |
what a dump! | a rubbish dump (where rubbish is taken
and left)
Verb: dump
he’d dumped all his dirty washing onm the bed |
someone dumped a load of rubbish outside our
front door
filthy /ˈfɪlθi/ Adjective
if something is filthy, it is extremely dirty
the whole place was muddy and everything got filthy |
a filthy T-shirt | his clothes looked filthy | the house was
absolutely filthy
Noun: filth
everything was covered in filth | the whole place was full
of filth and dirt
flood /flʌd/ Verb
if an area floods, large amounts of water pour in, for
example after there has been a lot of very heavy rain or
if a water pipe bursts
the whole area was flooded | fears that the river could
flood | thousands of homes are now flooded | the river
broke its banks and flooded the village
Noun: flood | Noun: flooding
the village was cut off by floods | the flood water rose
rapidly overnight | the need for better flood defences |
flooding caused extensive damage to the school | the
town experienced its worst flooding since 2003
gorgeous /ˈɡɔː(r)dʒəs/ Adjective
someone or something that is gorgeous is extremely
enjoyable, beautiful, or attractive
Collocates: absolutely/utterly gorgeous | drop dead
gorgeous
don’t you think George Clooney is just gorgeous? | she
was young, single, and drop dead gorgeous (extremely
gorgeous) | what a gorgeous gown you’re wearing |
those flowers are gorgeous | you look gorgeous in
that dress
Adverb: gorgeously
the sauce was gorgeously rich and creamy | the rooms
are gorgeously decorated, clean and comfortable
isolated /ˈaɪsəˌleɪtɪd/ Adjective
an isolated place does not have other houses, towns, or
cities nearby
the camp site was quite isolated | living in an isolated
rural area | Hawk has explored some of the most remote
and isolated places in the world | we rented an isolated
farmhouse in Normandy
Noun: isolation
Collocates: in isolation
their culture survived, because they lived in relative
isolation | railways and telegraphs broke down the
geographical isolation
muddy /ˈmʌdi/ Adjective
if something is muddy, it is covered in mud
the camp site was really muddy | muddy boots | my
clothes had got muddy | the floor was all muddy
Noun: mud
the mud was really deep | wash the mud off your boots
before you come in
overlook /ˌəʊvə(r)ˈlʊk/ Verb
if something overlooks a place, it is above the place and
has a view over it
the hotel room overlooked a building site | a balcony
overlooking the beach | I sat by a window overlooking
the river
overwhelming /ˌəʊvə(r)ˈwelmɪŋ/ Adjective
if something is overwhelming, it has such a strong effect
on your feelings that it is difficult for you to describe
exactly how you feel
the people were so kind, it was quite overwhelming |
it was all a bit overwhelming | I found the experience
absolutely overwhelming | my disappointment was
almost overwhelming
Verb: overwhelm | Adverb: overwhelmingly
I was overwhelmed by a feeling of sadness | we were
totally overwhelmed by people’s support
run /rʌn/ Verb
when buses or trains run, they follow their usual route
from one place to another
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 6
how often do the buses run? | a regular train service
to Birmingham runs every 20 minutes | we run two
buses an hour in each direction | trains don’t run on
Christmas day
soaked /səʊkt/ Adjective
if you get soaked, you become extremely wet
Collocates: soaked through | soaked to the skin
the whole place was flooded and we got absolutely
soaked | after an hour in the rain I was soaked through |
within seconds they were both soaked to the skin
Verb: soak | Adverb: soaking | Noun: soaking
Collocates: soaking wet
the rain soaked everyone to the skin | my shirt was
soaking wet | I forgot my umbrella and got a soaking
sunset /ˈsʌnˌset/ Noun
sunset is the time of day when the sun goes out of sight
and the sky changes colour as it grows dark
Collocates: a spectacular/stunning/glorious sunset
just look at that sunset! | we went for a walk on the
beach at sunset | there was a spectacular sunset that
evening | we worked from sunrise to sunset | I watched
the sunset from a deck chair on the terrace | it was one
of those lovely autumn sunsets
tourist trap /ˈtʊərɪst ˌtræp/ Noun
a tourist trap is a place which attracts lots tourists, is
usually very crowded, and charges people more than
less popular places
it was a bit of a tourist trap | it was such a tourist trap,
and the food was horrible | try and avoid the tourist traps
on the south coast of the island
unbearably /ʌnˈbeərəb(ə)li/ Adverb
unbearably means in a way that is extremely unpleasant
the weather was unbearably hot | he was unbearably
arrogant | it was unbearably noisy in the club | his tooth
was unbearably painful
Adjective: unbearable
the pain was unbearable | the heat made it unbearable
welcoming /ˈwelkəmɪŋ/ Adjective
if someone you do not know is welcoming, they are very
friendly to you when you arrive somewhere
drinks and service the meal added up to over £100 | all
these bills add up to more than we can afford
bear /beə(r)/ Verb
if something doesn’t bear thinking about, it is so horrible
or shocking that you don’t want to think about it
don’t remind me of how he died; it doesn’t bear thinking
about | suppose we’d got on that plane? It doesn’t bear
thinking about
boiler /ˈbɔɪlə(r)/ Noun
a boiler is a device that burns coal, gas, or oil in order to
provide heat and hot water for a building
the boiler has stopped working again | they can’t install
a new boiler until next week | the boiler is in the cellar |
a gas-fired boiler (one that burns gas) | the landlord still
hasn’t replaced our boiler
centrally /ˈsentrəli/ Adverb
if something is controlled or managed centrally, all its
different parts are operated from one place
the air-conditioning is controlled centrally | 50% of the
country’s economy is centrally planned | a centrally
administered network of libraries
Adjective: central | Noun: centre
orders were handed down from the central committee |
we get no funding from central government | the
regional administrative centre
combination /ˌkɒmbɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun
a combination of things is a number of different things all
mixed together
there’s a combination of reasons for the decision | the
doctor recommended a combination of drugs for her
condition | a rare combination of elegance, comfort, and
beauty
Verb: combine
different methods may be combined together to get the
best results | a busy city which successfully combines
the ancient and the modern
confirmation /ˌkɒnfə(r)ˈmeɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun
a confirmation is a letter or email which states officially
that something you reserved by phone will be kept
for you
the islanders were incredibly welcoming | she gave a
welcoming smile | a hotel with a welcoming atmosphere
| the staff are very friendly and welcoming
did you receive a confirmation by email or text? | a
confirmation of the booking | a confirmation letter |
the reservation confirmation must be presented when
collecting the tickets
Verb: welcome | Adjective: welcome
Verb: confirm | Adjective: confirmed
Collocates: make someone welcome
we will confirm the reservation in writing | I have a
confirmed booking for 7:30 this evening
the owner liked to welcome guests at the door of the
hotel | John, the manager, welcomed us and showed
us around | they were so friendly that we felt welcome
from the start | the staff made us welcome after our
long journey
full /fʊl/ Adverb
if a machine is on full, it is working at its maximum
capability
the air-conditioning is on full
Pages 54–55
Phrase: full blast
add up /æd ˈʌp/ Phrasal verb
if amounts add up, they make one large amount when
they are all put together
they played music at full blast all night
heating /ˈhiːtɪŋ/ Noun
heating is the process of providing warmth to a building
they’re not a lot individually, but they all add up | with
the heating system was dangerous | we pay £40 a
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month for the heating | rent is £700 and heating is extra |
a cenral heating system
Verb: heat
a reservation in the name of Smith | I cancelled the
reservation | when your deposit is paid your reservation
is confirmed
how much does it cost to heat this place?
Verb: reserve | Adjective: reserved
landlord /ˈlæn(d)ˌlɔː(r)d/ Noun
a landlord is a man who owns a house or flat that other
people pay to live in
the landlord wanted to put up the rent | our landlord
promised to get the boiler repaired | the landlord refused
to return our deposit | her landlord owned several
houses in the same street
poisoning /ˈpɔɪz(ə)nɪŋ/ Noun
poisoning is illness or death caused by someone eating,
drinking, or breathing something poisonous
there was a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning | rotten
mushrooms can cause food poisoning | she died of
accidental alcohol poisoning
Verb: poison | Noun: poison | Adjective: poisonous
we were worried that we had been poisoned | he killed
his victims by poisoning them | she poisoned him with
arsenic | he was accused of giving them poison | a cake
laced with poison (containing it) | poisonous plants |
a poisonous snake
procedure /prəˈsiːdʒə(r)/ Noun
a procedure is a set of actions that you regularly do in
the same way in order to do something correctly
Collocates: follow a procedure | adopt a procedure |
normal/usual/standard procedure
our normal procedure is to confirm bookings by email |
the usual procedure for making reservations | you didn’t
follow the correct procedure | the company’s standard
procedures for taking on new staff | they adopted new
procedures to prevent such mistakes happening again
put off /pʊt ˈɒf/ Phrasal verb
to put something off means to delay it until a later time
Collocates: put off doing something
they promised to fix it, but they keep putting it off | I
couldn’t put the decision off any longer | I was trying to
put off telling him | don’t put off till tomorrow what you
can do today
react /riˈækt/ Verb
when you react, you do something because of
something else that has just happened
the police reacted quickly and closed the roads | he
reacted to the insult by punching Mike in the face | she
reacted angrily to the comments | customers reacted
negatively to the price rises
Noun: reaction
his reaction to the news was to burst into tears | the
union’s immediate reaction was to call a strike
reservation /ˌrezə(r)ˈveɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun
if you make a reservation, you ask a hotel to keep a
room for you, a restaurant to keep a table for you, etc.
Collocates: make a reservation | cancel a reservation |
confirm a reservation
we have no record of any reservation | I’d like to make
a reservation | do you have a reservation for us? |
I’d like to reserve a table for tomorrow evening | you
can reserve tickets in advance | I’m sorry, this seat is
reserved
sarcastic /sɑː(r)ˈkæstɪk/ Adjective
if someone is sarcastic, they say something that is the
opposite of what they mean in order to mock someone
or to be funny
I think he’s being sarcastic | he said something sarcastic |
he made a sarcastic comment | she ignored his sarcastic
response
Noun: sarcasm | Adverb: sarcastically
there was a touch of sarcasm in his voice | “how
generous,” he said, with heavy sarcasm | “Brilliant,” she
said sarcastically | he sarcastically asked if I felt all right
state /steɪt/ Noun
the state of something is the condition that it is in
look at the state of the place. It’s filthy! | the kitchen was
in a terrible state | the car was in a bad state of repair
(it didn’t work properly) | he’s in no fit state to go to work
(he’s too ill)
suffocate /ˈsʌfəkeɪt/ Verb
if someone suffocates, they die because they are unable
to breathe
you could’ve suffocated while you were sleeping | he
nearly suffocated | he tried to suffocate his victims (kill
them by stopping them breathing)
Noun: suffocation
she died from suffocation | death was due to suffocation
Pages 56–57
acknowledge /əkˈnɒlɪdʒ/ Verb
to acknowledge something means to accept that it
is true
Collocates: acknowledge that
our cultural differences were acknowledged and
accepted | she acknowledges that there are some
dishonest bankers | I do acknowledge the need for some
changes | she refused to acknowledge her guilt | I fully
acknowledge that I made mistakes | we were forced to
acknowledge the truth
Noun: acknowledgement
I want an acknowledgement that mistakes were made
bear /beə(r)/ Verb
if you can’t bear something, you dislike it very much and
do not want it to continue any more
I’m thinking of leaving. I just can’t bear it here | he
couldn’t bear the pain of losing his only son | I couldn’t
bear the thought of waking up in prison | they couldn’t
bear the idea of being separated
cycle /ˈsaɪk(ə)l/ Noun
a cycle is a complete set of activities that are repeated
regularly in the same order
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the human life cycle (being born, being alive, dying) | not
everyone finishes the complete cycle | at this point the
cycle repeats itself | each lunar cycle takes about 29.5
days | when the plant is mature, it produces seeds and
the cycle continues | annual flowers complete their life
cycle in one growing season
dash /dæʃ/ Verb
if you dash somewhere, you go there in a hurry because
you do not want to be late and you do not have much
time to get there
I must dash. I have a lesson in ten minutes | I dashed
down to the shops | I’ll just dash home quickly | he
dashed upstairs to get his watch
weeping with fear and frustration | angry customers took
to Twitter to voice their frustration
Verb: frustrate | Adjective: frustrating |
Adjective: frustrated
it really frustrates me that I can’t drive with a broken
arm | they were so frustrated that the university was
taking so long to respond | we spent a frustrating
afternoon looking for the keys | the application process
was highly frustrating
gaze /ɡeɪz/ Verb
if you gaze at something, you look at it for a long time
Noun: dash
I sat there gazing out of the window | he lay on his bed
gazing at the ceiling | she was gazing into space | he
gazed thoughtfully at the painting
Collocates: make a dash (for somewhere)
Noun: gaze
we could make a dash for the car | the cat made a dash
past us and disappeared upstairs
my gaze was fixed on the letter | he lowered his gaze
(looked down)
distinct /dɪˈstɪŋkt/ Adjective
something that is distinct is clearly different from other
things of the same sort
there are four distinct phases that everyone goes
through | the country has four distinct geographical
regions | the government recognises 135 distinct ethnic
groups | it is quite distinct from any other European
language | the two colonies remained distinct
Adverb: distinctly
this puzzle has two distinctly different solutions | these
are distinctly separate issues
existence /ɪɡˈzɪst(ə)ns/ Noun
the existence of something is the fact that it exists in the
world and is a real thing. A person’s existence is their
life, especially when talking about what sort of life they
have
Collocates: be in existence
think critically about your previous existence | I led a
miserable existence until I left home | she simply ignored
my existence | the club was founded in 1895 and is still
in existence
Verb: exist | Adjective: existing || Opposite –
Adjective: non-existent
for weeks we existed on baked beans and bread | a
traditional fishing industry still exists here | the rest of
the existing building is modern | changing the existing
system is difficult | facilities were bad or non-existent |
traffic was practically non-existent after midnight
find your feet /ˌfaɪnd jɔː(r) ˈfiːt/ Phrase
if you find your feet, you gradually get to know about
things in a new situation
I’ve arrived in Hong Kong and I’m gradually finding my
feet | Sophie eventually found her feet after a difficult
first week at university | once you’ve found your feet
you’ll wonder what you’d been worrying about
frustration /frʌˈstreɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun
frustration is the feeling you have when there are
problems which you cannot solve because you cannot
control events
we have a moan and share our frustrations | he
screamed out loud in pure frustration | Rose was
LOOKING AND GAZING
English has lots of verbs to describe the way people look /
see and move. For example, gaze at the stars; dash up
the stairs
look / see: stare at me (hard / long); frown at me smoking
(disapproving); glare at each other
(angrily); glance at the headlines (quickly); peer over my
shoulder / peer through the mist (with difficulty); spot him
in the crowd (see after looking); glimpse something in the
bushes (see briefly)
go: crawl into bed / crawl along (slowly, tiredly); creep out /
sneak up behind someone (slowly, quietly, unseen); jog
down the street (run slowly); limp home (injured); rush to
work (fast, late, urgent); stroll through the park (relaxed);
march up to me and demand … (with purpose); pace up
and down (nervous); scramble down the hill (with difficulty);
stagger out of the pub (uncontrolled, almost falling).
get over /ˌɡet ˈəʊvə(r)/ Phrasal verb
if you get over an illness or other problem, you become
better again and things are back to normal
it took a few days to get over my jet lag | she still hadn’t
got over her husband’s death | he hasn’t got over the
shock yet | I had flu, but I’ve got over the worst of it now
hang /hæŋ/ Verb
if you say that someone’s mouth was hanging open,
you mean the look on their face showed that they were
extremely surprised or impressed by something
I sat gazing out of the window with my mouth hanging
open | the sisters were looking at me, their mouths
hanging open | her mouth hung open in amazement
heritage /ˈherɪtɪdʒ/ Noun uncount
a country’s heritage is its cultural traditions that have
developed over a long time, its important and historical
buildings, and its sense of its own history
Collocates: a rich heritage | a national/cultural heritage |
preserve/protect one’s heritage
people should appreciate their own heritage | it’s
important to protect our national heritage | buildings
that are part of our heritage | the country’s rich cultural
heritage | trying to preserve their Scottish heritage
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highlight /ˈhaɪˌlaɪt/ Verb
if you highlight something, you talk or write about it in a
way that draws special attention to it because you think
it is an important part of what you are saying
Collocates: highlight issues/concerns/areas
psychologists highlight several stages that nearly
everyone goes through | the report highlights four key
trends in youth crime | the minister was right to highlight
the issue | she also highlighted concerns about latenight traffic noise
horn /hɔː(r)n/ Noun
a horn is a device that makes a loud noise as a warning,
for example in a car
drivers are constantly sounding their horns in the street |
all cabins contain radios and alarm horns | passing
drivers honked their horns in support when they saw our
banners
integration /ˌɪntɪˈɡreɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun uncount
integration is the process in which people gradually
become part of a new society or group
Collocates: integration into something
integration into a new culture | the country’s integration
into the EU took years | policies that encourage social
integration | we’re in favour of greater integration
Verb: integrate
they soon became integrated into the local community |
they’ve integrated very well
joy /dʒɔɪ/ Noun uncount
joy is great happiness
I never feel joy about anything any more | for Gordon,
the evening was sheer joy | come and experience the
joy of singing in a choir | I felt a great joy when I heard
the news
Adjective: joyful | Adverb: joyfully | Adjective: joyous
staying there was a unique and joyful experience | the
ballet was a joyful celebration of life | we chatted joyfully
all evening | he was joyfully welcomed home by his
mother | it was a joyous occasion | they burst into joyous
laughter
laundry /ˈlɔːndri/ Noun singular
laundry is clothes, sheets, towels etc. that have been
used and need to be washed, or that have just been
washed
Collocates: do the laundry
I have my laundry done once a week | leave your dirty
laundry in the bathroom | the van collects the laundry
every Monday and brings it back on Wednesdays |
washing laundry in hot water really does not get your
clothes any cleaner | the other laundry basket is for dirty
clothes to be washed
Verb: launder
freshly laundered shirts | launder your work clothes
separately from your bedding
maid /meɪd/ Noun
a maid is a woman who works for a hotel or for a private
family, doing jobs like cleaning and washing clothes
a maid comes in to sort out my flat every day | the hotel
employed 15 cooks and 25 maids | the maid tapped on
the door before coming in
mix /mɪks/ Verb
to mix with people means to meet them socially and talk
to them
you might refuse to mix with people you used to know |
teachers mixed with students at the end-of-year party |
Jenny was very shy and didn’t mix easily
Noun: mixer
Jack was a good mixer and put everyone at their ease
moan /məʊn/ Noun
a moan is a complaint about something
Collocates: have a moan
we meet up and have a moan about things | I don’t want
to listen to your moans!
Verb: moan
she’s always moaning about the buses | there’s no point
moaning; it won’t change anything
party /ˈpɑː(r)ti/ Verb
to party means to have a good time by being with
friends, and doing things like drinking or dancing or
talking. If you party the night away, you spend a whole
evening and night doing this
I spent most of my time meeting new people and
partying | we partied the night away | let’s party! | he’s
been working all day and out partying all night | since it
was the last night of our holiday, we all celebrated and
partied
Noun: party
Collocates: throw a party | a birthday party | a dinner
party | a street party | a house-warming party
there was plenty to eat at the party | he had his ninth
birthday party last week | they threw a lavish housewarming party (a party to celebrate someone moving
into a new home)
phase /feɪz/ Noun
a phase is one stage in the development of something
there are four distinct phases that everyone goes through |
the first phase of the project | the second phase of the
building work | a difficult phase in the country’s history |
the final phase of the installation was completed today |
the next phase of flight testing was delayed by two weeks
Verb: phase
Collocates: phase something in | phase something out
new systems will be phased in early next year (gradually
introduced) | they are gradually phasing out the old
desktop style computers (stopping using them, but in
stages, not all at the same time)
pride /praɪd/ Noun uncount
pride is a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction you get
when you do something well
Collocates: take pride in (doing) something
people take pride in what they do here | she showed us
her award with great pride | she could see the pride in
her parents’ faces | with immense pride she hung her
medal round her neck
Verb: pride yourself | Adjective: proud | Adverb: proudly
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he prides himself on the quality of his work | we’re very
proud of you | I’m particularly proud of this painting | she
proudly showed us her diploma
resistance /rɪˈzɪst(ə)ns/ Noun uncount
resistance to something is a refusal to accept it willingly
Collocates: resistance to something
resistance to a new culture | there’s considerable
resistance to the proposals | the plans met with a lot of
resistance from local people | they put up quite a bit of
resistance | strong resistance to change still remains
Adjective: resistant | Verb: resist
Collocates: be resistant to something
the employees had been very resistant to change | Alan
remained resistant to the idea | he spent his life resisting
change | she resisted the pressure to resign
root /ruːt/ Noun
the roots of a plant are the parts under the ground that
send food up to the plant above the ground. A person’s
roots are the place, culture, and family that they come
from
Collocates: go back/return to your roots
some people cut themselves off from their roots | an art
form that has deep roots in Spanish history | she felt the
need to go back to her roots | he wanted to return to his
Irish roots | I brought my mother here to rediscover her
childhood roots
Adjective: rooted
these ceremonies are rooted in centuries-old tradition
routine /ruːˈtiːn/ Noun
a routine is a set pattern of actions that happen regularly
and often in the same order
Collocates: a daily routine
things gradually settled into a routine | the walk home
from the station was his favourite time in the daily
routine | the next day I began what became my usual
routine | a good bedtime routine can help you fall asleep
quicker
Adjective: routine | Adverb: routinely
a routine inspection (one that happens regularly) | has
it become routine to stay at your desk till 6.30 pm? | the
database is routinely updated | schools are routinely
inspected once every three years
slave /sleɪv/ Verb
if you slave or slave away, you work very hard for a long
time
Collocates: slave away at something | slave over
something
I’ve been slaving away at my desk | slaving over a hot
cooker | slaving away at a report | after slaving over the
novel for 10 years, he finally gave up |
smoothly /ˈsmuːðli/ Adverb
if something happens smoothly, everything works well
and successfully and there are no problems
Collocates: go/run smoothly
all the arrangements went very smoothly | the sessions
were well planned and went smoothly | the process did
not always run smoothly | the problem was quickly and
smoothly dealt with
Adjective: smooth
she made a smooth transition from school to university |
he stayed on for a month to ensure a smooth handover
to the new chairman
sound /saʊnd/ Verb
to sound an instrument means to make it produce its
usual noise
drivers are constantly sounding their horns in the street |
he sounded his trumpet to announce the president’s
arrival | the referee sounded his whistle for the start of
the match
straight /streɪt/ Adjective
a straight answer is a clear and honest reply to a serious
question
I couldn’t get a straight answer out of anyone | what
we need from our politicians is some straight answers
| Tommy gave straight answers and expected them in
return
Adverb: straight
I’ll tell you straight: I don’t want to work for you
swing /swɪŋ/ Verb
if you or your opinions swing, you change your ideas
about something
some people swing from one extreme to the other | her
mood could swing from joy to despair within a matter of
minutes | public opinion has swung to the left (become
more left-wing)
Noun: swing
she suffers from mood swings | a big swing in public
opinion
take the mickey /ˌteɪk ðə ˈmɪki/ Phrase
if someone says you are taking the mickey, they are
accusing you of making fun of them by deceiving them
or telling lies
Collocates: take the mickey out of someone
they took the mickey out of him because of his accent |
what did you say? Are you taking the mickey? | Don’t
take the mickey. He can’t help it
transformation /ˌtrænsfə(r)ˈmeɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun
a transformation is a complete change
Collocates: the transformation of something (into
something) | a complete/total transformation | undergo a
transformation
she proposed a radical transformation of the health
service | the transformation phase of the process | she
underwent an amazing transformation | the building’s
transformation from a school to a community centre | the
party has undergone a complete transformation
Verb: transform
the whole house has been transformed | their former
home was transformed into a hotel
undergo /ˌʌndə(r)ˈɡəʊ/ Verb
if you undergo something, you experience it
we’re undergoing a big change in the organisation |
the building has undergone some renovations | you may
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need to undergo surgery | she underwent an emergency
operation
wild /waɪld/ Adjective
if things are wild, or if you have a wild time, you do
a lot of enjoyable and exciting things in a way that is
uncontrolled
it’s been a wild few weeks | the party was wild | it’s all
been a bit wild since my brother came home
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EXERCISES
Collocations
Prepositions
E Complete the collocations with the verbs in the
box. Look up the nouns if you need help.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 Everyone had a moan
2 She found it easy to mix
pitch
have
the food.
new people.
3 They’re always taking the mickey
of him.
4 He gazed thoughtfully
the painting.
5 I have a confirmation
the booking.
6 She takes great pride
her work.
B Choose the correct preposition. Look up the
words in bold if you need help.
F
return
highlight
1
the issue
2
camp
3
a moan
4
a dash
5
to your roots
make
Complete the missing adjectives/adverbs.
1 I have a strict d _ _ _ y routine.
1 The house was at / in an isolated area.
2 By the time I got home, I was s _ _ _ _ d to the skin.
2 We watched the sunset at / from our balcony.
3 I saw a s _ _ _ _ _ _ g sunset last night.
3 Put your dirty laundry in / on the basket.
4 The restaurant has undergone a c _ _ _ _ _ _ e
transformation.
4 Look in / at the state of the kitchen!
5 It’s a restaurant of / with a welcoming atmosphere.
6 His flat was a bit in / of a dump.
G Match the two halves of the collocations. Look
up the words a–e if you need help.
1 drop deada) party
2 nationalb) procedure
Word families
C Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
1 a remarkable
transformation
the living
room
2 resist the proposal
meet with
3 muddy boots
covered in
3 a house-warming
c) heritage
4 the standard d) gorgeous
5 rune) smoothly
H Complete the expressions with the words in the
box.
resistant
welcome
4 he’s always very sarcastica touch of
5 a filthy floor
reservation
pride
1
living in
to change
2 make someone
Word-building
3 confirm a
D Complete the sentences with the correct noun
from the verbs.
1 The
of the two companies was
successful. (integrate)
2 We need
of your signature before
we can proceed. (confirm)
3 A
of ancient and modern
architecture (combine)
4 We’d like to make a
(reserve)
, please.
4 take
in something
Phrasal verbs
I
Choose the correct word to complete the phrasal
verb.
1 You can’t put off / up this decision any longer.
2 I’ve been slaving up / away in the kitchen for hours.
3 It took her a long time to get over / by her divorce.
4 Our bills added up / on to over a thousand pounds.
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7 NATURE
Pages 62–63
blow down /ˈbləʊ ˌdaʊn/ Phrasal verb
if something is blown down, it collapses or is destroyed
by very strong winds in a storm
the storm blew down a tree which hit our house | the
garage was blown down in the storm | we had to rebuild
the shed after the wind had blown it down
bounce /baʊns/ Verb
if something bounces, it hits a surface and then goes
back up in the direction it came from
hailstones started bouncing off the car | the ball
bounced off the edge of the table | the cup fell and
bounced twice on the floor, but it didn’t break
come off /ˈkʌm ˌɒf/ Verb
when you come off a motorway, you move onto the special
road for traffic that wants to leave the motorway. You say
that a car came off the road if the driver lost control and
the car went onto the pavement or side of the road
we had to come off the motorway and wait for the fog to
lift | you need to come off the motorway at junction 10 |
two people were killed when their car came off the road
near Dorchester | the roads were so icy we were lucky
we didn’t come off the road
ease /iːz/ Verb
if something eases or eases off, it becomes less severe
we had to pull over until the rain eased off | it’s eased off
a bit now | the pain was beginning to ease | the snow’s
eased off slightly
empty /ˈempti/ Verb
to empty a container means to take everything out of it.
If you empty the contents of a container, you take them
all out
I must have emptied a litre of water out of my shoes |
she emptied a bucket of water over the two dogs | you
can buy lots of these earrings without emptying your
wallet (without spending all the money that you have) |
she opened her bag and emptied the contents out on
the desk
flash /flæʃ/ Noun
a flash of light is a very sudden and bright light which
appears and then disappears very quickly
there were incredible flashes of lightning | a flash of
bright light | a blinding flash of light (extremely bright) |
we saw a lightning flash before we heard the thunder
Verb: flash
the warning light was flashing | lightning flashed across
the sky
fog /fɒɡ/ Noun singular
fog is a thick cloud that forms close to the ground
Collocates: thick/dense fog | fog lifts/clears | fog comes
down/descends
thick fog | hopefully the fog will lift soon | a dense fog
had descended on the area | we couldn’t see anything
through the fog
Adjective: foggy
Collocates: foggy weather | a foggy day/morning/night
it was a cold and foggy morning | the weather tomorrow
will be foggy, with rain in the afternoon
METAPHOR AND WEATHER
Many words are often used in different contexts but with
a connection to their original meaning. This is true of
many weather words. For example, my mind’s a fog, my
memory’s a bit foggy (not clear or confused)
people flooded into the streets (lots of people moved
like a flood), she was in floods of tears, we had a flood of
letters; come under a hail of bullets / missiles / criticism
(attacked by lots of hard things);
the exam was a breeze (light, easy); the origins have
been lost in the mists of time (difficult to see / know) / her
eyes were misty (almost crying); lightning quick / lightning
reactions (fast and sudden); a thunder of drums / the kids
thundered down the stairs (sound / move very loudly).
freeze /friːz/ Verb
when something freezes, it becomes hard because it is
so cold. When people freeze, they get very uncomfortable
because it is extremely cold. You can also say that you are
freezing or that a place is freezing when it is very cold
I thought I was going to freeze to death | it’s freezing
in here | it’s freezing outside | the water in the lake had
started to freeze | put the heater on. I’m freezing
Adjective: frozen | Adverb: freezing
a frozen river | frozen vegetables | the weather was wet
and freezing cold
heavens /ˈhev(ə)nz/ Noun plural
if you talk about the heavens, you are referring to the sky
Collocates: the heavens open
seconds later, the heavens opened and it started
pouring with rain | the sun moved slowly across the
heavens | the heavens darkened and the rain came
down | white clouds were dotted about the heavens
non-stop /ˌnɒnˈstɒp/ Adverb
if something happens non-stop, it continues all the time
without a pause
Collocates: talk non-stop | drive/fly non-stop
it continued non-stop for about a week | we flew nonstop to Chicago | he talked non-stop all evening | Stella’s
phone has been ringing non-stop all morning
Adjective: non-stop
Collocates: a non-stop flight
a non-stop flight from Heathrow to Chicago| the work
was non-stop, but it was fun
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pass out /ˈpɑːs ˌaʊt/ Phrasal verb
if you pass out, you become unconscious for a short time
I thought I was going to pass out | he passed out with
the heat | I almost passed out with the pain | it nearly
made me pass out | I screamed so loud I almost
passed out
pull over /ˈpʊl ˌəʊvə(r)/ Phrasal verb
if you pull over, you drive to the side of the road and
stop your car. If the police pull you over, they make you
move to the side of the road and stop your car
we had to pull over until the rain eased off | we pulled
over to the side of the road | she signalled to us to pull
over | we pulled over and got out of the car | Harris was
pulled over on a routine traffic check
settle /ˈset(ə)l/ Verb
if snow settles, it stays on the ground when it lands and
does not turn to water straight away
the snow had started to settle | the roads were still clear
but the snow had settled in the fields | overnight snow
will settle on high ground
skid /skɪd/ Verb
if you skid while you are driving, your vehicle slides
uncontrollably, for example because you have tried
to stop too quickly when it is icy or muddy
I was afraid we’d skid on the ice | the police car skidded
to a stop | the jeep skidded and slammed into the truck | if
you feel the car skidding, lift your foot off the accelerator
Noun: skid
if you go into a skid, stop braking | she learned how to
handle a skid
soaked /səʊkt/ Adjective
if you get soaked, you become extremely wet
Collocates: soaked through | soaked to the skin
I got absolutely soaked on the way | after an hour in the
rain I was soaked through | within seconds they were
both soaked to the skin
Verb: soak | Adverb: soaking | Noun: soaking
Collocates: soaking wet
the rain soaked everyone to the skin | my shirt was
soaking wet | I forgot my umbrella and got a soaking
stuck /stʌk/ Adjective
if you are stuck somewhere, you cannot get away even
though you want to
people got stuck in their cars overnight | we were stuck
inside thanks to the rain | I’m going to be stuck in London
all summer | the van got stuck in the mud (was unable to
move) | several vehicles became stuck in the snow
sunshine /ˈsʌnˌʃaɪn/ Noun
sunshine is bright light and warmth that comes from the
sun when the weather is fine and there no clouds
Collocates: be in sunshine | bright/glorious/brilliant
sunshine | warm sunshine
one moment we were in sunshine, next minute it was
pouring with rain | the weather was wonderful with bright
sunshine | sunshine streamed in through the windows |
the garden looked lovely in the afternoon sunshine | a
dry day with spells of warm sunshine
thunder /ˈθʌndə(r)/ Noun singular
thunder is the loud noise that you hear in the sky during
a storm
the thunder was so loud it woke me up | a faint rumble of
thunder | the thunder was getting louder | a loud crash
of thunder followed by more lightning | a sudden clap of
thunder | the thunder rolled and roared all around us
Verb: thunder | Adjective: thundery
did you hear it thundering earlier? | it thundered all night
and the rain poured down | the weather looked heavy
and thundery | a thundery, purple-grey sky
turn /tɜː(r)n/ Verb
you use turn to describe how the quality of something
changes from one state into another
it was so cold my lips turned blue | the weather has
turned nasty again | our beautiful friendship was
turning sour (we stopped being good friends) | the
demonstration turned violent | the leaves will turn
brown in the autumn
Noun: turn
Collocates: be on the turn
the weather was on the turn (was in the process of
changing)
windscreen /ˈwɪn(d)ˌskriːn/ Noun
a windscreen is a sheet of glass at the front or back of a
car that the driver can see through
Collocates: a shattered/broken/cracked windscreen | a
front/rear windscreen
the hailstones were so hard they nearly broke the
windscreen | the windscreen is cracked | wash
the windscreen | the front windscreen | a heated rear
windscreen | you’ll have to replace the windscreen |
windscreen wipers (rubber-edged strips of metal
that wipe away rain and dirt from the windscreen
while you are driving)
Pages 64–65
amidst /əˈmɪdst/ Preposition
if something happens amidst other events, feelings, or
activities, it happens with those things happening all
around at the same time. To be amidst people means
to have people all around you. Amidst is a literary word,
and the usual word is amid
her family made an emotional appeal amidst growing
fears for her safety | he resigned amidst allegations of
corruption | I took my place amidst an utter silence |
living amidst his family
bravery /ˈbreɪvəri/ Noun uncount
bravery is the quality and behaviour involved in being
brave
Collocates: show/display bravery
bullfighting is full of drama, risk and bravery | he was
awarded a medal for exceptional bravery | George
displayed great bravery | they have shown extraordinary
bravery and determination
Adjective: brave | Adverb: bravely
Collocates: fight/battle/struggle bravely
it was an incredibly brave thing to do | the bravest man
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I ever knew | your father was killed fighting bravely
against the enemy | he fell bravely defending his country
breeder /ˈbriːdə(r)/ Noun
a breeder is someone who keeps animals and produces
and sells young animals
bull breeders were finding it hard to make a profit |
a successful animal breeder | a dog breeder | horse
breeders | he came from a rich family of cattle breeders
Verb: breed | Noun: breed
they breed cattle on the farm | a very popular breed of
dog (particular type of dog)
civilised /ˈsɪvəˌlaɪzd/ Adjective
people or places that are civilised show culture and
good standards of behaviour because they belong to an
advanced and well developed society
the true sign of a civilised country is the way it treats its
animals | a highly civilised society | it all seemed very
civilised | let’s talk about this in a civilised way | he noted
a decline in civilised behaviour | without these rules,
civilised life would be impossible
ensure /ɪnˈʃɔː(r)/ Verb
to ensure that something happens means to make
certain that it happens
Collocates: ensure that something happens
tax breaks have ensured low ticket prices | please
ensure your child returns the signed letter to us | you
must ensure that all the clips are done up securely |
precautions to ensure the safety of all passengers
found /faʊnd/ Verb
to found an institution means to start it and provide the
money it needs to become established
the RSPCA was founded in 1824 | the company was
originally founded in 1923
Noun: founder
the founders intended the school to take both boys and
girls | his grandfather was one of the founders of the
organisation
inheritance /ɪnˈherɪt(ə)ns/ Noun
your inheritance is money that you get from someone
after they die
Noun: civilisation | Opposite – Adjective: uncivilised
Collocates: claim an inheritance | receive an inheritance
modern civilisation is built upon cooperation | Europe
was home to some of the world’s most advanced
civilisations | the new law was described as backward
and uncivilised | rather uncivilised behaviour
she is struggling to win back her rightful inheritance | he
received a small inheritance from his father | Jake briefly
returned home to claim his inheritance | she accused
him of trying to steal her inheritance | he left them an
inheritance of over £30 million | she’ll come into her
inheritance when she’s 21 (she will receive it)
contest /kənˈtest/ Verb
to contest something means to say officially that you do
not agree with it or think it is wrong
Collocates: contest a will
the will is being contested | they plan to contest the
decision | he contested the validity of the wedding
ceremony
cruel /ˈkruːəl/ Adjective
an activity that is cruel causes unnecessary suffering to
people or animals. If people are cruel, they deliberately
cause suffering to other people or animals
many people think bullfighting is cruel | it was a very
cruel murder | children can be extremely cruel to each
other | he was frequently unpleasant but he was never
cruel | how selfish and cruel she had been
Noun: cruelty | Adverb: cruelly
the public does not tolerate animal cruelty (cruel
treatment of animals) | his cruelty toward his employees
eventually landed him in prison | he was treated cruelly
by the other students there | he was cruelly punished for
such a minor offence
dare /deə(r)/ Noun
a dare is something difficult or dangerous that you do
because someone has challenged you to do it
Collocates: do something for a dare
I tried eating them for a dare | he challenged me to a
dare
Verb: dare
Collocates: dare someone to do something
go on, I dare you! (I challenge you) | I dare you to call
him now | I daren’t ask him (I don’t have the courage)
Verb: inherit
will your nephew inherit the farm when you die? | his only
daughter inherited his land | when the old man dies, who
will inherit?
initial /ɪˈnɪʃ(ə)l/ Adjective
an initial idea or action is one that comes at the
beginning of a situation, and which later changes
the initial ban was introduced in 2006 | the police made
an initial breakthrough | the initial stages of the illness |
his initial reaction was positive | after an initial success,
the business failed in 2009 | initial estimates placed
total damage in the area at £40m
Adverb: initially
initially, I didn’t enjoy the job | the company was quite
successful initially | Williams was initially reluctant but
eventually agreed to the proposal
insight /ˈɪnsaɪt/ Noun
an insight is a clear way of understanding something
Collocates: insight into something
research will provide invaluable insights | an experience
which gave her insight into the struggle of farmers | his
writing lacks insight | she’s got a lot of insight into this
problem | the book gives a real insight into the causes
of the war | his words provide valuable insight on this
subject
Adjective: insightful
the book is well written and insightful | she writes a
highly insightful blog
intimidation /ɪnˌtɪmɪˈdeɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun
intimidation is behaviour that deliberately tries to frighten
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someone, often in order to make them do something
they do not want to do
intimidation of laboratory staff | they endured years of
intimidation | using various intimidation tactics | reports
of violence and intimidation were widespread | a
campaign of terror and intimidation
Verb: intimidate | Adjective: intimidating
Collocates: intimidate someone into doing something
they tried to intimidate him into confessing | an
attempt to intimidate voters | there was an intimidating
atmosphere in the building | he was a large dog, and
very intimidating
involvement /ɪnˈvɒlvmənt/ Noun uncount
someone’s involvement in an activity is the fact of their
taking part in it
Collocates: involvement in something
it’s been criticised for its involvement in politics | he
denied any involvement in the robbery | her continued
involvement is due to her strong belief in the project
| the prince’s involvement had helped bring in more
volunteers to the organisation
Verb: involve | Adjective: involved
you shouldn’t involve yourself in these matters | after
retirement, I involved myself in a number of projects |
I got involved in research while at university | there are
lots of after-school clubs, so there’s no excuse not to
get involved
leave /liːv/ Verb
if you leave money, property, or possessions to
someone, you give official instructions that they should
have the money, property, or possessions after you die
Collocates: leave someone something | leave something
to someone
her parents had left everything they owned to the RSPCA |
he uncle left her a house and £20,000 | I intend to leave
most of my property to charity
matter /ˈmætə(r)/ Noun
a matter is a problem or an issue that people cannot
agree about
they hope the matter can be settled quickly | we’ll discuss
the matter at our meeting tomorrow | the matter was
resolved when the company agreed to a pay rise
poll /pəʊl/ Noun
a poll is an activity in which a large number of people
are asked what they think about something or how
they will vote in an election. You can also refer to the
elections that take place when a country chooses a new
government as the polls
Collocates: an opinion poll
the results of a recent opinion poll | no opinion polls
were allowed in the week before the election | he was
defeated at the polls three times | the polls suggested
that Rocard was more popular than Mitterrand |
the poll found that neither candidate was popular
among voters
Verb: poll
over 6,000 people from various backgrounds were
polled | 43% of voters polled were undecided
root /ruːt/ Noun
the roots of a plant are the parts under the ground that
send food up to the plant above the ground. The roots of
a person or a tradition are the place, culture, and family
that they come from
Collocates: go back/return to your roots
an art form that has deep roots in Spanish history | some
people cut themselves off from their roots | she felt the
need to go back to her roots | he wanted to return to his
Irish roots | I brought my mother here to rediscover her
childhood roots
Adjective: rooted
these ceremonies are rooted in centuries-old tradition
settle /ˈset(ə)l/ Verb
if you settle a problem or dispute, you find an acceptable
solution to it
Collocates: settle a claim/dispute/matter
they hope the matter can be settled quickly | the case
was settled out of court (they agreed a solution and the
case didn’t need to go to court) | her insurance claim
was finally settled for £800 | find a peaceful way to
settle the dispute
spark /spɑː(r)k/ Verb
to spark something violent or extreme means to cause it
the speech sparked a heated debate | what sparked this
explosion of anger? | the announcement has sparked
widespread demonstrations | the incident sparked
controversy across the country
subsidy /ˈsʌbsədi/ Noun
a subsidy is an amount of money that a government pays
in order to help a producer sell goods at a lower price
and still have a profit
they survive thanks to subsidies of around €200
per bull | an agricultural subsidy | subsidies from the
European Union | small producers are given massive
subsidies | the government pays huge subsidies
to farmers
Verb: subsidise
Collocates: heavily subsidise something
the industry is still heavily subsidised | Ontario has
subsidised solar power energy
Pages 66–67
awkward /ˈɔːkwə(r)d/ Adjective
an awkward social situation is one in which people feel
embarrassed because they think something is wrong but
they do not know exactly what
there was a bit of an awkward silence | there was an
awkward moment when he mentioned Jack’s ex-wife |
there was an awkward pause in the conversation when
Alan arrived
blossom /ˈblɒs(ə)m/ Noun
blossom is the flowers that grow on trees before the
fruit develop. When a tree blossoms, it has blossom
on its branches. If a person blossoms or if their career
blossoms, they become happy and successful
Collocates: be in blossom | blossom comes out
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spring is a good time because of all the blossom on the
trees | these blossoms appear long before the leaves |
fruit trees covered in blossom | the cherry trees are in
blossom | beautiful pink blossom | the apple blossom
has come out (the flowers have opened)
Verb: blossom
since she won an Oscar her career has blossomed | they
met at college, and slowly their relationship blossomed
curse /kɜː(r)s/ Verb
to curse someone or something means to say words that
are deliberately intended to cause something bad to
happen to them by magic
she thought I was cursing her | all his relatives were cursed
forever | it was possible to curse an enemy through a
spoken word | it is highly unlikely you have been cursed
Noun: curse
Collocates: put/place a curse on someone or something
| lift a curse
an old woman placed a curse on Serena and her family
| a terrible curse fell upon her son | the witch finally
agreed to lift the curse (to say words that would stop the
curse being in place)
flood /flʌd/ Noun
a flood is an occasion when large amounts of water pour
into an area, for example after there has been a lot of
very heavy rain or if a water pipe bursts. If you get floods
of something unwanted, a large quantity of it arrives
there’ve been a lot of floods with all this rain | the village
was cut off by floods | the flood water rose rapidly
overnight | the need for better flood defences | they had
floods of complaints when it was first sold | she was in
floods of tears (crying a lot)
Verb: flood
fears that the river could flood | thousands of homes
are now flooded | the river broke its banks and flooded
the village | we were flooded with orders in the runup to Christmas | the radio station was flooded with
complaints from listeners | his inbox is flooded with more
than 200 emails per day
funeral /ˈfjuːn(ə)rəl/ Noun
a funeral is the ceremony that takes place when
someone who has recently died is put into the ground,
or when their body is burned
Collocates: hold a funeral | attend a funeral | a state
funeral
her funeral will be held on Wednesday | Otto’s funeral
was organised by his sons Karl and George | her funeral
was attended by 150 family and friends | a state funeral
(a funeral organised by the government for a very
important person)
Adjective: funeral
Collocates: a funeral service
the funeral service was simple and moving | the funeral
procession went from Westminster to St Paul’s Cathedral
gather /ˈɡæðə(r)/ Verb
to gather things means to collect them. To gather crops
means to take them from the fields or places where
they are growing and bring them indoors to be stored or
eaten
we’re off to gather mushrooms | the harvest was all
gathered in by the end of the month | they lived by
hunting and fishing and gathering plants and seeds |
we’ve gathered quite a lot of information | the police are
still gathering evidence | he hastily gathered his things
together and left
lethal /ˈliːθl/ Adjective
something that is lethal can kill someone
some mushrooms can be lethal | colder temperatures
can also prove lethal for the elderly | every gun is a
lethal weapon | he suffered a lethal blow to the head |
a lethal dose of morphine | a lethal cocktail (mixture) of
alcohol and pills
Adverb: lethally
the edge of the knife was lethally sharp | he was lethally
wounded and died the following day
misunderstanding /ˌmɪsʌndə(r)ˈstændɪŋ/ Noun
a misunderstanding is a wrong or mistaken idea about
something
Collocates: a total/complete/slight/common/genuine
misunderstanding
it was all a complete misunderstanding |
cultural misunderstandings | I can see how this
misunderstanding arose | I’m sorry if there was any
misunderstanding regarding what I said | we have
changed the wording to avoid any misunderstanding
Verb: misunderstand | Adjective: misunderstood
I misunderstood the doctor’s instructions | don’t
misunderstand me – I didn’t mean it was wrong | Powell
was a much misunderstood politician
pick /pɪk/ Verb
if you pick fruit or vegetables or flowers, you take them
from the plant that they are growing on so that you can
eat them or show them indoors
we’re going to pick mushrooms this afternoon | freshly
picked tomatoes | pick and wash the herbs and then
chop finely
plant /plɑːnt/ Noun
a plant is a living thing such as a tree or bush that grows
out of the ground. If you plant something in the ground,
you put seeds or a young plant in the earth so that
a plant will grow. If someone plants a bomb or other
device, they leave it there so that it will explode at a later
time
none of the other plants can survive here | house plants
(plants that you grow in pots inside your home) | my pea
plants prefer moist soil | edible wild plants (that you can
safely eat) | this very popular plant grows well indoors
Verb: plant
we planted corn and barley (put seeds into the ground
so that corn and barley plants would grow) | my
grandfather cleared the field and planted this orchard
| terrorists had planted a bomb inside the cinema |
a demolition unit planted explosives on one of the
platforms to destroy it | a landmine had been planted
just over the border
root /ruːt/ Noun
the roots of a plant are the parts under the ground that
send food up to the plant above the ground
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all that water has rotted the roots | the vine has put
down strong roots | a tree with an extensive root system
| the roots grew sideways and damaged the wall
rot /rɒt/ Verb
if something rots, it decays through natural processes
if you give the plant too much water, the roots will rot |
too much water will rot the roots | the fruit was rotting
in the bowl | the old wood had rotted | eating too much
sugar will rot your teeth
Noun: rot | Adjective: rotting | Adjective: rotten
the house was full of damp and rot | extensive rot in
the window frame | covering up the trunk with extra soil
can cause rot | the smell of rotting food | the bin was full
of rotting fish | a strong smell of rotten eggs | he had a
mouthful of rotten teeth
seed /siːd/ Noun
a seed is a small part of a plant that grows into a new
plant when it is in the soil. If you talk about a seed or the
seeds of something, you are talking about the start of a
new process or development
Collocates: sow/scatter seeds
I bought some seeds to grow some herbs in my kitchen |
soak the seeds in warm water overnight before planting
them | planting carrots is done by sowing seed | it’s just
the seed of an idea at the moment | his writing scattered
the seeds of revolutionary ideas across Europe | they
are sowing the seeds of unrest
settle /ˈset(ə)l/ Verb
if something settles your stomach, it stops your stomach
feeling uncomfortable and likely to make you sick
it will settle your stomach | after I’d had the tea, my
stomach settled
stem /stem/ Noun
a stem is the long thin part of a plant that a flower grows
on. If something stems from something else, it has that
other thing as its origin
cut the stems before you put the flowers in the vase | the
stems can grow up to 60 cm | it has tough, woody stems
| roses with long stems
Verb: stem
Collocates: stem from something
the economic crisis stemmed from mistakes made by
the banks | weight problems often stem from a poor
diet | the show’s popularity stems largely from its mix of
education and humour
stormy /ˈstɔː(r)mi/ Adjective
stormy weather is when there is a lot of heavy rain and
wind. If people’s relationships are stormy, there is a lot
arguing and disagreement
Collocates: stormy weather | a stormy relationship
we’ve had a lot of stormy weather recently | the night
was stormy and very cold | their relationship was
stormy from the day they married | after several stormy
meetings he decided to resign | following a stormy
debate, parliament voted against the proposal
Noun: storm
the storm raged all night | the airport was closed
because of the approaching storm
variety /vəˈraɪəti/ Noun
a variety of something, especially a plant, fruit, or
vegetable, is a particular type of it
we grow different varieties of tomato | these potatoes
are an early variety (they are ready to eat early in the
season) | different grape varieties are used for different
purposes | choose organically grown varieties whenever
possible
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EXERCISES
Collocations
Prepositions
D Complete the sentences with the correct form
of the verbs in the box. Look up the verbs if you
need help.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 I tried eating mud
2 She’s got a lot of insight
this problem.
3 An old woman placed a curse
4 Her health problems stem
5 She was
settle
turn
a dare.
poor diet.
the mud.
3 The snow is
on the fields.
his house to his children.
you to ask him to go out on a date.
E Complete the missing adjectives. Look up the
nouns if you need help.
1 g _ _ _ _ _ _ s sunshine
2 a s _ _ _ _ _ _ _ d windscreen
B Complete the expression with the correct form
of the word in bold.
3 a g _ _ _ _ _ e misunderstanding
4 a d _ _ _ e fog
1 a civilised societymodern
3 a tree with strong roots
nasty later that day.
5 I
Word families
2 he showed great braverya
2 The weather
4 He
an idea.
7 Make sure the car doesn’t get stuck
blossom
1 Her career has really
Serena.
floods of tears.
6 I have the seed
dare
leave
thing to do
F
Match the two halves of the collocations.
in tradition
1 a non-stop
a) seeds
4 claim your inheritanceShe
money.
a lot of
2 scatter
b) poll
5 a complete
don’t
misunderstanding
me
3 a state
c) flight
4 opinion
d) opened
5 the heavens
e) funeral
6 intimidation tacticsThey tried to
me.
Patterns
Word-building
C Tick the words which are both a noun and a
verb.
1 subsidy
G Complete the sentences with the correct form of
the verbs in the list. Use to + infinitive or –ing.
contest
freeze
2 flash
1 We are planning
3 turn
2 We spent the afternoon
strawberries.
4 skid
5 inherit
6 dare
3 We had
pull over
pick
the decision.
to the side of the road.
4 I thought I was going
to death
7 found
8 curse
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 8
8 CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
Pages 70–71
beat /biːt/ Verb
to beat someone means to hit them hard and repeatedly,
causing injury and pain
Collocates: beat someone to death | be beaten
unconscious
he’d been attacked, then beaten to death | they beat
him so hard that he had bruises for weeks | he was
beaten unconscious by the force of the blow
Adjective: beaten
newspapers carried photos of the beaten man
bombing /ˈbɒmɪŋ/ Noun
a bombing is a crime in which someone leaves a bomb
in a public place and allows it to explode
a bombing in the city centre | two men have been
charged with the bombings | a bombing campaign |
there’s been a wave of bombings in recent weeks |
it was believed to be a suicide bombing (a bombing
in which the criminals kill themselves as well as
other people)
Noun: bomber
on June 13, suicide bombers attacked the central bank |
it was an easy target for any gunman or bomber
break into /ˌbreɪk ˈɪntuː/ Phrasal verb
to break into a place means to enter it using force,
usually in order to steal something
the house was broken into while we were away |
someone broke into my car and stole my radio | I lost my
keys and had to break into my own flat
Noun: break-in
a series of break-ins in the area | there is a break-in
every 60 seconds in the UK
burglary /ˈbɜː(r)ɡləri/ Noun
a burglary is a crime in which someone enters a building
and steals something
Collocates: commit a burglary | investigate a burglary
there have been a lot of burglaries in the area | an
attempted burglary | when did the burglary take place? |
Freddie was accused of committing a burglary on Oak
Street | police are investigating a series of burglaries
Noun: burglar | Verb: burgle
the police have arrested two burglars | the burglars stole
jewellery and electrical items | we got back and found
the house had been burgled | they were accused of
burgling two separate homes in Wilton Street
come up /ˌkʌm ˈʌp/ Phrasal verb
to come up to someone means to come towards them
he came up to me and grabbed my bag | a girl came up
and started talking to me | a man came up to me and
asked me for money
device /dɪˈvaɪs/ Noun
a device is a machine or tool that does a particular job.
A device is also a bomb
Collocates: a mobile device | an electronic device |
a device for (doing) something
the device went off in a shopping centre | an explosive
device | a nuclear device | the device had been left in a
bus station | you can watch YouTube on mobile devices |
please turn off your electronic devices | a device for
measuring electrical flow | all our vehicles have the
latest hi-tech safety devices
disappearance /ˌdɪsəˈpɪərəns/ Noun
someone’s disappearance is when they are not where
they are expected to be and no one knows where they
are
you should report the disappearance to the police |
police said her disappearance was suspicious | the still
unexplained disappearance of her husband | police are
investigating the disappearance of a French tourist
Verb: disappear
she just disappeared | the boys disappeared while they
were walking home from school
drug /drʌɡ/ Verb
to drug someone means to give them a drug without
their knowing about it so that they will be sleepy or
unconscious. To drug their drink means to put a drug
into something that they will drink
I think he’d drugged them to make them fall asleep |
police believe he may have drugged his victims | Paul
drugged a drink with a sleeping pill and gave it to her
fraud /frɔːd/ Noun
fraud is the crime of telling lies or deceiving people in
order to gain money for yourself
Collocates: commit fraud
a victim of fraud | he was sent to prison for tax fraud |
credit card fraud | identity fraud (pretending to be
someone else to get money) | he admitted to committing
fraud in his suicide note | the missing businessman was
being hunted by the fraud squad (the police department
that investigates cases of fraud) | the fraud was detected
in early 2014
Adjective: fraudulent | Adverb: fraudulently |
Noun: fraudster | Verb: defraud
Collocates: defraud someone of something
she made a fraudulent insurance claim | fraudulent
business activities | he fraudulently claimed for train
fares | a convicted fraudster | remember: the fraudsters
are very skilled at answering your every objection | he
had been accused of defrauding church members in
New Jersey | clients of the firm had been defrauded of
around £40 million
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get hold of /ˌɡet ˈhəʊld ɒv/ Phrase
if you get hold of something, you manage to find it or
obtain it and can use it for yourself
somehow, they got hold of my bank details | it’s relatively
easy to get hold of this information | a reporter got hold
of the story and next day it was on the front page
go off /ˌɡəʊ ˈɒf/ Phrasal verb
if a bomb, weapon, or other explosive device goes off,
it explodes
the device went off near the station | the bomb could go
off off at any minute | I was worried the gun might go off
accidentally | I could hear fireworks going off
grab /ɡræb/ Verb
if you grab something, you take hold of it quickly
and roughly
Collocates: grab hold of something
he grabbed my bag and ran off | she grabbed hold of
the branch to stop herself from falling | he grabbed the
knife and stabbed the burglar in the leg | Julie suddenly
grabbed his arm
Noun: grab
he made a grab for my purse
raid /reɪd/ Verb
if the police raid somewhere, they go in there using
force in order to look for criminals or illegal goods. If
criminals raid somewhere, they go in there using force in
order to steal things. When the military raid somewhere,
they make a sudden and violent attack there
the police raided a cafe looking for the stolen money |
the authorities raided the farm and found weapons
and ammunition | four gunmen raided the warehouse |
pirates regularly raided the island in the 19th century |
soldiers raided their village during the night | the British
raided and burned Washington, D.C. in 1814
Noun: raid | Noun: raider
Collocates: conduct/launch/stage a raid | a bombing raid |
an air raid
three guns were seized in a police raid on his home |
police launched raids on the homes of the gang
members | the next night another air raid caused 13
deaths (an attack when bombs are dropped from planes
in the air) | bombing raids had destroyed thousands of
buildings | masked raiders escaped with jewellery and
cash | the raiders attacked the nightwatchman who
suffered head injuries
relief /rɪˈliːf/ Noun
if something is a relief, it manages to stop you worrying
about a bad or difficult situation. If something provides
relief from pain, it stops the pain for a while
it must have been a relief to get your money back | it
was such a relief to know I’d passed the exam | effective
methods of pain relief
Verb: relieve
a good way to relieve stress | this should help relieve the
pain | ways to relieve the pressure at work
riot /ˈraɪət/ Noun
a riot is a violent protest in the streets by a large number
of people
Collocates: cause/spark a riot | suppress/put down a riot |
a riot in the capital | high prices led to food riots in the
cities | rising unemployment has sparked riots | the army
were called in to put down the riot | riots broke out after
the announcement
Noun: rioter
police used tear gas on the rioters | around 450 of the
rioters were arrested
seize /siːz/ Verb
if the police or other authorities seize something, they
take it by force and do not return it because it is illegal or
stolen
police seized $20 million worth of cocaine | computers
and documents were seized by the tax authorities |
the packages were seized as evidence during the
arrests | most of his assets were seized to pay his debts
(his money and property was legally taken from him
because he owed money)
smuggling /ˈsmʌɡ(ə)lɪŋ/ Noun uncount
smuggling is the activity of taking things into or out
of a country secretly because it is against the law or
against rules
he was found guilty of drug smuggling | cigarette
smuggling is on the increase | organised smuggling
gangs | their primary objective was to prevent smuggling
Verb: smuggle | Noun: smuggler
gangs that smuggle illegal immigrants into the country |
it’s quite easy to smuggle guns across the border | drug
smugglers risk the death sentence | these paths were
used by smugglers 300 years ago
snatch /snætʃ/ Verb
to snatch something means to steal it from someone by
using force to take it away from them
I had my bag snatched in the street | someone snatched
my purse | she snatched the letter out of my hand before
I could open it | the youth snatched her phone outside
the station
swipe /swaɪp/ Verb
if you swipe a card, you pass it through a device that
reads information from it and, for example, opens a door
for you or lets you pay for something
the machine grabbed all my details when I swiped my
card through it | swipe your card here to confirm the
payment | the magnetic strip was damaged and nothing
happened when I swiped it
transport /trænsˈpɔː(r)t/ Verb
to transport something or someone means to take them
somewhere in a vehicle, train, or plane
he was transporting the crocodiles to the local zoo | she
was transported to hospital by ambulance | the network
transports around 930,000 passengers every day | road,
rail, and air are used to transport goods to market
Noun: transport | Noun: transportation |
Noun: transporter
Collocates: rail/road/air transport
rail transport is a major means of transport in Japan |
road transport is a major source of CO2 emissions | Emil
arranged transportation for her to the new factory |
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Schipol airport is a major transportation hub (an
airport from where you can fly to many different other
airports) | a tank transporter (a large vehicle for carrying
military tanks) | an accident involving two cars and a
car transporter
vanish /ˈvænɪʃ/ Verb
if something or someone vanishes, they suddenly
disappear and you do not know where they are
Collocates: vanish without trace | simply vanish | vanish
into thin air
when I looked round, she’d vanished | both men simply
vanished before the trial began | the magician’s final
trick was to make the rabbit vanish | the boat had
vanished without trace | he seemed to vanish into thin
air | she has hardly slept since her daughter vanished
three weeks ago
Pages 72–73
appeal /əˈpiːl/ Noun
an appeal is a formal request to people in authority to
consider their decision again and change it, especially
when it is about a legal decision in a court of law
Collocates: lodge/launch an appeal | win/lose an appeal |
dismiss/reject an appeal | a successful/unsuccessful appeal
she’s launched an appeal against her sentence | he’s
planning to lodge an appeal | he won his appeal | you
might lose your appeal | the tribunal dismissed the
appeal | none of the defendants was granted the right of
appeal (they were not allowed to submit a formal appeal
against a court’s decision)
Verb: appeal
Collocates: appeal against something
can you appeal against the fine? | he’s going to appeal
against the verdict | he’s been given leave to appeal
(permission to appeal) to the High Court
assault /əˈsɔːlt/ Noun
assault is the crime of violently attacking someone
he was convicted of assault | violent crimes such as
murder and assault | assault and theft make up the vast
majority of crimes in this city | Smith was found guilty of
sexual assault (attacking someone in a sexual way) | he
was later charged with assault and battery (a legal term
for attacking someone)
Verb: assault
Collocates: physically/brutally assault someone
she denied physically assaulting her boss | he was
accused of assaulting a student | she violently assaulted
me on at least half a dozen occasions
audition /ɔːˈdɪʃ(ə)n/ Verb
to audition for something means to act or sing in front of
someone so that they can decide if you should have a
part in a play or musical. You can also say that someone
auditions you when you do this
they encouraged him to audition for a reality TV show |
hundreds of actors auditioned and 28 landed parts
in the film | he promised to audition me for the role of
Ophelia | Matt was auditioned on Tuesday and hired
on Wednesday
Noun: audition
after a successful audition, Bergman was offered the
part | auditions will be held on 24th November | out of
300 actors, 50 were selected for a second audition
cell /sel/ Noun
a cell is a room in a prison where prisoners are kept
locked in
prisoners are locked in their cells 22 hours a day | they
were three to a cell (three prisoners lived in each cell) |
the cell measured seven feet by five feet | each cell has
a table, a chair and a bed
cite /saɪt/ Verb
to cite something means to state that it is an example
or a cause of what you are talking about
Collocates: cite something as something
public speaking is often cited as the one thing most
people are afraid of | several other factors were cited
as causes for social breakdown | she cited personal
reasons for leaving the company | he cited the need to
return to France as a reason for his resignation
contemporary /kənˈtemp(ə)r(ə)ri/ Adjective
contemporary means modern
both classic and contemporary plays | keeping up
with contemporary developments | he gives lectures
on contemporary music | the latest bestsellers in
contemporary fiction | contemporary furniture design
convict /kənˈvɪkt/ Verb
if someone is convicted of a crime, it is officially decided
in a court that they are guilty of committing the crime
Collocates: be convicted of something | be convicted
to something
he was convicted of murder | he was convicted to a
long jail sentence | seven of the men were convicted
and the other two were released | Dreyfus was wrongly
convicted and sent to jail | they were convicted and
sentenced to death
Noun: conviction | Adjective: convicted | Noun: convict
his conviction was overturned (another court decided
he should not have been convicted) | he’d had three
previous convictions for burglary | there was not enough
evidence to secure a conviction | a convicted criminal |
two convicts escaped during the night
descend /dɪˈsend/ Verb
if someone or something descends into a bad state, they
become worse and cannot prevent what is happening
he gradually descends into madness | the country is
descending into civil war | Romania almost descended
into revolution | he gave up crime but descended into
alcoholism
Noun: descent
Collocates: descent into something
it was my first descent into genuine despair | no one
could prevent the country’s descent into anarchy (when
no one obeys the law)
emphasis /ˈemfəsɪs/ Noun
emphasis is special importance that you think something
has, which affects the way you deal with it
Collocates: place emphasis on something
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we place too much emphasis on punishment | emphasis
is placed on reducing pollution in the city centre | the
navy put particular emphasis on the need for new
aircraft carriers | the emphasis here is on speaking
and listening rather than reading and writing
Verb: emphasise
training of public officials should be emphasised |
the role of good project management is emphasised
harshly /hɑː(r)ʃli/ Adverb
if you treat someone harshly, you treat them in a very
cruel or unkind way
the prisoners are treated very harshly | he felt he’d been
punished too harshly | Brady was harshly criticised for
his actions
Adjective: harsh
everyone thought the sentence was harsh and unfair |
he imposed strict rules and harsh punishments on
his followers
interact /ˌɪntərˈækt/ Verb
to interact with other people means to have contact with
them and communicate with them
prisoners are able to meet and interact with members
of the general public | kids learn through playing and
interacting | I enjoy interacting with my readers very
much | most of the families knew each other and
interacted socially
Noun: interaction
Collocates: social interaction | interaction between
people
do you think mobile phones help social interaction? |
there was little interaction between band members on
stage
jail /dʒeɪl/ Noun
a jail is a building where prisoners live until they are
released at the end of their punishment
Collocates: send someone to jail | be in jail | a jail
sentence
the judge sent him to jail for four years | she’s been in
jail since January | he got out of jail last week | a jail
sentence of five years
Verb: jail | Noun: jailer
he was jailed for five years | the hijacker was jailed by
Cuban authorities | he threatened to jail the union leader
if the strike did not end | the jailer slammed the door and
locked it
labour /ˈleɪbə(r)/ Noun uncount
labour is very hard work. Hard labour is very hard work
that someone is made to do as part of their punishment
prisoners were made to do hard labour | sentenced to
five years with hard labour | a labour camp (a special
prison where prisoners have to do hard labour)
lock /lɒk/ Verb
to lock a door means to close it with a key so that no one
can open it unless they have a key. To lock someone
somewhere means to put them in a room or cell and
lock the door so that they cannot get out. If someone is
locked in, they cannot get out of somewhere because a
door is locked and they do not have a key
Collocates: lock someone in (somewhere) | lock
someone up
prisoners are locked in their cells 22 hours a day | the
door swung shut and we were locked in | Max was
locked inside his shed | if they find you guilty, they’ll lock
you up for life (keep you in prison for the rest of your life)
offence /əˈfens/ Noun
if someone commits an offence, they do something that
is against the law
Collocates: commit an offence | a serious offence | a
minor offence | a first/second offence
it was a really serious offence | a public order offence
(a crime in public such as fighting or rioting in the
street) | even minor offences were severely punished |
his offence was punishable by death | his sentence was
longer because it was a second offence
Verb: offend | Noun: offender
if you offend again, you will be sent to prison | some
prisoners here are habitual offenders and some only
first-time minor offenders
-ER/-OR
We usually form the noun for the people or things that do
an action by adding -er or -or to the verb. For example,
offender.
a high achiever; a political adviser; the announcer at
an airport; a financial backer; a suicide bomber; a dog
breeder; a wedding caterer; the champion’s challenger;
a plastic container; an army commander; turn off the
cooker; a central defender; a dreamer; a children’s
entertainer; a farm labourer; a university lecturer; an
infamous murderer; take painkillers; use the spell-checker;
contain sweeteners.
press the accelerator; the school administrator; use a
calculator; a sports commentator; a newspaper editor;
have your own electricity generator; a rubbish incinerator;
a government inspector; a swimming instructor; the film
projector’s broken; the state prosecutor (lawyer).
order /ˈɔː(r)də(r)/ Noun uncount
order is a situation in which everyone is obeying the law
and no one is fighting in public
Collocates: law and order | public order | keep order |
restore order
a public order offence | troops were sent in to restore
order | there were a few law and order problems in the
town | the police were responsible for keeping order
outside the parliament building
Opposite – Noun: disorder
civil disorder spread throughout the country
parallel /ˈpærəlel/ Noun
parallel lines are next to each other and stay the same
distance apart as they continue. If you see a parallel
between two things or situations, you think that they are
similar. If events run in parallel, they happen at the same
time and in the same way
Collocates: draw/make a parallel | see parallels
it is possible to see parallels with the real-life experience
of Aniello Arena | there are some parallels here with
his earlier poems | you can draw parallels between
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the two novels | the minister drew a parallel between
the challenges of twenty years ago and today | the fall
in crime has run in parallel with increased university
admissions
Adjective: parallel | Verb: parallel | Adverb: parallel
a shape with two parallel lines | the two cases were
exactly parallel | my work has always paralleled my life
experiences | the road runs parallel to the railway line
for 20 miles | Arensky’s career ran parallel with some
of Russia’s most famous composers
performance /pə(r)ˈfɔː(r)məns/ Noun
a performance is the presentation of a play or musical
event in front of an audience
Collocates: put on/stage a performance
they put on performances in local schools | the
performance will begin in five minutes | the performance
was recorded and released as a DVD | musical and
theatrical performances
Verb: perform | Noun: performer | Adjective: performing
the play was performed in several regional cities before
arriving in London | the school orchestra performs two
concerts each year | the show ended with all of the
performers singing the national anthem | there are
some genuinely talented performers in the group | the
performing arts (acting, playing music, etc.)
perspective /pə(r)ˈspektɪv/ Noun
your perspective is the way you see or understand a
situation
from our perspective, we don’t see enough rehabilitation |
the story is seen from the monster’s perspective | my
illness has given me a new perspective on life | try to
see things from a broader perspective
quarter /ˈkwɔː(r)tə(r)/ Noun
a particular quarter is a small area of a town or city
where the same sort of activities take place or the same
sort of people live
one of the poorer quarters of Naples | all big cities
have poorer quarters | Deptford is becoming an artistic
quarter | the houses are different from those in the
Russian quarter | an artisan quarter (an area with a lot of
people who make things with their hands) | the Jewellery
Quarter of Birmingham
release /rɪˈliːs/ Verb
if a prisoner is released from prison, he or she is allowed
to leave because they have finished their punishment
he was released early for good behaviour | they were
pardoned and released after three months in prison |
the prisoners were released the following morning | his
crime was so serious the judge recommended he never
be released
Noun: release
demanding the release of all political prisoners | his
early release was granted because of good behaviour
reoffending /rɪəˈfendɪŋ/ Noun uncount
reoffending is the act of committing another crime after
having been caught and punished once already
the judge said he had an extremely high risk of
reoffending | we need to tackle the high rate of
reoffending | reoffending rates must be cut | the lowest
reoffending rate in Europe
Verb: reoffend
there’s a very high chance that he’ll reoffend | people
who persistently reoffend while on bail
role /rəʊl/ Noun
a role is a particular character in a play or film that is
played by an actor
Collocates: play a role | a lead/leading role | a minor role |
a starring role
he played the leading role in Woody Allen’s latest film |
she played the role of Harry Potter’s mother | the lead
role (the most important character) | a minor role (a
not very important character) | Sean Connery had the
starring role in the first James Bond films (the role for
the biggest star in the film)
sentence /ˈsentəns/ Noun
someone’s sentence is the punishment that a judge
decides they must have after they have been found
guilty of a crime
Collocates: serve a sentence | a prison/jail sentence |
a life sentence | the death sentence | pass sentence |
hand down a sentence
he only served half his sentence | they both received
long prison sentences | the judge handed down a life
sentence | the judge waited a week before passing
sentence | drug smugglers risk the death sentence
Verb: sentence | Noun: sentencing
Collocates: sentence someone to something
a military court sentenced him to death | he was
convicted and sentenced to five years in prison | the
trial was adjourned until 13 October for sentencing
(the statement by the judge saying what the sentence
will be)
stage /steɪdʒ/ Verb
to stage a play or other performance means to organise
it and present it in front of an audience
the group stage all their plays in prisons | James was
busy writing and staging successful musicals | a large
main hall which stages concerts and community events |
the opera was never staged in Vienna in his lifetime
Noun: stage | Noun: staging
I don’t go on stage until the final act | he returned to the
stage after five years working in Hollywood (he started
acting in the theatre again) | another staging of Hamlet
will take place next Tuesday
tend /tend/ Verb
to tend something or someone means to look after them
carefully and do what is needed for them to stay healthy
and keep in good condition
Collocates: tend to someone
they were encouraged to keep pets and tend their
garden | he tended his wife during her final illness |
I need to go and tend to the baby
undergo /ˌʌndə(r)ˈɡəʊ/ Verb
if you undergo something, you experience it
they need to undergo rehabilitation | we’re undergoing
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a big change in the organisation | the building has
undergone some renovations | you may need to undergo
surgery | she underwent an emergency operation
victim /ˈvɪktɪm/ Noun
a victim is someone who suffers as a result of a crime
committed against them or as a result of an event that
they cannot control
they should be forced to meet the victims of their crimes |
another victim died two days later | about half of dog bite
victims are children | flood victims were unable to return
to their homes for weeks
Pages 74–75
acceptance /əkˈseptəns/ Noun uncount
acceptance is agreement that something is true or
useful or necessary
Collocates: gain acceptance | widespread acceptance
there is greater acceptance that technology can play an
important role | new crops were introduced and gained
widespread acceptance | no single alternative solution
has achieved acceptance
Verb: accept | Adjective: acceptable
his theory has never been widely accepted | we simply
accept that behaviour as normal | it took hours of
negotiating to reach an acceptable solution
account for /əˈkaʊnt ˌfɔː(r)/ Phrasal verb
to account for something means to be the reason for it
happening
the large number of Russian billionaires accounts for
the rise in luxury car sales | what might account for his
aggressive behaviour? | a wet August accounted for the
bad harvest | heart disease accounted for millions of
deaths last year
addiction /əˈdɪkʃ(ə)n/ Noun
addiction is the state of being dependent on something
such as drink or drugs or gambling and being unable to
do without it
Collocates: drug/alcohol/gambling addiction
he needed money to feed his addiction | Natalie had
bad experiences with gambling addiction | treatment
for alcohol addiction | committing crimes to support
their drug addiction | he was struggling to overcome his
addiction
Adjective: addicted | Noun: addict | Adjective: addictive
Collocates: be addicted to something | a drug addict |
highly addictive
he eventually became addicted to alcohol and cocaine |
nine out of ten smokers became addicted before the
age of 19 | they are both recovering addicts (recently
stopped being addicted) | a drug addict | tobacco
contains nicotine, which is highly addictive | people
with addictive personalities (who become addicted very
easily)
causal /ˈkɔːz(ə)l/ Adjective
if there is a causal link or relationship between two
things, one of them is the cause of the other one
proving causal links is always difficult | there is a
causal relationship between diet and health | a causal
explanation is one that explains the action | it’s often the
case that a specific causal factor cannot be identified
Noun: cause | Verb: cause
Collocates: the cause of something
heart attacks are a common cause of death | heavy
rain was the probable cause | the fire caused extensive
damage to the restaurant | avoid any movement that
causes you pain
correlation /ˌkɒrəˈleɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun
if there is a correlation between two things, they are
linked, often because one of them causes the other
Collocates: a correlation between things | a strong/
close/significant correlation
a well-established correlation between poor reading
skills and crime | a strong correlation exists between
smoking and lung disease | there isn’t always a direct
correlation between price and quality | investigators
found no significant correlation
Verb: correlate
Collocates: correlate with something
lack of water directly correlates with poverty | poor diet
is strongly correlated with heart disease
distraction /dɪˈstrækʃ(ə)n/ Noun
a distraction is something that turns your attention away
from what you were doing or thinking about and onto
something else
Collocates: an unnecessary distraction | a welcome
distraction
try and avoid unnecessary distractions | the music from
downstairs was a constant distraction | lunch created
a welcome distraction from the stress of the meeting |
using a mobile while driving can be a dangerous
distraction
Verb: distract | Adjective: distracting |
Adjective: distracted
don’t allow anything to distract you | I don’t let these
thoughts distract me from my job | she was distracted
by the phone ringing| I found the flashing lights very
distracting | his mind filled with distracting thoughts | she
seemed a little distracted during the meal | distracted
drivers can cause serious accidents
drive /draɪv/ Verb
to drive people into a particular condition or situation
means to force them into it
can education drive people away from crime? | money
problems drove him to despair (made him desperate) |
his constant chattering drove me mad | fear of being
caught almost drove him to suicide
enquiry /ɪnˈkwaɪri/ Noun
an enquiry is a question intended to get some
information about something. An enquiry is also a formal
process of finding out what happened in a particular
situation. The spelling inquiry is also used
Collocates: launch an enquiry | make enquiries | an
internal enquiry | a public inquiry | an independent inquiry
helping the police with their enquiries | a major police
inquiry is being carried out | launch a murder inquiry | an
internal inquiry (carried out within an organisation and
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not involving people from outside) | Dr Clark demanded
a full independent inquiry | Willis was sent over to Ireland
to make preliminary enquiries | a public inquiry was held
and the scheme was approved | we try to answer written
enquiries within 24 hours
Verb: enquire or inquire
authorities | he threatened to jail the union leader if the
strike did not end
Noun: jail | Noun: jailer
Collocates: send someone to jail | be in jail | a jail
sentence
I’m just calling to enquire about some prices | I’m
phoning to inquire whether you have any rooms
available
the judge sent him to jail for four years | she’s been in
jail since January | he got out of jail last week | a jail
sentence of five years | the jailer slammed the door and
locked it
establishment /ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt/ Noun
an establishment is a business such as a restaurant or
shop
link /lɪŋk/ Noun
a link between things is a strong connection between
them, often because one of them is the cause of the other
the police targeted key establishments | a highend establishment (one that is very expensive) |
most establishments on this street sell basic goods
such as foodstuffs | around 155 shops and eating
establishments | restaurants, retail establishments
and residential accommodation| the first commercial
establishments here probably opened around 1905 |
other establishments sell watches and cheap jewellery
facilitate /fəˈsɪləteɪt/ Verb
to facilitate a process or activity means to provide
support for it so that it can happen more easily
technology is also facilitating new types of crimes |
we aim to facilitate learning through collaboration
with students | the Internet has greatly facilitated this
process | sliding doors facilitate quick entry and exit |
the new rail network facilitated the transport of goods
across the country | the Internet is facilitating new
collaboration between researchers
Noun: facilitation
instruction is simply the facilitation of another’s learning
feed /fiːd/ Verb
to feed an addiction or to feed a strong need means to
provide what is necessary to satisfy it, for example when
someone gets drugs or drink when they are addicted or
when they get money to gamble with
he needed money to feed his addiction | he will lie,
cheat, or steal to feed his need for power and money |
as a politician, he attempted to feed our need for simple
answers | I realised he was using his dinner money to
feed his gambling addiction
incident /ˈɪnsɪd(ə)nt/ Noun
an incident is something that happens, often something
that is slightly shocking or unusual
Collocates: an incident happens/occurs | a violent
incident
the police tried to discourage such incidents | the
incident left him feeling very disappointed | the incident
happened shortly before 7 yesterday morning | police
emphasised this was only an isolated incident | several
violent incidents occurred in the city centre | two more
unfortunate incidents took place outside the station
jail /dʒeɪl/ Verb
to jail someone means to send them to prison and keep
them there for a length of time that has been decided by
a judge in a court
the fall in crime stems from jailing more people | he was
jailed for five years | the hijacker was jailed by Cuban
Collocates: a link between things | a direct link
a well-established link between poor reading skills and
crime | these recordings offer a direct link with the past |
this book establishes the link between economics and
morality | a link exists between the two theories
Verb: link | Noun: linkage
these five families were closely linked | farming is
directly linked to weather and climate | there is a close
linkage between these subjects | he explored linkages
between political science and Russian studies
parallel /ˈpærəlel/ Noun
parallel lines are next to each other and stay the same
distance apart as they continue. If you see a parallel
between two things or situations, you think that they are
similar. If events run in parallel, they happen at the same
time and in the same way
Collocates: draw/make a parallel | see parallels
it is possible to see parallels with the real-life experience
of Aniello Arena | there are some parallels here with
his earlier poems | you can draw parallels between the
two novels | the minister drew a parallel between the
challenges of twenty years ago and today | the fall in crime
has run in parallel with increased university admissions
Adjective: parallel | Verb: parallel | Adverb: parallel
a shape with two parallel lines | the two cases were
exactly parallel | my work has always paralleled my life
experiences | the road runs parallel to the railway line
for 20 miles | Arensky’s career ran parallel with some
of Russia’s most famous composers
particle /ˈpɑː(r)tɪk(ə)l/ Noun
a particle is a very small piece of something
lead particles are released into the atmosphere | the
average person breathes in around 50 billion dust
particles an hour | Newton claimed that light travels in
minute particles | particles that are smaller than a grain
of sand
peak /piːk/ Noun
the peak of something is the time when it is biggest or
most successful
Collocates: hit/reach a peak
the prison population hit a peak of 450,000 in 2006 |
inflation reached a peak of 15% last year | share prices
have risen to an all-time peak | the peak period for
tourism | the price of petrol has fallen from its peak of
£1.49 a litre | a young tennis player who hasn’t reached
his peak yet | Murray is at his peak now
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Verb: peak
interest rates peaked at 16% | the band’s popularity
peaked in the 1990s | oil production will soon peak and
then decline
plunge /plʌndʒ/ Verb
to plunge means to decrease quickly by a large amount
the number of cars that were stolen plunged by almost
70% | sales have plunged | profits have plunged | share
prices have plunged | temperatures plunged to minus 15 |
crime rates plunged dramatically under the new mayor
Noun: plunge
a plunge in house prices | the crisis led to a plunge in
consumer confidence
put forward /ˌpʊt ˈfɔː(r)wə(r)d/ Phrasal verb
to put something forward means to suggest that it is true
or is something that should happen or be used
this argument has been put forward as a reason to close
the airport | if they put her name forward she might get
an interview for the job | Douglas put forward a proposal
for a new tax | many suggestions were put forward but
little progress was made
rank /ræŋk/ Verb
how someone or something ranks is how good or bad
they are compared with other similar people or things. If
you rank people or things, you say how good or bad you
think they are compared to each other
Russia ranks second for the number of billionaires | the
restaurant ranks highly for service | how would you rank
the four cars in order of comfort? | a tennis player who
ranks ninth in the world
Noun: rank | Noun: ranking
China is now in the top rank of the world’s trading
nations | she still stands at number one in the world
rankings (the list of the best players)
record /rɪˈkɔː(r)d/ Verb
to record something means to get information and keep
it using a system so that the information will always be
available in the future
the number of crimes recorded has fallen | the author
kept a diary recording his 1,000 days in prison | record
your results as accurately as possible | it was officially
recorded that he had committed suicide
Noun: record
Collocates: keep/maintain a record | official records |
financial/health/medical records
let me check the records | he kept a record of every goal
scored by Messi | the official city records were destroyed
during a fire | your medical records cannot be shown to
anyone except another doctor
relations /rɪˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/ Noun
relations between people or groups or groups of people
are how well or badly they are able to live or work
together
better police training has led to improved relations with
the community | relations between the two religious
groups were good | relations are once again strained
between Ken and Deirdre (they are not happy together) |
the new trade agreement strengthened relations
between the two countries
release /rɪˈliːs/ Verb
when something is released, it is able to move out of a
container where it has been stored and can move freely
in the atmosphere
lead particles are released into the atmosphere |
the explosion released a cloud of smoke into the air |
the sun releases its energy in various forms | a pipe
in the heating system broke loose, releasing gas into
the building
Noun: release
large releases of radioactivity from nuclear reactors are
extremely rare
speculate /ˈspekjʊleɪt/ Verb
to speculate means to suggest or guess that something
might be true although you do not have evidence to
prove it
Collocates: speculate that | speculate about something
researchers speculate that climate change may have
been responsible | we don’t know for sure, but it’s
fun to speculate | you should check your facts before
speculating wildly | it’s useless to speculate about the
origin of language
Noun: speculation | Adjective: speculative
this is pure speculation and not fact | this is not idle
speculation (there is some truth in this) | the prime minister
dismissed speculation about an early election | this event
prompted media speculation that he was going to resign |
at present these suggestions remain purely speculative |
the entire article is simply speculative opinion
target /ˈtɑː(r)ɡɪt/ Verb
to target someone or something means to choose them
to be the object of an attack, investigation, or criticism
the police targeted key establishments | the block of
flats was deliberately targeted by burglars | computer
hackers targeted several banking websites | Kerry
supported aggressively targeting drug dealers | a victim
of targeted computer virus attacks
Noun: target
attacks on both military and civilian targets | a frequent
target of organised crime
turn off /ˈtɜː(r)n ˌɒf/ Phrasal verb
if someone is turned off something or turned off from
doing it, they stop liking it or wanting to do it
youngsters are being turned off crime | piano lessons
turned me off classical music for years
Noun: turnoff
political speeches are such a turnoff
urge /ɜː(r)dʒ/ Noun
if you have an urge to do something, you suddenly want
to do it or feel that you cannot stop yourself doing it
Collocates: feel an urge (to do something)
factors associated with violent urges | the urge to
destroy is also a creative urge | Annie felt an urge to
phone her mother (wanted very much to phone) | he was
fighting the urge to fall asleep | just give in to your urge
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to laugh | have you ever had an uncontrollable urge to
do something wrong?
Verb: urge
Collocates: urge someone to do something | urge that
shoppers have been urged to change their habits |
parents who smoke are strongly urged to quit
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 8
EXERCISES
Collocations
Prepositions
D Complete the sentences with the correct
adjective from the box. Look up the words in
bold if you need help.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 Bad weather was cited
2 There is a direct correlation
3 It’s useless to speculate
accident.
4 They’ll lock you up
unsuccessful
thin
the reason.
price and quality.
8 Emphasis was placed
role in over twenty
3 The thieves just vanished into
4 A
was approved.
last night.
7 There has been a plunge
offence.
2 He’s had the
films.
prison after two years.
6 My house was broken
incident in the town
6 She launched an
sentence.
B Complete the expression with the correct form
of the word in bold.
appeal against her
E Complete the collocations with nouns from the
unit.
1 commit f _ _ _ d
1 a rise in burglaries
a teenage
2 launch an e _ _ _ _ _ y
2 a mysterious
disappearance
the suspect
3 gain a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ e
3 convicted of fraud a
the pressure
5 gain acceptance
behaviour
6 harshly punished
treatment
Word-building
C Complete the sentences with nouns formed from
the verbs.
riot
stage
1 Masked
cash.
speculate
raid
escaped with jewellery and
2 He’s top in the world
of Hamlet will take place next
4 There’s been a lot of media
subject.
5 She’s had no previous
6 The
were arrested.
4 place e _ _ _ _ _ _ s on something
act
4 such a relief 3 A
Tuesday.
air.
inquiry was held and the scheme
5 There was a
centre last night.
house prices.
the important of recycling.
Word families
rank
convict
serious
public
1 Armed robbery is a
the cause of the
life.
5 He was released
starring
violent
on the
.
5 hit a p _ _ k
6 put on a great p _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ e
F
Match the two halves of the collocations. Look
up the nouns (a–f) if you need help.
1 air
a) device
2 rail
b) sentence
3 an electronic
c) raid
4 a life
d) transport
5 law e) and order
6 medical
f) records
Phrasal verbs
G Complete the sentences with the correct form of
the phrasal verbs in the box.
break into
put forward
come up
go off
turn off
1 Someone
get hold of
account for
my house last night.
2 Teenagers are being
crime.
3 A stranger
me.
and started talking to
4 She has been
5 A bomb
for promotion
in a bus shelter.
6 You are a very difficult person to
7 Improvements in education
in university applicants.
.
the rise
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9 CAREERS AND STUDYING
Pages 80–81
beg /bɛɡ/ Verb
if you beg someone for something, you ask them for it in
an anxious or desperate way
Collocates: beg someone for something | beg someone
to do something | beg for something| beg something |
beg of someone
he begged her forgiveness | I beg you to reconsider | let
me have it, I beg of you | can I beg a slice of bread from
you? | he came round begging for another chance
Noun: beggar
Collocates: a street beggar | a poor beggar
bottom /ˈbɒtəm/ Noun
the bottom of an organisation is the lowest level in it,
where the work requires the least amount of experience
or skill and the pay is the lowest
Collocates: start at the bottom
our CEO started at the bottom 30 years ago
Opposite: top
He worked his way up to the top in just 12 years.
cope /kəʊp/ Verb
if you cope, you manage to do what you have to do.
If you can’t cope, you find it too difficult to do everything
that you need to do
Collocates: cope with something
I couldn’t cope with the workload | How do you cope
with having two jobs?
delegate /ˈdɛləˌɡeɪt/ Verb
if you delegate a job, task, or responsibility to someone,
you tell them that they have to do the job or task or take
the responsibility instead of you
Collocates: delegate a job/task | delegate responsibility/
powers | delegate something to someone
He’s always reluctant to delegate responsibility | the job
was delegated to me
Noun: delegation
Collocates: delegation of authority | delegation of
something to someone
effective delegation is the mark of a good manager|
the delegation of tax-raising powers to the Scottish
parliament
draining /ˈdreɪnɪŋ/ Adjective
if an activity is draining, it uses all your physical or mental
energy and makes you feel tired
Collocates: emotionally/mentally draining | physically
draining
physically drained | utterly/completely drained
I felt utterly drained | the team were physically and
emotonally drained
hand in /hænd ɪn/ Phrasal verb
if you hand in something such as your homework, you
give it to your teacher. If you hand in your resignation or
your notice, you tell your employer that you are going to
leave your job
Collocates: hand in your homework/your resignation/
your notice/a petition
she handed in her resignation | a petition was handed in
at the town hall
hang /hæŋ/ Noun
if you get the hang of something that is difficult or
complicated, you learn how to do it
you’ll soon get the hang of it | I haven’t quite got the
hang of it | he never got the hang of it
launch /lɔːntʃ/ Verb
if you launch a new product, book, website, etc, you let a
lot of people know that it is starting to exist so that they
can buy it or make use of it
Collocates: launch something onto the market
the company launched two new models last year | they
launched a new range of laptops
Noun: launch
Collocates: a product/book launch | an official launch | a
successful launch
60 journalists turned up for the book launch | the
successful launch of the Royal website
live on /lɪv ɒn/ Verb
if you can live on the money you earn, you have enough
money for the most important things you need, although
maybe not enough for extra things. If you can’t live on
the money you earn, you do not have enough money
even for the most basic things
Collocates: live on your salary/wages/pension
her pension was just enough to live on | can you live on
£200 a week?
Noun: living
Collocates: earn a living | make a living
he earns a good living as a taxi driver
management /ˈmænɪdʒmənt/ Noun uncount
management is the group of senior people in an
organisation who are responsible for controlling and
organising it, and for supervising the more junior people
Collocates: senior/middle management
I found the film emotionally draining | the work can be
physically and mentally draining
cutting back on a layer of middle management |
management were opposed to the pay rise
Adjective: drained
Noun: manager Verb: manage
Collocates: emotionally/mentally drained | feel drained |
Collocates: a senior/top manager
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senior managers got an even bigger bonus | my
manager has recommended me for a promotion
menial /ˈmiːnɪəl/ Adjective
menial jobs or tasks are not very difficult, do not require
any skill, and the people who do them have very low
status
Collocates: a menial job/task/work/labour/position
a menial job in the hotel kitchen | perform menial
household chores
notice /ˈnəʊtɪs/ Noun
your notice is a formal statement telling your employer
that you are going to leave your job
Collocates: hand in/submit/ your notice give notice
Collocates: be faced with/face redundancy |
compulsory/voluntary redundancy
400 workers face redundancy | I took voluntary
redundancy
responsibility /rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪlɪti/ Noun uncount
if you have responsibility for something or someone, it is
your job to do what is necessary to deal with them and
make sure that everything happens properly
Collocates: take/assume/accept responsibility (for
someone/something) | delegate/assign responsibility
She accepted responsibility for the sales department |
we delegated the responsibility to Walters
Adjective: responsible
I have to give two months’ notice before I can leave
Collocates: directly/ultimately responsible | mainly/
principally responsible
overseas /ˌəʊvəˈsiːz/ Adverb
if you live overseas, you live in a foreign country. If you
travel overseas, you travel to a foreign country. Usually,
the country is a long way away and you have to cross the
sea to get there.
who is the officer responsible for safety? | the school
principal is ultimately responsible for standards
Collocates: ship/send/despatch something overseas |
live/work/be stationed overseas | travel/journey overseas
he lived overseas for 20 years | seeking employment
overseas | visitors from overseas
rewarding /rɪˈwɔːdɪŋ/ Adjective
an activity that is rewarding is good because you get
pleasure or some benefit from it
Collocates: hugely/richly rewarding | a rewarding hobby/
pastime | a rewarding experience
the journey was a hugely rewarding experience
Adjective: overseas
Verb: reward Noun: reward
Collocates: an overseas trip/journey/travel | overseas
visitors/students
Collocates: enjoy/obtain/get a reward (for/from
something)
she returned from a long overseas trip to Australia |
overseas investment
he reaped the rewards for all his hard work | she was
rewarded with promotion to sergeant
promote /prəˈməʊt/ Verb
if someone is promoted in the organisation they work for,
they are given a better and more important job
rise /raɪz/ Noun
a rise is an increase in the amount of money that you
earn from your job
Noun: promotion
Collocates: a pay/salary rise
Collocates: get/achieve/earn promotion| rapid
promotion | deserved/merited/well-earned promotion |
promotion to something
I got a pay rise last month | they offered me a rise of £10
a week | unions are demanding a 7% rise
William was proud of Jan’s rapid promotion | it was a
well-earned promotion to Chief Constable
Collocates: wages rise/salaries rise/pay rises
promotion /prəˈməʊʃən/ Noun
promotion within an organisation is an official change in
job to a better and more important job
Collocates: get/achieve/earn promotion | rapid promotion |
deserved/merited/well-earned promotion | promotion to
something
I got a promotion after just six months | William was
proud of Jan’s rapid promotion | it was a well-earned
promotion to Chief Constable
Verb: promote
Collocates: promote someone to something
get promoted to head of department
redundant /rɪˈdʌndənt/ Adjective
if you are made redundant, your employer tells you that
you can no longer do your job
Verb: rise
wages have risen 10% | my pay hasn’t risen for three
years
row /raʊ/ Noun
if you have a row with someone, you have a very noisy
or emotional argument with them
Collocates: a blazing/furious/heated row | a bitter/fierce
row | a row about something
he stormed out after another blazing row | let’s not have
a row about it
Verb: row
they spent the whole weekend rowing | let’s not row
about it
stimulating /ˈstɪmjʊˌleɪtɪŋ/ Adjective
an activity that is stimulating makes you think a lot in an
enjoyable or useful way
a stimulating environment/experience/activity
Collocates: be made redundant
Noun: stimulation
10 of us were made redundant last week
Collocates: get stimulation from something | mental
stimulation | intellectual stimulation
Noun: redundancy
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stretch /strɛtʃ/ Verb
if you stretch yourself, or if something stretches you, you
have to do things that are too difficult for you, but which
help you improve your skills or knowledge so that they
are no longer too difficult
I feel I’m really stretching myself | a school which really
stretches the students | the work doesn’t stretch me
enough
touch /tʌtʃ/ Noun
if you are in touch with someone, you are able to see
them or communicate with them regularly. If you get in
touch with someone, you contact them by phone or by
writing an email or a letter to them
Collocates: be/stay/keep in touch | put someone in
touch with someone | get in touch
we’ve kept in touch since we left school | I’ll put you
in touch with a good doctor | I’ll be in touch about it
tomorrow
training /ˈtreɪnɪŋ/ Noun uncount
training is the process of being taught the skills that
are needed to do a particular job. If you get on-the-job
training, you are taught those skills while you are doing
the job so that your skills develop over time
Collocates: on-the-job/hands-on/in-house training |
basic/in-depth training | professional/formal training
break /breɪk/ Noun
when you are at work, a break is a time when you stop
working and relax for a short while before starting to
work again
Collocates: a lunch/tea/coffee break | a mid-morning
break | a short/long break
take a break at 10 | I worked from 8 till 4 without a
break | that was a long break
countless /ˈkaʊntləs/ Adjective
if you talk about countless things or people, you mean
there are a large number of them
Collocates: countless occasions/hours | countless
number of times | countless millions
I saw the film countless times | a video seen by countless
millions on YouTube
Verb: count
can you count up to ten in French?
dead /ded/ Adjective
someone who is dead is no longer alive. You can also
say that someone who is extremely tired feels dead,
because they feel as if there is no life or energy in them
I collapsed on the sofa feeling dead | she slept for
12 hours, dead to the world (fast asleep and not
disturbed by anything going on around her)
an in-house training course | we had just two weeks of
basic training
Adverb: dead
Verb: train Noun: trainer Noun: trainee
although she was dead tired, she couldn’t sleep
Collocates: train someone to do something | train
someone in something | train to do something | train as
something
he’s training to be a lorry driver | I trained as an engineer |
the trainer’s job is to help us think critically | a trainee
solicitor | over half the trainees will drop out before the
end of the course
work /wɜːk/ Verb
if you work your way up, you start at the lowest level in
an organisation and progess to a higher level by being
good at your job
pages 82–83
bag /bæɡ/ Verb
if you bag things, or if you bag them up, you put them
into bags
can you help me bag these cauliflowers? | my job was
bagging groceries at the supermarket | then they are
bagged up and sent by truck to the supermarket
bother /ˈbɒðə(r)/ Verb
if something bothers you, you you worry about it a lot
and you don’t like it
Collocates: be bothered about/by something
it never bothered me that I couldn’t cook | many
residents were bothered by the constant noise | he’s
always rude to people he doesn’t know. Don’t let it
bother you
Adjective: bothered
Collocates: bothered about something
Collocates: dead tired/beat
dig up /ˌdɪɡ ˈʌp/ Phrasal verb
to dig up vegetables means to pull them out of the
ground so that they can be eaten
Collocates: dig up potatoes/onions/carrots
we dug up four kilos of carrots | it’s back-breaking work
digging up potatoes all day
earnings /ˈɜː(r)nɪŋz/ Noun plural
someone’s earnings are all the money they get for doing
their job
Collocates: average earnings| hourly/weekly/monthly
earnings | earnings growth
average earnings rose sharply last year | hourly
earnings fell 1% in January
Verb: earn
Collocates: earn money/income | earn a living
I earned more last year than my father did | how much
do you earn a week?
exploit /ɪkˈsplɔɪt/ Verb
to exploit someone means to treat them very unfairly so
that you get a lot of benefit and they do not
Collocates: ruthlessly/shamelessly exploit someone
he got rich by exploiting people | a country where the
powerful exploit the powerless
Noun: exploitation Noun: exploiter
Collocates: exploitation of women/children/workers
a government that failed to stop the exploitation of
children | some four million people are subject to this
level of exploitation | exploiters of cheap labour
he doesn’t seem bothered about not having a car
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figure /ˈfɪɡə(r)/ Verb
if you figure something, you guess it or come to believe
it as a result of thinking about it
I figured it would take too long to walk, so took the car |
they lost their best players but had their best season
ever. Go figure! (it’s true even though it seems strange or
unlikely)
fortune /ˈfɔː(r)tʃuːn/ Noun
a fortune is a large amount of money
Collocates: cost/spend/pay a fortune | earn/make a
fortune | be worth a fortune
he spent an absolute fortune on his cars | the house
must be worth a small fortune now (a surprisingly large
amount of money) | your salary is a fortune compared to
mine | he made a fortune on the stock market
interfere /ˌɪntə(r)ˈfɪə(r)/ Verb
if you interfere, you become involved in a situation when
your help or advice is not wanted. An interfering person
interferes a lot
Collocates: interfere in something
stop interfering! | I wish you wouldn’t interfere in my
business
Noun: interference Adjective: interfering
Collocates: interference in/with something
we cannot accept any interference in our internal
procedures | try and ignore his interference | an
interfering neighbour
lift /lɪft/ Noun
if you get a lift somewhere, someone takes you there in
their car
Collocates: a lift to school/work/the shops | give/offer
someone a lift
can you give me a lift home? | he offered us a lift to the
station | I got a lift as far as the end of the road
make up /ˈmeɪk ˌʌp/ Phrasal verb
if you make something up, for example a story or an
excuse, you create a story that isn’t true in order to make
people believe something that you want them to think
Collocates: make up an excuse/story
the story he made up was really convincing
Adjective: made-up
another made-up excuse | I used a made-up name to
register for the website
market research /ˌmɑː(r)kɪt rɪˈsɜː(r)tʃ/ Noun
market research is the collection of information from
ordinary people about what they need and like so that
companies can design products that people will want to
buy
Collocates: do/carry out market research | market
research questionnaire
a market research survey | can you help with some
market research we’re doing?
Noun: market researcher
many people don’t tell the truth to market researchers | I
was stopped in the street by a market researcher
misunderstand /ˌmɪsʌndə(r)ˈstænd/ Verb
if you misunderstand something, you form an impression
of it that is wrong or mistaken
I misunderstood the doctor’s instructions | don’t
misunderstand me – I didn’t mean it was wrong
Noun: misunderstanding Adjective: misunderstood
Collocates: a total/complete/slight/common/genuine
misunderstanding | much misunderstood
it was all a complete misunderstanding | cultural
misunderstandings | Powell was a much misunderstood
politician
non-stop /ˌnɒnˈstɒp/ Adjective
an activity that is non-stop carries on without a pause
Collocates: a non-stop flight
a non-stop flight from Heathrow to Chicago| the work
was non-stop, but it was fun
Adverb: non-stop
Collocates: talk non-stop | drive/fly non-stop
we flew non-stop to Chicago | he talked non-stop all
evening
NONnon- is often added to words to show a person or thing
does not have that quality or characteristic.
For example: take a non-stop flight.
use a non-stick pan; read a lot of non-fiction; work for a
non-governmental organisation (NGO); it’s
a non-profit-making company; the offer is non-negotiable;
it’s a non-issue; crime is non-existent there; lead a nonviolent protest; a non-slip surface.
novelty /ˈnɒv(ə)lti/ Noun
novelty is the quality of being new and still being
interesting. If you say that the novelty has worn off,
you mean that something has become less interesting
because you have become very familiar with it
Collocates: be (something of) a novelty | the novelty
wears off
after two weeks, the novelty wore off and I dreaded
gong to work | having a gas cooker was still something
of a novelty
Adjective: novel
Collocates: entirely/totally novel | a novel approach/
method/concept
they introduced an entirely novel method of treating
patients with flu | selling on the Internet is hardly a novel
concept any more
rank /ræŋk/ Noun
in some organisations such as the army or the police,
your rank is the position or grade that you hold. A general
holds a high rank, while a private holds the lowest rank.
You can say that the general is a high-ranking officer. If
someone started with a low rank and now has a high rank,
you can say that they rose through the ranks
Collocates: high/low rank | achieve the rank of... | rise to
the rank of...
my grandfather rose to the rank of captain | she was
lower in rank than her old schoolfriend | a naval officer
of high rank
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Combining form: -ranking
Collocates: shift someone’s attention/attitude
high-ranking officers | a top-ranking civil servant
the need to shift attitudes about global warming
restless /ˈres(t)ləs/ Adjective
someone who is restless does not like staying in the
same place for long and is always looking for new things
to do and new places to go to
solidly /ˈsɒlɪdli/ Adverb
if you work solidly throughout a period of time, you work
constantly and without stoppping
Collocates: a restless spirit | grow/become restless
I worked solidly all afternoon | it’s been raining solidly
since yesterday morning
he was a restless spirit, and never spent more than two
weeks at home | after dinner, he grew restless and went
for a walk | the doctor became increasingly restless
Noun: restlessness | Adverb: restlessly
Collocates: move/pace restlessly
I could see signs of restlessness in his behaviour | Alan
was pacing restlessly about the room | moving restlessly
from one city to another
sceptical /ˈskeptɪk(ə)l/ Adjective
someone who is sceptical about something is not sure
if it is true and wants to check all the facts before they
believe it
Collocates: be sceptical about/of something | highly/
deeply sceptical | remain sceptical
Collocates: work solidly | rain solidly
Adjective: solid
Collocates: two/three/four etc solid hours/days/weeks
we spent three solid weeks painting the house
stock /stɒk/ Verb
to stock a place means to fill it with things. To re-stock a
place means to fill it with things again after it has been
emptied
Collocates: stock the shelves/cupboard/fridge | stock a
bar | stock something with something
we stocked the fridge for Christmas. | you need to
re-stock your wardrobe for winter | stock the lake with
salmon | the garden was well stocked with plants
I’m deeply sceptical about the whole plan | a sceptical
attitude | despite the conclusions of the report, he
remained sceptical about the idea
supplement /ˈsʌplɪment/ Verb
if you supplement something you already have, you add
to it
Noun: sceptic Noun: scepticism Adverb: sceptically
Collocates: supplement income/earnings/salaries/
pensions
Collocates: a good deal of scepticism | a degree of
scepticism | widespread scepticism | scepticism about
something
when it comes to climate change, he’s still a sceptic | she
listened to the explantion sceptically | the sceptics were
still not convinced | the plan was greeted with a degree
of scepticism
set foot /ˌset ˈfʊt/ Phrase
if you say that you have never set foot somewhere, you
are emphasising that you never went there, even though
it is likely that you would have done
Collocates: barely/never set foot
for two weeks I barely set foot outside the flat| I’ll never
set foot in that house again!
settle for /ˈset(ə)l fɔː(r)/ Phrasal verb
if you settle for something, you accept it, even though it
is not as good as you wanted it to be
Collocates: eventually/finally settle for something
he eventually settled for a job as a security guard | they
owe you the full value of the car, so don’t settle for less
shift /ʃɪft/ Noun
a shift is a change in the way something happens or
is done, or a change in the way people think about
something
he took a night job to supplement his wages
Adjective: supplementary
Collocates: supplementary material/information
supplementary exercises on the DVD | | the range of
supplementary materials is growing
tray /treɪ/ Noun
a tray is a flat piece of plastic, wood, or metal which you
use to carry things on, such as glasses of drink or plates
of food
Collocates: a tray of drinks/coffee/tea | a breakfast tray
she brought the drinks out on a tray | a tray of coffee
cups
word /wɜː(r)d/ Noun
a word is something that you say to someone. If you put
in a good word for someone, you recommend them to
someone who can help them or give them a job
Collocates: a word of advice/warning/caution/advice/
apology
it was useful having my uncle there to put in a good
word for me | let me give you a word of advice | a word
of warning | a few words of praise | I give you my word
(I promise you) | it’s my word against his (we are giving
different accounts of what happened) | you can take my
word for it (you can believe me)
Collocates: a shift in something | a shift from something
to something | a policy shift | a fundamental/major/
significant shift
pages 84–85
a shift from oil to natural gas | a remarkable shift in
public opinion | the report represented a major shift in
focus
conventional /kənˈvenʃ(ə)nəl/ Adjective
things or ideas that are conventional are usual and
normal, and not new or original
Verb: shift
Collocates: conventional medicine | conventional
method/means | conventional thinking
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an illness that resisted conventional medical treatment |
a challenge to conventional thinking | they can provide
food cheaper than conventional supermarkets | they
shook hands in the conventional way
Adverb: conventionally
she always dressed very conventionally | two fields
were managed conventionally and two were managed
organically | a conventionally designed house with the
bedrooms on the first floor
hands up /ˈhændz ˌʌp/ Phrase
teachers say hands up when they want students to put
their arm up in the air to show that they are ready to
answer a question or have done something that was
expected. Speakers also say hands up when they want
to get some information from their audience
hands up who can remember when Shakespeare was
born | I need a volunteer to take this to the headteacher;
hands up | hands up those of you who are from Mexico
highlight /ˈhaɪˌlaɪt/ Verb
if you highlight something, you talk or write about it in a
way that draws special attention to it because you think
it is an important part of what you are saying
Collocates: highlight issues/concerns/areas
the report highlights four key trends in youth crime |
the minister was right to highlight the issue | she also
highlighted concerns about late-night traffic noise
in short /ɪn ˈʃɔː(r)t/ Phrase
you say in short to introduce an explanation that is a
shorter or more general version of what you have just
said
we need to cut down on manufacturing, driving,
heating... in short, anything that burns carbon
mass /mæs/ Adjective
mass actions, events, or activities involve a large number
of people at the same time
Collocates: mass unemployment | mass hysteria |
mass destruction/murder/extinction | mass protest/
demonstration | mass media
the 1930s was a decade of mass unemployment |
weapons of mass destruction (weapons that can kill a
lot of people at one time) | mass demonstrations in the
capital | a mass murderer (a murderer who has killed a
lot of people) | 20th century culture was shaped by the
mass media
Noun: mass
Collocates: a mass of people/things | the masses
laws which aim to give the mass of people a better life
| an appeal to the mass of the population | bringing
education to the masses
military /ˈmɪlɪt(ə)ri/ Adjective
military means relating to the army and other armed
forces of a country
Collocates: military personnel/leaders/forces | military
equipment | military action/campaign/operation/exercise/
conflict/intervention | military base | military aid
military spending reached $700 billion | an exhibition of
old military vehicles | offensive military operations | the
hotel was turned into a military base | he was a great
military commander | serving military officers
Noun: military
Collocates: join the military
he joined the military as soon as the war started | the
British military denied the report | the Turkish military
evacuated the region
move on /muːv ˈɒn/ Phrasal verb
if you move on, you change the topic of what you are
writing or talking about
Collocates: move on to something
let’s move on to the next question | moving on to my
conclusion | before I move on, are there any questions?
outline /ˈaʊtlaɪn/ Verb
if you outline something, you give a short or general
explanation of it without providing a lot of details
Collocates: briefly outline | broadly outline | outline
plans/proposals/policies
I’d like to begin by outlining the proposal | he outlined
the government’s policies | let me briefly outline the plan
Noun: outline Adjective: outline
Collocates: an outline of a plan/proposal | a broad/
general/basic outline | a brief outline | an initial/
preliminary outline
she gave a brief outline of the company’s history | a
broad outline of the proposals | this is just an initial
outline, and further detail will be provided next week | an
outline proposal
overview /ˈəʊvə(r)ˌvjuː/ Noun
an overview is a description of the main parts of
something
Collocates: an overview of something | give/provide/
present an overview | brief/clear/broad overview
an overview of the issues involved | it gives an overview
of American history | a brief overview of the problem |
the author provides a broad overview of the research
rank /ræŋk/ Noun
the rank of something or someone is their position on a
scale
China is now in the top rank of the world’s trading
nations
Verb: rank Noun: ranking
Collocates: high/low ranking
the restaurant ranks highly for service | how would you
rank the four cars in order of comfort? | a tennis player
who ranks ninth in the world | she still stands at number
one in the world rankings
sum up /sʌm ʌp/ Phrasal verb
to sum up means to say something that is a summary of
what you have just been saying, especially at the end of
a speech or presentation
Collocates: sum up a talk/speech/lecture
to sum up: if you want a great holiday, come to Cyprus
| the speaker summed up her talk with just two words:
vote Democrat | let me sum up by saying how much
I’ve learned from talking to you all today | use the last
paragraph to sum up your argument
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Noun: summing-up
the meeting ended with a summing-up by the chairman,
and then a vote | it was a complicated topic and his
summing-up took nearly an hour
terror /ˈterə(r)/ Noun uncount
terror is the use of extreme violence for political
purposes
Collocates: a terror attack | a terror campaign
we will not give in to terror | the war on terror can never
be won | the IRA’s campaign of terror finally came to an
end | a series of brutal terror attacks on the capital
Noun: terrorist Noun: terrorism Verb: terrorise
Collocates: a terrorist organisation/group/cell/network |
a terrorist act/activity/attack/bombing | a terrorist threat
| terrorise someone into doing something | terrorise
civilians/residents
test /test/ Verb
to test someone means to make them answer a set
of questions in order to find out how much they know
about a subject
Collocates: test someone on something
we were tested twice a week in maths | Mr Wilkins
is going to test us on Friday | can you test me on
my history? (ask me a few questions to check if I’ve
remembered enough)
Noun: test
Collocates: a weekly/regular test | a practical/multiplechoice/online test | a written/oral test
a maths test | a spelling test | a geography test | you
have half an hour to complete the test
an operation against a large terrorist organization | a
series of terrorist bombings caused panic among the
population | the threat of terrorism constantly hung
over them | he was arrested on terrorism charges |
government attempts to combat terrorism | 9/11 was
a major act of terrorism against the United States | the
bombings terrorised people in the villages nearby |
attempts to terrorise the civilian population into leaving
the city
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 9
EXERCISES
1 The
on my course is brilliant.
2 I’ve just started a new job as a market
.
Prepositions
3 My
promotion.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 Are you finding it hard to cope
2 He rose to the rank
4 I gave some money to a
street.
the workload?
a tray.
Collocations
this!
F
B Choose the correct preposition.
1 The consultant gave a brief overview at/of the
problem.
Complete the collocations with the verbs in the
box. Look up the nouns if you need help.
get
outline
2 I take my lunch break at/on twelve.
sum up
hand
3 I’m deeply sceptical about/for the whole plan.
1
the hang of (something)
4 The garden was well stocked in/with plants.
2
in your notice
5 We’ve kept in touch since/before we left school
3
a lecture
4
market research
5
a proposal
6
an excuse
Word families
C Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
1 an emotionally draining feel completely
experience
2 made redundant
haunted by fears of
3 a stimulating experience
mental
4 stop interfering!too much
5 promoted at worka well-earned
6 the novelty wore off
a
approach
D Complete the sentences with the correct words
from the words in brackets.
1 It was a really
experience. (reward)
2 You should talk to your
(management)
about it.
3 We’ve had
(count)
4 He
(delegation)
applications for this role.
the responsibility to me.
5 Try to ignore his
6 He was
(restless)
! (interfere)
pacing up and down.
carry out
make up
G Complete the sentences with the correct noun
from the box. Look up the nouns if you need
help.
rise
touch
overview
row
training
spirit
1 My boss has arranged in-house
everyone.
for
2 Unions are calling for a 50% pay
.
3 He gave a broad
of the plan.
4 We’ve kept in
years.
for the past twenty
5 They had a blazing
last night.
about money
6 She has a restless
in a job for long.
and never stays
Phrasal verbs
H Choose the correct word to complete the phrasal
verb.
1 The excuse he made up/out was completely
unconvincing.
2 Let’s move up/on to the next topic.
3 It’s important to sum over/up your argument at
the end.
Word-building
E Complete the sentences with the correct noun
from the words in the box.
research
beg
of
the conventional way.
4 She brought the coffee to us
5 I’ll never get the hang
on the
5 They were accused of being
cheap labour.
captain in the navy.
3 They greeted each other
has recommend me for a
exploit
training
manage
4 You shouldn’t have to settle for/up this.
5 We spend the whole day digging up/in vegetables in
the garden.
6 A petition was handed in/out to the council.
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 10
10 SOCIALISING
Pages 88–89
awkward /ˈɔːkwə(r)d/ Adjective
something that is awkward is difficult to deal with. If
somewhere is awkward to get to, it is difficult to find or
involves taking several different sorts of transpoirt
an isolated village that was very awkward to get to | it’s
an awkward place to find, so let me drive you there | it
was a long and awkward journey, but we got there in
time for dinner
booth /buːð/ Noun
a booth is an area in a restaurant, bar, or club which has
sides on it so that you can have some privacy from the
other people there
eight of us tried to squeeze into a booth for six | we
could hear what the people in the next booth were
saying | there were four karaoke booths upstairs
break /breɪk/ Noun
a break is a short holiday when you go away somewhere
Collocates: go on a break | have a break | a weekend/
short break | a city break
we went on a weekend break to Paris | special offer
short breaks available if you book today | I can’t afford a
break, even in Manchester
bunch /bʌntʃ/ Noun
a bunch of people is a number of them who are all
together
Collocates: a bunch of friends/colleagues/mates/friends/
kids
a bunch of us met up for a meal at the weekend | they’re
a nice bunch of kids | he was hanging out near the
station with a bunch of friends
do /duː/ Noun
a do is a special party or other social occasion
Collocates: a big do | a birthday do
it’s her 30th birthday so she’s planning a big do | the
annual family do in Somerset | are you going to the do
at the club tonight? | I’ve been invited to his stag do (a
special party a man has with his male friends shortly
before he gets married)
end-of-year /ˌend əv ˈjɪə(r)/ Adjective
end-of-year activities happen at the end of a period of
time such as a school year or a financial year
an end-of-year party | the chairman’s end-of-year review
can be downloaded from the company website | endof-year exams | her end-of-year address to the nation |
the finance department are preparing the end-of-year
results
get-together /ˈɡet ˌtəˈɡeðə(r)/ Noun
a get-together is a party you have with friends or family
together | a family get-together | an annual get-together
we have an annual get-together every June in Plymouth
| a family get-together at my brother’s house | an
informal get-together at her old school
Phrasal verb: get together
we must get together after Christmas | it’s the first time
we’ve been able to get together for nearly three years
mad /mæd/ Adjective
if you go mad, you behave in a wild and uncontrolled
way, doing things you do not normally let yourself do
let’s go mad and order some champagne | the kids went
mad with excitement when they heard you were coming |
here’s £200 for your birthday, but don’t go mad with it
Adverb: madly
he grinned madly at me | she ran madly round the room
shouting “Yes, yes, yes!”
miles /maɪlz/Noun plural
if you say that somewhere is miles away, you mean it is a
very long way away
you’ll never get there in time. It’s miles away | I lost all
my friends when I was six, and we moved to a new
house that was miles away | I’m not walking home from
here. It’s miles!
renew /rɪˈnjuː/ Verb
if you renew an official document such as a driving
licence or passport, you extend the time during which it
can be used
Collocates: renew a passport/licence/contract
you need to renew your driving licence before the end of
the month | luckily my contract was renewed for another
three years | it costs £100 and takes three weeks to
renew a passport now
Noun: renewal Adjective: renewable
Collocates: a renewal date | a renewal fee | a renewal
notice | a renewal application | renewable for 2/4/ etc
years | be up for renewal
an annual renewal fee of £75 | please check that the
address on your renewal notice is correct | send your
form in at least five days before the renewal date | the
lease is for two years, renewable for a further two |
the end of the first year of her renewable contract |
my contract is up for renewal in June (will need to be
renewed then)
safe /seɪf/ Adjective
if you do something to be on the safe side, you do not
take any risks because you want to be sure you will not
fail or have any problems
take a torch to be on the safe side | take your credit card
as well to be on the safe side | we’d better leave by ten
to be on the safe side
Collocates: a small get-together | an informal get-
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treat /triːt/ Verb
if someone treats you, they give you something special
or they do something especially nice for you as a
present. If you treat yourself, you buy yourself something
special or let yourself do something that you really enjoy
Collocates: treat someone/yourself to something
I think you should treat yourself to those earrings | they
treated us to a weekend in New York!
Noun: treat
Collocates: a birthday/special treat | an occasional treat |
a rare treat | a delicious/tasty treat
I’ll pay the bill, I insist. It’s my treat | their dad always
brought them back a treat when he’d been to London
| she arranged a trip to Moscow as a birthday treat |
Tickets for the opera? That’s a rare treat
up /ʌp/ Adverb
if you are up for something, you are very keen to do it
Collocates: be up for something
who’s up for a trip to the river? | I’m always up for a bit of
fun | are you up for another game?
Pages 90–91
affection /əˈfekʃ(ə)n/ Noun uncount
affection is the feeling you have for someone when you
like them very much
Collocates: great/deep/genuine/mutual affection |
affection for someone | hold someone in affection | a
show of affection
he never felt any great affection for her | I know she
feels a deep affection for you | he spoke of his mother
with affection and respect | a public show of affection |
outward signs of affection | he was held in great
affection by the whole family
Adjective: affectionate | Adverb: affectionately
Collocates: affectionate towards someone | affectionately
known as something | affectionately called something
she is very affectionate towards my aunt | I have very
affectionate memories of the teachers at my old school |
they were clearly a happy and affectionate family | Mr
Wilkins, or Wilko as he was affectionately known
attendant /əˈtendənt/ Noun
on an aeroplane, the attendants are the people who
help the passengers and serve their food
Collocates: a flight attendant | a cabin attendant
a job as a flight attendant | she works as a cabin
attendant for Cathay Pacific
Verb: attend
Collocates: attend to someone
can you attend to the passenger in seat 14B, please?
boundary /ˈbaʊnd(ə)ri/ Noun
the boundary of a physical area is the edge, where one
area stops and another starts. A boundary is also the
point at which one thing starts to become another
Collocates: a boundary between things
the remains of the 14th-century wall mark the old city
boundary | the boundary between life and death | the
boundaries betwen public and private life | a clear
boundary between reality and fantasy
burst out /ˈbɜː(r)st ˌaʊt/ Phrasal verb
if you burst out laughing or crying, you suddenly start
laughing or crying. You can also say that you burst into
laughter or tears.
Collocates: burst out laughing/crying/singing
Donna couldn’t help it – she just burst out laughing | she
thought he was dead and burst out crying | she kept
bursting into tears | he burst into loud laughter
casually /ˈkæʒuəli/ Adverb
if people dress casually, they wear comfortable clothes
that are suitable for informal occasions
Collocates: dress casually | casually dressed
he was casually dressed in trainers, jeans and a
sweatshirt | more and more employees are dressing
casually for work
Adjective: casual
Collocates: casual wear/clothes/clothing/style
we stock casual clothing for all the family | her designs
tend towards a casual style | smart casual wear is
acceptable in the club
catch out /ˈkætʃ ˌaʊt/ Phrasal verb
if you get caught out by something, you get into a
difficult situation because you were not able to stop it
developing
Collocates: be/get caught out by something
investors risk getting caught out by another recession |
be careful on the beach; the tide comes in very fast and
it can catch you out
charity event /ˈtʃærəti ɪˌvent/ Noun
a charity event is an occasion such as a dinner, a party,
or a sports event which people pay to attend, often
because there are famous people taking part. The
purpose of charity events is to raise money for a charity
a series of charity events including a football match and
a celebrity golf tournament | they raised over £40,000
through the two charity events
copy in /ˈkɒpi ˌɪn/ Phrasal verb
to copy someone in on an email means to send it to
them as well as to the person it is written to
Collocates: copy someone in on/to something
when you reply to the client, copy me in, please | my
manager wants to be copied in on all the team emails |
I would be grateful if you would copy me in to any
communication you have with them
display /dɪˈspleɪ/ Noun
a display of something is an occasion when someone
publicly shows a particular feeling or emotion
Collocates: an open/public display | a display of emotion/
anger/grief/affection | a display of wealth/power/strength
it was an unexpected display of emotion from him | the
public display of grief that followed the death of the
princess
Verb: display
Collocates: openly/publicly display something
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the English try hard not to display their emotions | he
was too ashamed to publicly display his grief
ease /iːz/ Noun uncount
ease is a feeling of being relaxed and comfortable. If you
are at ease in a situation, you are relaxed and do not feel
threatened
Collocates: put someone at ease | feel at ease
he was at ease with them | I felt completely at ease | we
tried to make him feel at ease | he seemed ill at ease
(not relaxed) | they tried to put me at ease (make me feel
relaxed)
fail /feɪl/ Verb
when something such as a machine or an important part
of your body fails, it stops working properly
both engines failed within an hour of taking off | the
brakes failed in the wet conditions | she was only 11
when her kidneys failed
Noun: failure
he pulled out of the race with engine failure | heart
failure is a common cause of death | the probable cause
was mechanical failure
fellow /ˈfeləʊ/ Adjective
your fellow students or workers are the people you study
with or work with
I get on well with my fellow students | he was talking to
some fellow passengers | his fellow countrymen | her
fellow office workers
impact /ˈɪmpækt/ Noun
the impact of an event is the sudden and serious effect it
has on a situation
Collocates: a major/enormous/significant impact | a
negative/serious/disastrous impact | have an impact | an
impact on something
the environmental impact of heavy traffic in city centres |
a significant impact on the price of oil | unemployment
is known to have a negative impact on health | this will
have a measurable impact on passenger numbers
Verb: impact
Collocates: impact on something | impact something
the cuts will certainly impact on service delivery |
working shorter hours will impact negatively on their
career progression | these decisions could impact the
lives of thousands of people
interrupt /ˌɪntəˈrʌpt/ Verb
if you interrupt someone, you start talking while they are
saying something so that they cannot finish what they
were saying
Collocates: be rudely interrupted | be constantly/
repeatedly interrupted
I’m sorry to interrupt, but could you take a look at this? |
can I just briefly interrupt? | don’t interrupt me when I’m
speaking | I hate being interrupted when I’m working |
as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted | the
speech was constantly interrupted by protestors
Noun: interruption
Noun: fellow
Collocates: constant/frequent/repeated interruptions
he was admired by his fellows in the medical profession
there were constant interruptions | I ignored the
interruption and carried on
frown on /ˈfraʊn ˌɒn/ Phrasal verb
to frown on something or to frown upon it means to
disapprove of it
such displays of affection are frowned on here | some
people still frown on divorce | smoking in the park is
frowned upon
harm /hɑː(r)m/ Noun uncount
harm is the bad effect of an action or damage caused by
the action
Collocates: cause/do/inflict harm |significant/serious/
irreparable/untold harm
changing your diet now will do more harm than good | I
didn’t mean any harm | an increased risk of harm | you
risk untold harm to your liver (extremely serious harm) |
there’s a risk that the child will suffer serious harm
unless action is taken
Adjective: harmful | Adjective: harmless
Collocates: deeply/positively/extremely harmful |
potentially harmful| environmentally harmful | a harmful
substance/effect | harmful emissions | completely/
perfectly/relatively harmless | seemingly harmless
environmentally harmful farming methods | alcohol is a
potentially harmful substance | higher taxes risk having
a harmful effect on the car industry | he looks very fierce
but he’s quite harmless | most of these substances are
relatively harmless | a bit of harmless fun
meant /ment/ Adjective
if something was meant to happen or meant to be a
particular thing, it happened or it was that thing on
purpose and not by accident
Collocates: be meant to do something | be meant to be
something
the sugar is meant to be added just before the end of
the cooking time | it was meant to make you laugh | the
film was meant to be a serious look at life in the Arctic
Verb: mean
Collocates: mean to do something | mean something to
be something
I didn’t mean to hurt you | she meant it to be a surprise | I
can’t believe you meant to be so rude to your father
moan /məʊn/ Verb
if you moan about someone or something, you complain
about them in a very unhappy way
Collocates: moan about someone/something
she’s always moaning about the buses | there’s no point
moaning; it won’t change anything | don’t be such a
moaning Minnie (someone who is annoying because
they are always complaining) | “I hate you! You never let
me stay out late,” he moaned
Noun: moaner | Noun: moan
don’t be such a moaner | he’s one of the biggest
moaners I know | I don’t want to listen to your moans! |
he had a moan about the referee after the match
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 10
on air /ɒn ˈeə(r)/ Phrase
if someone is on air or on the air, they are being
broadcast on radio or television. If a radio or television
station goes on air, it starts broadcasting. If a programme
is on air, it is being broadcast
Collocates: live on (the) air | go/come on (the) air
he was sacked for swearing on air | I thought I’d be
nervous, but I was fine as soon as I was on air | the
minister went on the air to explain the reasons for the
changes | the show went on air earlier this month |
Channel 4 first went on air in 1982
Verb: air | Opposite: off (the) air
the interview with Obama aired last Friday | they were
not allowed to air the programme before 9 in the
evening | luckily, the remarks were made off the air
outrage /ˈaʊtˌreɪdʒ/ Noun uncount
outrage is a feeling of very strong anger
Collocates: cause/spark/trigger outrage | moral outrage |
public outrage | express outrage
news of the ban caused outrage across the country | the
speech was greeted with outrage by opposition groups |
there’s been widespread public outrage | I felt a deep
sense of outrage
Verb: outrage | Adjective: outrageous |
Adverb: outrageously
a lot of people were outraged by the idea | that’s
an outrageous suggestion! | you’ve been behaving
outrageously all evening (you’ve been behaving very
badly)
resign /rɪˈzaɪn/ Verb
if you resign, you say officially that you are leaving your
job
Collocates: resign from something | resign as something
| resign something
I’m going to try and persuade her not to resign | he’s
resigning from his job | he may be forced to resign as
prime minister | he resigned his post as ambassador to
the United Nations | she threatened to resign
Noun: resignation
Collocates: hand in/submit/tender your resignation
| demand/accept someone’s resignation | call for
someone’s resignation
I’ve handed in my resignation | he’s announced his
resignation from the government | protestors have
called for her resignation | reluctantly she accepted his
resignation
rival /ˈraɪv(ə)l/ Noun
a rival is a person or organisation who is competing with
you to achieve the same things
Collocates: someone’s main/nearest/chief/closest/
fiercest rival | a bitter/deadly rival
his closest rival was injured two weeks before the race |
they’d been bitter rivals for 20 years, but now they’ve
found friendship | Radcliffe finished nearly two minutes
ahead of her nearest rival
Noun: rivalry
Collocates: fierce/bitter rivalry | sibling rivalry | rivalry
between people
publicise /ˈpʌblɪsaɪz/ Verb
when something is publicised, information about it is
released so that people get to know about it
the rivalry between the two cities occasionally erupted
into violence | a bitter rivalry that lasted 20 years |
sibling rivalry (rivalry between brothers or sisters)
Collocates: be widely/highly/heavily publicised
sack /sæk/ Verb
if someone sacks you or if you get sacked, you are
officially told by your employer that you no longer have
a job, usually because you did something wrong or
because you did not work well enough
she was in Liverpool, publicising her latest book |
news of the Royal visit was widely publicised | a highly
publicised speech by the prime minister
Noun: publicity
Collocates: a publicity campaign | a publicity stunt |
favourable/good publicity | bad/negative/unfavourable/
unwelcome publicity
there’s no such thing as bad publicity (it’s better for
people to hear something about you, even if it is bad,
than to hear nothing about you) | the incident exposed
the college to some unwelcome publicity | the advance
publicity for the show was very effective | parents
mounted a publicity campaign to save the school
from closing | it was just a cheap publicity stunt (a silly
event that that was intended only to draw attention to
something)
rally /ˈræli/ Noun
a rally is a big public event that is held in support of a
political party or of an organisation such as a charity
Collocates: attend/join a rally | a mass rally | hold/stage/
organise a rally | a campaign rally | a protest rally | an
election rally
several MPs attended the rally in Glasgow yesterday |
mass rallies were held across the country | a rally in
support of the miners
Collocates: sack someone from something | sack
someone for (doing) something
he was sacked for stealing from the kitchens | the
company sacked him for passing secrets to a rival |
Williams, 47, was sacked from his post as finance
director
Noun: sack | Noun: sacking
Collocates: give someone the sack | get the sack
getting the sack was the start of his troubles | she
threatened to give me the sack if I didn’t finish the
project in time | there’ve been several sackings since
Christmas in an attempt to save the company money |
More than 30 managers lost their jobs this morning, and
further sackings are sure to follow | a sacking offence
(an action that is so seriously wrong that it can result in
someone getting the sack)
share /ʃeə(r)/ Noun
the shares in a company are the parts into which its
ownership is divided and which can be bought and sold.
The share price is the price you have to pay to buy a
share
Collocates: buy/sell shares
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 10
now is not a good time to buy shares in the company |
she decided to sell her shares to pay off her debts | the
company’s share price crashed | the share price has
gone down to just 32p | share prices have bounced
back after the recession
Noun: shareholder
shareholders objected to the chairman’s pay rise | the
takeover can go ahead only with shareholder approval |
the annual shareholders meeting
side /saɪd/ Noun
a particular side of a situation is a particular aspect of it
that is being described
Collocates: the funny/bright side of something/someone |
a positive/negative side | a gentle/nasty side
there’s a dark side to his personality (he is unhappy or
does bad things sometimes) | always look on the bright
side of life (be positive and think about good things) | on
the plus side, we’ll have a whole weekend together | the
negative side to life in the country is the slow Internet
connection | after a few drinks he shows his nasty side
it was their third attempt to take over the rival company |
we were taken over by the largest mining company in
the world
Noun: takeover
Collocates: a takeover bid | a hostile takeover
Murdoch launched a takeover bid in early December |
they voted to remain independent and reject the hostile
takeover (a takeover that the company did not want to
agree to) | government approval was needed before
they could complete the takeover
unfortunate /ʌnˈfɔː(r)tʃ(ə)nət/ Adjective
if you say that someone is unfortunate, you mean that
something bad has happened to them, although it was
not their fault
Collocates: unfortunate for someone
he was unfortunate enough to miss the first week of the
training course through illness | it was unfortunate for us
all when the factory closed
Adverb: unfortunately | Adjective: fortunate |
Adverb: fortunately | Noun: fortune | Noun: misfortune
slap /slæp/ Verb
if you slap someone, you hit them with your open hand
Collocates: personal misfortune | individual misfortune |
great misfortune
Collocates: slap someone in/across the face | slap
someone on the head/bottom/cheek
Ray was unfortunately overlooked for the top job |
My uncle, unfortunately, had to stay behind | we are
fortunate that it’s such a good school | she is fortunate in
having a good team working for her | fortunately for us,
the next train arrived almost immediately | he had the
good fortune to buy a Picasso before the artist became
famous | the worst film it’s been my misfortune to see | it
was his misfortune that he broke his leg just as he was
beginning his football career
a teacher who used to slap me on the back of my head |
slapping children in the face like that is unacceptable | if
you weren’t so far away I’d slap you across the face | he
slapped me on the back (hit me in a friendly way on the
back)
Noun: slap
Collocates: a hard/sharp slap | a slap on the hand/wrist/
cheek | give someone a slap
I fully expected a slap on my cheek | she gave me a slap
and told me to behave | be quiet or you’ll get a slap in
the mouth
sympathy /ˈsɪmpəθi/ Noun uncount
if you feel sympathy for someone, you feel sorry for them
because they are sad or in a bad situation
Collocates: feel/have/show/express sympathy (for/
towards someone) | deepest/heartfelt sympathy
we would like to pass on our deepest sympathy to Jeff’s
widow, Kath | she got no sympathy from her sister, who
was secretly delighted | I felt no sympathy for him | do
you have any sympathy for her?
Verb: sympathise | Adjective: sympathetic |
Adverb: sympathetically
the neighbours came round to sympathise when they
heard the news | would it help if I go and lend him a
sympathetic ear? (go and listen to him sympathetically)
| Albert had been very sympathetic, but he could do
nothing to make the situation better | she listened
sympathetically as he poured out his grief | “Poor old
you”, he said sympathetically
take over /ˌteɪk ˈəʊvə(r)/ Phrasal verb
when one company takes over another company,
it becomes the new owner and the two companies
combine to become one company
half the directors left as soon as the firm was taken over |
Pages 92–93
bore /bɔː(r)/ Noun
if you refer to someone as a bore, you mean that they
talk in a very dull and uninteresting way
Collocates: a terrible/crashing bore
don’t be such a bore | you’re becoming a terrible bore,
Boris | a reputation for being something of a bore | his
uncle was a crashing bore (extremely boring)
Adjective: boring | Verb: bore | Adjective: bored |
Noun: boredom
Collocates: excruciatingly/incredibly boring | be bored
stiff/rigid | sheer boredom
such a boring meeting | am I boring you? | I was bored
stiff (extremely bored) | if you’re bored indoors, why don’t
you go outside and play? | the film was two hours of
sheer boredom | the scenery was flat, with not even any
trees to relieve the boredom
break up /ˈbreɪk ˌʌp/ Phrasal verb
if someone breaks up a party, a meeting, or a
demonstration, they make everyone leave because
there has been violence or wild behaviour. If a party,
meeting, or demonstration breaks up, it comes to an end
and everyone goes away
once the demonstration turned violent, the police
moved in to break it up | trying to break up the fight | the
meeting broke up at four o’clock | the party finally broke
up at midnight
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 10
burst into /ˈbɜː(r)st ˌɪntə/ Phrasal verb
if you burst into tears, laughter, or song, you suddenly
start crying, laughing, or singing
Collocates: burst into tears/laughter/song/applause
she kept bursting into tears | the child burst into
uncontrollable sobs | the audience burst into wild
applause
chat up /ˈtʃæt ˌʌp/ Phrasal verb
to chat someone up means to talk to them in a very
friendly way because you want to start a romantic
relationship with them. A chat-up line is something
someone says in order to start a conversation like this
he kept trying to chat me up | he spent the evening
chatting her up | we got chatted up by a couple of
waiters | what’s the most successful chat-up line you’ve
ever used?
drag /dræɡ/ Verb
if you drag someone somewhere, you make them go
there with you, even though they do not want to go
my friend dragged me along to the party | trying to drag
him away from the pub | they dragged me off to the
cinema | we managed to drag him out of bed
get lost /ˌɡet ˈlɒst/ Phrase
if you tell someone to get lost, you are telling them
forcefully to go away
I had to tell him to get lost | I wish he’d just get lost | why
don’t you just get lost? | go on – get lost!
grab /ɡræb/ Verb
if you grab something such as food or a drink, you take
it from somewhere very quickly, especially because you
are in a hurry
there’s no time for lunch; I’ll grab a sandwich at the
station | can you grab me a coffee while I make a call? |
she grabbed a can of cola on her way into the lecture
inward /ˈɪnwə(r)d/ Adjective
inward actions or movements are directed towards the
centre of something. Inward investment is investment
made in one country by people and companies from
other countries
Collocates: inward migration | inward investment
Over that period, inward migration to the UK fell by
42,000 to 536,00 | the government lowered taxes in an
attempt to attract inward investment
leave out /ˈliːv ˌaʊt/ Phrasal verb
if you leave someone or something out of an activity or
group, you do not include them in it
Collocates: leave someone/something out of something
I feel a bit left out / we tried not to leave anyone out /
she left out a few important details / a few names had
been left out
light /laɪt/ Noun
if someone asks you for a light, they are asking you for a
match or a cigarette lighter because they don’t have one
but they want to start smoking a cigarette
Collocates: give someone a light | ask someone for a
light
have you got a light? | here, let me give you a light | can
anyone here give me a light? | he came over to ask me
for a light
marquee /mɑː(r)ˈkiː/ Noun
a marquee is a large tent that you use for a party
outdoors
Collocates: hire/rent a marquee | put up/erect a marquee
they set up a marquee in the garden | we’re going to
hire a marquee | the reception was held in a marquee
on the lawn | sitting under a large marquee
moan /məʊn/ Verb
if you moan about someone or something, you complain
about them in a very unhappy way
Collocates: moan about someone/something
she’s always moaning about the buses | there’s no point
moaning; it won’t change anything | don’t be such a
moaning Minnie (someone who is annoying because
they are always complaining) | “I hate you! You never let
me stay out late” he moaned
Noun: moaner | Noun: moan
don’t be such a moaner | he’s one of the biggest
moaners I know | I don’t want to listen to your moans! |
he had a moan about the referee after the match
out of hand /ˌaʊt əv ˈhænd/ Phrase
if something gets out of hand, it becomes difficult to
control
Collocates: get out of hand | completely out of hand
the party got a bit out of hand | the situation is getting
completely out of hand | matters are clearly out of hand |
we need to act now before the problem gets out of hand
overhear /ˌəʊvə(r)ˈhɪə(r)/ Verb
if you overhear what someone is saying, you accidentally
hear it and they do not know that you could hear
I couldn’t help overhearing | I overheard them talking
about it | I overheard him saying he was going to leave |
I don’t want anyone to overhear this
polish /ˈpɒlɪʃ/ Verb
to polish something means to rub it with a cloth or a
special substance to make it shine
Collocates: polish shoes/boots | polish a surface/mirror
I need to polish my shoes before I go out | to polish the
floor | the brightly polished surface of her desk
Noun: polish
Collocates: boot/shoe polish | furniture/floor polish |
metal/wood polish
spray the miror with polish, then wipe it clean | the heavy
scent of wood polish | black shoe polish
sneak /sniːk/ Verb
if you sneak somewhere, you go there quietly and
secretly, hoping that no one will see you
Collocates: sneak in/out/away/off
I got bored and decided to sneak out | we sneaked in
through the back door | let’s sneak round the back | we
sneaked off home before the last lesson
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turn up /ˈtɜː(r)n ˌʌp/ Phrasal verb
to turn up somewhere means to arrive there
Collocates: turn up for/to something | turn up late
hardly anyone turned up | he turned up half an hour
late | you don’t have to book – you can just turn up and
buy a ticket at the door | she didn’t turn up for work
yesterday | only six people turned up to the parish
meeting last night
versatile /ˈvɜː(r)sətaɪl/ Adjective
something that is versatile can be used in a lot of
different ways
Collocates: highly/extremely versatile
aubergines are so versatile | there are few materials as
versatile as plastic | the new generation of smartphones
are extremely versatile gadgets | an incredibly versatile
actor (able to play a lot of different roles)
Noun: versatility
Collocates: remarkable/considerable versatility
the versatility of pasta as an ingredient | she was
amazed at his versatility in the kitchen | the concert
displayed his considerable versatility as a performer
ITYSome nouns are formed by adding –ity to adjectives.
For example: a very versatile vegetable / show amazing
versatility.
a secure environment / improve security; lead an
active life / avoid physical activity; get very humid /
90% humidity; a very responsible job / take on more
responsibility; a special person / a local speciality;
obese people / combat obesity; in public / attract a lot of
publicity
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 10
EXERCISES
Collocations
Prepositions
E Complete the sentences with the correct form
of the verbs in the box. Look up the verbs if you
need help.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 I felt completely at ease
2 She forgot to turn up
3 It was taken over
her appointment.
6 A bunch
3 Don’t forget to
we go out.
applause.
your shoes before
4 She’s always
any emails.
about something.
5 I felt a bit
B Choose the correct preposition.
1 Many people were outraged by/for the idea.
2 I don’t appreciate public displays of/with affection.
3 Smoking is frowned off/on here.
4 He has been sacked at/from his job.
5 We had to drag him out to/of bed!
6 He came over and asked me for/by a light.
moan
2 His new film has been heavily
the safe side.
us went to the cinema on Friday.
7 Please copy me in
leave out
polish
1 I asked her what was wrong and she
into tears.
a larger company.
4 We’d better leave now to be
5 The audience burst
burst
publicise
them.
F
.
Match the two halves of the collocations. Look
up the nouns (a–e) if you need help.
1 a small
a) attendant
2 flight
b) on air
3 live
c) get-together
4 a terrible
d) sack
5 get the
e) bore
G Complete the collocations with nouns from
the unit.
Word families
C Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
1 don’t interrupt me
constant
2 a slap on the wrist
mechanical
4 casually dressed
4 have an i _ _ _ _ t
5 look on the bright s _ _ e
clothing
5 a bitter rival
2 be on the safe s _ _ e
3 buy and sell s_ _ _ _ s
someone
3 the engine failed
1 a city b _ _ _ k
fierce
6 a d _ _ _ _ _ y of power
7 stage a r _ _ _ y
6 treat yourself to something a birthday
7 a versatile machine
Phrasal verbs
amazing
H Choose the correct word to complete the phrasal
verb.
Word-building
D Complete the sentences with adjectives formed
from the nouns.
outrage
sympathy
1 That’s an
2 She was very
harm
bore
affection
2 Long coffee breaks are frowned on/of in my office.
3 They attempted to take up/over the rival company.
4 I’m sorry but I have to break away/up the party.
5 We’re married but we still chat each other about/up.
idea!
about it.
3 I watched such a
film last night.
4 It was just a bit of
fun.
5 They’re very
1 Don’t get caught out/in by the tide.
6 I feel a bit left in/out when I’m with you and your
friends.
7 She eventually turned up/in halfway through the
evening.
towards each other.
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 11
11 TRANSPORT AND TRAVEL
Pages 98–99
chain /tʃeɪn/ Noun
on a bicycle, the chain is the set of linked metal rings
which connect the pedals to the back wheel and help
make the bicycle move
Collocates: a bike chain
my chain came off twice on the way home | an oily chain
dent /dent/ Noun
a dent is a place on a surface which is no longer flat
because something has hit against it and damaged it
Collocates: a little/large dent (in something) | make
a dent
there was a noticeable dent in the passenger door | the
dent was the result of a collision with a delivery van | the
bullet made a dent in the ceiling | it left a large dent in
the rear bumper
Adjective: dented | Verb: dent
he backed into my car, dented the boot, then drove off |
the scratched and dented surface of the table | a dented
tin saucepan
deposit /dɪˈpɒzɪt/ Noun
a deposit is a sum of money you pay when you hire
something, and which you get back if you return what
you hired in good condition
Collocates: a refundable/returnable deposit
it was a struggle getting them to return our deposit |
the deposit will be 15% of the rental price | bike hire
is £10 an hour, with a £50 returnable deposit payable
immediately
diesel /ˈdiːz(ə)l/ Noun uncount
diesel is the sort of fuel used in diesel engines, which
burn oil in very hot air. You can refer to a car with a diesel
engine as a diesel
Collocates: diesel vehicle/car/truck/engine | diesel fumes
diesel is more expensive than petrol in the UK | diesel
engines give you more miles to the gallon | our last car
was a diesel | diesel prices are about to go up again
dread /dred/ Verb
if you dread something, you worry about it happening
because you think it will be unpleasant or harmful
Collocates: dread to think something
I used to dread going home in the dark | I dread to think
how much this is going to cost | she always dreaded the
weekly swimming lesson
Adjective: dreaded
the first indications of some dreaded disease | the
dreaded secret police | the dreaded telegram arrived on
Thursday morning: Jim was dead
excess /ˈekses/ Noun
when you make a claim on an insurance policy, the
excess is the amount of money you have to pay yourself,
and the insurance company will pay the rest
a £100 excess | if your claim is for a laptop, there is
a £75 excess fee | under most sections of the policy,
claims will be subject to an excess
fare /feə(r)/ Noun
the fare is the amount of money you have to pay for a
particular journey on public transport or in a taxi
Collocates: bus/train/air fare | one-way/return fare |
standard/second class/first class fare | taxi/cab fare
the taxi fare to the hotel | an increase in train fares |
the bus fares are quite cheap | trying to keep fares low
| complaints about high fares | the return fare to New
York is £475 | the standard metro fare in Moscow is
40 roubles
float /fləʊt/ Verb
if you are floating, you are lying on water without sinking
police are investigating after a body was discovered
floating in a river | can you float? | I tried to float but was
scared of sinking | the boat floated out into the channel
fuel /ˈfjuːəl/ Noun uncount
fuel is material such as coal, gas or petrol that is used
to make heat or light or to provide power for machines.
If a machine is fuel-efficient, it works well and does not
waste fuel while it is working
Collocates: fossil/nuclear fuel | solid fuel | aviation fuel
airlines pay no tax on aviation fuel (fuel that powers
aeroplanes) | an increase on fuel duty (tax that you pay
on petrol) | damage to the planet caused by burning
fossil fuels (coal, gas or oil which comes out of the
ground) | we ran out of fuel | very good fuel consumption
(the amount of fuel a car uses) | the fuel tank | domestic
fuel bills
Verb: fuel
the use of uranium to fuel nuclear power stations
gear /ɡɪə(r)/ Noun
the gears on a car or bicycle are the bits of machinery
that control the way the energy is changed into
movement
Collocates: high/low gear | change gear | first/second
etc. gear | reverse gear | forward gears | in gear | out
of gear
start off in first gear | he changed gear before braking
hard at the corner | leave the car in gear if you’re only
stopping for a few seconds, otherwise take it out of gear
| he drove off with a great crashing of gears
leak /liːk/ Noun
if a container has a leak, it has a small hole which allows
the liquid inside to flow away
Collocates: a leak in something | spring a leak
there’s a leak in the hot water tank | engineers found a
leak in the oil tank | our dishwasher has sprung a leak
(has suddenly developed a leak) | the road was closed
because of a gas leak
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 11
Verb: leak | Noun: leakage
the radiator is leaking | water was leaking out through
the broken pipe | everyone could smell that gas was
leaking | the school had to close because of a nearby
leakage of dangerous chemicals
maintain /meɪnˈteɪn/ Verb
to maintain a piece of machinery means to keep it
in good working order by checking it regularly and
mending it as soon as anything goes wrong with it
a different company was responsible for maintaining
the school heating system | if you don’t maintain your
car properly, it will cost you a lot in the future | problems
were caused by failure to maintain the drainage system
Noun: maintenance
Collocates: routine/regular maintenance
car maintenance classes | preventive maintenance
measures (maintenance that is meant to stop problems
developing)
rental /ˈrent(ə)l/ Noun uncount
rental is the arrangement you have when you rent
something from someone
Collocates: car rental | equipment rental | monthly rental
make sure you keep up to date with your rental
payments | a short-term rental contract | we both had
to sign the vehicle rental agreement | the biggest
equipment rental company in the UK | a monthly rental
charge of £15 for the phone line
Verb: rent | Noun: rent
Collocates: annual/monthly/weekly rent | owe rent
we rented a cottage overlooking the sea | you owe two
months’ rent | the monthly rent went up by £40
small print /ˈsmɔːl prɪnt/ Noun singular
in a contract or other legal document, the small print is
all the complicated detail that people don’t like reading,
but which often has surprising conditions
Collocates: read the small print | be in the small print
if you don’t read the small print, you might get a nasty
shock later | the penalty for late delivery was buried in
the small print| It’s the added extras hidden in the small
print that often make hiring a car more expensive than it
first appears | what you see listed on the site is what you
get, nothing hidden in the small print
stiff /stɪf/ Adjective
something that is stiff doesn’t move as easily as it
ought to
you have to push quite hard – the handle’s very stiff | the
lock on the back door is stiff | my knee is quite stiff this
morning
Adverb: stiffly | Noun: stiffness
I lifted the latch and the door opened stiffly | if you oil the
gears you might reduce the stiffness
tank /tæŋk/ Noun
the tank is the container in a car or other vehicle that
holds the petrol
Collocates: fill the tank (up) | an empty tank | a petrol/
fuel tank
I filled the tank with petrol | we’ve got a full tank | the
tank’s nearly empty | there’s a nasty hole at the bottom
of my fuel tank
tyre /ˈtaɪə(r)/ Noun
tyres are the round rubber outer coverings of the wheels
of cars, buses, bicycles etc that are filled with air
Collocates: a flat tyre | puncture a tyre
we got a flat tyre | I had to buy two new tyres | one of
the tyres was a bit worn | someone let the tyres down
(deliberately let all the air escape from the tyres)
voucher /ˈvaʊtʃə(r)/ Noun
a voucher is an official piece of paper or an electronic
certificate which can be used instead of money, or which
proves that you have already paid for a particular service
or item
Collocates: a discount voucher | a book/gift/travel
voucher
my aunt won a £500 travel voucher | she got a gift
voucher for her birthday | a 10% discount voucher for
new members | please present your voucher at the
reception desk
windscreen /ˈwɪn(d)ˌskriːn/ Noun
a windscreen is a sheet of glass at the front or back of a
car that the driver can see through
Collocates: a shattered/broken/cracked windscreen | a
front/rear windscreen
the windscreen is cracked | wash the windscreen | the
front windscreen | a heated rear windscreen | you’ll have
to replace the windscreen | windscreen wipers (rubberedged strips of metal that wipe away rain and dirt from
the windscreen while you are driving)
Pages 100–101
appeal /əˈpiːl/ Verb
if something appeals to you, you think it is interesting
and want to know more about it or get more involved
in it
Collocates: appeal to someone
there was something noble about him which appealed
to her | a range of books designed to appeal to children
up to the age of 10 | what appealed to us about him was
his sense of humour
Noun: appeal | Adjective: appealing
Collocates: broad/popular appeal | lose appeal | have/
hold appeal
the UK is worried it will lose its appeal | a movie with a
lot of appeal | the sport has great appeal | as a tourist
destination, the town holds no appeal | his manner is
very appealing | a very appealing design
blister /ˈblɪstə(r)/ Noun
a blister is a swollen area on your skin that is full of
clear liquid and is caused by rubbing the skin too much
I got terrible blisters | blisters on my feet | a nasty blister
on my left heel | he had blood blisters on both hands
(blisters that were filled with blood) | my new shoes gave
me blisters straight away
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bond /bɒnd/ Noun
if there is a bond between people, they have developed
an ability to work or live together based on trust and
respect and friendship
Collocates: a close/strong/deep bond | create/develop/
form a bond | strengthen a bond
there’s a deep bond between us | an emotional bond
between the two survivors | the ability of mother and
daughter to form a bond with each other | We spent long
hours in the labs, but this only strengthened the bonds
between fellow classmates
Verb: bond
Collocates: bond with someone
the team has bonded together well | she found it easy to
bond with her students | I met her when I went to college
and we bonded immediately
bond /bɒnd/ Verb
if people bond, they develop an ability to work or live
together based on trust and respect and friendship
Collocates: bond with someone
the team has bonded together well | she found it easy to
bond with her students | I met her when I went to college
and we bonded immediately
Noun: bond
Collocates: a close/strong/deep bond | create/develop/
form a bond | strengthen a bond
there’s a deep bond between us | an emotional bond
between the two survivors | the ability of mother and
daughter to form a bond with each other | We spent long
hours in the labs, but this only strengthened the bonds
between fellow classmates
disrepair /ˌdɪsrɪˈpeə(r)/ Noun uncount
disrepair is the state of being damaged or broken. If
something falls into disrepair, it gradually gets into a bad
condition because no one takes any care of it
Collocates: fall into disrepair | a state of disrepair
the castle was in a state of serious disrepair | the
building was in such a state of disrepair that it had to be
demolished | there were obvious signs of disrepair and
neglect | the sheds have fallen into disrepair and will
have to be pulled down
embark /ɪmˈbɑː(r)k/ Verb
to embark on a journey or activity means to begin it. To
embark also means to go on board a ship or plane at the
start of a journey
Collocates: embark on something
the company embarked on a major review of its
operations | diplomats embarked on another round
of talks | think carefully before embarking on such a
venture | he embarked on a journey that would take him
across three continents | she’s about to embark on a
degree course | we’re embarking on a Caribbean cruise |
the passengers were given the signal to embark
Opposite: disembark
all passengers should disembark as quickly as possible |
a small number of passengers were not allowed to
disembark in Tunis
expanse /ɪkˈspæns/ Noun
an expanse of land or water is a very large area of it
Collocates: a vast/enormous/endless expanse
(of something)
an endless expanse of forest | a tiny island in the
expanse of the Pacific Ocean | an expanse of land to the
south of the mountain
Adjective: expansive
Australia covers an expansive area | the clear waters
and expansive beaches of the resort
herd /hɜː(r)/ Noun
a herd of animals is a large group of them together.
Typically, cows and elephants live in herds
Collocates: a herd of cattle/cows/elephants
he kept chickens and a herd of cows | a large herd of
elephants | a dairy herd (a herd of cows that are kept for
their milk)
Verb: herd
she learnt to herd cattle on her brother’s farm | he
spent his childhood herding goats for his father | It’s like
herding cats (it’s an impossible task)
highlight /ˈhaɪˌlaɪt/ Noun
the highlights of an event or experience are the best and
most exciting or interesting aspects of it
Collocates: the highlights of something
the highlight of the trip was the day spent in the
Hermitage | highlights of the festival will include a
concert in the Town Hall | among the highlights were
cookery demonstrations by a top chef
humanity /hjuːˈmænəti/ Noun uncount
humanity refers to all the people in the world, and the
ability of anyone to behave in a sympathetic and
kind way
Collocates: common humanity
poverty is an affront to our common humanity | the
concept of universal humanity or universal brotherhood |
global warming is the greatest threat facing humanity
Adjective: human | Noun: human
Collocates: human spirit | human behaviour | human
error | human rights
throughout human history | a result of human activity |
the study of human society | the ancestors of modern
humans
independently /ˌɪndɪˈpendəntli/ Adverb
if you do something independently, you do it yourself and
do not allow anyone else to organise it or help you with it
she recovered enough to return home and carry
on living independently | I am planning to travel
independently to India next year | do you prefer to work
independently or as part of a team?
Adjective: independent | Noun: independence
Collocates: gain/achieve independence | lose
independence
at the age of 22, he was finally independent of his
parents | an attempt to become more economically
independent | with independence comes responsibility
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| if he loses his job, he’ll lose his independence | she
gained some independence by taking a job | at camp
you’ll make new friends, learn new things, and gain
some independence
legend /ˈledʒ(ə)nd/ Noun
a legend is a very old story about people and events in
the past that is probably not true
according to legend, the bones of a saint are buried
there | ancient Greek legends | the legend of Robin
Hood | some local legends | legend has it that his ghost
still appears here twice a year
Adjective: legendary
a legendary king of Sparta | the legendary story of the
founding of Rome
mythical /ˈmɪθɪk(ə)l/ Adjective
something that is mythical is not true or does not exist,
but is the subject of stories and legends and feels real to
many people
Collocates: a mythical beast/figure/creature | a mythical
kingdom/place/island
ancient Celtic legend holds that the mythical figure of
Arthur was at one time king of all of England | a centaur
is a mythical creature with the head of a human and the
body of a horse | Brittia, a mythical island off the coast of
Australia
Noun: myth | Noun: mythology | Adjective: mythological
Collocates: popular mythology | a popular myth |
perpetuate a myth
remains /rɪˈmeɪnz/Noun plural
the remains of someone or something are all that is left
of them after they have died or been destroyed
Collocates: human/animal remains | the remains of
someone/something
archaeologists uncovered the remains of three
12th century monks | traces of human remains in the
cellar | the charred remains of the house (what was left
after a fire)
remarkable /rəˈmɑː(r)kəb(ə)l/ Adjective
someone or something that is remarkable is unusual and
impressive
Collocates: truly/quite remarkable
we met some truly remarkable people| he’s quite remarkable
for an 18-year-old | a remarkable journey | she made a
remarkable recovery | it’s a remarkable achievement
Adverb: remarkably
Collocates: remarkably similar
he did remarkably well in his exams | she still seems
remarkably fit and healthy | their conclusions were
remarkably similar
set off / ˈset ˌɒf/ Phrasal verb
if you set off, you start a journey. If you set off for
somewhere, you start your journey to go to that place
we set off for home at 5 | it’s time to set off | she set off
to walk the two miles back to her flat | they set off on a
three-day holiday trip to Edinburgh
classical/Greek/Celtic mythology | the myths and
legends of the ancient Greeks | learning the piano is
relatively easy, contrary to popular myth (what most
people believe) | there are numerous myths concerning
the origin of the castle | Hermes is the messenger god
of classical mythology | the power of ancient mythology |
paintings of mythological scenes
spiritual /ˈspɪrɪtʃuəl/ Adjective
spiritual means relating to your feelings and beliefs and
not to your body or to material things
pace /peɪs/ Noun
the pace of something is the speed at which it happens
an account of his spiritually rich but socially deprived
childhood | a spiritually reviving walk through fields and
woods
Collocates: the pace of something | (at) a slow/gentle/
leisurely pace | a brisk/fast pace
she walked back to the hotel at a leisurely pace | they
kept up a brisk pace all the way home | the pace of
change in our lives is growing ever faster
perspective /pə(r)ˈspektɪv/ Noun
perspective is a sensible way of looking at a situation
and judging how important or serious it is. If you put
something into perspective, you think about it and come
to a sensible decision about how important it really is
compared to other things
Collocates: a fresh/new perspective | a different
perspective | offer/present/give a perspective | out of
perspective
you need to put things into perspective (realise that
things are not as bad or serious as you think) | try to
keep a sense of perspective | I think you’ve got things
out of perspective (you think they are more serious than
they really are) | living in another country gives you a
different perspective on life
it was a deeply spiritual experience | a truly spiritual
journey of discovery | the moral and spiritual growth of
young people
Adverb: spiritually
spot /spɒt/ Noun
a spot is a particular place where someone or something
is, or where something happens
Collocates: a beauty spot | a tourist spot
we chose a nice spot for the picnic | this is a good spot
to catch fish | we visited all the popular tourist spots | a
beauty spot (a place which is very attractive, usually in
the country) | we parked in a shady spot under a tree
turn out /ˈtɜː(r)n ˌaʊt/ Phrasal verb
if you say that something turned out to be a particular
thing, you mean that you realised it actually is that thing
Collocates: turn out to be something
it turned out to be a police car | the airfield turned out to
be just a strip of grass and a hut | he turned out to be a
complete bore
version /ˈvɜː(r)ʃ(ə)n/ Noun
a version of something is one form of it, which is slightly
different from all the other forms of it
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Collocates: the original version | the latest/current/final
version | an early version | a print/electronic version | an
edited version
the latest version of the Windows operating system |
an earlier version of the report | send me an electronic
version of the contract | an updated version of the story
Pages 102–103
anarchy /ˈænə(r)ki/ Noun uncount
anarchy is a situation in which no one obeys any rules
the country is sliding into anarchy | we are in a state
of anarchy | a general atmosphere of near anarchy |
police reported that conditions in the prison were close
to anarchy | the cost of political failure includes violence
and anarchy
Noun: anarchist | Noun: anarchism | Adjective: anarchic
anarchists who opposed any sort of political
organisation | the creativity and anarchism of the 1960s |
the result of truly anarchic individualist thinking
appeal /əˈpiːl/ Verb
if you appeal, or if you appeal against a decision, you
ask people in authority to consider their decision again
and change it
Collocates: appeal against something
can you appeal against the fine? | he’s going to appeal
against the verdict | he’s been given leave to appeal
(permission to appeal) to the High Court
Noun: appeal
Collocates: lodge/launch an appeal | win/lose an appeal
| dismiss/reject an appeal | a successful/unsuccessful
appeal
she’s planning to lodge an appeal | he won his appeal
| you might lose your appeal | the tribunal dismissed
the appeal | the defendant was given leave to appeal
(allowed to submit a formal appeal against a court’s
decision)
board /bɔː(r)d/ Verb
to board a plane or ship means to get on it. When a
plane is boarding, the passengers are getting on it
do not try and board the plane before you are told to |
we boarded over an hour late | you’ll be able to board
shortly | we’ll be boarding in 20 minutes
he braked too late and hit the bump at speed | the car
rattled loudly as it went over the bumps in the road | a
speed bump (a deliberately raised strip across a road
which is meant to make drivers slow down)
cab /kæb/ Noun
a cab is a car which takes people where they want to
go in exchange for a payment to the driver. People very
often refer to cabs as taxis
Collocates: a cab fare | a cab ride | take/get/hire a cab |
order a cab
it was raining, so we took a cab | a twenty-minute cab
ride | the cab fare was $33 | let’s order a cab to get to
the airport tomorrow
come off /ˈkʌm ˌɒf/ Phrasal verb
if you say that a car came off the motorway, you mean
that it moved onto the special road for traffic that wants
to leave the motorway. You say that a car came off the
road if the driver lost control and the car went onto the
pavement or side of the road
you need to come off the motorway at junction 10 | two
people were killed when their car came off the road
near Dorchester | the roads were so icy we were lucky
we didn’t come off the road
concern /kənˈsɜː(r)n/ Verb
if something concerns you, it worries you
what concerns me is the fact that she’s stopped eating |
it’s the highways budget that concerns me| only the lack
of money seriously concerned her
Noun: concern | Adjective: concerned |
Adjective: concerning
Collocates: a cause for concern | express concern | give
rise to concern | concerned about something/someone |
concerned for something/someone
she expressed concern about the rising crime rate | his
injury was a major cause of concern for the team | the
test results gave rise to concern over the baby’s health |
we’re very concerned about the rising costs | she was
concerned for his safety | a very concerning issue
co-ordinated /kəʊˈɔː(r)dɪneɪtɪd/ Adjective
something that is co-ordinated is organised in such a
way that all the different people or parts should work
well together
Noun: boarding
Collocates: well/badly co-ordinated
boarding will start at 10:45 | please wait in the lounge
for the boarding announcement | a boarding pass
(a document that shows you are entitled to get on a
particular plane)
a well-co-ordinated research programme | their activities
are not centrally co-ordinated | the rescue operation
was slow and badly co-ordinated
bumpy /ˈbʌmpi/ Adjective
a bumpy surface is very uneven and has a lot of raised
parts on it. A bumpy ride is uncomfortable because the
car or plane you are in is bouncing up and down a lot
Collocates: a bumpy road/track | a bumpy ride/drive/
journey
after a very bumpy ride, they arrived at the farmhouse |
the path was bumpy in places| the plane made a bumpy
landing | a bumpy flight through a thunderstorm
Noun: bump
Verb: co-ordinate | Noun: co-ordination
we need to co-ordinate our efforts if we’re to finish by
June | the chairman’s role is to co-ordinate the activities
of the committee members | regional co-ordination of
our economic policies | a lack of co-ordination between
head office and the branches
cut up /ˈkʌt ˌʌp/ Phrasal verb
if you cut someone up when you are driving, you
suddenly and dangerously move across so that you are
just in front of them. If you get cut up, someone suddenly
drives across in front of you in a dangerous way
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we got badly cut up coming off the roundabout | Den cut
up a lorry and just avoided skidding off the road
ever-increasing /ˈevə(r)ɪnˈkriːsɪŋ/ Adjective
an ever-increasing number of things is continuing to
grow and get larger
Collocates: ever-increasing numbers/quantity/amount |
ever-increasing demand
an ever-increasing amount of military aid | the universe
is expanding at an ever-increasing rate | ever-increasing
house prices in London | an ever-increasing demand for
cheap food
flash /flæʃ/ Verb
if a light flashes or if someone flashes it, it goes on and
off very quickly. If you flash your lights while you are
driving, you turn your main lights on and off very quickly
as a signal to another driver
I got flashed by a speed camera (the camera
automatically photographed my car because I was
going too fast) | she flashed her lights to tell me I could
go | the warning light was flashing | lightning flashed
across the sky
Noun: flash
a flash of bright light | a blinding flash of light (extremely
bright) | a flash of lightning in the sky
impose /ɪmˈpəʊz/ Verb
if something is imposed on people, they have to accept
it even if they do not want to
Collocates: impose something on someone | impose a
fine/punishment/penalty | impose a condition/deadline/
limit | impose a ban
he urged the army to impose more rigid controls | the
judge imposed a deadline of midnight | there can be no
justification for imposing limits on the amounts that can
be spent
Noun: imposition
Collocates: the imposition of something (on someone)
the imposition of a fine or imprisonment | the imposition
of import controls
inconsiderate /ˌɪnkənˈsɪdərət/ Adjective
someone who is inconsiderate does not care if their
actions have a bad effect on other people’s feelings or
needs
Noun: indicator
the indicator is a rod on the steering column | the
indicator clicks to remind you that it’s still on
leap up /ˈliːp ˌʌp/ Phrasal verb
if you leap up, you get up from a chair or from the
ground very quickly and energetically
she leapt up and ran to the phone | the children leapt
up when they heard their uncle’s voice | some of the
audience were leaping up and shouting “Bravo!”
overtake /ˌəʊvə(r)ˈteɪk/ Verb
if you overtake a car, lorry, bike etc while you are
driving, you go past it because you are driving faster
than they are
you shouldn’t overtake on the inside | you’re not allowed
to overtake here | a van overtook us | as they came
round a bend they met a lorry overtaking a tractor
pavement/ˈpeɪvmənt/ Noun
the pavement is the slightly raised area at the side of a
street where people can walk and where cars are not
allowed. The American word is sidewalk
I never park on the pavement | walking along the
pavement | a narrow pavement | a car mounted the
pavement (drove on to it) | sidewalk cafes
pedestrian /pəˈdestriən/ Noun
pedestrians are people who are walking in a town or city,
in contrast to people who are driving or cycling or riding
in buses. To pedestrianise part of a town or city means
to make it into an area where cars and other vehicles are
not allowed
drivers must stop for pedestrians at zebra crossings |
a pedestrian bridge | a pedestrian precinct (an area
just for pedestrians, not cars) | a pedestrian crossing
(where pedestrians can cross the road) | better facilities
for pedestrians and cyclists | plans to pedestrianise the
High Street | a fully pedestrianised town centre
pull out /ˈpʊl ˌaʊt/ Phrasal verb
when a vehicle or a driver pulls out, the vehicle moves
from the side of the road into the main part of the road
she braked hard as a vehicle pulled out in front of her
without warning | don’t pull out yet – there’s a lorry
coming
Collocates: be inconsiderate of someone (to do
something)
restriction /rɪˈstrɪkʃ(ə)n/ Noun
a restriction is an official limit or control on what you are
allowed to do
it was very inconsiderate of him to play his music
so loudly | inconsiderate motorists | a problem with
inconsiderate neighbours
Collocates: a severe/tough restriction | financial
restriction | travel restriction | impose a restriction | lift a
restriction
Adverb: inconsiderately
severe financial restrictions have prevented further
house building | the government lifted all trade and
travel restrictions (stopped the restrictions and allowed
trade and travel to happen again) | some employers
imposed restrictions on the activities of trade unions
how could she behave so inconsiderately? | residents
are requested not to park inconsiderately
indicate /ˈɪndɪkeɪt/ Verb
if you indicate while you are driving, you use the flashing
lights on your car to tell other drivers that you are going
to move to the right or to the left
Collocates: indicate right/left
she indicated right and moved across to the outside
lane | he turned left down an alley without indicating |
make sure you indicate before you start slowing down
Verb: restrict | Adjective: restricted
a government plan to restrict public spending | the
constitution restricted the ownership of private property |
our finances are severely restricted | daily visitor
numbers are strictly restricted
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sheer /ʃɪə(r)/ Adjective
you use sheer to emphasise the great size, weight, or
quantity of something
Collocates: sheer complexity/scale/size/volume/number
I was overwhelmed by the sheer complexity of the
problem | the sheer volume of information available has
grown enormously | the sheer quantity of floodwater
was horrifying | the sheer number of visitors is posing a
threat to the area
signposting /ˈsaɪnˌpəʊst/ Noun uncount
a signpost is a sign by the road which shows you the
direction to somewhere. Signposting is the use of
signposts or other signs to help people know which way
they should go, for example on the roads or in a large
public building
he criticised the lack of signposting at the junction |
provision of clear signposting is essential | follow the
signposting to the car park | signposting to the ferry in
Dieppe leaves something to be desired (the signposting
is not very good)
Noun: signpost
a signpost pointing to the city centre | look out for the
signpost at the bottom of the hill | we went six miles
without seeing a single signpost
swerve /swɜː(r)v/ Verb
if you swerve, you change direction very suddenly,
usually in order to avoid hitting or crashing into
something
Collocates: swerve violently/sharply | swerve towards/
around something
everyone was swerving in and out of lanes | I swerved to
avoid a cat | a lorry swerved across the road in front of
me | I swerved off the road | she was hit by a bus which
swerved into her path
theft /θeft/ Noun
theft is the crime of stealing something that does not
belong to you. Someone who commits the crime of theft
is a thief
Collocates: car/bike/vehicle/theft | petty theft | identity
theft | the theft of something
he was found guilty of theft | car theft has been going
down for several years | a victim of identity theft (when
someone steals your personal details and pretends to
be you) | a few cases of petty theft (when something not
very valuable is stolen) | a recent spate of thefts around
the college | thieves broke in and stole some jewellery |
don’t allow a thief easy access to the back of the house
word /wɜː(r)d/ Noun
a word is something that you say to someone
let me give you a word of advice | I’ll give you a word
of warning | a few words of praise | I give you my word
(I promise you) | it’s my word against his (we are giving
different accounts of what happened) | you can take my
word for it (you can believe me) | I’ll put in a good word
for you (say something in your favour) | can I have a
word with you? (I want to talk to you about something)
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EXERCISES
3 They reached an
desert.
expanse of
Prepositions
4 She enjoyed the
the city.
pace of life in
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
5 Travelling gives you a
on life.
1 There was a dent
2 He kept a herd
3 We set off
sheep.
4 She’s going to appeal
5 It was inconsiderate
quantity of floodwater was
E Complete the collocations with nouns from the
unit.
home at six.
6 I got a blister
6 The
horrifying!
the passenger door.
perspective
the court.
1 spring a l_ _ k
him to leave so soon.
2 a refundable d _ _ _ _ _ t
my heel from my new shoes.
3 contrary to popular m _ _ h
4 pay the taxi f _ _ e
Word families
5 a sense of p_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ e
B Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
1 a bumpy journey
lots of
in the road
2 a dent in the door
it was
in an accident
3 a stiff lock
The door opened
4 a cause for concern
it’s a very
5 a remarkable
achievement
do
well
6 I dread to think
the
news
issue
6 have a nasty b _ _ _ _ _ r
F
Complete the sentences with the correct form of
the verbs in the box.
develop
fall
lodge
uncover
1 Make sure you
the small print.
2 Archaeologists
three 12th century monks.
the remains of
3 They plan to
judgement.
Word-building
4 We
C Complete the sentences with nouns formed from
the verbs in the box.
5 The house has
indicate
leak
maintain
1 They opposed the
controls.
impose
of import
2 I think your car’s
might be broken.
hire
read
an appeal against the
a strong bond.
into disrepair.
6 It was raining so we
a cab.
Phrasal verbs
G Choose the correct word to complete the
phrasal verb.
1 They set up/off on a two week trip.
3 We all had to go home because of a dangerous
chemical
.
2 It turned out/on to be a mistake.
4 Regular
lot of money long term.
4 You need to come down/off the motorway at
junction 7.
of your car will save you a
3 Someone cut me out/up on the motorway.
5 A car pulled on/out without warning.
Collocations
6 I leapt up/by in excitement.
D Complete the sentences with the adjectives from
the box.
endless
fast
flat
ever-increasing
different
cracked
1 We stopped by the side of the road to change a
tyre.
2 It’s dangerous to drive with a
windscreen.
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12 HEALTH AND MEDICINE
Pages 106–107
asthma /ˈæsmə/ Noun uncount
asthma is a medical condition which affects someone’s
chest. People who have asthma cough a lot and
sometimes have difficulty breathing
Collocates: suffer from asthma | an asthma attack |
severe/acute/chronic asthma
one in seven primary-school children now suffers from
asthma | taken to hospital after an asthma attack | her
daughter has chronic asthma | cases of asthma and
eczema are rising by about 5% every year
Adjective: asthmatic | Noun: asthmatic
Collocates: an asthmatic attack | an asthmatic patient
I’m asthmatic, and so are my children | provision of care
for asthmatic patients | a bad asthmatic attack | this
medicine should not be given to children or asthmatics |
she’s been an asthmatic for the last 20 years
bring on /ˈbrɪŋ ˌɒn/ Phrasal verb
if something brings on something bad or unwanted, it
causes it or makes it start happening. If you say that
someone brought it on himself or brought it on herself,
you mean that it was their own fault that something bad
happened to them
Collocates: be brought on by something
I get really bad headaches, and eating fish usually
brings one on | it may have been brought on by an
allergy | and what brought on that fit of anger? | he
brought it on himself so he won’t get any sympathy
from me
chronic /ˈkrɒnɪk/ Adjective
a chronic medical condition is one that is serious and
lasts a long time without getting any better
Collocates: a chronic disease/illness/condition | chronic
pain
stress can be a factor in the development of chronic
illness | chronic indigestion | chronic back pain | a
chronic kidney condition
Adverb: chronically
Collocates: chronically sick/ill
the needs of chronically sick children | help for the
chronically disabled | chronically ill patients
crutch /krʌtʃ/ Noun
a crutch is one of a pair of long sticks that fits under your
arm and which you use to help you walk when you have
hurt your leg
Collocates: be on crutches
I was on crutches for months (could walk only with the
help of crutches) | he’s still walking with crutches | I don’t
need to use crutches now
eczema /ˈeksɪmə/ Noun uncount
eczema is a skin condition in which your skin is
constantly sore and you want to scratch it all the time
I have slight eczema on the palms of my hands |
Jeffrey’s eczema was getting worse as a result of all the
stress | cases of asthma and eczema are rising by about
5% every year | allergies such as eczema | a flare up of
my eczema (a time when it suddenly gets worse)
faint /feɪnt/ Verb
if you faint, you lose consciousness for a short time, for
example because you are very hungry or too hot
she fainted from hunger | I think I’m about to faint | he
used to faint at the sight of blood | she almost fainted
with shock | he turned white and almost fainted
fume /fjuːm/ Noun
fumes are gases and smoke from fires, burning
chemicals, car engines etc, that are unhealthy and
unpleasant to breathe, and that can make people feel
unwell
Collocates: toxic/poisonous fumes | petrol/diesel/
exhaust/traffic fumes
asthma is made worse by the exhaust fumes | chemicals
which give off nasty fumes | a petrol engine producing
poisonous fumes | a cloud of toxic fumes | he was
overcome by fumes (made unconscious by them)
heal /hiːl/ Verb
if a wound or a broken bone heals or if something heals
it, it recovers and becomes well again
it took several weeks for the wound to heal | give it
time and it will heal itself | she was healed by the latest
medical treatment
Noun: healing
the healing process | these herbs are known to have
healing properties
itchy /ˈɪtʃi/ Adjective
if part of your body feels itchy, it is uncomfortable and
you want to scratch your skin to stop it feeling like that
Collocates: an itchy scalp/rash | itchy skin
I soon felt dirty and itchy | the rash will be itchy, but try
not to scratch it | they also had itchy skin, fever, and loss
of appetite | a sore throat, a runny nose and an itchy
scalp
Noun: itch | Verb: itch | Noun: itchiness
I’ve got an itch just here, where I can’t scratch it | his
scalp wasn’t itching any more | the itchiness should go
away if you use this cream
needle /ˈniːd(ə)l/ Noun
a needle is a long, thin piece of metal with a hole
through the middle of it which is used to push medicine
into people’s bodies
disposable needles (ones that are used only once) | a
hypodermic needle (one that is pushed into the skin) | he
fainted when he saw the needle
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panic /ˈpænɪk/ Noun uncount
panic is a state when people suddenly become very
worried about something and start behaving in a slightly
wild way because they are not sure what to do
Collocates: widespread panic | blind/sheer panic | panic
breaks out/sets in | in a panic | with panic
the epidemic caused widespread panic across the
continent | he went into a blind panic when he thought
he’d lost the baby | a panic attack (a sudden feeling of
panic) | there was a moment of sheer panic before the
brakes finally worked | panic broke out when smoke was
seen coming out of the kitchen | in a panic, he jumped
out of the second floor window | his mother was white
with panic
Verb: panic | Adjective: panicky
Collocates: panic about something
whatever you do, don’t panic | there’s no need to panic |
just stop panicking about it and calm down | I panicked
and ran into the garden | everyone was panicking and
trying to find a way out | I felt a panicky urge to run away
| he felt panicky as soon as he stepped inside the plane
panic /ˈpænɪk/ Verb
if you panic, you suddenly start behaving in a slightly
wild way because you are very worried about something
Collocates: panic about something
whatever you do, don’t panic | there’s no need to panic |
just stop panicking about it and calm down | I panicked
and ran into the garden | everyone was panicking and
trying to find a way out
Noun: panic | Adjective: panicky
Collocates: widespread panic | blind/sheer panic | panic
breaks out/sets in | in a panic | with panic
the epidemic caused widespread panic across the
continent | he went into a blind panic when he thought
he’d lost the baby | a panic attack (a sudden feeling of
panic) | there was a moment of sheer panic before the
brakes finally worked | panic broke out when smoke was
seen coming out of the kitchen | in a panic, he jumped
out of the second floor window | his mother was white
with panic | I felt a panicky urge to run away | he felt
panicky as soon as he stepped inside the plane
plaster /ˈplɑːstə(r)/ Noun uncount
if you have an arm or leg in plaster, it is covered in a
solid substance that makes a sleeve to protect a broken
bone while it is recovering. The sleeve is called a plaster
cast and is made from plaster of Paris, which is a mixture
of a white powder and water that becomes firm and solid
once it is dry
your leg will be in plaster for at least six weeks | she left
hospital with her wrist in plaster | I couldn’t type with a
plaster cast on my hand
rash /ræʃ/ Noun
a rash is a lot of red spots on someone’s skin caused
by an illness or a bad reaction to something they have
eaten or touched
Collocates: a heat rash | a skin rash | nappy rash
a sudden rash appeared after the wasp sting | your skin
will be painful in the area where the rash appears | a
faint pink rash and a slight fever | he tried not to scratch,
although the heat rash was really itchy | I wanted the
doctor to look at my skin rash
rush /rʌʃ/ Verb
if you rush somewhere or rush to do something, you try
and go there as soon as you can or you try and do it as
quickly as possible
Collocates: rush to do something
no need to rush, the train’s not due for another ten
minutes | he rushed to the hospital as soon as he heard
the news | people rushed to lift the car off him | he
rushed in ten minutes late for the lesson | we all rushed
out when the fire alarm went off
Noun: rush
Collocates: (be) in a rush | a great rush | a mad/frantic
rush | a sudden rush | a rush to do something
we were in a rush to get to the station | a sudden rush
for the exit (people suddenly trying to get out of a
building quickly) | I can’t stop to talk, I’m in an awful rush!
| a mad rush to buy the latest iPhone
sneeze /sniːz/ Verb
if you sneeze, you suddenly force a lot of air out your
nose or mouth without being able to prevent it, for
example when you have a cold
he was coughing and sneezing all night | she sneezed
twice as the cold air blew in through the open door | the
pepper spilled and made me sneeze
Noun: sneeze
each sneeze can blast more than one million bugs
into the air | she reached for a handkerchief as she felt
another sneeze coming on
stiff /stɪf/ Adjective
if you feel stiff, your muscles and joints move only with
difficulty because you are ill, or because you have been
very active, or because you have been in the same
position for a long time
my knee is quite stiff this morning | I woke up with a stiff
neck | take a hot shower after exercise so that you don’t
get stiff | my legs were stiff after sitting in the plane for
five hours | people who suffer from backache and stiff
joints | I woke up the next morning stiff as a board (very
stiff indeed)
Noun: stiffness | Adjective: stiffly
sprains, bruises and muscular stiffness | I could run thirty
miles with little stiffness afterwards | the hot bath did not
prevent a certain stiffness of limbs | Norden stood up
stiffly | she climbed stiffly out of the car
stitch /stɪtʃ/ Noun
if you have stitches, a doctor uses a strong thread to
close up your skin where you have had a deep cut
Collocates: have stitches | have stitches out
she had to have four stitches in her knee | come back in
a week and I’ll take the stitches out (remove them) | who
put the stitches in? | dissolvable stitches (stitches that
will disappear naturally and won’t need to be removed)
swell up /ˈswel ˌʌp/ Phrasal verb
if a part of your body swells up or swells, it gets larger
than usual because you are ill or uncomfortable
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her throat swelled up so much she needed an operation
| my feet always swell up on aeroplanes | his lips started
swelling up | my ankle had swollen up
Adjective: swollen | Noun: swelling
her face was a bit swollen | a large swelling on his neck
throw up /ˈθrəʊ ˌʌp/ Phrasal verb
if you throw up, food that you have eaten comes back up
from your stomach and out of your mouth. Throw up is
informal, and a more polite word is vomit
I felt a lot better after I’d thrown up | as the sea got
rougher, people on deck started throwing up | he threw
up all over the teacher’s skirt | just the smell of it made
me want to throw up
Pages 108–109
action /ˈækʃ(ə)n/ Noun
if you take legal action against someone, you start a
case in a court of law because you want to prove that
they have done something wrong
Collocates: bring a legal action (against someone) | take
legal action | face legal action
the surgeon is facing legal action for using the wrong
procedure on a patient | if I don’t pay by the end of the
month, they’ll take legal action | any member state can
bring an action before the European Court of Justice |
an action against the company seeking to enforce the
contract
beneficiary /ˌbenɪˈfɪʃəri/ Noun
a beneficiary of something is someone who gets a
benefit or advantage from it
Collocates: a beneficiary of something | the main/
principal/primary beneficiary
the main beneficiary of the deal | I was the sole
beneficiary of her will (the only person who received
money from her will after she died) | borrowers will be
the main beneficiaries if interest rates fall
chest /tʃest/ Noun
your chest is the front part of your body between your
neck and your stomach
Collocates: chest pain | a chest infection | a hairy chest
taking medicine for a throat and chest infection | he
complained of a tight chest (finding it difficult to breathe
easily) | a chest X-ray | he punched the policeman in the
chest and ran off
Adjective: chesty
a chesty cough | I’m feeling a bit chesty (my chest feels
unwell and it’s uncomfortable when I breathe)
combine /kəmˈbaɪn/ Verb
if you combine two activities, you take the opportunity to
do them both at the same time
we combined the conference trip with a weekend
in Florence | combine business with pleasure | she
combined the roles of soloist and conductor in a
performance of the violin concerto
Adjective: actionable
Adjective: combined
breach of contract is actionable (it can justify someone
taking legal action)
a combined business trip and weekend break
all-inclusive /ˌɔːlɪnˈkluːsɪv/ Adjective
if a price is inclusive of something, it includes the cost of
that thing. If a holiday is all-inclusive, it includes all the
costs of travelling, hotels, meals, etc
contagious /kənˈteɪdʒəs/ Adjective
if an illness is contagious, it can spread from person
to person through physical contact. You can also say
that a feeling or attitude is contagious if you think it is
spreading through a group of people
an all-inclusive weekend break in Edinburgh for just
£140 | all-inclusive packages to 12 European capitals
Collocates: a contagious disease/illness | highly/very
contagious
arise /əˈraɪz/ Verb
if an issue or question arises, it starts to become
important in such a way that you have to deal with it or
answer it
Collocates: a matter/issue/problem/situation/question
arises
this situation would only arise if the prime minister were
to die before the next election | this issue arises in
different branches of computing | there may be financial
problems arising from the patient’s illness | the question
arose as to what needed to be done
array /əˈreɪ/ Noun
an array of things is a large number of them
Collocates: an array of something | a wide/vast array | a
dazzling array
we have a wide array of modern equipment | they’ve
got a vast array of different phones | the skirts come
in an array of bright colours | there’s such an array of
fascinating things to see in St Petersburg | we were
faced with a bewildering array of electronic devices
it’s a relatively new disease and highly contagious | the
prevention and treatment of contagious diseases | he
was found to be contagious and had to stay in his room
for several days (other people could catch the illness
from him) | fear is contagious | his good humour was
contagious
Noun: contagion
everything was burned for fear of contagion | aid
agencies reacted swiftly to the threat of contagion
detract /dɪˈtrækt/ Verb
if something detracts from something else, it makes it
seem worse than it really is
Collocates: detract from something
this should not detract from the reality of the change
that is happening | we mustn’t let this detract from our
other achievements | attempts to cut costs without
detracting from the level of service provided
Noun: detractor
his policies have many detractors (people who say they
are not good) | the move was welcomed even by the
president’s detractors
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dispute /dɪˈspjuːt/ Noun
if there is a dispute about something, people cannot
agree about it and so they argue about it
Collocates: a dispute over/about something | a dispute
between people | a pay dispute | a major/minor dispute
| a bitter/fierce dispute | be in dispute with someone |
settle a dispute
fraudulent /ˈfrɔːdjʊlənt/ Adjective
fraud is the crime of deliberately deceiving people in
order to get money from them. Fraudulent activity is
based on a lie and deliberately tries to deceive people,
especially in order to get money from them
Collocates: fraudulent activities/practices | a fraudulent
claim
if there’s any dispute, call me and I’ll sort it out | an
industrial dispute at a factory in London | a dispute
between the two parents | efforts to settle the dispute | a
dispute over a piece of land | the facts are not in dispute
(everyone agrees about them)
a fraudulent insurance claim | fraudulent and illegal
arrangements | unfair, deceptive, and fraudulent
practices
Verb: dispute | Adjective: disputed
the money had been fraudulently obtained | a
fraudulently signed contract | he was sent to prison for
tax fraud | he admitted to committing fraud | a convicted
fraudster | he had been accused of defrauding church
members in New Jersey
Collocates: a disputed territory/border/region
his client disputed the fee | you have already disputed
this point with me five or six times already | the contract
was disputed but the payments continued for another
year | the result of disputed elections | disputed territory
(land that two different countries claim to own)
elbow /ˈelbəʊ/ Noun
your elbow is the joint in the middle of your arm, which
makes your arm able to bend
I banged my elbow on the door | she fell and injured
her elbow | take your elbows off the table (because it’s
considered rude to rest your elbows on a dining table in
Britain) | can you bend your elbow, or is it too stiff?
ever-increasing /ˈevə(r) ɪnˈkriːsɪŋ/ Adjective
something that is ever-increasing is continuing to grow
in size or number
Collocates: ever-increasing numbers | ever-increasing
demand
paying off an ever-increasing student loan | we’re using
up fossil fuels at an ever-increasing rate | the everincreasing price of houses in London | ever-increasing
fuel bills | an ever-increasing number of visitors from
abroad
experimental /ɪkˌsperɪˈment(ə)l/ Adjective
an experiment is a scientific test that you do to see what
happens under certain conditions. Activities that you do
like this are experimental
Collocates: experimental methods/data/results
no changes were allowed during the experimental
period | the experimental methods of Dr Hughes |
an experimental research project | the experimental
nature of the scheme | the experimental results were
encouraging
Noun: experiment | Verb: experiment |
Adverb: experimentally
Collocates: do/conduct/carry out/perform an experiment |
an experiment shows/proves something
permission to conduct the experiment was granted |
the experiment was a failure | the experiment showed
no harmful effects of the drug | we need to experiment
further | surgeons experimented on rabbits before
using the technique on humans | the theory cannot
be tested experimentally | this can be demonstrated
experimentally under laboratory conditions
Adverb: fraudulently | Noun: fraud | Noun: fraudster |
Verb: defraud
gamble /ˈɡæmb(ə)l/ Verb
to gamble means to do something that involves risk.
It also means to risk money in an attempt to win more
money
Collocates: gamble on something | gamble with something
if you go abroad for treatment, you are gambling with your
health | he’s gambling that the product will be popular | I’ve
never been tempted to gamble on horse racing
Noun: gamble | Noun: gambling | Noun: gambler
deciding to go ahead with the event was a gamble |
it was a big gamble | he took a gamble and it paid off
(was successful) | people who disapprove of gambling
| a compulsive gambler (a gambler who cannot stop
gambling)
globalisation /ˌɡləʊbəlaɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun uncount
globalisation is the increasing way in which large
companies can operate all over the world instead of in
just one country, and in which people can move easily
from one country to another when they want something
that they can’t get in their own country
Collocates: economic globalisation | cultural
globalisation | increasing globalisation
the increasing globalisation of world trade | a positive
response to the globalisation of our industry | the
principal agents of economic globalisation are major
business corporations | economic globalisation implies
a great deal more than the development of extensive
trade links
Verb: globalise | Adjective: globalised
production has been increasingly globalised | in another
step towards globalising education, the university
opened a campus in China | industries which failed to
adapt to the globalised market | our globalised 24-hour
news culture | the globalised economy
healthcare /ˈhelθkeə(r)/ Noun uncount
healthcare is a system that provides medical treatment
for people. Some healthcare systems are private, and
people have to pay for them, but some countries provide
healthcare for all citizens and pay for it out of taxes
state-provided healthcare | in America, healthcare
is mostly private | the new procedure is safer for
healthcare workers | the demand for healthcare services
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is increasing | providers and consumers of healthcare |
inadequate provision of healthcare | politicians endlessly
debating the costs of healthcare
hip /hɪp/ Noun
your hips are the two bones at the side of your body, just
below your waist
Collocates: narrow/slim hips | wide hips | an artificial hip |
a hip replacement | a hip operation
Christopher is going into hospital for a second hip
operation | he had broad shoulders and narrow hips
| she waited over a year for a hip replacement (an
operation to replace the natural hip with an artificial one)
| Alyssia placed her hands on her hips and stared angrily
at him | he put his wallet in his hip pocket (a pocket at
the back of a pair of trousers)
hi-tech /ˈhaɪtek/ Adjective
hi-tech equipment and systems use the latest, best, and
most modern technology available
Collocates: hi-tech equipment/weapons/devices | hi-tech
systems | hi-tech computers
hi-tech products made in China | the growth of hightech industries (industries that use or produce hi-tech
equipment) | a contract for the sale of £2bn of hi-tech
weapons
Noun: hi-tech | Noun: high technology
increased production will rely on high technology
| what is the effect of high technology on levels of
employment?
kidney /ˈkɪdni/ Noun
your kidneys are the two organs in your body which filter
your blood and produce urine
suffering from kidney failure | a kidney transplant (when
a kidney from one person’s body is put into another
persons’s body to replace a kidney that has failed) | in
old age, the kidneys become generally less efficient
ligament /ˈlɪɡəmənt/ Noun
a ligament is a strong band of muscle in your body that
connects your bones and keeps your organs in the right
place
she suffered serious knee ligament damage in the
accident | if you don’t warm up first you can easily pull a
muscle or tear a ligament | luckily, there was no ligament
damage | his ligament injury will take at least two more
weeks to heal
liver /ˈlɪvə(r)/ Noun
your liver is an organ in your body that cleans your blood
cancer of the liver | cirrhosis of the liver (a serious
disease caused by drinking too much alcohol) | without a
liver transplant those with liver failure will die (they need
a healthy liver from someone else’s body to replace their
own liver)
lung /lʌŋ/ Noun
your lungs are the two organs in your chest that fill with
air when you breathe and that process the air to make
oxygen for your blood
lung cancer | after a minute under water my lungs were
bursting | empty your lungs and breathe deeply in
through your nose | this type of training is good for the
heart and lungs
negligence /ˈneɡlɪdʒ(ə)ns/ Noun uncount
negligence is not being careful enough, with the result
that something is damaged or someone is injured
Collocates: medical/clinical/professional negligence |
criminal negligence | gross/serious negligence
a lawyer specialising in medical negligence cases | he
was guilty of professional negligence | charged with
gross negligence (very serious negligence) | they’re
threatening to sue him for negligence
Adjective: negligent
the hospital was found to be negligent | grossly
negligent
–ENCE
Some nouns are formed by adding –ence to adjectives.
For example: criminally negligent behaviour / professional
negligence.
the crowd was completely silent / a stunned silence;
a very independent person / the country gained
independence; very different tastes / notice the
difference; an inconvenient truth / apologise for any
inconvenience; a violent person / domestic violence
outsource /ˈaʊtˌsɔː(r)s/ Verb
when a company outsources its work or services, it
arranges for the work to be done or the services to be
provided by a different organisation, sometimes one in
another country
hospitals outsource their record keeping | it’s much
cheaper to outsource the work | the company plans to
outsource its research activities | European firms that
outsource labour to Asian countries
Noun: outsourcing
the benefits of outsourcing | the outsourcing of
components from Eastern Europe
panic /ˈpænɪk/ Noun uncount
panic is a state when people suddenly become very
worried about something and start behaving in a slightly
wild way because they are not sure what to do
Collocates: widespread panic | blind/sheer panic | panic
breaks out/sets in | in a panic | with panic
the epidemic caused widespread panic across the
continent | he went into a blind panic when he thought
he’d lost the baby | a panic attack (a sudden feeling of
panic) | there was a moment of sheer panic before the
brakes finally worked | panic broke out when smoke was
seen coming out of the kitchen | in a panic, he jumped
out of the second floor window | his mother was white
with panic
Verb: panic | Adjective: panicky
Collocates: panic about something
whatever you do, don’t panic | there’s no need to panic |
just stop panicking about it and calm down | I panicked
and ran into the garden | everyone was panicking and
trying to find a way out | I felt a panicky urge to run away
| he felt panicky as soon as he stepped inside the plane
pin /pɪn/ Noun
a pin is a piece of metal that is put into someone’s body
to hold together a bone that has been broken
the surgeon then inserts a metal pin to keep the bone in
its new place | six weeks later the pin will be removed in
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the clinic | internal pins and or screws are used to hold
the bone in place
Verb: pin
I had to have my leg pinned
qualify /ˈkwɒlɪfaɪ/ Verb
if you qualify as a doctor, lawyer, architect etc, you pass
the necessary exams and are allowed to work in that
profession
Collocates: qualify as someone | qualify in a profession |
qualify someone to do something
she qualified in 2003 | he qualified as a solicitor but
took a job in the music industry | she hopes to qualify in
dentistry next year | her degree qualifies her to teach at
secondary level
Adjective: qualified | Opposite: unqualified |
Noun: qualification
a qualified teacher | some staff are professionally
qualified, others are still studying for their qualifications
| make sure you use a qualified financial advisor |
some well-qualified candidates | unqualified school
leavers (people who leave school with no qualifications)
| he’s got excellent qualifications | good academic
qualifications | employers will demand proof of your
qualifications
record /ˈrekɔː(r)d/ Noun
records are documents, photographs, computer files etc
that relate to a particular business or activity, and that
are kept so that they can be looked at later. The activity
of looking after records and maintaining them is record
keeping
Collocates: keep/maintain a record | official records |
financial/health/medical records
let me check the records | he kept a record of every goal
scored by Messi | the official city records were destroyed
during a fire | your medical records cannot be shown
to anyone except another doctor | the system does
more than just record keeping and reporting | electronic
record keeping presents many new challenges
recuperation /rɪˌkuːpəˈreɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun uncount
recuperation is the process of becoming well again after
being ill or after having an operation
Collocates: a period of recuperation | rest and
recuperation
a holiday resort for recuperation after your operation | I
need a period of recuperation | I hope you’ll find time for
a little rest and recuperation
Verb: recuperate
Collocates: recuperate from something
she’s still recuperating from her illness | recuperating
from heart surgery
regain /rɪˈɡeɪn/ Verb
if you regain something good or useful that you have
lost, you get it back again
Collocates: regain control | regain your health | regain
consciousness
the important thing is to rest and regain your health | he
collapsed and never regained consciousness (he died)
| Radcliffe regained the lead 500 metres from the finish
and held on to win | troops regained control of the city
after a night of heavy fighting
regulatory /ˈreɡjʊlət(ə)ri/ Adjective
a regulatory organisation controls an activity using rules
Collocates: a regulatory body/authority/agency |
regulatory approval | a regulatory system
the regulatory environment is not very rigorous | the
regulatory authority | a government regulatory agency |
the regulatory controls to which unions are required to
conform
Verb: regulate
the government body that regulates the banking
industry | the use of these drugs is strictly regulated
remove /rɪˈmuːv/ Verb
when surgeons remove a part of someone’s body, they
do an operation to take it out because it has become
damaged or diseased and will cause someone to be
seriously ill or die if it stays in their body
a six-hour operation to remove the tumour | an
appendectomy is an operation to remove someone’s
appendix | a surgical procedure to remove the lump
Noun: removal
removal of the cancerous growth and the surrounding
tissue | removal of the tumour was a difficult procedure
rib /rɪb/ Noun
your ribs are the 12 pairs of bones in the middle of your
body that form a cage around your heart and chest
Collocates: broken/fractured/sore/bruised ribs
he left the field with a rib injury | he suffered injuries to
his rib cage | a warning pain in his ribs made him stay
still | he was so thin you could see all his ribs | my friend
was badly injured with bruised ribs, black eyes and a fat
lip
rigorous /ˈrɪɡərəs/ Adjective
if something is rigorous, it is careful and thorough
Collocates: rigorous standards | rigorous training | a
rigorous analysis/approach
the regulatory environment is not very rigorous | rigorous
safety checks | all products have to meet our rigorous
quality standards | a rigorous analysis of potential needs
Noun: rigour | Adverb: rigorously
Collocates: rigorously enforce/apply/control |
intellectual/academic/scientific rigour
it’s all rigorously checked | spending is rigorously
controlled | these rules must be rigorously applied |
the academic rigour of the historian’s method | greater
economic rigour will be needed over the coming years
scam /skæm/ Noun
a scam is a dishonest and illegal way of getting money
from people by cheating them
Collocates: an insurance/investment scam
be careful to avoid scams | a money-making scam | a
credit-card scam | luckily, we realised it was a scam
before we handed over any money | a major insurance
scam
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Verb: scam
a gang scamming households across the city | anyone
who’s been scammed dreams of getting revenge
skull /skʌl/ Noun
your skull is the bone that makes up your head and that
contains your brain
Collocates: a fractured skull | a human/animal skull
a strong blow to the skull can cause brain damage |
close to death with a fractured skull | archaeologists
unearthed the fossilised skull of a human child, at least
1,500 years old | these dinosaurs had very bony skulls
spine /spaɪn/ Noun
your spine is the row of bones that goes down your back
from your neck and that helps you stay upright
an exercise that is good for the spine without putting
unnecessary strain on the rest of the body | curvature
of the spine (a medical condition in which someone’s
spine is not straight but curves slightly) | the body’s main
nerves branch out from either side of the spine
Adjective: spinal
spinal injuries | the spinal cord (the nerve that runs up
the middle of the spine and which carries messages to
the brain) | your spinal column (your spine) | she had to
undergo spinal surgery
stand to /ˈstænd/ Verb
if you stand to get something or stand to lose something,
it’s likely that you will get it or lose it
Collocates: stand to gain/win/benefit something | stand
to lose something
a lot of countries stand to benefit from the trade
agreement | he stands to lose a lot of money | we stand
to gain a lot from the merger | I stand to win £10,000
surgery /ˈsɜː(r)dʒəri/ Noun uncount
surgery is a medical treatment that involves cutting into
someone’s body in order to repair or take out a part that
is diseased or damaged
Collocates: undergo surgery | major/minor surgery |
emergency surgery
it happened while I was undergoing surgery | you may
need further surgery | she had to have emergency
surgery | heart surgery | brain surgery | keyhole surgery
(in which only a small opening is made through your
skin) | cosmetic surgery (to improve your appearance) |
spending six hours in the operating theatre having major
surgery | elective surgery (surgery that a patient chooses
to have, although it is not essential)
Adjective: surgical | Adverb: surgically | Noun: surgeon
Collocates: a surgical procedure/treatment/intervention
a surgical procedure to remove the lump | pioneering
new surgical techniques | surgical intervention would
be too dangerous in this case | the lump was surgically
removed | a newly-qualified surgeon | surgeons worked
through the night to treat victims of the plane crash
transplant /ˈtrænsˌplɑːnt/ Noun
a transplant is an operation in which a new organ is put
into someone’s body to replace an organ that no longer
works properly
Collocates: a heart/kidney/liver transplant | transplant
surgery | a transplant operation
an organ transplant | to donate a kidney for transplant
| he needs a heart transplant | the transplant operation
took over seven hours
Verb: transplant
surgeons have successfully transplanted a heart that
had stopped beating | the new heart is ready to be
transplanted
tumour /ˈtjuːmə(r)/ Noun
a tumour is a mass of diseased cells that grows inside
someone’s body, and that can be very dangerous for
their health. Some tumours turn into cancers
Collocates: a benign tumour | a malignant tumour | a
brain tumour
an inoperable brain tumour (one that cannot be cured
by surgery) | the tumour had become aggressive (had
started to become dangerous) | the doctor said it was a
benign tumour (a tumour that is not dangerous to health)
| a malignant tumour on the kidney (a tumour that is
seriously dangerous to health)
Adjective: tumorous
a tumorous growth
wrist /rɪst/ Noun
your wrist is the joint that connects your hand to your arm
Collocates: sprain/break your wrist | a sprained/sore/
broken wrist | grab someone’s wrist
I sprained my wrist playing rugby | she wore a watch
on her right wrist | wrist injuries are best treated with
strapping or bandaging
Pages 110–111
control group /kənˈtrəʊl ˌɡruːp/ Noun
a control group is a set of people in an experiment who
do not receive the medicine that is being tested, so
that researchers can compare what happens to them
with what happens to the people who do try the new
medicine
the control group was constantly monitored throughout
the three weeks | 80% had no further symptoms
compared to 30% in the control group | the control
group were given just flavoured water
everyday /ˈevriˌdeɪ/ Adjective
everyday things and activities are very normal and not
unusual in any way
Collocates: everyday life/experience/language |
everyday activities/situations | everyday objects
everyday objects made of plastic rather than wood or
metal | a language will not survive if it is not used in
everyday life | the everyday activities of ordinary people
| Twitter and Facebook are part of my everyday routine |
there is beauty in normal, everyday happenings
gesture /ˈdʒestʃə(r)/ Noun
a gesture is a movement you make with your arms or
body as a way of saying something, either instead of
speaking or at the same time as you are speaking
Collocates: an angry/rude gesture | a hand gesture |
make a gesture
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the waiter didn’t speak English so we used hand
gestures | he made a gesture for me to sit down | he
held up his hand in an angry gesture | she made a
gesture towards the armchair
mortality /mɔː(r)ˈtæləti/ Noun uncount
mortality is the number of people who die in a particular
group, at a particular age, in a particular place, or in a
particular period of time
Verb: gesture
Collocates: infant/child mortality | mortality rates
Collocates: gesture to/towards/at something | gesture
for someone to do something
child mortality rates | we are seeing reduced mortality
from cancer | rising mortality among men in Eastern
Europe | studies have shown those who cycle to have a
significantly lower mortality rate | married people face a
lower mortality risk than unmarried people
she gestured for me to follow her outside | the
policeman gestured at me to get out of the car | “Look”
he said, gesturing towards the painting
inadequate /ɪnˈædɪkwət/ Adjective
if something is inadequate, there is not enough of it, or it
is not of good enough quality
Collocates: prove inadequate | feel inadequate | totally
inadequate |
£200 is a totally inadequate sum for fixing the car |
an inadequate supply of qualified teachers | the new
facilities proved to be wholly inadequate | if you feel
alone and inadequate, call a friend
Noun: inadequacy | Opposite: adequate
Collocates: perfectly adequate | quite adequate | barely/
hardly adequate | prove adequate
the inadequacy of the welfare programme | a fear
of failure and inadequacy | such feelings of guilt and
inadequacy are common | an adequate supply of fresh
water | a lack of adequate health care | the heating was
barely adequate | as a teacher, he proved more than
adequate
life expectancy /ˌlaɪf ɪkˈspektənsi/ Noun
your life expectancy is the number of years you can
reasonably expect to be alive
life expectancy in the UK for women is now over 82
years | life expectancy rose throughout the 20th century
but might now drop | the inhabitants of Liechtenstein
have the longest life expectancy in Europe | lower than
average life expectancy | the life expectancy of a horse
is 25 to 30 years
literacy /ˈlɪt(ə)rəsi/ Noun uncount
literacy is the basic ability to be able to read and write.
You can also use literacy about other skills, for example
financial literacy is knowing how to deal with your
money sensibly, and computer literacy is the ability to
use a computer
Collocates: financial/computer/scientific literacy | adult
literacy | literacy rates | literacy skills
we need to improve adult literacy rates (increase the
number of adults who can read and write) | financial
literacy should be taught in schools | they had basic
literacy and numeracy (they could read and write and
do basic arithmetic) | you should help your children with
their literacy skills
Adjective: literate | Opposite – Noun: illiteracy |
Adjective: illiterate
Collocates: computer literate
targets for reducing poverty, disease, hunger, and
illiteracy | if you’re not computer literate you won’t get on
the course | he was barely literate when he left school |
most of the population was illiterate in the 12th century
(most people could not read or write)
phenomenon /fəˈnɒmɪnən/ Noun
a phenomenon is something that happens or exists
Collocates: a natural phenomenon | a new/recent
phenomenon | a rare/common phenomenon
the recent phenomenon of taking selfies | the storm
was a natural phenomenon of great power | this is an
extremely rare phenomenon, unheard of so far in the
U.S. and Canada | increased consumption of tomato
juice is a common phenomenon on board airliners
productivity /ˌprɒdʌkˈtɪvəti/ Noun uncount
productivity is the rate at which goods are produced or
work is done, measured by calculating how much time is
taken for different tasks and how much money it costs
Collocates: productivity levels | increase/improve
productivity | industrial productivity | productivity grows/
rises | productivity falls/declines
he expected to see productivity levels decline in the
winter months | there are considerable opportunities to
increase productivity in developing countries | a sharp
rise in industrial productivity between 1970 and 1975 |
factors that significantly affect productivity
Adjective: productive | Adverb: productively
Collocates: highly productive
I was happier and more productive before the new boss
arrived | last month was our most productive for over
four years | the workforce was highly productive | I can
work so much more productively from home than if I’m in
the office | the time was productively spent developing a
new logo
relief /rɪˈliːf/ Noun uncount
if you get relief from pain, the pain becomes less or
stops altogether
Collocates: relief from something | pain/stress relief |
effective relief
effective methods of pain relief | the injections provided
temporary relief from stress and helped her sleep | he
felt relief spread through his body as the drugs took
effect
Verb: relieve
a good way to relieve stress | this should help relieve
the pain | having a neck massage is one way to relieve
headaches
reveal /rɪˈviːl/ Verb
to reveal something means to make it known, especially
when it was something that was previously unknown or
secret
Collocates: a report/survey reveals something
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 12
the report revealed a total of 256 cases of burglary
over the last year | the man’s identity has not yet
been revealed | the minister revealed plans to limit
immigration | this newspaper can exclusively reveal the
date of the next election | he had to resign after it was
revealed that he had taken drugs at university
Noun: revelation
the revelation came as a surprise to his friends, and
even to his family | revelations about her private life |
today’s revelation that the Government listened in on
thousands of phone conversations | the more surprising
revelation was that this had been going on for years
substantially /səbˈstænʃ(ə)li/ Adverb
substantially means greatly or a lot
Collocates: substantially reduce/increase | substantially
more/less
the flight has been substantially delayed (delayed for
a long time) | deliver substantially more profit | the new
model was not substantially different from the previous
one | a tax reduction which substantially reduced the
costs of making the film
Adjective: substantial
Collocates: a substantial increase/decrease | a
substantial difference | a substantial improvement |
substantial growth/development
a substantial rise in industrial profits | a substantial
increase in debt | we expect substantial improvements in
productivity | the economy had three years of substantial
growth
suspect /səˈspekt/ Verb
if you suspect something, you think it is true although
you do not have any evidence or proof that it is
Collocates: strongly suspect | be widely suspected
art historians have long suspected the painting was by
da Vinci | I strongly suspect it will take longer than two
weeks | it is widely suspected that Williams was the
other person involved in the fraud (suspected by a lot of
people)
Noun: suspicion
a strong suspicion | a sneaking suspicion
my suspicion is that they will close down the whole
department | she had a strong suspicion that he would
not return | I have a sneaking suspicion that we won’t
see him again (a suspicion that I don’t like but can’t
forget)
ward /wɔː(r)d/ Noun
a ward is a room in a hospital where patients stay while
they are having treatment or recovering from operations
or illness
Collocates: on/in a ward
a private ward (for one person) | a surgical ward (for
people recovering from surgery) | a children’s ward | a
maternity ward (for women who are having a baby) |
each ward has 16 patients and four nurses | the ward
had to be closed to prevent the spread of infection
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 12
EXERCISES
Prepositions
2 There’s a dispute
4 I woke up
4 Make sure you use a
teacher.
for over
Collocations
asthma.
F
this piece of land.
3 He ran out of the room
, you won’t get
5 Last month was our most
four years.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition. Look up the words in bold if you
need help.
1 Many people suffer
3 If you’re not computer
on the course.
a panic.
Which of the verbs do NOT form a collocation
with the word in bold?
1 I think you might have broken/collapsed/sprained
your wrist.
a stiff neck.
5 I’ll be walking
crutches for a while.
6 He was healed
the latest medical treatment.
2 It was his responsibility to keep/maintain/manage a
record of everything.
3 We’ll test the theory by conducting/carrying out/
making an experiment.
Word families
B Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
1 a chronic condition
She’s
2 My lips started to
swell up.
a
3 effective pain relief
try to
4 emergency surgery
a
5 a chest infection
6 a major dispute
ill.
4 The rules must be rigorously applied/enforced/
practised.
5 You stand to lose/keep/make a lot of money.
G Match the adjectives to the nouns. Look up the
nouns (a–f) if you need help.
ankle
1 blind
a) beneficiary
2 toxic
b) panic
procedure
3 emergency
c) fumes
a
cough
4 the main
d) surgery
a
territory
5 a dazzling
e) phenomenon
6 a recent
f) array
stress
C Complete the sentences with the correct words
from the words in brackets.
1 These plants have
properties. (heal)
2 The
of the tumour was a difficult
procedure. (remove)
3 We discussed the benefits of
(outsource)
1 a heat r _ _ h
.
4 His grandfather was a well-known
(gamble)
2 exhaust f _ _ _ s
.
3 a heart t _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ t
4 a hand g _ _ _ _ _ e
5 The move was welcomed by the president’s many
. (detract)
6 He’s got all the necessary
H Complete the collocations with nouns from
the unit.
. (qualify)
5 a natural p_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ n
6 infant m _ _ _ _ _ _ _ y
D Which TWO words in the box are NOT both a
noun and a verb?
scam
transplant
rush
detract
arise
pin
sneeze
panic
Word-building
E Complete the sentences with adjectives formed
from the nouns in the box.
globalise
qualify
negligence
literacy
1 The hospital was found to be
productivity
.
2 The industry failed to adapt to the
market.
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 13
13 LIFE-CHANGING EVENTS
Pages 116–117
board /bɔː(r)d/ Noun
the board of a company is the committee of directors
who are in charge of it and make all the important
decisions
Collocates: be on the board | sit on the board | a board
meeting | board members
the board decided it was time for him to go (leave the
company) | he’s on the board of the bank | the idea was
rejected by board members | two people have resigned
from the board | she sits on the board of two private
companies
Noun: boardroom
the meeting took place in the boardroom | a boardroom
power struggle (a disagreement between members of a
board) | public anger at the size of boardroom pay rises
(pay rises for directors of companies)
bother /ˈbɒðə(r)/ Verb
if you don’t bother to do something, you deliberately do
not do it because you do not think it is worth spending
any effort on it
Collocates: not bother to do something | not bother
doing something | not bother with/about something
he decided not to bother graduating | I didn’t even
bother to open it | a lot of people didn’t bother voting |
you don’t need to bother with changing the sheets
BOTHER
There are several different expression using bother. The
meaning changes slightly from expression to expression.
For example: I didn’t bother to call him (=I was too lazy to
do it / It was too much effort).
It’s really starting to bother me. (=annoy me)
they were commuting between London and Cambridge
| I live in Cambridge and commute to London | aren’t
you fed up with commuting every day | it’s too far to
commute from here to Cardiff
Noun: commute | Noun: commuter
Collocates: a daily/morning/evening commute
the daily commute to work | how long is your commute?
| angry commuters waited over an hour for the train to
leave | the commuter service carries over two million
passengers a month| the London commuter area
convict /kənˈvɪkt/ Verb
if someone is convicted of a crime, a court decides that
they really did it, and the judge tells them what their
punishment will be
Collocates: convict someone of something | convict
someone for something
he was convicted of corruption | there wasn’t enough
evidence for the jury to convict him | if convicted, she
faces up to ten years in jail | wrongly convicted of
murder | all the men had previously been convicted for
violent crime
Noun: conviction
Collocates: a criminal conviction | a previous conviction |
secure a conviction | have (got) a conviction
he’s got three previous convictions for burglary | not
enough evidence to secure a conviction (be sure of
getting a conviction)
counsellor /ˈkaʊns(ə)lə(r)/ Noun
a counsellor is someone whose job is to listen to people
who have problems and to help them find a way to solve
those problems
Collocates: a marriage counsellor | a debt counsellor
I can’t be bothered. (=I don’t want to do it. It’s too much
work)
they went to a marriage counsellor, but it was too late |
a visit from the bereavement counsellor (someone who
helps people after the death of a very close relative) | a
counsellor for people with AIDS
Sorry to bother you. (=Sorry to trouble / disturb you)
Noun: counselling
Don’t bother. (=You don’t need to do it)
individual counselling sessions | I went to my tutor for
support and counselling | money has been provided for
student counselling services
It doesn’t bother me. (=It’s not a problem for me)
come across /kʌm əˈkrɒs/ Phrasal verb
if someone comes across in a particular way, that is the
impression you have of them
Collocates: come across as something
she comes across as so pleasant | Dan came across
very poorly in the interview (he made a bad impression)
| he came across as a man of warmth and charm | the
second candidate came across much better
commute /kəˈmjuːt/ Verb
to commute means to travel regularly to and from the
place where you work every day
Collocates: commute to/from somewhere | commute
between places
fancy /ˈfænsi/ Verb
if you fancy someone, you think they are attractive and
you want to have a relationship with them
you could see he fancied her | they’ve fancied each
other for ages | do you fancy him? | she’s a good friend,
but I don’t fancy her
flame /fleɪm/ Noun
a flame is the hot yellow or orange gas that you see
when something is burning. If something is burning in an
uncontrolled way, you can say that it is in flames
Collocates: burst into flames | go up in flames | be
engulfed in flames
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the whole place was in flames | the plane crashed and
burst into flames | the studio burned down and his latest
paintings went up in flames (were destroyed in the fire)
| the vehicle was engulfed in flames (burning so much
that all you could see were the flames and not the
vehicle) | the flames spread and set the curtains alight |
firefighters succeeded in putting out the flames
flick through /flɪk θruː/ Noun
if you flick through a magazine or newspaper, you turn
the pages over quickly, looking to see if there is anything
interesting, but not reading any of it closely. When
someone is doing this, you can say they are having a
flick through
I was just having a quick flick through | I went into the
library for a flick through of the morning paper | a fast
flick through revealed the story was on page 43
Phrasal verb: flick through
she was curled up in the armchair, flicking through a
book | I’d been flicking through a couple of magazines
when he arrived | Christina flicked through her diary
labour /ˈleɪbə(r)/ Noun uncount
labour is the process of giving birth to a baby. When this
is happening, you can say that the mother is in labour, or
has gone into labour
Collocates: spread through an area | spread to
somewhere | spread slowly | spread rapidly
unfortunately, the cancer continued to spread | the fire
spread rapidly through the farm buildings | the violence
spread to neighbouring villages
Noun: spread
closing the border won’t stop the spread of the disease
| the spread of communism that followed the Second
World War
straightforward /ˌstreɪtˈfɔː(r)wə(r)d/ Adjective
if something is straightforward, it is very simple, and
there are no problems or difficulties involved
Collocates: relatively/fairly straightforward | perfectly
straightforward | a straightforward matter/case
it was a straightforward birth | a fairly straightforward
decorating job | it should be relatively straightforward to
set everything up
take out /ˈteɪk ˌaʊt/ Phrasal verb
if you take out something such as an insurance policy,
a mortgage, or a bank loan, you get it by applying for it
and paying the fee that is needed
Collocates: take out a loan/mortgage/policy
Collocates: go into labour | be in labour | a long labour |
labour pains
we managed to take out a mortgage | you need to take
out an insurance policy for your trip abroad | I tried to
take out a loan but the bank refused it
she was in labour for seven hours | you need to ring the
doctor and say I’ve gone into labour | her labour pains
started that night | you’ll want pain relief, especially if it’s
a long labour
upbringing /ˈʌpˌbrɪŋɪŋ/ Noun uncount
your upbringing is the way your parents treated you
when you were growing up, which influences the sort of
person you become as an adult
reception /rɪˈsepʃ(ə)n/ Noun
a reception is a big formal party for a celebration such as
a wedding, or in order to welcome someone
Collocates: a difficult upbringing | a sheltered upbringing
Collocates: a wedding reception | a civic reception | an
official reception | hold a reception
a reception for 500 people was held in the evening
| delegates were welcomed to the conference at a
civic reception in the town hall | the couple were given
£2,000 towards their wedding reception (to help pay
for it)
run /rʌn/ Noun
a good or bad run is a period of time when things go
well or badly for you
Collocates: a winning/good run | a losing/bad run | a run
of wins/victories | a run of defeats/losses
his team had been on a terrible run | Hamilton extended
his winning run to six races | Everton ended their fourgame losing run | a run of bad luck
speechless /ˈspiːtʃləs/ Adjective
if you are speechless, you are so surprised by something
that you find it difficult to say anything
Collocates: be speechless with anger/rage
when I found out, I was speechless | he was speechless
with rage and bright red in the face | Jenny collapsed
into the chair, speechless with exhaustion
spread /spred/ Verb
if something spreads, it gradually begins to cover a
wider area
she had quite an interesting upbringing | both of us
had a very sheltered upbringing (we were protected
from difficulty or unpleasant experiences) | a very strict
upbringing | my upbringing was quite conventional | a
typical middle-class upbringing | a soldier’s upbringing
has no bearing on his suitability for officer training
Phrasal verb: bring up
she was brought up by her grandparents | Bob had
been brought up in Toronto | spent the last twenty years
bringing up their family
Pages 118–119
acknowledge /əkˈnɒlɪdʒ/ Verb
to acknowledge something means to accept that it is
true
Collocates: acknowledge that
she acknowledges that there are some dishonest
bankers| I do acknowledge the need for some
changes | she refused to acknowledge her guilt | I fully
acknowledge that I made mistakes | we were forced to
acknowledge the truth
Noun: acknowledgement
I want an acknowledgement that mistakes were made
affectionate /əˈfekʃ(ə)nət/ Adjective
someone who is affectionate shows their love and
affection for other people in the way that they behave
towards them
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 13
Collocates: be affectionate towards someone
they are by nature very affectionate children | he is a
popular, affectionate boy with a good sense of humour
| my grandmother was strict, but always affectionate |
affectionate husbands | she is very affectionate towards
members of our family
Noun: affection | Adverb: affectionately
Collocates: excruciatingly/incredibly boring | be bored
stiff/rigid | sheer boredom
such a boring meeting | am I boring you? | I was bored
stiff (extremely bored) | if you’re bored indoors, why don’t
you go outside and play? | the film was two hours of
sheer boredom | the scenery was flat, with not even any
trees to relieve the boredom
Collocates: great/deep/genuine/mutual affection |
affection for someone | hold someone in affection | a
show of affection | be affectionately known as something |
be affectionately called something
boundary /ˈbaʊnd(ə)ri/ Noun
if you set boundaries on behaviour, you explain what is
acceptable and what is not acceptable so that people
know what they can and cannot do
he never felt any great affection for her | I know she
feels a deep affection for you | he spoke of his mother
with affection and respect | a public show of affection
| outward signs of affection | he was held in great
affection by the whole family | Mr Wilkins, or Wilko
as he was affectionately known | she spoke of him
affectionately in public | she greeted us affectionately on
our arrival | he patted his grandson’s head affectionately
Collocates: set boundaries | cross/overstep the boundary
altogether /ˌɔːltəˈɡeðə(r)/ Adverb
you use altogether to emphasise that something
happens or is done completely
face up to it, rather than avoiding it altogether | it
disappeared altogether | the car slowed down until it
stopped altogether | in 1920, the book was banned
altogether
approach /əˈprəʊtʃ/ Noun
your approach to a problem or situation is the way you
decide to deal with it or think about it
Collocates: a new/different/alternative approach | a
traditional approach | take an approach (to something)
you may need to change your approach to the subject |
a traditional approach to staff development | it is time for
a dramatically new approach | if it is impossible to find
an alternative approach, then the experiment should be
halted
it’s a good idea to set children boundaries | give them
strict boundaries | I knew I’d overstepped the boundary |
I’ve always kept within the boundaries | teenagers like to
cross the boundaries
confrontation /ˌkɒnfrʌnˈteɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun
a confrontation is a situation when you have a serious
disagreement with someone and argue about it with
them
the boy refused. The teacher insisted. A confrontation
developed | I kept silent and avoided direct
confrontation | Batty had a serious confrontation with
Byrne in the staff room
Verb: confront | Adjective: confrontational
when Mary confronted Alan, he admitted taking the
photos | some of the people who confronted him later
apologised | a less confrontational relationship | he
always adopted a confrontational style
defensive /dɪˈfensɪv/ Adjective
if someone is defensive, they are angry because they
think that someone is criticising them
Collocates: be defensive about something
Verb: approach
don’t be so defensive | telling them they’re wrong will
just make them defensive | he got a bit defensive | she
was really defensive about it
Collocates: approach a problem/task/matter/issue
Adverb: defensively | Noun: defensive
people approached the issue in different ways | think
about how you intend to approach the problem
Collocates: be on the defensive
bad-tempered /ˌbæd ˈtempə(r)d/ Adjective
someone who is bad-tempered gets cross or angry very
easily
my sister’s so bad-tempered and spoilt | there’s no need
to be so bad-tempered about it | it was only after they
married that she noticed how bad-tempered he had
become | I was questioned for ten minutes by a badtempered policeman | until Irina described me as badtempered, I had considered myself a peaceable man
bore /bɔː(r)/ Noun
if you refer to someone as a bore, you mean that they
talk in a very dull and uninteresting way
Collocates: a terrible/crashing bore
don’t be such a bore | you’re becoming a terrible bore,
Boris | a reputation for being something of a bore | his
uncle was a crashing bore (extremely boring)
Adjective: boring | Verb: bore | Adjective: bored |
Noun: boredom
“it’s my room too”, Sally said defensively. “I can come in
if I like” | I heard her say, slightly on the defensive, “It’s
an investment”
drift /drɪft/ Verb
if things are drifting, no one is controlling events or
planning what should happen. If someone is drifting,
they are not trying to control what is happening in
their life
Collocates: drift along/around | drift into something
it will only make things worse if you just let things drift
| she drifted into a job as a waitress | I like to sit back
and let life drift around me | do you just drift along and
accept what happens, rather than setting specific goals?
grace /ɡreɪs/ Noun uncount
grace is kind and polite behaviour
Collocates: with good/bad grace | have the grace to do
something
accept the offer with good grace | they took their defeat
with bad grace | at least she had the grace to admit she
was wrong
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Adjective: gracious | Adverb: graciously |
Adjective: graceful | Adverb: gracefully |
Adjective: graceless | Adverb: gracelessly
he was gracious in defeat | an English gentleman
with his gracious wife and beautiful family | he
graciously accepted our invitation | she stayed behind
and graciously answered journalists’ questions | he
spoke a few graceful words by way of a thank-you |
she gracefully accepted his offer | he wanted to say
something kind so as not to seem sullen or graceless |
“no”, he said gracelessly, already halfway to the door
ground /ɡraʊnd/ Noun uncount
the ground you cover in a discussion is the range of
subjects and ideas you discuss
Collocates: familiar/safe/old/new ground | cover/go over
ground
there may be some middle ground where you can
compromise | don’t go over old ground | we covered
quite a lot of ground | we seemed to go over the same
ground lots of times | her book goes over rather familiar
ground
handle /ˈhænd(ə)l/ Verb
if you handle a difficult situation, you deal with it
successfully and make sure that everything works out
well; if you handle a situation badly, you are not able to
control it and further problems develop
Collocates: handle a situation (well/badly)
we can learn to handle them better | they are fully
trained and ready to handle the problems that might
arise | it’s a situation I believe I can handle, given a bit
of time | how do you think he’ll handle the pressure of
being prime minister? | things might have been handled
a bit better if we’d seen the report earlier | student
discipline has to be handled with care
postpone /pəʊsˈpəʊn/ Verb
to postpone an event, meeting, activity etc means to
delay it until a later time or day
we’ll have to postpone the trip | the match has been
postponed | the meeting’s been postponed until next
Thursday | the trial has been postponed indefinitely (no
one knows when it will eventually happen)
Noun: postponement
they’ve announced the postponement of all today’s
matches
put off /ˈpʊt ˌɒf/ Phrasal verb
to put something off means to delay it until a later time
Collocates: put off doing something
resort to /rɪˈzɔː(r)t ˌtʊ/ Phrasal verb
to resort to an extreme course of action means to do
it only because other courses of action have not been
successful
Collocates: resort to doing something | resort to violence
the government had to resort to raising the price of
petrol to preserve supplies | extremists on both sides will
resort to violence | you can train children for life without
resorting to punishment | she finally had to resort to
legal action
Noun: resort
Collocates: a last resort
we’d only do this as a last resort (if everything else has
failed)
sake /seɪk/Noun singular
for the sake of something means for that purpose. For
the sake of a person means for that person’s benefit
don’t continue arguing just for the sake of not losing
face | do it for the sake of your health | laws that are
necessary for the sake of the whole community | I only
did it for your sake | do it for your own sake | let’s not
argue, for the children’s sake | for my dear mother’s
sake, I will be a friend to you
set out /ˈset ˌaʊt/ Phrasal verb
if you set out to do something, you start trying to do it
a colleague might be genuinely setting out to block your
ideas | I’m setting out to win this competition | I never set
out to hurt you | the study set out to examine television
coverage of the war in Iraq | she’s achieved everything
she set out to do
stand up for /ˈstænd ˌʌp fɔː(r)/ Phrasal verb
if you stand up for yourself, you defend yourself and
insist on having or keeping what you are entitled to and
do not let other people do things that will cause you
problems
standing up for yourself is sometimes necessary| I can
assure you she’s more than capable of standing up for
herself | well I hope he can stand up for himself | I’m not
a child. I can stand up for myself
steer /stɪə(r)/ Verb
to steer a vehicle or boat means to control it and choose
the direction it goes in all the time. To steer a course or
path through a situation means to do what is necessary
to deal with the situation successfully and achieve a
good result
Collocates: steer a course/path (through something)
try to put off sensitive topics until later in the day | I
couldn’t put the decision off any longer | I was trying to
put off telling him | don’t put off till tomorrow what you
can do today
try to steer through these confrontations | you don’t
need to steer clear of them altogether (avoid them) |
try to steer children towards making the right choices |
I tried to steer the conversation away from the trip | he
tried to steer the party in the right direction
raise /reɪz/ Verb
if you raise your voice, you begin to speak more loudly,
for example because you are angry or because you
need to shout so that people can hear you
step back /ˈstep ˌbæk/ Phrasal verb
if you step back from a situation, you stop being involved
in it so that you can think about it carefully and decide
what you need to do
he would never raise his voice to her (speak angrily to
her) | Luke had to raise his voice to make himself heard
| the painter raised his voice in protest | don’t you raise
your voice at me
the government should step back for a while until the
situation is clearer | let’s step back for a moment before
we get further involved | it’s difficult to step back when
you see your kids making the same mistakes you made
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20 years ago | he stepped back before he could say
anything he’d regret
stubborn /ˈstʌbə(r)n/ Adjective
someone who is stubborn does not like to change their
mind about something and does not listen to people
who try to persuade them to change
Collocates: a stubborn streak | stubborn refusal/
resistance
I’ve had to be stubborn, single-minded and selfish in my
pursuit of a movie career | Charles’s stubborn attitude
has only made matters worse | he said I was being very
stubborn and that I should just give up the idea | there
is a stubborn streak which runs through everyone in my
family | after a week of stubborn resistance, he finally
gave in
Adverb: stubbornly | Noun: stubbornnes
for all his stubbornness, he is in fact hinting that
he is ready to do a deal | a character of immense
stubbornness | my father used to get so angry at her
stubbornness | it was only her own stubbornness that
was keeping her away from the party | Patrick shook
his head stubbornly | she fought stubbornly to have her
daughter returned to her
tense /tens/ Adjective
if you are tense, you feel worried and nervous, and it is
difficult for you to relax and think calmy
Collocates: feel tense
do this exercise when you’re under pressure or feel
tense | it’s the worry about Jill that’s making me tense |
bright colours in planes can make passengers feel tense
| I had not realised how tense the past few days had
made me
valid /ˈvælɪd/ Adjective
ideas or opinions that are valid are based on reasonable
thinking and can be justified even if you do not agree
with them
Collocates: a valid reason/excuse | a valid argument/
opinion | a valid objection
a different view, but one that is equally valid | not
enough evidence to reach a valid conclusion | I just
don’t agree that his criticism was valid | do you have any
valid reasons for thinking that? | they raised a number of
valid objections | there is no valid argument against the
proposal
Noun: validity | Opposite: invalid
assessing the validity of his explanation | questioning
the validity of her beliefs | most of his arguments in
favour of the plan were invalid
vulnerable /ˈvʌln(ə)rəb(ə)l/ Adjective
if someone is vulnerable or in a vulnerable position, they
can be hurt or upset easily
Collocates: feel/remain vulnerable | be vulnerable to
something
more help is needed for vulnerable teenagers | I’m
feeling slightly vulnerable at the moment | children
who are vulnerable to abuse | some families are more
vulnerable to social change than others | the elderly are
among the most vulnerable in today’s society | plans to
support vulnerable groups such as young people
Noun: vulnerability | Opposite: invulnerable
I could sense her vulnerability | consider too the
vulnerability of the homeless person | an attempt to
make the region invulnerable to attack
Noun: tension
Pages 120–121
they all laughed and it helped to relieve the tension | the
tension was unbearable
blessing /ˈblesɪŋ/ Noun
a blessing is a set of words that are spoken in order to
ask God to take care of someone or something
underlying /ˌʌndə(r)ˈlaɪɪŋ/ Adjective
if you refer to the underlying qualities, meanings,
features etc. of something, you mean that they exist but
are not obvious and not stated directly
his underlying message is one of hope | the underlying
reasons for these differences are explored in chapter 7
| the underlying causes of crime | an underlying health
problem | I do not accept the underlying assumption that
war was inevitable
Verb: underlie
the principle that underlies all our decisions | a similar
attitude underlies America’s love of the skyscraper
vain /veɪn/ Adjective
if someone is vain, they are very proud and think that
they are very attractive or special in some way
Collocates: give a blessing
he whispered special holy words in the baby’s ear as a
blessing for his future life | she received a blessing from
the Pope | the priest gave a blessing, and then we left |
may God’s blessing be with us all
Verb: bless | Adjective: blessed
God bless you all this Christmas time | ask God to bless
those who persecute you | may the Lord bless you on
your journey | blessed are the poor, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven
bride /braɪd/ Noun
at a wedding, the bride is the woman who is getting
married
he’s very vain | she’s really vain about her looks | maybe
I was a bit vain when I was younger | he was so vain he
never went out without his hat
a photo of the bride and groom | the bride arrived at
the door of the church with her father | the best man
proposed a toast to the bride | the bride’s mother looked
so proud
Noun: vanity
Adjective: bridal
products designed to appeal to female vanity | a man of
great vanity, constantly picking up a mirror and checking
himself in it | they couldn’t hide their greed and vanity
Collocates: bridal wear | a bridal gown
she started the dancing still in her bridal gown | the
bridal car arrived perfectly on time
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bury /ˈberi/ Verb
to bury someone means to put their body in the ground
after they die
do you want to be buried or cremated? | she’s buried
in the local cemetery | we buried him last week | she’s
dead and buried in a grave in Portree | his last words
were “Bury me in my uniform”
Noun: burial
the burial will take place next Tuesday | remains of
Roman burials have been discovered at the site
chart /tʃɑː(r)t/ Noun
a chart is a drawing or diagram or a set of figures that
represents information in a way that is meant to be clear
and easy to understand
Collocates: a bar chart | a pie chart | a flow chart | an
astrological chart
the priest consulted an astrological chart to help choose
the name (a chart that shows the position of the stars in
the sky at a certain time) | the most common statistical
charts are bar charts (charts in which the heights of
vertical bars provide the information) | draw a pie chart
for your household budget (a chart in which a circle is
divided into sections to represent different quantities)
coffin /ˈkɒfɪn/ Noun
a coffin is a box that is used for the body of a dead
person, in which they are either buried or cremated
his body was displayed in the coffin | her four sons
carried the coffin into the church | his remains lay in a
wooden coffin | the coffin was lowered into the grave
| archaeologists uncovered a stone coffin from 2,000
years ago
compromise /ˈkɒmprəmaɪz/ Noun
compromise is the ability to accept a situation that is not
perfect for you but which enables you to exist happily
with other people. A compromise is a situation which you
accept in which you do not have everything you want
Collocates: make/reach/work out a compromise
the key to a successful marriage is friendship and
compromise | we entered into the relationship in a
spirit of compromise | the president showed no hint
of compromise | I had to make some compromises | it
seemed a sensible compromise | maybe we can work
out a compromise | we finally reached a compromise
Verb: compromise
Collocates: compromise on something
there may be some middle ground where you can
compromise | she refused to compromise | can we
compromise on the price?
courage /ˈkʌrɪdʒ/ Noun uncount
courage is the quality of not being afraid even in difficult
or dangerous situations
Collocates: show courage | summon/find/have the
courage (to do something) | require/take courage | great/
considerable courage
he fought the illness with great courage | we didn’t
have the courage to go ahead with the plan | it took
courage to jump from the second floor | she showed a
tremendous amount of courage throughout the war
Adjective: courageous | Adverb: courageously
it was a courageous decision, but it cost him his life
| Walters praised his courageous team | a highly
courageous act | the crew acted courageously in helping
all the passengers off the ship
cremate /krɪˈmeɪt/ Verb
if someone is cremated, their body is burned after they
have died as part of the funeral ceremony
do you want to be buried or cremated? | he had left
instructions for his body to be cremated | you can’t
cremate a body without a doctor’s certificate
Noun: cremation
there will be a short service before the cremation
curiosity /ˌkjʊəriˈɒsəti/ Noun uncount
curiosity is the quality of wanting to know about
something
Collocates: curiosity about something | satisfy your
curiosity | idle curiosity | natural curiosity | out of curiosity
his natural curiosity about the world | just out of curiosity,
how much did it cost you? | the article did little to satisfy
his curiosity about the event | her curiosity led her to visit
the local museum | it’s not just idle curiosity – I actually
need to know | curiosity killed the cat (used to tell
someone you want them to stop asking questions about
something)
Adjective: curious | Adverb: curiously
Collocates: very curious | slightly curious | naturally
curious | be curious to know/hear/learn about something
a naturally curious boy with an appetite for reading | the
museum has a lot to offer the curious visitor | I’m very
curious to know what’s inside the suitcase | she wasn’t in
the least curious about where he had been | she looked
curiously into the cupboards and wardrobes
dignity /ˈdɪɡnəti/ Noun uncount
dignity is behaviour that people respect because it is
polite and controlled and does not show unnecessary
emotion
Collocates: calm/quiet dignity | great dignity | respect
someone’s dignity
she behaved with great dignity | everyone should be
treated with respect and dignity | Bettinson is a man of
considerable dignity | pensioners should be able to live
with dignity
Adjective: dignified
a man of dignified manners | they praised him for the
dignified way he conducted himself | I maintained a
dignified silence
exhaustion /ɪɡˈzɔːstʃ(ə)n/ Noun uncount
exhaustion is a state of extreme tiredness
Collocates: suffer from exhaustion | complete/total
exhaustion | physical/mental exhaustion
I immediately forgot all the pain and exhaustion |
ended up collapsing with exhaustion | the birds died
of exhaustion | was suffering from exhaustion and illhealth | everyone by then was in a state of complete
exhaustion
Verb: exhaust | Adjective: exhausting |
Adjective: exhausted
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Collocates: exhaust yourself | absolutely/totally
exhausting | emotonally/mentally/physically exhausting
| absolutely/totally exhausted | emotionally/mentally/
physically exhausted
he had exhausted himself even before the concert
started | an exhausting day | a mentally exhausting
experience | events had left her physically and mentally
exhausted | we finally arrived, exhausted but happy
gather /ˈɡæðə(r)/ Verb
if people gather somewhere, they all come together
there for a particular purpose
Collocates: gather round/around
family and friends usually gather outside the town hall
to take photos | crowds started gathering outside the
palace at dawn | we gathered round and waited for the
announcement
Noun: gathering
a select gathering (only people who were invited) | a
family gathering | public gatherings were banned | an
international gathering of surgeons
grave /ɡreɪv/ Noun
someone’s grave is the place where their body is buried
Collocates: an unmarked grave | a shallow grave | a
mass grave
we visit her grave every weekend | police have found a
body in a shallow grave | a freshly-dug grave | a mass
grave (with a large number of bodies) | somewhere in
an unmarked grave lay her grandfather (a grave with no
indication of who is buried in it)
groom /ɡruːm/ Noun
at a wedding, the groom is the man who is getting
married
here’s a toast to the bride and groom | on the day,
the groom is not meant to see his bride before the
ceremony | the bride and groom were followed by the
best man and the bridesmaid
Synonym: bridegroom
they returned to the bridegroom’s house for the
reception
hatred /ˈheɪtrɪd/ Noun uncount
hatred is a very strong dislike for someone or something
Collocates: deep/intense hatred | have a hatred of
(doing) something | stir up hatred | hatred for someone
faces filled with hatred | an intense hatred for his father
| he has a hatred of the police that will never leave him |
those who stir up hatred between nations
Verb: hate | Adjective: hateful
Collocates: hate doing something | hate to do something
we hated to give them any encouragement | she hated
being away from home for so long | it was all the fault of
that hateful man
healthy /ˈhelθi/ Adjective
a healthy attitude or approach to something is normal
and sensible
Collocates: a healthy attitude/approach
we have a healthier and more open attitude to death
these days | Amanda has a healthy attitude to life and
doesn’t worry about unimportant things | a healthy
respect for law and order | a healthy dislike of daytime
TV | a healthy outcry against corruption
Opposite: unhealthy
an unhealthy fascination with guns
honour /ˈɒnə(r)/ Verb
to honour someone or something is to do something that
shows your respect for them or for what they have done
knowing about history, and honouring the dead is very
important | I shall honour her memory for ever | five
firefighters were honoured for their bravery yesterday
(were given a medal as a reward) | a ceremony
honouring all who fought in two world wars
integrity /ɪnˈteɡrəti/ Noun uncount
integrity is great honesty and a refusal to do anything
that you do not believe is right
Collocates: great integrity | personal integrity | moral
integrity | artistic integrity | with integrity
it’s rare to find people of that integrity in Hollywood |
he had a high degree of personal integrity | they were
expected to act with integrity at all times | balancing
artistic integrity with commercial considerations
leap up /ˈliːp ˌʌp/ Phrasal verb
if you leap up, you get up very suddenly and quickly
from where you are sitting
male guests would leap up and kiss the bride | Katie
leapt up to answer the door | he leapt up from his bench
when the first goal was scored
liberty /lɪbə(r)ti/ Noun uncount
liberty is the freedom to do what you want without being
controlled by the authorities
Collocates: individual/personal liberty | human liberty |
basic liberty | religous liberty
the new law was seen as a threat to personal liberty
| taking action to protect religious liberty | loss of
liberty may be necessary in extreme circumstances | a
campaign to bring about more liberty and democracy in
other areas of social life
loyalty /ˈlɔɪəlti/ Noun uncount
if someone shows loyalty, they support someone or
something reliably and without changing
Collocates: fierce/great loyalty | blind loyalty | inspire
loyalty | show loyalty | demand/expect loyalty
the servants showed great loyalty even when times
were difficult | workers had a fierce loyalty to each other
| he inspires extraordinary loyalty among his staff | he
demanded unquestioning loyalty in return for his support
Adjective: loyal | Adverb: loyally
Collocates: fiercely loyal | loyal support | remain loyal (to
someone)
only a few remained loyal to the prime minister | you
can be sure of our loyal support | 25 years’ loyal service
to the company | despite the setbacks, they loyally
supported him | the new government loyally accepted
the American proposals
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outfit /ˈaʊtfɪt/ Noun
an outfit is a particular set of clothes, especially one that
is worn for special occasions
the girls wear traditional Japanese outfits | she had a
different outfit for the opera that evening | I can’t always
wear the same outfit | she considered buying a new
outfit for the occasion
party /ˈpɑː(r)ti/ Verb
to party means to have a good time by being with
friends, and doing things like drinking or dancing or
talking. If you party the night away, you spend a whole
evening and night doing this
we partied the night away | let’s party! | he’s been
working all day and out partying all night | since it was
the last night of our holiday, we all celebrated and
partied
Noun: party
Collocates: throw a party | a birthday party | a dinner
party | a street party | a house-warming party
there was plenty to eat at the party | he had his ninth
birthday party last week | they threw a lavish housewarming party (a party to celebrate someone moving
into a new home)
priest /priːst/ Noun
in the Christian church, a priest is a person who has a
particular formal role. In some other religions, people
with a particular role are also called priests
Collocates: a parish/Catholic priest | a woman priest
the priest consulted an astrological chart | campaigning
to have more women priests | the new parish priest
(the member of the clergy who is responsible for a
particular church and its surrounding area) | with them
came priests and bishops, and monasteries were soon
established
Adverb: priestly
he had no priestly authority | a priestly gown
respects /rɪˈspekts/Noun plural
respect is a feeling or attitude towards someone
that recognises their good qualities and is polite and
admiring. If you send your respects to someone, you
send them a polite greeting. If you pay your last respects
to someone, you show your respect or admiration for
them by going to their funeral and seeing their coffin
hundreds of former pupils paid their respects at her
funeral last week | family and friends have paid their last
respects to Jim, who died two weeks ago | undertakers
were worried that no one would be there to pay their
last respects
rite /raɪt/ Noun
rites are traditional ceremonies or activities that happen
at significant moments in the year or significant moments
in someone’s life
Collocates: last rites | initiation rites | burial/funeral rites
Hindu rites that are carried out at birth | he was given
the last rites (special prayers said by a priest when
someone is about to die) | the place where Gandhi’s
funeral rites were performed | these rites mark the cycle
of life – birth, marriage, death | a rite of passage (a
ceremony to mark the time when someone reaches a
particular stage in their life, for example becoming an
adult)
Adjective: ritual
the ritual wedding feast
star /stɑː(r)/ Noun
stars are large objects out in space like our sun. We can
see them because they burn very fiercely and give out
a lot of light. Some people believe that the way stars
move in the sky and their position at certain times has an
influence on what happens to people on earth
it’s written in the stars that you will become famous | it
was in the stars that she would marry a prince
themed /θiːmd/ Adjective
a theme is a general subject or idea that is present
throughout a piece of writing, music, a lecture etc. If a
place is themed, it is made to reflect a particular way of
life or to look like a particular place
a trend to place them in a themed setting such as sitting
on their motorbike | an American-themed leisure park (a
leisure park where everything is made to look American)
| the nautically themed Arden Arms (a pub where the
decoration makes it look like the inside of a ship)
toast /təʊst/ Noun
a toast is an occasion when people drink together to
celebrate something or to wish people luck
Collocates: propose/make a toast | drink a toast | a toast
to someone/something
anyone could make a toast and speak | I’d like to
propose a toast to the bride and groom | we drank a
toast to the team
Verb: toast
Collocates: toast someone/something with/in something
we all toasted the happy couple | the couple’s vows will
be toasted in champagne
tone /təʊn/ Noun uncount
the tone of a sound is the particular quality that it has. If
you say that someone is tone deaf, you mean that they
cannot recognise or repeat the tune of a musical sound
Collocates: a low tone
I joined in the singing even though I’m tone dead
| the rhythms and tones of a public speaker | the
unmistakable tones of her father’s singing | I spoke
calmly, in a low tone (quietly)
vow /vaʊ/ Noun
a vow is a very serious promise that someone makes.
Someone’s wedding vows are the formal promises that
they say out loud in a wedding ceremony
Collocates: marriage/wedding vows | a solemn vow |
break a vow
he made a vow that he would find the truth | I made a
vow to myself that I would return one day and buy the
house | she broke her vow of silence | his father-in-law
accused him of breaking his marriage vows | the couple
made their vows at St Peter’s Church | I had to take a
solemn vow that I would accept the decision
Verb: vow
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the two had an argument and vowed never to speak to
each other again | I know girls who vow they will never
marry
whisper /ˈwɪspə(r)/ Verb
if you whisper, you say something very quietly, not using
your voice
Collocates: whisper something to someone
he whispered in the child’s ear | they whispered “I
love you” to each other | he leaned towards me and
whispered his name | speak up, James. Don’t whisper
Noun: whisper
Collocates: in a whisper | a hushed whisper
his voice sank to a whisper | she spoke in a whisper,
hoping the teacher would not hear | all I heard was a
hushed whisper
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 13
EXERCISES
Collocations
Prepositions
D Match the two halves of the collocations. Look
up the nouns (a–h) if you need help.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 This situation needs to be handled
care.
2 Public shows
uncomfortable.
affection always make her
3 My wife was
labour for twelve hours.
4 They went
a marriage counsellor for advice.
5 He received the bad news
good grace.
6 Commuters waited over an hour
to arrive.
7 Is the meeting taking place
8 We drank a toast
the train
the boardroom?
the bride and groom.
9 I tried to steer the conversation away
subject.
1 a sheltered
a) priest
2 a parish
b) run
3 familiar
c) reception
4 a winning
d) upbringing
5 a wedding
e) integrity
6 initiation
f) rites
7 moral
g) grave
8 a mass
h) ground
E Complete the sentences with the correct form of
the verbs in the box. Look up the words in bold if
you need help.
throw
reach
the
propose
sit
1 We
yesterday.
Word families
a leaving party for a colleague
2 After lots of disagreement, both sides
a compromise.
B Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
3 I
a toast to the winning team.
1 feel tense
relieve the
2 a valid opinion
assess the
4 John
ten years.
3 approach the issue
change your
5 The article did little to
4 buried in the cemetery the
is tomorrow
5 receive a blessing the priest
6 die of exhaustionan
the child
day
F
8 the bride and groom
3 raise/give a blessing
C Complete the sentences with the correct word
from the word in brackets.
3 They
(loyalty)
4 hurt/suffer from exhaustion
5 cover/place a lot of ground
6 drink/eat a toast
1 My grandparents were always very
towards us. (affection)
2 He was always very
his curiosity.
1 take/do a different approach
2 break/steer your vow
gown
on the board of directors for
Choose the correct verb to go with each noun.
Look up the nouns if you need help.
7 vain about his looksappeal to his
a
satisfy
. (dignity)
Phrasal verbs
supported him for years.
G Choose the correct word to complete the
phrasal verb.
4 I don’t enjoy being a
. (commute)
5 He has two previous
dealing. (convict)
for drug
1 Don’t put off/over till tomorrow what you can do
today.
6 They announced the
(postpone)
of the match.
2 She comes across/over as a really friendly person.
3 The government had to resort from/to raising taxes.
4 She’s achieved everything she set on/out to do.
5 You need to stand out/up for yourself more.
6 Let’s step back/over for a moment and decide what
to do.
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 14
14 BANKS AND MONEY
Pages 124–125
after /ˈɑːftə(r)/Preposition
if you say you are after something, you are trying to get
it or buy it or find it
what kind of account were you after? | did you find what
you were after? | I’m after a book on accountancy | the
police are after him again
authorised /ˈɔːθəraɪzd/ Adjective
if you are authorised to do something, you have
the official right or power to do it. You can also say
that something is authorised if someone has given
permission for it to happen
I’m not authorised to make that decision | an authorised
overdraft agreement | authorised payments are made
every Wednesday
Verb: authorise | Noun: authorisation | Opposite:
unauthorised
he authorised me to sign the cheque | no time off
can be taken without authorisation | you need written
authorisation to go on the school trip | unauthorised
credit card usage
bailout /ˈbeɪlaʊt/ Noun
a bailout is a large sum of money that is intended to
rescue a company or country that has very serious
financial problems, and that would collapse completely
without the extra money
Collocates: a government bailout | a bailout package
they were saved from collapse by a government bailout
| the US government reportedly lost $11.2 billion on
its bailout of General Motors | the second largest bank
bailout in history | the EU agreed a $170 billion bailout
package for Greece
Phrasal verb: bail out
the IMF has a $15.6 billion fund to bail out countries in
financial distress
budget /ˈbʌdʒɪt/ Noun
your budget is the amount of money you can spend
without getting into trouble. If you manage your budget
well, you make sure you know how much you have and
how much you can afford to spend on your regular
living costs
Collocates: an annual/monthly/weekly budget | a tight
budget | a fixed/limited budget
he’s never learned how to manage a budget | they
worked out their monthly budget to the last euro | he
made the film on a very tight budget (with no money to
spare) | we do what we can with a very limited budget
| prices to suit every budget (for people with very little
money as well as people with a lot of money) | we have
a weekly budget of £50 for food
Verb: budget | Adjective: budgetary
Collocates: budget for something
we didn’t budget for a new washing machine | we are
budgeting for 10% sales growth next year | we need
better budgetary control
cash flow /ˈkæʃ fləʊ/ Noun
cash flow is the money that comes into a company as
income and goes out on wages, materials, and other
costs
Collocates: healthy cash flow | positive/negative cash
flow
the company had awful cash flow problems | a negative
cash flow sometimes occurs at the end of a product’s
life cycle | the department responsible for monitoring
cash flow
cash point /ˈkæʃˌpɔɪnt/ Noun
a cash point is a machine, usually in the outside wall of
a bank or other building, which lets people take money
from their bank accounts by using their bank card
Collocates: a cash point machine
have you ever had problems using a cash point abroad?
| there’s a cash point outside the supermarket | the cash
point was out of order
claim /kleɪm/ Verb
if you claim something such as money , you try and get
it because you believe you have a right to it. If you claim
back some money, you ask for the money to be returned
to you because it was taken from you illegally or by
someone who did not provide the goods or services
they promised
Collocates: claim something back | claim on something
I was able to claim it all back on the insurance | if you
do not receive the goods in 30 days you can claim your
money back | I paid for the meal, but I’ll claim it back
from work | she claimed compensation of $10,000
Noun: claim | Noun: claimant
you need to make a claim within 10 days | the
government still ended up paying claimants a total of
$90 million
commission /kəˈmɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun
commission is an extra amount of money that you pay to
an organisation when you use a service that it provides
Collocates: charge commission | take commission | pay
commission | on commission
they charge a small commission to change money |
there’s 2% commission on all transactions | they charge
5% commission | had to pay £25 in commission | a fixed
commission | he sells garden sheds on commission (he
is paid according to how many sheds he sells, not a
regular salary)
credit /ˈkredɪt/ Noun
credit is an agreement with a bank or other organisation
that lets you spend money that you do not have, and that
allows you to pay it back later
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Collocates: extend credit to someone | give someone
credit | offer someone credit | refuse someone credit
the bank wouldn’t extend them any credit | we were
offered unlimited credit till the end of the year | interestfree credit | it’s very embarrassing being refused credit
hack /hæk/ Verb
if someone hacks a computer or hacks into a computer
system, they get into it illegally, often to steal valuable or
important information
it’s easy for someone to hack into your account if you
don’t have a strong password | somebody hacked into
the company servers over the weekend | an attempt to
hack the Pentagon’s computers
Noun: hacker | Adjective: hacked
formerly a hacker, he now works for a computer security
firm | money was taken from a hacked bank account
identification /aɪˌdentɪfɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun uncount
if you have identification with you, you have an official
document that proves who you are, such as a passport, a
driving licence etc.
Collocates: carry identification | show/produce
identification | an identification card | a form of
identification
do you have some form of identification with you? |
report to a police station with a form of identification | if
you can’t produce identification, we can’t let you join the
library | will you accept a gas bill as identification?
lengthy /ˈleŋθi/ Adjective
if something is lengthy, it takes a long time, and often
feels as though it is taking longer than you would like it
to take
lengthy speeches | a lengthy discussion | lengthy
negotiations | a fairly lengthy report | some lengthy
delays | a lengthy period of economic recession
overdraft /ˈəʊvə(r)ˌdrɑːft/ Noun
if you have an overdraft, you have spent more money
from a bank account than you put in it, so you owe the
bank money. If you have an agreed overdraft, the bank
will let you spend a certain amount more than you have
in your account before they start to charge you extra
interest
Collocates: an unauthorised overdraft | run up an
overdraft | pay back/repay an overdraft | an overdraft
facility/agreement
process /ˈprəʊses/ Verb
to process a claim, application, business transaction etc.
means to check that everything is acceptable and to
authorise it to take place
the machine wouldn’t process the transaction | all the
applications are now processed electronically (using
computers) | we’ll process the claim and the money
should reach your bank account early next week
Noun: process
the approval process normally takes two weeks
repossess /ˌriːpəˈzes/ Verb
if your house is repossessed, a bank takes it back from
you because you have not been paying back the money
you borrowed to buy it
last year, over 3,000 homes were repossessed | the
bank threatened to repossess the flat | the bank will sell
the house as soon as possible after repossessing it
Noun: repossession
your home is at risk of repossession if you fail to
maintain the payments | the number of repossessions
doubled last year
reserves /rɪˈzɜː(r)v/ Noun
a reserve is an amount of something that is kept so that
it can be made available when it is needed
Collocates: currency/cash reserves | be kept in reserve |
build up a reserve | fuel reserves | oil/gas/coal reserves
we have reserves of foreign currency on the premises
at all times | we had no more cash left in reserve | Abu
Dhabi has major oil reserves | US gold reserves fell
alarmingly
run up /ˈrʌn ʌp/ Phrasal verb
if you run up a debt or a bill, you spend money or order
goods with the result that you owe a lot of money
Collocates: run up a debt | run up a bill
he ran up huge debts trying to keep his company going
| she ran up a massive mobile phone bill | I ran up a
sizeable debt at university | a New York resident who ran
up a credit card bill of $20,000
sentence /ˈsentəns/ Verb
if someone is sentenced to a period of time in jail, a
court has found them guilty of a crime and the judge
announces how long they will have to spend in jail
Collocates: sentence someone to something
I had a £250 overdraft | an overdraft might be cheaper
than a bank loan | I finally paid off my overdraft last
month | he ran up an overdraft of £3,000 in his first year
at university
he could be sentenced to 10 years in jail | the judge
sentenced him to four years in prison
Adjective: overdrawn
the judge pronounced sentence | it was the longest
sentence that could be handed down | there is a minimum
sentence of five years for this sort of crime | the trial was
adjourned until 13 October for sentencing (the statement
by the judge saying what the sentence will be)
my account gets overdrawn every month | we’re
£400 overdrawn | I was charged twice for one small
overdrawn amount
pop /pɒp/ Verb
if you pop something into a space, you put it there
quickly or casually
pop the card in here and then key in your PIN | pop your
coat in the hall and come through to the dining room | I’ll
just pop the chicken in the oven
Noun: sentence | Noun: sentencing
Collocates: hand down a sentence
suspicious /səˈspɪʃəs/ Adjective
if you think something or someone is suspicious, you do
not trust them because you think that there is something
wrong or dishonest about them
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Collocates: suspicious behaviour | suspicious activity |
deeply/highly suspicious
they blocked my card because of suspicious activity
| if you see anything suspicious, call the police | a
suspicious-looking man | he was behaving in a highly
suspicious manner | he urged everyone to report
suspicious behaviour
Adverb: suspiciously | Noun: suspicion | Verb: suspect
Collocates: act suspiciously | suspect someone of something
she saw a man acting suspiciously outside the shop
| I have the suspicion that he knows something | our
suspicions turned out to be unfounded (not true) | the
police suspect him of fraud
transaction /trænˈzækʃ(ə)n/ Noun
a transaction is a business operation in which money is
passed from one person or company to another
the machine wouldn’t process my transaction |
there’s 2% commission on all transactions | a financial
transaction | business transactions | a cash transaction
(in which someone pays using cash) | the rules apply
to all commercial transactions | online transaction
processing
trial /ˈtraɪəl/ Noun
a trial is a period of time when you use something to see
what it is like and decide whether it works properly. The
time you spend doing this can be called a trial period,
especially when there is a fixed limit on the time
Collocates: carry out a trial | a trial period | a trial run | on
a trial basis
a three-month trial period | the new drug is still
undergoing trials | we’re using it on a trial basis | to
undergo clinical trials | the plan was abandoned after a
disastrous trial run | how can I extend the trial period?
Verb: trial
the new treatment will be trialled next year | during the
1990s, the army trialled both vehicles
wipe out /ˈwaɪp aʊt/ Phrasal verb
to wipe something out means to destroy it completely so
that there is none of it left
the economy collapsed and wiped out all their savings |
any profits were wiped out by the huge research costs |
if I win the lottery I’ll be able to wipe out my debts
withdrawal /wɪðˈdrɔːəl/ Noun
when you make a withdrawal, you take an amount of
money out of your bank account
Collocates: make a withdrawal
you’ll be able to make a withdrawal from any cash
machine | you’re charged every time you make a
withdrawal | make a withdrawal of £100 | with these
accounts, withdrawals are possible at a week’s notice
Verb: withdraw
I need to withdraw £200, please | she withdrew
£50 cash
Pages 126–127
approach /əˈprəʊtʃ/ Verb
to approach someone or something means to move
towards them so that you get close to them
he saw an old man approaching him | as I approached
the beach, I could see them by the ice-cream van | the
girl stood quite still as Marcus approached
Noun: approach | Adjective: approaching
Jess sat quietly, watching my approach | she couldn’t
help feeling nervous at his approach | the sound of an
approaching car
branch /brɑːntʃ/ Noun
a branch is a part of a tree that grows out from the trunk
a bird can only sit on one branch | the topmost branch
of the tree (the highest one) | we cut off some of the
overhanging branches | a dead branch had blown off
the tree
bundle /ˈbʌnd(ə)l/ Noun
a bundle of things is a collection of them tied together
loosely so that they can be carried together
Collocates: tie something in a bundle | a bundle of
something
they kept a small bundle of wood for themselves | a
small bundle of laundry | a bundle of papers | tie the
herbs into a bundle
Verb: bundle
he bundled up his papers and left the meeting | she
bundled up her clothes and threw them in the washing
machine
chuckle /ˈtʃʌk(ə)l/ Verb
to chuckle means to laugh quietly
Collocates: chuckle about/at something
the old man chuckled | she chuckled softly | he was
still chuckling about it | I chuckled to myself | he was
chuckling at the thought of how annoyed they’d be
with him
Noun: chuckle
we had a little chuckle about it afterwards
cling /klɪŋ/ Verb
to cling to something means to hold onto it tightly
he was clinging onto the enormous rope | I clung to the
edge of my seat | he clung on to my hand | I clung tightly
to the papers | we clung together
conceal /kənˈsiːl/ Verb
to conceal something means to hide it so that no one
can see it
he decided to conceal himself inside the bundle |
attempts to conceal the evidence | the drugs were
concealed in a lorry carrying cosmetics | she knew he
was concealing something, but did not know what
Noun: concealment | Adjective: concealed
his place of concealment under the bed | she hid
the fake passport in a concealed pocket | carrying
concealed weapons
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crammed /kræmd/ Adjective
if something is crammed with things or people, it is very
full of them and they are pressed closely together
Collocates: be crammed full
the bag was crammed with precious things | the place
was crammed with tourists | bags crammed full of food |
the drawers were crammed full
Verb: cram
I crammed all the clothes into my suitcase | don’t try to
cram too much into the cupboard
descend /dɪˈsend/ Verb
to descend means to go or come down
an enormous rope descended from the sky | the plane
began to descend | the Queen descended the stairs | a
path which descends steeply into the valley below
Noun: descent
their descent of the mountain | the plane began its
descent
despair /dɪˈspeə(r)/ Noun uncount
despair is a feeling that you have no hope. If you are in
despair, you believe you are in a very bad situation and
that you have no hope of improving it
Collocates: be in despair | drive someone to despair | a
state of despair
a feeling of total despair | he killed himself in despair |
she was in the depths of despair | losing the business
drove him to despair | her relief turned to despair when
she saw the result of her blood test | in a state of deep
despair
Verb: despair | Adjective: despairing |
Adjective: desperate | Adverb: desperately |
Noun: desperation
Collocates: despair of (doing) something | a desperate
situation | a desperate attempt/effort | do something in
desperation
it was a very difficult time, but we never despaired |
I never despaired of finding him again | he let out a
despairing cry | the economy is in a desperate situation
| a desperate attempt to escape | your parents are
desperately worried about you | in desperation, she
called the hospital
dissuade /dɪˈsweɪd/ Verb
to dissuade someone means to persuade them not to do
something
Collocates: dissuade someone from (doing) something
she couldn’t dissuade her husband | I tried to dissuade
him from leaving | a campaign to dissuade young people
from binge drinking | it was futile trying to dissuade him
Noun: dissuasion
try using dissuasion rather than outright bans | her
attempts at dissuasion failed, and he left the next
morning
greed /ɡriːd/ Noun uncount
greed is the quality of always wanting more of something
than you need, especially food or money
in an ideal world, there would be no greed or violence
| financial crime is motivated by pure greed | there will
always be human greed | personal greed is just another
aspect of human nature
Adjective: greedy | Adverb: greedily
she’s quite greedy when it comes to chocolate | he was
in the kitchen, greedily finishing the last of the stew
halt /hɔːlt/Noun singular
a halt is when something stops moving or happening.
If something or someone comes to a halt, they stop
moving and become still
Collocates: come to a halt | put a halt to something | call
a halt (to something)
it eventually came to a halt on a cloud | the train came
to a sudden halt | the economy seems to be grinding
to a halt | the police were unable to put a halt to the
gang’s activities | I suggest we call a halt to this stupid
argument | it is better to call a halt now before the
situation gets out of contriol
Verb: halt
they want to halt the experiments | work on the new
bridge has been halted by protestors | the search for
survivors has now halted
heavens /ˈhev(ə)nz/Noun plural
if you talk about the heavens, you mean the sky and all
the mysterious things that might be up above us
the bundle disappeared up into the heavens | the
heavens were lit up with flashes of lightning | if there
are no clouds tonight, you’ll see the spaceship up in the
heavens
inch /ɪntʃ/ Noun
an inch is a measurement of length, equal to about
2.54 centimetres
a narrow ledge only about eight inches wide | a six-inch
ruler | we were only inches away from hitting the lorry |
half an inch of rain fell last night | every inch of the wall
was covered in posters and postcards
Phrasal verb: inch forward
the queue inched forward (moved forward very slowly)
lower /ˈləʊə(r)/ Verb
if you lower something somewhere, you carefully let it
go from a higher position downwards, using a rope or
something else to make sure it does not go too fast and
break
Collocates: carefully/slowly lower something (to/into
something)
the woodcutter was lowered to the ground | the boat
was carefully lowered into the river | they lowered the
coffin into the grave
lump /lʌmp/ Noun
a lump of something is a small solid piece of it, usually
with an irregular shape
a lump of silver rolled out | a lump of coal | a solid lump
of concrete | a huge purple lump on his chest | a huge
lump of clay | go to the doctor if you find a lump
Adjective: lumpy
a lumpy mattress | lumpy potatoes
peer /pɪə(r)/ Verb
to peer at something or someone means to look very
carefully at them
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peering out, he saw an old man | he wiped the window
and peered out | she was peering intently at the prices
| she peered again at the water below, and decided not
to jump | he bent down to peer at the spider
precious /ˈpreʃəs/ Adjective
something that is precious is worth a lot of money
Collocates: precious stones/metals
the first bag was full of precious things | a craftsman
in precious metals (valuable metals such as gold and
silver) | a crown sparkling with precious stones ( jewels
such as diamonds and rubies) | salt was a precious item
for the Romans | don’t drop that vase! It’s extremely
precious
reluctantly /rɪˈlʌktəntli/ Adverb
if you do something reluctantly, you do it even though
you do not really want to
Collocates: reluctantly agree/accept
the woodcutter reluctantly agreed | he came with
us, rather reluctantly | the driver reluctantly admitted
that he’d been going too fast | the Board reluctantly
accepted her resignation
Adjective: reluctant | Noun: reluctance
Collocates: be reluctant to do something | with
reluctance | great reluctance
I was a bit reluctant to talk about it | she seemed reluctant
to take the job | I felt reluctant to ask for more money |
I couldn’t understand his reluctance to go on the trip |
with great reluctance he handed over the money | she
accepted with some slight show of reluctance
sparkle /ˈspɑː(r)k(ə)l/ Verb
something that sparkles gives off flashes of bright light
the golden walls were sparkling in the sunlight | the rings
on her fingers sparkled | you should have seen his eyes
sparkle when we told him | the diamonds and precious
stones sparkled and gleamed
Noun: sparkle
he saw the sparkle of her eyes | wipe with a damp cloth
to give your windows a sparkle
stable /ˈsteɪb(ə)l/ Noun
a stable is a building where horses are kept
an ambitious horse will never return to its old stable
| leave the horses in the stable | the stables were
converted into a house
Verb: stable
her pony’s stabled (kept in a stable) at a nearby farm |
we decided to stable the horses here rather than send
them away
turn out /ˈtɜː(r)n aʊt/ Phrasal verb
if something turns out in a particular way, that is what it is
like at the end of a process or period of time
it’s turning out to be a nightmare | it turned out to be a
mistake | I’m sure it’ll turn out OK in the end | we’ll wait
and see how things turn out | as it turned out, we didn’t
need any extra help
usher /ˈʌʃə(r)/ Verb
to usher someone somewhere means to lead them there
politely
he was ushered into a magnificent palace | she ushered
me to my seat | the waiter ushered us to our table | he
ushered us into the kitchen
Noun: usher
we showed our tickets to the usher (the person in a
cinema or theatre who shows you where your seats are)|
I was an usher at my brother’s wedding (it was my job to
show the guests where to sit)
vanish /ˈvænɪʃ/ Verb
if something or someone vanishes, they suddenly
disappear and you do not know where they are
Collocates: vanish without trace | simply vanish | vanish
into thin air
the bundle had vanished again | both men simply
vanished before the trial began | the magician’s final
trick was to make the rabbit vanish | when I looked
round, she’d vanished | the boat had vanished without
trace | he seemed to vanish into thin air
Pages 128–129
catch /kætʃ/ Noun
a catch is a difficulty or problem that is not very obvious
there’s just one catch | it sounds brilliant – so what’s the
catch? | there must be a catch | the catch is that you
have to pay the whole cost within 48 hours
downplay /ˌdaʊnˈpleɪ/ Verb
to downplay something means to try and make people
think it is less bad or serious than it really is
the marketing of lotteries downplays the odds against
winning | trying to downplay the problem | the Russian
Navy initially downplayed the incident | official sources
downplayed the numbers of casualties
Synonym: play down
a government official played down the report | she
played down fears that the injury might force her
retirement from tennis
dubious /ˈdjuːbiəs/ Adjective
if you think something is dubious, you are not sure that
it is true or correct. If you are dubious about something,
you are not sure if it is true or correct
the referee gave some dubious decisions | that seems
a bit dubious to me | some of the information was highly
dubious | some of his colleagues were equally dubious
about the plan | the waiter looked dubious for a moment
| both these ideas are extremely dubious
Adverb: dubiously
the chief shook his head dubiously| the figures were
rather dubiously obtained
gamble /ˈɡæmb(ə)l/ Verb
to gamble means to risk money in the hope of winning
more money. To gamble also means to do something
that has risks and will only be successful if certain things
happen
I don’t gamble at casinos | people are gambling with
their lives | we were gambling that he’d be back in time |
typically, he gambles most of his wages within a couple
of days | he doesn’t smoke, drink, or gamble
Noun: gamble | Noun: gambler | Noun: gambling
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 14
Collocates: a big/huge gamble | a desperate gamble |
take a gamble | be a bit of a gamble
Collocates: mislead someone about something | mislead
someone into thinking something
I knew it was a bit of a gamble | calling an early election
was a huge political gamble | his gamble paid off (was
successful) | Ross risked everything on a last gamble
| the company was taking a considerable gamble | a
support group for compulsive gamblers (people who
cannot stop gambling) | his luck as a gambler had been
extraordinary | horse racing is about more than just
gambling | gambling is a potentially addictive behaviour
| online gambling has become more strictly regulated
we were misled by the advertisement into thinking that
the second week would be free | the company denies
that it has misled customers | don’t be misled by fancy
brochures | she deliberately misled us into believeing
she really owned the house
good cause /ˌɡʊd ˈkɔːz/ Noun
good causes are activities, organisations, and charities
that operate without money from the government and
that people think do a useful job for society
it’s a fundraiser for a good cause | all the money raised
will be donated to a good cause | the business raised
over £25,000 for good causes last year
heritage /ˈherɪtɪdʒ/ Noun uncount
a country’s heritage is its cultural traditions that have
developed over a long time, its important and historical
buildings, and its sense of its own history
Collocates: a rich heritage | a national/cultural heritage |
preserve/protect one’s heritage
it’s important to protect our national heritage | buildings
that are part of our heritage | the country’s rich cultural
heritage | trying to preserve their Scottish heritage
jackpot /ˈdʒækˌpɒt/ Noun
the jackpot is the biggest amount of money that can
be won in a single game or lottery. You can say that
someone has hit the jackpot when they are suddenly
very lucky or successful
Collocates: win the jackpot | hit the jackpot
the jackpot is 30 million euros | a ticket matching all
six numbers won the jackpot | there was no winner for
this week’s $13 million jackpot | the largest individual
jackpot ever won on the UK lottery was over £22m | he
hit the jackpot when he got that job | I seem to have hit
the jackpot!
junior /ˈdʒuːniə(r)/ Noun
in some professions and organisations, the people who
are just starting their careers or who have the lowest
rank are called juniors because they do not have much
experience and cannot do the most important tasks
he’s still a junior in the firm | the office junior
misleading /mɪsˈliːdɪŋ/ Adjective
something that is misleading gives you a wrong
impression and makes you believe something that is
not true
odds /ɒdz/ Noun plural
the odds are the numbers that show how much money
you will win if a bet wins. The odds of something
happening are how likely it is to happen
Collocates: the odds are against something | long/short
odds
he’s the favourite to win, at odds of 2 to 1 (if you bet £1
you will win £2) | the bookmakers are offering odds of
3 to 1 on a Conservative victory | Germany started the
competition at very short odds (they were considered
very likely to win) | what are the odds of finding the
wreckage? | the odds are in our favour | the odds are
against us | she recovered against all the odds
stake /steɪk/ Noun
when you make a bet, your stake is the amount of
money that you risk. The stakes are things you risk
losing if something fails. You can say that something is at
stake if you risk losing it
we play for very small stakes | a £10 stake | the
company is taking a risk, and the stakes are high (they
risk losing a lot) | the chairman has raised the stakes
by threatening to resign | there’s a lot at stake in this
election
standpoint /ˈstæn(d)ˌpɔɪnt/ Noun
your standpoint is the particular way you have of
thinking about a particular idea, event, or situation
from that standpoint it’s a good investment | from a
design standpoint, this product is a disaster | before
answering, consider the situation from a customer
standpoint | recently, this standpoint has been
questioned
subsidise /ˈsʌbsɪdaɪz/ Verb
if a government subsidises activities or businesses,
it provides them with extra money that they need
to survive but which they cannot get from their own
earnings. Sometimes this is to enable manufacturers to
sell goods at lower prices
Collocates: heavily subsidise something
the industry is still heavily subsidised | Ontario has
subsidised solar power energy | the department
subsidises higher education through student loan
programmes | much of this new construction was
subsidised by public money
Collocates: seriously/highly/wildly misleading |
deliberately misleading
Noun: subsidy | Adjective: subsidised |
Noun: subsidisation
the story was rather misleading | these assertions are
highly misleading | the report included misleading
graphs and exaggerated statistics | it accuses
manufacturers of being deliberately misleading |
dishonest and misleading blog posts | they ruled that the
article was neither untrue nor misleading
an agricultural subsidy | subsidies from the European
Union | small producers are given massive subsidies
| the government pays huge subsidies to farmers |
students here are given subsidised Internet access |
subsidised bus services | they live in a subsidised flat |
he actively pursued government subsidisation | calls to
end the subsidisation of polluting industries
Verb: mislead
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 14
E Complete the collocations with nouns and
adjectives from the unit.
EXERCISES
Prepositions
1 a tight b _ _ _ _ t
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
3 deliberately m _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ g
2 r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ y accept something
1 Somebody hacked
2 She couldn’t dissuade him
5 p _ _ _ _ _ _ s stones
leaving.
3 The ATM charges commission
4 The train came
4 a t _ _ _ l period
the system last night.
all transactions.
a sudden halt.
5 What are you chuckling
6 You need some form
bank account.
?
identification to open a
Word families
B Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
1 he is authorised to
make decisions
no proper
2 disobey an order
a
3 claim something back
make a
F
Match the two halves of the collocations.
1 run up
a) full
2 on a trial
b) machine
3 crammed
c) a bill
4 a cash point
d) metals
5 precious
e) basis
6 a bailout
f ) package
Phrasal verbs
G Choose the correct word to complete the
phrasal verb.
child
1 Any profits were wiped up/out by huge costs.
2 She ran up/in huge debts at university.
4 be in despair
a
situation
3 The traffic began to inch over/forward.
5 I agreed reluctantly
a
decision
4 It turned out/on to be a complete nightmare!
some money
5 The EU have agreed to bail off/out Greece.
6 make a withdrawal
C Complete the sentences with the correct words
from the words in brackets.
1 I’m £200
this month. (overdraft)
2 Her attempts at
failed. (dissuade)
3 He was seen acting very
the bank. (suspicious)
outside
4 You need written
school trip. (authorised)
to go on the
5 The plane has already started its
(descend)
6 He can be a bit
.
. (greed)
Collocations
D Complete the collocations with the verbs in the
box. Look up the nouns in bold if you need help.
come
take
raise
refuse
build
win
1
someone credit
2
the stakes in a business deal
3
the jackpot in the lottery
4
to a halt
5
up a reserve
6
a gamble
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 15
15 FOOD
Pages 134–135
blend /blend/ Verb
to blend things means to mix them together so that they
become one substance
Collocates: blend something together
blend the whole mixture until it’s smooth | blend the
butter and sugar together | they can blend the colours
for you | the different instruments blend together really
well
Noun: blend
a delicious blend of flavours | the perfect blend of sun,
sea and sand | our own blend of coffee (using different
sorts of coffee beans)
crush /krʌʃ/ Verb
to crush something means to press it with a lot of force
so that it becomes flat or breaks into small pieces
crush the almonds and sprinkle on top of the cake | add
some crushed garlic | the grapes were crushed and the
juice poured off | his leg was crushed | he was crushed
to death | your car will be taken away and crushed
finely /ˈfaɪnli/ Adverb
if you chop or shred something finely, you chop it or cut
it into very small pieces
chop the herbs really finely | finely shredded cabbage |
fill each half with a finely chopped tomato | a tablespoon
of finely chopped parsley | finely grate the ginger
finish /ˈfɪnɪʃ/ Noun singular
if something you eat or drink has a sweet finish, a sour
finish, etc it leaves a sweet or sour taste in your mouth
after the other flavours are forgotten
a squeeze of orange will give it a sweet finish | a white
wine with a crisp, sweet finish | a refreshing fruity and
delicately sour finish | the 2008 vintage has strong
flavours and a meaty, savoury finish
flesh /fleʃ/ Noun singular
the flesh of fish or meat is the part that you can eat, not
the bones or fat. You can also talk about the flesh of fruit
or vegetables to describe the inside part, not the skin or
the stone
the flesh should come away from the bones easily | the
fruit has a pale yellow flesh | fish should smell fresh and
have firm flesh | the flesh was sweet and juicy
Adjective: fleshy
fleshy fruits about the size of a small olive | the berries
are deep red and fleshy when fresh
float /fləʊt/ Verb
if something floats, it rests on the surface of a liquid and
does not sink
it will float to the surface | a plastic bag floated in the
water | don’t struggle – just relax, and you’ll float | the
logs floated down the river
lid /lɪd/ Noun
a lid is a cover for a container
Collocates: close/open a lid | put a lid on something
you need a flat lid to help turn the omelette over | put a
lid on the pan | keep the lid on while the potatoes are
cooking | I lifted the lid | a tight-fitting lid | a saucepan lid
| the dustbin lid
melt /melt/ Verb
if something melts or if you melt it, it becomes soft or
turns to liquid after being frozen or hard
melt the chocolate and mix in the raisins | the snow had
all melted by the morning | my ice-cream’s melting! | melt
the butter in a small saucepan
Adjective: melted
brush the top with melted butter | put the melted
chocolate in a bowl
overnight /ˌəʊvə(r)ˈnaɪt/ Adverb
if something happens overnight, it happens during the
night or throughout the night
soak the chickpeas overnight | they kept him in
hospital overnight | we decided to travel overnight | are
you going to stay overnight? | don’t leave the TV on
overnight
Adjective: overnight
Collocates: an overnight stay | overnight
accommodation
the overnight ferry (you travel through the night and
arrive in the morning) | overnight parking is not allowed
here | the price included an overnight stay in Paris |
meals and overnight accommodation are extra
pour /pɔː(r)/ Verb
if you pour a liquid from a container, you hold the
container at an angle so that the liquid comes out of it
Collocates: pour something off/away | pour something
over something
pour away the oil from the pan | pour the mixture over
the biscuit pieces | she poured the sauce over the fish |
remove the meat from the oven and pour off most of the
fat (leave some fat in the container) | he poured the tea
into large metal mugs
soak /səʊk/ Verb
if you soak something, you put it into water or another
liquid and leave it there for a time, often as part of food
preparation
Collocates: soak something in something | soak in
something
soak the chickpeas overnight | leave them to soak for
a few hours | soak them in cold water for two hours | I
could spend hours soaking in the bath | I got absolutely
soaked (very wet from the rain) | in another pot, soak the
salted fish
Noun: soak
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 15
they cook very quickly after a soak overnight | I spent an
hour having a soak in the bath
sprinkle /ˈsprɪŋk(ə)l/ Verb
to sprinkle something means to shake a small amount of
it over something else
Collocates: sprinkle something with something | sprinkle
something over something
crush the almonds and sprinkle over the cake | sprinkle
the cake with sugar | drain thoroughly and sprinkle
lightly with salt | serve the pears warm, sprinkled with a
chocolate topping
Noun: sprinkling | Noun: sprinkle
add the milk and a sprinkling of salt | a sprinkling of
chopped parsley | now add a sprinkle of grated cheese
squeeze /skwiːz/ Verb
if you squeeze something, you press it very firmly
Collocates: squeeze something out of something
Noun: squeeze
I gave her hand a squeeze | a squeeze of lemon juice |
we all got in, but it was a bit of a squeeze (there wasn’t
much room)
stir /stɜː(r)/ Verb
if you stir food while it is cooking, you use a spoon or
other tool to move it around in its cooking container so
that it all mixes together and so that it does not burn or
stick
Collocates: stir something with something | stir
something into something
you have to keep stirring so that it doesn’t burn | stir
constantly with a wooden spoon | stir the oats into the
warm milk | slowly add water while stirring to avoid
lumps | stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved
Nelson won the battle, but had disobeyed direct orders |
those who appeared to disobey were quickly arrested |
don’t you dare disobey me! | his instructions were
disobeyed by the whole class | he would never dare to
disobey his father
Adjective: disobedient | Noun: disobedience ||
Opposites: Verb: obey | Adjective: obedient |
Adverb: obediently | Noun: obedience
Collocates: civil disobedience | complete/blind/
unquestioning obedience
as a child, he was naughty and disobedient | a
mischievous and disobedient child | the time has come
for non-violent civil disobedience (when lots of people
peacefully break the law as a way of protesting against
something) | an act of disobedience | he reluctantly
obeyed his father and took a job in the family firm | if you
don’t obey, you will be punished | their orders must be
obeyed without question | he is very obedient and never
gets into trouble | she had never been an obedient
child | Patrick rose obediently and went to the door |
Obediently, I took a few steps forward | she demanded
complete obedience from her staff | unquestioning
obedience to the regulations of the army | I want cooperation, not blind obedience (complete obedience
that does not involve any thought)
disqualified /dɪsˈkwɒlɪfaɪd/ Adjective
if you qualify for a competition, you have the right level
of ability or you have done well enough in a preliminary
competition to be allowed to take part. If you break the
rules while you are competing, then you are disqualified
and are not allowed to carry on taking part
Collocates: be disqualified for something | be
disqualified from something
Noun: stir
he and three others were disqualified for failing a drugs
test | if neither attend, both will be disqualified | after a
third false start, she was disqualified from the race
give the soup a stir
Noun: disqualification
Pages 136–137
chuck /tʃʌk/ Verb
if you chuck something somewhere, you throw it there
carelessly
Collocates: chuck something off something | chuck
something out of something | chuck something on/in/into
something
he chucked it in the bin | think before you chuck things
in the garbage | chuck another log on the fire, will you? |
I saw him chuck something off the bridge | don’t chuck it
out of the window! | just chuck it in the boot
come across /ˈkʌm əkrɒs/ Phrasal verb
if you come across something or someone, you see
them or meet them without having intended to
I came across the film “Ratatouille” | she came across
him while researching her family history | I started
looking online and came across your site | I came across
this recipe a few years ago | I’d never come across
anyone else with the same family name as me before
disobey /ˌdɪsəˈbeɪ/ Verb
if you disobey someone or disobey an order, you do not
do what you have been told to do
a third warning will mean instant disqualification | he
faced disqualification for late registration
fancy /ˈfænsi/ Adjective
if you refer to something as fancy, you mean that it looks
fashionable or expensive
he drives a fancy car | a fancy hotel in Mayfair | the
sandwiches were quite plain, nothing fancy | a fancy
jacket with gold buttons
flick through /ˈflɪk θruː/ Phrasal verb
if you flick through a magazine or newspaper, you turn
the pages over quickly, looking to see if there is anything
interesting, but not reading any of it closely. If you flick
through the channels on a television, you go quickly
from one channel to another, watching for only a short
time, trying to find a programme that you want to watch
properly
she was flicking through the channels | he spent an
hour flicking through sports websites | she was curled
up in the armchair, flicking through a book | I’d been
flicking through a couple of magazines when he arrived |
Christina flicked through her diary
Noun: flick through
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 15
I was just having a quick flick through | I went into the
library for a flick through of the morning paper | a quick
flick through of the channels suggested there was
nothing interesting on
judgement /ˈdʒʌdʒmənt/ Noun
your judgement is your opinion about the quality of
something. If you pass judgement on something, you say
publicly what your opinion is
Collocates: pass judgement (on something) | make a
judgement | in my judgement
he came to the restaurant to pass judgement on the
food | in my judgement, two hours practice a day is not
enough | just use your own judgement to decide whether
to buy it or not | he showed very poor judgement in his
choice of partner | it’s too soon to make a judgement
about the school | it’s a judgement call (a decision
which you have to make yourself using your judgement
because there is no right or wrong way to decide)
Adjective: judgemental
I’m tired of listening to all these judgemental parents
(parents who are very quick to make critical comments)
outperform /ˌaʊtpə(r)ˈfɔː(r)m/ Verb
to perform well or badly in an activity means to do it well
or badly. If you outperform people in an activity, you do
it better than them, and if something outperforms other
things, it does it better than them
computers now outperform humans at chess | some
organisations significantly outperform others in their
industry | at school, he consistently outperformed his
older brother | traditionally, girls have outperformed
boys in reading and writing
random /ˈrændəm/ Adjective
random events or choices happen without planning, so
they cannot be predicted
Collocates: a random sample | seemingly random |
purely/totally random
the results turned out to be random | take a random
sample of 20 people | the robbery seemed to be entirely
random | the lottery machine picks random numbers |
a seemingly random attack | the patterns we observed
were purely random
Noun: random | Adverb: randomly | Noun: randomness
Collocates: at random | randomly generated
each contestant picks numbers at random | here are two
examples taken at random | the program will randomly
choose the next four numbers | randomly generated
passwords | seek to achieve randomness in your
sampling | there’s a lot of randomness to life
so-called /ˈsəʊ kɔːld/ Adjective
you use so-called to refer to people or things when you
think that a description of them is wrong. So if you refer
to someone as a so-called expert, you mean that you
think they are not an expert at all
even prizes judged by so-called experts were clearly
random | our so-called civilised society | he denied
committing so-called crimes against the state | Chile’s
so-called economic miracle
subtle /ˈsʌt(ə)l/ Adjective
something that is subtle is difficult to see or notice
unless you pay very careful attention
Collocates: a subtle difference | a subtle change | very/
incredibly/extremely subtle | a subtle hint of something
there’s a subtle difference between the two pictures | I
didn’t add enough pepper and the effect was too subtle |
if there really is a difference, it’s incredibly subtle | there
was a subtle hint of lemon in the dish | the change of
colour scheme was too subtle to attract much notice
Adverb: subtly | Noun: subtlety
British policy has already shifted subtly | the two symbols
are subtly different | Ron’s version of events changed
subtly with every retelling | the film lacks subtlety (it is
too direct and obvious) | she wrote exceptionally well,
with great subtlety and depth
Pages 138–139
accusation /ˌækjʊˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun
if you make an accusation, you say that something bad
has happened or that someone has done something
wrong
Collocates: make an accusation | level an accusation
against someone | deny an accusation | a
serious accusation | a wild accusation
accusations of poor food hygiene | she made a
serious accusation against her boss | both groups
levelled accusations against each other | officials denied
all accusations that they were responsible | I want to
address the serious accusations that were made against
me | do you have any evidence to support these wild
accusations?
Verb: accuse | Noun: accuser
Collocates: accuse someone of (doing) something
several clubs were accused of using unregistered
players | the two men were accused of murder |
opposition leaders regularly accuse the government
of mismanagement | he plans to pursue legal action
against his accusers | you need to face your accusers
alert /əˈlɜː(r)t/ Verb
to alert someone means to tell them or warn them about
something
Collocates: alert someone to something | be alerted of
something
this will alert farmers to any emergency | a website that
alerts users to special offers | we immediately alerted
the police | none of the residents had been alerted of
the danger
Noun: alert | Adjective: alert
Collocates: issue an alert
an alert has been issued as more storms are expected |
a fire alert (a warning of a fire) | a flood alert | hospitals
have been placed on high alert (warned that they need
to be prepared for a lot of activity) | he’s very alert
(aware of what is happening)
appalling /əˈpɔːlɪŋ/ Adjective
if you say that something is appalling, you mean that it
shocks you because it is so bad or unpleasant
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 15
this wastefulness is appalling | children were forced to
work in appalling conditions | the number of mosquitoes
here is appalling | you behaved in an absolutely
appalling manner last night | the stories they told were
simply appalling
Adjective: appalled | Verb: appal
an appalled expression crossed her face | the prospect
of another night outdoors appalled her | I was absolutely
appalled by what I saw | the whole village was appalled
and angry | the decision to release him will appal a lot of
people
bid /bɪd/ Noun
a bid is an attempt to do something
the scam only came to light by chance | other little facts
came to light one by one | the missing reports came to
light last Thursday | I will keep you updated as further
information comes to light
confess /kənˈfes/ Verb
if you confess to something wrong or illegal, you admit
that you did it
Collocates: confess to (doing) something | confess that
Walters confessed to the murder of his brother | she
confessed to having taken the money | he confessed
he’d been out late | Julia tearfully confessed that she’d
been seeing Mike after work | I accused him straight out,
and he confessed
Collocates: a bid for something | a bid to do something
Noun: confession
a bid to tackle rising obesity rates | launch a takeover
bid (an attempt to take over a company) | he made a
bid for freedom (tried to escape) | the prime minister
appeared on TV in a bid to win public support
torture was used to extract confessions (make someone
confess) | his confession came after a month of denial |
he signed his confession and handed it back to the
policeman
big data /ˈbɪɡ ˌdeɪtə/ Noun uncount
big data is the very large amount of information that is
now available because of the number of documents that
can be searched on the Internet, and that needs special
computer programs in order to be successfully analysed
governments, too, are interested in big data | the
promise of big data in health care is potentially
revolutionary | many organisations are developing a big
data strategy
categorically /ˌkætəˈɡɒrɪkli/ Adverb
if you say something categorically, you say it very firmly
and definitely
Collocates: categorically deny/reject/refuse something |
categorically state something
the firm categorically denied any involvement in the
scandal | he categorically refused to let me speak to
her | we want to state categorically our opposition to
the plan | drivers are categorically prohibited from using
phones while driving
Adjective: categorical
a categorical assurance that taxes would not be
increased | Klein issued a categorical denial of all the
accusationss
clash /klæʃ/ Verb
when people clash, they fight or argue very strongly with
each other
Collocates: clash with someone
protestors clashed with government forces in the
city centre | violence occurred when police and
demonstrators clashed | on Thursday afternoon the two
groups clashed again
Noun: clash
Collocates: a violent clash
the police fired 50 plastic bullets during the clashes |
violent clashes between rioters and the police | in other
clashes yesterday 27 people were injured
come to light /ˌkʌm tə ˈlaɪt/ Phrase
if something comes to light, it becomes known about
after being secret or unknown for a long time
contaminated /kənˈtæmɪˌneɪtɪd/ Adjective
something that is contaminated is no longer clean or
pure because something has been added to it that is
dirty or harmful
the company has apologised for selling contaminated
meat | drinking contaminated water can cause infection |
a heavily contaminated field | you should obviously
avoid contaminated food and water | the hole had been
filled in with contaminated waste
Verb: contaminate | Noun: contamination | Opposite:
uncontaminated
the water was contaminated with radioactive waste |
they believed the factory had been contaminating the
river | a report on ground contamination levels | no
contamination was detected during the tests | the cause
of the contamination remained under investigation | the
need for access to uncontaminated drinking water
data analysis /ˈdeɪtə əˌnæləsɪs/ Noun uncount
data analysis is the examination of large amounts of
information in order to discover specific and detailed
facts about something
computers play a very important role in statistical
data analysis | the idea behind data analysis is to look
for patterns | further data analysis may reduce this
uncertainty
discard /dɪsˈkɑː(r)d/ Verb
if something is discarded, it is carelessly thrown away
rather than being used or recycled
a huge quantity of food is simply discarded | be sure to
discard the water you soaked the beans in | he sorted
through the box, selecting and discarding various items |
the knife and cloth were both discarded
Adjective: discarded
discarded electrical or electronic devices | a discarded
plastic water bottle
dismay /dɪsˈmeɪ/ Noun uncount
dismay is sadness and disappointment about something
bad or unpleasant that has happened
Collocates: with/in dismay | voice your dismay | to
someone’s dismay
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 15
the minister voiced her dismay | the look on her face
expressed dismay | his death caused dismay among his
friends | Ruth shook her head in dismay | to everyone’s
dismay, the singer failed to arrive
Verb: dismay | Adjective: dismaying | Adverb: dismayed
his decision to leave dismayed his family | what is it that
dismays you about the situation? | they were dismayed
by what they saw | it was a dismaying experience | I
found it all very dismaying | Peggy was too dismayed to
speak
establishment /ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt/ Noun
an establishment is a business such as a restaurant or
shop
a high-end establishment (one that is very expensive) |
most establishments on this street sell basic goods
such as foodstuffs | around 155 shops and eating
establishments | restaurants, retail establishments
and residential accommodation| the first commercial
establishments here probably opened around 1905 |
other establishments sell watches and cheap jewellery
exclusive /ɪkˈskluːsɪv/ Adjective
somewhere or something that is exclusive is available
only for a small number of people, is usually very
expensive, and is considered to be desirable or
fashionable
an exclusive restaurant | an exclusive range of cosmetics |
exclusive clubs for the city’s wealthy residents | an
exclusive neighbourhood in the south of Mexico City
Noun: exclusiveness | Noun: exclusivity
this degree of comfort gives the customer a feeling
of exclusiveness | production is limited to 375 units to
maintain exclusivity
fraud /frɔːd/ Noun uncount
fraud is the crime of telling lies or deceiving people in
order to gain money for yourself
Collocates: commit fraud
a victim of fraud | he was sent to prison for tax fraud |
credit card fraud | identity fraud (pretending to be
someone else to get money) | he admitted to committing
fraud in his suicide note | the missing businessman was
being hunted by the fraud squad (the police department
that investigates cases of fraud) | the fraud was detected
in early 2014
Adjective: fraudulent | Adverb: fraudulently |
Noun: fraudster | Verb: defraud
Collocates: defraud someone of something
she made a fraudulent insurance claim | fraudulent
business activities | he fraudulently claimed for train
fares | a convicted fraudster | remember: the fraudsters
are very skilled at answering your every objection | he
had been accused of defrauding church members in
New Jersey | clients of the firm had been defrauded of
around £40 million
hygiene /ˈhaɪdʒiːn/ Noun uncount
hygiene is keeping things clean in order to prevent
illnesses
Collocates: good/proper hygiene | oral/dental hygiene |
personal hygiene
poor food hygiene | his personal hygiene is terrible! (he
doesn’t wash or brush his teeth enough) | good dental
hygiene | very high standards of hygiene | hygiene
training for food handlers | good standards of hygiene in
the canteen are crucial
Adjective: hygienic | Opposite: unhygienic
poor hygienic conditions helped the disease spread |
everything in the kitchen should be clean and hygienic |
this is not a very hygienic system of food preparation |
many restaurants in the city were found to be unhygienic |
living in cold, unhygienic conditions
insanity /ɪnˈsænəti/ Noun uncount
insanity is a serious mental condition in which
someone’s behaviour is very strange and prevents them
from living normally
he pleaded not guilty on the grounds of temporary
insanity | legal insanity is a very narrowly defined state |
the divide between insanity and criminality | there is a
fine line between genius and insanity
Adjective: insane
no person who is insane may give evidence in court | a
year later he was certified insane
invariably /ɪnˈveəriəbli/ Adverb
if you say that something invariably happens or is
invariably the case, you mean that it always happens or
is always the case
they would invariably waive any charge | power
invariably means both responsibility and danger |
smoking is invariably associated with low scholarship |
he invariably wore grey trousers | this invariably
happens when we go to Margate
Adjective: invariable
the speed of light is invariable (it never changes, so is
always the same) | this is not an invariable rule
obesity /əʊˈbiːsəti/ Noun uncount
obesity is the serious physical condition of someone
being so heavy that it has a dangerously bad effect on
their health
Collocates: obesity rates | childhood obesity | the obesity
epidemic
there is an obesity epidemic in this country | rising
obesity rates are a major concern | childhood obesity is
a global health concern | worldwide obesity has more
than doubled since 1980
Adjective: obese
her mother is morbidly obese (so obese that her life is at
risk) | very often, obese patients have anxiety problems |
currently 10% of children worldwide are either
overweight or obese | none of these women is clinically
obese (obese according to the medical definition of the
word)
persistent /pə(r)ˈsɪstənt/ Adjective
persistent activity carries on even though people don’t
want it to. Someone who is persistent carries on what
they are doing, even if it is difficult or if people don’t
want them to
one of the city’s most persistent fraudsters | he still
heard the persistent rain splashing outside | he refused
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 15
to answer her persistent questions | I felt under constant,
persistent threat | persistent offenders face losing their
licence
Adverb: persistently | Noun: persistence | Verb: persist
the weather during June was persistently bad | she
pursued Harding persistently, until he reluctantly
confessed | polite persistence can be very effective |
your persistence and local knowledge proved invaluable |
the problem persisted for weeks | if the symptoms
persist, see your doctor
plead /pliːd/ Verb
in a court, when someone pleads guilty or pleads not
guilty to a crime, they formally tell the judge whether
they are guilty or not guilty
Collocates: plead guilty/not guilty (to something)
he will be pleading not guilty | how do you plead – guilty
or not guilty? | he had already pleaded guilty to the
charges
Noun: plea
Collocates: enter a plea
neither defendant entered a plea | his guilty plea was
withdrawn and all charges were dropped
prohibit /prəʊˈhɪbɪt/ Verb
if the authorities prohibit something, they officially say it
cannot be done or cannot be allowed to happen
Collocates: strictly/expressly prohibit something
smoking is prohibited in public places | the law prohibits
marriage under 16 years of age | the government
prohibited all unofficial political activities | alcohol is
strictly prohibited anywhere on the premises | a recent
law prohibits the use of mobile phones while driving
Adjective: prohibited | Noun: prohibition
murder is a prohibited act everywhere in the world |
the current smoking prohibition applies to all staff and
students
publicity /pʌbˈlɪsəti/ Noun uncount
publicity is attention that is given to something in
newspapers and magazines
Collocates: a publicity campaign | a publicity stunt |
favourable/good publicity | bad/negative/unfavourable/
unwelcome publicity
negative publicity could do a lot of damage | there’s
no such thing as bad publicity (it’s better for people to
hear something about you, even if it is bad, than to hear
nothing about you) | the incident exposed the college to
some unwelcome publicity | the advance publicity for the
show was very effective | parents mounted a publicity
campaign to save the school from closing | it was just a
cheap publicity stunt (a silly event that that was intended
only to draw attention to something)
Verb: publicise
Collocates: be widely/highly/heavily publicised
she was in Liverpool, publicising her latest book |
news of the Royal visit was widely publicised | a highly
publicised speech by the prime minister
–ISE
Some verbs are formed by adding –ise to nouns or
adjectives. In American English, these verbs are usually
spelled with –ize. For example: her public image /
publicise an event.
add emphasis / emphasise your point; legal complications
/ legalise soft drugs; an industrial area / the country is
being industrialised; special treatment / specialise in
furniture design; people in authority / it was authorised by
my boss; write a summary / summarise the book
sponsorship /ˈspɒnsə(r)ʃɪp/ Noun uncount
sponsorship is money provided for a particular event
or activity, usually by a company in exchange for being
allowed to advertise at the event
Collocates: a sponsorship deal | corporate/commercial
sponsorship
BP is providing £1m of sponsorship | commercial
sponsorship of women’s football is growing | companies
enter into sponsorship agreements for many reasons |
corporate sponsorship is a popular marketing tool | they
were unable to attract major sponsorship | the company
has sponsorship deals with two separate cricket clubs
Noun: sponsor | Verb: sponsor
Disney eventually sponsored three research field trips |
Samsung has sponsored the team since 2000 |
some sponsors are large national and multinational
companies | original corporate sponsors included two
local banks
substitute /ˈsʌbstɪˌtjuːt/ Verb
to substitute one thing for another means to replace the
first thing with the second thing
Collocates: substitute something for something | be
substituted with something
gangs were substituting the cheaper meat at one stage
of the process | you can substitute honey for sugar (use
honey instead of sugar) | the goalkeeper was substituted
(replaced by another player) | the cabbage leaves can
be substituted with peppers
Noun: substitute | Noun: substitution |
Adjective: substitute
oil that has been mixed with cheap substitutes | you can
use yogurt as a substitute for cream | a sugar substitute |
vitamin supplements are no substitute for a healthy
diet | he was brought on at half time as a substitute
(to replace another player) | there is an urgent need
for substitution of faulty products | the need to place
children in substitute families
swift /swɪft/ Adjective
something that is swift happens very quickly and with no
delay
swift medical treatment was provided | the response
was swift and effective | he took a swift glance at the
newspaper | swift action is needed if we are to stay in
business | the robbery was well organised and swift
Adverb: swiftly | Noun: swiftness
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 15
he looked swiftly around the room | Tina ran out, swiftly
followed by Peter | the storm arrived with terrible
swiftness | the swiftness of his decline was unexpected
tackle /ˈtæk(ə)l/ Verb
if you tackle a problem, you do something in a
determined way to solve it or to make a situation better
Collocates: tackle a problem/challenge | effectively/
successfully tackle something
a programme that aims to tackle childhood obesity |
institutions capable of effectively tackling 21st-century
challenges | how should the school tackle this problem? |
Andrew will talk about how to tackle the various
challenges of the course | a few industries seem to be
successfully tackling this challenge
trace /treɪs/ Noun
traces of something are very small quantities of it
Collocates: a trace of something | traces of something
the product contained traces of horse meat | the air we
breathe contains traces of carbon | nearly all fish contain
traces of mercury | tiny traces of blood were found at the
scene
transmit /trænzˈmɪt/ Verb
to transmit data or information means to send it through
the air, like radio waves or television signals
a device that can transmit information about the animals |
his interview was transmitted live | pictures of the
disaster were rapidly transmitted around the world |
state radio broadcasts are transmitted across the island |
radio operators and transmitting stations have to be
licensed
urge /ɜː(r)dʒ/ Verb
if you urge someone to do something, you encourage
them very strongly to do it
Collocates: urge someone to do something | urge that
shoppers have been urged to change their habits |
parents who smoke are strongly urged to quit | we
strongly urge you to vote “no” | we urge our best
students to consider graduate study | he urged that
peace talks should start | he urged calm (told people to
stay calm in a difficult situation)
Noun: urge
Collocates: feel an urge (to do something)
Annie felt an urge to phone her mother (wanted very
much to phone)
volume /ˈvɒljuːm/ Noun
a volume of something is a quantity or amount of it
Collocates: a huge/large volume (of something) | the
total volume | the sheer volume of something
analysis of large volumes of data | daily trading volumes
are another measure of activity | Japan sees huge
volumes of winter snow | the total volume of illegally
downloaded music rose again last year | the road could
not absorb the sheer volume of traffic (a surprisingly
large amount of traffic)
waive /weɪv/ Verb
if someone in authority waives a rule, they say that it
does not need to be followed in a particular case
they would invariably waive any charge | some
universities waive tuition fees | the restrictions would be
waived in an emergency
Noun: transmission | Noun: transmitter
Noun: waiver
highly reliable data transmission | a radio transmitter
the waiver was signed by the governor (a document
officially stating that someone does not have to follow a
rule in a particular case)
uncover /ʌnˈkʌvə(r)/ Verb
to uncover something bad or illegal means to discover
it, especially when people have been trying to keep it
secret or hidden
an attempt to uncover illegal activity | he kept
investigating and eventually uncovered another crime |
security forces uncovered 60 tunnels | police uncovered
two explosive devices outside the palace | serious
financial misconduct was uncovered
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 15
EXERCISES
Word building
Prepositions
E Complete the sentences with adjectives formed
from the verbs in the box.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 Keep the lid
melt
contaminate
while the rice is cooking.
2 I think you’d better chuck that
3 Soak the beans
2 Drinking
water is very dangerous.
chocolate.
4 Smoking is
lime in this recipe.
6 There have been accusations
child.
3 Cover the top with
sugar.
5 You can substitute lemon
prohibit
appal
1 He’d always been a
the bin.
water for a few hours.
4 She sprinkled the cake
disobey
discard
in public buildings.
5 They were found living in
conditions.
misconduct.
7 He came to the restaurant to pass judgement
the food.
6 There was a
pavement.
bicycle lying on the
B Choose the correct preposition.
1 He was disqualified from/for the competition.
Collocations
2 It’s too soon to make a judgement for/about the
new government.
F
3 Sprinkle the top by/with herbs.
4 The dog made a bid for/at freedom.
Complete the sentences with the correct form of
the verbs in the box. Look up the words in bold if
you need help.
put
5 He was dismayed by/for what he heard.
6 Through/In my judgement, two days won’t be
long enough.
pass
1
issue
the lid on the pan.
2 You shouldn’t be so quick to
judgement.
Word families
3 She categorically
C Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
4 The weather office has
more snow is expected.
1 publicise an event
attract a lot of
2 good personal hygiene
an
kitchen
3 sprinkle with salt
a
of sugar
4 be disqualified from
the race
face
5 a subtle difference
6 he confessed to
the crime
2 squeeze
an alert as
G Match the two halves of the collocations. Look
up the words 1–6 if you need help.
a) not guilty
2 a fraudulent
b) stunt
3 a sponsorship
c ) claim
it lacks
4 a publicity
d) a problem
make a
5 tackle
e) deal
D Tick the words which are both a noun and
a verb.
1 waive
being involved.
1 plead
7 a persistent threatthe weather was
bad
deny
H Complete the collocations with nouns and
adjectives from the unit.
1 a subtle c _ _ _ _ e
2 a random s _ _ _ _ e
3 a w _ _ d accusation
4 an overnight s _ _ y
3 plead
4 soak
5 urge
6 stir
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 16
16 BUSINESS
Pages 142–143
chase up /ˈtʃeɪs ˌʌp/ Phrasal verb
if you chase something or someone up, you find out
if something has happened or been done yet, and if it
hasn’t you tell someone to do it
I’m phoning to chase up an order | I’ll chase up the sales
department | can you chase John up about this? | they’re
chasing up all their debts
hectic /ˈhektɪk/ Adjective
if things are hectic, you are very busy and have to deal
with lots of different things very quickly
Collocates: a hectic lifestyle | at a hectic pace | a hectic
day/week/month
she leads a really hectic life | life continues at a hectic
pace on the farm | high-stress jobs and hectic lifestyles
| another hectic day at the office | work has been hectic
for months | this week has been pretty hectic
Adverb: hectically
leading a hectically busy life | I’ve been working
hectically trying to meet the deadline
mix-up /ˈmɪksʌp/ Noun
a mix-up is a mistake that is the result of confusion in the
way something has been arranged
Collocates: a mix-up over something | a mix-up between
things
I’m afraid there’s been some kind of mix-up in our
system | our bags got lost due to a mix-up at the airport
| a mix-up over dates | I was late because of a mix-up in
my diary | a mix-up between different departments | the
mix-up was the result of an administrative error | sorry
about the mix-up with the car keys
Phrasal verb: mix up
the two parcels got mixed up at the sorting office | my
file had been mixed up with another patient’s
overdue /ˌəʊvə(r)ˈdjuː/ Adjective
if something is overdue, it has not happened or been
done by the expected time
Collocates: long overdue | an overdue payment/debt/bill
an overdue payment on your account | my library books
are overdue (I should have returned them) | it’s a week
overdue | these reforms are long overdue | the rent was
long overdue and we were given three days to pay it
pass on /ˈpɑːs ˌɒn/ Phrasal verb
to pass something on means to give it to someone else
after someone has given it to you
please pass on our thanks to everyone | I’m phoning to
pass on a message | can you pass this on to Gemma? |
it’s just a rumour. Not worth passing it on
projected /prəˈdʒektɪd/ Adjective
a projected amount or quantity is what someone expects
to be the outcome of a process or activity because they
have made some calculations
she presented the projected sales figures to the board
| projected oil production for 2020 is 12 billion barrels |
the projected costs are around 50 million euros
Verb: project | Noun: projection
Collocates: be projected to do something | latest
projections | long-term projections
production was projected to fall sharply | global
population is projected to pass 10 billion this century |
latest projections suggest the deficit will fall by only 5%
next year | initial projections turned out to be too low
run-up /ˈrʌnʌp/ Noun singular
the run-up to an event is the period of time leading up
to it
Collocates: the run-up to something
things got very busy in the run-up to Christmas | he
worked for his MP during the run-up to the election | it’s
important to eat properly in the run-up to the exams
stock /stɒk/ Noun
the stock of a shop or company is the amount of goods it
has that are available and ready to be sold or sent out to
customers
Collocates: in stock | out of stock | stock levels
I’m phoning to check stock levels in the warehouse
| everything in the catalogue is in stock and is
immediately available | several of the books I wanted
were out of stock (not available) | this offer is only open
while stocks last (until everything has been sold)
Verb: stock | Noun: stockist
the shop was poorly stocked (did not have many goods)
| we stock more than forty different kinds of cheese |
check our website for details of your nearest stockist
(shop that sells a particular item)
store /stɔː(r)/ Noun
a store is a shop, especially a large shop
we’re opening a new flagship store in Tokyo | a
department store (a large shop which sells a wide range
of goods in different departments) | Tesco reduced the
number of new stores they opened last year | the streets
are dominated by chain stores (businesses which have
similar shops in lots of different towns and cities) | prices
vary between rival stores
understanding /ˌʌndə(r)ˈstændɪŋ/ Adjective
if someone is understanding, they realise that someone
else has had difficulties and forgive them if they make
mistakes
thanks for being so understanding | I wish my boss
was as understanding as yours! | it helps to have an
understanding wife
Verb: understand
luckily, he understood and didn’t insist on having his
money back
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Pages 144–145
ambiguity /ˌæmbɪˈɡjuːəti/ Noun
ambiguity is the quality a word or a piece of writing has
when it can be understood in more than way
much of the ambiguity arose through his use of rare
words | I believe in a very deliberate ambiguity in
storytelling | you should rewrite the last paragraph to
eliminate the ambiguity | there’s a lot of ambiguity in
what he said | I worded it carefully to avoid ambiguity
Adjective: ambiguous | Adverb: ambiguously
|| Opposites – Adjective: unambiguous |
Adverb: unambiguously
some words are more ambiguous than others | the
interpretation of this ambiguous phrase led to a serious
argument between the two professors | he deliberately
answered ambiguously | he gave his opinion in clear
and unambiguous terms | any conditions attached to the
offer must be stated unambiguously
break even /ˌbreɪk ˈiːv(ə)n/ Phrasal verb
if a business breaks even, it receives about the same
amount of money as it spends, so it makes no profit and
no loss
before too long, we broke even | the airline is expected
to break even next year | after four years in business,
they still haven’t broken even | how much revenue do
you need to break even?
Noun: breakeven
breakeven is when total revenue equals total costs | I’ll
be glad when we reach a breakeven point
bureaucracy /bjʊəˈrɒkrəsi/ Noun
a bureaucracy is a system of administration that involves
a lot of employees. Bureaucracy is the set of rigid and
complicated rules that are in force there
they tend not to perform well in bureaucracies | the
aim was to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy | the
health care system has a totally inefficient bureaucracy
surrounding it | a centralised bureaucracy replaced the
old system | government promises to cut bureaucracy
Noun: bureaucrat | Adjective: bureaucratic
state bureaucrats controlled even the smaller details
of everyday life | he blamed the faceless bureaucrats
who made the rules | a senior bureaucrat in the defence
ministry | there were problems caused by bureaucratic
inefficiency | a lengthy and exhaustive bureaucratic
process | the current planning system is too centralised
and bureaucratic
capital /ˈkæpɪt(ə)l/ Noun uncount
capital is money that you invest or use to start a
business
we borrowed the rest of the capital we needed | the
business was set up using foreign capital | we don’t
have enough capital | they’ve sunk a lot of capital into
the business | selling property to release capital | capital
expenditure (money a company spends on things it is
going to keep)
circle /ˈsɜː(r)k(ə)l/ Noun
a circle of people is a number of them who are linked
in some way because they are friends or because they
have similar jobs
a wide circle of friends and acquaintances | he was
well known in certain circles | the magazine was very
unpopular in government circles | a very small circle of
advisers
come across /kʌm əˈkrɒs/ Phrasal verb
if you come across something or someone, you see
them or meet them without having intended to
she came across a story about a farmer | I came across
the film “Ratatouille” | she came across him while
researching her family history | I started looking online
and came across your site | I came across this recipe a
few years ago | I’d never come across anyone else with
the same family name as me before
come up with /kʌm ˈʌp wɪð/ Phrasal verb
if you come up with an idea, answer, or solution, you
think of it
they came up with a mobile phone solution | everyone
was coming up with great ideas | I came up with the
same result | three sisters came up with three different
answers | he came up with an alternative plan
crop /krɒp/ Noun
a crop is a plant such as wheat or corn that is grown by
farmers in order to sell
Collocates: a cash crop | a staple crop | grow/cultivate
a crop
traders came directly to the farms to buy the crops |
better farming techniques will increase crop yields | they
grow a variety of crops | a staple crop (that provides
most of someone’s food) | a cash crop (that someone
grows to sell) | they grew crops in large open fields | rice
is the principal crop cultivated here
degree /dɪˈɡriː/ Noun
a degree of something is a certain amount of it
Collocates: a degree of something
they display a healthy degree of impatience | these
investments carry varying degrees of risk | a remarkable
degree of progress has already been achieved | a high
degree of craftsmanship
embark /ɪmˈbɑː(r)k/ Verb
to embark on a journey or activity means to begin it. To
embark also means to go on board a ship or plane at the
start of a journey
Collocates: embark on something
she embarked on a degree in software engineering
| the company embarked on a major review of its
operations | diplomats embarked on another round
of talks | think carefully before embarking on such a
venture | he embarked on a journey that would take
him across three continents | we’re embarking on a
Caribbean cruise | the passengers were given the signal
to embark
Opposite: disembark
all passengers should disembark as quickly as possible
| a small number of passengers were not allowed to
disembark in Tunis
excellence /ˈeksələns/ Noun uncount
excellence is the quality of being extremely good
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 16
her academic excellence took her to a top school | he
won an award for teaching excellence | our workforce
is committed to excellence and achievement | high
standards of excellence and professionalism
Adjective: excellent | Adverb: excellently | Verb: excel
excel at (doing) something
an excellent example of the rewards of careful research
| her exam results were excellent | the symphony was
excellently performed | he excelled at sports | Paul
excels at making teams work together
insight /ˈɪnsaɪt/ Noun
an insight is a clear way of understanding something
Collocates: insight into something
an experience which gave her insight into the struggle of
farmers | the film provides invaluable insights into their
lives | his writing lacks insight | she’s got a lot of insight
into this problem | the book gives a real insight into the
causes of the war | his words provide valuable insight on
this subject
Adjective: insightful
the book is well written and insightful | she writes a
highly insightful blog
keen /kiːn/ Adjective
you use keen to emphasise the way someone’s senses
work very well. For example, someone who has keen
eyesight can see very well, and a keen observer is
someone who notices the important things about what
they are watching and who understands them very well
a keen observer of human behaviour | he had a keen
eye for small details | dogs have a keen sense of smell |
a successful pilot must have keen eyesight
Adverb: keenly | Noun: keenness
they were keenly aware of the danger that lay ahead |
he was keenly observant of everything that happened
in the school | he sat up, listening keenly to the voices in
the next room | they followed the news with the greatest
keenness
merge /mɜː(r)dʒ/ Verb
when two separate organisations merge, they come
together to form one larger organisation
Collocates: merge with something | merge something
into something
we decided to merge with another company | they’re
planning to merge with an American bank | the two
departments merged a year later | he became chairman
of the merged business | both railways were eventually
merged into London Underground | the two companies
had fully merged by June 2014
Noun: merger
a merger between the two companies | people who
aren’t in favour of the proposed merger | multi-billion
dollar corporate mergers | this led to the eventual
merger of the two clubs as “Athletic Club” in 1903
moan /məʊn/ Verb
if you moan about someone or something, you complain
about them in a very unhappy way
Collocates: moan about someone/something
they never moan or look for people to blame | stop
moaning! | everyone moaned about the food
Noun: moan | Noun: moaner
I don’t want to listen to your moans! | he had a moan
about the referee after the match | don’t be such a
moaner | he’s one of the biggest moaners I know
networking /ˈnetˌwɜː(r)kɪŋ/ Noun uncount
networking is talking to a lot of people who do a similar
job to you in order to exchange ideas and information
and to meet new people who might be able to help you
in your job and career
social networking sites (websites where people can
share information about themselves with friends) |
the course offers superb networking opportunities
| networking is about forming mutually useful
relationships | invitations to networking parties
Verb: network | Noun: networker | Noun: network
they’re out every evening, networking | tips on how to
network more effectively | he’s a brilliant networker and
one key to his success is persistence | to be a successful
networker you need to be able to listen | I filled every
position through my network of contacts
nomadic /nəʊˈmædɪk/ Adjective
if someone has a nomadic way of life, they never stay for
long in one place but always move on to live somewhere
else very soon
her family is from a nomadic background | Larry sold
his home and took up a nomadic lifestyle | she led
a nomadic life, living in different countries | nomadic
peoples who survived on hunting and fishing
Noun: nomad
most nomads travel in groups of families called bands
or tribes | humans lived as nomads, surviving by hunting
and gathering
observer /əbˈzɜː(r)və(r)/ Noun
an observer is someone who watches something
carefully or who follows a particular situation with great
interest
they’re keen observers of people and their behaviour |
an acute observer of human nature | the elections will
be monitored by independent observers | to the casual
observer, little seemed to have changed | a trained
observer will quickly tell you where you’re going wrong
Verb: observe | Noun: observation
he observed over 90 operations during his training | you
can learn a lot by observing people | it’ll be interesting
to observe what happens | no significant changes were
observed during the experiment | she recommended
learning through observation | this will require careful
observation
plough /plaʊ/ Verb
if you plough money into something, you invest money
in it
we ploughed all the money back into the business | he
ploughed the profits into a new venture | they ploughed
all their savings into the business | his idea was to
plough their money into a chain of shops
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 16
refreshments /rɪˈfreʃmənts/ Noun plural
refreshments are small amounts of food and drink that
are provided at some events, meetings etc
Collocates: light refreshments
guests were supplied with light refreshments during
the dance | we also provide refreshments such as
tea, coffee and soft drinks | admission is £1 and
refreshments are available | a refreshment break (a
pause during an activity, meeting etc. so that people can
have a drink or something to eat)
remarkable /rɪˈmɑː(r)kəb(ə)l/ Adjective
if someone or something is remarkable, they are unusual
and impressive in a way that is easily noticed
Collocates: truly/quite remarkable | a remarkable
achievement
the remarkable CEO of Mfarm | becoming head
of department at the age of 27 was a remarkable
achievement | the heart is a remarkable organ | the way
he paints is quite remarkable | a truly remarkable skill
Adverb: remarkably | Opposite – Adjective
unremarkable
the service was remarkably reliable | he gave a number
of unremarkable speeches during the election campaign
secure /sɪˈkjʊə(r)/ Verb
if you secure something, you make sure you get it or
achieve it, often after a lot of effort
farmers worked hard to secure a good harvest | we are
working hard to secure more tickets for everyone | 90%
of our students secured permanent jobs within three
months of graduating | we secured several government
contracts last year
seize /siːz/ Verb
to seize an opportunity means to take the opportunity
as soon as it becomes possible and before it goes away
again
he advised me to seize every opportunity to learn | while
Dent was away she seized the opportunity to reorganise
the department | he seized the chance for escape
sibling /ˈsɪblɪŋ/ Noun
someone’s sibling is their brother or sister
Collocates: sibling rivalry
with her siblings, she put on puppet shows | sibling
rivalry is a normal part of growing up | he had two elder
siblings, Scott and Connie | his five siblings left the area
for better opportunities
stock exchange /ˈstɒk ɪksˌtʃeɪndʒ/ Noun
a stock exchange is a place where shares in companies
are bought and sold. If a company is floated on the stock
exchange, shares in that company become available for
the first time
we floated the company on the stock exchange | they
lost a lot of money on the stock exchange | the New York
stock exchange | the London stock exchange closed
15 points lower (the value of all the shares was slightly
lower at the end of the day) | the stock exchange fell by
15% | the stock exchange rose slightly
take off /teɪk ɒf/ Phrasal verb
if something such as a business or other activity takes
off, it starts to be very successful
after two years, the business really took off | he left
acting after his music career took off | the project finally
took off in late autumn | sales took off as demand for the
product grew worldwide
tolerance /ˈtɒlərəns/ Noun uncount
tolerance is the ability to let other people do or say
things that you do not agree with or do not approve of
religious tolerance | social tolerance of excessive
drinking has become far too great | he has no tolerance
for political extremism | to encourage mutual respect
and tolerance
Adjective: tolerant | Noun: toleration | Verb: tolerate |
Adjective: tolerable | Adverb: tolerably || Opposites –
Noun: intolerance | Adjective: intolerant |
Adjective: intolerable | Adverb: intolerably
a tolerant and open minded father | we’re an open
and tolerant society | he campaigned for religious
toleration and the reform of parliament | her father
would not tolerate lying | the noise was annoying and
barely tolerable | the flat was tolerably large | religious
prejudice and intolerance | he became intolerant of
opposition | the situation was intolerable | the room was
intolerably hot
turnover /ˈtɜː(r)nˌəʊvə(r)/ Noun uncount
a company’s turnover is the amount of money it receives
during a particular period
Collocates: annual turnover | turnover rises/increases/
grows | turnover falls/drops
annual turnover rose to around $80 million | by 1990
turnover had increased to £150,000 and they had made
a profit of £32,000 | turnover grew 15% to $3.91 billion |
we aim to double turnover to £2m as part of a long-term
growth plan
Verb: turn over
the business turned over £2.4m last year
venture /ˈventʃə(r)/ Noun
a venture is a new business activity
Collocates: a business/commercial venture | a joint
venture
I’ve actually got an idea for a new venture | he ploughed
the profits into a new venture | this could be a profitable
venture | a successful business venture | embark on
a joint venture (involving more than one person or
company) | the venture was commercially successful |
they lost their savings in a failed farming venture
workforce /ˈwɜː(r)kˌfɔː(r)s/ Noun singular
the workforce is all the people who work for a particular
company, or all the people in a country who are able to
work and are available to work at the moment
we need to promote the role of the disabled in the
workforce | a happier workforce is a more productive
workforce | an ageing workforce can present special
challenges | workforce reductions
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 16
Pages 146–147
declare /dɪˈkleə(r)/ Verb
if you declare something, you say formally what you
think, and what you will or will not do in a particular
situation
Collocates: declare that
he declared that he wasn’t interested | Nicky had
declared his intention of joining the army | he publicly
declared his opposition to the proposal | until today she
had never openly declared herself (told people exactly
what she thought)
Noun: declaration
her declaration of love towards him | his declaration of
intent
devastate /ˈdevəˌsteɪt/ Verb
to devastate something means to damage it very badly.
To devastate a person means to upset them very badly
the country had been devastated by war | losses which
have devastated the economy | the bombing raid
devastated the town | the housing crisis devastated the
local community
Adjective: devastated | Adjective: devastating |
Adverb: devastatingly | Noun: devastation
I was absolutely devastated when he died | the
devastated village was still burning hours later | the
decision was to have devastating results | the effect
on the children was devastating | a devastatingly
destructive weapon | sneezes are devastatingly effective
at spreading germs | the storm caused devastation for
miles around | the absolute devastation of modern war
device /dɪˈvaɪs/ Noun
a device is a machine or tool that does a particular job
Collocates: a mobile device | an electronic device | a
device for (doing) something
a device that allows you to share files | you can watch
YouTube on mobile devices | please turn off your
electronic devices | an ingenious little device | some
sophisticated devices | a device for measuring electrical
flow | it’s fitted with a special anti-locking device | all our
vehicles have the latest hi-tech safety devices
entrepreneur /ˌɒntrəprəˈnɜː(r)/ Noun
an entrepreneur is someone who sets up and runs a
business
prospective entrepreneurs present their plans to a panel
of investors | a successful entrepreneur | Lisa is a serial
entrepreneur, having founded three businesses | some
high school entrepreneurs who started a sports business
| commerce grew significantly as the city attracted
business entrepreneurs
Adjective: entrepreneurial
his entrepreneurial skills | my past entrepreneurial
attempts failed | his entrepreneurial spirit carried him
through
flood /flʌd/ Verb
if an area floods, large amounts of water pour in, for
example after there has been a lot of very heavy rain or
if a water pipe bursts. If you are flooded with things that
arrive in large numbers, you get so many of them that it
is difficult to deal with them all
we were flooded with orders in the run-up to Christmas
| the radio station was flooded with complaints from
listeners | his inbox is flooded with more than 200 emails
per day | this question has flooded social media
Noun: flood
the village was cut off by floods | they had floods of
complaints when it was first sold | she was in floods of
tears (crying a lot)
format /ˈfɔː(r)mæt/ Noun
the format of something such as a radio or television
programme is the way the different parts of it are put
together and presented in a certain order
Collocates: the format of something
other broadcasters copied the show’s format | the format
of the course is 10 hours tuition per week | the show
returned a year later in a slightly different format
fulfil /fʊlˈfɪl/ Verb
if you fulfil a duty or obligation, you succeed in doing
what is necessary
we will be able to fulfil all our orders before Christmas
(deliver all the goods that have been ordered) | on top of
his research, he had to fulfil his normal teaching duties |
the school made sure it fulfilled its legal obligations
Noun: fulfilment
we can’t guarantee fulfilment of last minute requests
gap /ɡæp/ Noun
a gap is a hole in something solid, where something
is missing. If you think something is missing from a
situation, you can say there is a gap there
Collocates: fill a gap | a gap widens/narrows
to exploit a gap in the market (start to sell a product that
no one else is selling) | the $23 billion financing gap was
filled |a skills gap (when there are not enough skilled
workers to meet the demand) | there are huge gaps in
my knowledge of physics | taking up yoga filled a gap in
my life
generate /ˈdʒenəreɪt/ Verb
to generate something means to make it happen and
develop
take advantage of the interest we’ve generated | the
region generates its income mainly through agriculture
| questions that generated helpful discussions |
techniques designed to generate even more visits to
their website
Noun: generation
daily generation of refuse exceeds two kilos per person
instability /ˌɪnstəˈbɪləti/ Noun uncount
if there is instability, a situation is likely to change
suddenly
Collocates: political/economic instability | emotional
instability
the problem is not just instability but a lack of skills |
several years of political instability and civil war | things
that can cause economic instability | I was worried about
her emotional instability | signs of mental instability
Adjective: unstable || Opposites – Noun: stability |
Adjective: stable
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 16
an unstable economy | the situation is still unstable |
she seems a bit unstable at the moment | the weather
has been a bit unstable this autumn | economic stability
increased | these challenges may threaten stability
in much of the world | the economy was thought
to be stable up until 2008 | children need a stable
environment
niche /niːʃ/ Noun
a niche is an opportunity to sell a special product to a
small group of people
she managed to exploit a niche in the market | he
spotted a niche in the fashion market | a profitable niche
that saw the company through the slump of the 1980s |
the magazine got a positive response because it filled a
really specific niche
Adjective: niche
it’s a niche market | a niche product
overwhelmingly /ˌəʊvə(r)ˈwelmɪŋli/ Adverb
overwhelmingly means to a very great extent
Collocates: vote overwhelmingly for/against something |
overwhelmingly positive/negative
reality TV is overwhelmingly positive | they voted
overwhelmingly in support of the idea | public opinion
was overwhelmingly against the war | their comments
were overwhelmingly supportive
Adjective: overwhelming
Collocates: an overwhelming majority
the overwhelming majority of students | she managed
to succeed against overwhelming odds | overwhelming
evidence that he was guilty | the idea won overwhelming
support
panel /ˈpæn(ə)l/ Noun
a panel is a small group of people who have been
chosen to discuss something and give a specialist
opinion about it
a panel of five successful business people | the panel’s
recommendations were ignored | panel discussions
were held throughout the conference | a panel requires
a skilled chairperson | a panel of judges | a panel of
experts
Noun: panellist
each panellist was asked to make a short closing
speech
pitch /pɪtʃ/ Verb
to pitch something means to talk about it and try to
persuade people to buy it or to do business with you
Collocates: pitch for something | pitch to someone
have plunged | temperatures plunged to minus 15 |
crime rates plunged dramatically under the new mayor
Noun: plunge
a plunge in house prices | the crisis led to a plunge in
consumer confidence
prospective /prəˈspektɪv/ Adjective
a prospective employee, buyer, client etc. is someone
who is not yet the employee, buyer or client of
something, but who wants to be and is trying to be
prospective entrepreneurs present their plans to a panel
of investors | companies send recruiters to colleges to
interview prospective employees | these services are
free to the prospective buyer | the school holds annual
meetings for prospective parents (parents who think
they want to send their children to the school) | the
faculty welcomes prospective students wishing to visit
departments
reflect /rɪˈflekt/ Verb
to reflect the nature or truth of a situation means to show
it, by being similar or by being a consequence of it
Collocates: be reflected in something
the proposed businesses reflect the different needs
of the Afghan economy | its success is reflected in
increasing sales | she said the article accurately
reflected the reality | the increase in spending on
services partly reflected higher heating bills | the lack of
growth reflects a static outlook on the economy
Noun: reflection
a reflection of something
the arts are a reflection of our society | the economy is a
reflection of our relationships
reject /rɪˈdʒekt/ Verb
if you reject something, you say that you will no longer
do it or use it or believe in it
Collocates: categorically/flatly reject something | reject
something outright
he rejected violence in favour of farming | this idea
was rejected many years ago | we reject and condemn
such behaviour | the minister categorically rejected the
findings of the report | he rejects outright the concept of
global warming
Noun: rejection
the rejection of his ideas was disappointing | an outright
rejection of the proposal
revolutionary /ˌrevəˈluːʃ(ə)n(ə)ri/ Adjective
something that is revolutionary is new in a way that is
very different from what came before it
they were asked to pitch their ideas to the panel | there
were three of them pitching for the contract | he pitched
his novel to several different publishers | she spent a
month pitching for business
a revolutionary new product | her poetry was
revolutionary when it was first published | a revolutionary
approach to language learning | a revolutionary change
in their way of living and thinking
Noun: pitch
Verb: revolutionise
a sales pitch | I only had ten minutes to make my pitch
the advent of the internet has revolutionised our lives
| electronic cigarettes have revolutionised the tobacco
industry
plunge /plʌndʒ/ Verb
to plunge means to decrease quickly by a large amount
sales have plunged | profits have plunged | share prices
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 16
subject /səbˈdʒekt/ Verb
if you subject someone to something, usually something
difficult or unpleasant, you make them do it or
experience it
Collocates: subject someone to something
they are then subjected to questioning from the panel
| he claimed they had subjected him to torture | his
cousin was subjected to repeated beatings | my family
was subjected to death threats | her husband subjected
her to years of abuse
sustain /səˈsteɪn/ Verb
to sustain something means to make sure that
conditions allow it to continue
Collocates: sustain something indefinitely | barely
sustain something
will Afghanistan ever be able to sustain itself? | an
economic system that cannot be sustained indefinitely
| present levels of funding barely sustain the
organisation’s activity | the earth can easily sustain the
current population of 7.1 billion | this will not only sustain
economic growth but also generate employment
Adjective: sustained | Adjective: sustainable
| Noun: sustainability | Opposite –
Adjective: unsustainable
new investment is vital for sustained economic growth
| a sustained improvement in exports | they promote
sustainable farming in the region | research into
sustainable energy sources | factors that influence the
sustainability of worldwide food supplies | an emphasis
on environmental sustainability | this is an unsustainable
state of affairs | that rate of investment proved
unsustainable
target /ˈtɑː(r)ɡɪt/ Noun
a target is the object you try and hit in sports such as
shooting or darts or archery. A target is also something
you try and achieve in your life or an objective you have
as part of your job
our target market is young adults between the age of 20
and 27 (the people we hope will buy our product) | our
target is to reduce inflation to less than 5% | a meeting
to set our targets for next year | his house was a prime
target for robbers | our initial target was to raise £3m
Verb: target | Adjective: targeted
advertising on buses targets pedestrians and drivers |
each book targets a specific language skill | a victim of
targeted computer virus attacks
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 16
E Complete the missing adjectives.
EXERCISES
1 The brothers embarked on a j _ _ _ t venture.
2 I’ve had a really h _ _ _ _ c week at work.
Prepositions
3 The company’s a _ _ _ _ l turnover doubled in just
five years.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 She has a wide circle
4 P _ _ _ _ _ _ _ l instability is bad for business.
friends.
2 The film offers an insight
3 He pitched his ideas
5 Guests will be provided with l _ _ _ t refreshments.
their lives.
F
the panel.
4 The area had been devastated
an earthquake.
5 The two companies embarked
a joint venture.
6 I’m afraid there’s been a mix-up
the dates.
Word families
B Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
1 an understanding person I don’t
2 projected sales figures
the latest
3 religious tolerance
a
5 a nomadic lifestyle
a tribe of
6 declare your intentions
a
1 a business
a) pitch
2 sibling
b) crop
3 a cash
c) device
4 a sales
d) venture
5 a mobile
e) rivalry
Phrasal verbs
G Choose the correct word to complete the
phrasal verb.
1 We need to chase over/up some orders to meet our
target.
society
4 academic excellence
Match the two halves of the collocations.
at something
2 The team came on/up with some great ideas.
of love
3 Please pass this message up/on to the sales
manager.
4 The two files had got mixed in/up in the system.
5 The business should break up/even this year.
Word building
C Complete the sentences with nouns formed from
the verbs in the box.
6 His career seems to be really taking up/off.
reflect fulfil observe merge devastate
1 A
between the two companies has
been announced.
2 The floods caused widespread
3 Her paintings are a
personality.
.
of her
4 We guarantee
three days.
of orders within
5 The progress of the project will require careful
.
Collocations
D Complete the sentences with the correct form
of the verbs in the box. Look up the verbs if you
need help.
moan merge embark plough seize
1 He’s always
about his job.
2 The CEO announced that we were going to
with another company.
3 He
the opportunity to leave.
4 We
venture.
all our money into the new
5 Think carefully before
venture.
on such a
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 1
EXERCISES
Collocations
Prepositions
E Match the adjectives to the nouns. Look up the
adjectives if you need help.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 There was a confrontation
two motorists.
1 a big-budget
a) personality
2 his fatal
b) impression
3 an intimate
c) film
4 a dominant
d) joke
3 There’s a lot of tension
the two communities.
5 her initial
e) flaw
4 Many drivers soon tire
the same routine
6 a hilarious
f) relationship
2 Does it strike you
odd?
5 What’s your interpretation
6 She was jealous
the painting?
her brother’s success.
7 He was the dominant partner
8 They were threatened
their relationship.
a group of youths.
B Choose the correct preposition.
F
Complete the missing adjectives from the unit.
1 a really g _ _ p _ _ _ g novel
2 I found the film deeply d _ _ t _ _ b _ _ g
3 a h _ _ _ r _ _ _ s joke
4 she was perfectly w _ _ _ _ _ g
1 He’s been banned from / of driving.
5 The ending was utterly p _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ e
2 The flowers are symbolic for / of death.
6 a highly c _ _ v _ _ t _ _ _ _ l approach to art
3 He’s been glued to / on his computer all day.
4 I could sense the friction with / between them.
5 The cat was seated on / by my lap
6 He disguised himself as / in a medical student.
7 Let me be frank to / with you.
8 There is one major obstacle to / with progress.
G Complete the sentences with the correct nouns.
Look up the nouns if you need help.
bankruptcy
tears
interpretation
impression (x2)
deed
temptation
obstacles
1 After the accident, she burst into
2 He was rewarded for his good
Word families
3 His family now faces
C Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
4 She’s had to overcome a lot of
6 I tried to resist the
message.
1 an uplifting experience
feel
5 I don’t want you to get the wrong
by a speech
2 the tension builds throughout the novel
the atmosphere in the room was very
7 I got the distinct
welcome.
to read the
we weren’t
8 Her intentions are open to
3 Her early work is quite ambiguous
he answered rather
4We will have to confront the problem immediately
a violent
with the police
5The statue had to undergo important restoration
It took fifty years to fully
the building
D Tick the words which are both a noun and
a verb.
1 urge
2 disturb
3 pretend
4 affair
5 disguise
6 slice
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 2
D Complete the sentences with the correct form
of the verbs from the box. Look up the nouns in
bold if you need help.
EXERCISES
Prepositions
make
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 There was strong opposition
2 There was growing tension
3 We caught a glimpse
5 Any expansion
worse.
a donation to the charity
the two countries.
3 You should
caution when
approaching these animals.
a hazard for buildings.
4 I
a glimpse of the Pope in Rome.
E Complete the sentences with the correct nouns.
Look up the words in bold if you need help.
his argument.
lifestyle
sites
the car alarm.
the artist’s mother.
facilities
view
months
1 More tourists will visit in the forthcoming
.
Word families
2 We had a stunning
B Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
3 Sarah had an affluent
from the hotel.
.
4 The city is full of historic
.
5 The hotel had excellent leisure
1 a deprived childhoodeconomic
2 my CV is attached open the
.
Phrasal verbs
F
3 a grand buildingthe 17th century
of
the house
4 the internet has
a complete
transformed our lives
5 my job was to oversee
provide an
financial operations
6 a hideous outfit
expensive
7 an affluent neighbourhoodan area of fast-growing
Choose the correct word to complete the
phrasal verb.
1 Let’s stick to / on the plan.
2 They were setting down / off fireworks in their
garden.
3 The price of air tickets has shot up / away recently.
4 They knocked down / over my old school.
5 We had to sweep out / up all the broken glass.
6 Forget about your work and join up / in the fun!
Patterns
Collocations
C Match the adjectives to the nouns. Look up the
adjectives if you need help.
G Complete the sentences with the correct form
of the verbs in the box. Use to + infinitive or –ing.
attach
spin
promoteerect
join in
1 spectacular
a) base
2 a dedicated
b) professional
3 a run-down
c) scenery
1 He went on TV
4 residential
d) area
2
5 military
e) neighbourhood
3 I forgot
6 a forthcoming
f) product
4 Would you like
g) event
5 My head was
7 an innovative
exercise
2 Moisture
success.
8 This exhibition is dedicated
constitute
the proposal.
the stadium will make things
6 She wasn’t persuaded
7 I accidentally set
1 I
the emperor’s tomb.
4 She had a strong desire
catch
his new film.
something means to build it.
the file.
?
.
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 3
E Match the nouns to the verbs. Look up the nouns
(a–e) if you need help.
EXERCISES
Prepositions
1 to approach with
a) compensation
2 to have an
b) purchase
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
3 to walk
c) caution
4 to claim
d) obsession
5 to make a
e) a fine line
1 I need to fix that crack
2 I rubbed salt
the wall.
the meat.
3 They recovered their possessions
4 Handle that drill
great caution.
5 He had a bandage
his hand.
6 He tried to mend the rip
the debris.
F
Complete the sentences with the correct word
from the box. Look up the words in bold if you
need help.
emotional
practical
his shirt.
hairline
occupational
Word families
1 She suffered
childhood.
B Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
2 This research has important
implications.
1 protect your privacy
online
a very
2 acquire a property
a new
3 an admission of guilt
4 a fire hazard a
person.
being wrong
line of work
5 a military commander
the two generals
the army
6 the trauma of his death
by the
experience
C Which TWO words in the box below are NOT
both a noun and a verb?
clip
leak
settle
crack
stack
purchase
guarantee
pile
refund
army
3 A
last week.
violent
trauma in her
incident occurred in the town
4 This vase is beautiful but it has a
crack in it.
5 Mixing chemicals is an
pharmacists.
hazard for
Phrasal verbs
G Choose the correct word to complete the
phrasal verb.
1 The wardrobe was very badly put together / off.
2 We’re going to get rid by / of our old furniture.
3 That’s the second time you’ve let me down / up!
4 Their marriage is falling down / apart.
5 We have to put up / in with loud neighbours.
Collocations
D Complete the collocations with the verbs in the
box. Look up the nouns if you need help.
pin
demand
spring
make
1
a hazard
2
the blame
3
a purchase
4
a leak
5
a refund
pose
Patterns
H Complete the sentences with the correct form
of the verbs in the box. Use to + infinitive or –ing.
acquire
resist
resolve
replace
1 It will be easy
2 He insisted on
3 He wanted
retain
the problem.
control.
a valuable painting.
4 She tried
arrest.
5 We need
the fridge.
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 4
EXERCISES
Collocations
Prepositions
D Complete the collocations with nouns from
the unit.
1 a decisive v _ _ _ _ _ y
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 A lot
2 walk at a leisurely p _ _ e
3 provoke an armed c _ _ _ _ _ _ t
companies have gone bankrupt.
2 The work will be carried out
a private company.
4 plant a cash c _ _ p
3 We need to get to the root
the problem.
5 find the r _ _ t cause
4 Everything was captured
5 Pollution puts strain
6 The court ruled
6 follow the plan s _ _ p by step
film.
the environment.
E Choose the correct verbs to complete the
collocations. Look up the nouns to help you
if necessary.
his favour.
7 There will be an investigation
the issue.
1 provoke / raise a conflict
2 be announced / declared bankrupt
Word families
3 cut back / conduct an investigation
B Complete the sentences with the correct nouns
from the verbs in the box.
donate
reverse
tolerate
reflect
1 The judge made a
I help save people’s
F
Which of the following words do not collocate
with the nouns?
2 humanitarian / fashion / financial / foreign aid
3 conduct / launch / decide / carry out an investigation
3 There will be spending
bad sales.
because of
of slavery was not considered
4 award / win / succeed / claim damages
G Complete the missing adjectives.
1 She’s too s_ _ t on her son.
5 That simple fact is worth some
6 There was a dramatic
government policy.
5 harvest / launch a new initiative
1 drug / food / alcohol / substance abuse
against her.
2 I am a blood
lives.
4 The
acceptable.
cut back
rule
4 award / capture someone damages
.
in
C Tick the words which are both a noun and
a verb.
2 He was convicted of p_ _ _ _ _ _I assault.
3 People lose their jobs during an e _ _ _ _ _ _ c
recession.
4 It was a highly c _ _ t _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ l decision.
5 He thinks all politicians are m _ _ _ _ _ y corrupt.
1 abuse
2 claim
3 undermine
4 assault
Phrasal verbs
H Choose the correct phrasal verb.
5 conduct
1 We are going to carry out / cut off some
laboratory tests.
6 boost
2 He comes across / comes out as very rude.
3 The doctor told me to wipe out / cut back on
fast food.
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
9
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 5
EXERCISES
Collocations
Prepositions
E Match the two halves of the collocations. Look
up the nouns a–h if you need help.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 He’s self-conscious
his appearance.
2 Don’t make a fool
yourself.
3 The school competes
the local championship.
4 She was excluded
his school.
5 It will help you keep
shape.
6 He was reluctant to talk
it.
7 My dog is always bumping
8 We went
b) strength
3 sheer
c) boredom
4 brute
d) breath
Complete the collocations with nouns from the
unit.
3 make a f _ _ l of yourself
4 hand-eye c _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ n
5 be short of b _ _ _ _ h
your face?
Word families
B Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
agree
2 a half-time substitution player
3 feel self-conscious
2 lose
2 f _ _ _ _ _ _ s and fittings
a wander in the park.
1 a reluctant decision
a) consciousness
1 out of s _ _ _ e
the furniture.
9 How did you get that bruise
F
1 short of a lazy
G Choose the correct verbs to complete the
collocations. Look up the nouns to help you
if necessary.
1 get / find the sack
2 make / do a fool of me
3 find / regain consciousness
4 work up / pick up a sweat
5 sprain / relieve the boredom
dance
4 a powerful blow
improve your leg
Phrasal verbs
5 work on your flexibilitya
body
6 express your disappointment
result
a
7 a knitting needle
sweater
a
C Tick the words which are both a noun and a
verb.
H Choose the correct word to complete the
phrasal verb.
1 We wandered off / round the town
2 You’ve always looked down on / off me
3 He was knocked out / by in a football collision.
4 He couldn’t keep up on / with us.
5 This class is too difficult. I can’t keep in / up.
1 cheat
2 sprain
3 stamina
4 sack
5 tactics
6 tackle
Word-building
D Complete the sentence with a negative form
of the correct adjective.
able
1 I’m
coordinated
conscious
complete
to sleep because I’m so worried.
2 The building work was still
.
3 He suffered a blow to the head which left him
.
4 I don’t play sports. I’m very
.
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
7
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 6
EXERCISES
Collocations
Prepositions
E Complete the collocations with the verbs in the
box. Look up the nouns if you need help.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 Everyone had a moan
2 She found it easy to mix
pitch
have
the food.
new people.
3 They’re always taking the mickey
of him.
4 He gazed thoughtfully
the painting.
5 I have a confirmation
the booking.
6 She takes great pride
her work.
B Choose the correct preposition. Look up the
words in bold if you need help.
F
return
highlight
1
the issue
2
camp
3
a moan
4
a dash
5
to your roots
make
Complete the missing adjectives/adverbs.
1 I have a strict d _ _ _ y routine.
1 The house was at / in an isolated area.
2 By the time I got home, I was s _ _ _ _ d to the skin.
2 We watched the sunset at / from our balcony.
3 I saw a s _ _ _ _ _ _ g sunset last night.
3 Put your dirty laundry in / on the basket.
4 The restaurant has undergone a c _ _ _ _ _ _ e
transformation.
4 Look in / at the state of the kitchen!
5 It’s a restaurant of / with a welcoming atmosphere.
6 His flat was a bit in / of a dump.
G Match the two halves of the collocations. Look
up the words a–e if you need help.
1 drop deada) party
2 nationalb) procedure
Word families
C Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
1 a remarkable
transformation
the living
room
2 resist the proposal
meet with
3 muddy boots
covered in
3 a house-warming
c) heritage
4 the standard d) gorgeous
5 rune) smoothly
H Complete the expressions with the words in the
box.
resistant
welcome
4 he’s always very sarcastica touch of
5 a filthy floor
reservation
pride
1
living in
to change
2 make someone
Word-building
3 confirm a
D Complete the sentences with the correct noun
from the verbs.
1 The
of the two companies was
successful. (integrate)
2 We need
of your signature before
we can proceed. (confirm)
3 A
of ancient and modern
architecture (combine)
4 We’d like to make a
(reserve)
, please.
4 take
in something
Phrasal verbs
I
Choose the correct word to complete the phrasal
verb.
1 You can’t put off / up this decision any longer.
2 I’ve been slaving up / away in the kitchen for hours.
3 It took her a long time to get over / by her divorce.
4 Our bills added up / on to over a thousand pounds.
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
8
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 7
EXERCISES
Collocations
Prepositions
D Complete the sentences with the correct form
of the verbs in the box. Look up the verbs if you
need help.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 I tried eating mud
2 She’s got a lot of insight
this problem.
3 An old woman placed a curse
4 Her health problems stem
5 She was
settle
turn
a dare.
poor diet.
the mud.
3 The snow is
on the fields.
his house to his children.
you to ask him to go out on a date.
E Complete the missing adjectives. Look up the
nouns if you need help.
1 g _ _ _ _ _ _ s sunshine
2 a s _ _ _ _ _ _ _ d windscreen
B Complete the expression with the correct form
of the word in bold.
3 a g _ _ _ _ _ e misunderstanding
4 a d _ _ _ e fog
1 a civilised societymodern
3 a tree with strong roots
nasty later that day.
5 I
Word families
2 he showed great braverya
2 The weather
4 He
an idea.
7 Make sure the car doesn’t get stuck
blossom
1 Her career has really
Serena.
floods of tears.
6 I have the seed
dare
leave
thing to do
F
Match the two halves of the collocations.
in tradition
1 a non-stop
a) seeds
4 claim your inheritanceShe
money.
a lot of
2 scatter
b) poll
5 a complete
don’t
misunderstanding
me
3 a state
c) flight
4 opinion
d) opened
5 the heavens
e) funeral
6 intimidation tacticsThey tried to
me.
Patterns
Word-building
C Tick the words which are both a noun and a
verb.
1 subsidy
G Complete the sentences with the correct form of
the verbs in the list. Use to + infinitive or –ing.
contest
freeze
2 flash
1 We are planning
3 turn
2 We spent the afternoon
strawberries.
4 skid
5 inherit
6 dare
3 We had
pull over
pick
the decision.
to the side of the road.
4 I thought I was going
to death
7 found
8 curse
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
7
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 8
EXERCISES
Collocations
Prepositions
D Complete the sentences with the correct
adjective from the box. Look up the words in
bold if you need help.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 Bad weather was cited
2 There is a direct correlation
3 It’s useless to speculate
accident.
4 They’ll lock you up
unsuccessful
thin
the reason.
price and quality.
8 Emphasis was placed
role in over twenty
3 The thieves just vanished into
4 A
was approved.
last night.
7 There has been a plunge
offence.
2 He’s had the
films.
prison after two years.
6 My house was broken
incident in the town
6 She launched an
sentence.
B Complete the expression with the correct form
of the word in bold.
appeal against her
E Complete the collocations with nouns from the
unit.
1 commit f _ _ _ d
1 a rise in burglaries
a teenage
2 launch an e _ _ _ _ _ y
2 a mysterious
disappearance
the suspect
3 gain a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ e
3 convicted of fraud a
the pressure
5 gain acceptance
behaviour
6 harshly punished
treatment
Word-building
C Complete the sentences with nouns formed from
the verbs.
riot
stage
1 Masked
cash.
speculate
raid
escaped with jewellery and
2 He’s top in the world
of Hamlet will take place next
4 There’s been a lot of media
subject.
5 She’s had no previous
6 The
were arrested.
4 place e _ _ _ _ _ _ s on something
act
4 such a relief 3 A
Tuesday.
air.
inquiry was held and the scheme
5 There was a
centre last night.
house prices.
the important of recycling.
Word families
rank
convict
serious
public
1 Armed robbery is a
the cause of the
life.
5 He was released
starring
violent
on the
.
5 hit a p _ _ k
6 put on a great p _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ e
F
Match the two halves of the collocations. Look
up the nouns (a–f) if you need help.
1 air
a) device
2 rail
b) sentence
3 an electronic
c) raid
4 a life
d) transport
5 law e) and order
6 medical
f) records
Phrasal verbs
G Complete the sentences with the correct form of
the phrasal verbs in the box.
break into
put forward
come up
go off
turn off
1 Someone
get hold of
account for
my house last night.
2 Teenagers are being
crime.
3 A stranger
me.
and started talking to
4 She has been
5 A bomb
for promotion
in a bus shelter.
6 You are a very difficult person to
7 Improvements in education
in university applicants.
.
the rise
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
10
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 9
EXERCISES
1 The
on my course is brilliant.
2 I’ve just started a new job as a market
.
Prepositions
3 My
promotion.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 Are you finding it hard to cope
2 He rose to the rank
4 I gave some money to a
street.
the workload?
a tray.
Collocations
this!
F
B Choose the correct preposition.
1 The consultant gave a brief overview at/of the
problem.
Complete the collocations with the verbs in the
box. Look up the nouns if you need help.
get
outline
2 I take my lunch break at/on twelve.
sum up
hand
3 I’m deeply sceptical about/for the whole plan.
1
the hang of (something)
4 The garden was well stocked in/with plants.
2
in your notice
5 We’ve kept in touch since/before we left school
3
a lecture
4
market research
5
a proposal
6
an excuse
Word families
C Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
1 an emotionally draining feel completely
experience
2 made redundant
haunted by fears of
3 a stimulating experience
mental
4 stop interfering!too much
5 promoted at worka well-earned
6 the novelty wore off
a
approach
D Complete the sentences with the correct words
from the words in brackets.
1 It was a really
experience. (reward)
2 You should talk to your
(management)
about it.
3 We’ve had
(count)
4 He
(delegation)
applications for this role.
the responsibility to me.
5 Try to ignore his
6 He was
(restless)
! (interfere)
pacing up and down.
carry out
make up
G Complete the sentences with the correct noun
from the box. Look up the nouns if you need
help.
rise
touch
overview
row
training
spirit
1 My boss has arranged in-house
everyone.
for
2 Unions are calling for a 50% pay
.
3 He gave a broad
of the plan.
4 We’ve kept in
years.
for the past twenty
5 They had a blazing
last night.
about money
6 She has a restless
in a job for long.
and never stays
Phrasal verbs
H Choose the correct word to complete the phrasal
verb.
1 The excuse he made up/out was completely
unconvincing.
2 Let’s move up/on to the next topic.
3 It’s important to sum over/up your argument at
the end.
Word-building
E Complete the sentences with the correct noun
from the words in the box.
research
beg
of
the conventional way.
4 She brought the coffee to us
5 I’ll never get the hang
on the
5 They were accused of being
cheap labour.
captain in the navy.
3 They greeted each other
has recommend me for a
exploit
training
manage
4 You shouldn’t have to settle for/up this.
5 We spend the whole day digging up/in vegetables in
the garden.
6 A petition was handed in/out to the council.
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
8
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 10
EXERCISES
Collocations
Prepositions
E Complete the sentences with the correct form
of the verbs in the box. Look up the verbs if you
need help.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 I felt completely at ease
2 She forgot to turn up
3 It was taken over
her appointment.
6 A bunch
3 Don’t forget to
we go out.
applause.
your shoes before
4 She’s always
any emails.
about something.
5 I felt a bit
B Choose the correct preposition.
1 Many people were outraged by/for the idea.
2 I don’t appreciate public displays of/with affection.
3 Smoking is frowned off/on here.
4 He has been sacked at/from his job.
5 We had to drag him out to/of bed!
6 He came over and asked me for/by a light.
moan
2 His new film has been heavily
the safe side.
us went to the cinema on Friday.
7 Please copy me in
leave out
polish
1 I asked her what was wrong and she
into tears.
a larger company.
4 We’d better leave now to be
5 The audience burst
burst
publicise
them.
F
.
Match the two halves of the collocations. Look
up the nouns (a–e) if you need help.
1 a small
a) attendant
2 flight
b) on air
3 live
c) get-together
4 a terrible
d) sack
5 get the
e) bore
G Complete the collocations with nouns from
the unit.
Word families
C Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
1 don’t interrupt me
constant
2 a slap on the wrist
mechanical
4 casually dressed
4 have an i _ _ _ _ t
5 look on the bright s _ _ e
clothing
5 a bitter rival
2 be on the safe s _ _ e
3 buy and sell s_ _ _ _ s
someone
3 the engine failed
1 a city b _ _ _ k
fierce
6 a d _ _ _ _ _ y of power
7 stage a r _ _ _ y
6 treat yourself to something a birthday
7 a versatile machine
Phrasal verbs
amazing
H Choose the correct word to complete the phrasal
verb.
Word-building
D Complete the sentences with adjectives formed
from the nouns.
outrage
sympathy
1 That’s an
2 She was very
harm
bore
affection
2 Long coffee breaks are frowned on/of in my office.
3 They attempted to take up/over the rival company.
4 I’m sorry but I have to break away/up the party.
5 We’re married but we still chat each other about/up.
idea!
about it.
3 I watched such a
film last night.
4 It was just a bit of
fun.
5 They’re very
1 Don’t get caught out/in by the tide.
6 I feel a bit left in/out when I’m with you and your
friends.
7 She eventually turned up/in halfway through the
evening.
towards each other.
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
8
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 11
EXERCISES
3 They reached an
desert.
expanse of
Prepositions
4 She enjoyed the
the city.
pace of life in
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
5 Travelling gives you a
on life.
1 There was a dent
2 He kept a herd
3 We set off
sheep.
4 She’s going to appeal
5 It was inconsiderate
quantity of floodwater was
E Complete the collocations with nouns from the
unit.
home at six.
6 I got a blister
6 The
horrifying!
the passenger door.
perspective
the court.
1 spring a l_ _ k
him to leave so soon.
2 a refundable d _ _ _ _ _ t
my heel from my new shoes.
3 contrary to popular m _ _ h
4 pay the taxi f _ _ e
Word families
5 a sense of p_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ e
B Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
1 a bumpy journey
lots of
in the road
2 a dent in the door
it was
in an accident
3 a stiff lock
The door opened
4 a cause for concern
it’s a very
5 a remarkable
achievement
do
well
6 I dread to think
the
news
issue
6 have a nasty b _ _ _ _ _ r
F
Complete the sentences with the correct form of
the verbs in the box.
develop
fall
lodge
uncover
1 Make sure you
the small print.
2 Archaeologists
three 12th century monks.
the remains of
3 They plan to
judgement.
Word-building
4 We
C Complete the sentences with nouns formed from
the verbs in the box.
5 The house has
indicate
leak
maintain
1 They opposed the
controls.
impose
of import
2 I think your car’s
might be broken.
hire
read
an appeal against the
a strong bond.
into disrepair.
6 It was raining so we
a cab.
Phrasal verbs
G Choose the correct word to complete the
phrasal verb.
1 They set up/off on a two week trip.
3 We all had to go home because of a dangerous
chemical
.
2 It turned out/on to be a mistake.
4 Regular
lot of money long term.
4 You need to come down/off the motorway at
junction 7.
of your car will save you a
3 Someone cut me out/up on the motorway.
5 A car pulled on/out without warning.
Collocations
6 I leapt up/by in excitement.
D Complete the sentences with the adjectives from
the box.
endless
fast
flat
ever-increasing
different
cracked
1 We stopped by the side of the road to change a
tyre.
2 It’s dangerous to drive with a
windscreen.
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
8
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 12
EXERCISES
Prepositions
2 There’s a dispute
4 I woke up
4 Make sure you use a
teacher.
for over
Collocations
asthma.
F
this piece of land.
3 He ran out of the room
, you won’t get
5 Last month was our most
four years.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition. Look up the words in bold if you
need help.
1 Many people suffer
3 If you’re not computer
on the course.
a panic.
Which of the verbs do NOT form a collocation
with the word in bold?
1 I think you might have broken/collapsed/sprained
your wrist.
a stiff neck.
5 I’ll be walking
crutches for a while.
6 He was healed
the latest medical treatment.
2 It was his responsibility to keep/maintain/manage a
record of everything.
3 We’ll test the theory by conducting/carrying out/
making an experiment.
Word families
B Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
1 a chronic condition
She’s
2 My lips started to
swell up.
a
3 effective pain relief
try to
4 emergency surgery
a
5 a chest infection
6 a major dispute
ill.
4 The rules must be rigorously applied/enforced/
practised.
5 You stand to lose/keep/make a lot of money.
G Match the adjectives to the nouns. Look up the
nouns (a–f) if you need help.
ankle
1 blind
a) beneficiary
2 toxic
b) panic
procedure
3 emergency
c) fumes
a
cough
4 the main
d) surgery
a
territory
5 a dazzling
e) phenomenon
6 a recent
f) array
stress
C Complete the sentences with the correct words
from the words in brackets.
1 These plants have
properties. (heal)
2 The
of the tumour was a difficult
procedure. (remove)
3 We discussed the benefits of
(outsource)
1 a heat r _ _ h
.
4 His grandfather was a well-known
(gamble)
2 exhaust f _ _ _ s
.
3 a heart t _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ t
4 a hand g _ _ _ _ _ e
5 The move was welcomed by the president’s many
. (detract)
6 He’s got all the necessary
H Complete the collocations with nouns from
the unit.
. (qualify)
5 a natural p_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ n
6 infant m _ _ _ _ _ _ _ y
D Which TWO words in the box are NOT both a
noun and a verb?
scam
transplant
rush
detract
arise
pin
sneeze
panic
Word-building
E Complete the sentences with adjectives formed
from the nouns in the box.
globalise
qualify
negligence
literacy
1 The hospital was found to be
productivity
.
2 The industry failed to adapt to the
market.
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
10
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 13
EXERCISES
Collocations
Prepositions
D Match the two halves of the collocations. Look
up the nouns (a–h) if you need help.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 This situation needs to be handled
care.
2 Public shows
uncomfortable.
affection always make her
3 My wife was
labour for twelve hours.
4 They went
a marriage counsellor for advice.
5 He received the bad news
good grace.
6 Commuters waited over an hour
to arrive.
7 Is the meeting taking place
8 We drank a toast
the train
the boardroom?
the bride and groom.
9 I tried to steer the conversation away
subject.
1 a sheltered
a) priest
2 a parish
b) run
3 familiar
c) reception
4 a winning
d) upbringing
5 a wedding
e) integrity
6 initiation
f) rites
7 moral
g) grave
8 a mass
h) ground
E Complete the sentences with the correct form of
the verbs in the box. Look up the words in bold if
you need help.
throw
reach
the
propose
sit
1 We
yesterday.
Word families
a leaving party for a colleague
2 After lots of disagreement, both sides
a compromise.
B Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
3 I
a toast to the winning team.
1 feel tense
relieve the
2 a valid opinion
assess the
4 John
ten years.
3 approach the issue
change your
5 The article did little to
4 buried in the cemetery the
is tomorrow
5 receive a blessing the priest
6 die of exhaustionan
the child
day
F
8 the bride and groom
3 raise/give a blessing
C Complete the sentences with the correct word
from the word in brackets.
3 They
(loyalty)
4 hurt/suffer from exhaustion
5 cover/place a lot of ground
6 drink/eat a toast
1 My grandparents were always very
towards us. (affection)
2 He was always very
his curiosity.
1 take/do a different approach
2 break/steer your vow
gown
on the board of directors for
Choose the correct verb to go with each noun.
Look up the nouns if you need help.
7 vain about his looksappeal to his
a
satisfy
. (dignity)
Phrasal verbs
supported him for years.
G Choose the correct word to complete the
phrasal verb.
4 I don’t enjoy being a
. (commute)
5 He has two previous
dealing. (convict)
for drug
1 Don’t put off/over till tomorrow what you can do
today.
6 They announced the
(postpone)
of the match.
2 She comes across/over as a really friendly person.
3 The government had to resort from/to raising taxes.
4 She’s achieved everything she set on/out to do.
5 You need to stand out/up for yourself more.
6 Let’s step back/over for a moment and decide what
to do.
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
10
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 14
E Complete the collocations with nouns and
adjectives from the unit.
EXERCISES
Prepositions
1 a tight b _ _ _ _ t
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
3 deliberately m _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ g
2 r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ y accept something
1 Somebody hacked
2 She couldn’t dissuade him
5 p _ _ _ _ _ _ s stones
leaving.
3 The ATM charges commission
4 The train came
4 a t _ _ _ l period
the system last night.
all transactions.
a sudden halt.
5 What are you chuckling
6 You need some form
bank account.
?
identification to open a
Word families
B Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
1 he is authorised to
make decisions
no proper
2 disobey an order
a
3 claim something back
make a
F
Match the two halves of the collocations.
1 run up
a) full
2 on a trial
b) machine
3 crammed
c) a bill
4 a cash point
d) metals
5 precious
e) basis
6 a bailout
f ) package
Phrasal verbs
G Choose the correct word to complete the
phrasal verb.
child
1 Any profits were wiped up/out by huge costs.
2 She ran up/in huge debts at university.
4 be in despair
a
situation
3 The traffic began to inch over/forward.
5 I agreed reluctantly
a
decision
4 It turned out/on to be a complete nightmare!
some money
5 The EU have agreed to bail off/out Greece.
6 make a withdrawal
C Complete the sentences with the correct words
from the words in brackets.
1 I’m £200
this month. (overdraft)
2 Her attempts at
failed. (dissuade)
3 He was seen acting very
the bank. (suspicious)
outside
4 You need written
school trip. (authorised)
to go on the
5 The plane has already started its
(descend)
6 He can be a bit
.
. (greed)
Collocations
D Complete the collocations with the verbs in the
box. Look up the nouns in bold if you need help.
come
take
raise
refuse
build
win
1
someone credit
2
the stakes in a business deal
3
the jackpot in the lottery
4
to a halt
5
up a reserve
6
a gamble
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
7
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 15
EXERCISES
Word building
Prepositions
E Complete the sentences with adjectives formed
from the verbs in the box.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 Keep the lid
melt
contaminate
while the rice is cooking.
2 I think you’d better chuck that
3 Soak the beans
2 Drinking
water is very dangerous.
chocolate.
4 Smoking is
lime in this recipe.
6 There have been accusations
child.
3 Cover the top with
sugar.
5 You can substitute lemon
prohibit
appal
1 He’d always been a
the bin.
water for a few hours.
4 She sprinkled the cake
disobey
discard
in public buildings.
5 They were found living in
conditions.
misconduct.
7 He came to the restaurant to pass judgement
the food.
6 There was a
pavement.
bicycle lying on the
B Choose the correct preposition.
1 He was disqualified from/for the competition.
Collocations
2 It’s too soon to make a judgement for/about the
new government.
F
3 Sprinkle the top by/with herbs.
4 The dog made a bid for/at freedom.
Complete the sentences with the correct form of
the verbs in the box. Look up the words in bold if
you need help.
put
5 He was dismayed by/for what he heard.
6 Through/In my judgement, two days won’t be
long enough.
pass
1
issue
the lid on the pan.
2 You shouldn’t be so quick to
judgement.
Word families
3 She categorically
C Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
4 The weather office has
more snow is expected.
1 publicise an event
attract a lot of
2 good personal hygiene
an
kitchen
3 sprinkle with salt
a
of sugar
4 be disqualified from
the race
face
5 a subtle difference
6 he confessed to
the crime
2 squeeze
an alert as
G Match the two halves of the collocations. Look
up the words 1–6 if you need help.
a) not guilty
2 a fraudulent
b) stunt
3 a sponsorship
c ) claim
it lacks
4 a publicity
d) a problem
make a
5 tackle
e) deal
D Tick the words which are both a noun and
a verb.
1 waive
being involved.
1 plead
7 a persistent threatthe weather was
bad
deny
H Complete the collocations with nouns and
adjectives from the unit.
1 a subtle c _ _ _ _ e
2 a random s _ _ _ _ e
3 a w _ _ d accusation
4 an overnight s _ _ y
3 plead
4 soak
5 urge
6 stir
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
8
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Unit 16
E Complete the missing adjectives.
EXERCISES
1 The brothers embarked on a j _ _ _ t venture.
2 I’ve had a really h _ _ _ _ c week at work.
Prepositions
3 The company’s a _ _ _ _ l turnover doubled in just
five years.
A Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition.
1 She has a wide circle
4 P _ _ _ _ _ _ _ l instability is bad for business.
friends.
2 The film offers an insight
3 He pitched his ideas
5 Guests will be provided with l _ _ _ t refreshments.
their lives.
F
the panel.
4 The area had been devastated
an earthquake.
5 The two companies embarked
a joint venture.
6 I’m afraid there’s been a mix-up
the dates.
Word families
B Complete the expressions with the correct form
of the word in bold.
1 an understanding person I don’t
2 projected sales figures
the latest
3 religious tolerance
a
5 a nomadic lifestyle
a tribe of
6 declare your intentions
a
1 a business
a) pitch
2 sibling
b) crop
3 a cash
c) device
4 a sales
d) venture
5 a mobile
e) rivalry
Phrasal verbs
G Choose the correct word to complete the
phrasal verb.
1 We need to chase over/up some orders to meet our
target.
society
4 academic excellence
Match the two halves of the collocations.
at something
2 The team came on/up with some great ideas.
of love
3 Please pass this message up/on to the sales
manager.
4 The two files had got mixed in/up in the system.
5 The business should break up/even this year.
Word building
C Complete the sentences with nouns formed from
the verbs in the box.
6 His career seems to be really taking up/off.
reflect fulfil observe merge devastate
1 A
between the two companies has
been announced.
2 The floods caused widespread
3 Her paintings are a
personality.
.
of her
4 We guarantee
three days.
of orders within
5 The progress of the project will require careful
.
Collocations
D Complete the sentences with the correct form
of the verbs in the box. Look up the verbs if you
need help.
moan merge embark plough seize
1 He’s always
about his job.
2 The CEO announced that we were going to
with another company.
3 He
the opportunity to leave.
4 We
venture.
all our money into the new
5 Think carefully before
venture.
on such a
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
8
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Answers
1 ENTERTAINMENT
2 SIGHTSEEING
Prepositions
Prepositions
A
A
1 between
2 as
3 between
4 of
5 of
6 of
7 in
8 by
1 to
2 between
3 of
4 for
5 of
6 by
7 off
8 to
B
1 from
2 of
3 to
4 between
5 on
6 as
7 with
8 to
Word families
B
Word families
1 deprivation
2 attachment
3 grandeur
4 transformation
5 oversight
6 hideously
7 affluence
C
Collocations
1 uplifted
2 tense
3 ambiguously
4 confrontation
5 restore
D urge, disguise, slice
Collocations
E
1 c
2 e
3 f
4 a
5 b
6 d
F
1 gripping
2 disturbing
3 hilarious
4 willing
5 predictable
6 conventional
G
1 ordeal
2 despair
3 bankruptcy
4 obstacles
5 impression
6 temptation
7 impression
8 interpretation
C
1 c
2 b
3 d
4 e
5 a
6 g
7 f
D
1 made
2 constitutes
3 exercise
4 caught
E
1 months
2 view
3 lifestyle
4 sites
5 facilites
Phrasal verbs
F
1 to
2 off
3 up
4 down
5 up
6 in
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
1
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Answers
Patterns
Patterns
G
H
1 to promote
2 to erect
3 to attach
4 to join in
5 spinning
1 to resolve
2 retaining
3 to acquire
4 to resist
5 to replace
3 THINGS YOU NEED
4 SOCIETY
Prepositions
Prepositions
A
A
1 in
2 into
3 from
4 with
5 round
6 in
1 of
2 by
3 of
4 on
5 on
6 in
7 into
Word families
B
1 private
2 acquisition
3 admit
4 hazardous
5 command/commanded
6 traumatised
C settle, army
Collocations
D
1 pose
2 pin
3 make
4 spring
5 demand
E
1 c
2 d
3 e
4 a
5 b
F
1 emotional
2 practical
3 violent
4 hairline
5 occupational
Phrasal verbs
G
1 together
2 of
3 down
4 apart
5 up
Word families
B
1 ruling
2 donor
3 cutbacks
4 toleration
5 reflection
6 reversal
C abuse, claim, assault, conduct, boost
Collocations
D
1 victory
2 pace
3 conflict
4 crop
5 root
6 step
E
1 provoke
2 declared
3 conduct
4 award
5 launch
F
1 food
2 fashion
3 decide
4 succeed
G
1 soft
2 physical
3 economic
4 controversial
5 morally
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
2
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Answers
Phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs
H
H
1 carry out
2 come across
3 cut back on
1 round
2 on
3 out
4 with
5 up
5 SPORTS AND INTERESTS
Prepositions
A
1 about
2 of
3 in
4 from
5 in
6 about
7 into
8 for
9 on
Word families
B
1 reluctantly
2 substitute
3 self-consciously
4 power
5 flexible
6 disappointing
7 knit
C cheat, sprain, sack, tackle
Word-building
D
1 unable
2 incomplete
3 unconscious
4 uncoordinated
Collocations
E
1 d
2 a
3 c
4 b
F
1 shape
2 fixtures
3 fool
4 coordination
5 breath
G
1 get
2 make
3 regain
4 work up
5 relieve
6 ACCOMMODATION
Prepositions
A
1 about
2 with
3 out
4 on
5 in
6 in
B
1 in
2 from
3 in
4 at
5 with
6 of
Word families
C
1 transform
2 resistance
3 mud
4 sarcasm
5 filth
Word-building
D
1 integration
2 combination
3 frame
4 reservation
Collocations
E
1 highlight
2 pitch
3 have
4 make
5 return
F
1 daily
2 soaked
3 stunning
4 complete
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
3
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Answers
G
F
1 d
2 c
3 a
4 b
5 e
1 c
2 a
3 e
4 b
5 d
H
1 resistant
2 welcome
3 reservation
4 pride
Phrasal verbs
I
1 off
2 away
3 over
4 up
7 NATURE
Prepositions
A
1 as
2 into
3 on
4 from
5 in
6 of
7 in
Word families
B
1 civilisation
2 brave
3 rooted
4 inherited
5 misunderstand
6 intimidate
Patterns
G
1 to contest
2 picking
3 to pull over
4 to freeze
8 CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
Prepositions
A
1 as
2 between
3 about
4 for
5 from
6 into / to
7 in
8 on
Word families
B
1 burglar
2 disappeared
3 fraudulent
4 relieve
5 acceptable
6 harsh
Word-building
C
2, 3, 4, 6, 8
1 raiders
2 ranking
3 staging
4 coverage
5 convictions
6 rioters
Collocations
Collocations
D
D
Word-building
C
1 blossomed
2 turned
3 settled
4 left
5 dare
E
1 serious
2 starring
3 thin
4 social
5 violent
6 unsuccessful
1 glorious
2 shattered
3 genuine
4 dense
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
4
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Answers
E
1 fraud
2 enquiry
3 acceptance
4 emphasis
5 peak
6 performance
F
1 c
2 d
3 a
4 b
5 e
6 f
Phrasal verbs
G
1 broke into
2 turned off
3 came up
4 put forward
5 went off
6 get hold of
7 account for
Word-building
E
1 trainer
2 researcher
3 manager
4 beggar
5 exploiters
Collocations
F
1 get
2 hand
3 sum up
4 carry out
5 outline
6 make up
G
1 training
2 rise
3 overview
4 touch
5 row
6 spirit
9 CAREERS AND STUDYING
Phrasal verbs
Prepositions
H
A
1 with
2 of
3 in
4 on
5 of
B
1 of
2 at
3 about
4 with
5 since
Word families
C
1 drained
2 redundancy
3 stimulation
4 interference
5 promotion
6 novel
D
1 rewarding
2 manager
3 countless
4 delegated
5 interference
6 restlessly
1 up
2 on
3 up
4 for
5 up
6 in
10 SOCIALISING
Prepositions
A
1 with
2 for
3 by
4 on
5 into
6 of
7 on/to
B
1 by
2 of
3 on
4 from
5 of
6 for
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
5
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Answers
Word families
C
1 interruptions
2 slap
3 failure
4 slap
5 casual
6 rivalry
7 treat
8 versatility
Word-building
D
1 outrageous
2 sympathetic
3 boring
4 harmless
5 affectionate
11 TRANSPORT AND TRAVEL
Prepositions
A
1 in
2 of
3 for
4 to
5 of
6 on
Word families
B
Collocations
1 bumps
2 dented
3 stiffly
4 concerning
5 remarkably
6 dreaded
E
Word-building
1 burst
2 publicised
3 polish
4 moan
5 left out
F
1 c
2 a
3 b
4 e
5 d
G
1 break
2 side
3 renewal
4 impact
5 side
6 display
7 rally
Phrasal verbs
H
1 out
2 on
3 over
4 up
5 up
6 out
7 up
C
1 imposition
2 indicator
3 leakage
4 maintenance
Collocations
D
1 flat
2 cracked
3 endless
4 fast
5 different
6 sheer
E
1 leak
2 deposit
3 myth
4 fare
5 perspective
6 blister
F
1 read
2 uncovered
3 lodge
4 developed
5 fallen
6 hired
Phrasal verbs
G
1 off
2 out
3 up
4 off
5 out
6 up
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Answers
12 HEALTH AND MEDICINE
13 LIFE-CHANGING EVENTS
Prepositions
Prepositions
A
A
1 from
2 over
3 in
4 with
5 on
6 by
1 with
2 of
3 in
4 to
5 with
6 for
7 in
8 to
9 away
Word families
B
1 chronically
2 swollen
3 relieve
4 surgical
5 chesty
6 disputed
C
1 healing
2 removal
3 outsourcing
4 gambler
5 detractors
6 qualifications
D arise, detract
Word-building
E
1 negligent
2 globalised
3 literate
4 qualified
5 productive
Collocations
F
1 collapse
2 manage
3 making
4 practised
5 keep
G
1 b
2 c
3 d
4 a
5 f
6 e
H
1 rash
2 fumes
3 transplant
4 gesture
5 phenomenon
6 mortality
Word families
B
1 tension
2 validity
3 approach
4 burial
5 blessed
6 exhausting
7 vanity
8 bridal
C
1 affectionate
2 dignity
3 loyally
4 commuter
5 convictions
6 postponement
Collocations
D
1 d
2 a
3 h
4 b
5 c
6 f
7 e
8 g
E
1 threw
2 reached
3 proposed
4 sat
5 satisfy
F
1 take
2 break
3 give
4 suffer
5 cover
6 drink
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
7
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Answers
Phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs
G
G
1 off
2 across
3 to
4 out
5 up
6 back
1 out
2 up
3 forward
4 out
5 out
14 BANKS AND MONEY
Prepositions
A
1 into
2 from
3 on
4 to
5 about
6 of
Word families
B
1 authorisation
2 disobedient
3 claim
4 desperate
5 reluctant
6 withdraw
15 FOOD
Prepositions
A
1 on
2 in
3 in
4 with
5 for
6 of
7 on
B
1 from
2 about
3 with
4 for
5 by
6 in
Word families
C
C
1 overdrawn
2 dissuasion
3 suspiciously
4 authorisation
5 descent
6 greedy
1 publicity
2 unhygienic
3 sprinkling
4 disqualification
5 subtlety
6 confession
7 persistently
Collocations
D squeeze, soak, urge, stir
D
1 refuse
2 raise
3 win
4 come
5 build
6 take
E
1 budget
2 reluctantly
3 misleading
4 trial
5 precious
F
1 c
2 e
3 a
4 b
5 d
6 f
Word-building
E
1 disobedient
2 contaminated
3 melted
4 prohibited
5 appalling
6 discarded
Collocations
F
1 put
2 pass
3 denied
4 issued
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
8
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Answers
G
1 a
2 c
3 e
4 b
5 d
H
1 change
2 sample
3 wild
4 stay
16 BUSINESS
Prepositions
A
1 of
2 into
3 to
4 by
5 on
6 over
Word families
B
1 understand
2 projections
3 tolerant
4 excel
5 nomads
6 declaration
Collocations
D
1 moaning
2 merge/be merged
3 seized
4 ploughed
5 embarking
E
1 joint
2 hectic
3 annual
4 political
5 light
F
1 d
2 e
3 b
4 a
5 c
Phrasal verbs
G
1 up
2 up
3 on
4 up
5 even
6 off
Word-building
C
1 merger
2 devastation
3 reflection
4 fulfilment
5 observation
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
9
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Answers
1 ENTERTAINMENT
2 SIGHTSEEING
Prepositions
Prepositions
A
A
1 between
2 as
3 between
4 of
5 of
6 of
7 in
8 by
1 to
2 between
3 of
4 for
5 of
6 by
7 off
8 to
B
1 from
2 of
3 to
4 between
5 on
6 as
7 with
8 to
Word families
B
Word families
1 deprivation
2 attachment
3 grandeur
4 transformation
5 oversight
6 hideously
7 affluence
C
Collocations
1 uplifted
2 tense
3 ambiguously
4 confrontation
5 restore
D urge, disguise, slice
Collocations
E
1 c
2 e
3 f
4 a
5 b
6 d
F
1 gripping
2 disturbing
3 hilarious
4 willing
5 predictable
6 conventional
G
1 ordeal
2 despair
3 bankruptcy
4 obstacles
5 impression
6 temptation
7 impression
8 interpretation
C
1 c
2 b
3 d
4 e
5 a
6 g
7 f
D
1 made
2 constitutes
3 exercise
4 caught
E
1 months
2 view
3 lifestyle
4 sites
5 facilites
Phrasal verbs
F
1 to
2 off
3 up
4 down
5 up
6 in
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
1
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Answers
Patterns
Patterns
G
H
1 to promote
2 to erect
3 to attach
4 to join in
5 spinning
1 to resolve
2 retaining
3 to acquire
4 to resist
5 to replace
3 THINGS YOU NEED
4 SOCIETY
Prepositions
Prepositions
A
A
1 in
2 into
3 from
4 with
5 round
6 in
1 of
2 by
3 of
4 on
5 on
6 in
7 into
Word families
B
1 private
2 acquisition
3 admit
4 hazardous
5 command/commanded
6 traumatised
C settle, army
Collocations
D
1 pose
2 pin
3 make
4 spring
5 demand
E
1 c
2 d
3 e
4 a
5 b
F
1 emotional
2 practical
3 violent
4 hairline
5 occupational
Phrasal verbs
G
1 together
2 of
3 down
4 apart
5 up
Word families
B
1 ruling
2 donor
3 cutbacks
4 toleration
5 reflection
6 reversal
C abuse, claim, assault, conduct, boost
Collocations
D
1 victory
2 pace
3 conflict
4 crop
5 root
6 step
E
1 provoke
2 declared
3 conduct
4 award
5 launch
F
1 food
2 fashion
3 decide
4 succeed
G
1 soft
2 physical
3 economic
4 controversial
5 morally
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
2
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Answers
Phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs
H
H
1 carry out
2 come across
3 cut back on
1 round
2 on
3 out
4 with
5 up
5 SPORTS AND INTERESTS
Prepositions
A
1 about
2 of
3 in
4 from
5 in
6 about
7 into
8 for
9 on
Word families
B
1 reluctantly
2 substitute
3 self-consciously
4 power
5 flexible
6 disappointing
7 knit
C cheat, sprain, sack, tackle
Word-building
D
1 unable
2 incomplete
3 unconscious
4 uncoordinated
Collocations
E
1 d
2 a
3 c
4 b
F
1 shape
2 fixtures
3 fool
4 coordination
5 breath
G
1 get
2 make
3 regain
4 work up
5 relieve
6 ACCOMMODATION
Prepositions
A
1 about
2 with
3 out
4 on
5 in
6 in
B
1 in
2 from
3 in
4 at
5 with
6 of
Word families
C
1 transform
2 resistance
3 mud
4 sarcasm
5 filth
Word-building
D
1 integration
2 combination
3 frame
4 reservation
Collocations
E
1 highlight
2 pitch
3 have
4 make
5 return
F
1 daily
2 soaked
3 stunning
4 complete
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
3
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Answers
G
F
1 d
2 c
3 a
4 b
5 e
1 c
2 a
3 e
4 b
5 d
H
1 resistant
2 welcome
3 reservation
4 pride
Phrasal verbs
I
1 off
2 away
3 over
4 up
7 NATURE
Prepositions
A
1 as
2 into
3 on
4 from
5 in
6 of
7 in
Word families
B
1 civilisation
2 brave
3 rooted
4 inherited
5 misunderstand
6 intimidate
Patterns
G
1 to contest
2 picking
3 to pull over
4 to freeze
8 CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
Prepositions
A
1 as
2 between
3 about
4 for
5 from
6 into / to
7 in
8 on
Word families
B
1 burglar
2 disappeared
3 fraudulent
4 relieve
5 acceptable
6 harsh
Word-building
C
2, 3, 4, 6, 8
1 raiders
2 ranking
3 staging
4 coverage
5 convictions
6 rioters
Collocations
Collocations
D
D
Word-building
C
1 blossomed
2 turned
3 settled
4 left
5 dare
E
1 serious
2 starring
3 thin
4 social
5 violent
6 unsuccessful
1 glorious
2 shattered
3 genuine
4 dense
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
4
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Answers
E
1 fraud
2 enquiry
3 acceptance
4 emphasis
5 peak
6 performance
F
1 c
2 d
3 a
4 b
5 e
6 f
Phrasal verbs
G
1 broke into
2 turned off
3 came up
4 put forward
5 went off
6 get hold of
7 account for
Word-building
E
1 trainer
2 researcher
3 manager
4 beggar
5 exploiters
Collocations
F
1 get
2 hand
3 sum up
4 carry out
5 outline
6 make up
G
1 training
2 rise
3 overview
4 touch
5 row
6 spirit
9 CAREERS AND STUDYING
Phrasal verbs
Prepositions
H
A
1 with
2 of
3 in
4 on
5 of
B
1 of
2 at
3 about
4 with
5 since
Word families
C
1 drained
2 redundancy
3 stimulation
4 interference
5 promotion
6 novel
D
1 rewarding
2 manager
3 countless
4 delegated
5 interference
6 restlessly
1 up
2 on
3 up
4 for
5 up
6 in
10 SOCIALISING
Prepositions
A
1 with
2 for
3 by
4 on
5 into
6 of
7 on/to
B
1 by
2 of
3 on
4 from
5 of
6 for
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
5
Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Answers
Word families
C
1 interruptions
2 slap
3 failure
4 slap
5 casual
6 rivalry
7 treat
8 versatility
Word-building
D
1 outrageous
2 sympathetic
3 boring
4 harmless
5 affectionate
11 TRANSPORT AND TRAVEL
Prepositions
A
1 in
2 of
3 for
4 to
5 of
6 on
Word families
B
Collocations
1 bumps
2 dented
3 stiffly
4 concerning
5 remarkably
6 dreaded
E
Word-building
1 burst
2 publicised
3 polish
4 moan
5 left out
F
1 c
2 a
3 b
4 e
5 d
G
1 break
2 side
3 renewal
4 impact
5 side
6 display
7 rally
Phrasal verbs
H
1 out
2 on
3 over
4 up
5 up
6 out
7 up
C
1 imposition
2 indicator
3 leakage
4 maintenance
Collocations
D
1 flat
2 cracked
3 endless
4 fast
5 different
6 sheer
E
1 leak
2 deposit
3 myth
4 fare
5 perspective
6 blister
F
1 read
2 uncovered
3 lodge
4 developed
5 fallen
6 hired
Phrasal verbs
G
1 off
2 out
3 up
4 off
5 out
6 up
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Answers
12 HEALTH AND MEDICINE
13 LIFE-CHANGING EVENTS
Prepositions
Prepositions
A
A
1 from
2 over
3 in
4 with
5 on
6 by
1 with
2 of
3 in
4 to
5 with
6 for
7 in
8 to
9 away
Word families
B
1 chronically
2 swollen
3 relieve
4 surgical
5 chesty
6 disputed
C
1 healing
2 removal
3 outsourcing
4 gambler
5 detractors
6 qualifications
D arise, detract
Word-building
E
1 negligent
2 globalised
3 literate
4 qualified
5 productive
Collocations
F
1 collapse
2 manage
3 making
4 practised
5 keep
G
1 b
2 c
3 d
4 a
5 f
6 e
H
1 rash
2 fumes
3 transplant
4 gesture
5 phenomenon
6 mortality
Word families
B
1 tension
2 validity
3 approach
4 burial
5 blessed
6 exhausting
7 vanity
8 bridal
C
1 affectionate
2 dignity
3 loyally
4 commuter
5 convictions
6 postponement
Collocations
D
1 d
2 a
3 h
4 b
5 c
6 f
7 e
8 g
E
1 threw
2 reached
3 proposed
4 sat
5 satisfy
F
1 take
2 break
3 give
4 suffer
5 cover
6 drink
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Answers
Phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs
G
G
1 off
2 across
3 to
4 out
5 up
6 back
1 out
2 up
3 forward
4 out
5 out
14 BANKS AND MONEY
Prepositions
A
1 into
2 from
3 on
4 to
5 about
6 of
Word families
B
1 authorisation
2 disobedient
3 claim
4 desperate
5 reluctant
6 withdraw
15 FOOD
Prepositions
A
1 on
2 in
3 in
4 with
5 for
6 of
7 on
B
1 from
2 about
3 with
4 for
5 by
6 in
Word families
C
C
1 overdrawn
2 dissuasion
3 suspiciously
4 authorisation
5 descent
6 greedy
1 publicity
2 unhygienic
3 sprinkling
4 disqualification
5 subtlety
6 confession
7 persistently
Collocations
D squeeze, soak, urge, stir
D
1 refuse
2 raise
3 win
4 come
5 build
6 take
E
1 budget
2 reluctantly
3 misleading
4 trial
5 precious
F
1 c
2 e
3 a
4 b
5 d
6 f
Word-building
E
1 disobedient
2 contaminated
3 melted
4 prohibited
5 appalling
6 discarded
Collocations
F
1 put
2 pass
3 denied
4 issued
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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Outcomes Upper Intermediate Vocabulary Builder Answers
G
1 a
2 c
3 e
4 b
5 d
H
1 change
2 sample
3 wild
4 stay
16 BUSINESS
Prepositions
A
1 of
2 into
3 to
4 by
5 on
6 over
Word families
B
1 understand
2 projections
3 tolerant
4 excel
5 nomads
6 declaration
Collocations
D
1 moaning
2 merge/be merged
3 seized
4 ploughed
5 embarking
E
1 joint
2 hectic
3 annual
4 political
5 light
F
1 d
2 e
3 b
4 a
5 c
Phrasal verbs
G
1 up
2 up
3 on
4 up
5 even
6 off
Word-building
C
1 merger
2 devastation
3 reflection
4 fulfilment
5 observation
© 2016 National Geographic Learning
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