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Question 1

draw (move)

Answer 1

1) When a vehicle draws somewhere, it moves there smoothly and steadily:

● Claire had seen the taxi drawing away.
● She arrived on the platform just as the train was drawing in.
● The train slowly drew into the station.

2) If you draw somewhere, you move there slowly:

● She drew away and did not smile.

3) If you draw something or someone in a particular direction, you move them in that direction, usually by pulling them gently:

● He drew his chair nearer the fire.
● The crowd watched as the referee drew the player aside and spoke to him.
● Wilson drew me aside after an interview.

Question 2

advance

Answer 2

1) To advance means to make progress, especially in your knowledge of something:

● The fire advanced steadily through the forest.
● We have advanced greatly in our knowledge of the universe.
● He’s just trying to advance (= improve) his own career.
● The troops advanced on the city (= approached it, ready to attack).

2) If you advance someone a sum of money, you lend it to them, or pay it to them earlier than arranged:

● I advanced him some money, which he would repay on our way home.
● Could you advance me £500 until Tuesday?

3) To advance an event, or the time or date of an event, means to bring it forward to an earlier time or date:

● Too much protein in the diet may advance the ageing process.
● The country’s election commission has advanced the date of the election by three days.

Question 3

sneer

Answer 3

1) to talk about or look at someone or something in an unkind way that shows you do not respect or approve of him, her, or it:

● You may sneer, but a lot of people like this kind of music.
● Although some may sneer, working as a secretary can be a route to career success.
● She’ll probably sneer at my new shoes because they’re not expensive.

2) an unkind expression on your face that shows you do not respect or approve of someone or something:

● “How much did you say you earned last year?” she said with a sneer.
● Canete’s mouth twisted in a contemptuous sneer.

Question 4

hold out

Answer 4

1) If you hold out your hand or something you have in your hand, you move your hand away from your body, for example to shake hands with someone or offer something:

● ‘I’m Nancy Drew,’ she said, holding out her hand.
● Max held out his cup for a refill.
● Rosie held out an apple for the horse.
● She held the letter out for me to read.

2) If you hold out for something, you refuse to accept something which you do not think is good enough or large enough, and you continue to demand more:

● I should have held out for a better deal.
● He can only hold out a few more weeks.

3) If you hold out, you manage to resist an enemy or opponent in difficult circumstances and refuse to give in:

● They won’t be able to hold out much longer under this sort of bombardment.
● One prisoner was still holding out on the roof of the jail.

Question 5

tremble

Answer 5

1) If you tremble, you shake slightly because you are frightened or cold:

● I was trembling with fear, panicking that I had not made the right decision.
● His voice started to tremble, and I thought he was going to cry.
● His mouth became dry, his eyes widened, and he began to tremble all over.
● (a noun) There was a slight tremble in her voice as she recalled her husband.
● The first symptom of the illness was a tremble in his right hand.

2) If something trembles, it shakes slightly:

● He felt the earth tremble under him.
● The leaves trembled in the trees.

Question 6

abrupt

Answer 6

1) An abrupt change or action is very sudden, often in a way which is unpleasant:

● Rosie’s idyllic world came to an abrupt end when her parents’ marriage broke up.
● The recession brought an abrupt halt to this happiness.
● Our conversation came to an abrupt end when George burst into the room.
● The car juddered and came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the road.
● The road ended in an abrupt (= sudden and very steep) slope down to the sea.
● The party came to rather an abrupt ending when Tom’s parents came home.

2) using too few words when talking, in a way that seems rude and unfriendly:

● He is sometimes very abrupt with clients.
● His abrupt manner makes me uncomfortable.

Question 7

abruptly

/əˈbrʌpt.li/

Answer 7

1) in a sudden, unexpected and sometimes unpleasant way:

● The call ended abruptly.
● The talks ended abruptly when one of the delegations walked out in protest.
● The age of the dinosaurs ended abruptly about 65 million years ago.

2) in a way that seems rude and unfriendly, especially by using very few words when talking:

● “I don’t care what you think,” Audrey said abruptly.
● He spoke more abruptly than he intended.
● “Why is this house so cold?” he asked abruptly.

Question 8

bareheaded

Answer 8

without any covering on your head:

● Some of the men wore hats, and some were bareheaded.
● One of the police officers was bareheaded, though in uniform.

Question 9

blunt

Answer 9

1) A blunt pencil, knife, etc. is not sharp and therefore not able to write, cut, etc. well:

● He pulled the axe quite out, swung it with both arms and brought the blunt side down on her head. (from Dostoevski - Crime And Punishment)
● One of them had been struck 13 times over the head with a blunt object.

2) If you are blunt, you say exactly what you think without trying to be polite:

● I’ll be blunt - that last piece of work you did was terrible.
● She told the industry in blunt terms that such discrimination is totally unacceptable.

3) A blunt is a large cigarette or cigar containing the drug cannabis:

● Smoking blunts is becoming a common practice with teenagers.
● Officers observed two partially smoked marijuana blunts in the room.

Question 10

streak

/striːk/

Answer 10

1) A streak is a long stripe or mark on a surface which contrasts with the surface because it is a different colour:

● There are these dark streaks on the surface of the moon.
● The window cleaner left dirty streaks on the windows.
● I dye my hair to hide my grey streaks.

2) If something streaks a surface, it makes long stripes or marks on the surface:

● Rain had begun to streak the window-panes.
● Her cheeks were streaked with sweat and dirt.

3) If something or someone streaks somewhere, they move there very quickly:

● The meteorite streaked across the sky.
● The motorbike streaked off down the street.

4) an often unpleasant characteristic that is very different from other characteristics:

● Her stubborn streak makes her very difficult to work with sometimes.
● You need to have a competitive streak when you’re working in marketing.

Question 11

faintly

Answer 11

slightly or not strongly:

● She seemed faintly embarrassed to see us there.
● A light flickered faintly in the distance.
● The hospital room smelled faintly of disinfectant.

Question 12

faint

/feɪnt/

Answer 12

1) not strong or clear; slight:

● The lamp gave out a faint glow.
● She gave me a faint smile of recognition.
● There’s not the faintest hope of ever finding him.
● She bears a faint resemblance to my sister.
● The room held the faint, sweet odour of pipe tobacco.
● A faint smile crossed the Monsignor’s face and faded quickly.

2) to suddenly become unconscious for a short time, usually falling down:

● He faints at the sight of blood.
● His face went pale and he looked as if he might faint.
● She suddenly fell forward on to the table and fainted.
● (as a noun) On receiving the news, she fell into a dead faint.
● (as an adjective) Other signs of angina are nausea, sweating, feeling faint and shortness of breath.

Question 13

heap

Answer 13

a messy pile of things:

● A heap of dirty laundry lay at the foot of his bed.
● Put the vegetable peelings on the compost heap.
● The bullet hit him and he crumpled into a heap on the floor.

Heap is also a verb which means to put things into a large, untidy pile:

● He heaped more food onto his plate.

Question 14

rub

Answer 14

to press or be pressed against something with a circular or up-and-down repeated movement:

● She yawned and rubbed her eyes sleepily.
● She rubbed sun lotion over her entire body.
● We rubbed some polish into the surface of the wood.
● ‘I fell in a ditch,’ he said, rubbing at a scrape on his hand.
● She gently rubbed the ointment in.
● The chair legs have rubbed holes in the carpet.
● My new shoes are rubbing against my toe and now I’ve got blisters.
● These marks will never rub off (= be cleaned off).
● The shoe had rubbed a raw place on her heel.
● A cat was rubbing against my leg.

Question 15

stranded

Answer 15

unable to leave somewhere because of a problem such as not having any transport or money:

● He left me stranded in town with no car and no money for a bus.
● Another plane was sent to Manchester to fly the stranded passengers to London.
● National Guard troops in Texas rescued more than 120 stranded motorists yesterday.
● If the tide comes in, we’ll be stranded on these rocks.

Question 16

to beach or to be beached

Answer 16

If something such as a boat beaches, or if it is beached, it is pulled or forced out of the water and onto land:

● We beached the canoe, running it right up the bank.
● Experts are unable to explain why the whales beached themselves.

Question 17

tempt

Answer 17

to make someone want to have or do something, especially something that is unnecessary or wrong:

● The offer of free credit tempted her into buying a new car.
● They tempted him to join the company by offering him a huge salary and a company car.
● I’m trying to diet – don’t tempt me with that cake!
● The bank will offer a current account and try to tempt customers into switching.

Question 18

batter

/ˈbæt̬.ɚ/

Answer 18

1) to hit something with force many times:

● The burglars had battered down the door of the house (= hit it so hard that it broke and fell down).
● He was battered to death with a rifle butt.
● Her battered body was discovered in a field.
● The country has been battered by winds of between fifty and seventy miles an hour.

2) Batter is a mixture of flour, eggs, and milk that is used in cooking:

● Chefs over the world include tempura dishes on their menus, using a wide variety of different batters and ingredients.
● I find that fish fried in batter is lighter and crispier.

Question 19

tug

/tʌɡ/

Answer 19

1) If you tug something or tug at it, you give it a quick and usually strong pull:

● She kicked him, tugging his thick hair.
● Never tug a plant by the stem to loosen it from the pot.

2) A tug or a tug boat is a small powerful boat which pulls large ships, usually when they come into a port.

Question 20

gentle

Answer 20

calm, kind, or soft:

● a gentle smile
● He’s very gentle with his kids.
● She had been advised that gentle exercise would help her recovery.
● A gentle breeze was blowing through the open windows.
● The path has a gentle slope/gradient. (not steep or sudden)

Question 21

yawn

/jɑːn/

Answer 21

1) to open the mouth wide and take a lot of air into the lungs and slowly send it out, usually when tired or bored:

● I can’t stop yawning - I must be tired.
● (as a noun) Rosanna stifled a huge yawn.
● She yawned, and stretched lazily.

2) If you describe something such as a book or a film as a yawn, you think it is very boring:

● The concert was a predictable yawn.

Question 22

void

/vɔɪd/

Answer 22

1) a large hole or empty space:

● She stood at the edge of the chasm and stared into the void.
● Before Einstein, space was regarded as a formless void.

2) a feeling of unhappiness because someone or something is missing:

● His death has left a void in the cricketing world which can never be filled.
● an aching void of loneliness

Question 23

soak

/soʊk/

Answer 23

1) to make something very wet, or (of liquid) to be absorbed in large amounts:

● The wind had blown the rain in and soaked the carpet.
● You’d better wipe up that red wine you’ve spilled before it soaks (= is absorbed) into the carpet.
● Blood had soaked through both bandages.

2) to leave something in liquid, especially in order to clean it, make it softer, or change its flavour:

● Soak the beans for 2 hours.
● He turned off the water and left the dishes to soak.

3) a period of time during which something is in liquid:

● Most dried beans need a soak before they’re cooked.

Question 24

fling

/flɪŋ/

Answer 24

1) to throw something or someone suddenly and with a lot of force:

● He crumpled up the letter and flung it into the fire.
● The woman flung the cup at him.

2) If you fling yourself somewhere, you move or jump there suddenly and with a lot of force:

● Ken flung himself down on the sofa.

3) If you fling a part of your body in a particular direction, especially your arms or head, you move it there suddenly:

● She flung her arms around my neck and kissed me.

Question 25

seize

/siːz/

Answer 25

1) to take something quickly and keep or hold it:

● I seized his arm and made him turn to look at me.

to take using sudden force:

● The rebels have seized ten soldiers to use as hostages.
● Political instability helped the army to seize power.
● Troops yesterday seized control of the broadcasting station.

2) If the police or other officials seize someone’s property, they take possession of it with legal authority:

● Federal agents seized two computers.
● Heroin worth about $5 million was seized.

3) If a strong emotion or pain seizes you, you feel it suddenly:

● I was suddenly seized by a feeling of great insecurity and loneliness.

Question 26

snatch

/snætʃ/

Answer 26

1) to take hold of something suddenly and roughly:

● He snatched the photos out of my hand before I had a chance to look at them.
● He snatched up the phone.
● The thin wind snatched at her skirt.

2) to take something or someone away by force:

● The six-year-old girl was snatched from a playground and her body was found two days later.
● She had her purse snatched (= stolen) while she was shopping.

3) If you snatch something to eat or a rest, you have it quickly in between doing other things:

● He was going out for a run, then snatching a piece of toast and a cup of coffee.

4) If you snatch victory in a competition, you defeat your opponent by a small amount or just before the end of the contest:

● He snatched the gold by 0.15 of a second.

Question 27

notch

/nɑːtʃ/

Answer 27

a V-shaped cut in a hard surface:

● The stick has two notches, one at each end.
● They cut notches in the handle of their pistol for each man they shot.

Question 28

moan

/moʊn/

Answer 28

1) If you moan, you make a low sound, usually because you are unhappy or in pain:

● ‘My head, my head,’ he moaned. ‘I can’t see.’
● He moaned with pain before losing consciousness.
● “Let me die,” he moaned.

A moan is a long, low sound of pain, suffering, or another strong emotion:

● We could hear the moans of someone trapped under the rubble.
● moans of ecstasy/agony

2) To moan means to complain or speak in a way which shows that you are very unhappy:

● Thelma’s always moaning (about something), and forgets how lucky she actually is.
● The gardener was moaning that he had another garden to do later that morning.
● I used to moan if I didn’t get at least six hours’ sleep at night.
● They moan on a lot about money.
● After a lot of moaning and groaning, they eventually started work.

A moan = a complaint:

● They have been listening to people’s gripes, moans and praise.
● Apart from a slight moan about the waiter, he seemed to enjoy the meal.
● She was having a moan about her husband.

Question 29

squat

Answer 29

1) If you squat, you lower yourself towards the ground, balancing on your feet with your legs bent:

● We squatted beside the pool and watched the diver sink slowly down.
● She squatted on the ground and warmed her hands by the fire.
● He squatted down and examined the front wheel of his bike.
● She had squatted down on her heels.

A squat is a squatting position:

● He bent to a squat and gathered the puppies on his lap.

2) If you describe someone or something as squat, you mean they are short and thick, usually in an unattractive way:

● a row of ugly, squat houses
● a heavily built, squat man

3) People who squat occupy an unused building or unused land without having a legal right to do so:

● They squatted (in) an old house in King’s Cross when their money ran out.

A squat is an empty building that people are living in illegally, without paying any rent or any property tax.

Question 30

bundle

/ˈbʌn.dəl/

Answer 30

1) A bundle of things is a number of them that are tied together or wrapped in a cloth or bag so that they can be carried or stored:

● He gathered the bundles of clothing into his arms.
● I have about 20 year’s magazines tied up in bundles.
● How much asparagus shall I buy - a couple of bundles?

2) If you refer to a bundle of things, you are emphasizing that there is a wide range of them:

● The profession offers a bundle of benefits, not least of which is extensive training.

3) (informal) A bundle is also a large amount of money:

● When they sold their house, they made a bundle.

4) If you bundle someone or something you push or put them somewhere quickly and roughly:

● She was bundled into the back of the car.
● He bundled his clothes into the washing machine.

Question 31

gaze

/ɡeɪz/

Answer 31

1) If you gaze at someone or something, you look steadily at them for a long time, for example because you find them attractive or interesting, or because you are thinking about something else:

● She stood gazing at herself in the mirror.
● Sitting in his wicker chair, he gazed reflectively at the fire.
● Annette gazed admiringly at Warren as he spoke.

2) A gaze is a long look:

● She looked at him with a steady gaze.
● She was aware of his admiring gaze as he looked across at her.
● Her gaze fell upon a small box at the back of the shop.

3) the fact of looking at or considering someone or something in a particular way, or from a particular point of view:

● She is applying the rules of medical science to therapies that have too often escaped its critical gaze.
● In this latest light-hearted book, he turns his satirical gaze on history.

Question 32

quiver

/ˈkwɪv.ɚ/

Answer 32

1) If something quivers, it shakes with very small movements:

● Seeing him run out of the bedroom, she began faintly quivering all over, like a leaf.
● Lennie’s bottom lip quivered and tears started in his eyes.

2) If you say that someone or their voice is quivering with an emotion such as rage or excitement, you mean that they are strongly affected by this emotion and show it in their appearance or voice:

● Mack made his voice quiver with fear on these last two words.
● (as a noun) I felt a quiver of panic.

Question 33

obstacle

/ˈɑːb.stə.kəl/

Answer 33

An obstacle is an object that makes it difficult for you to go where you want to go, because it is in your way:

● Most competition cars will only roll over if they hit an obstacle.
● The biggest obstacle in our way was a tree trunk in the road.

You can refer to anything that makes it difficult for you to do something as an obstacle:

● Overcrowding remains a large obstacle to improving conditions.
● To succeed, you must learn to overcome obstacles.
● This decision has removed the last obstacle to the hostages’ release.

Question 34

glance

Answer 34

to give a quick short look:

● He glanced at his watch.
● He glanced up from his book as I passed.
● Could you glance over this letter and see if it’s alright?
● I only had to time to glance through the newspaper headlines.
● Kate glanced round the court hoping that nobody would recognize her.
● She glanced round the room to see who was there.

A glance is a quick look at someone or something:

● I just took a quick glance at the company’s website.
● She cast a glance at the kitchen clock.
● Annette was getting lots of admiring glances in her new red dress.

2) to shine, reflect light, or sparkle:

● The sunlight glanced on the lake.

Question 35

outskirts

Answer 35

The outskirts of a city or town are the parts of it that are farthest away from its centre:

● Hours later we reached the outskirts of New York.

Question 36

bethink yourself

Answer 36

to think of something:

● She bethought herself of her promise.
● I bethought myself to open the window.

Question 37

damp

/dæmp/

Answer 37

Something that is damp is slightly wet, especially in a way that is unpleasant or not comfortable:

● The room was damp and smelly so we opened all the windows and gave it a good airing.
● This shirt still feels a bit damp.
● The house was dusty, damp and unwelcoming.

Damp is moisture that is found on the inside walls of a house or in the air, usually with harmful or unpleasant effects:

● There was damp everywhere and the entire building was in need of rewiring.
● In the basement was some old machinery, rusting in the damp.
● The damp was making my hair curl.

Question 38

dim

/dɪm/

Answer 38

1) Dim light is not bright:

● Below decks, the lights were dim.
The lamp gave out a dim light.

2) A dim figure or object is not very easy to see, either because it is in shadow or darkness, or because it is far away:

● We could se a dim (=not easily seen) shape in the fog.

3) If you have a dim memory or understanding of something, it is difficult to remember or is unclear in your mind:

● I had a dim recollection of having met her before.
● I had only a dim memory of a tall, slender man.

4) If the future of something is dim, you have no reason to feel hopeful or positive about it:

● The prospects for a peaceful solution are dim.

5) If you describe someone as dim, you think that they are stupid.

6) If you dim a light or if it dims, it becomes less bright.

7) If you are driving a car and dim the headlights, you operate a switch that makes them shine downwards, so that they do not shine directly into the eyes of other drivers.

8) If your eyes dim or are dimmed by something, they become weaker or unable to see clearly.

Question 39

stain

Answer 39

1) A stain is a dirty mark on something that is difficult to remove.

● Remove stains by soaking in a mild solution of bleach.

2) If something stains, it leaves a mark on something that is difficult to remove:

● Tomato sauce stains terribly - it’s really difficult to get it out of clothes.
● While she was changing the wheel on her car, her coat had become stained with oil.
● Red wine stains.

If a material stains, it absorbs substances easily, causing it to become covered with marks, or coloured by a chemical.

3) If something or someone stains somebody, they permanently spoil something such as someone’s reputation:

● Several important politicians have had their reputations stained by this scandal.
● The country’s history is stained with the blood of (= the country is guilty of killing) millions of innocent men and women.
● (as a noun) His solicitor said, “He leaves this court without a stain on his character.”

Question 40

thoroughly

/ˈθɝː.ə.li/
/ˈθɝː.oʊ.li/

Answer 40

completely, very much:

● I thoroughly enjoyed the performance.
● All the other teachers are thoroughly disillusioned with their colleague.
● I thoroughly approve of what the government is doing.
● She ought to be thoroughly ashamed of herself - talking to her mother like that!

in a detailed and careful way:

● We went through the report thoroughly but couldn’t find the information anywhere.
● The drug was thoroughly tested before being put on the market.

Question 41

traverse

/trəˈvɝːs/

Answer 41

to move or travel through an area:

• It’s not a large town, but it’s just not built to be traversed by bike or on foot.
• Stanley traversed the continent from west to east.
• I traversed the narrow pedestrian bridge.

Question 42

await

/əˈweɪt/

Answer 42

If you await someone or something, you wait for them:

● He’s awaiting trial, which is expected to begin early next year.
● He’s anxiously awaiting his test results.
● A marvellous reception awaited me on my first day at work.

Something that awaits you is going to happen or come to you in the future:

● He rushed into the entry, but here a shock of terror awaited him such as he had never known before. (from F. Dostoevsky - Crime and Punishment)
● A nasty surprise awaited them in Rosemary Lane.
● There are no jobs awaiting those farmers.

Question 43

shrill

/ʃrɪl/

Answer 43

1) A shrill sound is high-pitched and unpleasant:

● Shrill cries and startled oaths flew up around us as pandemonium broke out.
● a shrill voice
● (as a verb) ‘No, no, no,’ she shrilled.

2) If a bell or whistle shrills, it makes a loud, high-pitched sound:

● The phone shrilled, making her jump.

3) If you describe a demand, protest, or statement as shrill, you disapprove of it and do not like the strong, forceful way it is said:

● He launched a shrill attack on the prime minister.

Question 44

shrilly

/ˈʃrɪl.li/

Answer 44

1) in a way that is loud, high, and unpleasant or painful to listen to:

● The maid jumped and began to scream shrilly.
● Inside a child’s bedroom a smoke alarm beeps shrilly.
● His daughter’s voice came shrilly from the house.

2) in a way that is too forceful in its arguments or criticism:

● The media shrilly warn of impending chaos and anarchy.
● These incidents were shrilly denounced in the news pages.

Question 45

clog

/klɑːɡ/

Answer 45

to (cause something to) become blocked or filled so that movement or activity is difficult:

• The roads are clogged with holiday traffic.
• Eating too much fat causes your arteries to clog up.
• Leaves are clogging up the drain.

Question 46

unscented

/ʌnˈsen.t̬ɪd/

Answer 46

having no smell:

• Unscented soaps can be used to wash babies.
• Two drops of unscented 5% bleach can be added per liter or quart of clear water, then allowed to stand covered for 30 to 60 minutes.
• The flowers are orange, spotted black, and unscented.

Question 47

harsh

/hɑːrʃ/

Answer 47

1) Harsh climates or conditions are very difficult for people, animals, and plants to live in:

• The weather grew harsh, chilly and unpredictable.
• In a harsh economic climate, raises for teachers have become a lightning rod for criticism.
• The prison sentence seemed rather harsh, considering the triviality of the offence.

2) Harsh actions or speech are unkind and show no understanding or sympathy:

• He said many harsh and unkind things about his opponents.

3) Something that is harsh is so hard, bright, or rough that it seems unpleasant or harmful:

• harsh chemicals/lighting

Question 48

marble

Answer 48

Marble is a type of very hard rock which feels cold when you touch it and which shines when it is cut and polished. Statues and parts of buildings are sometimes made of marble.

(мрамор)

Question 49

puddle

/ˈpʌd.əl/

Answer 49

a small pool of liquid on the ground, formed by filling up the holes in uneven surfaces, especially from rain:

● You have to step around the puddles in the street after a rain shower.

Question 50

pierce

/pɪrs/

Answer 50

1) If a sharp object pierces something, or if you pierce something with a sharp object, the object goes into it and makes a hole in it:

● The needle pierces the fabric four times a second.
● I couldn’t wear these earrings because my ears aren’t pierced.
● The gun fires a shell capable of piercing the armour of an enemy tank.
● Pierce the skin of the potato with a fork.

2) If a thought, feeling, or sound pierces someone’s heart, it makes them experience a feeling, especially sadness, very strongly:

● This sound, like all music, pierced my heart like a dagger.

3) If a light or sound pierces something or pierces through it, it is suddenly seen or heard very clearly:

● A few rays of sunlight pierced the smoke.
● A spotlight pierced the darkness.
● Then he spoke, in a voice that pierced the thick air.
● The clock striking the hour pierced through his thoughts.