1. Reading C1 Flashcards
claw
/klɔː/
1. One of the sharp curved nails at the end of each of the toes of some animals and birds:
Our cat likes to sharpen her claws on the legs of the dining table.
2. One of the two pointed parts, used for holding things, at the end of the legs of some insects and sea creatures:
Keep your fingers away from the crab’s claws when you pick it up.
staple
/ˈsteɪ.pəl/
- A short, thin piece of wire used to fasten sheets of paper together. It has sharp ends that are pushed through the paper and then bent flat by a special device.
- Basic or main; standard or regular:
The staple diet here is mutton, fish and boiled potatoes.
Prices of staple foods such as wheat and vegetables have also been increasing.
Her latest film is the staple offering of action and comedy that we have come to expect.
swoop
/swuːp/
1. To move very quickly and easily through the air, especially down from a high position in order to attack:
The eagle swooped down to snatch a young rabbit.
2. Informal to make a sudden attack on a place or group of people in order to surround and catch them:
Undercover police swooped on three houses in the city at 5.00 this morning.
stage-manage
/ˈsteɪdʒˌmæn.ɪdʒ/
To arrange and control an event carefully in order to achieve the result you want:
Many people have become cynical about the stage-managed debates between politicians which regularly appear on television.
niche
/niːʃ/
1. A job or position that is very suitable for someone, especially one that they like:
He has carved/made a niche for himself as a financial advisor.
2. An area or position that is exactly suitable for a small group of the same type:
an ecological niche
scorn
/skɔːn/
- A very strong feeling of no respect for someone or something that you think is stupid or has no value:
She has nothing but scorn for the new generation of politicians.
Why do you always pour/heap scorn on (= criticize severely and unfairly) my suggestions?
outrage
/ˈaʊt.reɪdʒ/
1. A feeling of anger and shock:
These murders have provoked outrage across the country.
Many politicians and members of the public expressed outrage at the verdict.
2. A shocking, morally unacceptable, and usually violent action:
The bomb, which killed 15 people, was the worst of a series of terrorist outrages.
shack
/ʃæk/
- A very simple and small building made from pieces of wood, metal, or other materials
Synonym: hut
(choza)
over-shadow
/ˌəʊ.vəˈʃæd.əʊ/
1. To cause someone or something to seem less important or less happy:
Karen has always felt overshadowed by her famous elder sister.
My happiness was overshadowed by the bad news.
2. (of a building) to be much taller than another building and therefore block the sun from it:
Grand Central Station in New York is overshadowed by the PanAm building.
