2. Reading C1 Flashcards
nostril
/ˈnɒs.trəl/
Either of the two openings in the nose through which air moves when you breathe:
The horses came to a halt, steam streaming from their nostrils.
lop-sided
/ˌlɒpˈsaɪd.ɪd/
With one side bigger, higher, etc. than the other; not equally balanced:
a charming, lopsided grin
to entail
/ɪnˈteɪl/
To make something necessary, or to involve something:
Such a large investment inevitably entails some risk.
flaw
/flɔː/
A fault, mistake, or weakness, especially one that happens while something is being planned or made, or that causes something not to be perfect:
I returned the material because it had a flaw in it.
There’s a fatal flaw in your reasoning.
This report is full of flaws.
frown
/fraʊn/
To bring your eyebrows together so that there are lines on your face above your eyes to show that you are annoyed or worried:
She frowned at me, clearly annoyed.
He frowned as he read the instructions, as if puzzled.
deceive
/dɪˈsiːv/
To persuade someone that something false is the truth, or to keep the truth hidden from someone for your own advantage:
The company deceived customers by selling old computers as new ones.
The sound of the door closing deceived me into thinking they had gone out.
Synonym: trick
feasible
/ˈfiː.zə.bəl/
1. Able to be made, done, or achieved:
With the extra resources, the project now seems feasible.
It may be feasible to clone human beings, but is it ethical?
con
/kɒn/
To make someone believe something false, usually so that that person will give you their money or possessions:
She felt she had been conned into buying the car.
Thieves conned him out of his life savings.
He managed to con £20 out of them (= get that amount from them by deceiving them).
hoodwink
/ˈhʊd.wɪŋk/
To deceive or trick someone:
He hoodwinked us into agreeing.
drape
/dreɪp/
1. -drape sth across, on, over, etc. sth
To put something such as cloth or a piece of clothing loosely over something:
He draped his jacket over the back of the chair and sat down to eat.
She draped the scarf loosely around her shoulders.
- -be draped in/with sth
To be loosely covered with a cloth:
The coffins were all draped with the national flag.
wig
/wɪɡ/
A covering of artificial hair worn on the head to hide a loss of hair or to cover your own hair:
She was wearing a blonde wig.
In Britain, judges wear white wigs in court.
futile
/ˈfjuː.taɪl/
Having no effect or achieving nothing:
Attempts to get supplies to the region are futile because troops will not allow the aid convoy to enter the city.
It’s completely futile trying to reason with him - he just won’t listen.
All my attempts to cheer her up proved futile.
tip-off
/ˈtɪp.ɒf/
A secret warning or piece of secret information:
Acting on a tip-off, the police arrested the drug dealers.
Following a tip-off from a friend, we sold all our shares in the company.
back-up
/bæk/
If traffic backs up, the vehicles have to wait in a long line because there are too many of them:
The traffic is starting to back up on the M25.
hooked
/hʊkt/
1. (informal) enjoying something so much that you are unable to stop having it, watching it, doing it, etc.:
I was hooked after two episodes.
2. (informal) unable to stop taking a drug:
to be hooked on cocaine
