AFR II

Question 1

saturation (n)

stall (n)

Answer 1

to a very full extent.
stop or cause to stop making progress.
Debt saturation, and stalled reform, has chocked the economy.

Question 2

render (v)

Answer 2

provide or give (a service, help, etc.).

Cost of currency hedges renders the “carry trade” into US money markets unprofitable.

Question 3

blitz (n)

Answer 3

a sudden concerted effort to deal with something.
The extra twist this time is that the Fed has had to cope with Donald Trump’s late cycle blitz of fiscal stimulus and the risks abating of overheating.

Question 4

ominous (adj)

Answer 4

intimidating. having a hostile or deliberately frightening quality or manner.
More ominous was a collapse in the growth rate of real M1 money for businesses.

Question 5

retrievable (adj)

Answer 5

Capable of being regained especially with effort.
He says the institution has been “slave to its models” and made a serious error in December but at least that error was retrievable.

Question 6

Dwarf (v)

Answer 6

cause to seem small or insignificant in comparison.

Cyber attack will dwarf the hurricanes Kartrina and Michael.

Question 7

impend (v)

Answer 7

Expert have warned about the nature impending of the former (cyber attack) for decades.

Question 8

mount (v)

Answer 8

organise and initiate (a campaign or other course of action).
Other scientists have mounted (it) as two things:

Question 9

mushroom (v)

Answer 9

increase, spread rapidly.
evidence of our role in a steady shift in climate has mushroomed as we observe more frequent and extreme fires, droughts, hurricanes and tsunamis

Question 10

hasty (adj)

Answer 10

hurried. done with excessive speed or urgency.
While natural disasters are no fault of our own, they are in general being actively worsened by issues like hasty building, poor planning and failure to invest in healthcare infrastructure.

Question 11

slump (v)

Answer 11

undergo a sudden severe or prolonged fall in price, value, or amount.
Lending to households declined 2.4 per cent in January after a 3.6 per cent slump in December.

Question 12

confide (v)

Answer 12

tell someone a secret or a private matter while trusting them not to repeat it to others. reveal. disclose.

“He is running around talking about criminal charges and putting bankers in jail.” a senior banker confides.

Question 13

bust (v) [informal]

Answer 13

break, spilt or burst.
Though the economy has not experienced a true financial stress test in the last decade beyond the busting the mining boom in Western Australia.

Question 14

stem from (v)

Less so (adjective)

Answer 14

originate in or be caused by.

Indicates a lesser degree of the quality in question

On the other hand, Lowe argues the main reason for a slowdown in credit growth stems from weaker demand from borrowers because of falling house prices, less so a credit squeeze from lenders.

Question 15

Breathe down someone’s neck (v) [idiomatic]

Answer 15

To follow or supervise someone too closely.

With ASIC breathing down the neck of bankers, that may prove wishful thinking

Question 16

prudent (adj)

Answer 16

acting with or showing care and thought for the future. well-judged.

We want lenders who are both prudent and who are prepared to take risk.

Question 17

Cling (v)

Answer 17

Hold on tightly to. Grip

RBA clings to hopes of wage growth.

Question 18

Cast doubt (v)

Answer 18

Cause something or someone to be questioned.
It (GDP Growth) showed just 0.2 per cent growth, pulling down the annual rate to 2.3 per cent, below market expectations, and casting doubt on the RBA’s 3 per cent growth forecast.

Question 19

accentuate (v)

Answer 19

Make more noticeable or prominent. Highlight.

the economic growth figures released after the minutes would have “further accentuate the tension.”

Question 20

to call for (v)

Answer 20

to demand that something happens.

Mr Evans, who was the first of the big four’s top forecasters to call for the RBA to cut interest rates,

Question 21

Wrap up (v)
Predecessor (n)

Answer 21

Summarise.
A person who held a job or office before the current holder. Forerunner. Precursor.

He wrapped up an exhaustive investigation within two years of being asked to do so – easily beating his predecessors.

Question 22

Moreover (adverb)

Answer 22

Besides.

Moreover, he stuck to his brief.

Question 23

Expedition (n)

Answer 23

An exploration, journey, or voyage undertaken by a group of people especially for discovery and scientific research.
Unlike his predecessor, Mueller avoiding fishing expeditions.

Question 24

Embody (v)

Sorely (adv)

Answer 24

Include or contain (something) as a constituent part.
To a very high degree or level of intensity.

By any measure he embodied integrity and diligence in a town sorely deficient in both.

Question 25

Accused sb of (v)
Presumably (adv)
Laud sb (v)
Impartiality (n)

Answer 25

Blame for. Indict for.
Used to say what you think is the likely situation.
Praise them extravagantly.
Equal treatment of all rivals or disputants.
Donald Trump repeatedly accused him of conducting a corrupt “witch hunt” for partisan motives. Trump will presumably switch to lauding Mueller for his impartiality.

Question 26

Confer on sb (v)

Answer 26

Grant (a title, degree, benefit, or right).

By the same token, an outsized role was conferred on Vladimir Putin as the evil genius who robbed Hilary Clinton of the presidency.

Question 27

Dollop

Answer 27

An indefinite often large quantity especially of something

There were large dollops of evidence supporting both views.

Question 28

Interfered

Answer 28

Intervene in.

Mueller proved the Russian’s interfered in 2016 election

Question 29

Oblige

Answer 29

To please or help someone, especially by doing something they have asked you to do.

Trump publicly requested Russia’s help and Russia obliged

Question 30

Saddle (v)

Answer 30

To put a saddle on a horse.

Yet Democrats are now saddle with two big problems.

Question 31

curb (v)

Answer 31

to control or limit something that is not wanted.

The government should act to curb tax evasion.

Question 32

apprentice (v)

Answer 32

Learner. Beginner

Most of the work was done by apprentices.

Question 33

culminate (v)

Answer 33

If an event or series of events culminates in something, it ends with it, having developed until it reaches this point.

My arguments with the boss got better and better, and finally culminated in my promotion.

Question 34

augment (v)

Answer 34

to increase the size or value of something by adding something to it.

He would have to find work to augment his income.

Question 35

rebate (n)

Answer 35

​an amount of money that is returned to you, especially by the government, for example when you have paid too much tax.

a tax rebate

Question 36

eschew (v)

Answer 36

to avoid something intentionally, or to give something up.

Syn:Shun

We won’t have discussions with this group unless they eschew violence.

Question 37

downbeat (adj)

Answer 37

quiet and without much excitement.

I thought he’d be really excited, but he seemed kind of downbeat.

Question 38

compelled (adj)

Answer 38

having to do something, because you are forced to or feel it is necessary.

He felt compelled to report the incident.

Question 39

be lost for words

Answer 39

to be so shocked, surprised, full of admiration, etc. that you cannot speak.

Mary was lost for words when she was awarded the prize.

Question 40

momentarily (adv)

Answer 40

for a very short time:

She was momentarily confused by the foreign road signs.

Question 41

Attribute (n)

Answer 41

a quality or characteristic that someone or something has:

Organisational ability is an essential attribute for a good manager.

Question 42

Squabble (n)

Answer 42

an argument over something that is not important:

Polly and Susie were having a squabble about who was going to hold the dog’s lead.

Question 43

bear our (v)

Answer 43

to support the truth of something:

His version of events just isn’t borne out by the facts.