Brainscape Bot Deck 15

Question 1

noun

a small, brown bird that is known for its beautiful singing

The kids hid their teacher’s bike for a ____.
I don’t really think I’m suited to this marriage ____.
I’ve had enough of this commuting ____.
He started hang-gliding years ago as a ____.

Answer 1

lark

Question 2

adjective

interesting and exciting, especially because of being mysterious:

More _______ details of their private life were revealed.
a _______ mixture of spices
a _______ sauce

Answer 2

piquant

Question 3

verb

to sell something, especially a business or a part of a business:

The company is ______ing its less profitable business operations.
She has ______ed herself of (= sold) some of her share-holdings.
He had encouraged the state to ______ such holdings.
The company has ______ed itself of some of its money-losing operations.
The company will be ______ing some assets that no longer fit its profile.
We have made a decision to ______ from the hotel and casinos business to focus more on drinks sales.

sell: Are you selling your car?
retail: The company makes and retails moderately priced sportswear.
deal in: They mainly deal in rare books.
______: US The investors ______ed themselves of the company’s stock.
sell off: The company is selling off the less profitable parts of its business.

Answer 3

divest

Question 4

adverb

in a way that is wary (= not completely trusting or certain):

She eyed the dog ______, afraid it might jump.
It is quite wrong that he should have to tread ______ while others speak their minds.

Answer 4

warily

Question 5

verb

to begin a discussion of something difficult:

At some point we’ve got to discuss money but I don’t know how to ______ the subject with him.
Shall we ______ another cask of wine?
He hopes they will sponsor the poetry event, but he hasn’t ______ed the subject with them yet.

Answer 5

broach

Question 6

adjective

connected with marriage or the relationship between two married people, especially their sexual relationship:

________ happiness
Some prisoners who want to start a family are to be permitted ________ visits.
Prisoners are allowed ________ visits.

Answer 6

conjugal

Question 7

noun

something that encourages a particular activity or makes that activity more energetic or effective:

The recent publicity surrounding homelessness has given (a) fresh _______ to the cause.
Often the _______ for change in education has had to come from outside the school establishment.

Answer 7

impetus

Question 8

adjective

continuing without any possibility of being stopped:

the __________ progress of science
Aging is an __________ process.

Answer 8

inexorable

Question 9

adjective

worried:

He didn’t seem unduly/overly _________ by the news.
Ms. McCurdy was too _________ to pay attention.

worried: I’m worried that he’s not going to graduate.
concerned: Aren’t you concerned that she might tell someone?
_________: He didn’t seem unduly _________ by the news.
fretful: She got a fretful night’s sleep after the dreadful news.
anxious: All this waiting is making me anxious.
apprehensive: He’s a bit apprehensive about leaving home.

Answer 9

perturbed

Question 10

noun

an area of land that is not used for growing crops, where grass and other small plants grow, but where there are few trees or bushes

Answer 10

heath

Question 11

noun

a long, thin piece of material, especially leather, that helps you to control and direct a horse:

You pull on both ____s to stop or slow a horse, but only the left ____ to turn left.
I always put my son on ____s when we go shopping.
These are the councillors who hold the ____s of power.
He handed the ____s to his successor.
I am retiring, and someone else can take over the ____s.
have free ____ We were told we had free ____ on questions of design.
give sb/sth free ____ (to do sth) She was given free ____ to make all the changes she wanted.
This is a post which will give your talents full ____.
It’s a task that requires you to allow full ____ to your imagination.
We need to keep a tight ____ on the advertising budget.

Answer 11

rein

Question 12

verb

to make unpleasant feelings less strong:

The government has tried to _______ the public’s fears.

Answer 12

assuage

Question 13

noun

a large fire that causes a lot of damage

The government has turned a minor local problem into a full-blown regional _____________.

Answer 13

conflagration

Question 14

noun

a bird with a short tail and long legs that is found mainly by the sea or in areas covered with grass

Answer 14

plover

Question 15

adjective

very thin and weak, usually because of illness or extreme hunger:

There were pictures of _________ children on the cover of the magazine.

thin: She’s on a diet but I think she’s already too thin.
skinny: You should eat more. You’re much too skinny.
scrawny: He hated his scrawny legs.
slim: He was tall, very slim, with pale, deep-set eyes.
slender: He put his arms around her slender waist.

Answer 15

emaciated

Question 16

verb

to (cause to) move gently through the air:

A gentle breeze ____ed the scent of roses in through the open window.
The sound of a flute ____ed down the stairs.
Caroline caught the heady ____ of the other woman’s perfume.
A ____ of smoke engulfed her.
[ I always + adv/prep ] A warm breeze ____ed through the city.

Answer 16

waft

Question 17

adjective

not showing emotions or thoughts and therefore very difficult to understand or get to know:

an ___________ face/expression/smile
an ___________ smile
He believes that a certain portion of life must remain ___________.

Answer 17

inscrutable

Question 18

adverb

in a way that is impossible to remove by washing or in any other way:

Ink had _________ stained his shirt pocket.
When you visit another country, your entry and departure dates will be _________ marked in your passport.
The date was stamped _________ on his memory.
Their names are _________ printed in tennis history.

Answer 18

indelibly

Question 19

adjective

very shiny:

long, ________ hair

Answer 19

lustrous

Question 20

verb

to run and jump in a happy way:

Lambs were ______ling (about/around) in the spring sunshine.

Answer 20

gambol

Question 21

adjective

belonging or relating to a religion that worships many gods, especially one that existed before the main world religions:

a _____ religion
The Easter egg has both _____ and Christian origins.
The wedding was a _____ ceremony held in a forest.
a _____ festival
Originally _____s, the Anglo-Saxons were a Germanic people who invaded Britain in the fifth and sixth centuries.
They are trying to stop some _____s from doing a nature ceremony.
It is the nonjudgmental nature of _____s that drew her to them.
Those altars were used in _____ worship.

Answer 21

pagan

Question 22

noun

any Christian priest

Answer 22

parson

Question 23

noun

a large branch of a tree

Answer 23

bough

Question 24

verb

to criticize strongly:

I had to listen to Michael ________ing against the government.

Answer 24

fulminate

Question 25

noun a length of wool or thread collected together into the shape of a loose ring

Answer 25

skein

Question 26

noun the fact that someone deserves to be blamed or considered responsible for something bad: After the accident, the company refused to accept ___________. The Army denied any ___________, but later compensated owners.

Answer 26

culpability

Question 27

adjective used to say that someone is strong, brave, determined, and difficult to defeat or frighten: The ___________ Mrs Furlong said she would continue to fight for justice. an ___________ spirit/will

Answer 27

indomitable

Question 28

verb to show or state that someone or something is not guilty of something: The report _________d the crew from all responsibility for the collision. The police officer was _________d by a grand jury, but the protests continued. We have proof which will completely _________ him. _________ sb from sth I do not wholly _________ her from blame. He spent much of the rest of his life seeking ________ion. innocent: I don't know if they are innocent or guilty. blameless: She is not entirely blameless in the matter. guiltless: He's not exactly guiltless in this matter - she helped the robber escape. acquitted: The two men were acquitted of her murder. _________d: The _________d prisoners banded together and sued the judge who had falsely convicted all of them.

Answer 28

exonerate

Question 29

adjective lasting for only a short time: ``` the __________ nature of life the __________ nature of life A growing proportion of the population are in a __________ stage between paid employment and old age. __________ factors/issues a __________ phase/period ``` short: He received a short jail sentence. quick: I need to make a quick phone call - I'll be right back. brief: We had a brief chat this morning. short and sweet: The business meeting was short and sweet. momentary: It was just a momentary lapse in judgment - I won't do it again.

Answer 29

transitory

Question 30

verb When the sea or tide ___s, it moves away from the coast and falls to a lower level. He could feel his strength ___ing (away). We'll sail on the ___. He could feel his strength ___ing (away).

Answer 30

ebb

Question 31

adjective serious, boring, and slightly old-fashioned: In an attempt to change its _____ image, the newspaper has created a new section aimed at younger readers. She never adjusted to her husband’s _____ lifestyle.

Answer 31

staid

Question 32

noun a circle made of flowers and leaves worn around the neck or head as a decoration: a _______ of white roses They _______ed the visitors with scented flowers.

Answer 32

garland

Question 33

adjective very shiny: long, ________ hair

Answer 33

lustrous

Question 34

noun a deep, narrow crack, especially in rock or the earth

Answer 34

fissure

Question 35

adjective expressed too often to be interesting or seem sincere: His lyrics about love and peace are too _____ for me to take them seriously. I know it will sound _____, but I've loved being part of this club. Even good acting couldn’t make up for the _____ story.

Answer 35

trite

Question 36

noun an object or collection of objects wrapped in paper, especially so that it can be sent by post: a food ______ The ______ was wrapped in plain brown paper. a 60-acre ______ a food ______ a 50-acre ______ on Lake Mead There were several ______s waiting for her in the post room. The ______ of shares is worth between €2,000 and €3,000. A 100-acre ______ in Texas was one of five sites selected for development.

Answer 36

parcel

Question 37

adjective used to describe beliefs that are strongly and sincerely felt or people who have strong and sincere beliefs: a _______ supporter of the communist party It is his _______ hope that a peaceful solution will soon be found. She was a _______ supporter of art and culture. I _______ly hope he’s right.

Answer 37

fervent

Question 38

noun a white, loose piece of clothing, worn over other clothing during religious ceremonies by some Christian priests and members of groups who sing in churches

Answer 38

surplice

Question 39

verb to persuade, attract, or interest someone, sometimes in order to deceive them : He was completely _______d by her beauty. The salesman _______d him into buying a car he didn't want. I had to show I was not _______d by his good looks. a ______ing smile

Answer 39

beguile

Question 40

verb to walk through water or other liquid with some effort, because it is deep enough to come quite high up your legs, or thick : The river was full but we managed to ____ across. We ____d a shallow river. They had to ____ through a swamp. We rolled up our trousers and ____d at the edge of the lake. We ____d across the stream. They come to the creek and ____d in to drink.

Answer 40

wade

Question 41

adjective holding tightly onto something, or keeping an opinion in a determined way: The baby took my finger in its _________ little fist. There has been _________ local opposition to the new airport. Seles is a _________ opponent – she never gives in. They cling with admirable ______ty to their traditions.

Answer 41

tenacious

Question 42

adjective smelling or tasting very strong and sharp: the _______ whiff of a goat I sat down to a cup of wonderfully _______ Turkish coffee. _______ criticism/commentary She is very good at writing _______, funny dialogue. _______ odors

Answer 42

pungent

Question 43

adjective bending or able to be bent easily; not stiff: I'm not ______ enough (= my body doesn't bend easily enough) to touch the floor. The gloves were made of very ______ leather. She has shown that she has a ______ mind. We need a more ______ monetary policy. His ______ fingers manipulated the needle with the utmost delicacy. fig. Adams brings a ______ (= easily changing) voice to Mayfield’s songs.

Answer 43

supple

Question 44

noun loyalty and support for a ruler, country, group, or belief: Soldiers have to swear __________ to the Crown/the King. In many American schools, the students pledge __________ (to the flag) at the beginning of the school day. As an Englishman who'd lived for a long time in France, he felt a certain conflict of __________s when the two countries played soccer. [ U ] For many here, __________ to the local community comes first.

Answer 44

allegiance

Question 45

adverb in a way that shows quick and clever thinking, especially about business or financial matters: They _______ backed out of the agreement just in time.

Answer 45

cannily

Question 46

adjective A _________ phrase or idea has been said or used so often that it has become boring and has no meaning: The plot of the film is just a _________ boy-meets-girl scenario. a _________ plot

Answer 46

hackneyed

Question 47

noun in cricket, a set of three vertical sticks with two small pieces of wood balanced across the top of them, at which the ball is aimed. There are two ______s on a cricket field. Five ______s have fallen since tea time (= five players have been caused to finish their turn). As a fast bowler, he took many ______s (= caused many players to finish their turns).

Answer 47

wicket

Question 48

adjective not showing emotions or thoughts and therefore very difficult to understand or get to know: an ___________ face/expression/smile an ___________ smile He believes that a certain portion of life must remain ___________.

Answer 48

inscrutable

Question 49

noun a small tree that produces nuts that can be eaten

Answer 49

hazel

Question 50

adjective shining with a bright light: the beauty of her _________ face

Answer 50

refulgent