Capitán Riley 08

Question 1

1. en una sonrisa LOBUNA
2. la puerta se abrió AL CABO DE unos segundos
3. un soldado CAPADO (from capar = to castrate, literally)
4. habrás perdida tu hombría para nada

Answer 1

1. in a WOLFISH smile
2. the door opened AFTER a few seconds (not después de or tras + referring in time)
3. an EMASCULATED soldier (explain adj)
4. you will have lost your MANHOOD for nothing

Question 2

1. el que comenzó a MANAR LA SANGRE (manar = to flow, as in to come out)
2. con el PLANO en una mano (plano = llano, flat or level)
3. abriendo la PORTEZUELA con un CHIRRIDO
4. ENGRANO la primera MARCHA y pisó el acelerador (engranar = to engage, ie engaged the first gear)

Answer 2

1. which began to BLEED (not sangrar, explain vb?)
2. with the FLAT of a hand (explain N + syn)
3. opening the (CAR) DOOR with a SQUEAK-CREAK
4. he put it in first GEAR and stepped on the accelerator (explain struct of … to put it in …)

Question 3

1. ya no hubo vuelta atrás
2. alguien escucharía aquel RONRONEO PEDREGOSO (ronronear = to purr, a cat)
3. TRAQUETEANDO sobre los adoquines (por encima de) (traquetear - to rattle or clatter, move making a sound)
4. un moro flaco y ENJUTO (enjuto + = irreg participle of enjugar = to dry or wipe off, eg dishes, enjugarse = wipe off/away, sweat or tears)

Answer 3

1. there was no turning back
2. someone could hear that GRAVELLY + PURRING (explain vb linked to N)
3. RATTLING over the the cobblestones (alt word for over) (explain rattling)
4. a skinny and SCRAWNY moor (explain origin of scrawny, its unusual)

Question 4

1. los dos CENTINELAS (guardia)
2. acodándose en la ventanilla (acodarse en = apoyarse en)
3. una de las balas ATREVESÓ la CHAPA y le HIRIÓ en el MUSLO derecho
4. vámonos de aquí ECHANDO LECHES

Answer 4

1. the two GUARDS (as in soldier, whats more usual word)
2. LEANING ON the porthole (porthole also word for small window in a plane)(vb + alt)
3. one of the bullets PIERCED the PLATE (ie metal) and WOUNDED him in his right THIGH
4. lets get out of here QUICK SMART

Question 5

1. le apremió con urgencia (apremiar)
2. lo que había sido el PARABRISAS era ahora un montón de ESQUIRLAS
3. caucho
4. abrieron fuego AL UNÍSONO (abrir fuego)

Answer 5

1. he HURRIED HIM ALONG urgently (to hurry along)
2. what had been the WINDSCREEN was now a pile of SHARDS-SPLINTERS (chips from a hard material)
3. rubber (ie the material on wheels)
4. they opened fire AT THE SAME TIME (as in to shoot)

Question 6

1. el PARACHOQUES
2. los GUARDABARROS de chapa
3. ahora PUGNABA POR SORTEARLO como un animal (pugnar + por = to strive or to struggle to, bit literary) (sortear = to avoid or navigate, with difficulty + to raffle)
4. se arrastraba A DURAS PENAS + CHIRRIANDO (arrastrarse) (chirriar)

Answer 6

1. the BUMPER BARS (ie bumper)
2. the sheet-metal MUDGUARDS
3. now he WAS STRIVING TO + AVOID it like an animal (vb1 explain) (vb2 explain)
4. it was BARELY crawling SCREECHING (vb1 - to crawl) (vb2 - to screech or squeal eg brakes)

Question 7

1. el sudor le corría POR la frente
2. pide que contactemos CON él
3. comprar otra CHALUPA (small stuffed tortillas)
4. AJENO A la respuesta (someone else’s eg en casa ajena) (no estar al tanto de + no ser consciente de)

Answer 7

1. sweat ran down his forehead (think which prep?)
2. he asks that we contact him (think which prep?)
3. buy another SMALL BOAT (a menudo con dos palos) what word mean in Mexican cooking?)
4. UNAWARE OF the reply (word a bit formal, literary) (what else adj mean? eg en casa ajena) (what vb = to be unaware of x2)

Question 8

1. murmurando POR LO BAJO (secretly, discretely eg le criticaban por lo bajo )
2. cerró la puerta DE UN GOLPE
3. sentado frente a la APARATOSA radio
4. apretando al PULSADOR del micrófono (apretar = to squeeze (s.th), to be tight (eg clothes) hence to press a button)

Answer 8

1. murmuring UNDER HIS BREATH (what else does adverbial phrase mean?)
2. he shut the door ALL OF A SUDDEN
3. sitting in front of the SHOWY-FLASHY radio (as in ostentatious)
4. pushing the microphone´s BUTTON (explain vb)

Question 9

1. apenas se oyó un CHISPORROTEO de ESTÁTICA (from chisporrotear = to crackle (eg a fire), to sizzle (eg chicken in an oven)
2. después de ACCEDER al cargo como presidente (acceder al cargo de X = to become, as in to gain the position)
3. SECUNDADO por su ESBIRRO Laval (secundar = to aid, as in to support)
4. hacía ya más de un año

Answer 9

1. one barely heard a CRACKLING of STATIC (explain crackling)
2. after he became president (explain term)
3. AIDED by his HENCHMAN Laval (explain supported)
4. more than a year ago

Question 10

1. para hacer una ENTREGA (entregar)
2. aquí hay gato encerrado
3. es muy ADINERADO (like moneyed ie from dinero)
4. se había ofrecido a PROPORIONAR + COMBUSTIBLE (proveer, as in to supply = proporionar, as in to make available)

Answer 10

1. to make a delivery (N) (from what vb)
2. I smell a rat. (expression, always said like this)
3. he’s very WEALTHY (explain adj)
4. he had offered to PROVIDE + FUEL(ie s.th that burns) (what alt vbs for to provide, plus how diff)

Question 11

1. convino el banquero (convenir = acordar, in this sense)
2. Eso no ha DE importarte
3. haber (conjugated) + de + inf = idea you should (not as forceful as tener que + inf) (sometimes probability ie you must be rich = has de ser rico)
4. estaba DESPROVISTA de cualquier MOBILIARIO (= el mueblo = single item of furniture) (from vb desproveer = to deprive)

Answer 11

1. agreed the banker (What is an alt vb)
2. That shouldn’t matter to you.
3. Explain vb structure in 2.
4. it was DEVOID of any FURNITURE (the room) (explain the adj devoid)

Question 12

1. la cara deformada por la HINCHAZÓN y los COÁGULOS (from hinchar = to swell)
2. habían puesto el mismo ESMERO (idea of gone to a lot trouble, from esmerarse = to put a lot of effort into ie great care, from esmerar = to polish)
3. las dos RÓTULAS, ahora reducidas a un par de AMASIJOS inútiles (literally a piece of kneaded bread, from amasar = to knead, figuratively = a jumble)
4. alpargatas

Answer 12

1. the face deformed by the SWELLING and the BLOOD CLOTS (explain swelling)
2. they had put the same CARE (explain noun)
3. the two KNEECAPS, now reduced to a pair of two useless MASSES-MASHES (explain 2nd N, figuratively?)
4. rope soled shoes (like the ones I bought which slightly too big for me)

Question 13

1. con el cuerpo SEMBRADO en CARDENALES (sembrar - as in scatter, spread) (moretón)
2. una CANTIMPLORA anhelando un sorbo
3. el sabor a BILIS y sangre
4. el BRAZALETE rojo de la bandera nazi

Answer 13

1. with the body COVERED in BRUISES (explain vb) (another word for bruise))
2. a FLASK yearning for a sip (think WWII water bottle)
3. the taste of BILE and blood
4. the red ARMBAND of the nazi flag

Question 14

1. BABEANDO un REGUERO de sangre (babear cf gotear + chorrear)
2. dijo DESCORCHANDO la botella de vino (descorchar + sacacorchos + corcho)
3. sirviendo un generoso CHORRO en cada UNO de los vasos (idea of abundance + stream/jet of liquid or gas shot out with force from an opening)
4. había sido siempre objeto de BURLAS y DESPRECIOS (from burlarse = to make fun of) (from despreciar = to scorn or to look down on) (desprecio = contempt)

Answer 14

1. DROOLING a TRICKLE of blood (vb - dribble, as in drool (person), cf dribble , as in trickle (water))
2. he said UNCORKING the wine bottle (to uncork + corkscrew + what is N for cork?)
3. serving a generous SPLASH in each [] of the glasses (What splash N have idea of? + what else mean?)
4. he had always been the object of TAUNTS and SLIGHTS (explain N1) (explain N2) (N2 singular means?)

Question 15

1. un eficiente y DESPIADADO agente (opposite of piadoso = kind or mercifull)
2. se excitó ANTE la PERSPECTIVA de mostrarle
3. SECCIONANDO su dedo meñique DE un solo TAJO (seccionar) (tajo => tajar = to slice, as in cut into parts)(tajo = work place/site + sheer drop/ steep cliff)
4. la silla del TIMONEL (person in charge of the timón = rudder or tiller)

Answer 15

1. an efficient and RUTHLESS agent (explain adj)
2. he got excited AT the PROSPECT of showing him (to get excited, as in aroused)
3. CUTTING OFF his ring finger IN a single CUT-SLASH (vb - to cut off, as in divide in sections)(a deep cut, explain N + 2 alt meanings)
4. the HELMSMAN’s seat (explain)

Question 16

1. que estuvo a punto de derramar su contenido (estar a punto de + inf = ABOUT TO do the inf)
2. cuando a Julie se le cayó un tenedor (caerse + fall down, eg when trip)
3. una pandilla de DESALIÑADOS desconocidos (only apply to people + desaliñar ie ruffle or disarrange - opposite of aliñar = adorn or embellish, usually to season (meat) or dress (salad))
4. no logro comprender qué hace con ese VEJESTORIO

Answer 16

1. that he was about to spill its contents (explain nearly)
2. when Julie dropped her fork (vb - to drop sth, eg let fall accidentally + what else mean?)
3. a band of SCRUFFY strangers (explain scruffy)
4. I can’t understand what she is doing with that OLD FART (old fogey) (Nb I can’t understand cf I don’t understand) i

Question 17

1. pero lo que me REPATEA es que (repatear)
2. ese FULANO se la haya llevado al huerto solo por tener dinero (llevar al huerto = swindle + take for a ride)
3. un cocinero CON sobrepeso
4. inquirió Alex con SORNA

Answer 17

1. but what CHEESES me OFF is that
2. that SO-AND-SO has TAKEN her DOWN THE GARDEN PATH only for [his] money
3. an overweight cook
4. Alex inquired IRONICALLY