Day 23

Question 1

Fall behind

Answer 1

to fail to do something fast enough or on time:
- He was ill for six weeks and fell behind with his schoolwork.
- I’ve fallen behind on the mortgage payments.

Question 2

Rival

Answer 2

Competitor

Question 3

Eminent

Answer 3

famous, respected, or important:
- an eminent historian

Question 4

To firm

Question 5

Gauge

Answer 5

to calculate an amount, especially by using a measuring device:
- Use a thermometer to gauge the temperature.
- I tried to gauge (= guess) the weight of the box.

Question 6

Baffled

Answer 6

to cause someone to be completely unable to understand or explain something:
She was completely baffled by his strange behaviour.

Question 7

Yield

Answer 7

to supply or produce something positive such as a profit, an amount of food or information:
- an attempt to yield increased profits
- The investigation yielded some unexpected results.
- Favourable weather yielded a good crop.

Question 8

To stroll

Answer 8

to walk in a slow relaxed way, especially for pleasure:
- We could stroll along the beach after dinner.
- An elderly couple strolled hand in hand in the park.

Question 9

Leisurely

Answer 9

used to describe an action that is done in a relaxed way, without hurrying:
- We enjoyed a leisurely picnic lunch on the lawn.

Question 10

Intent

Answer 10

giving all your attention to something:
- an intent stare
- She had an intent look on her face.

Question 11

To crack a joke

Answer 11

I cracked a few jokes to try to cheer everyone up.

Question 12

Trudge

Answer 12

to walk slowly with a lot of effort, especially over a difficult surface or while carrying something heavy:
- We trudged back up the hill.
- I’d had to trudge through the snow.

Question 13

Suspect

Answer 13

to think or believe something to be true or probable:
- So far, the police do not suspect foul play.
- [ + (that) ] We had no reason to suspect (that) he might try to kill himself.
= “Do you think she’ll have told them?” “I suspect not/so.”

Question 14

To berate

Answer 14

to criticize or speak in an angry manner to someone:
- As he left the meeting, he was berated by angry demonstrators.
- Doctors are often berated for being poor communicators, particularly when they have to give patients bad news.

Question 15

Summit

Answer 15

an important formal meeting between leaders of governments from two or more countries:
- a summit meeting
- World leaders will meet next week for their annual economic summit.

Question 16

Unquantifiable

Answer 16

not able to be measured:
- unquantifiable benefits/liabilities/risks Finance people can’t value employee attitudes, working environment, or other indirect variables with unquantifiable benefits.

Question 17

Flustered

Answer 17

upset and confused:
- She seemed a little flustered.
- If I look flustered it’s because I’m trying to do so many things at once.

Question 18

Work off

Answer 18

If you work off an unpleasant feeling, you get rid of it by doing something energetic:
- She works off stress by running for at least half an hour every day.

Question 19

Jolt

Answer 19

to (cause something or someone to) move suddenly and violently:
- The train stopped unexpectedly and we were jolted forwards.
- The truck jolted along the rough track through the field.

Question 20

Groggy

Answer 20

weak and unable to think clearly or walk correctly, usually because of tiredness or illness:
- I felt a little bit groggy for a couple of days after the operation.

Question 21

Plead

Answer 21

to make an urgent, emotional statement or request for something:
- He was on his knees, pleading for mercy/forgiveness.
- She appeared on television to plead with the kidnappers.
- [ + speech ] “Give us more time,” they pleaded.

Question 22

Cultivate

Answer 22

to prepare land and grow crops on it, or to grow a particular crop:
- Most of the land there is too poor to cultivate.
- The villagers cultivate mostly maize and beans.

Question 23

Revelation

Answer 23

the act of making something known that was secret, or a fact that is made known:
- a moment of revelation
- [ + that ] His wife divorced him after the revelation that he was having an affair.
- Shocking revelations about their private life appeared in the papers.

Question 24

Grief

Answer 24

very great sadness, especially at the death of someone:
- Her grief at her son’s death was terrible.
- Newspapers should not intrude on people’s private grief.
- newspaper pictures of grief-stricken relatives
- She describes the anxieties and griefs caused by war.

Question 25

Temptation

Answer 25

the wish to do or have something that you know you should not do or have:
- [ + to infinitive ] As a young actress, she resisted the temptation to move to Hollywood.