Day 24

Question 1

Dull

Answer 1

not interesting or exciting in any way:
- She wrote dull, respectable articles for the local newspaper.
- He’s pleasant enough, but deadly dull.

Question 2

Allure

Answer 2

attraction, charm, or excitement:
- The allure of the stage drew him back to acting.

Question 3

To concur

Answer 3

to agree or have the same opinion:
- The new report concurs with previous findings.
- [ + that ] The board concurred that the editor should have full control over editorial matters.
- [ + speech ] “I think you’re absolutely right,” concurred Chris.

Question 4

Nefarious

Answer 4

(especially of activities) morally bad:
- The company’s CEO seems to have been involved in some nefarious practices/activities.

Question 5

Embodiment

Answer 5

the embodiment of something
someone or something that represents a quality or an idea exactly:
- He was the embodiment of the English gentleman.
- She was portrayed in the papers as the embodiment of evil.

Question 6

Magnificent

Answer 6

very good, beautiful, or deserving to be admired:
- a magnificent view
- a magnificent piece of writing
- They live in a magnificent Tudor house.

Question 7

Crude

Answer 7

simple and not skilfully done or made:
- a crude device/weapon

Question 8

Deprive

Answer 8

to take something, especially something necessary or pleasant, away from someone:
- He claimed that he had been deprived of his freedom/rights.
- You can’t function properly when you’re deprived of sleep.

Question 9

Retrace

Answer 9

to go back over something, for example a path or a series of past actions:
- When he realized he had lost his keys, he retraced in his mind his movements that day.

Question 10

Strive

Answer 10

to try very hard to do something or to make something happen, especially for a long time or against difficulties:
- [ + to infinitive ] Mr Roe has kindled expectations that he must now strive to live up to.
- In her writing she strove for a balance between innovation and familiar prose forms.

Question 11

To soothe

Answer 11

to make someone feel calm or less worried:
- to soothe a crying baby

Question 12

Scam

Answer 12

an illegal plan for making money, especially one that involves tricking people:
- Banks often carry information about e-mail scams on their websites.
- To avoid scams, never sign things in a hurry.
- an insurance scam

Question 13

Flawed

Answer 13

not perfect, or containing mistakes:
- Diamonds are still valuable, even when they are flawed.
- His argument is deeply flawed.
- flawed beauty

Question 14

Extraneous

Answer 14

not directly connected with or related to something:
- extraneous information
- These questions are extraneous to the issue being discussed.

Question 15

Subsided

Answer 15

If a condition subsides, it becomes less strong or extreme:
- The police are hoping that the violence will soon subside.
- As the pain in my foot subsided, I was able to walk the short distance to the car.

Question 16

Sustain

Answer 16

to cause or allow something to continue for a period of time:
- The economy looks set to sustain its growth into next year.
- He seems to find it difficult to sustain relationships with women.
- US The judge sustained (= accepted) the lawyer’s objection.
C2
to keep alive:
- The soil in this part of the world is not rich enough to sustain a large population.

Question 17

Resolute

Answer 17

determined in character, action, or ideas:
- Their resolute opposition to new working methods was difficult to overcome.
- She’s utterly resolute in her refusal to apologize.

Question 18

Enticing

Answer 18

Something that is enticing attracts you to it by offering you advantages or pleasure:
- an enticing smile
- an enticing job offer

Question 19

To stir

Answer 19

to mix a liquid or other substance by moving an object such as a spoon in a circular pattern:
- Stir the sauce gently until it begins to boil.
- Stir the egg yolks into the mixture.
- She paused to stir some milk into her coffee.
- Slowly add the flour, stirring until completely blended.

Question 20

Recount

Answer 20

to describe how something happened, or to tell a story:
- He recounted his adventures since he had left home.
- [ + question word ] He was fond of recounting how he had played professional football when he was 19.

Question 21

Pale

Answer 21

used to describe a person’s face or skin if it has less colour than usual, for example when the person is or ill or frightened, or if it has less colour than people generally have:
- You’re looking pale - are you feeling well?
- She has a naturally pale complexion and dark hair.
A2
A pale light or colour is not bright or strong:
- She wore a pale blue hat.
- pale winter sunlight

Question 22

Albeit

Answer 22

although:
- The evening was very pleasant, albeit a little quiet.
- He tried, albeit without success.

Question 23

Grip

Answer 23

to hold very tightly:
- The baby gripped my finger with her tiny hand.
- Old tyres won’t grip (= stay on the surface of the road) in the rain very well.

Question 24

Endure

Question 25

Abrupt

Question 26

Impetuous

Answer 26

likely to do something suddenly, without considering the results of your actions:
- He’s so impetuous - why can’t he think things over before he rushes into them?