Day 29

Question 1

To rebel

Answer 1

a person who is opposed to the political system in their country and tries to change it using force :
- The rebels took over the capital and set up a new government.
rebel troops/fighters
- a person who does not like rules or authority, and shows this by behaving differently from most people in society:
- He was a rebel when he was a teenager and dyed his hair pink.

Question 2

Recurring

Answer 2

to happen many times or to happen again:
- The theme of freedom recurs throughout her writing.
- If the pain/problem/trouble, etc. recurs, come and see me.

Question 3

To exert

Answer 3

to use something such as authority, power, influence, etc. in order to make something happen:
- If you were to exert your influence they might change their decision.
- Some managers exert considerable pressure on their staff to work extra hours without being paid.

Question 4

Lofty

Answer 4

high:
- a lofty ceiling/mountain/wall

Question 5

Strive

Answer 5

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 6

Puerile

Answer 6

behaving in a silly way, not like an adult:
- I find his sense of humour rather puerile.

Question 7

Terrific

Answer 7

very good:
- a terrific opportunity
- You look terrific!

Question 8

Fierce

Answer 8

strong and powerful:
- Fierce winds prevented the race from taking place.
- Firefighters had to retreat from the fierce heat.

Question 9

Toil

Answer 9

hard work, especially work that makes you feel physically tired:
- Lindi has achieved her comfortable life only after years of hard toil.
- humorous Well, after a day’s toil in the office I like to relax a little.

Question 10

To be moved

Question 11

Mercy

Answer 11

kindness that makes you forgive someone, usually someone that you have authority over:
- She appealed to the judge to have mercy on her husband.
- The prisoners pleaded for mercy.
- The gunmen showed no mercy, killing innocent men and women.
-be at the mercy of someone/something
C2
to be in a situation where someone or something has complete power over you:
- Poor people are increasingly at the mercy of money-lenders.

Question 12

To suspend

Answer 12

to stop something from being active, either temporarily or permanently:
- The ferry service has been suspended for the day because of bad weather.
- The country’s president has suspended the constitution and assumed total power.
- When you go to the theatre, you have to be willing to suspend disbelief (= to act as if you believe that what you are seeing is real or true, although you know that it is not).
- I’m suspending judgment (= not forming an opinion) on the book I’m reading until I’ve finished it.
- Mr Young was given a six-month jail sentence, suspended for two years (= if he commits another crime within two years, he will have to go to prison for six months for his original crime).

Question 14

Reconcile

Answer 14

to find a way in which two situations or beliefs that are opposed to each other can agree and exist together:
- It is sometimes difficult to reconcile science and religion.
- It’s difficult to reconcile such different points of view.
- How can you reconcile your fur coat and/with your love of animals?

Question 15

Fond

Answer 15

to like someone or something very much:
- “I’m very fond of you, you know,” he said.

Question 16

To bustle

Answer 16

to do things in a hurried and busy way:
- Thora bustled around the house, getting everything ready.

Question 17

To imbue

Answer 17

to fill something or someone with a particular feeling, quality, or idea:
- His poetry is imbued with deep, religious feeling.

Question 18

To procure

Answer 18

to get something, especially after an effort:
- She’s managed somehow to procure his phone number.
- [ + two objects ] He’d procured us seats in the front row.

Question 19

Chivalrous

Answer 19

A chivalrous man is polite, honest, fair, and kind towards women:
- He was polite and chivalrous and never cursed in front of her.
- It’s very chivalrous of you to defend her but don’t you think she can speak for herself?

Question 20

To peek

Answer 20

to look, especially for a short time or while trying to avoid being seen:
- Close your eyes. Don’t peek. I’ve got a surprise for you.
- I peeked out the window to see who was there.
- The children peeked over the wall to see where the ball had gone.
- The film peeks behind the scenes of a multinational corporation.

Question 21

To sober sm up

Answer 21

to become less drunk, or to make someone become less drunk:
- I went for a walk to try to sober up.
- Have some black coffee - that should sober you up!

Question 21

To sober up

Question 22

To concoct

Answer 22

to make something, usually food, by adding several different parts together, often in a way that is original or not planned:
- He concocted the most amazing dish from all sorts of leftover food.
to invent an excuse, explanation, or story in order to deceive someone:
- He concocted a story about working late at the office.

Question 23

To tally up

Answer 23

to match or agree with something else:
- The numbers on your spreadsheet don’t tally with ours.
- His statement doesn’t tally with the other witnesses’.

Question 24

Punctilious

Answer 24

very careful to behave correctly or to give attention to details:
- He was always punctilious in his manners.

Question 25

Prosperous

Answer 25

successful, usually by earning a lot of money:
- In a prosperous country like this, no one should go hungry.

Question 26

Insult

Answer 26

an offensive remark or action:
- She made several insults about my appearance.
- The steelworkers’ leader rejected the two percent pay rise saying it was an insult to the profession.
- The instructions are so easy they are an insult to your intelligence (= they seem to suggest you are not clever if you need to use them).