Lesson Seven

Question 1

Zygote

Answer 1

N: the cell that is formed when a female reproductive cell and a male reproductive cell join

Question 2

Stillborn

Answer 2

Adj: born dead

Examples:
-a stillborn baby
-The child was stillborn.

Question 3

Neonatal

Answer 3

Adj: of or for babies that were born recently

Example:Their baby is still in the hospital’s neonatal unit.

Question 4

Skyrocket

Answer 4

V: (esp. of amounts) to rise extremely quickly

Example:The value of their business skyrocketed last year.

Question 5

Reimbursement

Answer 5

N: the act of paying back money to someone who has spent it for you or lost it because of you, or the amount that is paid back

Example:
-She has received reimbursement for some of her costs.
-Employees can apply for reimbursement of travel expenses.

Question 6

Incentive

Answer 6

N: something that encourages a person to do something

Example:
-tax incentive: Tax incentives have been very effective in encouraging people to save and invest more of their income.
-There is little incentive for people to leave their cars at home when public transport remains so expensive.

Question 7

Quadruple

Answer 7

V: to become four times as big, or to multiply a number or amount by four

Example:
-The number of students at the college has quadrupled in the last ten years.
-We expect to quadruple our profits this year.

Question 8

Triple

Answer 8

V: to increase three times in size or amount, or to make something do this

Example:
-We have tripled our output over the past two years.
-triple in size: The workforce has tripled in size since the new factory opened.

Question 9

Premium

Answer 9

N: an amount of money paid to get insurance

Example:
-Car insurance premiums have increased this year.
-The premiums for healthcare plans are high.

Question 10

Soaring

Answer 10

Adj: rising very quickly to a high level

Example:
-soaring property prices
-The soaring price of natural gas is a serious concern, since many power plants are fuelled by it.

Question 11

Appalling

Answer 11

Adj: shocking and very bad

Example:
-appalling injuries
-Prisoners were kept in the most appalling conditions.

Question 12

Multitude

Answer 12

N: a large number of things

Example:
-Two large circles are surrounded by a multitude of small, colorful squares.
-As manager of the restaurant, his job is to feed the multitudes (= large numbers of people).

Question 13

Mammoth

Answer 13

Adj: extremely large

Example:
-Cleaning up the city-wide mess is going to be a mammoth task.
-It’s a mammoth undertaking - are you sure you have the resources to cope?

Question 14

Uniformly

Answer 14

Adv: in a way that is the same everywhere or for everyone

Example:Critics were uniformly enthusiastic about the production.

Question 15

Velocity

Answer 15

N: the speed at which an object is travelling

Example:Light travels at the highest achievable velocity in the universe.

Question 16

Surge

Answer 16

V: a sudden and great increase

Example:
-An unexpected surge in electrical power caused the computer to crash.
-There has been a surge in house prices recently.

Question 17

Rule sth out

Answer 17

Phrasal verb: to prevent something from happening

Example:
The warehouse fire has ruled out any chance that we will make a profit this year.

Question 18

Warehouse

Answer 18

N: a large building for storing things before they are sold, used, or sent out to shops:

Example:The goods have been sitting in a warehouse for months because a strike has prevented distribution.

Question 19

Erroneous

Answer 19

Adj: wrong or false

Example:an erroneous belief/impression

Question 20

Interpretation

Answer 20

N: an explanation or opinion of what something means

Example:
-The dispute is based on two widely differing interpretations of the law.
-The rules are vague and open to interpretation.

Question 21

Vague

Answer 21

Adj: not clearly expressed, known, described, or decided

Example:
-I do have a vague memory of meeting her many years ago.
-The patient had complained of vague pains and backache

Question 22

Disintegrate

Answer 22

V:
1. to become weaker or be destroyed by breaking into small pieces

Example:The spacecraft disintegrated as it entered the earth’s atmosphere.

2. to become much worse

Example:disintegrate into: The situation disintegrated into chaos

Question 23

Solubility

Answer 23

N: the quality of being able to be dissolved, or the degree to which something can be dissolved

Example:Sugar has a high solubility in water, whereas gold has a low solubility in water.

Question 24

Deviate

Answer 24

V: to change from the usual way, or to go in a different direction

Example:
-He never deviated from his strict vegetarian diet.
-We need to know when the bus deviates from its scheduled route.

Question 25

Declination

Answer 25

N: an angle that gives the position of a point in space in relation to earth Example:The asteroid Toutatis is easiest to see in early September, when it lies at higher declinations.

Question 26

Take its toll

Answer 26

Idiom: to cause harm or suffering Example:The constant stress takes its toll on emergency room workers.

Question 27

Teeny

Answer 27

Adj: very small Example:Just a teeny slice of cake for me, please.

Question 28

Amplifier

Answer 28

N: an electrical device that makes sounds louder

Question 29

Assail

Answer 29

V: to cause someone to experience a lot of unpleasant things Example:to be assailed by doubts/fears/problems

Question 30

Adversely

Answer 30

Adv: in a way that has a negative or harmful effect Example: adversely affected: A lot of companies have been adversely affected by the recession.

Question 31

Decent

Answer 31

Adj: socially acceptable or good Example: -Everyone should be entitled to a decent wage/standard of living. -I thought he was a decent person. -it is decent of: It was very decent (= kind) of you to help. -It made quite a decent-sized (= large) hole.

Question 32

Completion

Answer 32

N: the act of finishing something that you are doing or making Example: -on completion:You'll be paid on completion of the project. -near completion: The road repair work is nearing completion (= almost finished).

Question 33

Anything but

Answer 33

Idiom: not at all or not in any way Example:She was anything but friendly the last time I saw her.

Question 34

Forcewear

Answer 34

V: to make a serious decision to stop doing something Example:to forswear all violence

Question 35

Prognosis

Answer 35

N: a doctor’s judgment of the likely or expected development of a disease, or a statement of what the likely future situation is. Example:After successful surgery his prognosis was good.

Question 36

Disheartening

Answer 36

Adj: causing you to lose confidence, hope, and energy Example:This was very disheartening news.

Question 37

Prevailing

Answer 37

Adj: existing and accepted Example:The prevailing view is that economic growth is likely to slow down.

Question 38

Float

Answer 38

V: to stay on the surface of a liquid and not sink Example: -An empty bottle will float. -float in: You can float very easily in the Dead Sea because it's so salty. -float on: Lily pads float on the surface of the pond.

Question 39

Levee

Answer 39

N: a wall made of soil or other materials that is built next to a river to stop the river from overflowing (= coming out of a place because it is too full)

Question 40

Put something up

Answer 40

Phrasal verb: to raise something, or to fix something in a raised position Example: -Why don't you put up your hood/umbrella? -I put my hand up to ask the teacher a question. -I put my hair up (= fastened it into a position on the top of my head) for the wedding.

Question 41

Floodgate

Answer 41

N: a gate that can be opened or closed to control a flow of water

Question 42

Soaked

Answer 42

Adj: extremely wet Example:I'm going to have to take these clothes off - I'm soaked to the skin!

Question 43

Sow

Answer 43

V: to put seeds in or on the ground so that plants will grow Example:Sow the seeds in pots

Question 44

Sow

Answer 44

V: to put seeds in or on the ground so that plants will grow Example:Sow the seeds in pots

Question 45

Drain

Answer 45

V: If you drain something, you remove the liquid from it, usually by pouring it away or allowing it to flow away, and if something drains, liquid flows away or out of it Example: -Drain the pasta thoroughly. -We drained the pond and filled it with fresh water. -drain something off: Drain off any liquid that is left in the rice. -Don't bother drying the pans - just leave them to drain.

Question 46

Aquatic

Answer 46

Adj: living or growing in, happening in, or connected with water Example: -aquatic plants -aquatic sports

Question 47

Scum

Answer 47

N: a thin layer that forms on the surface of a liquid Example: -The tea was nasty-tasting stuff that looked like pond scum. -I wish you wouldn’t leave soap scum in the bathtub.

Question 48

Semiconductor

Answer 48

N: a material, such as silicon, that allows electricity to move through it more easily when its temperature increases, or an electronic device made from this material Example:Semiconductors are used for making integrated circuits and computers.

Question 49

Circuit

Answer 49

N: a closed system of wires or pipes through which electricity or liquid can flow Example:A defect was found in the water-cooling/electrical circuit.

Question 50

Miscarriage

Answer 50

N: an early, unintentional end to a pregnancy Example: I had two miscarriages before I gave birth to my daughter.

Question 51

Phase something out

Answer 51

Phrasal verb: to gradually stop using something Example:The airlines are phasing out any aircraft that is more than 20 years old.

Question 52

Spur

Answer 52

V: to encourage an activity or development or make it happen faster Example:The promise of a reward spurred the student to study harder for the test.

Question 53

Implicate

Answer 53

V: to show that someone is involved in a crime or partly responsible for something bad that has happened; involved Example:A lot of people were implicated in the scandal.

Question 54

Follow suit

Answer 54

Idiom: to do the same thing Example:When one airline reduces its ticket prices, the rest usually follow suit.

Question 55

Spontaneous

Answer 55

Adj: happening or done in a natural, often sudden way, without any planning or without being forced Example: -His jokes seemed spontaneous, but were in fact carefully prepared beforehand. -She's such a spontaneous, lively woman.