No More Bosses

Question 1

get on

Answer 1

1 LIKE SOMEBODY especially British English if people get on, they like each other and have a friendly relationship with each other
with
I’ve always got on well with Henry.
The two boys get on well most of the time.
2 PROGRESS to deal with a job or situation or to make progress
How is George getting on at school?
with
How are you getting on with your essay?
without
I don’t know how we’ll get on without Michael.
3 CONTINUE DOING SOMETHING to continue doing something
with
Be quiet and get on with your work!
4 BE SUCCESSFUL to be successful in your job
You’ll have to work hard if you want to get on.

Question 2

aren’t [/ɑːnt/]

Answer 2

1 the short form of ‘are not’
They aren’t here.
2 the short form of ‘am not’, used in questions
I’m in big trouble, aren’t I?

Question 3

we’re [/wɪə/]

Answer 3

the short form of ‘we are’

Question 4

we’ve [/wiv; strong wiːv/]

Answer 4

the short form of ‘we have’

Question 5

you’re [/jə; strong jɔː/]

Answer 5

the short form of ‘you are’

Question 6

hear [/hɪə/]

Answer 6

HEAR SOUNDS/WORDS ETC [intransitive, transitive] to know that a sound is being made, using your ears
She heard a sudden loud crash.
Did anyone see or hear anything last night?

Question 7

who’ve [/huːv/]

Answer 7

the short form of ‘who have’

Question 8

get rid of somebody/something

Answer 8

a) to throw away or destroy something you do not want anymore
It’s time we got rid of all these old toys.
Governments should be encouraged to get rid of all nuclear weapons.
b) to take action so that you no longer have something unpleasant that you do not want
I can’t get rid of this cough.
He opened the windows to get rid of the smell.
c) to make someone leave because you do not like them or because they are causing problems
Are you trying to get rid of me?
It can be difficult for schools to get rid of poor teachers.

Question 9

along the way/line

Answer 9

during a process or experience, or during someone’s life
I’ve been lucky, but I’ve had my share of heartbreak along the way.
He and Wharton are related somewhere along the line.

Question 10

excess [/ɪkˈses, ˈekses/]

Answer 10

1 [singular, uncountable] a larger amount of something than is allowed or needed
After you apply the oil, wait 20 minutes before wiping off any excess.
excess of
It was an excess of enthusiasm that caused the problem.

to do something too much or too often, so that it may harm you
Drinking is OK as long as you don’t do it to excess.

in excess of something
more than a particular amount
The car reached speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour.

Question 11

enthusiasm [/ɪnˈθjuːziæzəm/]

Answer 11

1 [uncountable] a strong feeling of interest and enjoyment about something and an eagerness to be involved in it
Gillian and Darren greeted the speakers with great enthusiasm.

enthusiasm for
Britain’s apparent lack of enthusiasm for such a scheme.
A delay of two hours did not dampen their enthusiasm.

2 [countable] formal an activity or subject that someone is very interested in

Question 12

bureaucracy [/bjʊəˈrɒkrəsi/]

Answer 12

1 [uncountable] a complicated official system that is annoying or confusing because it has a lot of rules, processes etc → red tape
the reduction of unnecessary bureaucracy
2 [countable, uncountable] the officials who are employed rather than elected to do the work of a government, business etc

Question 13

experiment [/ɪkˈsperəmənt/]

Answer 13

1 a scientific test done to find out how something reacts under certain conditions, or to find out if a particular idea is true
experiment with/in/on
experiments with alcohol-fuelled cars
experiments on sleep deprivation
by experiment
Many small birds guide themselves by the stars, as has been verified by experiment.
2 a process in which you test a new idea or method to see if it is useful or effective
experiment with/in/on
an experiment in state socialism

Question 14

grower [/ˈɡrəʊə/]

Answer 14

1 a person or company that grows fruit or vegetables in order to sell them
fruit/vegetable/tobacco etc grower
apple growers
2 a plant that grows and develops in a particular way
fast/slow etc grower
Bamboo is a very vigorous grower.

Question 15

coercion [/kəʊˈɜːʃən/]

Answer 15

the use of threats or orders to make someone do something they do not want to do
The defendant explained that he had been acting under coercion.

Question 16

govern [/ˈɡʌvən/]

Answer 16

1 [intransitive, transitive] to officially and legally control a country and make all the decisions about taxes, laws, public services etc SYN rule
the leaders who govern the country
The party had been governing for seven months.
2 [transitive] if rules, principles etc govern the way a system or situation works, they control how it happens
legislation governing the export of live animals

Question 17

governance [/ˈɡʌvənənsə/]

Answer 17

the act or process of governing

Question 18

principle [/ˈprɪnsəpəl/]

Answer 18

1 MORAL RULE [countable, uncountable] a moral rule or belief about what is right and wrong, that influences how you behave
Schools try to teach children a set of principles.
He’s got no principles at all!
It’s against my principles to accept gifts from clients.
2 IDEA BEHIND SOMETHING [countable] the basic idea that a plan or system is based on
The general principle is that education should be available to all children up to the age of 16.

Question 19

equally [/ˈiːkwəli/]

Answer 19

1 [+adj/adverb] to the same degree or amount
You must have a good education, but practical training is equally important.
2 in equal parts or amounts
We agreed to divide the money equally between everyone.
3 [sentence adverb] used when introducing a second idea or statement that is as important as your first one
We want the economy to grow, but equally we want low inflation.

Question 20

persuade [/pəˈsweɪd/]

Answer 20

1 to make someone decide to do something, especially by giving them reasons why they should do it, or asking them many times to do it
persuade somebody to do something
I finally managed to persuade her to go out for a drink with me.

2 to make someone believe something or feel sure about something SYN convince
I am not persuaded by these arguments.

Question 21

firm [/fɜːm/]

Answer 21

a business or company, especially a small one
electronics/advertising/law etc firm
She works for an electronics firm.
a firm of accountants/solicitors/builders etc
Kevin is with a firm of accountants in Birmingham.

Question 22

whether [/ˈweðə/]

Answer 22

1 used when talking about a choice you have to make or about something that is not certain
Maurice asked me whether I needed any help.
There were times when I wondered whether or not we would get there.
whether to do something
She was uncertain whether to stay or leave.
I didn’t know whether to believe him or not.

2 used to say that something definitely will or will not happen whatever the situation is
It seemed to me that she was in trouble whether Mahoney lived or died.
Look, Kate, I’m calling the doctor, whether you like it or not.

Question 23

leave somebody/something behind

Answer 23

1 to not take someone or something with you when you leave a place
I think I might have left my wallet behind.

2 if a person, country, or organization is left behind, they do not develop as quickly or make as much progress as other people, countries etc
In class, a child with poor eyesight can soon get left behind.

3 (also leave somebody/something behind you) to permanently stop being involved with a person, place, or situation
It’s time to leave the past behind.

Question 24

propose [/prəˈpəʊz/]

Answer 24

1 SUGGEST [transitive] formal to suggest something as a plan or course of action → proposal
The changes were first proposed last year.
the proposed budget cuts
propose (that)
In his speech he proposed that the UN should set up an emergency centre for the environment.

2 MEETING [transitive] to formally suggest a course of action at a meeting and ask people to vote on it
propose a motion/amendment/resolution etc
The resolution was proposed by the chairman of the International Committee.
propose somebody for something
Mr Leesom proposed Mrs Banks for the position of Treasurer (=he suggested formally that she should be the treasurer).

Question 25

hold somebody responsible/accountable/liable (for something)

Answer 25

to say or decide that someone should accept the responsibility for something bad that happens
If anything happens to her, I’ll hold you personally responsible.

Question 26

advantage [/ədˈvɑːntɪdʒ/]

Answer 26

1 [countable, uncountable] something that helps you to be more successful than others, or the state of having this OPP disadvantage
advantage over
Her experience meant that she had a big advantage over her opponent.
Younger workers tend to be at an advantage (=have an advantage) when applying for jobs.

2 [countable, uncountable] a good or useful feature that something has
advantage of
One of the many advantages of living in New York is that you can eat out at almost any time of day.

Question 27

ultimately [/ˈʌltəmətli/]

Answer 27

finally, after everything else has been done or considered
[sentence adverb]
Ultimately, the decision rests with the child’s parents.
a long but ultimately successful campaign

Question 28

persuasion [/pəˈsweɪʒən/]

Answer 28

1 [uncountable] the act of persuading someone to do something
After a little gentle persuasion, Debbie agreed to let us in.

Question 29

forceful [/ˈfɔːsfəl/]

Answer 29

1 a forceful person expresses their opinions very strongly and clearly and people are easily persuaded by them SYN strong
a forceful personality/character/opponent etc
He gained a reputation as a forceful member of the party.

2 forceful arguments, reasons etc are strongly and clearly expressed SYN powerful
a forceful attack on government policy

Question 30

that’d [/ˈðæt.əd/]

Answer 30

That’d is a spoken form of ‘that would,’ or of ‘that had’ when ‘had’ is an auxiliary verb.

Question 31

we’d [/wid; strong wiːd/]

Answer 31

We’d already eaten.

Question 32

put in

Answer 32

1 put something ↔ in to fix a piece of equipment somewhere and connect it so that it is ready to be used SYN install
We decided to have a new bathroom put in.
2 put something ↔ in to spend time or use energy working or practising something
Dorothy had put in a lot of hard work during her six years as chairperson.
3 put in something written to interrupt someone in order to say something
‘How old are you?’ ‘Sixteen.’ ‘I’m sixteen too, ’ put in Dixie.
4 put something ↔ in to ask for something in an official way
She put in an insurance claim.
We must put in an order by tonight.
put in for something
I put in for a pay increase.