oxford english B2 Flashcards
accommodate
accommodate somebody to provide somebody with a room or place to sleep, live or sit
The hotel can accommodate up to 500 guests.
The aircraft is capable of accommodating 28
passengers.
————————–
accommodate somebody/something to provide enough space for somebody/something
=================
The garage can accommodate three cars.
The old town hall now accommodates a Folk Museum.
altogether
(used to emphasize something) completely; in every way
The train went slower and slower until it stopped altogether.
I don’t altogether agree with you.
I am not altogether happy (= I am very unhappy) about the decision.
It was an altogether different situation.
I’m not altogether convinced, I’m afraid.
amusing
funny and giving pleasure =============== an amusing story/game/incident She writes very amusing letters. I didn't find the joke at all amusing. She told us about an amusing incident that happened on her way home.
artwork
pictures and photographs prepared for books, magazines, etc.
Can you let me have the finished artwork for the poster by Friday?
asset
a person or thing that is valuable or useful to somebody/something
In his job, patience is an invaluable asset.
Being able to speak a foreign language is a major asset.
I’m not sure if his forcefulness is an asset or a liability.
asset to somebody/something She’ll be an asset to the team.
Scotland’s mountain areas are a natural asset to be proud of.
The teachers are the school’s biggest asset.
The tourist industry requires that the country’s cultural assets be made more accessible.
Since his injury, Jones has become more of a liability than an asset to the team.
astonishing
very surprising; difficult to believe
amazing
======================
She ran 100m in an astonishing 10.6 seconds.
I find it absolutely astonishing that you didn’t like it.
During this period London grew at an astonishing rate.
It was an astonishing way for a team captain to behave.
She coped with the press with astonishing skill for a 19-year-old.
The painting was sold at auction for an astonishing $30 million.
Then he had an astonishing piece of luck.
auction
a public sale in which things are sold to the person who offers the most money for them
an auction of paintings
at auction A classic Rolls-Royce fetched (= was sold for) £25 000 at auction.
up for auction The house is up for auction (= will be sold at an auction).
an internet auction site
I try to buy furniture at auctions because it is cheaper that way.
In a reverse auction, the price is driven steadily down.
The estate is holding an auction to raise money.
The goods were put up for sale by auction.
The horse will be put up for public auction.
badge
a small piece of metal or plastic, with a design or words on it, that a person wears or carries to show that they belong to an organization, support something, have achieved something, have a particular rank, etc.
She wore a badge saying ‘Vote for Coates’.
All employees have to wear name badges.
He pulled out a badge and said he was a cop.
parking for disabled badge holders
The police officer flashed his badge.
bargain
a thing bought for less than the usual price
I picked up a few good bargains in the sale.
The car was a bargain at that price.
bargain prices
basement
a room or rooms in a building, partly or completely below the level of the ground ================= Kitchen goods are sold in the basement. a basement flat/apartment She lives in a two-room basement flat.
beside / besides
The preposition beside usually means ‘next to something/somebody’ or ‘at the side of something/somebody’:
Sit here beside me.
The preposition besides means ‘in addition to something’:
What other sports do you play besides hockey?
bias
a strong feeling in favour of or against one group of people, or one side in an argument, often not based on fair judgement
accusations of political bias in news programmes (= that reports are unfair and show favour to one political party)
Employers must consider all candidates impartially and without bias.
Some institutions still have a strong bias against women.
The article examines gender bias in our schools.
Bias often creeps in through the wording of questions.
The newspaper has a clear bias towards the Conservative Party.
There is a systematic bias in favour of employers in this country.
He claims that America’s media has a liberal bias.
Claims of left-wing bias in teaching materials seem to be unfounded.
It’s difficult for any of us to look at a situation without some form of cultural bias.
There is plenty of evidence of gender bias in the classroom.
Many golf clubs are bastions of class bias.
blanket
a large cover, often made of wool, used especially on beds to keep people warm
It’s cold tonight—can I have another blanket?
The baby was wrapped in a blanket.
She pulled the blanket up and went to sleep.
They shivered under their thin blankets.
bound
bound to do/be something certain or likely to happen, or to do or be something
There are bound to be changes when the new system is introduced.
It’s bound to be sunny again tomorrow.
You’ve done so much work—you’re bound to pass the exam.
It was bound to happen sooner or later (= we should have expected it).
These problems were almost bound to arise.
You’re bound to be nervous the first time (= it’s easy to understand).
Synonyms certain
certainty
the state of being certain
There is no certainty that the president’s removal would end the civil war.
I can’t say with any certainty where I’ll be next week.
There seems to be a lack of certainty over what we should do.
It’s difficult to predict with any degree of certainty how much it will cost.
