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BBC noon > pink > Flashcards

pink Flashcards

1
Q

heiress

A

a woman who will receive a money, property or a title when the person who owns it dies

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2
Q

ticks

A

tiny insects which feed on blood

蜱, 壁蝨科昆蟲; 蝨蠅科昆蟲

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3
Q

to pollinate

A

to enable plants to produce seeds and therefore reproduce. Pollination happens when bees, other insects or the wind carry pollen from one plant to another.

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4
Q

secession

A

the political separation and independence of one part of a country

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5
Q

usher in

A

begin something new, welcome a new situation

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6
Q

inaugural

A

the first in a series of important events or activities

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7
Q

conurbations

A

large urban areas where different towns have grown and joined together

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8
Q

to pay tribute to

A

to do something as a mark of respect for someone

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9
Q

the billion dollar question

A

the question everyone wants to know the answer to

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10
Q

soliciting

A

asking for

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11
Q

hoarding

A

buying a large amount more than they need to keep for future use

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12
Q

living quarters

A

rooms to sleep in

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13
Q

towing

A

pulling using a vehicle

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14
Q

acclaimed

A

praised publicly

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15
Q

vowels

A

sounds represented by the letters a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y in English

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16
Q

phonetic

A

said the way it is written

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17
Q

wrapped up

A

folded and arranged neatly

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18
Q

bundles of notes

A

an amount of paper money tied up together in blocks

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19
Q

battalions

A

a military unit

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20
Q

dissidents

A

people who disagree with a political party or government

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21
Q

railed

A

complained angrily

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22
Q

self-imposed exile

A

the choice to live away from one’s own country

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23
Q

sanctioned

A

(here) stopped; 約束力; 認可,同意

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24
Q

shabby

A

(here) unacceptable; not fair; 寒酸

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25
Q

patriotic

A

愛國心的

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26
Q

dodge

A

閃開; 規避

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27
Q

treasure trove

A

a collection of wonderful, valuable objects

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28
Q

lock, stock and barrel

A

those are the three parts of an old-fashioned gun. It’s a term that’s used in English to mean everything.

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29
Q

to stand treat

A

It’s on me. = It’s on my treat. = Let me pay the bill. = Let me foot the bill.

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30
Q

the media coverage

A

all the information given about a particular situation or event in newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, websites etc

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31
Q

to beef up

A

to become big and strong

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32
Q

weedy

A

week

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33
Q

pass up the food chain

A

pass up the food chain

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34
Q

nigh

A

near

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35
Q

engenders

A

causes or equips someone with musical skills

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36
Q

tone-deaf

A

unable to sing in tune or to recognise different melodies

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37
Q

debunk

A

to show something is untrue or unimportant

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38
Q

phobia

A

a fear

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39
Q

a wardrobe

A

all the clothes that someone owns

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40
Q

a far cry from

A

very different from

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41
Q

to line their own pockets

A

to make money for themselves in a selfish way

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42
Q

knee-jerk gimmicks

A

measures which are not properly thought out and designed to get an immediate positive reaction

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43
Q

usher in

A

begin something new, welcome a new situation

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44
Q

secession

A

the political separation and independence of one part of a country

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45
Q

midwives

A

medical staff who help women through the process of childbirth

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46
Q

go down a storm

A

My idea for more holidays went down a storm with my colleagues. (informal; it’s massively successful and enjoyable)

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47
Q

perch

A

a place where a bird rests, such as a branch. Here it is part of an expression “to knock someone off their perch” which means to reduce the status of someone or something

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48
Q

hallow

A

視為神聖, 極度尊敬 «»hollow 中空的

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49
Q

substantive

A

meaningful

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50
Q

altruistic

A

something done for no personal gain

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51
Q

trajectory

A

a curved path

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52
Q

tug

A

用力拉, 拖, 拉

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53
Q

Yes, on the nose! It cost £300.

A

(often money) it is exactly right

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54
Q

forked out for

A

paid a large amount of money for

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55
Q

to circumvent

A

to find a way to avoid obeying a rule or law (skirt: to avoid)

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56
Q

clothe, ?, ?

A

clothe, clad, clad,

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57
Q

movie franchise

A

a series of films produced by the same company with the same characters

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58
Q

humble

A

ordinary

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59
Q

a treadmill

A

a fitness machine used for walking and running; boring/tiring job

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60
Q

It’s not [rocket science], all you have to do is open the tin and heat it up.

A

that’s not complicated or difficult to understand; used with the negative, informal situation

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61
Q

acronym

A

字頭縮寫

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62
Q

gratifying

A

satisfying, pleasing

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63
Q

pawned

A

temporarily exchanged for money

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64
Q

aquifers

A

rocks which contain groundwater

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65
Q

boreholes

A

spaces drilled into the ground in order to extract water, gas or minerals

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66
Q

hospice

A

療養院, 收容所; 旅店

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67
Q

a one-time pad

A

a tool or technique for creating unbreakable codes

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68
Q

pharaoh

A

法老王

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69
Q

aerial

A

大氣的; 天線

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70
Q

pitch

A

a presentation designed to persuade an organisation to select a particular project to support or finance

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71
Q

accolades

A

awards

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72
Q

I take everything he says [with a pinch of salt] because I know he likes to exaggerate

A

you don’t completely believe it

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73
Q

maize

A

Indian crop 淡黃色的玉蜀黍

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74
Q

staple

A

主要產物/食物

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75
Q

to be stranded (somewhere)

A

to be unable to leave a place

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76
Q

blood transfusions

A

adding blood to a person’s body

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77
Q

dope

A

打麻藥, 上癮

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78
Q

handbagging

A

(colloquial) telling off, punishing

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79
Q

abrasive style

A

manner that can cause discomfort to others

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80
Q

state papers

A

official documents

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81
Q

to fetch up to US 160

A

to reach up to US 160

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82
Q

grand

A

(slang) one thousand dollars or pounds

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83
Q

status quo

A

the current situation

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84
Q

change in guard

A

change in leadership

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85
Q

bilateral trade

A

exchange of goods or services between two countries

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86
Q

aquatic

A

水生的, 水產的

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87
Q

a formality

A

almost certainly guaranteed to happen; formality 俗套,禮節

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88
Q

in at the deep end

A

starting her job in the middle of a very difficult situation

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89
Q

at the helm

A

in charge of the organisation

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90
Q

If you ever need someone to fix your computer, ask Bob, he really [knows his onions]!

A

If someone says you know your onions, it means you are experienced in something or you know a lot about a particular subject. So really, it means you’re clever!

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91
Q

wrestle

A

fight by grabbing hold of

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92
Q

to coax

A

to encourage or persuade in a gentle way

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93
Q

a finishing school

A

a place where young women are taught how to behave in high society

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94
Q

to go down well

A

to be successful and popular

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95
Q

to hold your head up high

A

to be confident and proud

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96
Q

taken up the cause

A

become actively involved in a movement

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97
Q

dear

A

expensive (eg. labor’s dear)

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98
Q

felled

A

cut down

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99
Q

a throwback

A

a situation that is similar to something that existed in the past

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100
Q

speculators

A

people who buy and sell goods or shares in a company in the hope of making a profit

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101
Q

infringed its patents

A

used its legally recognised technology without permission (infringed: broken)

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102
Q

outstanding litigation

A

legal disputes which are not yet settled

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103
Q

broadsheets

A

serious newspapers with a larger page format

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104
Q

crass

A

crude and rough (showing no intelligence or sensitivity)

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105
Q

seedier side of life

A

bad/shabby side of life’

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106
Q

it’s a neat idea

A

it’s a (colloquial) good idea

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107
Q

tabloids

A

newspapers of small format giving the news in condensed form, usually with lots of pictures and often providing sensational material

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108
Q

legal tender

A

currency, such as coins and paper money, that can be lawfully used as payment for goods and services

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109
Q

costs a pretty penny

A

is very expensive

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110
Q

inauguration

A

就職典禮

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111
Q

authenticity

A

reality

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112
Q

mimed

A

moved lips along to a song without making a sound

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113
Q

belted out

A

sang very loudly and with a lot of enthusiasm

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114
Q

monarch

A

君主

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115
Q

Anglicans

A

members of the Church of England

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116
Q

anthem

A

聖歌,讚美歌 (national anthem)

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117
Q

forking out

A

spending a lot of money on something

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118
Q

These people are so childish. They need to [act their age not their shoe size.]

A

(If someone thinks you’re being childish, immature, too young for your age)

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119
Q

This is lovely food – they’ve really [gone to town.]

Have you seen the admin team? They’re really going to town on that paperwork.

A

(going to a lot of trouble, making it really special.)

going to a lot of trouble, making a special effort

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120
Q

perjurer

A

作偽證者

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121
Q

gemstone

A

做飾物的寶石; 寶石用礦石

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122
Q

consignments

A

quantities of goods which are sent from one place to another

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123
Q

gained ground

A

had some success

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124
Q

fledgling

A

new and inexperienced

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125
Q

overt support

A

help and assistance which is not secret or hidden

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126
Q

spills over

A

misses its target and lands in other nearby areas

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127
Q

chauffeur

A

(personal) driver

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128
Q

sober

A

清醒的; (飲酒, 用藥) 有節制的

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129
Q

institution

A

something that is strongly linked with a group, e.g. we think of tea as a very British institution really (people link drinking tea with the British)

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130
Q

sobriety

A

to be sensible and not drink too much alcohol

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131
Q

curator

A

person in charge of gathering objects for exhibitions in museums or galleries

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132
Q

hardline

A

very strict and extreme

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133
Q

rhetoric

A

language which is intended to influence people’s emotions and behaviour

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134
Q

halal

A

(of an animal or its meat) killed and prepared in a way which is demanded by Islamic law

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135
Q

Shhhhh! Lower your voice! We don’t want [every Tom, Dick and Harry] to hear us.

A

(informal) lots of unspecified people; Tom is the diminutive of Thomas, Harry is short for Harold, and Dick is short for Richard.

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136
Q

get around

A

travel around

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137
Q

get on with it

A

hurry up or do something you might find difficult

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138
Q

clack

A

撞擊聲; 冗長的談話; 喋喋不休

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139
Q

compact

A

it’s quite small, but everything that’s needed can still fit into it

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140
Q

open and shut case

A

crime which can be solved or explained very easily

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141
Q

an accomplice

A

a person who helps to commit a crime

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142
Q

scouring

A

searching carefully

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143
Q

grinds

A

reduces something to smaller pieces by rubbing it against a harder surface

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144
Q

buckled

A

bent and twisted

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145
Q

a one-off blip

A

a single bad result which won’t be repeated

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146
Q

diminutive

A

very small

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147
Q

match-fixing

A

illegal scheme which involves criminals paying footballers to make sure a game ends in a particular way (e.g. one team loses)

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148
Q

battered

A

磨損的

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149
Q

convention

A

acceptable and agreed way to do something

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150
Q

accountability

A

有責任的,有義務的

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151
Q

stipulated

A

specified as important and necessary

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152
Q

mounting

A

increasing

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153
Q

hutches

A

small structures, used for keeping small animals in, especially rabbits

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154
Q

a molehill

A

a small mound of earth found in a field, which has been left behind by an animal called a mole.

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155
Q

headwinds

A

winds which blow in the opposite direction to the way you are moving

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156
Q

high time

A

an appropriate and right thing to do

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157
Q

to sway

A

to persuade

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158
Q

My auntie is really sad because she had to close her shop. To be honest, [the writing has been on the wall] for her business for a long time.

A

something bad is going to happen to something or someone and there isn’t much you can do about it.

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159
Q

adorns

A

decorates

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160
Q

bloodlust

A

the enjoyment of and desire to see violence

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161
Q

push ahead with

A

continue doing something difficult or unpleasant

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162
Q

court martial

A

(a trial in) a military court which examines accusations against members of the armed forces

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163
Q

to stub out

A

to put a cigarette out (by pushing the remaining part of the cigarette on to a hard surface like an ash tray)

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164
Q

to stub out

A

to put a cigarette out (by pushing the remaining part of the cigarette on to a hard surface like an ash tray)

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165
Q

put that in your pipe and smoke it

A

to accept what you are told, even if you don’t like it

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166
Q

put that in your pipe and smoke it

A

to accept what you are told, even if you don’t like it

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167
Q

cravings

A

strong feelings for doing something (eg. smoking)

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168
Q

cravings

A

strong feelings for doing something (eg. smoking)

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169
Q

to go up in smoke

A

to be a waste of time

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170
Q

to go up in smoke

A

to be a waste of time

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171
Q

the tender age of

A

at an age when you are young and without much experience of the world

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172
Q

orbs

A

round, ball-shaped objects

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173
Q

tainted

A

spoiled

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174
Q

foundered

A

been unsuccessful

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175
Q

If that shop wants to succeed it needs to [take on board] the views of all its customers.

A

understand or accept some information

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176
Q

read over coffee

A

read while drinking coffee

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177
Q

compete with the likes of Google and Apple

A

here, companies such as

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178
Q

trophy

A

獎牌, 戰利品

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179
Q

the brake on

A

the drawback or negative aspect of

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180
Q

sacrosanct

A

considered so important that it cannot be changed

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181
Q

dismantled

A

taken apart

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182
Q

to tap in to

A

to become involved in or to make use of

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183
Q

penknife

A

削皮器

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184
Q

blubber

A

the thick layer of body fat which keeps sea mammals warm

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185
Q

guinea pig

A

someone who takes part in a new experiment or test

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186
Q

cleavage

A

分岔; 乳溝(tight skirts and outfits that

revealed too much cleavage)

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187
Q

conundrum

A

謎語;難題;機智問答

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188
Q

condiment

A

(辛辣)調味品;佐料

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189
Q

syrup

A

糖漿;果汁

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190
Q

misty-eyed

A

feeling that you might start to cry

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191
Q

a weepy

A

=a tearjerker, a film that makes you cry

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192
Q

nostalgic

A

懷舊的,思鄉的

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193
Q

bite size chunks

A

small pieces or ‘bites’ of information that can be consumed quickly

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194
Q

sound bite culture

A

where people prefer to listen to a short piece or ‘bite’ about something rather than read about it. (Many politicians speak in ‘sound bites’ or short sentences when giving interviews to the media)

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195
Q

it’s a crying shame

A

it’s regrettable, unfortunate or unfair

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196
Q

to cry over spilt milk

A

to waste time worrying about something small or something that cannot be changed

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197
Q

to file past

A

to move past (something) one by one

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198
Q

subdued

A

(of colour) not bright; (of sound) not loud

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199
Q

extra-terrestrial

A

that’s something that’s not from our planet

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200
Q

botanical experts

A

people with specialist knowledge of flowers, plants and trees

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201
Q

non-proliferation

A

agreement to limit expansion or development

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202
Q

fanciful

A

unreal or imagined

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203
Q

Anglophone

A

English speaking

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204
Q

censorship

A

deleting parts of books, films, newspapers, etc. that are believed to be unsuitable

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205
Q

heavy-handed

A

using too much force

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206
Q

to walk a fine line

A

to be very careful in finding the right balance

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207
Q

I should have travelled the world when I was young. Now I have a family to take care of. I might have[ missed the boat].

A

it’s too late to take advantage of a good opportunity.

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208
Q

a far cry from

A

extremely different to

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209
Q

austerity package

A

government policy to save money, including large spending cuts

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210
Q

dictionary attack

A

trying an enormous number of words in an effort to discover a password

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211
Q

toxic debt

A

assets such as mortages or financial products which were once valuable and are now difficult to value or possibly worthless

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212
Q

quantitative easing

A

when governments put new money into a country’s national money supply to ease pressure on the economy

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213
Q

vuvuzela

A

musical instrument with a buzzing sound like bees, famous for being played at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa this year

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214
Q

ordeal

A

experience which causes suffering

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215
Q

shed new light on

A

find new information about, make clearer

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216
Q

seclude

A

隱居

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217
Q

papacy

A

教皇任期

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218
Q

to take on

A

to challenge

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219
Q

poachers

A

people who illegally catch or kill animals, birds or fish

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220
Q

tusk

A

獠牙, 長牙

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221
Q

boomerang

A

Australian curved toy that comes back to you when you throw it

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222
Q

sling Sb out

A

ask somebody out of (the home)

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223
Q

calling card

A

evidence that something has been there

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224
Q

exterminators

A

people who kill unwanted pests (such as insects)

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225
Q

urban encroachment

A

the expansion of towns and cities into areas where people do not normally live

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226
Q

antiquities zones

A

sites where items of historical importance have been dug up

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227
Q

bailout deal

A

agreement to do something in exchange for a payment

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228
Q

set to rebel

A

planning to disagree with the proposals

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229
Q

a run on the banks

A

a rush to take out as much money as possible from the banks

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230
Q

teetering on the brink of

A

extremely close to, almost

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231
Q

fortuitous

A

lucky

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232
Q

I know the borough of Milton Keynes well. It’s a charming place… but it [doesn’t/can’t cut the mustard] where tourism is concerned.

A

it’s not good enough.

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233
Q

spills the beans

A

tells or reveals all the secrets

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234
Q

keeps him on his toes

A

helps to make him behave and speak in the best way possible

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235
Q

a stag night / a stag do

A

an evening or weekend event for the man who is getting married and his male friends

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236
Q

a hen night / a hen do

A

an evening or weekend event for the woman who is getting married and her female friends

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237
Q

‘L’ plates

A

learner drivers have cards with the letter ‘L’ on in red that are placed on the car they drive before they pass their driving test

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238
Q

to get behind the wheel

A

to start driving a car

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239
Q

like gold dust

A

an expression used to describe something that is very difficult to get because a lot people want it

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240
Q

nil-all draw

A

no goals were scored by either team

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241
Q

at bay

A

under control

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242
Q

anaesthetic

A

a substance which makes people fall into an extremely deep sleep so that they are unaware of where they are and are unable to feel pain

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243
Q

sporran

A

(Scottland) 毛布袋

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244
Q

midges / midgies

A

small flying biting insects that live in large numbers in parts of the Scottish Highlands

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245
Q

down under

A

an informal expression to refer to Australia

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246
Q

salinity

A

the level of salt in a liquid

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247
Q

inquisitive

A

好奇的; 好追究的, 渴望知識的

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248
Q

a long-haul flight

A

a long distance journey by plane

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249
Q

amaxophobia

A

a fear of travelling in cars

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250
Q

plaster casts

A

copies of statues or other objects made from plaster: a mixture of white powder and water that becomes hard when it dries

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251
Q

cot

A

baby’s bed

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252
Q

noise abatement

A

reduction in noise

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253
Q

to drown out

A

to stop something being heard by making a louder noise

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254
Q

cacophony

A

noisy mix of loud sounds

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255
Q

din

A

loud, unpleasant noise

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256
Q

You have to [have/keep your finger on the pulse] of consumer trends if you want to succeed in business.

A

to be familiar with the latest trends and developments

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257
Q

bureaucrats

A

officials who work for governments or other large organisations and follow rules very strictly

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258
Q

conspiracy

A

planning to carry out illegal activities

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259
Q

anti-graft laws

A

regulations preventing powerful people from obtaining money dishonestly

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260
Q

bluntly

A

honestly or directly

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261
Q

deployed

A

sent or assigned

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262
Q

bobbing

A

moving up and down with the currents of the sea

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263
Q

amassed

A

gathered or collected a large amount

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264
Q

foul

A

make a dirty mess on

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265
Q

grotesque

A

very unpleasant or ugly in appearance

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266
Q

grapples with

A

struggles to deal with

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267
Q

hyped-up

A

exaggerated to a level that is beyond realistic

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268
Q

to romp (around)

A

to move and act in an energetic and lively way (Example: The children love playing in the park, they just romp around having a great time.)

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269
Q

gorse bushes and brambles

A

types of plant that are common in British forests which have sharp parts that can scratch and cause small cuts

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270
Q

harpoon

A

捕鯨用的魚叉

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271
Q

prospective

A

possible or suitable

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272
Q

drive up

A

force to rise or increase

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273
Q

a ground swell

A

fast growth or shift (of opinion)

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274
Q

had a gutful

A

had enough of, or become fed up with the situation

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275
Q

unilateral

A

one-sided, not agreed by everybody involved in a debate

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276
Q

walk this little line

A

achieve a balance or strike a balance

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277
Q

optogenetics

A

the use of optics (the study of light) and genetics (the study of how features and behaviour of living things are passed on through genes) to control things that happen in cells

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278
Q

swapped… for ….

A

gave something in exchange for something else

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279
Q

fascist

A

法西斯主義者(右翼)

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280
Q

a political football

A

a political issue that is continually debated but has not yet been resolved

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281
Q

game-changer

A

something new that is introduced and completely changes the way something is done

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282
Q

to stamp out

A

to stop / to get rid of

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283
Q

to keep an eye on the ball

A

to give your attention to what you should be doing …. keep the politics off the pitch.

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284
Q

to get the boot

A

to be forced to leave your job = the sack(俚)

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285
Q

I’ve paid a lot of money for this posh designer dress that I never use. It is a [white elephant]!

A

it’s large, costs a lot of money to keep and has no useful purpose.

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286
Q

renovate

A

修理, 革新

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287
Q

have a makeover, give something a makeover, get a makeover, need a makeover

A

When you make lots of changes to something so that it looks completely different, fresh, new and much better - you’ve given it a makeover.

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288
Q

amicably

A

pleasantly and in a friendly way, without arguments

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289
Q

disperses

A

spreads out across a large area

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290
Q

agar

A

a thick, clear substance like jelly made from seaweed

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291
Q

credentials

A

證件; 資格, 適合性; here: qualities which make chocolate healthier

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292
Q

gargle

A

the noise made when liquid is moved around at the back of the throat

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293
Q

onomatopoeia

A

(using) words which sound like their meaning

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294
Q

vocal anatomy

A

the physical structure of the inside of the mouth and throat

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295
Q

lip smacking

A

making sounds with the lips, tongue and teeth without using the voice

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296
Q

curvaceous

A

curvy in its shape and pleasing to look at (often used to describe a woman’s body)

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297
Q

to contend with

A

to cope or deal with

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298
Q

arteries

A

here, links or connections (arteries are tubes which carry blood from the heart to the rest of a person’s body)

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299
Q

velodrome

A

sports arena where cyclists compete on a circular track

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300
Q

fault line

A

a long, deep crack in the Earth’s surface

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301
Q

creepy-crawlies

A

an informal expression for insects and spiders….A month in a small, ill-equipped hut in the middle of a rainforest with nothing but unfeasibly large creepy-crawlies for company? (BBC Cambridgeshire)

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302
Q

The economy is [on the up] now that the new government is in power. They’ve already helped to create thousands of new jobs!

A

used to describe something that is improving, or getting better.

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303
Q

porpoises

A

one kind of dolphine

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304
Q

The [battery] of sanctions

A

large number

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305
Q

stealthy

A

moving about in a careful way, trying not to be seen

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306
Q

to get a foot on the property ladder

A

to buy your first house

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307
Q

room to swing a cat

A

lots of space

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308
Q

de-clutter

A

get rid of things you don’t want or need

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309
Q

He’d been [cooking the books] for yearss.

A

change the numbers in a company’s financial records so one can take some of the money illegally.

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310
Q

frontline

A

leading, most important

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311
Q

sequenced the genomes

A

determined the order of genetic material (DNA)

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312
Q

upper abdominals

A

muscles around your belly or stomach

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313
Q

a clean sweep

A

here, winning every award it was nominated for (It wasn’t a clean sweep for The King’s Speech, out of 12 nominations it won in four categories, but Oscar glory is bound to boost the film’s takings at the box office.)

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314
Q

looked to have done

A

seemed as if they had done (though Arsenal looked to have done enough to win…)

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315
Q

a late rally

A

a late improvement

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316
Q

minutes from time

A

very close to the end of the match

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317
Q

chance encounter

A

meeting between two people which is not arranged

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318
Q

billed as

A

publicised or highlighted as

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319
Q

at its disposal

A

available to use (try and match it against huge amounts of information it has at its disposal.)

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320
Q

formidable

A

難以應付的

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321
Q

less well-off

A

poorer people, who have less money than most

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322
Q

underplay

A

低估

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323
Q

in line with

A

matching or according to (statements were being made on the billionaire’s behalf by his family that weren’t in line with his wishes. )

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324
Q

in a frenzy

A

very excited and possibly out of control (Theories about what’s behind the row have the gossip columnists in a frenzy)

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325
Q

cub

A

young (animal); novice

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326
Q

culinary

A

廚房用的, 烹飪的 (culinary pleasure, culinary herbs)

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327
Q

give a lecture in less than royal language

A

loyal language - usually very formal or polite; suggests that she was angry – perhaps even swearing.

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328
Q

to give someone a piece of your mind

A

to tell someone angrily what you think

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329
Q

be steaming with rage

A

be extremely angry

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330
Q

homily

A

short speech on a moral or religious subject

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331
Q

martyr

A

people who suffer or are killed because of their religious beliefs

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332
Q

beatified

A

(after someone’s death) said by officials in the Catholic Church to be an especially good or holy person

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333
Q

persecuted

A

treated very badly or unfairly for a long time

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334
Q

imperil

A

陷入困境, 危殆

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335
Q

daunted by

A

worried, slightly frightened or intimidated by

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336
Q

devout fans

A

people who love and support something or someone with a passion that’s almost religious

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337
Q

monarch

A

here, King

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338
Q

stave off

A

prevent or delay

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339
Q

precarious

A

insecure or uncertain

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340
Q

reassurance

A

advice to make you feel better about something

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341
Q

cockpit

A

area at the front of a plane where the pilot works

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342
Q

commemorating

A

remembering

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343
Q

forage

A

search their surroundings

344
Q

getting their heads down

A

going to sleep

345
Q

hit the sack

A

go to bed

346
Q

to turn in

A

to go to bed

347
Q

forty winks

A

a brief and light sleep

348
Q

tetchy

A

grumpy, unhappy

349
Q

beamed

A

sent out a radio or electrical signal

350
Q

scalp

A

頭皮

351
Q

slushy

A

partly melted

352
Q

lifted

A

(of a law or rule) stopped, ended all for in favour of; agreeing with

353
Q

binoculars

A

an instrument with two small lenses, which make things far way away look bigger 雙筒望遠鏡

354
Q

intricate

A

intricate: complex

355
Q

fitness freak, going to the gym [freaks me out]

A

(informal) fitness fanatic; to make someone feel strong emotions, like panic or fear

356
Q

to get under your skin

A

to annoy, irritate or bother you

357
Q

pet hates

A

small things that you particularly find annoying

358
Q

bugbear

A

something that annoys or irritates you

359
Q

jargon

A

words and phrases that only make sense to people doing the same kind of work

360
Q

a water-cooler moment

A

a time when work colleagues get together by the water-cooler and discuss trivial matters such as something they saw on television

361
Q

Thieves outwitted 80 bodyguards, local police and hotel security to [make off with] the $2.5m necklace.

A

steal

362
Q

balmy

A

pleasantly mild weather

363
Q

wealthier contingent

A

group of people who earn or have more money

364
Q

den

A

獸穴,賊窩

365
Q

subsidiary companies

A

smaller businesses in the same group of companies

366
Q

ember

A

灰燼,餘火

367
Q

uranium

A

鈾

368
Q

sketch in some of the detail

A

give a more complete description

369
Q

antipathy

A

strong feelings of dislike or hostility

370
Q

a gimmick

A

= publicity stunt; something that is not really useful but is intended to get attention and make people interested in something

371
Q

a spieler

A

(negative) someone who is good at making salesman-like speeches

372
Q

articulate

A

someone who is articulate has a good command of language, he or she can express themselves clearly and effectively

373
Q

parkour

A

a sport that mixes running, jumping, climbing and gymnastics

374
Q

acrobatics

A

(use body) gymnastics

375
Q

[I haven’t slept a wink.] It was a really bad idea to move to a flat next to a pub.

A

(I’ve had so little sleep, your eye didn’t even close once!)

376
Q

mangroves

A

trees that grow along coasts or river banks in hot countries (紅樹林)

377
Q

octogenarian

A

someone who is between 80 and 89 years old

378
Q

meditation

A

deep thought or calm relaxation. A lot of people practise meditation as part of their religion

379
Q

polygraph

A

a machine designed to find out if someone is lying

380
Q

to fly the flag

A

to show support for your country

381
Q

hell of a…

A

an informal phrase that emphasises any quality you’re talking about (hell of a view)

382
Q

for all intents and purposes

A

in a practical sense

383
Q

a tantrum

A

a period of anger without control

384
Q

bark

A

the outer covering of a tree

385
Q

sap or resin

A

the thick sweet liquid inside a tree

386
Q

foliage

A

the leaves or the green parts of a plant

387
Q

cones

A

the hard woody fruits of a pine tree

388
Q

bomb squad

A

experts who try to neutralise or stop bombs exploding

389
Q

booby-trapped

A

hidden device intended to explode

390
Q

It could spell the end of …

A

it can mean the end of…

391
Q

a bit of a cop out

A

choosing an easier option that may be disappointing to come

392
Q

brisk

A

quick or rapid

393
Q

canteen

A

dining hall

394
Q

clink

A

(slang) prison

395
Q

revamp

A

change or improvement

396
Q

eleventh hour resignation

A

quit at the last minute

397
Q

kept his counsel

A

has not made any public statements about the situation; has kept his opinions on the subject to himself

398
Q

proceeds

A

revenue or income

399
Q

sludge

A

thick muddy waste product

400
Q

creep up

A

rise slowly, almost as if it was not really noticed

401
Q

Katie used to have a reputation for gossiping and spreading rumours. I’ve heard she’s changed now, but I don’t trust her: [a leopard can’t change its spots].

A

a person can’t change their personality, even if they say they have.

402
Q

to kick your heels

A

to wait impatiently

403
Q

to hang around

A

to spend time somewhere, usually without much purpose

404
Q

to scrap something

A

to get rid of or cancel something

405
Q

serene

A

calm, tranquil or steady

406
Q

a pawn

A

someone who is controlled by someone else (a pawn is the smallest and least valuable piece in a game of chess)

407
Q

ruled

A

officially decided (the court ruled that Jerome Kerviel should take sole responsibility for…)

408
Q

behind bars

A

in prison (He was sentenced to three years behind bars…)

409
Q

resounding

A

significant or substantial

410
Q

devout

A

deeply committed or dedicated

411
Q

constellation

A

group of stars that form a shape in the sky

412
Q

bare necessity

A

basic and essential thing that everyone needs

413
Q

cuddle

A

擁抱, 依偎

414
Q

dram

A

a Scottish word meaning a small drink, usually of whisky or another strong spirit

415
Q

haggis

A

a traditional Scottish dish made from sheep intestines, spices and oats

416
Q

melding

A

joining together (television thriller, melding politics with human drama.)

417
Q

raided

A

(here referring to police) entered, in order to search for criminals or evidence of crime

418
Q

intriguingly

A

interestingly, because of being strange or mysterious

419
Q

larks & owls

A

a famously early-rising bird (morning people) & a type of bird that tends to come out at night (evening people)

420
Q

dawn & dusk

A

when the sun rises & goes down

421
Q

A: I heard that Justin Bieber is going to play a gig at our Christmas party!
B: [Don’t make me laugh] - he’s far too famous to come here.

A

this is something you can say when you think something is not going to happen.

422
Q

smouldering

A

smoking

423
Q

screening calls

A

checking who is calling before deciding whether to answer

424
Q

reconciliation

A

交好 (a symbol of reconciliation is something that shows (the possibility that) two groups with different ideas can agree)

425
Q

bout

A

short period

426
Q

a high water mark

A

the most important time (watershed: 分水嶺)

427
Q

to keep/break a resolution

A

to be successful/unsuccessful in achieving the goals you set yourself

428
Q

untapped

A

unused

429
Q

staked territorial claims

A

argued that the areas belong to their countries

430
Q

supply chute

A

passage for sending essential items

431
Q

shaft

A

long narrow passage

432
Q

nail-biting

A

tense (22 nail-biting minutes)

433
Q

reindeer

A

a type of animal with large horns which pulls Santa’s sleigh

434
Q

sack

A

a large bag

435
Q

sleigh

A

the vehicle which Santa uses to travel across the skies

436
Q

rustic

A

simple or typical of the countryside

437
Q

cyborg

A

a being with both human and robot parts (‘cybernetic organism’)

438
Q

barricade

A

block (using a temporary structure)

439
Q

Molotov cocktails

A

a simple type of bomb made with a bottle filled with petrol

440
Q

gutting it

A

destroying the inside

441
Q

wane

A

decrease

442
Q

twitchy

A

sudden and nervous

443
Q

gaining ground

A

becoming stronger or more successful

444
Q

choked off

A

prevented from happening

445
Q

anthem

A

official song of a particular country or organisation

446
Q

ambivalence

A

having positive and negative feelings at the same time

447
Q

an ode to joy

A

a song about happiness (also, the title of the European Union anthem)

448
Q

a diplomatic fig-leaf

A

a political idea or action that covers up an embarrassing issue (fig-leaf: 遮羞布)

449
Q

This is the best laptop I’ve ever bought. It is very light and has the best features. It is really [the bee’s knees]!

A

something or someone is exceptionally good.

450
Q

blaze

A

火焰, 火光, 火災; 熊熊燃燒, 勃然大怒

451
Q

douse

A

extinguish (a fire)

452
Q

meteorologists

A

professionals who analyse weather conditions

453
Q

amid

A

surrounded by

454
Q

value for money

A

worth what you pay for it (I like value for money from my coffee!)

455
Q

suspended

A

delayed (suspended coffee 待用咖啡)

456
Q

do a good deed

A

do a kind act

457
Q

masonry

A

bricks and stones used to make buildings

458
Q

cordoned off

A

placed behind a rope barrier to prevent people from entering

459
Q

strewn

A

covered untidily

460
Q

gale-force winds

A

very strong movements of air

461
Q

rally against

A

come together to show their disapproval of something

462
Q

rally against

A

come together to show their disapproval of something

463
Q

placards

A

large pieces of card with written messages

464
Q

coup

A

violent attempt to overthrow the government

465
Q

file [lawsuits]

A

legal challenges

466
Q

I hate it when people drop litter in the street - it [does my head in] to see so much rubbish everywhere.
I don’t want to invite Sonia to the Christmas party. She gossips all the time. She really [does my head in.]

A

(slang) it means it is frustrating or annoying.

467
Q

a wealth of experience

A

a wide range of or significant experience

468
Q

complement

A

enhance or improve

469
Q

up for grabs

A

available for anyone to win

470
Q

distend

A

(vt) 膨脹

471
Q

assured

A

strong or confident (How is he able to produce such an assured debut novel?)

472
Q

debut

A

first performance or presentation

473
Q

mitigation

A

緩和

474
Q

Thank you for that mate - you helped so much with the party today. You’re a [legend].

A

(slang) we say someone is a legend if they do something very helpful, very generous or very successfully

475
Q

She had to call her boss ‘Mr’. They certainly weren’t [on first name terms].

A

…

476
Q

to pin down

A

to focus on something - if you pin something down, you are able to see it clearly

477
Q

traumatic

A

when something causes emotion shock and is upsetting

478
Q

contraption

A

machine that looks strange or old-fashioned

479
Q

chopper

A

informal word for helicopter

480
Q

thrown in the towel

A

given up, admitted defeat

481
Q

arbitrary

A

when something is based on chance or without reason

482
Q

articulate

A

express something clearly in words

483
Q

slime

A

sticky liquid substance, often produced by fish and snails

484
Q

bulbous

A

round, looking like a bulb, or like a sphere

485
Q

badly maimed

A

literally, seriously injured, deformed or crippled; here, badly presented, not showing their best, not playing to their strengths (maim: 使殘費/損壞)

486
Q

nanny

A

a woman whose job is to help take care of someone’s children

487
Q

nappies

A

thick pieces of soft cloth or paper fastened between a baby’s legs to catch solid and liquid waste. The American word is diaper.

488
Q

luddite

A

someone who is averse or unwilling to adapt to changes in technology, e.g. someone who refuses to learn how to use a computer or mobile phone

489
Q

antiquarian

A

special or old (often used when referring to books)

490
Q

dog-eared

A

an old, well read book–this means when the pages are all bent and many people have read it

491
Q

homespun

A

traditional cloth made at home

492
Q

When things go wrong for me, they always go badly wrong. [It never rains but it pours!]

A

That’s something that people say when they think they have very big problems.

493
Q

You’re just chasing rainbows.

A

it means you are trying to do something that will never happen

494
Q

That all sounds like a storm in a teacup to me.

A

a person is exaggerating their problems and making their problems sound worse than they actually are.

495
Q

Every cloud has a silver lining!

A

you can always find something positive, even in a bad situation.

496
Q

She has a face like thunder.

A

you are very angry indeed

497
Q

I’m [after] a pair of formal leather shoes.

A

you want it, especially in situations like shopping, or when buying things.)

498
Q

benign

A

safe

499
Q

swab

A

take a small sample from

500
Q

forsaken

A

abandoned

501
Q

comrade

A

member of a communist political party

502
Q

tribunal

A

a special court dealing with particular problems e.g. a war crimes tribunal

503
Q

convulsed in laughter

A

to be overcome by uncontrollable laughter (convulse: 抽搐, 因大笑而晃動)

504
Q

a spate of

A

a number of similar bad events happening in a short space of time

505
Q

anesthetic

A

a substance which make your pain disappear (anesthetic麻醉劑/的; aesthetic審美的)

506
Q

makes my blood boil

A

causes me to be very angry

507
Q

fuming

A

showing anger

508
Q

red mist

A

feeling of extreme anger that stops you thinking clearly (you’re seeing a red mist)

509
Q

breadcrumbs, saffron

A

麵包屑, 藏紅花

510
Q

secreting

A

releasing (secreting chemicals on their skin.)

511
Q

swab

A

take a small sample from

512
Q

tightening our belts

A

spending less money than before

513
Q

going cold turkey

A

an expression to describe the action of stopping something suddenly and completely, for example smoking or drinking alcohol

514
Q

dromedary

A

單峰駱駝

515
Q

to the tune of

A

to more or less this amount

516
Q

waterborne diseases

A

illnesses that are carried by or through water

517
Q

cholera

A

a serious infection of the bowels, passed on through dirty water 霍亂

518
Q

overhaul of regulation

A

complete repair or improvement for the markets’ controlling measures

519
Q

reconciled

A

brought together or made compatible

520
Q

Thingamy

A

unknwon name guy

521
Q

it’s what’s his face/what’s her face

A

it’s sb I forgot his/her name

522
Q

investment arm of the government

A

department trying to make profit by buying and selling assets

523
Q

down in the dumps

A

feeling miserable or unhappy

524
Q

happy-go-lucky

A

describes someone who doesn’t worry about the future

525
Q

hectic

A

busy, lots of things going on

526
Q

digging your heels in

A

strongly resist something despite having a lot of pressure

527
Q

tolled

A

rang slowly and repeatedly

528
Q

well

A

井

529
Q

marred

A

spoilt, made something less good

530
Q

blown out of proportion

A

exaggerated, made worse than it actually is

531
Q

I realised our sales figures are all wrong. Someone has been giving us false information for months…what [a can of worms.]

A

a whole set of new problems

532
Q

botched

A

something that’s been done badly or carelessly

533
Q

looting the contents

A

stealing things (usually carried out by large numbers of people during a violent event or protest)

534
Q

atrocities

A

extremely violent actions

535
Q

be held to account

A

be forced to take responsibility for

536
Q

mind-blowing

A

intensely strange and exciting

537
Q

opus

A

great work of art or literature

538
Q

pulp

A

soft, soggy mass of crushed wood used to make paper

539
Q

I’ll give you a call/buzz/tinkle/bell later tonight.

A

I’ll give you a call.

540
Q

He’s on the dog/phone/blower.

A

He’s on the phone.

541
Q

gruelling

A

tiring

542
Q

final arbiters

A

people who have the official, as well as moral right to take a decision in a dispute

543
Q

snug

A

舒適的, 安全的(如外面風雨交加,而人在屋內很舒適)

544
Q

valuables

A

valuable things/stuff

545
Q

in active service

A

while fighting in a war (for an army)

546
Q

marsupial

A

animals, often found in Australia, that carry their young in a pocket of skin called a pouch

547
Q

centenary

A

(day or year) 100 years after an event

548
Q

the bloc

A

the group of countries

549
Q

treason

A

the crime of being disloyal to your country

550
Q

lucid

A

clear and easy to understand

551
Q

savouring the moment

A

enjoying the experience

552
Q

an epic victory

A

an impressive win

553
Q

to take hold

A

to become established

554
Q

no contest to…

A

a legal plea where someone neither admits guilt nor claims innocence of the charges

555
Q

inpatient rehabilitation programme

A

a course to help people rejoin society after receiving medical care (rehabilitate: 修復,重建)

556
Q

a billion plus

A

over a billion (a billion plus people)

contentious: causing disagreement

557
Q

grand slam

A

大滿貫

558
Q

watered down

A

diluted, made less strong

559
Q

ore

A

礦,礦砂 (iron ore)

560
Q

quarry

A

a place where natural resources are dug out of the ground

561
Q

sidestep

A

avoid something difficult

562
Q

coffers

A

the money that an organisation has in its bank accounts

563
Q

We went to my sister’s wedding at the weekend. Everyone [had a ball] – it was so much fun.

A

have a good time

564
Q

adorning

A

decorating, making a place or thing look beautiful

565
Q

to collocate

A

if two words collocate, they go together naturally, in a way that sounds right to native speakers of the language

566
Q

a smattering

A

a very small amount

567
Q

The salesman went on and on about the computer’s new features till I told him: “[Cut to the chase!] What is the price?”

A

to get to the point

568
Q

for dear life

A

using all your strength or effort to avoid danger or serious trouble

569
Q

precarious

A

dangerous - because not firmly fixed or likely to fall (precarious rescue)

570
Q

pervasive

A

noticeable everywhere; becoming widespread

571
Q

en masse

A

together as a group

572
Q

transgression

A

breaking of the law or moral rules

573
Q

to pine for something

A

to miss something very much (I pine for my home)

574
Q

ex pat communities

A

groups of people from the same country who live abroad

575
Q

a crossbow

A

a weapon which fires arrows, known as bolts, which is used by hunters

576
Q

a chainsaw

A

a power tool used for cutting down trees and cutting wood

577
Q

literally imploded

A

actually failed suddenly and was completely unable to operate or work together

578
Q

descended into farce

A

quickly became a silly or meaningless situation

579
Q

excruciating

A

very embarrassing

580
Q

recriminations

A

arguments between people who are blaming each other

581
Q

hinterland

A

part of the country that’s far away from the major city areas

582
Q

extortion

A

using violence or threats against someone to get something

583
Q

loan-sharking

A

illegally lending money and charging very high rates of interest

584
Q

reticence

A

寡言

585
Q

stonewalling

A

refusing to answer questions either by not talking or by giving very limited answers

586
Q

patchy

A

補丁,零散

587
Q

a humiliating drubbing

A

a very embarrassing defeat or loss

588
Q

abating

A

becoming less strong (with the wind and rain abating, the city …)

589
Q

abating

A

becoming less strong (with the wind and rain abating, the city …)

590
Q

My team is bound to lose this weekend now that our best player is [out of the picture]. He broke his leg yesterday.

A

we don’t count on them anymore. They are no longer involved in a particular situation.

591
Q

photogenic

A

上相

592
Q

terrace; terrine; terrestrial

A

門廊,陽台; 世俗的; 陸地的

593
Q

arcade; corridor

A

拱廊,騎樓 ; 走廊,通道,迴廊

594
Q

terrace; terrine; terrestrial

A

門廊,陽台; 世俗的; 陸地的

595
Q

arcade; corridor

A

拱廊,騎樓 ; 走廊,通道,迴廊

596
Q

trial; trail

A

試驗; 跟蹤,追蹤

597
Q

hunky-dory

A

good or going well

598
Q

to abdicate

A

to give up power

599
Q

terracotta

A

hard, baked clay; often red/brown in colour

600
Q

patronage

A

贊助

601
Q

Well, touch wood, we all have good health. But [touch wood] that my health remains for a long time yet.

A

(informal) with luck

602
Q

effectively condoned

A

in effect given its approval of

603
Q

plaster cast

A

石膏模

604
Q

remnants

A

small parts of something that are left

605
Q

pigs’ udders, tripe, trotter

A

豬乳,肚,腳

606
Q

pleat

A

fold (pleated: piece of cloth folded and sewed together)

607
Q

choreographed

A

designed dance movements

608
Q

Mark had a beef with his wife over parking their car. He thought she always parked it very badly.

A

beef: complaint or disagreement.

609
Q

let fly a stream of profanities

A

said a lot of rude words in an angry way

610
Q

job-hopping

A

moving from job to job

611
Q

treading a cautious line

A

being very careful and trying not to make the situation worse (tread: 踩)

612
Q

a serious lapse in judgement

A

making a very bad decision

613
Q

in tatters

A

badly damaged or completely spoiled

614
Q

tied the knot

A

got married

615
Q

laureate

A

(n)a person who has been given a high-level award for their ability or achievements (such as a Nobel Prize); (adj)卓越的

616
Q

crumbs of comfort

A

small positive signs

617
Q

a diplomatic thaw

A

improving relations between two countries

618
Q

to have some nosh

A

(slang) have some food or to have a meal. The word ‘nosh’ literally means (n)’food’ or ‘a meal’ / (v)’eat’.

619
Q

crumbs of comfort

A

small positive signs

620
Q

springs to mind

A

arrives as a sudden thought (Think of Venice and water probably springs to mind.)

621
Q

hits the senses

A

immediately makes you see, hear, smell, taste and feel it. (Here amid the smokey haze of the bush, the heat hits the senses.)

622
Q

silverware

A

a large silver cup given as the prize for winning a sporting competition

623
Q

jittery

A

nervous

624
Q

stay put

A

not move

625
Q

waistcoat

A

a sleeveless garment worn on the upper body over a shirt and usually having buttons down the front

626
Q

glam

A

short for ‘glamorous’, i.e. dressed and/or made up to be extremely good-looking and very fashionable

627
Q

Alex, can you tidy up all your [bits and bobs / bits and pieces]?

A

small things, or many different types of little jobs

628
Q

cleft lips and palates

A

唇顎裂

629
Q

unfurl

A

unroll, spread out

630
Q

crackdown

A

supression

631
Q

a phasing in period

A

a period of time when clubs can get ready to follow the rules (though in this time they can choose to follow the rules or not)

632
Q

benefactors

A

people who give money to help an organization, society or person
consistently operate outside the parameters: repeatedly do not obey the rules

633
Q

anonymous ; unanimous

A

匿名的; 無異議的

634
Q

grimy

A

dirty

635
Q

to thrash out

A

to work together to come to an agreement

636
Q

the verdict

A

the legal decision given by a court

637
Q

my other half / my better half

A

couples refer to the other / the husband refers to his wivfe

638
Q

disposable income

A

money that is left after paying for everyday things like bills (disposable: 免洗的, 可隨意使用的)

639
Q

woefully

A

badly, poorly (woefully inadequate)

640
Q

ginger quiff

A

hairstyle, worn usually by men, in which the hair at the front of the head is brushed up. If your hair is ginger, it’s red or orange

641
Q

a golliwog

A

an old-fashioned child’s toy made of soft material, in the form of a small man with a black face and stiff black hair. The term ‘golliwog’ is nowadays considered racist when it is used to refer to a black person

642
Q

This party should really [go with a bang] now that the band is playing.

A

it’s a success, it’s very exciting.

643
Q

wispy

A

一小把的, 細微的

644
Q

cumulus, stratus, cirrus and nimbus

A

積雲,層雲,捲雲,雨雲

645
Q

swamp

A

an area of wet, soft land

646
Q

stench

A

very bad smell, especially of decay (the stench of rotting corpses)

647
Q

canny investments

A

cleverly putting money into a business in the hope of making profits in the future

648
Q

at half-mast

A

(of a flag) raised only half-way up a flag-pole (rather than being at the very top of the pole as usual) as a mark of respect (The Chinese flag is flying at half-mast across the country)

649
Q

mastheads

A

top section on the front page of a newspaper, where the name of the newspaper is printed

650
Q

I’m [full of beans]

A

full of energy/enthusiasm

651
Q

gruelling

A

extremely tiring and difficult, needing great effort and determination

652
Q

pureed

A

mashed into a smooth sauce by crushing

653
Q

ratified

A

made (an agreement become) official

654
Q

parasols

A

a type of sunshade which looks a bit like an umbrella designed to provide shade from the sun

655
Q

baste

A

to grease a piece of meat while it is cooking (塗烤油)

656
Q

a pariah

A

someone (or here, a country) who is not accepted by a social group, especially because he, she or it isn’t trusted.

657
Q

memorabilia

A

objects that are collected because they are connected with a person or event which is thought to be very interesting

658
Q

thronging

A

crowded, full of people

659
Q

subterranean

A

under the ground

660
Q

whisks

A

takes something somewhere else suddenly and quickly

661
Q

accede

A

agree to do what someone else wants

662
Q

accede

A

agree to do what someone else wants

663
Q

their name has been dragged through the mud

A

their reputation has been insulted by the things someone (here, the writer Lalie Walker) has said about them

664
Q

The politicians talked for hours but they couldn’t come to an agreement; they were just [going round in circles]

A

If you do something for a long time without achieving any results and you always come back to the same problem. You don’t make any progress.

665
Q

crescendoing

A

getting more powerful

666
Q

John kept saying he couldn’t run very fast but he still won the race; I think he was just [fishing for compliments]

A

trying to get someone to say something good about you.

667
Q

cuddly

A

something you want to hug

668
Q

snuggling up to

A

moving itself close to another thing for comfort

669
Q

den

A

home for (some) animals

670
Q

sedate

A

slow or gentle

671
Q

coalesce

A

join and grow together (This unity may coalesce around a determination to push South Africa further down the road of non-racialism)

672
Q

on site

A

in the same area

673
Q

disparaging

A

being critical, scornful, belittling and giving a negative view of (comments disparaging bullfighters)

674
Q

a matador

A

a bullfighter, a person who fights and kills bulls to entertain people

675
Q

My brother doesn’t take anything seriously. He [takes the mickey] out of our parents and teachers all the time.

A

to laugh at them or make fun of them

676
Q

mogul

A

powerful and important person in a particular business

677
Q

the turf

A

the area of short, thick grass where people play football

678
Q

hobbled

A

walked uncomfortably and in pain

679
Q

clutching

A

holding tightly

680
Q

tendon

A

肌腱

681
Q

hitch

A

problem, difficulty

682
Q

in lieu of

A

in place of

683
Q

erratically

A

irregularly

684
Q

hectic

A

busy, chaotic

685
Q

acceptance speech

A

formal talk given usually to a large number of people on a special occasion when you are being awarded something

686
Q

had to be content

A

accepted a situation (not winning many prizes) which is not exactly what you wanted or expected (the film-maker James Cameron had to be content with three awards out of nine nominations)

687
Q

is being blown out of proportion

A

is being made to seem much more serious than it actually is

lapse in judgement: unexpectedly bad decision

688
Q

relieved of their duties

A

had their jobs taken away, are no longer allowed to work

689
Q

dissent

A

expression of opinions which are different from the officially accepted ones

690
Q

draconian

A

very severe

691
Q

divisive

A

causing strong disagreement within a community

692
Q

a nod to

A

an acknowledgement of, in recogition of (In a nod to a glitch in the opening ceremony, part of the Olympic cauldron which couldn’t be lit two weeks ago was set alight to kick off the closing.)

693
Q

a glitch in

A

a small problem or fault that stops something from working properly

694
Q

cauldron

A

very large, round metal pot that is used on fires, here, used to hold the Olympic flame

695
Q

a vindaloo

A

a very spicy Indian dish usually made from meat and lots of spices, including chilli peppers and garlic

696
Q

a poppadom

A

a thin, light, crispy fried dish made from rice flour and ground lentils, usually eaten as a snack with sauces

697
Q

a mild korma

A

a creamy curry made with yoghurt which does not contain much chilli pepper

698
Q

tarnished…

A

spoiled, stained, ruined

699
Q

unscathed

A

was not affected or damaged (Machu Picchu survived the rains unscathed)

700
Q

the high street

A

a typical street in the centre of a town or village, where everyday shops and businesses are located

701
Q

a knock-down price

A

an extremely cheap price

702
Q

footage

A

piece of film showing a particular event (video footage)

703
Q

butchered

A

killed and cut into pieces

704
Q

chariot

A

戰車

705
Q

belches

A

releases air from the stomach through the mouth noisily

706
Q

canister

A

metal container in the shape of a cylinder

707
Q

scrapped

A

cancelled, abandoned

708
Q

to shore up

A

to support and strengthen something that is weak

709
Q

to engulf

A

to overwhelm, to become stronger than

710
Q

largesse

A

great kindness and promises to give large amounts of money

711
Q

vetted

A

checked or examined something carefully to make sure it is acceptable or suitable. (it is supposed to be vetted by a special commission that will check standards.)

712
Q

This extremely strange weather has [stumped] all the experts.

A

it means you’re stuck and don’t know what to say or do.

713
Q

You’ll have to [stump up] first!

A

a phrasal verb meaning to pay for something, usually without wanting to.

714
Q

the mutual recriminations

A

The situation in which both countries blame each other

715
Q

perpetrators

A

people who do harmful, dishonest or illegal activities

716
Q

a putative date

A

a date which is believed to be correct

717
Q

snooping

A

watching someone secretly without them knowing

718
Q

impede

A

make more difficult

719
Q

no mean feat

A

a great achievement

720
Q

to rove freely

A

to travel easily

721
Q

tenacious

A

determined and hard-working

722
Q

get to the bottom of

A

find out the truth about (This trial is attempting to get to the bottom of the scheming of the Mafia)

723
Q

scheming

A

plotting

724
Q

magistrate

A

an official who acts as a judge in a court for small crimes

725
Q

earmarked

A

chosen and kept for a particular purpose (usually used about money) (explosives that was earmarked for the job)

726
Q

staring into the abyss

A

looking to a future situation which will be difficult (this government is staring into the abyss of a rapidly ageing society)

727
Q

the highest grossing movie

A

the film which has taken most money from people going to see it

728
Q

to be in pole position to do well

A

to be a strong favourite and most likely to win (He is now considered to be in pole position to do well at the Oscars.)

729
Q

blockade

A

when a factory is surrounded by workers to stop goods (here, beer) from going in or out

730
Q

If you don’t mind, I’ll [take a rain check] on the drinks tonight. Can we make next week?

A

I won’t do it immediately but I would like to do it at another time.

731
Q

social death

A

embarrassing situation

732
Q

mollycoddling

A

over protecting or doing too much for someone

733
Q

to give you the edge in the workplace

A

to have an advantage in the workplace

734
Q

harrowing

A

extremely frightening or upsetting (harrowing 7,500-mile detour)

735
Q

a tingling sensation

A

a feeling as if a lot of sharp points are being put quickly and lightly into your body or onto your skin

736
Q

mauled

A

injured (used for animals)

737
Q

the high seas

A

parts of the sea that are far from land

738
Q

a nuisance

A

an annoying thing

739
Q

makeshift

A

poor quality, made of whatever material is available

740
Q

mausoleum

A

a building in which the bodies of dead people are buried

741
Q

advocacy groups

A

groups of people who strongly and publicly support an idea

742
Q

androgynous

A

of an undefined sex - neither male nor female

743
Q

bobsleigh

A

sleigh = sledge

744
Q

slalom

A

a race, in which people move around a series of poles, turning first one way and then the other (usually skiing)

745
Q

plougher

A

plough=plow 犁田機, 剷雪機

746
Q

moguls

A

piles of snow you jump over when skiing

747
Q

hurtle

A

move very quickly without much control

748
Q

boozing

A

drinking alcohol (informal)

749
Q

drinking den

A

place where people go to drink alcohol

750
Q

tavern

A

saloon=pub

751
Q

bunker

A

a place that is usually underground and built to protect people from bullets or bombs.

752
Q

The play got really bad reviews and almost no one came to see it, but the theatre owner said he wouldn’t [pull the plug] on it.

A

we are going to stop spending time or money on it.

753
Q

My mother is furious with me. I forgot to do my homework again so I’m [in the doghouse].

A

someone is in the doghouse’ if they’ve annoyed another person.

754
Q

I don’t want arguments at the dinner table! Let’s not talk about football or politics – let’s just [chew the fat] about other things.

A

to talk in a friendly way, socially, without actually exchanging too much serious information. Maybe gossip a bit…

755
Q

Since my friend’s father died, I don’t know what to say to him: it’s like [treading on eggshells].

A

you are being careful about what you say.

756
Q

archipelago

A

a group of islands

757
Q

young Hispanic and African-American men [have the odds stacked against] them in US society.

A

be very unlikely to succeed due to difficult surrounding circumstances.

758
Q

haggle over fares

A

attempting to decide a price which is acceptable to both the passenger and the driver

759
Q

rickety

A

in bad condition and likely to break (eg. rickety old vehicles)

760
Q

desecrating

A

damaging or showing no respect towards something

761
Q

cemetery

A

公墓

762
Q

brasserie

A

(a French word which is used in English) small restaurant or cafe which sells cheap, simple food

763
Q

street urinal

A

public male toilet

764
Q

My football team was always top of the Premiership, but since Manchester United signed that new player, [the boot’s on the other foot] now.

A

it means the situation is now the opposite of what it was.

765
Q

epic

A

extremely large, long or complex

766
Q

multiplex

A

a large building that contains many separate cinema screens

767
Q

slur

A

中傷, 誹謗, 汙辱

768
Q

to get accredited

A

to ensure they are allowed to attend

769
Q

ratified

A

officially approved

770
Q

an interim agreement

A

an agreement that will be valid until a more long-term one can be signed, a temporary agreement

771
Q

frenetic

A

狂熱的, 激動的, 數量多的 (frenetic diplomatic activity: a great number of high-level meetings and talks between people who manage relations between the two countries)

772
Q

pomp

A

formal, colourful ceremony

773
Q

auspicious

A

successful, favourable or important

774
Q

underground racket

A

secret and illegal activity that makes money

775
Q

stark

A

simple, plain or not containing anything that is not necessary

776
Q

repercussions

A

consequences, results (It would also greatly improve life expectancy of HIV patients, with repercussions for families and the workforce.)

777
Q

defaulting on

A

being unable to pay off (consequences of defaulting on their personal loans.)

778
Q

culminated in

A

ended in, resulted in (her struggle with Sharia law that culminated in her arrest in a Khartoum restaurant for wearing slacks)

779
Q

slacks

A

loose trousers

780
Q

breaching

A

breaking or not obeying

781
Q

flog

A

whip or hit someone severely with something (a piece of leather or stick, for example)

782
Q

to shore up

A

here, to increase (literally, if you shore something up, you support it to stop it failing)

783
Q

If you want to succeed in business, you have to work harder than your competitors. You’ve got to [go the extra mile.]

A

to make more effort than usual to achieve their objectives.

784
Q

appalling

A

嚇人的, 驚駭人的

785
Q

exasperated

A

very frustrated……

786
Q

stump

A

the roots and the base of the trunk of a fallen tree

787
Q

astrologers

A

people who believe that the movement of the stars at our birth and at other times influences how we behave and what happens to us

788
Q

How old am I? Well, let’s just [brush over] that and say I’m as old as I feel!

A

to ignore something or miss it out.

789
Q

plundered

A

robbed of valuable items

790
Q

signatory

A

person, organisation or country that has signed an official document

791
Q

drum up

A

to create interest, support or business (to drum up more business)

792
Q

apartheid

A

the political system that existed in the past in South Africa, in which only white people had political rights and power

793
Q

apartheid

A

the political system that existed in the past in South Africa, in which only white people had political rights and power

794
Q

menstrual cycle

A

(MC) the repeated process of changes in which a woman’s body prepares to become pregnant

795
Q

cardinals

A

紅衣主教, 深紅色

796
Q

payroll

A

list of people employed by an organisation showing how much each one earns (薪資表)

797
Q

After the new football manager had a few wins [under his belt], he felt more confident.

A

it means they have a particular experience already - something that might help them in the future.

798
Q

palaeontologist

A

person whose job is to study fossils as a way of getting information about the history of life on Earth

799
Q

facing foreclosure

A

dealing with the prospect of losing their houses because they
cannot afford to pay back the loan the bank gave them to buy it.

800
Q

The name will come to me soon, it’s [on the tip of my tongue]… ah yes, his name is Paul.

A

There is some information you can’t quite remember, but hopefully will soon.

801
Q

flotilla

A

large group of boats or small ships

802
Q

glum

A

disappointed, unhappy; looking sad

803
Q

whizzes

A

moves very fast

804
Q

meteorite

A

piece of rock from space that has fallen to Earth

805
Q

inquisitive

A

keen to learn and ask questions

806
Q

her [girl next door image] was shattered in August

A

someone who is sweet, wholesome, modest and easy-going and seen as very feminine in the traditional way

807
Q

pleaded for leniency

A

asked for a less severe punishment; asked to show mercy

808
Q

breach

A

缺口

809
Q

a real nuisance

A

annoying and/or irritating them a great deal

810
Q

stamp it out

A

if you stamp something out, you put an end to it/eradicate it

811
Q

cast and crew members run amok

A

the film’s actors and technicians are moving around quickly in a way that seems dangerous or out of control

812
Q

discernible

A

able to be seen or noticed

813
Q

swat

A

hit with a flat object (especially an insect)

814
Q

python

A

蟒蛇

815
Q

next of kin

A

your next of kin is your closest relative

816
Q

eulogies

A

speeches that praise somebody very highly (especially tributes to somebody who has died)

817
Q

pecking order

A

禽鳥的強弱次序 (corporate pecking order: hierarchy of companies=> a hierarchy is a system in society that is not written down as law where someone is considered more or less important than someone else)

818
Q

cornflakes

A

玉米片

819
Q

stew over

A

think over (I give you Neil a question to stew over)

820
Q

abstaining

A

not doing something

821
Q

intoxicated

A

drunk; unable to behave normally because you have drunk too much alcohol (some young people in the UK who drink far more than that and get intoxicated)

822
Q

let my hair down

A

relax and enjoy myself

823
Q

binge drinking:

A

drinking a lot of alcohol in a short space of time (teenagers were known
for binge drinking)

824
Q

The police have been looking for a local man who doesn’t mind selling mobile phones that [fell off the back of a lorry.]

A

it was received in suspicious circumstances. It was probably stolen.

825
Q

pendants and ceramics

A

special necklaces (which have an object hanging from them) and objects jugs, cups, containers, etc.) made from clay that has been heated

826
Q

the foetal position

A

lying curled up (the foetal position describes how an unborn child lies when developing inside its mother while she is pregnant)

827
Q

of high calibre

A

with participants who have very good skills and abilities

828
Q

shenanigans

A

deceitful, questionable acts

829
Q

I can’t work in this office. There’s [not enough room to swing a cat]! Where will I put my books and my computer?

A

a place is much too small.

830
Q

bouncer

A

someone who works in a bar or club and stops trouble or violence from happening

831
Q

proteges

A

young people who are trained by older (and often famous) people

832
Q

virulent

A

dangerous and fast-spreading

833
Q

One thing is true: your [cold feet] saved you from your hot head.

A

to lack the confidence or courage to do something.

834
Q

morbid fascination

A

an interest in things to do with death and destruction

835
Q

macabre

A

unpleasant or shocking because they are related to death

836
Q

bemused drivers

A

confused drivers

837
Q

back down

A

admit that he is wrong (Mr Catoire is refusing to back down, saying he’ll challenge the decision in court.)

838
Q

decimated

A

damaged or destroyed a lot of something

839
Q

iguana

A

a large lizard of tropical America

840
Q

endemic

A

very common in a particular place

841
Q

suckers for

A

people who are particularly fond of something (the word ‘sucker’ can be used to describe people who are easily manipulated and who do not think for themselves)

842
Q

census

A

official enquiry to find out the number of people who live in a country and other information about them. A census is carried out by government officials who go to people’s homes and ask questions about the people who live there

843
Q

choreographed

A

created a sequence of actions which comprise a performance 舞蹈藝術

844
Q

parasite

A

living thing which lives inside other larger living things and uses them for food

845
Q

ticket touts

A

people who buy tickets for an event in order to resell them at a higher price

846
Q

dodgy

A

dishonest, unreliable, (sometimes) illegal

847
Q

silver bullet

A

one simple solution to solve a problem

848
Q

artisans

A

craftsmen; workers who are good at producing objects with their hands

849
Q

we need [blue-sky thinking] and we need to [push the envelope] if we want to succeed in the current market.

A

having ideas which are very original, even if they’re not practical or realistic; go even further than others and do things that might be new or risky or even dangerous! That’s: push the envelope.

850
Q

Jane [smelt a rat] when she read a job advert for actresses in the newspaper. It said “no training or experience required”, but they wanted someone “good-looking and open-minded”.

A

we’re suspicious of someone: we feel there’s something wrong.

851
Q

pilot scheme

A

small-scale experiment designed to test a product before it is launched

852
Q

pristine

A

very clean; in excellent condition

distilled: made pure

853
Q

barges

A

flat-bottomed boats used to transport heavy loads up and down a river or canal

854
Q

convalescing

A

resting and recovering after an illness or unpleasant experience (Yevkurov was still convalescing after surviving an assassination attempt in June.)

855
Q

at the pinnacle

A

here, the most important people in the industry (Even at the pinnacle, some like airline captain Bob Poster feel the squeeze.)

BBC noon (2 decks)

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