reading-vocabulary

Question 1

Hard drug

Answer 1

an addicting drug capable of producing severe physical or psychological dependence, as heroin.

Question 2

Soft drug

Answer 2

a drug, usually illicit(غيرقانوني), that does not produce significant psychological or physical dependence.

Question 2

Get in/into

Answer 2

to become associated with:

He got in with a bad crowd.

Question 3

At the end of your tether

Idm

Answer 3

Mainly UK (US usually at the end of your rope) having no strength or patience left:

By six o’clock after a busy day I’m at the end of my tether.

Question 4

take steps

Answer 4

to set about putting something into operation; begin to act:

I will take steps to see that your application is processed.

Question 5

tether verb, noun
BrE / teðə(r) /
NAmE / teðər /

Answer 5

verb
~ sth (to sth)
to tie an animal to a post so that it cannot move very far
> He tethered his horse to a tree.
noun
a rope or chain used to tie an animal to sth, allowing it to move around in a small area

Question 6

mean verb, adjective, noun
BrE / min /
NAmE / min /

Answer 6

adjective ( mean • er , mean • est )
1 not generous
unkind
2 ~ (to sb) ( of people or their behaviour ) unkind, for example by not letting sb have or do sth
> Don’t be so mean to your little brother!
angry/violent
3 ( especially NAmE ) likely to become angry or violent
> That’s a mean-looking dog.
poor
7 ( literary ) poor and dirty in appearance
> mean houses/streets

Question 7

Tip off

Phr v

Answer 7

give information about sth in a confidential way

tip-off
noun
( especially BrE )
( NAmE usually tip ) ( informal )
secret information that sb gives, for example to the police, to warn them about an illegal activity that is going to happen
> The man was arrested after an anonymous tip-off.

Question 8

lash verb, noun
BrE / læʃ /
NAmE / læʃ /

Answer 8

verb
1 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] to hit sb/sth with great force
syn : pound
4 [ transitive ] ~ sth + adv./prep. to fasten sth tightly to sth else with ropes

Question 9

wind up (informal)
BrE / waɪnd /
NAmE / waɪnd /
( wound , wound / BrE waʊnd ; NAmE waʊnd / )

Answer 9

( of a person ) to find yourself in a particular place or situation
I always said he would wind up in prison.
~ doing sth We eventually wound up staying in a little hotel a few miles from town.
+ adj. If you take risks like that you’ll wind up dead.

Question 10

unlawful 
BrE   / ʌnlɔfl / 
NAmE   / ʌnlɔfl / 
  adjective
 ( formal )

Answer 10

not allowed by the law
syn: illegal , opp: lawful
un • law • ful • ly / BrE ʌnlɔfəli ; NAmE ʌnlɔfəli / adverb

Question 11

unfold
BrE / ʌnfəʊld /
NAmE / ʌnfoʊld /
verb

Answer 11

2 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] to be gradually made known; to gradually make sth known to other people
> The audience watched as the story unfolded before their eyes.
> Dramatic events were about to unfold.
>~ sth (to sb) She unfolded her tale to us.

Question 12

tabloid
BrE / tæblɔɪd /
NAmE / tæblɔɪd /
noun

Answer 12

1 a newspaper with small pages (usually half the size of those in larger papers)
Full of pictures and its not that serious

Question 13

drop out (phr v)

Answer 13

abandon a course of study

> she dropped out of school in sixth grade.

Question 14

flee 
BrE   / fli / 
NAmE   / fli / 
  verb 
( fled ,  fled   / BrE   fled ;  NAmE   fled / )  [ intransitive ,  transitive ,  no passive ]

Answer 14

to leave a person or place very quickly, especially because you are afraid of possible danger

> She burst into tears and fled.
~ from sb/sth a camp for refugees fleeing from the war
~ to…/into… He fled to London after an argument with his family.
~ sth He was caught trying to flee the country.

Question 15

be mixed up in

Answer 15

involve in sth dubious or dishonest

> They never wanted their son to be mixed up in a drug dealer group.

Question 16

in • timi • date 
BrE   / ɪntɪmɪdeɪt / 
NAmE   / ɪntɪmɪdeɪt / 
  verb 
   intimidation   / BrE   ɪntɪmɪdeɪʃn ;  NAmE   ɪntɪmɪdeɪʃn /   noun   [ uncountable ]

Answer 16

~ sb (into sth/into doing sth)
to frighten or threaten sb so that they will do what you want
> They were accused of intimidating people into voting for them.
> She refused to be intimidated by their threats.
> the intimidation of witnesses

Question 17

petition noun, verb
BrE / pətɪʃn /
NAmE / pətɪʃn /

Answer 17

2 [ intransitive ,  transitive ] ~ (sb) (for sth) | ~ sb/sth to do sth to formally ask for sth in court
> to petition for divorce

Question 18

welfare
BrE / welfeə(r) /
NAmE / welfer /
noun

Answer 18

2 practical or financial help that is provided, often by the government, for people or animals that need it
The state is still the main provider of welfare.
> child welfare
> a social welfare programme
> welfare provision/services/work

Question 19

urge verb, noun
BrE / ɜdʒ /
NAmE / ɜrdʒ /

Answer 19

verb
1 to advise or try hard to persuade sb to do sth
> ~ sb to do sth She urged him to stay.
Police are urging anyone who saw the accident to contact them immediately.
> ~ that… The report urged that all children be taught to swim.
> ~ (sb) + speech ‘Why not give it a try?’ she urged (him).
noun
a strong desire to do sth
> sexual urges
> ~ to do sth I had a sudden urge to hit him.

Question 20

track sb down

Answer 20

find someone /something after a thorough search

Question 21

lost cause noun

Answer 21

something that has failed or that cannot succeed

> The game looked a lost cause when the score reached 6–0.

Question 22

be hard-pressed to do sth

Answer 22

find sth very difficult to do

Question 23

ghetto 
BrE   / ɡetəʊ / 
NAmE   / ɡetoʊ / 
noun 
( plural   ghettos   or   ghettoes )

Answer 23

1 an area of a city where many people of the same race or background live, separately from the rest of the population. Ghettos are often crowded, with bad living conditions
> a poor kid growing up in the ghetto

Question 24

beguiling 
BrE   / bɪɡaɪlɪŋ / 
NAmE   / bɪɡaɪlɪŋ / 
  adjective 
 ( formal ) 
 beguilingly   / BrE   bɪɡaɪlɪŋli ;  NAmE   bɪɡaɪlɪŋli /   adverb 

0

Answer 24

attractive and interesting but sometimes mysterious or trying to trick you
> beguiling advertisements
>Her beauty was beguiling.
>This is perhaps the most beguiling resort on the island.

Question 25

exile   noun,   verb 
BrE   / eksaɪl / 
NAmE   / eksaɪl / 
BrE   / eɡzaɪl / 
NAmE   / eɡzaɪl /

Answer 25

noun
1   [ uncountable ,  singular ]   the state of being sent to live in another country that is not your own, especially for political reasons or as a punishment 
>to be/live  in exile 
>to be forced/sent  into exile 
> to go  into exile 
 > a place of exile 
  > He returned after 40 years of exile.

Question 26

keep off sth

Answer 26

to avoid eating,drinking,smoking sth

> I’m trying to keep off fatty foods.

Question 27

superintendent 
BrE   / supərɪntendənt / 
BrE   / sjupərɪntendənt / 
NAmE   / supərɪntendənt / 
  noun

Answer 27

1 a person who has a lot of authority and manages and controls an activity, a place, a group of workers, etc
a park superintendent
the superintendent of schools in Dallas
2 ( abbr. Supt ) (in Britain) a police officer just above the rank of chief inspector
Superintendent Livesey
3 ( abbr. Supt. ) (in the US) the head of a police department
4 ( NAmE ) a person whose job is to be in charge of a building and make small repairs, etc. to it

Question 28

meagre 
 ( especially US   meager ) 
BrE   / miɡə(r) / 
NAmE   / miɡər / 
  adjective

Answer 28

small in quantity and poor in quality 
    paltry 
a meagre diet of bread and water 
  She supplements her meagre income by cleaning at night.
syn : deficient

Question 29

fall apart

Answer 29

1 to be in very bad condition so that parts are breaking off
My car is falling apart.
2 to have so many problems that it is no longer possible to exist or function
Their marriage finally fell apart.
The deal fell apart when we failed to agree on a price.

Question 30

fall back on sb/sth

Answer 30

[ no passive ] to go to sb for support; to have sth to use when you are in difficulty
I have a little money in the bank to fall back on.
She fell back on her usual excuse of having no time.
related noun fallback

Question 31

fall behind with sth

( also fall behind on sth especially in NAmE )

Answer 31

to not pay or do sth at the right time
They had fallen behind on their mortgage repayments.
He’s fallen behind with his school work again.

Question 32

fall for sth

[ no passive ] ( informal )

Answer 32

to be tricked into believing sth that is not true

I’m surprised you fell for that trick.

Question 33

fall on/upon sb/sth

[ no passive ] ( especially BrE )

Answer 33

1 to attack or take hold of sb/sth with a lot of energy and enthusiasm
They fell on him with sticks.
The children fell on the food and ate it greedily.
2 to be the responsibility of sb
The full cost of the wedding fell on us.

Question 34

fall through

Answer 34

to not be completed, or not happen

Our plans fell through because of lack of money.

Question 35

fall short of sth

Answer 35

to fail to reach the standard that you expected or need

The hotel fell far short of their expectations.

Question 36

fall victim (to sth)  
( formal )

Answer 36

to be injured, damaged or killed by sth

Many plants have fallen victim to the sudden frost.

Question 37

fall/slot into place

Answer 37

if sth complicated or difficult to understand falls or slots into place , it becomes organized or clear in your mind

Then I found his diary and it all began to fall into place.

Question 38

fall in with sb/sth

Answer 38

to agree to sth

she fell in with my idea at once.

Question 39

Potentially

Adverb

Answer 39

possibly but not yet actually:

potentially useful information.