Unit 12.3

Question 1

reservation

Answer 1

a doubt or feeling of not being able to agree with or accept something completely:
Workers and employees shared deep reservations about the wisdom of the government’s plans for the industry.
He accepted my advice without reservation.

Question 2

cusp

Answer 2

the dividing line between two very different things:

on the cusp of adulthood

Question 3

significance

Answer 3

importance:

The discovery of the new drug is of great significance for/to people suffering from heart problems.

Question 4

repercussion

Answer 4

the effect that an action, event, or decision has on something, especially a bad effect:
Any decrease in tourism could have serious repercussions for the local economy.
President Kennedy’s assassination had far-reaching repercussions.

Question 5

concern yourself

Answer 5

to become involved with something, or worried about something:
There’s no need for you to concern yourself with what happened.
Don’t concern yourself. She’ll be home soon.

Question 6

to whom it may concern

Answer 6

something you write at the start of a formal letter or notice when you do not know exactly who it should be sent to

Question 7

be of concern

Answer 7

to be important:

The results of the election are of concern to us all.

Question 8

concern

Answer 8

to cause worry to someone:
The state of my father’s health concerns us greatly.
It concerns me that he hasn’t been in contact.

Question 9

infamous

Answer 9

famous for something considered bad:
The list included the infamous George Drake, a double murderer.
He’s infamous for his bigoted sense of humour.

Question 10

spot

Answer 10

to see or notice someone or something, usually because you are looking hard:
I’ve just spotted Mark - he’s over there, near the entrance.
If you spot any mistakes in the article just mark them with a pencil.

Question 11

vivid

Answer 11

Vivid descriptions, memories, etc. produce very clear, powerful, and detailed images in the mind:
He gave a very vivid and often shocking account/description of his time in prison.
He’s one of those people with a very vivid imagination - every time he hears a noise he’s convinced it’s someone breaking in.

Question 12

statutory

Answer 12

decided or controlled by law:

statutory obligations

Question 13

outstanding

Answer 13

clearly very much better than what is usual:
an outstanding performance/writer/novel/year
It’s an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Question 14

come out

Answer 14

If something comes out, it becomes known publicly after it has been kept secret:
After her death, it came out that she’d lied about her age.
When the truth came out, there was public outrage.

Question 15

caught up in sth

Answer 15

so involved in an activity that you do not notice other things:
I was so caught up in my school work, that I didn’t realize what was happening with my sister.

to be involved in an activity that you did not intend to be involved in:
He got caught up in the demonstrations and got arrested.

Question 16

commitment

Answer 16

willingness to give your time and energy to a job, activity, or something that you believe in:
I’d like to thank the staff for having shown such commitment.
They don’t want to promote me because they think I lack commitment.

Question 17

spring up

Answer 17

to start to exist suddenly:

Thousands of new businesses have sprung up in the past couple of years.

Question 18

cautious

Answer 18

Someone who is cautious avoids risks:

He’s a cautious driver.

Question 19

manner

Answer 19

a type:

Very little is known about the new candidate - what manner of man is he?

Question 20

unforeseen

Answer 20

not expected:
Due to unforeseen circumstances the cost of the improvements has risen by 20 percent.
Unless there are any unforeseen problems the whole project should be finished by the spring.

Question 21

prudent

Answer 21

careful and avoiding risks:

It’s always prudent to read a contract carefully before signing it.

Question 22

discreet

Answer 22

careful not to cause embarrassment or attract too much attention, especially by keeping something secret:
The family made discreet enquiries about his background.
They are very good assistants, very discreet - they wouldn’t go talking to the press.

Question 23

set the wheels in motion

Answer 23

to do something that will cause a series of actions to start:
I thought a phone call to the right person might set the wheels in motion.

Question 24

set the scene

Answer 24

o make something possible or likely to happen:

His resignation set the scene for a company crisis.

Question 25

not set the world on fire

Answer 25

to not be very exciting or successful:

He has a nice enough voice but he’s not going to set the world on fire.

Question 26

set your heart on sth/doing sth

Answer 26

to want to get or achieve something very much:

She’s set her heart on having a pony.

Question 27

set in stone

Answer 27

to be very difficult or impossible to change:

The schedule isn’t set in stone, but we’d like to stick to it pretty closely.

Question 28

pull the strings

Answer 28

to be in control of an organization, often secretly:

I want to know who’s pulling the strings around here.

Question 29

precedent

Answer 29

an action, situation, or decision that has already happened and can be used as a reason why a similar action or decision should be performed or made:
There are several precedents for promoting people who don’t have formal qualifications.
Some politicians fear that agreeing to the concession would set a dangerous precedent.

Question 30

set someone straight

Answer 30

to tell someone the true facts about a situation that the person had not understood:
I had to set him straight about what really happened.
The article about the trial really set the record straight.

Question 31

set your teeth on edge

Answer 31

to annoy you very much:

The kids screaming in the next room really set my teeth on edge.

Question 32

set your sights on sth

Answer 32

to decide to achieve something:

Jenny has set her sights on winning the competition.

Question 33

pull your weight

Answer 33

to work as hard as other people in a group:

The others had complained that Sarah wasn’t pulling her weight.

Question 34

pull your socks up

Answer 34

to make an effort to improve your work or behaviour because it is not good enough:
He’s going to have to pull his socks up if he wants to stay in the team.

Question 35

pull a fast one

Answer 35

to successfully deceive someone:

You paid too much - I think he pulled a fast one on you.

Question 36

run rings round sb

Answer 36

If someone runs rings round you, they are very much better, faster, or more successful at something than you are:
Our girls’ hockey team have run rings round all their opponents this year.

Question 37

run the risk of doing sth

Answer 37

to do something although something bad might happen because of it:
If you tell him the truth, you run the risk of hurting his feelings.

Question 38

run a tight ship

Answer 38

to control a business or other organization firmly and effectively:
Ruth runs a tight ship and has no time for shirkers.

Question 39

set out your stall

Answer 39

(UK!!!!) to make all the necessary plans or arrangements that you need to achieve something, and show that you are determined to achieve it
He has set out his stall to retain his place in Europe’s Ryder Cup team.

Question 40

run counter to

Answer 40

If one thing runs counter to another, or if one thing is counter to another, the first thing is the opposite of the second thing or conflicts with it:
Much of the plan runs counter to European agriculture and environmental policy.
The finding ran counter to all expectations.
We do not tolerate any behaviour that is counter to our core value of integrity