Unit 5.2 & 5.3

Question 1

strip

Answer 1

If you strip someone of something, you remove it from that person:
Canada wants to strip Luitjens, a retired University of British Columbia botany instructor, of his citizenship.

Question 2

in the midst of sth

Answer 2

in the middle of an event, situation, or activity:

I’m sorry but I’m too busy - I’m in the midst of writing a report.

Question 3

maelstrom

Answer 3

a situation in which there is great confusion, violence, and destruction:
The country is gradually being sucked into the maelstrom of civil war.

Question 4

get sucked into something

Answer 4

to become involved in a situation when you do not want to be involved:
I got sucked into the argument because I was a friend of the family.

Question 5

swirl

Answer 5

to move quickly with a twisting, circular movement, or to make something do this:
The fog swirled thickly around us.

Question 6

unleash

Answer 6

to suddenly release a violent force that cannot be controlled:
At worst, nuclear war could be unleashed.

Question 7

harness

Answer 7

to control something, usually in order to use its power:

There is a great deal of interest in harnessing wind and waves as new sources of power.

Question 8

austere

Answer 8

very simple, with only the things that are absolutely necessary, especially because of severe limits on money or goods:
an austere childhood during the war

very severe and unfriendly in manner:
He was a tall, austere, forbidding figure.

Question 9

spartan

Answer 9

simple and severe with no comfort:

a spartan diet/meal

Question 10

bleak

Answer 10

If a place is bleak, it is empty, and not welcoming or attractive:
The house stands on a bleak, windswept hilltop.

If a situation is bleak, there is little or no hope for the future:
The economic outlook is bleak.

Question 11

pane

Answer 11

a flat piece of glass used in a window or door:
a window pane
a pane of glass

Question 12

gust

Answer 12

a sudden strong wind:

A sudden gust of wind blew his umbrella inside out.

Question 13

inside out

Answer 13

If you know something inside out, you know it very well:

He’s the best person to tell you how to get there because he knows the city inside out.

Question 14

scope

Answer 14

the range of a subject covered by a book, programme, discussion, class, etc.:
I’m afraid that problem is beyond/outside the scope of my lecture.

the opportunity for doing something:
There is limited scope for further reductions in the workforce.

Question 15

imbed

Answer 15

to fix something firmly into a substance

Question 16

contention

Answer 16

the disagreement that results from opposing arguments:

There’s a lot of contention about that issue - for every person firmly in favour, there’s someone fiercely against it.

Question 17

inherently

Answer 17

in a way that exists as a natural or basic part of something:
There’s nothing inherently wrong with his ideas.

Question 18

a barrage of sth

Answer 18

a great number of complaints, criticisms, or questions suddenly directed at someone:
The TV station has received a barrage of complaints about the amount of violence in the series.
He faced a barrage of questions over his handling of the problem.

Question 19

shell out

Answer 19

to pay money for something, especially when the cost is unexpected and not wanted:
If we lose the case, we’ll be forced to shell out.

Question 20

dawn on

Answer 20

If a fact dawns on you, you understand it after a period of not understanding it:
[ + that ] I was about to pay for the shopping when it suddenly dawned on me that I’d left my wallet at home.

Question 21

nagging

Answer 21

complaining or criticizing:
a nagging voice

used to describe an unpleasant feeling that continues for a long period of time:
nagging doubts/pain

Question 22

speck

Answer 22

a very small mark, piece, or amount:

He’d been painting the door and there were specks of paint all over the floor.

Question 23

an item of news

Answer 23

a particular piece of news:

John, you’ve found several news items that might interest our listeners.

Question 24

rumble on

Answer 24

If something such as a disagreement rumbles on, it continues for a long time without being resolved:
The dispute rumbled on for months.

Question 25

vanish/go up/disappear in a puff of smoke

Answer 25

to disappear suddenly and completely:
One moment he was standing behind me, the next he had vanished in a puff of smoke.
All his hard work seemed to be going up in a puff of smoke.

Question 26

state of emergency

Answer 26

a temporary system of rules to deal with an extremely dangerous or difficult situation:
After the floods the government declared a state of emergency.