Unit 8: Describing people: positive and negative qualities

Question 1

opportunistic

Answer 1

using situations for own benefit

Question 2

methodical

She is very slow but methodical in her work.

Answer 2

systematic, careful

Question 3

chauvinistic

chauvinistic nationalism

Answer 3

too patriotic

Question 4

get carried away

Answer 4

become to excited and lose control

Question 5

obliging

They were very obliging and offered to wait for us.

/əˈblaɪdʒɪŋ/

Answer 5

ready to help

Question 6

superficial

The book shows only a superficial understanding of the historical context.

Answer 6

not caring about serious thigns

Question 7

insecure

Answer 7

not confident, uncertain about your own abilities

Question 8

perfectionist

Answer 8

someone who is not satisfied if things are not 100% perfect

Question 9

tactless

Answer 9

inclined to say things that upset or offend sb

Question 10

sentimental

You, crying at a film! You must be getting sentimental in your old age!

Answer 10

producing emotions such as sympathy, romantic love, or being sad, which may be too strong or not appropriate; feeling these emotions too much

Question 11

fun-loving

Answer 11

liking to enjoy themselves

Question 12

stingy

Don’t be so stingy with the cream!

Answer 12

mean

Question 13

intuitive

He had an intuitive sense of what the reader wanted.

Answer 13

understanding instinctively

Question 14

diligent

Answer 14

hard-working

Question 15

placid

Answer 15

calm, does not easily become excited or angry

Question 16

magnetic personality

Answer 16

personality that attratcts people to you

Question 17

distrustful

Answer 17

not trusting, suspicious of others

Question 18

shrewd

Paul was too shrewd to be taken in by this argument.

Answer 18

having a good judgement

Question 19

extravagant

Answer 19

spends too much money or uses too much of sth

Question 20

down-to-earth

Answer 20

practical and sensible

Question 21

altruistic

Answer 21

thinking of others rather than yourself

Question 22

sharp-tongued

Answer 22

inclined to speak in a severe and critical way

Question 23

unstinting

unstinting support

Answer 23

given or giving generously

Question 24

= tenacious

dogged

dogged determination/persistence

Answer 24

showing determination; not giving up easily

Question 25

thrifty = frugal

He was brought up to be thrifty and never to get into debt.

Answer 25

careful about spending money and not wasting things

Question 26

= excessive

immoderate

Answer 26

extreme; not reasonable

Question 27

work-obsessed

Answer 27

works very hard and finds it difficult to stop working and do other things

Question 28

dogmatic

He was strident and dogmatic in giving his opinions.

strident: aggressive and determined

Answer 28

being certain that your beliefs are right and that others should accept them, without paying attention to evidence or other opinions

Question 29

= shrewd

astute

(n): astuteness

Answer 29

very clever and quick at seeing what to do in a particular situation, especially how to get an advantage

Question 30

pithy=witty

/ˈpɪθi/

The book is full of pithy observations about how we behave when we travel abroad.

Answer 30

short but expressed well and full of meaning

Question 31

brusque = terse

Answer 31

using very few words and sounding rude

Question 32

= unprincipled

unscrupulous

Answer 32

without moral principles; not honest or fair

Question 33

verbose = garrulous

The normally garrulous commentator had nothing to say.

(n): verbosity

Answer 33

using or containing more words than are needed; talking a lot about unimportant things