UNITS 11&12 • TOPIC

Question 1

approximate

uk |əˈprɒk.sɪ.mət| us |əˈprɑːk.sə.mət|

adjective

Answer 1

1. not completely accurate but close
* “The train’s approximate time of arrival is 10.30.”
* “The approximate cost will be about $600.”
* “Can you give me an approximate idea of the numbers involved?”

Question 2

approximate

uk |əˈprɒk.sɪ.meɪt| us |əˈprɑːk.sə.meɪt|

verb

Answer 2

1. to be almost the same as
* “The newspaper reports of the discussion only roughly approximated to (= were not exactly the same as) what was actually said.”
* “Student numbers this year are expected to approximate 5,000 (= to be about 5,000).”

Question 3

ascribe something to something

uk |əˈskraɪb| us |əˈskraɪb|

verb

Answer 3

1. to believe or say that something is caused by something else
* “To what do you ascribe your phenomenal success?”

Question 4

ascribe something to someone

uk |əˈskraɪb| us |əˈskraɪb|

verb

Answer 4

1. to believe or claim that something was said, written, or created by a particular person
* “After years of research, scholars have finally ascribed this anonymous play to Christopher Marlowe.”

Question 5

ascribe something to someone/something

uk |əˈskraɪb| us |əˈskraɪb|

verb

Answer 5

1. to believe that a particular quality or feature belongs to or is typical of someone or something
* “People like to ascribe human feelings to animals.”

Question 6

assign

uk |əˈsaɪn| us |əˈsaɪn|

verb

Answer 6

1. to give a particular job or piece of work to someone [often passive]
* ”[+ two objects] UN troops were assigned the task of rebuilding the hospital.”
* “The case has been assigned to our most senior officer.”

2. If you assign a time for a job or activity, you decide it will be done during that time
* “Have you assigned a day for the interviews yet?”

3. If you assign a characteristic or value to something, you say that it has it
* “Each visitor to the site chooses an online alter ego, which is assigned a name.”

4. to decide a reason for something
* “Detectives have been unable to assign a motive for the murder.”
* “The report assigned the blame for the accident to inadequate safety regulations.”

5. to send someone somewhere to do a job
* “She was assigned to the newspaper’s Berlin office.”

6. to put a value in a particular position in the memory of a computer [computing specialized]

7. to give property, money, or rights using a legal process [law specialized]
* “Her property was assigned to her grandchildren.”

Question 7

attribute

uk |ˈæt.rɪ.bjuːt| us |ˈæt.rɪ.bjuːt|

noun

Answer 7

1. a quality or characteristic that someone or something has
* “Organizational ability is an essential attribute for a good manager.”

Question 8

blow

uk |bləʊ| us |bloʊ|

verb

Answer 8

1. to move and make currents of air, or to be moved or make something move on a current of air [I/T]
* “The letter blew away and I had to run after it.”
* “[blow something down] A gale-force wind had blown the fence down .”
* “The wind was blowing harder every minute.”
* “I blew the dust off the books.”
* “I wish you wouldn’t blow smoke in my face.”

2. to make a sound by forcing air out of your mouth and through an instrument, or to make a sound when someone does this [I/T]
* “Ann blew a few notes on the trumpet.”
* “He scored the winning goal just before the whistle blew.”

3. to blow air down a tube into a piece of heated soft glass, in order to shape it into an object [T]
* “a beautiful blown glass vase”

Question 9

blow

uk |bləʊ| us |bloʊ|

noun

Answer 9

1. a hard hit with a hand or a weapon [C]
* “a sharp blow to the stomach”

2. an unexpected event that has a damaging effect on someone or something [C]
* “Losing his job was a severe blow to his confidence.”
* “Her death came as a terrible blow to her parents.”

3. an act of blowing [C usually singular]
* “a blow on the trumpet”
* “It took him three blows to get all the candles out.”

4. a walk in the fresh air [C usually singular UK old-fashioned]
* “Shall we go out for a blow?”

5. →cannabis [U UK slang]

6. →cocaine [U US slang]

Question 10

cause

uk |kɔːz| us |kɑːz|

noun

Answer 10

1. the reason why something, especially something bad, happens [C/U]
* “[cause of] The police are still trying to establish the cause of the fire.”
* “She had died of natural causes.”
* “I wouldn’t tell you without (good) cause (= if there was not a (good) reason).”
* “I believe there is just cause (= a fair reason) for taking this action.”

2. a reason to feel something or to behave in a particular way [U]
* “[cause for concern] He’s never given me any cause for concern.”

3. a socially valuable principle that is strongly supported by some people [C]
* “They are fighting for a cause - the liberation of their people.”
* “I’ll sponsor you for £10 - it’s all in a good cause.”

Question 11

cause

uk |kɔːz| us |kɑːz|

verb

Answer 11

1. to make something happen, especially something bad
* “The difficult driving conditions caused several accidents.”
* ”[+ obj + to infinitive] The bright light caused her to blink.”
* “Most heart attacks are caused by blood clots.”
* ”[+ two objects] I hope the children haven’t caused you too much trouble.”

Question 12

coincidence

uk |kəʊˈɪn.sɪ.dəns| us |koʊˈɪn.sɪ.dəns|

noun

Answer 12

1. an occasion when two or more similar things happen at the same time, especially in a way that is unlikely and surprising [C]
* “[what a coincidence] You chose exactly the same wallpaper as us - what a coincidence!”
* “Is it just a coincidence that the wife of the man who ran the competition won first prize?”
* “a series of strange/amazing coincidences”

2. chance or luck [U]
* “[by coincidence] Just by coincidence, I met my old schoolmate again 50 years later.”
* ”[+ that] It was sheer coincidence that I remembered his phone number.”
* “[pure coincidence] By pure coincidence, both books were published on the same day.”
* “[sheer coincidence] It’s sheer coincidence that I walked along the same street and into the same bar as her.”
* “[strange coincidence] By some strange coincidence, he was passing the house just when it happened.”

Question 13

curse

uk |kɜːs| us |kɝːs|

verb

Answer 13

1. to use a word or an expression that is not polite, usually when you are very angry [I/T]
* “We could hear him cursing and swearing as he tried to get the door open.”
* “Please don’t curse in front of the children.”
* “[curse at] He leaned out of the window and cursed at passing pedestrians.”
* “I heard them yelling and cursing me as I ran away.”

Question 14

curse

uk |kɜːs| us |kɝːs|

noun

Answer 14

1. magic words that are intended to bring bad luck to someone [C]
* “[put a curse on] In the story, a wicked witch puts a curse on the princess for a hundred years.”

2. a cause of trouble and unhappiness [C]
* “Noise is the curse of modern city life.”

Question 15

deliberate

uk |dɪˈlɪb.ər.ət| us |dɪˈlɪb.ɚ.ət|

adjective

Answer 15

1. (often of something bad) intentional or planned
* “a deliberate attack/insult/lie”
* “We made a deliberate decision to live apart for a while.”

2. A deliberate movement, action, or thought is done carefully without hurrying
* “From her slow, deliberate speech I guessed she must be drunk.”

Question 16

deliberate

uk |dɪˈlɪb.ə.reɪt| us |dɪˈlɪb.ə.reɪt|

verb

Answer 16

1. to think or talk seriously and carefully about something
* “[deliberate on] The jury took five days to deliberate on the case.”
* “The committee has deliberated the question at great length.”
* ”[+ question word] He’s deliberating whether or not to accept the new job that he’s been offered.”

Question 17

determine

uk |dɪˈtɜː.mɪn| us |dɪˈtɝː.mɪn|

verb

Answer 17

1. to control or influence something directly, or to decide what will happen [T often passive]
* “The number of staff we can take on will be determined by how much money we’re allowed to spend.”
* “Your health is determined in part by what you eat.”
* “Eye colour is genetically determined.”
* “[formal] [+ question word] Officials will determine whether or not the game will be played.”
* “People should be allowed to determine their own future.”

2. to make a strong decision [T formal]
* ”[+ that] She determined that one day she would be an actor.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] On leaving jail, Joe determined to reform.”

3. to discover the facts or truth about something [T formal]
* “The police never actually determined the cause of death.”
* ”[+ question word] It is the responsibility of the court to determine whether these men are innocent.”
* ”[+ that] The jury determined that the men were guilty.”

Question 18

fate

uk |feɪt| us |feɪt|

noun

Answer 18

1. what happens to a particular person or thing, especially something final or negative, such as death or defeat [C usually singular]
* “[decide someone’s fate] We want to decide our own fate.”
* “His fate is now in the hands of the jury.”
* “The disciples were terrified that they would suffer the same fate as Jesus.”
* “Parents in children’s stories often meet a harsh fate.”

2. a power that some people believe causes and controls all events, so that you cannot change or control the way things will happen [U]
* “When we met again by chance in Cairo, I felt it must be fate.”
* “Fate has brought us together.”

Question 19

fluctuate

uk |ˈflʌk.tʃu.eɪt| us |ˈflʌk.tʃu.eɪt|

verb

Answer 19

1. to change, especially continuously and between one level or thing and another
* “[fluctuate according to] Vegetable prices fluctuate according to the season.”
* “Her wages fluctuate between £150 and £200 a week.”
* “[fluctuate wildly] Her weight fluctuates wildly.”
* “fluctuating prices”

Question 20

foresee

uk |fəˈsiː| us |fɚˈsiː|

verb

Answer 20

1. to know about something before it happens
* “I don’t foresee any difficulties so long as we keep within budget.”

Question 21

freak

uk |friːk| us |friːk|

noun

Answer 21

1. a thing, person, animal, or event that is extremely unusual or unlikely, and not like any other of its type [C]
* “I was born with black hair all over my back, like some sort of freak.”
* “[freak of nature] The pearl is so big that it has been described as a freak of nature.”
* “[humorous] At my school you were considered to be a freak if you weren’t interested in sport.”

Question 22

freak

uk |friːk| us |friːk|

verb

Answer 22

1. to become or cause someone to become extremely emotional
* “My parents freaked when I told them I was pregnant.”

Question 23

freak

uk |friːk| us |friːk|

adjective

Answer 23

1. very unusual or unexpected
* “[freak accident] She was crushed in a freak (= very unlikely) accident in a cave in France.”
* “The village was destroyed by a freak storm.”

Question 24

gamble

uk |ˈɡæm.bəl| us |ˈɡæm.bəl|

verb

Answer 24

1. to do something that involves risks that might result in loss of money or failure, hoping to get money or achieve success [I]
* “[gamble on] Anyone who gambles on the stock exchange has to be prepared to lose money.”

2. to risk money, for example in a game or on a horse race [I/T]
* “I like to gamble when I play cards - it makes it more interesting.”
* “[gamble on] He gambles on the horses (= horse races).”
* “[gamble away] He gambled away all of our savings.”

Question 25

gamble

uk |ˈɡæm.bəl| us |ˈɡæm.bəl|

noun

Answer 25

1. a risk that might result in loss of money or failure
* “[take a gamble] Her publishers knew they were taking a gamble when they agreed to publish such an unusual novel.”
* “[a gamble paid off] It was a gamble using such an inexperienced director, but it paid off (= was successful).”

Question 26

haphazard

uk |ˌhæpˈhæz.əd| us |ˌhæpˈhæz.ɚd|

adjective

Answer 26

1. not having an obvious order or plan
* “He tackled the problem in a typically haphazard manner.”

Question 27

hazard

uk |ˈhæz.əd| us |ˈhæz.ɚd|

noun

Answer 27

1. something that is dangerous and likely to cause damage
* “a health/fire hazard”
* “[hazard to] The busy traffic entrance was a hazard to pedestrians.”

2. an area of a golf course (= area of land used for playing golf) that provides an obstacle (= something that blocks you so that movement, going forward, or action is made more difficult)
* “In golf, hazards are just another part of the game.”
* “The golf course now features the most dramatic water hazards.”

Question 28

hazard

uk |ˈhæz.əd| us |ˈhæz.ɚd|

verb

Answer 28

1. to risk doing something, especially making a guess, suggestion, etc.
* “[hazard a guess] I wouldn’t like to hazard a guess.”

2. to risk doing something that might cause harm to someone or something else [formal]
* “The policy hazarded the islands and put the lives of the inhabitants at risk.”

Question 29

inadvertent

uk |ˌɪn.ədˈvɜː.tənt| us |ˌɪn.ədˈvɝː.t̬ənt|

adjective

Answer 29

1. not intentional
* “All authors need to be wary of inadvertent copying of other people’s ideas.”

Question 30

instrumental

uk |ˌɪn.strəˈmen.təl| us |ˌɪn.strəˈmen.t̬əl|

adjective

Answer 30

1. If someone or something is instrumental in a process, plan, or system, that person or thing is one of the most important influences in causing it to happen [after verb formal]
* “[instrumental in] She was instrumental in bringing about the prison reform act.”

2. involving only musical instruments, and no singing
* “instrumental music”
* “an instrumental piece/arrangement”

Question 31

instrumental

uk |ˌɪn.strəˈmen.təl| us |ˌɪn.strəˈmen.t̬əl|

noun

Answer 31

1. a piece of music without singing

Question 32

jinxed

uk |dʒɪŋkst| us |dʒɪŋkst|

adjective

Answer 32

1. having or believed to bring bad luck
* “I must be jinxed - whenever I wash a wine glass, it breaks.”
* “Some people believe the family is jinxed.”

Question 33

likelihood

uk |ˈlaɪ.kli.hʊd| us |ˈlaɪ.kli.hʊd|

noun

Answer 33

1. the chance that something will happen
* “This latest dispute greatly increases the likelihood of a strike.”
* ”[+ that] There is every likelihood that more jobs will be lost later this year.”
* “There is little likelihood now that interest rates will come down further.”

Question 34

lucky charm

uk |ˌlʌk.i ˈtʃɑːm| us |ˌlʌk.i ˈtʃɑːrm|

noun

Answer 34

1. an object or person that is thought to bring good luck
* “He keeps a rabbit’s paw as a lucky charm.”
* “The shop sold amulets, crystals, and other good luck charms.”
* “She came to think of him as her lucky charm, as good things tended to happen when they were together.”

Question 35

meander

uk |miˈæn.dər| us |miˈæn.dɚ|

verb

Answer 35

1. If a river, stream, or road meanders, it follows a route that is not straight or direct. [I]

2. to walk slowly without any clear direction [I usually + adv/prep]
* “We spent the afternoon meandering around the streets of the old town.”

3. If a text, process, or activity meanders, it has no clear purpose or direction [I]
* “The film meanders along with no particular story line.”

Question 36

meander

uk |miˈæn.dər| us |miˈæn.dɚ|

noun

Answer 36

1. a curve of a river or stream

2. a journey that has no particular direction
* “The TV series continues its haphazard meander around the globe - this week in Portugal.”

Question 37

mishap

uk |ˈmɪs.hæp| us |ˈmɪs.hæp|

noun

Answer 37

1. bad luck, or an unlucky event or accident
* “The parade was very well organized and passed without mishap.”
* “A series of mishaps led to the nuclear power plant blowing up.”

Question 38

mutate

uk |mjuːˈteɪt| us |mjuːˈteɪt|

verb

Answer 38

1. to develop new physical characteristics because of a permanent change in the genes. These changes can happen naturally or can be produced by the use of chemicals or radiation
* “These bacteria have mutated into forms that are resistant to certain drugs.”

2. to change from one thing or type of thing into another
* “Jon has mutated from an awkward teenager into a sophisticated young man.”

Question 39

odds

uk |ɒdz| us |ɑːdz|

noun

Answer 39

1. the probability (= how likely it is) that a particular thing will or will not happen
* “If you drive a car all your life, the odds are that you’ll have an accident at some point.”
* “There are heavy odds against people succeeding in such a bad economic climate.”
* “What are the odds on him being (= do you think he will be) re-elected?”
* “The overall odds of winning a lottery prize are 1 in 13.”
* “The odds are stacked against a woman succeeding (= it is not likely that a woman will succeed) in the business.”

2. in gambling (= the activity of risking money guessing the result of something), a probability expressed as a number
* “The odds against my horse winning (= that it will not win)/on my horse winning (= that it will win) are a hundred to one.”
* “The odds that the US entrant will win the race are ten to one.”

Question 40

pick

uk |pɪk| us |pɪk|

verb

Answer 40

1. to take some things and leave others [T]
* “Pick a card from the pack.”
* “[be picked for] One of my sisters has been picked for the Olympic team.”
* ”[+ obj + to infinitive] She was picked to play for the team.”
* “The committee will pick the successful candidate from a short list of four.”
* “[pick someone out] The police asked him if he could pick out the killer from a series of photos.”
* “[pick something out of a hat] The fairest way to decide the winner is to pick a name out of a hat (= without looking or choosing).”
* “[be picked at random] The winning lottery numbers will be picked at random (= without choosing).”
* “[pick your way] They picked their way (= carefully chose a route) down the broken steps.”
* “[pick a winner] He’s brilliant at picking winners (= choosing what will be successful).”

Question 41

pick

uk |pɪk| us |pɪk|

noun

Answer 41

1. choice [U]
* “You can have first pick of the desserts.”

2. a thing or person chosen, especially a player chosen to play for a sports team [C]
* “He was expected to be one of the top 10 picks in the upcoming draft.”

Question 42

pot luck

uk |ˌpɒt ˈlʌk| us |ˈpɑːt ˌlʌk|

noun

Answer 42

1. anything that is available or is found by chance, rather than something chosen, planned, or prepared [U]
* “We had no idea which hotel would be best, so we just took pot luck with the first one on the list.”
* “Mary’s welcome to stay for dinner if she doesn’t mind taking pot luck (= having whatever is available).”

2. an informal meal where guests bring different dishes that are then shared with the other guests [C US (also potluck)]
* “We’re having a pot luck on Saturday.”
* “This fruit salad would make a great addition to a potluck, barbecue, or dinner party.”
* “I like having a pot luck where everyone brings their favorite dish.”
* “All the neighbours call each other by their first names and get together regularly for potlucks.”

Question 43

pot luck

uk |ˌpɒt ˈlʌk| us |ˌpɑːt ˈlʌk|

adjective

Answer 43

1. used to refer to an informal meal or event where guests bring different dishes that are then shared with the other guests
* “A lady from church always brought this dish to our pot luck dinners.”
* “I have to get to a 6:30 potluck party.”
* “a potluck picnic”

Question 44

random

uk |ˈræn.dəm| us |ˈræn.dəm|

adjective

Answer 44

1. happening, done, or chosen by chance rather than according to a plan
* “random checks/tests/attacks”
* “We asked a random sample/selection of people what they thought.”

2. strange or unusual [informal]
* “I just saw Billy wearing a top hat - he’s so random!”

3. unknown and unexpected in a particular situation [informal]
* “Some random guy walked in.”

Question 45

random

uk |ˈræn.dəm| us |ˈræn.dəm|

noun

Answer 45

1. an unknown or unexpected person
* “You can’t make a whole movie with randoms off the street.”

Question 46

sign

uk |saɪn| us |saɪn|

verb

Answer 46

1. to write your name, usually on a written or printed document, to show that you agree with its contents or have written or created it yourself [I/T]
* “to sign a letter/cheque/contract/lease/agreement”
* “Sign here, please.”
* “He signed his name at the end of the letter.”
* ”[+ obj + noun] He signed himself “Mark Taylor”.”
* “She said the painting was by Picasso, but it wasn’t signed.”

2. in sport, to make a legal written agreement to employ a player [T]
* “The team has just signed a new player.”

3. to give an order or information, or make a request, using hand and body movements [T/I]
* ”[+ to infinitive] He signed for/to the waiter to bring him another drink.”
* ”[+ that] He signed to the waiter that he wanted another drink.”

4. to use sign language (= language used by people who cannot hear or talk) [I/T]

Question 47

sign

uk |saɪn| us |saɪn|

noun

Answer 47

1. a notice giving information, directions, a warning, etc.
* “a road sign”
* “a shop sign”

2. a movement of the body that gives information or an instruction
* “[as a sign that] She pointed to her watch as a sign that it was getting late and she wanted to leave.”
* “[make/give a sign to] He made/gave a sign to his boyfriend to stop talking.”
* “[make the sign of the cross] The priest made the sign of the cross (= made the shape of a cross by moving his hand between four points on his chest) when he entered the church.”

Question 48

speculate

uk |ˈspek.jə.leɪt| us |ˈspek.jə.leɪt|

verb

Answer 48

1. to guess possible answers to a question when you do not have enough information to be certain
* “I don’t know why she did it - I’m just speculating.”
* “A spokesperson declined to speculate on the cause of the train crash.”
* “Journalists are speculating about whether interest rates will be cut.”
* ”[+ that] The newspapers have speculated that they will get married next year.”

2. to buy and sell in the hope that the value of what you buy will increase and that it can then be sold at a higher price in order to make a profit
* “He made his money speculating on the London gold and silver markets.”
* “The company has been speculating in property for years.”

Question 49

spontaneous

uk |spɒnˈteɪ.ni.əs| us |spɑːnˈteɪ.ni.əs|

adjective

Answer 49

1. happening or done in a natural, often sudden way, without any planning or without being forced
* “His jokes seemed spontaneous, but were in fact carefully prepared beforehand.”
* “[approving] She’s such a spontaneous, lively woman.”

2. happening, especially in a living thing, without being caused by something outside, or without the organism’s control [biology, medical specialized]
* “Since spontaneous remissions are common in rheumatoid arthritis, it is impossible to attribute them to any particular therapy.”
* “Spontaneous maturation is when meiosis continues without hormonal stimulation.”

Question 50

startle

uk |ˈstɑː.təl| us |ˈstɑːr.t̬əl|

verb

Answer 50

1. to do something unexpected that surprises and sometimes worries a person or animal
* “She was concentrating on her book and his voice startled her.”
* “The noise of the car startled the birds and the whole flock flew up into the air.”
* “Her article on diet startled many people into changing their eating habits.”

Question 51

statistics plural

us |stəˈtɪs·tɪks|

noun

Answer 51

1. a collection of numerical facts or measurements, as about people, business conditions, or weather
* “The statistics show that, in general, women live longer than men.”

Question 52

statistics

us |stəˈtɪs·tɪks|

noun

Answer 52

1. the science of using information discovered from collecting, organizing, and studying numbers

Question 53

stray

uk |streɪ| us |streɪ|

verb

Answer 53

1. to travel along a route that was not originally intended, or to move outside a limited area
* “A herd of cattle had strayed into the road.”
* “They got lost when they strayed too far from the path.”
* “The ship strayed off course during the storm.”

2. to start thinking or talking about a different subject from the one you should be giving attention to
* “I think we’ve strayed too far from our original plan.”
* “Sorry - I’ve strayed from the subject.”

Question 54

stray

uk |streɪ| us |streɪ|

noun

Answer 54

1. a pet that no longer has a home or cannot find its home
* “a stray dog”
* "”Who owns that cat?” “I don’t know. I think it must be a stray.””

Question 55

stray

uk |streɪ| us |streɪ|

adjective

Answer 55

1. Stray things have moved apart from similar things and are not in their expected or intended place
* “There are still a few stray spots of paint on the window pane.”
* “Several journalists have been killed or injured by stray bullets while reporting on the civil war.”

Question 56

superstition

uk |ˌsuː.pəˈstɪʃ.ən| us |ˌsuː.pɚˈstɪʃ.ən|

noun

Answer 56

1. belief that is not based on human reason or scientific knowledge, but is connected with old ideas about magic, etc.
* “According to superstition, if you walk under a ladder it brings you bad luck.”
* “I don’t believe in the old superstition that the number 13 is unlucky.”

Question 57

superstitious

uk |ˌsuː.pəˈstɪʃ.əs| us |ˌsuː.pɚˈstɪʃ.əs|

adjective

Answer 57

1. based on or believing in superstitions (= beliefs based on old ideas about luck and magic rather than science or reason)
* “superstitious nonsense”
* “Some people are superstitious about spilling salt on the table.”

Question 58

transpire

uk |trænˈspaɪər| us |trænˈspaɪɚ|

verb

Answer 58

1. If it transpires that something has happened, this previously secret or unknown fact becomes known [I formal]
* ”[+ that] It may yet transpire that ministers knew more than they are admitting at the moment.”
* “As it later transpired, she had known him at school.”

2. to happen [I formal]
* “No one is willing to predict what may transpire at the peace conference.”

3. If a body or plant transpires, it loses water through its surface or skin. [I/T biology specialized]

Question 59

uncertainty

uk |ʌnˈsɜː.tən.ti| us |ʌnˈsɝː.tən.ti|

noun

Answer 59

1. a situation in which something is not known, or something that is not known or certain
* “Nothing is ever decided, and all the uncertainty is very bad for staff morale.”
* “Life is full of uncertainties.”

Question 60

wobble

uk |ˈwɒb.əl| us |ˈwɑː.bəl|

verb

Answer 60

1. to (cause something to) shake or move from side to side in a way that shows poor balance [I/T]
* “That bookcase wobbles whenever you put anything on it.”
* “Don’t wobble the table, please, Dan.”
* “[figurative] The company’s shares wobbled with the news of a foreign takeover bid.”

2. to be uncertain what to do or to change repeatedly between two opinions [I informal]
* “The government can’t afford to wobble on this issue.”

Question 61

wobble

uk |ˈwɒb.əl| us |ˈwɑː.bəl|

noun

Answer 61

1. a movement from side to side that shows poor balance
* “I gave the poles a slight wobble and the whole tent collapsed.”
* “[figurative] The closure of the company’s German subsidiary caused a sharp wobble in its profits.”

2. a feeling of not being certain about something [UK informal]
* “She’s having a bit of a wobble about the move to New York.”

Question 62

agriculture

uk |ˈæɡ.rɪ.kʌl.tʃər| us |ˈæɡ.rə.kʌl.tʃɚ|

noun

Answer 62

1. farming
* “Agriculture is still largely based on traditional methods in some countries.”
* “The area depends on agriculture for most of its income.”
* “70 percent of the country’s population practises subsistence agriculture.”

Question 63

appreciate

uk |əˈpriː.ʃi.eɪt| us |əˈpriː.ʃi.eɪt|

verb

Answer 63

1. to recognize how good someone or something is and to value them or it
* “There’s no point buying him expensive wines - he doesn’t appreciate them.”
* “[greatly appreciated] Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated.”
* “[much appreciated] His visits were much appreciated by the boys.”

2. to understand a situation and realize that it is important [T]
* “We appreciate the need for immediate action.”
* ”[+ that] I appreciate that it’s a difficult decision for you to make.”
* ”[+ question word] I don’t think you appreciate how much time I spent preparing this meal.”

Question 64

catastrophe

uk |kəˈtæs.trə.fi| us |kəˈtæs.trə.fi|

noun

Answer 64

1. a sudden event that causes very great trouble or destruction
* “They were warned of the ecological catastrophe to come.”

2. a bad situation
* “The emigration of scientists is a catastrophe for the country.”

Question 65

crop

uk |krɒp| us |krɑːp|

noun

Answer 65

1. (the total amount collected of) a plant such as a grain, fruit, or vegetable grown in large amounts [C]
* “The main crops grown for export are coffee and rice.”
* “a bumper (= very good) potato crop”

2. a group of people or things with something in common, that exist at a particular time [C usually singular informal]
* “[crop of] The judges will select the best from this year’s crop of first novels.”

3. a short hairstyle [C]
* “Her hair was cut in a short crop.”

4. a part of the throat in many birds where food is stored before going into the stomach [C]

5. a short stick used to control a horse by hitting it [C]

Question 66

crop

uk |krɒp| us |krɑːp|

verb

Answer 66

1. to make something shorter or smaller, especially by cutting [T]
* “He had his hair cropped when he went into the army.”

2. When animals such as sheep or horses crop grass or other plants, they eat the top parts. [T]

3. to remove some or all of the edges from a picture, leaving only the most important part [T]
* “He cropped the photo so that only the face remained.”

4. If a plant crops, it produces fruit, flowers, etc. [I usually + adv/prep]
* “The carrots have cropped well (= produced a lot of carrots) this year.”

5. to grow crops on land [T usually passive]
* “The land is intensively cropped.”

Question 67

drought

uk |draʊt| us |draʊt|

noun

Answer 67

1. a long period when there is little or no rain
* “This year (a) severe drought has ruined the crops.”

Question 68

evacuate

uk |ɪˈvæk.ju.eɪt| us |ɪˈvæk.ju.eɪt|

verb

Answer 68

1. to move people from a dangerous place to somewhere safe
* “The police evacuated the village shortly before the explosion.”
* “[be evacuated from] A thousand people were evacuated from their homes following the floods.”
* “When toxic fumes began to drift toward our homes, we were told to evacuate.”

2. to empty something of its contents, especially the bowels [formal]
* “The horse evacuated its bowels all over the path.”
* “products that stimulate the bowel to evacuate its contents”

Question 69

exploit

uk |ɪkˈsplɔɪt| us |ɪkˈsplɔɪt|

verb

Answer 69

1. to use something in a way that helps you
* “[exploit resources] We need to make sure that we exploit our resources as fully as possible.”

2. to use someone or something unfairly for your own advantage
* “Laws exist to stop companies exploiting their employees.”

Question 70

exploit

uk |ˈek.splɔɪt| us |ˈek.splɔɪt|

noun

Answer 70

1. something unusual, brave, or funny that someone has done
* “She was telling me about her exploits while travelling around Africa.”

Question 71

famine

uk |ˈfæm.ɪn| us |ˈfæm.ɪn|

noun

Answer 71

1. a situation in which there is not enough food for a great number of people, causing illness and death, or a particular period when this happens
* “[widespread famine] Another crop failure could result in widespread famine.”
* “[die of famine] There were reports of refugees dying of famine.”
* “Thousands of people emigrated during the Irish potato famine of 1845–46.”

Question 72

flood

uk |flʌd| us |flʌd|

verb

Answer 72

1. to cause to fill or become covered with water, especially in a way that causes problems [I/T]
* “Our washing machine broke down yesterday and flooded the kitchen.”
* “The whole town flooded when the river burst its banks.”
* “[be flooded out] Several families living by the river were flooded out (= forced to leave their houses because they became covered with water).”

2. to fill or enter a place in large numbers or amounts [I usually + adv/prep, T]
* “[flood into] Donations are flooding into the homeless shelter.”
* “[flood in] She drew back the curtains and the sunlight came flooding in.”
* “[be flooded with] He was flooded with (= suddenly felt a lot of) joy when his first child was born.”
* “[flood back] For Proust, the taste of a madeleine brought childhood memories flooding back (= made him suddenly remember a lot of things).”

Question 73

flood

uk |flʌd| us |flʌd|

noun

Answer 73

1. a large amount of water covering an area that is usually dry [C/U]
* “After the flood it took weeks for the water level to go down.”
* “[in flood] The river is in flood (= water has flowed over its banks) again.”

Question 74

fossil fuel

uk |ˈfɒs.əl ˌfjʊəl| us |ˈfɑː.səl ˌfjʊəl|

noun

Answer 74

1. fuels, such as gas, coal, and oil, that were formed underground from plant and animal remains millions of years ago

Question 75

global warming

uk |ˌɡləʊ.bəl ˈwɔː.mɪŋ| us |ˌɡloʊ.bəl ˈwɔːr.mɪŋ|

noun

Answer 75

1. a gradual increase in world temperatures caused by gases such as carbon dioxide that are collecting in the air around the earth and stopping heat escaping into space

Question 76

greenery

uk |ˈɡriː.nər.i| us |ˈɡriː.nər.i|

noun

Answer 76

1. green plants or branches, especially when cut and used as decoration

Question 77

habitat

uk |ˈhæb.ɪ.tæt| us |ˈhæb.ə.tæt|

noun

Answer 77

1. the natural environment in which an animal or plant usually lives
* “With so many areas of woodland being cut down, a lot of wildlife is losing its natural habitat.”

Question 78

harvest

uk |ˈhɑː.vɪst| us |ˈhɑːr.vəst|

noun

Answer 78

1. the time of year when crops are cut and collected from the fields, or the activity of cutting and collecting them, or the crops that are cut and collected
* “the grain/potato/grape harvest”
* “We had a good harvest this year.”
* “[bumper harvest] Farmers are reporting a bumper (= very big) harvest this year.”
* “It won’t be long now till harvest (time).”

Question 79

harvest

uk |ˈhɑː.vɪst| us |ˈhɑːr.vəst|

verb

Answer 79

1. to pick and collect crops, or to collect plants, animals, or fish as food [I/T]
* “In the US, winter wheat is harvested in the early summer.”
* “By the end of the year, growers in the state will have harvested 1.8 million barrels of fruit.”
* “About 30 million pounds of red snapper are harvested from US waters every year.”
* “Farmers sort the vegetables when they harvest.”

2. to take or collect a useful substance, for example water or a chemical element, from somewhere so that it can be used [T]
* “Hydrogen and oxygen could be harvested from the frozen water reserves.”
* “We use harvested rainwater for most of our cooking.”

3. to take cells or other body parts from someone for medical use [T]
* “The donor organ is harvested at the accident scene and rushed to a hospital.”
* “Stem cells harvested from cord blood have been used to successfully treat dozens of serious illnesses.”

4. to collect large quantities of information, especially automatically [T]
* “The ministry will not harvest data about salaries, sexual orientation, or country of origin for foreigners.”
* “Unauthorized use of personal information harvested from social networks is likely to anger potential customers.”

5. to get an advantage or something valuable from a situation [T]
* “He could harvest considerable political capital out of this incident.”
* “The only winners here seem to be the large, for-profit corporations who harvest profits from schools.”

Question 80

hurricane

uk |ˈhʌr.ɪ.kən| |ˈhʌr.ɪ.keɪn| us |ˈhɝː.ɪ.keɪn| |ˈhɝː.ɪ.kən|

noun

Answer 80

1. a violent wind that has a circular movement, especially in the West Atlantic Ocean
* “[be hit by a hurricane] The state of Florida was hit by a hurricane that did serious damage.”
* “Hurricane force (= very strong) winds are expected tonight.”

Question 81

instinct

uk |ˈɪn.stɪŋkt| us |ˈɪn.stɪŋkt|

noun

Answer 81

1. the way people or animals naturally react or behave, without having to think or learn about it
* “All his instincts told him to stay near the car and wait for help.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] Her first instinct was to run.”
* “It is instinct that tells the birds when to begin their migration.”
* “[figurative] [have an instinct for] Bob seems to have an instinct for (= is naturally good at) knowing which products will sell.”

Question 82

natural disaster

uk |ˌnætʃ.ər.əl dɪˈzɑː.stər| us |ˌnætʃ.ɚ.əl dɪˈzæs.tɚ|

noun

Answer 82

1. a natural event such as a flood, earthquake, or tsunami that kills or injures a lot of people
* “Europe’s 2003 heat wave claimed more than 30,000 lives, making it the continent’s largest natural disaster in 50 years.”

Question 83

resource

uk |rɪˈzɔːs| |ˈriː.sɔːs| us |ˈriː.sɔːrs| |ˈriː.zɔːrs|

noun

Answer 83

1. a useful or valuable possession or quality of a country, organization, or person [C usually plural]
* “The country’s greatest resource is the dedication of its workers.”
* “Britain’s mineral resources include coal and gas deposits.”

2. [formal for] resourcefulness approving [U]

Question 84

resource

uk |rɪˈzɔːs| |ˈriː.sɔːs| us |ˈriː.sɔːrs| |ˈriː.zɔːrs|

verb

Answer 84

1. to provide an organization or department with money or equipment
* “The school must be properly resourced with musical instruments and audio equipment.”

Question 85

scarce

uk |skeəs| us |skers|

adjective

Answer 85

1. not easy to find or get
* “Food and clean water were becoming scarce.”
* “scarce resources”

Question 86

scarce

uk |skeəs| us |skers|

adverb

Answer 86

1. almost not
* “I could scarce believe my eyes.”

Question 87

species

uk |ˈspiː.ʃiːz| |ˈspiː.siːz| us |ˈspiː.ʃiːz| |ˈspiː.siːz|

noun

Answer 87

1. a set of animals or plants in which the members have similar characteristics to each other and can breed with each other
* “Mountain gorillas are an endangered species.”
* “Over a hundred species of insect are found in this area.”