UNITS 17&18 • PAT

Question 1

black something out

uk |blæk| us |blæk|

verb

Answer 1

1. to cover a face or a name so that it cannot be seen [mainly UK]
* “In the TV interview, they blacked out the victim’s face.”

2. to make a place dark, especially by covering or switching off all the lights
* “The entire city was blacked out overnight.”

Question 2

black out

uk |blæk| us |blæk|

verb

Answer 2

1. to become unconscious suddenly but for a short period

Question 3

come out in something

uk |kʌm| us |kʌm|

verb

Answer 3

1. If you come out in something, such as spots, they appear on your skin [UK]
* “This heat has made me come out in an itchy red rash.”

Question 4

come round

uk |kʌm| us |kʌm|

verb

Answer 4

1. to visit someone in their home
* “Come round tonight and we’ll watch a video.”

2. to change your opinion of something, often influenced by another person’s opinion
* “[come round to] He’ll come round to my point of view, given a bit of time.”
* “Do you still dislike your office, or have you come round to thinking it’s all right?”

3. If an event that happens regularly comes round, it happens at its usual time
* “Christmas comes round so quickly!”

4. to become conscious again after an accident or operation
* “[come round from] She hasn’t come round from the anaesthetic yet.”

Question 5

cotton on

uk |ˈkɒt.ən| us |ˈkɑː.tən|

verb

Answer 5

1. to begin to understand a situation or fact
* “[cotton on to] I’d only just cottoned on to the fact that they were having a relationship.”

Question 6

crease (someone) up

uk |kriːs| us |kriːs|

verb

Answer 6

1. to laugh a lot, or make someone else laugh a lot
* “The look on his face just creased me up.”

Question 7

follow something up

uk |ˈfɒl.əʊ| us |ˈfɑː.loʊ|

verb

Answer 7

1. to find out more about something, or take more action connected with it
* “The idea sounded interesting and I decided to follow it up.”
* “He decided to follow up on his initial research and write a book.”

Question 8

follow-up

uk |ˈfɒl.əʊ.ʌp| us |ˈfɑː.loʊ.ʌp|

noun

Answer 8

1. a further action connected with something that happened before, especially to find out if anything has happened or changed since the previous event
* “[follow-up to] This meeting is a follow-up to the one we had last month.”
* “Here’s a follow-up to a story we covered last week on our programme.”
* “Too many people who are treated for mental health issues are discharged without any follow-up.”
* “Long-term follow-up confirmed that this was a benign condition.”

Question 9

follow-up

uk |ˈfɒl.əʊ.ʌp| us |ˈfɑː.loʊ.ʌp|

adjective

Answer 9

1. A follow-up study, visit, meeting, etc. is connected with a previous one, and usually aims to find out if anything has happened or changed since the previous one
* “A follow-up study is due to be published this summer.”
* “There are follow-up visits to check the child’s progress.”
* “A&E is not designed for routine care or follow-up care.”

Question 10

get down to something

uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|

verb

Answer 10

1. to start to direct your efforts and attention towards something
* “[get down to it] I’ve got a lot of work to do, but I can’t seem to get down to it.”
* “[UK] [+ -ing verb] I must get down to booking the hotels.”

Question 11

get over something/someone

uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|

verb

Answer 11

1. to get better after an illness, or feel better after something or someone has made you unhappy
* “She was only just getting over the flu when she got a stomach bug.”
* “It took him years to get over the shock of his wife dying.”
* “It took her months to get over Michael when he ended the relationship.”

Question 12

go down

uk |ɡəʊ| us |ɡoʊ|

verb

Answer 12

1. to move down to a lower level or place
* “He went down on his knees and begged for forgiveness.”
* “The plane went down (= fell to the ground because of an accident, bomb, etc.) ten minutes after take-off.”
* “Everyone took to the lifeboats when the ship started to go down (= sink).”
* “Could I have a glass of water to help these pills go down (= to help me swallow them)?”

Question 13

lash out (something)

uk |læʃ| us |læʃ|

verb

Answer 13

1. to spend a large amount of money in a way that is unnecessary or that wastes it
* “[lash out (something) on something] He lashed out £5,000 on his daughter’s wedding.”

Question 14

lash out

uk |læʃ| us |læʃ|

verb

Answer 14

1. to suddenly attack someone or something physically or criticize him, her, or it in an angry way
* “[lash out (at)] I was only teasing him and suddenly he lashed out (at me) and hit me in the face.”
* “Why’s Tina in such a bad mood? She really lashed out at me when I was late for work.”

Question 15

pass away

uk |pɑːs| us |pæs|

verb

Answer 15

1. [polite expression for] die
* “She’s terribly upset because her father passed away last week.”

Question 16

play something up

uk |pleɪ| us |pleɪ|

verb

Answer 16

1. to emphasize a particular quality or part of something, or make it seem more important than it really is, usually for your own advantage
* “The official report plays up the likely benefits of the plan, but glosses over the costs.”

Question 17

play (someone) up

uk |pleɪ| us |pleɪ|

verb

Answer 17

1. to cause someone pain
* “His knee’s been playing him up again.”
* “My stomach was playing up so I had to go home.”

Question 18

play up

uk |pleɪ| us |pleɪ|

verb

Answer 18

1. When children play up, they behave badly [UK]
* “The boys have been playing up at school again.”

2. If a machine plays up, it does not work as it should [UK]
* “The starter motor was playing up again.”

Question 19

pull through (something)

uk |pʊl| us |pʊl|

verb

Answer 19

1. to become well again after a serious illness, especially when you might have died
* “They said the operation had been successful and they expected his wife to pull through.”

Question 20

pull (someone) through (something)

uk |pʊl| us |pʊl|

verb

Answer 20

1. to succeed in dealing with a difficult period, or to help someone do this
* “He’d never have managed on his own, but his colleagues have pulled him through.”
* “It was a crisis year for the company, but we have pulled through.”

Question 21

shrivel

uk |ˈʃrɪv.əl| us |ˈʃrɪv.əl|

verb

Answer 21

1. to become dry, smaller, and covered with lines as if by crushing or folding, or to make something do this [I/T]
* “The lack of rain has shrivelled the crops.”
* “You ought to pick that lettuce before it shrivels (up) and dies.”

2. to become much smaller than is needed or wanted [I]
* “Profits are shrivelling as the recession gets worse.”

Question 22

ward someone/something off

uk |wɔːd| us |wɔːrd|

verb

Answer 22

1. to prevent someone or something unpleasant from harming or coming close to you
* “In the winter I take vitamin C to ward off colds.”
* “She was given a magic charm to ward off evil spirits.”

Question 23

dress/look/act the part

‎

idiom

Answer 23

1. to look suitable or behave in a suitable way for a particular situation
* “If you’re going to be a high-powered businesswoman, you’ve got to look the part.”

Question 24

put on an act

‎

idiom

Answer 24

1. to behave or speak in a false or artificial way
* “He’s just putting on an act for the boss’s benefit.”

Question 25

get your act together

‎

idiom

Answer 25

1. to start to organize yourself so that you do things in an effective way
* “She’s so disorganized - I wish she’d get her act together.”

Question 26

be on your best behaviour

‎

idiom

Answer 26

1. to behave extremely well and be very polite on a particular occasion
* “I’d just met his parents for the first time so I was on my best behaviour.”

Question 27

misbehaviour

uk |ˌmɪs.bɪˈheɪ.vjər| us |ˌmɪs.bɪˈheɪ.vjɚ|

noun

Answer 27

1. bad behaviour, or behaviour that breaks a rule
* “The school expelled him for persistent misbehaviour.”
* “I have been concerned for some time at his general misbehaviour in the classroom.”

Question 28

of little/no consequence

‎

phrase

Answer 28

1. not important
* “The money was of little consequence to Tony.”
* “In the grand scheme of things, these problems are of little consequence.”
* “She made it clear that our opinions were of little consequence to her.”
* “For healthy people, a little too much salt or sugar is of no consequence.”
* “At the time, the information had seemed of no consequence, but now she wished she had listened more carefully.”
* “He wanted to audition for the play, but since they had already cast all the parts, his performance wasn’t of much consequence.”

Question 29

as a consequence of something/doing something

‎

collocation

Answer 29

1. as a result of a particular action or situation, often one that is bad or not convenient
* “As a consequence of the delay, we stand to lose at least two days’ worth of income.”
* “Wild bird numbers have fallen as a consequence of modern farming practices.”
* “Their business struggled as a consequence of being too dependent on one customer.”

Question 30

cry off

uk |kraɪ| us |kraɪ|

verb

Answer 30

1. to decide not to do something that you have arranged to do
* “She usually says she’ll be there and then cries off at the last minute.”

Question 31

cry yourself to sleep

‎

phrase

Answer 31

1. to cry for a long time until you start to sleep
* “Although I survived, there were many nights when I cried myself to sleep.”
* “At boarding school, he felt so lonely that he cried himself to sleep every night.”
* “These scandals have caused his wife to cry herself to sleep on more than one occasion.”
* “We just need to let the baby cry himself to sleep, I think.”
* “That poor girl cries herself to sleep most nights.”

Question 32

cry your eyes out

‎

idiom

Answer 32

1. to cry a lot
* “I was so upset that day, I cried my eyes out.”

Question 33

be a far cry from something

‎

idiom

Answer 33

1. to be completely different from something
* “This flat is a far cry from the house they had before.”

Question 34

drop dead!

‎

idiom

Answer 34

1. a rude way of telling someone that you are annoyed with them and want them to go away or be quiet
* “Oh, just drop dead!”

Question 35

drop dead

‎

phrase

Answer 35

1. to die suddenly and unexpectedly
* “He dropped dead on the squash court at the age of 43.”
* “He suddenly dropped dead of a heart attack in his early fifties.”
* “The way I think about it, if I drop dead tomorrow, I’ll have had a long and happy life.”
* “Then one day, this seemingly healthy woman in her forties just dropped dead.”
* “The next day, she dropped dead without warning.”

Question 36

drop-dead

uk |ˈdrɒp.ded| us |ˈdrɑːp.ded|

adjective

Answer 36

1. used to emphasize that someone or something is extremely attractive and impressive
* “He’s drop-dead gorgeous!”
* “Some go to Greece for the antiquities, others for the drop-dead beauty of the islands.”
* “She is wearing a drop-dead black evening dress.”

Question 37

dead set against (doing) something

‎

phrase

Answer 37

1. to be completely opposed to something
* “He’s dead set against living in the city.”
* “[UK] UK You won’t be able to change his mind - he’s dead against the plan.”
* “I’d like Millie to go back to college but she’s dead set against the idea.”
* “They are dead set against any form of legislation.”
* “[UK] UK Sam is dead against anything that requires further investment.”
* “I’d expressed an interest in finding my birth parents but my adoptive mother was dead set against it.”

Question 38

in the dead of night/winter

‎

idiom

Answer 38

1. in the middle of night/winter
* “The fire broke out in the dead of night.”

Question 39

for effect

‎

phrase

Answer 39

1. If you say or do something for effect, you intentionally do it to shock people or attract their attention
* “I get the impression that she uses bad language in meetings for effect.”
* “He carried a brass-handled walking stick, partly as a walking aid and partly for effect.”
* “His music is very simple - nothing in it is for effect.”
* “She paused for effect, then made her announcement.”
* “At points in the reading, he lowered his voice for effect.”

Question 40

in effect

‎

phrase

Answer 40

1. in fact, or in practice
* “So in effect the government have lowered taxes for the rich and raised them for the poor.”
* “There was fluid in his lungs, in effect reducing their capacity.”
* “As his private secretary she is, in effect, second in command.”
* “The report said, in effect, that if there was no change, the company would go under.”
* “These measures would, in effect, nationalize the industry.”

Question 41

feel like (doing) something

‎

idiom

Answer 41

1. [infml] to want to have or do something
* “I feel like going to get ice cream – want to come?”

Question 42

feel your way

‎

idiom

Answer 42

1. to judge where you are going by touching with your hands instead of looking
* “The room was so dark, I had to feel my way along the wall to the door.”

2. to act slowly and carefully because you are not certain how to do something
* “It’s my first month in the job so I’m still feeling my way.”

Question 43

ill health

uk |ˌɪl ˈhelθ| us |ˌɪl ˈhelθ|

noun

Answer 43

1. illness or a health condition that affects you for a long time
* “He retired at 58 because of ill health.”

Question 44

health and safety

uk |ˌhelθ ən ˈseɪf.ti| us |ˌhelθ ən ˈseɪf.ti|

noun

Answer 44

1. the laws, rules, and principles that are intended to keep people safe from injury or disease at work and in public places
* “Tonight’s performance has had to be cancelled for health and safety reasons.”

Question 45

fall ill

‎

collocation

Question 46

kind of

‎

idiom

Answer 46

1. used when you are trying to explain or describe something, but you cannot be exact
* “It was kind of strange to see him again.”

Question 47

of a kind

‎

idiom

Answer 47

1. used to describe something that exists but is not very good
* “The school had a swimming pool of a kind, but it was too small for most classes to use.”

Question 48

have the last laugh

‎

idiom

Answer 48

1. to finally get an advantage from an argument or disagreement, when it seemed that you would not

Question 49

a laugh a minute

‎

idiom

Answer 49

1. something or someone that is very funny; often used in an ironic way (= saying the opposite of what you mean) or in negative sentences to say that something is not at all funny
* “Don’t go to see the film expecting a laugh a minute, as it is much too serious for that.”
* “Well, I can see you’re a laugh a minute!”
* “Her autobiography features murder, alcoholism, and drug abuse — gripping, but it hardly sounds like a laugh a minute.”
* “My job as a social worker is not exactly a laugh a minute, but it has its comical moments.”

Question 50

bring something to life

‎

phrase

Answer 50

1. to make something more real or exciting
* “It’s always been an interesting period in history and this film really brought it to life.”
* “The novel brings to life a complex man who was not always understood in his lifetime.”
* “Geology can sometimes seem dry, but she does a great job of bringing the field to life.”
* “The director has brought to life a wonderfully diverse cast of characters.”
* “These details bring to life important historical changes in education.”

Question 51

something come to life

‎

idiom

Answer 51

1. (of something imaginary) having become real; having started to exist in the real world
* “In the story, the children become stuck in a board game come to life.”
* “It’s like a James Bond movie come to life.”
* “These animals look like a child’s drawing come to life.”

Question 52

come to life

‎

phrase

Answer 52

1. to start to be alive or to grow, or start to function
* “Just install batteries, and watch the robot come to life.”
* “Things are starting to come to life in the garden again.”
* “Today, the town shows signs of coming back to life after the difficult years of war.”
* “The game really came to life in the second half.”
* “The characters really come to life in this thrilling performance.”
* “Her writing makes those wartime escapades come to life.”
* “When you watch these old movies, history comes to life.”

Question 53

not on your life!

‎

idiom

Answer 53

1. said as a way of strongly refusing someone’s suggestion or request
* "”So you’re going to bring Kev, are you?” “Not on your life!””

Question 54

take your (own) life

‎

idiom

Answer 54

1. to kill yourself

Question 55

this is the life!

‎

idiom

Answer 55

1. said to mean that you are very much enjoying the situation you are in

Question 56

live and let live

‎

idiom

Answer 56

1. said to mean that people should accept the way other people live and behave, especially if they do things in a different way

Question 57

you live and learn

‎

idiom

Answer 57

1. said when you hear or discover something that is surprising
* “I had no idea they were related. Oh well, you live and learn.”

Question 58

live beyond your means

‎

phrase

Answer 58

1. to spend more money than you receive as income
* “Over 40% of Americans admitted they were living beyond their means.”
* “He was using credit cards to live way beyond his means.”
* “If that’s her only income, she appears to be living beyond her means.”
* “I try not to live beyond my means, but it’s not always easy.”
* “If you can’t afford to pay off your credit card bill at the end of the month, you’re living beyond your means.”

Question 59

live a lie

‎

idiom

Answer 59

1. to live in a way that is dishonest because you are pretending to be something that you are not, to yourself or to other people
* “She doesn’t know you’re married? You have to stop living a lie and tell her.”

Question 60

live to tell the tale

‎

idiom

Answer 60

1. to successfully deal with or continue to live despite a difficult situation or experience
* “We had a horrific journey, but we lived to tell the tale.”

Question 61

polite

uk |pəˈlaɪt| us |pəˈlaɪt|

adjective

Answer 61

1. behaving in a way that is socially correct and shows understanding of and care for other people’s feelings
* “I’m afraid I wasn’t very polite to her.”
* “She sent me a polite letter thanking me for my invitation.”
* “He was too polite to point out my mistake.”

2. socially correct rather than friendly
* “polite conversation”

Question 62

react

uk |riˈækt| us |riˈækt|

verb

Answer 62

1. to act in a particular way as a direct result of something else
* “She slapped him and called him names, but he didn’t react.”
* “The judge reacted angrily to the suggestion that it hadn’t been a fair trial.”
* “Many people react (badly) to (= are made ill by) penicillin.”

2. to change in a physical or chemical way when put with another substance [chemistry]
* “Potassium reacts with water.”

Question 63

reaction

uk |riˈæk.ʃən| us |riˈæk.ʃən|

noun

Answer 63

1. behaviour, a feeling or an action that is a direct result of something else [C]
* “I love to watch people’s reactions when I say who I am.”
* “There has been an immediate/widespread/hostile reaction against the government’s proposed tax increases.”
* “Reactions to the proposal so far have been adverse/favourable/mixed.”

Question 64

response

uk |rɪˈspɒns| us |rɪˈspɑːns|

noun

Answer 64

1. an answer or reaction [C/U]
* “Responses to our advertisement have been disappointing.”
* “Her proposals met with an enthusiastic response.”
* “I looked in her face for some response, but she just stared at me blankly.”
* “Management have granted a ten percent pay rise in response to union pressure.”

2. any of the parts sung or said, in some religious ceremonies, by the people in answer to the parts said or sung by the priest [C]

Question 65

call someone in

uk |kɔːl| us |kɑːl|

verb

Answer 65

1. to ask someone to come to help in a difficult situation
* “A new team of detectives were called in to conduct a fresh inquiry.”

Question 66

call something in

uk |kɔːl| us |kɑːl|

verb

Answer 66

1. If a bank calls in money, it demands that you pay back the money it has lent to you
* “He needs to make the business work before the bank calls in the loan.”

Question 67

call-in

uk |ˈkɔːl.ɪn| us |ˈkɑːl.ɪn|

noun

Answer 67

1. a television or radio programme in which members of the public call to express their opinions or ask questions

Question 68

sick as a parrot

‎

idiom

Answer 68

1. very disappointed
* “He was sick as a parrot when his team lost the match.”

Question 69

sick (and tired) of someone/something

‎

idiom

Answer 69

1. to have experienced too much of someone or something with the result that you are annoyed
* “I’m sick of him whining about money.”

Question 70

sick at heart

‎

idiom

Answer 70

1. very unhappy
* “David was sick at heart about having to leave his family behind.”

Question 71

treat someone with kid gloves

‎

idiom

Answer 71

1. to deal with someone very gently or carefully
* “These athletes grow up being treated with kid gloves, and then they don’t know how the real world works.”

Question 72

treat

uk |triːt| us |triːt|

verb

Answer 72

1. to behave towards someone or deal with something in a particular way [T usually + adv/prep]
* “My parents treated us all the same when we were kids.”
* “He treated his wife very badly.”
* “[treat someone/something as if] It’s wrong to treat animals as if they had no feelings.”
* “[treat something with something] I treat remarks like that with the contempt that they deserve.”

2. to use drugs, exercises, etc. to cure a person of a disease or heal an injury [T]
* “[be treated for] He is being treated for a rare skin disease.”
* “[treat a symptom] Western medicine tends to treat the symptoms and not the cause.”

3. to buy or pay for something for another person [T]
* “[treat someone (to something)] Put your money away - I’m going to treat you (to this).”
* “[treat yourself to something] I’m going to treat myself to (= buy for myself) a new pair of sandals.”

4. to put a special substance on material such as wood, cloth, metal, etc. or put it through a special process, in order to protect it from damage or decay [T]
* “[be treated with] The material has been treated with resin to make it waterproof.”

Question 73

fly off the handle

‎

idiom

Answer 73

1. to react in a very angry way to something that someone says or does
* “He’s extremely irritable - he flies off the handle at the slightest thing.”

Question 74

give someone a dose/taste of their own medicine

‎

idiom

Answer 74

1. to treat someone as badly as they have treated you

Question 75

give something a miss

‎

phrase

Answer 75

1. to avoid or not do something
* “We usually go to France in the summer, but we’ve decided to give it a miss this year.”
* “The restaurant’s very good for fish, but I’d give their vegetarian options a miss.”
* “I don’t really fancy going out tonight - I might give it a miss if you don’t mind.”
* “They’re meeting in town this evening but I think I’ll give it a miss.”
* "”Are you coming to the cinema this afternoon?” “I’ve got too much work - I think I’m going to have to give it a miss.””

Question 76

grin and bear it

‎

idiom

Answer 76

1. to accept something bad without complaining
* “I really don’t want to go, but I guess I’ll just have to grin and bear it.”

Question 77

keep a straight face

‎

idiom

Answer 77

1. to manage to stop yourself from smiling or laughing
* “She tried to keep a straight face but, unable to contain herself, burst into laughter.”

Question 78

keep your hair on

‎

idiom

Answer 78

1. said to tell someone to stop being so angry or upset
* “Keep your hair on! Your car isn’t badly damaged!”

Question 79

let off steam

‎

idiom

Answer 79

1. to do or say something that helps you to get rid of strong feelings or energy
* “She jogs after work to let off steam.”

Question 80

let sleeping dogs lie

‎

idiom

Answer 80

1. said to warn someone that they should not talk about a bad situation that most people have forgotten about

Question 81

never look a gift horse in the mouth

‎

idiom

Answer 81

1. said to advise someone not to refuse something good that is being offered

Question 82

up in arms

‎

idiom

Answer 82

1. angry or upset
* “The union is up in arms over the reduction in health benefits.”