Vocabulary and Useful Phrases GOLD Proficiency

Vocabulary and useful phrases GOLD ProficiencyLanguage IV 2012

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1 Traditional approach vs. progressive approach.2 Streaming: to put school children in groups

according to their ability3 A piece of cake: something which is very easy4 Excel: to do something very well, or much

better than most people 5 Woeful: very bad or serious synonym:

deplorable6 Ill-equipped: not having the necessary

equipment or skills for a particular situation or activity

7 Cope with: to succeed in dealing with a difficult problem or situation

8 Light upon: to notice or find something by chance

9 Sneeze at sth: used about an offer, especially of money, that is very good, and which you should consider carefully

10 Nudge: to gently persuade or encourage someone to take a particular decision or action

11 Thrust: if something is thrust upon you, you are forced to accept it even if you do not want it

12 Found (by chance): lighted upon13 Left: went away14 Discovered: find out15 Solve: deal with16 Was involved: came into17 Encounter: had come across18 Merge: join together19 Excel: go over well with20 Cultivated: built up21 Succeed: get on22 Gapped sentences: call/ bright/ hold/ move/

set/ slow/ rings23 Keep your wits about you: be ready to think

quickly and do what is necessary in a difficult situation

24 At my wits’ end: to be very upset and not know what to do, because you have tried everything possible to solve a problem

25 To be scared out of your wits: to frighten someone very much

26 To the best of my knowledge: used to say that someone may not know the true facts

27 Common knowledge: be known about by everyone

28 On the brain: to be always thinking about something

29 Pick your brains: to ask someone who knows a lot about something for information and advice about it

30 Racking my brains: to try very hard to remember or think of something

31 Think of sth: to use your mind to solve something, decide something, imagine something etc

32 Think back: to think about things that happened in the past

33 Think up: to produce a new idea, name etc by thinking

34 Think over: to consider something carefully before making a decision

35 Think through: to think carefully about the possible results of something

36 Mile-millage37 Book-booklet38 Child-childhood39 Member-membership40 Amaze-amazement41 Break-breakage42 Refuse-refusal43 Inform-informant44 Mean-meanness45 Elastic-elasticity46 Child-childish47 Child-childlike48 Accident-accidental49 Authority-authoritarian50 Regret-regretful51 Attract-attractive52 Chlorine-chlorinate53 Simple-simplify54 Symbol-symbolize55 Clock-clockwise56 North-northwards57 Modern-modernity58 Care-carefully59 Amaze-amazingly60 Deaf-deafeningly61 Adapt-adaptability62 Resource-resourcefulness63 Picture-picturesque64 DISconnected65 UNconsciously66 MIShear67 ILlegible68 OVERflooded69 SEMIcircle70 INcomplete


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71 ANTIsocial72 Poverty-impoverish-poorly-poor73 Safety-save-safely-safe74 Peace-pacify-peaceably-peaceable75 Honour-honour-honourably-honourable76 Blood-bleed-bloody-bloody77 Educate-education78 Poor-poverty79 Economy-economically80 Prevent-preventable81 Literate-illiteracy82 Mortal-mortality83 Consequence-consequently84 Efficient-inefficient85 Ecology-ecological86 Need-necessity87 Come-overcome88 Character-characteristic89 Pleasure-pleasurable90 Universe-universal91 Conscious-consciousness92 Special-specially93 Lament-lamentably94 Stimulus-stimulating95 Motivate-motivation96 Power-empowered97 Feed-feedback98 Acquire-acquisition99 Crime-criminal100Offend-offence101Accurate-inaccuracy102Vandal-vandalism103Come-outcome104Proceed-procedure105Err-error106 Incident-incidence107 Indicate-indicator108Manage-manageable109Certain-uncertainty110 Frame: a structure made of wood, metal,

plastic etc that surrounds something such as a picture or window, and holds it in place

111Bid: an offer to pay a particular price for something, especially at an auction

112 Strike: to hit or fall against the surface of something

113Throb: if a part of your body throbs, you have a feeling of pain in it that regularly starts and stops.

114Pound: if your heart or blood is pounding, your heart is beating very hard and quickly

115Tension mounts: to increase gradually in amount or degree

116Temperature soars: to increase quickly to a high level

117 Sand accumulates: to gradually increase in numbers or amount until there is a large quantity in one place

118The info multiplies: to increase by a large amount or number, or to make something do this

119 Sea of faces: lots of people seen together 120Overcome with: if an emotion overcomes

someone, they cannot behave normally because they feel the emotion so strongly

121Overpowered by: if a smell, taste, or emotion overpowers you, it affects you very strongly

122Overtaken by: if something bad, especially a feeling, overtakes you, it happens to you suddenly and has a strong effect on you

123Overdo: to do something more than is suitable or natural

124Depict-depiction125Consider-considerable126 Imitate-imitator127Conclude-inconclusive128 Stance-stance129Distinct-distinctively130 Signify-significant131Repeat-repeatedly132 Firm-confirm133Term- 134 Stable-135 Shoot up: to increase very quickly and suddenly 136End up: to be in a particular situation, state, or place

after a series of events, especially when you did not plan it

137 Spring up: to suddenly appear or start to exist 138 Start up: if you start up a business, company etc, or

it starts up, it begins to exist 139 Speed up: to move or happen faster, or to make

something move or happen faster 140Do up: to fasten something, or to be fastened in a

particular way / to repair an old building or car, or to improve its appearance / to decorate something in a particular way / to wrap something in paper


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141UP can suggest increase, or progress to a higher position, e.g. turn up (volume)

142UP can intensify the meaning of the verb, adding the idea that the action has been completed, e.g. cut up, sell up.

143Get down: to make someone feel unhappy and tired /to write something, especially

something that someone is saying / to eat or drink something, or persuade someone else to eat or drink something /to start doing something that is difficult or needs a lot of time or energy

144 Fall down: if a building is falling down, it is in very bad condition / to fail because of a particular reason or in a particular way.

145Go down: to become lower in level, amount etc /if something goes down, its quality or standard gets worse / to get a particular reaction from someone / if food or drink goes down well, you enjoy it / to go from one place to another, especially to a place that is further south / to go to the shops, a club etc / if a ship goes down, it sinks / if a plane goes down, it suddenly falls to the ground / to become less swollen / if something that is filled with air goes down, air comes out and it becomes smaller and softer / to be recorded or remembered in a particular way / to lose a game, competition, or election / to move down to a lower position in an official list of teams or players / if a computer goes down, it stops working for a short time / if lights go down, they become less bright / when the sun goes down, it appears to move down until you cannot see it anymore / if the wind goes down, it becomes less strong / to be sent to prison / to happen / to touch someone's sexual organs with the lips and tongue in order to give them sexual pleasure / to become ill, especially with an infectious disease

146 Stand down: to agree to leave your position or to stop trying to be elected, so that someone else can have a chance / if a soldier stands down or is stood down, he stops working for the day

147Pull down: to destroy something or make it stop existing / to earn a particular amount of money / to make someone less successful, happy, or healthy / (a menu) to make a computer program show you a list of the things it can do

148 Let down: to not do something that someone trusts or expects you to do / to make someone or something less successful or effective / to move something or someone to a lower position / let your hair down: to relax

and enjoy yourself, especially after working hard / let your guard/defenses down: to relax and stop worrying about what might happen or what someone might find out about you / to allow the air to escape from something so that it loses its shape and becomes flat / to make a piece of clothing longer by unfolding a folded edge

149Put down: to put something or someone that you are holding or carrying onto a surface / to criticize someone and make them feel silly or stupid (belittle) / to write something, especially a name or number, on a piece of paper or on a list / to pay part of the total cost of something, so that you can pay the rest later / to put a baby in its bed / to put the receiver back onto the telephone when you have finished speaking to someone / to kill an animal without causing it pain, usually because it is old or sick / used to say that you found a book, game etc extremely interesting / if an aircraft puts down or if a pilot puts it down, it lands, especially because of an emergency / to suggest a subject, plan, change in the law etc for a parliament or committee to consider / to stop a vehicle so that passengers can get off at a particular place / to guess what someone is like or what they do, without having much information about them / to put someone's name on a list so that they can take part in an activity, join an organization etc / to write someone's name on a list with an amount of money that they have promised to give / to think that something is caused by something else.

150Break down: if a car or machine breaks down, it stops working / to fail or stop working in a successful way / if you break down a door, you hit it so hard that it breaks and falls to the ground / to change or remove something that prevents people from working together and having a successful relationship with each other / if a substance breaks down or something breaks it down, it changes as a result of a chemical process / to be unable to stop yourself crying, especially in public / to separate


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something into smaller parts so that it is easier to do or understand.

151find its way somewhere: if something finds its way somewhere, it arrives or gets there after some time / find your way (somewhere): to reach a place by discovering the right way to get there

152push/grope/inch etc your way somewhere: to get somewhere by using force or moving carefully

153 talk/buy etc your way into/past etc something/somebody: to get where you want or achieve something you want by saying or doing something / talk your way out of something: to escape from an bad or embarrassing situation by giving explanations, excuses etc.

154worm your way into/through etc something: to move through a small place or a crowd slowly, carefully, or with difficulty/ worm your way into somebody's affections /heart/confidence etc: to gradually make someone love or trust you, especially by being dishonest/ worm your way out of (doing) something: to avoid doing something that you have been asked to do by making an excuse that is dishonest but clever.

155 Force your way through/into etc something also force your way in/out/past etc: to push very hard in order to get somewhere.

156make way (for sth/sb): to move to the side so that there is space for sb or sth to pass / to make it possible for something newer or better to be built, organized etc / make your way: to go towards something, especially when this is difficult or takes a long time / go

somewhere without the help or company of other people / to gradually become successful in a particular job, activity, profession etc.

157water expands: to become larger in size, number, or amount, or to make something become larger / a company expands: if a company, business etc expands, or if someone expands it, they open new shops, factories etc

158 stretch: to make something bigger or looser by pulling it, or to become bigger or looser as a result of being pulled / if a material stretches, it can become bigger or longer when you pull it and then return to its original shape when you stop / to straighten your arms, legs, or body to full length / to reach a long way for something / to pull something so that it is tight / to spread out or cover a large area of land / to make someone use all of their skill, abilities, or intelligence

159Broaden: to increase something such as your knowledge, experience, or range of activities / to affect or include more people or things, or to make something affect or include more people or things / to make something wider or to become wider

160Coating: a thin layer of something that covers a surface (dust)

161Top: the highest part of something / the flat upper surface of an object / something that you put on or over an object to cover it, protect it, or prevent liquid coming out of it.

162Gapped sentences: restore-stable-action-stay163On the spot: if you do something on the spot, you

do it immediately, often without thinking about it very carefully (instantly)

164Be caked with/in something: to be covered with a layer of something soft or wet that becomes thick and hard when it dries.

165Make off with something: to steal something and take it away with you.

166Boost: to increase or improve something and make it more successful.

167Overlook: to not notice something, or not see how important it is

168Gobble up: if one company gobbles up a smaller company, it buys it and takes control of it / to quickly use a lot of a supply of something such as money or land.

169 Lure: to attract customers, workers, money etc from another company or place.

170Retailing: the business of selling goods to customers in shops.

171Mow: to cut grass using a machine / mow down: to kill large numbers of people at the same time, especially by shooting them / to kill someone by driving into them fast.

172 Fray: if cloth or other material frays, or if something frays it, the threads become loose because the material is old / if someone's temper or nerves fray, or if something frays them, they become annoyed.

173 Flit: to move lightly or quickly and not stay in one place for very long.


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174 Spawn: if a fish or frog spawns, it produces eggs in large quantities at the same time / to make a series of things happen or start to exist.

175Dwarf: a dwarf plant or animal is much smaller than the usual size / to be so big that other things are made to seem very small.

176 Swarm: if people swarm somewhere, they go there as a large, uncontrolled crowd. To be swarm with: to be full of a moving crowd of people or animals.

177Wail: to make a long high sound.178 Screech: to shout loudly in an unpleasant high voice

because you are angry, afraid, or excited / if a vehicle screeches, its wheels make a high unpleasant noise as it moves along or stops.

179Crawl: to move along on your hands and knees with your body close to the ground / if a vehicle crawls, it moves forward very slowly.

180 Fly: to travel by plane / if a plane, spacecraft etc flies, it moves through the air / to be at the controls of a plane and direct it as it flies / to move through the air using wings.

181 Freeze: if a liquid or something wet freezes or is frozen, it becomes hard and solid because the temperature is very cold / to preserve food for a long time by keeping it at a very low temperature, or to be preserved in this way / if a machine, engine, pipe etc freezes, the liquid inside it becomes solid with cold, so that it does not work properly / to legally prevent money in a bank from being spent, property from being sold etc.

182Melt: if something solid melts or if heat melts it, it becomes liquid / to gradually disappear / to become less angry and begin to feel more gentle and sympathetic. Melt away: if a crowd of people melts away, the people gradually leave.

183 Squeal: to make a long loud high sound or cry / to tell the police or someone in authority about someone you know who has done something wrong.

184 Stampede: if a group of large animals or people stampede, they suddenly start running

together in the same direction because they are frightened or excited / to be made frightened or worried so that you do something too quickly, without thinking enough about it.

185 Surge: to suddenly move very quickly in a particular direction.

186 Fight: if someone fights another person, or if two people fight, they hit and kick the other person in order to hurt them / to try hard to do or get something (for sth) / to try very hard to prevent something or to get rid of something unpleasant that already exists (against sth). Fight your way (through/past etc somebody/something): to move somewhere with difficulty, for example because there are so many people around you.

187Preserve-preservation188Believe-unbelievably189Ambition-ambitious190 Look- 191 Frustrate-frustration192Persist-persistence193Hustle: busy and noisy activity (hustle and bustle)194Bustle: busy and usually noisy activity.195Hurly-burly: a lot of busy noisy activity.196Rustle: the noise made when something rustles: if

leaves, papers, clothes etc rustle, or if you rustle them, they make a noise as they rub against each other.

197Rush: a sudden fast movement of things or people / a situation in which you need to hurry / a situation in which a lot of people suddenly try to do or get something / the time in the day, month, year etc when a place or group of people is particularly busy.

198 Shuttle: to travel frequently between two places (commute).

199Trip: to hit something with your foot by accident so that you fall or almost fall.

200Preferable: better or more suitable (to doing sth)201Rekindle: to make someone have a particular feeling

thought etc again.202Abolish: to officially end a law, system etc,

especially one that has existed for a long time.203To be under the threat of sth: be likely to be

closed, attacked etc.204Rock: to move gently backwards and forwards

or from side to side, or to make something do this.

205Heave: to pull or lift something very heavy with one great effort.

206 Skyward: up into the sky or towards the sky.207 Lean: to move or bend your body in a

particular direction.208Harness: a set of bands used to hold someone

in a place or to stop them from falling.


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209 Sail: a large piece of strong cloth fixed onto a boat, so that the wind will push the boat along. (Las velas).

210 Snap: to move into a particular position suddenly, making a short sharp noise, or to make something move like this.

211 Swoop down: if a bird or aircraft swoops, it moves suddenly down through the air, especially in order to attack something.

212 Steepening: if a slope, road etc steepens, or if something steepens it, it becomes steeper: involving a big increase or decrease / a road, hill etc that is steep slopes at a high angle. Slope: if the ground or a surface slopes, it is higher at one end than the other.

213Cliff: a large area of rock or a mountain with a very steep side, often at the edge of the sea or a river.

214Hum: if a place hums, it is full of activity.215Barrel-roll: an airplane maneuver in which a

complete revolution about the longitudinal axis is made.

216Craggy: a mountain that is craggy is very steep and covered in rough rocks.

217Embrace: the act of holding someone close to you, especially as a sign of love.

218 Fringe: to be around the edge of something.219Dive: to jump into deep water with your head

and arms going in first.220 Flash: to move very quickly.221Grasp: to take and hold something firmly / to

completely understand a fact or an idea, especially a complicated one.

222Hurtle: if something, especially something big or heavy, hurtles somewhere, it moves or falls very fast.

223 Leap: to jump high into the air or to jump in order to land in a different place / to move

very quickly and with a lot of energy/ to increase quickly and by a large amount / if your heart leaps, you feel a sudden surprise, happiness, or excitement.

224Plummet: to suddenly and quickly decrease in value or amount / to fall suddenly and quickly from a very high place.

225 Shoot: to move quickly in a particular direction, or to make something move in this way / if pain shoots through your body, you feel it going quickly through it.

226 Strike: to do something that gives you an advantage over your opponent in a fight, competition etc.

227 Sweep: to clean the dust, dirt etc from the floor or ground, using a brush with a long handle / to move things from a surface with a brushing movement / to force someone or something to move in a particular direction / if winds, waves, fire etc sweep a place or sweep through, across etc a place, they move quickly and with a lot of force / to win all of the games in a series of games against a particular team.

228 Swerve: to make a sudden sideways movement while moving forwards, usually in order to avoid hitting something / to change from an idea, course of action, purpose etc.

229Wheel: if birds or planes wheel, they fly around in circles / to turn around suddenly.

230Whirl: to turn or spin around very quickly, or to make someone or something do this / if your head is whirling, or if thoughts are whirling in your head, your mind is full of thoughts and ideas, and you feel very confused or excited.

231 Strain: to try very hard to do something using all your strength or ability / to cause difficulties for something by making too much work or too many problems which it cannot deal with easily.

232Relentless: something bad that is relentless continues without ever stopping or getting less severe.

233Whisk: to take someone or something quickly away from a place.

234Murky: dark and difficult to see through.235 Splutter: spit: to force a small amount of saliva

(=the liquid in your mouth) out of your mouth.236 Smoulder: if something such as wood

smoulders, it burns slowly without a flame.

237 Filter: something that you pass water, air etc through in order to remove unwanted substances and make it clean or suitable to use.

238 Fibreglass: a light material made from small glass threads pressed together, used for making sports cars, small boats etc.

239Bail: to remove water that has come into a boat.

240Paddle: to move a small light boat through water, using one or more paddles.


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241Turtle: a reptile that lives mainly in water and has a soft body covered by a hard shell.

242Numb: unable to think, feel, or react in a normal way. Synonym: paralysed.

243 Foliage: the leaves of a plant.244Bow: the front part of a ship.245Tip out: to pour something from one place or

container into another.246Whip: to move or remove something with a

quick sudden movement.247Entangle: to make something become twisted

and caught in a rope, net etc.248 Snatch: to take something away from

somewhere with a quick, often violent, movement.

249 Swish: to move or make something move quickly through the air with a quiet sound.

250Regurgitate: to bring food that you have already swallowed, back into your mouth.

251 Fling: to throw something somewhere using a lot of force.

252 Flotsam: broken pieces of wood and other things from a wrecked ship, floating in the sea or scattered on the shore.

253 Slippery: something that is slippery is difficult to hold, walk on etc because it is wet or greasy.

254Crunch: to make a sound like something being crushed.

255Rib: one of the 12 pairs of curved bones that surround your chest.

256 Smack: a hard hit with your closed hand.257 Lose your grip: to become less confident and

less able to deal with a situation.258Blurred: unclear in shape, or making it difficult

to see shapes.259Wipe: to rub a surface with something in order

to remove dirt, liquid etc.260Ceaseless: happening for a long time without

stopping.261 Fleeting: lasting for only a short time.262 Surface: to rise to the surface of water.263Clutch: to hold something tightly because you do

not want to lose it.264 Slimy: covered with slime, or wet and slippery

like slime: an unpleasant thick slippery substance.

265Haul: to move somewhere with a lot of effort, especially because you are injured or tired.

266To be at stake: if something that you value very much is at stake, you will lose it if a plan or action is not successful.

267Will: to try to make something happen by thinking about it very hard.

268Be taken aback: to be very surprised about something.

269Take after sb: to look or behave like an older relative.

270Take sb/sth apart: to separate something into all its different parts / to search a place very thoroughly / to beat someone very easily in a game, sport, fight etc / to show that someone is wrong or something is not true.

271Take against sb/sth: to begin to dislike someone or something, especially without a good reason.

272Take sth/sb away: to remove someone or something, or make something disappear.

273To take away: if you buy food to take away, you buy cooked food from a restaurant and take it outside to eat it somewhere else.

274Take your breath away: to be very beautiful, exciting, or surprising.

275Take away from sth: to spoil the good effect or success that something has.

276Take sth back: to admit that you were wrong to say something / to take something you have bought back to a shop because it is not suitable / to make you remember a time in the past.

277Take sth down: to move something that is fixed in a high position to a lower position / to write down information.

278Take sth in: be taken in: to be completely deceived by someone who lies to you / to let someone stay in your house because they have nowhere else to stay / to understand and remember new facts and information / to collect or earn a particular amount of money / to visit a place while you are in the area / (old-fashioned) if you take in a show, play etc, you go to see it / if the police take someone in, they take them to a police station to ask them


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questions about a crime / to make a piece of clothing fit you by making it narrower.

279Take off: to remove a piece of clothing / if an aircraft takes off, it rises into the air from the ground / to suddenly start being successful / to have a holiday from work on a particular day, or for a particular length of time / to copy the way someone speaks or behaves, in order to entertain people.

280Take on: to start to employ someone (hire) / to agree to do some work or be responsible for something / to begin to have a particular quality or appearance / to compete against someone or start a fight with someone, especially someone bigger or better than you / if a plane or ship takes on people or things, they come onto it.

281Take sth out: to take someone as your guest to a restaurant, cinema, club etc / to make a financial or legal arrangement with a bank, company, law court etc / to get money from your bank account / to borrow books from a library / to kill someone or destroy something / to treat someone badly when you are angry or upset, even though it is not their fault.

282Take over: to take control of something.283Take to sb/sth: to start to like someone or

something.284Take to your bed: to get into your bed and stay

there.285Take sth up: to become interested in a new

activity and to spend time doing it / to start a new job or have a new responsibility / if you take up a suggestion, problem, complaint etc, you start to do something about it / to fill a particular amount of time or space / to accept a suggestion, offer, or idea / to move to the exact place where you should be, so that you are ready to do something / to make a piece of clothing shorter / to continue a story or activity that you or someone else had begun, after a short break.

286Take sb up on sth: to accept an invitation or suggestion.

287Take up with sb: to become friendly with someone, especially someone who may influence you badly.

288Take part of sth: to be involved in an activity, sport, event etc with other people.

289Take account on sth: to consider or include particular facts or details when making a decision or judgment about something.

290Take issue with sb/sth: to disagree or argue with someone about something.

291Take pity on sb: feel sorry for someone and treat them with sympathy.

292Take advantage of sb: to treat someone unfairly in order to get what you want, especially someone who is generous or easily persuaded.

293Take advantage of sth: to use a particular situation to do or get what you want.

294Branch out: to start doing something different from the work or activities that you normally do.

295Bend over backwards (to do something): to try very hard to be helpful.

296Bounce back: to feel better quickly after being ill, or to become successful again after failing or having been defeated.

297 Leap at the chance: to accept an opportunity very eagerly.

298Play sth down: to try to make something seem less important or less likely than it really is.

299Rally around: if a group of people rally round, they all try to help you when you are in a difficult situation.

300 Skate over: to avoid mentioning a problem or subject, or not give it enough attention.

301 Stumble over: to stop or make a mistake when you are reading to people or speaking.

302 Stumble on/across/upon: to find or discover something by chance and unexpectedly.

303Rope into sth: to persuade someone to help you in a job or join in an activity, especially when they do not want to.

304Hit on/hit upon sth: to have an idea or discover something suddenly or unexpectedly.

305 Strike up: to begin playing a piece of music / to start to become friendly with someone, to start talking to them, etc.

306To be struck off: if a doctor, lawyer etc is struck off, their name is removed from the official list of people who are allowed to work

as doctors, lawyers etc / to remove someone or something from a list.

307Warm up: to do gentle physical exercises to prepare your body for dancing, sport etc.

308 Strike a bargain/deal: to agree to do something for someone if they do something for you.


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309 Foot the bill: to pay for something, especially something expensive that you do not want to pay for.

310 In no time (at all)/in next to no time: very quickly or soon.

311Grind on: to continue for an unpleasantly long time.

312Attrition: the process of gradually destroying your enemy or making them weak by attacking them continuously. (desgaste)

313Resuscitate: to make someone breathe again or become conscious after they have almost died.

314 Seize up: if a part of your body, such as your back, seizes up, you suddenly cannot move it and it is very painful.

315 Fairness: the quality of being fair.316Maze: a large number of rules, instructions etc

which are complicated and difficult to understand.

317 Impose a ban on sth/ equivalent to/ in the hands of somebody/in somebody's hands: being dealt with, cared for, or controlled by someone/ necessity for/ without recourse to something (=without using or doing something) / correlation with/ put sb in danger/ be banned from doing sth.

318Get away from: to avoid something that is difficult or unpleasant for you, or something that limits what you can do in some way.

319Get on with: if people get on, they like each other and have a friendly relationship with each other.

320Get through to: to reach a place or person that is difficult to reach / to succeed in speaking to someone on the telephone.

321Get away with: to not be caught or punished when you have done something wrong.

322Get out of: to succeed in saying something, especially when this is very difficult (get sth out) / to avoid doing something you have promised to do or are supposed to do.

323Get up to: to do something, especially something slightly bad.

324Get down to doing sth: to start doing something that is difficult or needs a lot of time or energy.

325Get round to: to do something that you have been intending to do for some time.

326Court: an area made for playing games such as tennis / squash/tennis/basketball etc court.

327Pitch: a marked out area of ground on which a sport is played / football/cricket/rugby etc pitch.

328 Field: an area of ground where sports are played / a baseball/football/cricket etc field.

329Course: An area of land or water where races are held or an area of land designed for playing golf.

330Pull out all the stops: to do everything you possibly can to make something happen and succeed.

331Be (well) versed in sth: to know a lot about a subject, method etc.

332Red haired- narrow minded- one sided- ill advised- widely known- readymade- well meaning- labour saving- smooth talking- trouble free- full scale- five page.

333Exceedingly: extremely334Utterly: completely - used especially to

emphasize that something was very bad, or that a feeling was very strong.

335On the job training: training while doing the job.

336Unknown quantity: if someone or something is an unknown quantity, you do not know what

their abilities are or how they are likely to behave.

337Mere: used to emphasize that something which is small or not extreme has a big effect or is important.

338Volume of traffic: the amount of traffic.339Patch of: a small area of something that is

different from the area around it.340Work load: the amount of work that a person

or machine has to do.341Moan: to complain in an annoying way,

especially in an unhappy voice and without good reason.

342To be over the moon: very happy.343To be thrill to bits: very excited, happy, and

pleased.344 Slave driver: someone who makes people

work very hard - used in a disapproving or humorous way.

345To be on the ball: able to think or act quickly and intelligently.


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346Adage: a well-known phrase that says something wise about human experience (proverb)

347Reappraise: to examine something again in order to consider whether you should change it or your opinion of it.

348Put the lid on sth: to do something that finally stops something or ruins or ends someone's plans or hopes.

349Chasm: a very deep space between two areas of rock or ice, especially one that is dangerous.

350Creek: a long narrow area of water that flows from the sea into the land.

351Girder: a strong beam made of iron or steel that supports a floor, roof, or bridge. (viga)

352Pier: a structure that is built over and into the water so that boats can stop next to it or people can walk along it.

353Ravine: a deep narrow valley with steep sides. (barranco)

354 Shingle: small round pieces of stone on a beach. (guijarros)

355Winch: a machine with a rope or chain for lifting heavy objects.

356 Lashing: a rope that fastens something tightly to something else.

357Rig: a large structure that is used for getting oil from the ground under the sea.

358Grasp: understanding of sth359Quaint: unusual and attractive, especially in an

old-fashioned way.360Conundrum: a confusing and difficult problem.361Appease: to make someone less angry or stop

them from attacking you by giving them what they want.

362Unabashed: not ashamed or embarrassed, especially when doing something unusual or rude.

363Unabated: continuing without becoming any weaker or less violent.

364Wobble: to move unsteadily from side to side, or make something do this.

365Exultant: very happy or proud, especially because you have succeeded in doing something.

366Haven: a place where people or animals can live peacefully or go to in order to be safe (sanctuary).

367Thrive: to become very successful or very strong and healthy.

368Tip: to pour something from one place or container into another.

369Want-unwanted370New-newly371Astonish-astonishment372Vary-varied373Else-elsewhere374Origin-originated

375Dispose-disposal376 Suit- unsuitable377Develop-development378 Join-joined379Character-characteristic380To not move a muscle: to stay completely still.381Turn a hair: to remain completely calm when

something bad or surprising suddenly happens.

382 Lift a finger to help: to do nothing to help.383Not put a foot wrong: to do everything right

and make no mistakes, especially in your job.384Not have a leg to stand on: to be in a situation

where you cannot prove or legally support what you say.

385Put a finger on: to know or be able to explain exactly what is wrong, different, or unusual about a situation.

386Blow: an action or event that causes difficulty or sadness for someone.

387Hold fast: to keep believing strongly in something.

388 Squeeze in: to manage to do something although you are very busy.

389Get/take a grip on yourself: to start to improve your behaviour or control your emotions when you have been very upset.

390At a pinch: used to say that you could do something if necessary in a difficult or urgent situation.

391Gene-genetic- genetics-genetically.392Ethically-ethical-ethics-ethic.393 Inherit-inheriting-inheritance.394Expand-expansion-expandable.395Addiction-addict-addictive-addictively.

396 Intellectual-intellect.397Tendency-tend.398Attribute-attributive-attributable.399Provide-provider-provision-provisional-

provisionally.


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400Modify-modified-modification-unmodified.401Enhancement- enhance-enhancer-enhanced.402Defect- defect-defective.403 Flood of sth: a very large number of things or

people that arrive at the same time.404 Lose no time in doing something: do

something immediately.

405 Shed light on sth: to make something easier to understand, by providing new or better information.

406 In the short term: during the period of time that is not very far into the future.

407North face of sth: the face of a mountain, cliff etc is a steep vertical surface or side.

408Put on a brave face: not show that they were sad or worried.

409Drive: to make someone or something get into a bad or extreme state, usually an emotional one.

410Drive sb away: to behave in a way that makes someone leave.

411Despair: a feeling that you have no hope at all.412 Live wire: a wire that has electricity passing

through it.413Pride yourself on (doing) sth: to be especially

proud of something that you do well, or of a good quality that you have.

414Cutback: a reduction in something, such as the number of workers in a company or the amount of money a government or company spends.

415Make sb pin down to sth: to make someone give clear details or make a definite decision about something.

416Get by: to have enough money to buy the things you need, but no more.

417Go ahead: used to tell someone they can do something / to do something that was planned, especially in spite of a problem/ to take place.

418Go in for: to do an examination or take part in a competition / to do or use something often because you enjoy it or like it / to choose something as your job.

419Go for sb/sth: to attack or criticize someone / to try to get or win something / go for it: used to encourage someone to try to achieve something / to choose something / used to say that you would like to do or have something / to like a particular type of person or thing / used to say that a statement you have just made is true about someone or something else too.

420Go into sth: to start to do a particular type of job / to be spent or used to get, make, or do something / to explain, describe, or examine something in detail / to open a particular computer program, window, or file / to start to be in a particular state or condition / if a vehicle goes into a tree, wall, or another vehicle, it hits it / if a number goes into another number, the second number can be divided by the first / if a vehicle goes into a particular movement, it starts to do it.

421Go all out for sth: to try very hard to do or get something.

422Go it alone: to start working or living on your own, especially after working or living with other people.

423Have a go at sth: to criticize someone/ to attack someone / to try to catch someone who you see doing something wrong, rather than waiting for the police.

424Takeaway: a meal that you buy at a shop or restaurant to eat at home.

425 Feedback: advice, criticism etc about how successful or useful something is / a very unpleasant high noise, caused when a microphone is too close to an amplifier.

426Outcome: the final result of a meeting, discussion, war etc - used especially when no one knows what it will be until it actually happens.

427Clear-out: a process in which you get rid of unwanted objects or possessions.

428Breakthrough: an important new discovery in something you are studying, especially one made after trying for a long time.

429Passerby: someone who is walking past a place by chance.

430Uprising: an attempt by a group of people to change the government, laws etc in an area or country.

431Offspring: someone's child or children - often used humorously.


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432 Setback: a problem that delays or prevents progress, or makes things worse than they were.

433Onset: the beginning of something, especially something bad.

434 Louse: a small insect that lives on the hair or skin of people or animals. (piojo)

435Carry sth in your head/mind: to remember information that you need, without writing it down.

436Be one step ahead of sb: to be better prepared for something or know more about something than someone else / to manage not to be caught by someone who is trying to find or catch you.

437Be in step with sb: having ideas or actions that are like those of other people / moving your feet so that your right foot goes forward at the same time as people you are walking with.

438Within range: the distance within which something can be seen or heard.

439Mountain ranges: lines of mountains.440Be lost on sb: if something is lost on someone,

they do not understand or want to accept it.441Beat: if a bird beats its wings, or if its wings

beat, they move up and down quickly and regularly.

442 Look round: to look at what is in a place such as a building, shop, town etc, especially when you are walking.

443Back of your mind: a thought that is at the back of your mind is one you try to ignore because you do not want it to be true.

444Chance upon: to find something or meet someone when you are not expecting to.

445 In writing: if you get something in writing, it is official proof of an agreement, promise etc.

446Perform: to work or do something well, badly etc.

447Perform a useful function: to do something, especially something difficult or useful.

448Get sth out of sb: to force or persuade someone to tell you something or give you something.

449 Succeed in sth: to be the next person to take a position or job after someone else.

450 Succeed: to do well in your job, especially because you have worked hard at it for a long time.

451Hard evidence: facts that are definitely true and can be proved.

452Be hard on sth: to have a bad effect on something.

453Commentator: someone who knows a lot about a particular subject, and who writes about it or discusses it on the television or radio.

454Bystander: someone who watches what is happening without taking part.

455On the outskirts of sth: the parts of a town or city that are furthest from the centre.

456Need-needs-necessity-necessary-necessitate-necessarily-unnecessarily.

457 Flicker: to burn or shine with an unsteady light that goes on and off quickly.

458 Strained: showing the effects of worry or too much work.

459 Flick: a short quick sudden movement or hit with a part of your body, whip etc.

460At a flick of a switch: used to emphasize how easy it is to start a machine and use it.

461To dog-ear: to fold down the corner of (a page).

462Dog-ear: A turned-down corner of a page in a book.

463Rip sth up: to tear something into pieces.464Hail: to describe someone or something as

being very good.465Trashy: of extremely bad quality.466Tie-in: a product such as a record, book, or toy

that is related to a new film, TV shows etc.467Tenacious: determined to do something and

unwilling to stop trying even when the situation becomes difficult.

468Dodo: (as) dead as a dodo completely dead or inactive, or no longer used.

469Confound: to prove someone or something wrong.

470To be glued to sth: to look at something with all your attention / to not move because you are very interested, surprised, frightened etc.

471Be at odds with sth: if two statements, descriptions, actions etc are at odds with each

other, they are different although they should be the same.

472Cover sth up: to put something over something else so that it cannot be seen / to prevent people from discovering mistakes or unpleasant facts.


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473 Lay sb off: to stop employing someone because there is no work for them to do.

474 Jolt: a sudden shock.475Heft: to lift something heavy.476Peer: to look very carefully at something,

especially because you are having difficulty seeing it.

477Back: to move backwards, or make someone or something move backwards.

478Driveway: the hard area or road between your house and the street.

479Gravelly: covered with or mixed with gravel: small stones, used to make a surface for paths, roads etc.

480Bulldoze: to push objects such as earth and rocks out of the way with a bulldozer: a powerful vehicle with a broad metal blade, used for moving earth and rocks, destroying buildings etc.

481 Spindly: long and thin in a way that looks weak.

482Topsoil: the upper level of soil in which most plants have their roots.

483Rake: a gardening tool with a row of metal teeth at the end of a long handle, used for making soil level, gathering up dead leaves etc.

484 Spade: a tool for digging that has a long handle and a broad metal blade that you push into the ground.

485 Secateurs: strong scissors used for cutting plant stems.

486 Slash: to cut or try to cut something violently with a knife, sword etc.

487Hack: to cut something roughly or violently.488 Jammed: if people are jammed in a place,

there are a lot of them there, so that there is no space between them / full of people or things.

489Whirl: to turn or spin around very quickly, or to make someone or something do this.

490Peep through: to look at something quickly and secretly, especially through a hole or opening.

491Wistful: thinking sadly about something you would like to have but cannot have, especially something that you used to have in the past.

492 Line up: if people line up, or if you line them up, they stand in a row or line, or you make them do this.

493 Impel: if something impels you to do something, it makes you feel very strongly that you must do it.

494Quirky: unusual, especially in an interesting way.

495 Fluoride: a chemical which is believed to help protect teeth against decay.

Cut down: to reduce the amount of something.

Vocabulary and Useful Phrases GOLD Proficiency

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