Vocabulary

1. scenario

n. a situation that possibly happens 

e.g.Scenario planning provides a way for people to rehearse the future.  

2. extinguish

v. (fml) to make a fire or cigarette stop burning 

 e.g. They fought for hours to extinguish the fire.

3. evacuate

v. to leave a building or other place because it is not safe

e.g. If the alarm sounds, all students should evacuate immediately.          

4. chaotic

adj. happening in a confused way, without any order or organisation 

e.g. The situation at the border was chaotic, with thousands of evacuees arriving everyday. 

5. gratitude

n. a feeling of being grateful because they have given you sth or done sth for you 

e.g.We welcome the opportunity to express our gratitude.  

Adjective: grateful 

6. trustworthy

adj. able to be trusted as being honest, safe or reliable

e.g. He is a trustworthy person; besides, he has humor and likes outdoor activities. 

Synonyms: dependable, reliable 

7. decent   

(1) behaving towards other people in an honest, fair, and nice way

e.g.It was decent of David to offer to pay.

(2) of a good enough standard or quality 

e.g. His first novel was a flash in the pan, and he hasn't written anything decent since. 

(3) following moral standards that are acceptable to society 

e.g. The majority of residents here are decent citizens.

8. tribute  

n. [C, U] sth. that you do, say, or build to show that you respect and admire someone or something

e.g. The couple paid tribute to the helicopter crew who rescued them. 

9. heroism    

n. [U] impressive actions that prove someone is very brave 

e.g. The boy was interested in stories of heroism and self-sacrifice 

Noun: hero

Adjective:herotic

10. utmost 

as much as possible: used for emphasizing a quality or feeling 

e.g. We attach the utmost importance to public safety. 

11. tragedy  

n. [C, U] a very sad event that causes people to suffer or die

e.g. The trip ended in tragedy.

Phrases

1. raring to go

ready to start sth.

e.g. The children were all dressed and raring to go.

2. make a dent

to make an initial progress

e.g. The doctor told him to quit smoking, but it didn’ t make a dent.

3. to a man

used for saying that all the men in a group do or are sth

e.g. They voted for unionisation to a man.

4. pick up on sth

(1) to notice sth that is not obvious

e.g. Only the veterans can pick up on this negligence.

(2) to react to sth that happened or you have noticed

e.g. She had expected Dan to pick up on her insult.

(3) to correct sth who has made a mistake or to criticise them for doing sth wrong

e.g. She’ s always picking up on my grammar.

5. steel oneself (against sth)

to prepare oneself for sth unpleasant

e.g. Steel yourself against computer mishaps by preparing a back-up strategy.

Sentences

1. We’ d been at this thing, hard, for almost an hour, some a little bit less, and we were nowhere close to done.

To be at this thing is a slang expression which means to work on this mission.

The expression nowhere close to done means someone is far from completing their work.

2. As if we could see clear through the ceiling tiles for an easy answer. 

Looking up for the source of the noise was only useful if you could see through the floors above, but it still remained an instinctive reaction.

3. The way it coursed right through me. 

To course means to run or flow somewhere quickly. The noise and vibration have a strong physical effect  on the writer.