bind; resolve; sparingly; skeptical; conceivable; extension; glisten; striving; scent; thrust; justify; somehow; cultivate; delicate; delusion

1. bind

V. a. tie or fasten (something) tightly together

b. be hampered or constrained by

c. (bind oneself) make a contractual or enforceable undertaking

Examples:

They bound her hands and feet.

Sarah did not want to be bound by a rigid timetable.

The government cannot bind itself as to the form of subsequent legislation.

resolve

V. a. settle or find a solution to (a problem, dispute, or contentious matter)

b. decide firmly on a course of action

c. make a decision by a formal vote

Examples:

The union resolved to strike by 40 votes to 18.

The crisis was finally resolved through high-level negotiations.

She resolved on making an early start.

3. sparing

adj. moderate; economical

Examples:

He is very sparing with his money.

He was quiet and sparing of speech.

The professor was sparing in his praise.

This paint is very expensive, so please use it sparingly.

The lotion should be applied sparingly to the skin.

4. skeptical / sceptical

adj. not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations:

Example:

The public were deeply skeptical about some of the proposals.

They remained openly sceptical about her promises of improvement.

5. conceivable

a. capable of being imagined or grasped mentally

Example:

We had to draw up plans for every conceivable emergency.

It is conceivable that there will be a new economic crisis throughout the world, but we hope it won’t happen.

This sort of work would have been inconceivable before the advent of microprocessors.

6. justify

v. a. show or prove to be right or reasonable

b. be a good reason for

Example:

He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.

The meagre result hardly justified the risks they took to get it.

How will you justify this pay cut to your employees?

7. somehow

adv. a. in some way; by some means

b. for a reason that is not known or specified

Examples:

We must get the work finished somehow by tomorrow morning.

She somehow got lost.

8. cultivate

v. a. prepare and use (land) for crops or gardening

b. try to acquire or develop (a quality, sentiment, or skill)

c. try to win the friendship or favour of sb.

Examples:

The land here has been intensively cultivated for generations.

He always tries to cultivate rich and famous people.

This modern image is actively cultivated by the company.

9. delicate

Adj. a. very fine in texture or structure

b. easily broken or damaged; fragile

c. requiring sensitive or careful handling

d. highly sensitive

e. skillful

Examples:

A spider's web is strong yet delicate.

Be careful with those wine cups—they are very delicate.

delicate sense of smell

delicate health

delicate negotiation

delicate feeling

10. delusion

n. a false belief or impression

Examples:

I thought the whole idea was just a foolish and dangerous delusion.

He seemed to be under the delusion that he would make his fortune within a few years.

Don’t go getting delusions of grandeur.

11. extension

n. a part that is added to something to enlarge or prolong it; a continuation

Examples:

This new job is a further extension of his role as a manager.

The team appraisal is a logical extension of the individual appraisal interview.

He’s applied for an extension of his visa.

12. glisten

v. (of something wet or greasy) shine; glitter

n. a sparkling light reflected from something wet

Cf. v. n. glitter: shine with a bright, shimmering, reflected light; an attractive, exciting, often superficial, quality

Examples:

The lake glistens in the moonlight.

There was a glisten of perspiration across her top lip.

Beneath its surface glitter, the fashion industry is a tough place to work in.

The diamond ring glittered on his finger.

13. striving

v. a. prosper; flourish

b. grow or develop well or vigorously

He thrives on hard work.

Sue and Jack seem to thrive on arguments.

14. scent

n. v. a. a distinctive smell, especially one that is pleasant

b. pleasant-smelling liquid worn on the skin; perfume

c. a trail of evidence or other signs assisting someone in a search or investigation

Examples:

floral scent

give sb. a false scent

She dabbed some scent on her wrists.

The scent of incense lingered in the air.

The police are on the scent of the criminals.

15. thrusting

adj. a. aggressively ambitious

b. projecting in a conspicuous way

v., n. thrust: a. push suddenly or violently in the specified direction

b. force to accept or deal with something

Examples

thrusting entrepreneurs

a thrusting jaw

Responsibility for the family was thrust upon him at an early age.

He tried to thrust his way past her.

Phrase and Expressions

tell apart; as it is/as it were; mean business; worm one’s way; goes for; come into (play); regardless of; patch/plot of

1. tell apart

be able to distinguish sb/sth from other similar people or things

Examples:

I can never tell the twins apart.

Cf. tell from: distinguish sb/sth from another person or thing

It needs skill to tell a real diamond from a fake.

Can you tell her from her twin sister?

2. as it is / as it were

as it is: in the existing circumstances (often in contrast to what was expected)

as it were: in a way

Examples:

We won’t be able to buy a new car this year—we can only just afford a holiday as it is.

She is one of my best friends, as it were, my second self.

3. mean business (informal)

be serious about what you plan to do; be determined

Examples:

He means business. If we try to escape, he’ll shoot us.

I’m not joking. This time I really mean business.

4. worm one’s way

a. move with difficulty by crawling or wriggling

b. insinuate one's way (into)

c. gradually make sb like or trust you, especially in order to gain an advantage for yourself

Examples:

I wormed my way through the undergrowth.

The educated dealers may later worm their way into stock broking.

Somehow he managed to worm his way into her confidence.

4. worm one’s way

edge/feel/inch/make/push/thread/weave/wend/wind/work/cut/elbow/fight/force/hack/pick/shoulder one’s way

Examples:

The river wound its way through the valley.

She fought her way up to the top of the company.

She bluffed her way through the exam.

5. go for

apply to; be true

Examples:

The same goes for money-grabbing lawyers

What he said about you goes for me too.

6. come into (play)

begin to exist, happen

Examples

All your faculties have come into play in your work.

The cherry trees are coming into blossom.

The band only came into being in 1995.

When do the new regulations come into force/effect?

When did the Labour party come into office?

7. regardless of

without regard or consideration for

Examples

The allowance is paid regardless of age or income.

I shall go regardless of the weather.

8. patch/plot of

piece of

Examples

an isolated patch of forest

patches of colors

patches of clear blue sky

plot of land

Cf. bunch/cluster/bundle/clump/pack/ of

a bunch of flowers/keys/amateurs/newspapers/grapes

Word Building

Compounding

Noun + Present Participle/ Past Participle

noun + free

Grammar: Wh- noun clause

1. Subject clause

What happened to the plane remains a mystery.

2. Object clause

1)I have never understood why we keep a garden.

2)She patiently moves down each row selecting which plants shall live and which she will cast aside.

3)And we all know where it got him, too.

3.Predicative clause

This is when my wife becomes— openly now—mistress of the garden.