CAE Vocabulary Review

Complete the sentences with words that have come up in class:
  1. I've been making _ n q _ _ r _ _ s into the cost of train travel in the UK.
  2. Have another glass of wine. One more won't do you any h _ _ m.
  3. The idea of camping doesn't _ p p _ _ l to me at all. I'd rather pay for a nice hotel.
  4. Thirty business leaders will accompany the Prime Minister on his f _ _ _ h c _ _ _ _ g trip to the Far East.
  5. Some parents go to great l _ _ g _ _ s to get their children into the best schools.
  6. He says he had a pretty conventional _ p _ r _ _ g _ _ g despite having famous parents.
  7. Be careful what you say. Your words may come back to _ a u _ _ you.
  8. I've never heard such u _ _ _ r rubbish in all my life.
  9. She was quite hurt. I think you owe her an apology for that _ _ s _ _ s _ t _ _ e remark.
  10. I can't miss an episode. I'll cancel any appointments so that I can watch it. I think you could say that I'm h _ _ _ _ d.
  11. I think I need a refresher course. My computing skills have got a bit _ u _ _ y.
  12. The minister was accused of giving m _ _ l _ _ d i _ _ information to parliament.











Find the words or expressions from the above tweets that mean the following:
  1. strange or unexpected
  2. a person's way of understanding or thinking about something
  3. perfect happiness
  4. detailed and careful
  5. looking bright, big or expensive in order to attract attention
  6. to start doing a job or activity
  7. to take hold of something quickly or suddenly
  8. to want something very much
  9. to start doing something by chance and without an intention
  10. to learn something by practising it rather than being taught it

Comments

Anonymous said…
Hi Graham, I'm Rafael,

I filled the gaps and identified the word and expression from the tweets.

I'll be in class on time to talk about it.

Thanks for the blog!
Anonymous said…
Hi Graham!! Thank you for the post!

In my opinion the answers of the two exercises ( I am missing three words that I don't get) are the next ones:

1. -
2. Harm
3. Appeal to
4. Forth coming
5. -
6. Upbringing
7. To haunt
8. Utter
9. -
10. Hooked
11. Rusty
12. Misleading

1. Odd
2. Outlook
3. Bliss
4. Thorough
5. Flashy
6. To take up
7. To grab
8. Longing for
9. To stumble into
10. To pick up

See you tomorrow!
Marta
Anonymous said…
Graham sorry for being late, I had some problems to understand how the blog works :S
1. Inquiries
2. Harm
3. Appeal
4. Forth Coming
5.
6. Upbringing
7. Haunt
8.
9.
10.Hooked
11.Rusty
12.Misleading

-----------------------

1. Odd
2.
3.Bliss
4.
5.Flashy
6.
7.Grab
8.Longing for
9.Stumble into
10.

Clara
Graham said…
Hi!

Here are the answers:

1. to make enquiries into stg / to enquire about stg

2. do you no harm / not do you any harm

3. to appeal to sb = to like stg

4. forthcoming (one word)

5. go to great lengths = to do everything possible to make stg happen

6. upbringing / to be brought up

7. come back to haunt sb

8. utter / utterly + adj

9. insensitive

10. hooked

11. rusty

12. misleading




1. odd

2. outlook

3. bliss

4. thorough

5. flashy

6. to take up

7. to grab

8. to long for

9. to stumble into

10. to pick up



Well done!




José said…
Hi Graham,

I have read the quotation of Bertrand Russell. I think it’s very clever. Everybody can say this. I’d dare to say that his three passions should be the challenge of mankind. The target of human being is the search of knowledge. Knowledge gives freedom and shows truth. There is truth when what the human being thinks is agree with reality. I want to know reality and don’t want to be deceived and to live swindled.

Mr. Russell was a philosopher, (English, sorry Graham) very powerful in the last century. He was defender of the scientist method, that is, knowledge comes by replay of the evidences, like learning English language. LOL

See you.
Roberto said…
Hi,José!.How are you?.
The scientist method is very important in World´s development,but I think languages are not exact sciences...
In my opinion,to learn a language is similar to learn music:you have all the theory(grammar,vocabulary),but sooner or later,you need to put all those things together,to create something!.To create/express your own ideas.
There are not exact rules,like in maths...
Graham said…
Hi José,

You might be surprised to learn that I have read one of Bertrand Russell's works - La Conquista della Felicità. I read it in Italian.


... There is truth when what the human being thinks agrees with reality.

... He was a defender of the scientific method, that is, knowledge comes by replay of the evidence, like learning English.

scientific - adjective
a scientist - noun

evidence - uncountable noun

José said…
Hello Roberto,

Your comment is okay. Have you learnt music? ¿Do you play any instrument? Many people believe that music is like maths. I like more music than maths. I think music is art, but maths is science.

See you.
José said…
Hi Graham,

I don´t surprise that you read philosophy, but you confuse me because you read plays of an Englishman.

See you.
Graham said…
Hi Roberto,

How's things?

The scientist method is very important in the world's development, but I don't think languages are exact sciences...

In my opinion, learning a language is similar to learning music: you have all the theory (grammar,vocabulary), but sooner or later,you need to put all those things together,to create something!.To create/express your own ideas.

There are no exact rules, like in maths...


I agree with you, Roberto.

Graham said…
Hi José,

I like music more than maths.

You confuse me because you read works by an Englishman.

Plays are for the theatre.
Roberto said…
Hi,everyone!...
José: I don´t know how to read music,but I used to play the guitar,basically chords,rhythm,and simple things,so...I don´t cosider myself a musician.
I love music,but as you know,it´s very hard to be good,you need to practice every single day of your life!(like in English).


José said…
Hi Roberto,

I agree with you, music is very ungrateful. If you don´t practice every day it’ll leave you. It’s not necessary to be good, I think that the most important is enjoying with music. Who likes music, likes maths. Are you good in maths?

See you.
Roberto said…
I love music,but I hate maths...
Graham said…
Hi Roberto and José,

You might be surprised to learn that I used to play the piano. After five years, I gave up. I regret it now. I used to be able to read music but now I can't play at all.

I think that the most important thing* is to enjoy music.

Are you good at maths?

I wasn't particularly good at maths or music.

* In English we need to use "thing" with the superlative.
Roberto said…
Graham,
I´m not surprised to learn that you play the piano,but it´s a shame that now you can´t play at all!.
I play from time to time,and I feel my fingers like rusty...

José,
I love your story about crickets.I don´t understand a word,but I like it...

José said…
Hi Graham

I´m very surprised that there are musicians from the whisky land. They say that the musicians have a special sensibility, but I think that you and Roberto are an exception. LOL

I wish I were a musician. I wish I would play a musical instrument.

Montse, do you play an instrument too?

See you.
Montse said…
Hi, José!!
I love music but unfortunately I can't play any musical instruments. They say that studying music hepls to understand the maths. I didn't have trouble learning maths but physics...I hate physics!!! Maybe it was because of the teacher...who knows???
A little bird told me that you keep going English classes...good for you!!!
I hope see you soon!!!
José said…
Hi Graham,

I don´t know if Roger Smith is an actor, a writer or a footballer, but I want to do a piece of comment about his quote “You don´t just stumble into the future. You create your own future”. I think he means that you don´t face against the destiny and make it. If he means that, I’ll agree with him. The human being isn’t destined to be or do a specific anything, but he can do many things free. It’s certain that the genes work very hard in our decisions, but the mind can move its influence. I think there are a lot of possibilities and every option allows acting free. The human being is happier and more free with science and technologic because he can look for other options.

Merry Christmas to the best teacher in the world, Montse, Roberto and every blogger.

Best regards.
Graham said…
Montse, Roberto and José,

That film about Alan Turing - "The Imitation Game" will be out soon. We should go and see it together - that includes you José.


I´m very surprised that there are musicians from whisky land. They say that musicians have a special sensibility, but I think that you and Roberto are an exception.


They say that studying music helps to understand maths.

I hope to see you soon!!!


I think he means that you shouldn't accept your destiny, rather you should create your own. ... but he can do many things freely. It’s true that genes play an important role in how we reach our decisions.
... and every option allows us to act freely
... science and technology ...


See you all soon.







José said…
Hi Montse,

You are wrong. He's not a little bird but a big bird. He flies to the country of the drunks on holiday.

I enjoy with my English class and I encourag you to study with the best.

See you son.
Graham said…
Hi José,

It's big bird here. :-)

I enjoy my English class...
I encourage

See you soon
José said…
Mr. Louie said, after thorough analysis the final conclusion: This world needs more happy drunks.

I think that this world needs drunks. If they were not, ¿Who is going to drink so much wine of Rioja, whisky from Segovia (the most important whisky) and from Scotland, vodka from Russia and cognac from French? ¿How many people are going to unemployment? ¿Who is going to sing without music? ¿Who is going to be friend of the lampposts?

I don’t understand well what “happy drunks” means. If I drink because my girlfriend left me, will be this case happy? Then, the world doesn’t need these people. I wonder if Mr Louis knows that there are happy and unhappy drunks in the world. I think all drunks are necessary in the world. I wish all drunks were happies.

See you.
Graham said…
Hi José,

As you know, I have done a lot of research into the subject but I still haven't come to a conclusion.


I think that this world needs drunks. If they were not any, who would drink all the wine of Rioja, the whisky from Segovia (the most important whisky) and Scotland, the vodka from Russia and the cognac from France? How many people would be unemployed? ¿Who would sing without music? ¿Who would be friend of the lampposts?

I don’t really understand what “happy drunks” means. If I drank because my girlfriend left me, would this be a case of happiness? ...I wish all drunks were happy.