LINH NGUYEN - 21
He really upset everyone when he told He really put / set the cat among the pigeons when … 1 them his secret
P: to say or do something that causes trouble or makes
a lot of people very angry (UK) 2
Your attitude will have to change if
You will have to turn over a new leaf if… you want to succeed
P: to start behaving in a better way (c2) 3
You may think you are talented but
No matter how talented you think you are, horses will
horses will always show you are not
always bring / take you down a peg (or two)
P: to show someone that they are not as important as they thought (inf) 4
I avoided mentioning Jack’s demotion
Realizing THAT mentioning … might…, I let sleeping
as I realized that it might upset him dogs lie
P: said to warn that they shouldn’t talk about a bad
situation that most people have forgotten about 5
Susan is far superior to me in terms of When it comes to technical knowledge, I am no match technical knowledge for Susan 6
It is important that we have to get the
It is of importance that we have to get the team to toe
team to comply with the rules the line ● Get ahead
P: to do what you are expected to do without
to be successful in the work that you causing trouble for anyone: do:
- If you want to get ahead, you’d better learn to toe the line. 7
Winning the prize has made him very
Winning the prize has gone to his head conceited (c2) 8
Prompt action from the police helped
Were it not to have been for prompt action from the
to reduce the number of people killed
police, the fighting would have suffered heavy
and injured in the fighting casualties 9
His efforts to find a solution didn’t
He shouldn’t have been savagely criticized for his
deserve such a savage criticism efforts to find a solution
10 He did not succeed in reaching the top In vain did he reach the top of ...
of the highest mountain in this area
11 It was a great surprise to us when A
A took us by surprise with/by her punctual arrival arrives punctually yesterday yesterday LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
12 It is quite obvious that we shall have to There is no way of escaping from the fact that ...
work faster in order to finish the project on time
13 If you don’t know what you’re doing,
Don’t take the clock apart unless you know what you’re
you shouldn’t dismantle the clock doing
14 All that stood between John and the
But for Jim’s greater speed, John would have won the
gold medal was Jim’s greater speed gold medal (but for = if … not )
15 Julie always listens to my complaints
Julie is so kind AS TO always lend an ear to my
about work, which is very kind of her complaints ….
16 The sequel to the best seller was a
The sequel to the best seller didn’t live up to the
great disappointment to the public
expectation of the public
17 There was loud applause as he left the He left the stage TO THE ACCOMPANIMENT OF stage loud applause
18 I was bitterly disappointed they
Very much to my disappointment, I was passed over
didn’t give me a part in the school play for a part
19 He is becoming quite famous as an
He is making quite a name for himself as an interviewer interviewer
20 Mr.Brown has been a gardener for
Let’s PICK UP Mr.Brown’s BRAINS because of his
years so let’s consult his opinion first
wealth of experience as a gardener
21 Mrs Thomas seems to find the way her Far from being embarrassed by her daughter’s
daughter behaves more a source of
behaviour, Mrs Thoms seems to be amused by it
amusement than embarrassment
22 City life doesn’t attract me at all
City life holds no attraction FOR me
23 Without his help we would all have
If it hadn’t been for his help, we would all have died died
24 Money is of no value on a desert island Money counts for nothing on a desert island
25 She agreed without the slightest
She agreed AT THE DROP OF A HAT hesitation
you do it immediately without stopping to think about it:
26 I heard the rumor that they are getting
I heard through the grapevine that …. (nghe đồn) married
a white elephant: vật vô dụng, để lại sẽ tốn kém
27 Workers were told nothing about the
Workers were KEPT IN THE DARK about … plans to sell the company LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
28 Alan went to London so that she could Alan’s reason for going to London was that she wanted brush up her E to brush up...
29 Celia finally managed to buy her own ONLY AFTER years of saving DID Celia manage to ...
house after years of saving
30 My boss says I can use his car
My boss says his car is AT MY DISPOSAL so long as
whenever I want to, so long as I’m I’m careful careful
*so long as = as long as
31 The news was a shock to us
We were TAKEN ABACK by the news
32 James realised that he could never be
James realised that he WASN’T CUT OUT TO BE an an architect architect
● not be cut out for sth (C2)
to not be the right type of person for something:
I'm not cut out for an office job.
33 What he told me made me very curious What he told me WHETTED MY APPETITE for the
to hear the rest of the story rest of the story /ˈek.sɝːpt/ ● whet sb's appetite
P: to increase someone's interest in and wish for - I've read an excerpt of the
something, usually by giving them a small book on the Web and it's experience of it whetted my appetite.
34 I don’t mind staying in on a Sat night
I’m not AVERSE TO staying in ... if I have good company
(I’m not averse to = I like)
35 What put me off the idea was simply
The sheer expense / cost was what.. * sheer: complete
how expensive it was going to be (emphasized)
36 Trudy was quite relieved when she
It was something OF A RELIEF to Trudy when ... found out the truth
37 The brochure gives hardly any useful
Precious little useful information is given in the information brochure ● precious: very (inf)
Lots of people will start, but precious few will finish.
38 If you don’t pay on time, your booking Failure to pay on time will RESULT IN your booking will be cancelled being cancelled
39 You’ll have to spend at least $500 to
You won’t get that sort of camera less than $500 get that sort of camera LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
40 Since the first ad, we’ve had more
Since …, we’ve been swamped with applications.
applications than we can deal with
*swamp: too much, too big that cannot be easily dealt with
Foreign cars have swamped the UK market.
Don't let feelings of depression swamp you.
If clothes swamp you, they are much too big for you. (inf)
41 It’s a mystery where the tribe
The origins of the tribe are shrouded in mystery / originated secrecy
42 Neil frequently breaks his promises
Neil frequently GOES BACK ON his word
43 The public reaction to the Pre’s
Everyone was taken aback by the
announcement surprised everyone
44 She speaks French quite well
She HAS A GOOD COMMAND OF French
(Have the ability to use/ control; have mastery of)
45 There is no way he got the news from
It can’t have been me who passed on the news to him
me as we haven’t spoken as we
46 You can’t escape your responsibilities
You can’t WRIGGLE OUT OF your responsibilities ... so easily, you know
(inf) to avoid doing something that you do not want to do:
He promised he'd help me paint the living room, but
now he's trying to wriggle out of it.
47 Nobody ever takes time off in this
It is unheard of for anyone to take... company
48 There has been an annual festival here
Since/From time IMMEMORIAL there has … here for hundreds of years
-> for a very long time (literary)
49 The new director seems to be excellent The new director seems to HAVE A FLAIR FOR
at fielding awkward questions fielding ….
* (phr) to be very skilful at st
*field (answer) to deal with a question, often by not answering it directly
50 I must reject this plan I will have to reject ...
51 It didn’t escape his attention/notice
He couldn’t help noticing that ... that she was upset LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
52 There’s nothing more to be done about Nothing more can be done ... this matter
53 A new car is twice as expensive as a
A new car is twice the price of a ... second-hand one
54 I don’t seem to be able to understand
I can’t GET MY HEAD ROUND this instruction this instruction
55 David doesn’t seem to be able to get
David doesn’t seem to be able to GET TO GRIPS
on top of the new computer system WITH the new…
● be on top of/get on top of :
to make an effort to understand and deal with a dealing with st successfully. problem or situation: (c2)
...the government's inability to get
The president has failed to come to grips with the
on top of the situation.
two most important social issues of our time.
I can't seem to get to grips with this problem. ● get on top of someone
so upset that cannot deal with:
She's had a few financial problems,
and I think things have just been getting on top of her.
56 Angela is just recovering from a nasty
Angela is just GETTING OVER a … bout of flu a short period of illness or
UK a bout of flu ; US a bout with the flu involvement in an activity: drinking bout
57 Maggie’s little boy is just learning to ….to get dressed by himself put on his own clothes
58 The little joke really caused a lot of
The little joke really GOT ME INTO DEEP WATER trouble for me
● be in / get into deep water: in serious trouble
59 Molly finds it difficult to accept the
…. to get used to the idea ...
idea that her daughter is grown up
60 Only when it got dark did Paolo decide It was not until DARKNESS FELL that Paolo made up to make his way back home his mind to ….
61 There is a rumour that the company
The company is rumoured to have sustained a loss /
lost over 20 million dollars during the losses of over…. price war
to suffer or experience, especially damage or loss (f)
She sustained multiple injuries in the accident.
Most buildings sustained only minimal damage in the earthquake LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
62 The role played by the PR company in At no time was there official acknowledgement of the
securing the government contract was
role the PR company played securing the government
never acknowledged officially contract
* secure a contract = get a contract
63 Don’t let Sarah’s carefree attitude
Don’t let yourself BE TAKEN IN by Sarah’s…
deceive you; she is an extremely conscientious worker
● A happy-go-lucky person does not plan much ● carefree (c2)
and accepts what happens without becoming
having no problems or not being worried. worried about anything: ● conscientious (c1)
I remember my carefree student /ˌkɑːn.ʃiˈen.ʃəs/ days.
putting a lot of effort into your work: a conscientious student
64 Joe would only agree to continue the
Joe insisted on TAKING OVER FROM Paul as the
trip if he could drive instead of Paul
driver before he would agree to continue the trip ● take over:
to begin to do something that someone else was doing
Can you take over the cooking while I walk the dog?
65 He surprised me very much when he
He TOOK MY BREATH AWAY when he … said he loved me
(B2) to be extremely beautiful or surprising:
The beauty of the Taj Mahal took my breath away.
66 He didn’t hesitate to recommend me
He MADE NO BONES ABOUT recommending me for the job for the job
not try to hide something or say you are sorry about it:
He makes no bones about the fact that his apartment is a mess.
67 The local council has considered mass The local council has PUT THE BLAME ON mass
tourism (as) the cause of the tourism FOR the cause of … environmental problems
hiện tượng một điểm đến du lịch phát triển quá nóng,
thu hút quá nhiều du khách đến cùng một lúc (vd tình
trạng quá tải trong mùa cao điểm du lịch.)
68 It is quite urgent that he hold this
The meeting should be held as a matter of urgency meeting
69 Ally’s wife said that he had to start
Ally’s wife said that IT WAS TIME he showed an
being interested in their kids’lives interest in ….
70 Immediately after his arrival home a
Hardly had he arrived home when ...a water-heater water-heater exploded exploded
71 Rita doesn’t realize how serious her Little does Rita realize ...
husband’s operation is going to be LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
72 A waiter spilled soup over Lydia’s new Lydia had some soup spilled over her new dress by a dress last night waiter last night
73 Jane’s husband will be returning from
It won’t be long AFTER Jane’s husband returns from South America quite soon South America
74 Martin may be not very well but she
Martin’s poor health doesn’t prevent/stop him from still manages to enjoy life enjoying life
75 He began by giving us a summary of
At the outset, he gave us a summary of his progress so his progress so far far
76 I think we ought to permit him to do
I think we should give him a free hand whatever he chooses
P: to make your own decisions about how you want to do something:
The students were given a free hand as far as designing their product was concerned.
77 I resent the way that she clearly feels
I resent the way that she looks down her nose at me
herself to be superior to me
● resent Ving: angry, upset about Ving
78 After two hours the bride had still not
After two hours there was still no sign of the bride. arrived
79 Frank doesn’t care if Jean leaves or
Whatever Jean does is all right with Frank stays
80 Marie distrusts modern technology
Marie has a strong distrust of modern tech strongly P: (not trust)
81 Absolute secrecy was crucial to the
Without absolute secrecy, the mission wouldn’t have success of the mission succeeded
82 You could be arrested for not giving a
Refusal to give a breath sample could lead to your breath sample to the police arrest
83 The house was dirty because no one
The house was dirty because no one took the trouble to bothered to keep it clean keep it clean
84 A did everything he could to exploit
A …. to take advantage of the ... the situation
85 He bought a new jacket without having He bought …. on the spur of the moment planned to do
86 They have discovered some interesting Some … has come to light new information = (be known publicly)
87 I find Harold’s behaviour quite
I am at a loss to understand Harold’s behaviour LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21 incomprehensible
88 Most people know that becoming an
It is common knowledge that ... actor is difficult
89 Because of its price, the book may
The price of this book may prevent it (from) becoming never become a bestseller
/ being a bestseller // its becoming / being s bestseller
90 It was such an impressive painting that It was so impressive a painting that ...
I had an irresistible urge to buy it
91 His rude behavior is too much for me
I can’t put up with his rude behavior
92 Tony’s very charming, but I wouldn’t Charming as Tony is, I ... trust him
93 Local residents said they were against
Local residents expressed their disapproval of ... the new traffic scheme
94 Jenny didn’t feel like going to the party Jenny wasn’t in the mood to / was in no mood to go / for going to the party
95 He always makes everything look so
He always makes heavy weather of everything difficult
P: have unnecessary difficulty in dealing with st (inf)
96 Being her only niece, Ann is very
…., Ann is the apple of her eye precious to her
P: the person who someone loves most and is very proud of (old-f)
97 Carol has trouble communicating her
Carol has trouble getting her ideas across ideas to others
98 She tends to become very angry when She tends to see red when ... she sees X being treated badly
99 There has been a belief that she ... It has been believed that...
10 Her hobby is one thing that she doesn’t She has no intention of giving up her hobby 0 intend to give up
01 There is no point in seeing that film That film ISN’T worth seeing
02 It snowed so they cancelled the flight
The flight was cancelled owing to the snow
03 The news that he would be going to U The news of HIS GOING to ...
04 We must think about ways of ...
Thought must be given to ways of ...
05 It isn’t possible that X was absent from X must have been at work today work today LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
06 I haven’t been swimming for nearly a
The last time I went swimming was nearly a year ago year
07 It doesn’t matter which ...
It makes no difference which ...
08 Should they strike the consultant off,
Should she be struck off, the consultant will she will
P: Xóa bỏ giấy phép chuyên ngành của ai đó 09 It was much of a Y than a Z It was not so much a Z as a Y
10 He threatened the X with violence
He made threats of violence against the X
11 X is very likely to be promoted
X stands on a good chance of being promoted
12 His whole life was one of deceit and
Throughout his life he was deceitful and treacherous treachery
● /ˈtretʃ.ɚ.i/ : behaviour that deceives/ is not loyal to sb who trusts you 13 Only X know the details
Knowledge of the details is limited / restricted to X
14 There’s nothing new about X X is as old as the hills
15 I never thought that we’d have X
It never crossed my mind that ...
16 X leaked the story to the world press
The world press got wind of the story from X
17 Does he know enough X to ...
Is his knowledge of X good enough for him to ….
18 My friend claim that the exhibition
It wasn’t as interesting an exhibition as my friend had
was interesting but I found it pretty claimed dull
19 X were not only slightly insulting, but
X were not so much insulting as inaccurate they were extremely inaccurate
20 X has imposed a ban on private
What X has done is imposed …. e-mails
/ɪmˈpoʊz/ : to officially force
21 I was expecting X to be a lot more
X is nowhere near as expensive as I (had) expected it to expensive than it is be
22 Due to the difficulty of the Q asked, he The Q were so difficult that he only just managed to
only narrowly missed failing the exam scrape through the exam
P: to succeed in something but with a lot of difficulty
23 There was uncertainty over the
It was touch and go whether the animal would survive
animal’s ability to pull through after the operation the operation ● touch-and-go (inf)
24 When X told Y they were wrong, they
X told Y they were wrong, AT WHICH POINT they left immediately left LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
25 What makes X different from the
What sets X apart from the others is... others is its long history
26 She got up very early this morning
She got up at the crack of dawn (c2) 27 I can’t remember having
I have no recollection of having (c2 - a memory of st)
28 From what we have been told, the
The victim is understood to be out of hospital and is
victim has left hospital and is recovering quickly recovering rapidly
29 She is well-known for her vast She is authority on … knowledge of ...
/əˈθɔːr.ə.t̬i/ (c2 - expert)
30 As the merry-go-round picked up
The faster the merry-go-round span, the more
speed, the children’s shrieks grew ever piercingly the children shrieked more piercing
● merry-go-round (n): Đu quay thú nhún ● /ʃriːk/ = thét
● spin (- span - spun): turning round very quickly
● piercing = feeling or seeming
● spick and span: (place) very clean and tidy: very sharp or powerful:
Their house is always spick and span. He had piercing blue eyes.
She let out a piercing (= loud) shriek.
31 Another five years were to pass before Not until five years had gone by did she see her brother she saw her brother again again
32 We found the key we’d been looking
There, under the sofa, lay the missing key for lying under the sofa 33 X was very angry with Y
X blew up at Y ( = suddenly become very angry - inf)
34 X said that the situation was like a Y
X LIKENED the situation TO a Y 35 My mom never thinks of ...
The idea of … is never in my mom’s thought
36 These wine bottles have many ...
There are many … FROM these ...
37 The crops were badly affected by X
X had/made a bad effect on the crops
38 We couldn’t find X anywhere
X was nowhere to be found 39 The X was held despite Y The X took place despite Y
40 You should make an effort to get out
It’s high time you GOT… and about more ● out and about: 1. out and at different places
2. active; doing the things you usually do:
The doctor says she's making a good recovery, and she
should be out and about in a few days' time. LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
41 He spent time setting up an exhibition
He was EMPLOYED IN setting up … costumes
of costumes from all periods of history DOWN THE AGES
● be employed in Ving: spend time Ving
● down (through) the ages: Through time. During many periods.
42 When the goods arrived at the shop,
On arrival at the shop, the goods are inspected carefully they are inspected carefully
43 Those stores will probably accept a
It is possible that those stores accept a credit card as an credit card instead of cash alternative TO cash
44 Even if she runs really fast, Tina won’t No matter how fast she runs, Tina ... get to school on time
45 Joe was very surprised to see Jack
Joe was taken completely by surprise when Jack walk into the room walked
(not taken aback bc it’ll have to be: completely taken
aback while the test gives “joe was taken …” )
46 Lots more people have been shopping
There has been a sharp increase in the number of online this year
people shopping online this year
47 X should think about experience when X should take experience into consideration when hiring new staff hiring new staff
48 I wish people wouldn’t talk ... - it
It really gets on my nerves when people talking … makes me really uptight
/ˈʌpˈtɑɪt/ : nervous, anxious, or
P: annoy - make sb angry, upset (slightly) worried; angry (inf)
49 I get bored with the match halfway
I lost my interest in the match halfway through through
(be halfway through Ving/st: 50% process)
50 John has hinted that he doesn’t wish to John has dropped / given a hint that he no longer
remain in the group any longer wishes to
51 I do not understand why he has been
I do not understand why he has had a finger in every
involved in lots of different activities pie 52 It’s quite common It’s by no means uncommon
53 Initially, everybody believed his story
He is now believed to have made up/dreamt up the
but now they think he was lying story
54 We only came to this restaurant
It was at your insistence that we came to this restaurant
because you insisted that we did so LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
55 I’ve become extremely good at
I’ve got missing the rush hour down to a fine art over
missing the rush hour over the last few the last few weeks weeks
P: have/have got sth down to a fine art
(UK also: have sth off to a fine art)
to be able to do something very well or quickly, often
because you have done it so many times
56 It’s crucial for us to control the
It’s crucial for us to keep a tight rein on the juvenile
juvenile inmates in a very strict way inmates
keep a tight rein on sb/sth = keep sb/sth on a tight rein
to have a lot of control over someone or something
57 His excuse for such bad behavior has
His excuse for such bad behavior cuts no ice with her little effect on her
58 You made an embarrassing mistake
You put your foot in it / in your mouth when … when you asked him where ...
put your foot in it (UK)
(US put your foot in your mouth)
to say something by accident that embarrasses or upsets someone
59 I feel I am not being treated fairly
I feel I am getting / being given a raw deal
bad or unfair treatment: He said that many children in
the city's schools were getting/being given a raw deal
by being taught in classes that were too large.
60 If children were allowed to do what
If children were left to their own devices, they would..
they wanted, they would probably play P: to allow someone to make their own decisions about games all day
what to do: He seemed to be a responsible person, so I left him to his own devices.
61 I don’t conceal my loathing for war
I make no secret of my loathing for war
/ˈloʊ.ðɪŋ/ C2 a strong feeling of hating someone or something 62 X and Y did not get on well X was not on good terms with Y
63 The fourth time he asked her to marry
Only on his fourth proposal did she accept (to marry) him, she accepted him
64 I shall never lend X any money, no
Under no circumstances will/shall I (ever) lend X any matter what happens money LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
65 Do you think X will be able to come
Is there any possibility that X will come here? here?
66 The likelihood of their having any
It is not at all likely that they have any work to offer
work to offer me in the foreseeable me.. future is nil ● nil = nothing
67 He shouted as loudly as he could, but
He shouted at the top of his voice, but nobody heard nobody heard him him
68 His French has improved so much that His French has improved to such a degree that he is he is virtually fluent now virtually (=almost) fluent now
69 X is not at all afraid about ... … holds no fear for X
70 X was the only member of staff not to
With the exception of X every member of / all the staff
attend the farewell party (tiệc chia tay) attended
71 Have you decided to enter the
Have you decided to go in for the ... competition?
( compete / enjoy / do sth regularly )
72 If I were you, I wouldn’t tell You had better not tell
73 It is thought that X is considering X is thought to be considering 74 I was very annoyed by his What really annoyed me was his
75 I really like her voice but not her
Much as I like her voice, I don’t like her choice of choice of songs songs 76 Quite by chance, X met Y at X ran into Y at
● run into SB : meet by chance
● run across ST: find by chance
77 It took me a long time to recover from
It took me a long time to get over my illness my illness
78 You’ll just have to learn to accept the
You’ll just have to face up to the facts facts
79 It has always been her ambition to
She has always dreamt of writing a successful novel write a successful novel
80 You got lost because you didn’t do
It you had followed my instruction, you wouldn’t have what I told you got lost
81 I’ll only leave the waiter some money
I won’t tip the waiter unless he’s quick if he’s quick LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
82 Was it necessary for you to make a
You should not have made a song and dance about fuss ABOUT … ? ● make a fuss OF sb
P: To have an excessive reaction to
(mainly US make a fuss over sb) someone or something.
to give someone a lot of attention and treat them well
● make a song and dance about st
make something seem more important than it really is
so that everyone notices it (UK inf)
- I only asked her to move her car but she made
such a song and dance about it.
83 The laborers decided to take
The laborers decided to DOWN TOOLS in support of
industrial action to show support for their sacked workmate their sacked workmate P: an occasion when workers do
● down tools: to refuse to continue working,
something that is intended to force an
especially because you are not satisfied with
employer to agree to something,
your pay or working conditions (UK) especially by stopping work: - Workers at the plant are threatening industrial action.
84 You aren’t particularly cooperative.
Were you more cooperative, your colleagues would
That’s why your colleagues didn’t
have held you in high esteem (admire, very respect ) respect you
● particularly: very or very much; especially
85 He didn’t admit that he was the thief
Not until he was caught in the act did he admit that ... until he was caught red-handed
86 He is rumored to have had financial
Rumor has it that he felt / has felt the pinch problems
● feel the pinch: to have problems with money
because you are earning less than before (UK)
87 His amicable /ˈæm.ɪ.kə.bəl/ ( thân
That he behaved in an amicable way / amicably was not
tình) behavior was really out of his
in keeping with his character
character (uncharacteristic)
● in/out of keeping (with sth): suitable or not
suitable for a particular situation
88 The announcement of the takeover
The entire staff was thrown / caught off balance when
came as a surprise to the entire staff the takeover was announced
/ˈteɪkˌoʊ.vɚ/ a situation in which a
● catch/throw sb off balance: to surprise someone
company gets control of another
and make them confused or upset
company by buying enough of its shares (C1)
- They were involved in a takeover last year.
89 She tried to explain how to operate the She tied herself (up) in knots when she tried / trying to
photocopier to me and ended up being
explain to me how the photocopier operated perplexed
● tie sb (up) in knots LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
/pɚˈplekst/ confused, because st is
1. (inf) to confuse someone and make them unable to
difficult to understand or solve explain something clearly
2. to make someone upset, worried, or confused:
- Start watching the way his guilt ties him up in knots.
- Thinking too much just leaves you tied up in knots.
90 Customs officials / officers (Nhân viên An increased number of travelers are being searched
Hải quan) are stopping more travelers by customs officials this week than usual this week
91 Can you please stop causing trouble?
I’d / would rather/ sooner (that) you stopped making waves
● make waves (C2; inf): to be very active so that
other people notice you, often in a way that intentionally causes trouble:
- It's probably not a good idea to start making
waves in your first week in a new job.
92 I was quite (completely) shocked that
It came as a great/big shock to me that when they …,
when they broke the news, she stayed but she didn’t turn a hair
perfectly calm and controlled
● break the news: to tell someone about some important new information
93 That he decided to retire early marked His decision to retire early brought the curtain down /
the end of his distinguished career
down the curtain on his distinguished career
● distinguished: respected and
● bring down the curtain on st / bring the curtain admired for excellence down on st = to end st
94 We discovered in the end that they had In the end it transpired that they had been economical
deliberately (=intentionally) left some with the truth important facts
● be economical with the truth: literally means to
/trænˈspaɪɚ/: previously secret or
avoid revealing too much of the unknown fact becomes known (f) truth(humourous)
95 The chances are that by the end of
There is every indication (to suggest) that by the end the year the economy will have
of this year … will be (back) on its feet again recovered
● be/get back on one’s feet:
1. to have enough money again, or to be successful again after having problems
2. to be healthy again after a period of illness
96 X is nowhere near as good since there
X has really gone downhills since it changed hands was a change of ownership
● go downhills: to gradually become worse (C2)
97 You have the right to complain about it You are at liberty to lodge a written complaint about it in writing
● lodge a claim, complaint, protest, etc: to make
an official complaint about something LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
98 It is certain that he will compensate
He is bound to make it up to you for …
you for the damage he has done
● make it up to sb: to do something good for ● compensate for: den bu
someone you have upset, in order to become friends with them again
● bound to: certain to / obliged to
99 I believe the man you are looking for
I have a feeling that the man standing right next to you is standing right next to us is the one you are looking for
20 X think that hard work is good for you X think that hard work does you no harm 0
01 X is in complete opposition to
X flies in the face of mainstream thinking mainstream thinking
/ˈmeɪn.striːm/ considered normal, and
● the mainstream: the way of life or set of beliefs
having or using ideas, beliefs, etc. that accepted by most people:
are accepted by most people (c2)
The new law should allow more disabled people to
enter the mainstream of American life.
02 X won’t be happy till she gets Y
Nothing other than Y will satisfy X
03 You’re far more practical than I am
Nowhere else am I as practical as you are
04 There is a risk that he will miss the
He risks missing the plane if he waits plane if he waits
05 The plain clothes officer’s boots
The plain clothes policeman’s real identity was given showed he was a policeman away by his boots
06 It would have been possible for Jane to Jane could have given us a lift / taken us in her car take us in her car
07 I can barely cook a meal for myself, so I would struggle to cook (a meal) for myself, let alone
I certainly couldn’t cook for 8 pp for 8 pp
● let alone: used to emphasize that something is
more impossible than another thing
08 I hope his story will help us to
Hopeful when he tells us his story it will shed light on
understand what happened what happened
09 If I’m being honest, I have to say the
The play fell short of my expectations, to be honest
the play wasn’t as good as I’d expected with you
10 I didn’t turn the TV on because I didn’t I didn’t turn the TV on for fear of waking the baby want to wake the baby
● for fear that/of st: (C2) because you are worried
that a particular thing might happen
11 X is unlikely to get the job that he
There is little prospect OF X’s getting the job that... applied for LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
12 X has been thinking about it all day,
It’s been on X’s mind all day, but ...
but he hasn’t made a decision yet
13 He still hasn’t recovered from losing
He still hasn’t got over being fired / made redundant / his job last year sacked / dismissed last year
14 X are much more prone to infection
X pick up infections much more easily than Y ● pick up:
● be prone to st/Ving: to often do
1. get an illness from st or somewhere something or suffer from 2. increase, improve something, especially st bad: I'm prone to headaches.
He's prone to forgetting things
15 You must try to accept that ….
You must come to terms with the fact that ...
16 No one really expected X to do so well Everyone was taken by surprise when X did so well in in his exams his exams
17 I explained clearly that I wasn't
I made it quite plain (that) … interested.
● Plain: obvious and clear to understand (c2)
● a plain Jane: a woman or girl who is not attractive
18 I don’t reckon much to/of (US) their I do not think they will win chances of winning
Unless you tell the truth, A will be
Your failure to tell the truth means the cancellation of A 1 cancelled 2
Mary talks in class all the time
Mary is always talking in class 3
Jane regretted speaking so rudely yo
Jane wished she had spoken more politely to the old the old lady lady 4
Brian is the splitting image of his
Brian bears a strong resemblance to his father LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21 father 5
I really dont see how pp can blame J
I really dont see how J can be held responsible for what for what happened happened 6
I hate it when pp interrupt me when
I can not stand pp interrupting me when I’m talking I’m talking 7 She is proud of being able to
She prides herself on her ability to 8 In 1967 programs began to be
1967 saw the advent of the transmission of programs transmitted in color. in color. 9
I don’t have the right qualities for I am not cut out to be becoming
10 He tried to pretend to be some sort of
He tried to pass himself off as some sort of expert expert
11 This liver condition is common in
This liver condition is common IN heavy drinkers those who drink a lot
12 That jumper you knitted for your
my daughter has grown out of that jumper you knitted daughter no longer fits her. for her
13 don't be upset by what she said
Don’t take what she said to heart
14 i promised him that the situation
I gave him my word that there would be no repetition
would not be repeated in the future
of the situation in the future.
15 X feels uncomfortable in front of all
David seems really ill at case in front of all those those people people.
16 i really admire you for your
I take my hat off to you for your improvement improvement
17 my uncle did not suffer from his
My uncle was none the worse for his experience experience
be none the worse (for something): not damaged or harmed despite something:
18 There will always be differences of
Differences of opinion will always arise even between opinion even between friends friends
19 when he was at his most successful the At the height of his success, the president had
president had enormous influence enormous influence.
20 he is a man of extreme honesty He is an extremely honest man
21 although the papers claim that they are Contrary to what the papers claim, they are not going to get divorced
going to get divorced they are not LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
22 what put me off the idea was simply
The sheer cost/expense was what put me off the idea
how expensive it was going to be
23 Trudy was quite relieved when she
It was something OF A RELIEF to Trudy when ... found out the truth
24 i have frequently made stupid mistakes Many's the time that I have made stupid mistakes like that like that
25 I'm not friendly with him; in fact, I
Far from being on friendly terms with him, I hardly hardly even know him even know him
26 attendance at the exhibition has been
- The exhibition has been poorly attended this year down this year
- The exhibition has not been so well attended this
27 he prefers living in the centre of the
Rather than live in the suburbs, he would prefer to live city to living in the suburbs in the
28 Alan went to London so that she could Alan’s reason for going to London was that she wanted brush up her E to brush up...
29 Celia finally managed to buy her own ONLY AFTER years of saving DID Celia manage to ...
house after years of saving
30 My boss says I can use his car
My boss says his car is AT MY DISPOSAL so long as
whenever I want to, so long as I’m I’m careful careful
*so long as = as long as
31 The news was a shock to us
We were TAKEN ABACK by the news
32 James realised that he could never be
James realised that he WASN’T CUT OUT TO BE an an architect architect
● not be cut out for sth (C2)
to not be the right type of person for something:
I'm not cut out for an office job.
33 What he told me made me very curious What he told me WHETTED MY APPETITE for the
to hear the rest of the story rest of the story /ˈek.sɝːpt/ ● whet sb's appetite
P: to increase someone's interest in and wish for - I've read an excerpt of the
something, usually by giving them a small book on the Web and it's experience of it whetted my appetite.
34 I don’t mind staying in on a Sat night
I’m not AVERSE TO staying in ... LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21 if I have good company
(I’m not averse to = I like)
35 What put me off the idea was simply
The sheer expense / cost was what.. * sheer: complete
how expensive it was going to be (emphasized)
36 Trudy was quite relieved when she
It was something OF A RELIEF to Trudy when ... found out the truth
37 The brochure gives hardly any useful
Precious little useful information is given in the information brochure ● precious: very (inf)
Lots of people will start, but precious few will finish.
38 If you don’t pay on time, your booking Failure to pay on time will RESULT IN your booking will be cancelled being cancelled
39 You’ll have to spend at least $500 to
You won’t get that sort of camera less than $500 get that sort of camera
40 Since the first ad, we’ve had more
Since …, we’ve been swamped with applications.
applications than we can deal with
*swamp: too much, too big that cannot be easily dealt with
Foreign cars have swamped the UK market.
Don't let feelings of depression swamp you.
If clothes swamp you, they are much too big for you. (inf)
41 It’s a mystery where the tribe
The origins of the tribe are shrouded in mystery / originated secrecy
42 Neil frequently breaks his promises
Neil frequently GOES BACK ON his word
43 The public reaction to the Pre’s
Everyone was taken aback by the
announcement surprised everyone
44 She speaks French quite well
She HAS A GOOD COMMAND OF French
(Have the ability to use/ control; have mastery of)
45 There is no way he got the news from
It can’t have been me who passed on the news to him
me as we haven’t spoken as we LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
46 You can’t escape your responsibilities
You can’t WRIGGLE OUT OF your responsibilities ... so easily, you know
(inf) to avoid doing something that you do not want to do:
He promised he'd help me paint the living room, but
now he's trying to wriggle out of it.
47 Nobody ever takes time off in this
It is unheard of for anyone to take... company
48 There has been an annual festival here
Since/From time IMMEMORIAL there has … here for hundreds of years
-> for a very long time (literary)
49 The new director seems to be excellent The new director seems to HAVE A FLAIR FOR
at fielding awkward questions fielding ….
* (phr) to be very skilful at st
*field (answer) to deal with a question, often by not answering it directly
50 I must reject this plan I will have to reject ...
51 It didn’t escape his attention/notice
He couldn’t help noticing that ... that she was upset
52 There’s nothing more to be done about Nothing more can be done ... this matter
53 A new car is twice as expensive as a
A new car is twice the price of a ... second-hand one
54 I don’t seem to be able to understand
I can’t GET MY HEAD ROUND this instruction this instruction
55 David doesn’t seem to be able to get
David doesn’t seem to be able to GET TO GRIPS
on top of the new computer system WITH the new…
● be on top of/get on top of :
to make an effort to understand and deal with a dealing with st successfully. problem or situation: (c2)
...the government's inability to get
The president has failed to come to grips with the
on top of the situation.
two most important social issues of our time.
I can't seem to get to grips with this problem. ● get on top of someone
so upset that cannot deal with:
She's had a few financial problems,
and I think things have just been getting on top of her. LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
56 Angela is just recovering from a nasty
Angela is just GETTING OVER a … bout of flu a short period of illness or
UK a bout of flu ; US a bout with the flu involvement in an activity: drinking bout
57 Maggie’s little boy is just learning to ….to get dressed by himself put on his own clothes
58 The little joke really caused a lot of
The little joke really GOT ME INTO DEEP WATER trouble for me
● be in / get into deep water: in serious trouble
59 Molly finds it difficult to accept the
…. to get used to the idea ...
idea that her daughter is grown up
60 Only when it got dark did Paolo decide It was not until DARKNESS FELL that Paolo made up to make his way back home his mind to ….
61 There is a rumour that the company
The company is rumoured to have sustained a loss /
lost over 20 million dollars during the losses of over…. price war
to suffer or experience, especially damage or loss (f)
She sustained multiple injuries in the accident.
Most buildings sustained only minimal damage in the earthquake
62 The role played by the PR company in At no time was there official acknowledgement of the
securing the government contract was
role the PR company played securing the government
never acknowledged officially contract
* secure a contract = get a contract
63 Don’t let Sarah’s carefree attitude
Don’t let yourself BE TAKEN IN by Sarah’s…
deceive you; she is an extremely conscientious worker
● A happy-go-lucky person does not plan much ● carefree (c2)
and accepts what happens without becoming
having no problems or not being worried. worried about anything: ● conscientious (c1)
I remember my carefree student /ˌkɑːn.ʃiˈen.ʃəs/ days.
putting a lot of effort into your work: a conscientious student
64 Joe would only agree to continue the
Joe insisted on TAKING OVER FROM Paul as the
trip if he could drive instead of Paul
driver before he would agree to continue the trip ● take over:
to begin to do something that someone else was doing
Can you take over the cooking while I walk the dog?
65 He surprised me very much when he
He TOOK MY BREATH AWAY when he … said he loved me
(B2) to be extremely beautiful or surprising:
The beauty of the Taj Mahal took my breath away. LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
66 He didn’t hesitate to recommend me
He MADE NO BONES ABOUT recommending me for the job for the job
not try to hide something or say you are sorry about it:
He makes no bones about the fact that his apartment is a mess.
67 The local council has considered mass The local council has PUT THE BLAME ON mass
tourism (as) the cause of the tourism FOR the cause of … environmental problems
hiện tượng một điểm đến du lịch phát triển quá nóng,
thu hút quá nhiều du khách đến cùng một lúc (vd tình
trạng quá tải trong mùa cao điểm du lịch.)
68 It is quite urgent that he hold this
The meeting should be held as a matter of urgency meeting
69 Ally’s wife said that he had to start
Ally’s wife said that IT WAS TIME he showed an
being interested in their kids’lives interest in ….
70 Immediately after his arrival home a
Hardly had he arrived home when ...a water-heater water-heater exploded exploded
71 Rita doesn’t realize how serious her Little does Rita realize ...
husband’s operation is going to be
72 A waiter spilled soup over Lydia’s new Lydia had some soup spilled over her new dress by a dress last night waiter last night
73 Jane’s husband will be returning from
It won’t be long AFTER Jane’s husband returns from South America quite soon South America
74 Martin may be not very well but she
Martin’s poor health doesn’t prevent/stop him from still manages to enjoy life enjoying life
75 He began by giving us a summary of
At the outset, he gave us a summary of his progress so his progress so far far
76 I think we ought to permit him to do
I think we should give him a free hand whatever he chooses
P: to make your own decisions about how you want to do something:
The students were given a free hand as far as designing their product was concerned.
77 I resent the way that she clearly feels
I resent the way that she looks down her nose at me
herself to be superior to me
● resent Ving: angry, upset about Ving
78 After two hours the bride had still not
After two hours there was still no sign of the bride. arrived
79 Frank doesn’t care if Jean leaves or
Whatever Jean does is all right with Frank stays LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
80 Marie distrusts modern technology
Marie has a strong distrust of modern tech strongly P: (not trust)
81 Absolute secrecy was crucial to the
Without absolute secrecy, the mission wouldn’t have success of the mission succeeded
82 You could be arrested for not giving a
Refusal to give a breath sample could lead to your breath sample to the police arrest
83 The house was dirty because no one
The house was dirty because no one took the trouble to bothered to keep it clean keep it clean
84 A did everything he could to exploit
A …. to take advantage of the ... the situation
85 He bought a new jacket without having He bought …. on the spur of the moment planned to do
86 They have discovered some interesting Some … has come to light new information = (be known publicly)
87 I find Harold’s behaviour quite
I am at a loss to understand Harold’s behaviour incomprehensible
88 Most people know that becoming an
It is common knowledge that ... actor is difficult
89 Because of its price, the book may
The price of this book may prevent it (from) becoming never become a bestseller
/ being a bestseller // its becoming / being s bestseller
90 It was such an impressive painting that It was so impressive a painting that ...
I had an irresistible urge to buy it
91 His rude behavior is too much for me
I can’t put up with his rude behavior
92 Tony’s very charming, but I wouldn’t Charming as Tony is, I ... trust him
93 Local residents said they were against
Local residents expressed their disapproval of ... the new traffic scheme
94 Jenny didn’t feel like going to the party Jenny wasn’t in the mood to / was in no mood to go / for going to the party
95 He always makes everything look so
He always makes heavy weather of everything difficult
P: have unnecessary difficulty in dealing with st (inf)
96 Being her only niece, Ann is very
…., Ann is the apple of her eye precious to her
P: the person who someone loves most and is very LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21 proud of (old-f)
97 Carol has trouble communicating her
Carol has trouble getting her ideas across ideas to others
98 She tends to become very angry when She tends to see red when ... she sees X being treated badly
99 There has been a belief that she ... It has been believed that...
10 Her hobby is one thing that she doesn’t She has no intention of giving up her hobby 0 intend to give up
01 There is no point in seeing that film That film ISN’T worth seeing
02 It snowed so they cancelled the flight
The flight was cancelled owing to the snow
03 The news that he would be going to U The news of HIS GOING to ...
04 We must think about ways of ...
Thought must be given to ways of ...
05 It isn’t possible that X was absent from X must have been at work today work today
06 I haven’t been swimming for nearly a
The last time I went swimming was nearly a year ago year
07 It doesn’t matter which ...
It makes no difference which ...
08 Should they strike the consultant off,
Should she be struck off, the consultant will she will
P: Xóa bỏ giấy phép chuyên ngành của ai đó 09 It was much of a Y than a Z It was not so much a Z as a Y
10 He threatened the X with violence
He made threats of violence against the X
11 X is very likely to be promoted
X stands on a good chance of being promoted
12 His whole life was one of deceit and
Throughout his life he was deceitful and treacherous treachery
● /ˈtretʃ.ɚ.i/ : behaviour that deceives/ is not loyal to sb who trusts you 13 Only X know the details
Knowledge of the details is limited / restricted to X
14 There’s nothing new about X X is as old as the hills
15 I never thought that we’d have X
It never crossed my mind that ...
16 X leaked the story to the world press
The world press got wind of the story from X
17 Does he know enough X to ...
Is his knowledge of X good enough for him to …. LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
18 My friend claim that the exhibition
It wasn’t as interesting an exhibition as my friend had
was interesting but I found it pretty claimed dull
19 X were not only slightly insulting, but
X were not so much insulting as inaccurate they were extremely inaccurate
20 X has imposed a ban on private
What X has done is imposed …. e-mails
/ɪmˈpoʊz/ : to officially force
21 I was expecting X to be a lot more
X is nowhere near as expensive as I (had) expected it to expensive than it is be
22 Due to the difficulty of the Q asked, he The Q were so difficult that he only just managed to
only narrowly missed failing the exam scrape through the exam
P: to succeed in something but with a lot of difficulty
23 There was uncertainty over the
It was touch and go whether the animal would survive
animal’s ability to pull through after the operation the operation ● touch-and-go (inf)
24 When X told Y they were wrong, they
X told Y they were wrong, AT WHICH POINT they left immediately left
25 What makes X different from the
What sets X apart from the others is... others is its long history
26 She got up very early this morning
She got up at the crack of dawn (c2) 27 I can’t remember having
I have no recollection of having (c2 - a memory of st)
28 From what we have been told, the
The victim is understood to be out of hospital and is
victim has left hospital and is recovering quickly recovering rapidly
29 She is well-known for her vast She is authority on … knowledge of ...
/əˈθɔːr.ə.t̬i/ (c2 - expert)
30 As the merry-go-round picked up
The faster the merry-go-round span, the more
speed, the children’s shrieks grew ever piercingly the children shrieked more piercing
● merry-go-round (n): Đu quay thú nhún ● /ʃriːk/ = thét
● spin (- span - spun): turning round very quickly
● piercing = feeling or seeming
● spick and span: (place) very clean and tidy: very sharp or powerful:
Their house is always spick and span. He had piercing blue eyes.
She let out a piercing (= loud) shriek.
31 Another five years were to pass before Not until five years had gone by did she see her brother she saw her brother again again LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
32 We found the key we’d been looking
There, under the sofa, lay the missing key for lying under the sofa 33 X was very angry with Y
X blew up at Y ( = suddenly become very angry - inf)
34 X said that the situation was like a Y
X LIKENED the situation TO a Y 35 My mom never thinks of ...
The idea of … is never in my mom’s thought
36 These wine bottles have many ...
There are many … FROM these ...
37 The crops were badly affected by X
X had/made a bad effect on the crops
38 We couldn’t find X anywhere
X was nowhere to be found 39 The X was held despite Y The X took place despite Y
40 You should make an effort to get out
It’s high time you GOT… and about more ● out and about: 1. out and at different places
2. active; doing the things you usually do:
The doctor says she's making a good recovery, and she
should be out and about in a few days' time.
41 He spent time setting up an exhibition
He was EMPLOYED IN setting up … costumes
of costumes from all periods of history DOWN THE AGES
● be employed in Ving: spend time Ving
● down (through) the ages: Through time. During many periods.
42 When the goods arrived at the shop,
On arriving at the shop, the goods are inspected they are inspected carefully carefully
43 Those stores will probably accept a
It is possible that those stores accept a credit card as an credit card instead of cash alternative TO cash
44 Even if she runs really fast, Tina won’t No matter how fast she runs, Tina ... get to school on time
45 Joe was very surprised to see Jack
Joe was taken completely by surprise when Jack walk into the room walked
(not taken aback bc it’ll have to be: completely taken
aback while the test gives “joe was taken …” )
46 Lots more people have been shopping
There has been a sharp increase in the number of online this year
people shopping online this year
47 X should think about experience when X should take experience into consideration when hiring new staff hiring new staff LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
48 I wish people wouldn’t talk ... - it
It really gets on my nerves when people talking … makes me really uptight
/ˈʌpˈtɑɪt/ : nervous, anxious, or
P: annoy - make sb angry, upset (slightly) worried; angry (inf)
49 I get bored with the match halfway
I lost my interest in the match halfway through through
(be halfway through Ving/st: 50% process)
50 John has hinted that he doesn’t wish to John has dropped / given a hint that he no longer
remain in the group any longer wishes to
51 I do not understand why he has been
I do not understand why he has had a finger in every
involved in lots of different activities pie 52 It’s quite common It’s by no means uncommon
53 Initially, everybody believed his story
He is now believed to have made up/dreamt up the
but now they think he was lying story
54 We only came to this restaurant
It was at your insistence that we came to this restaurant
because you insisted that we did so
55 I’ve become extremely good at
I’ve got missing the rush hour down to a fine art over
missing the rush hour over the last few the last few weeks weeks
P: have/have got sth down to a fine art
(UK also: have sth off to a fine art)
to be able to do something very well or quickly, often
because you have done it so many times
56 It’s crucial for us to control the
It’s crucial for us to keep a tight rein on the juvenile
juvenile inmates in a very strict way inmates
keep a tight rein on sb/sth = keep sb/sth on a tight rein
to have a lot of control over someone or something
57 His excuse for such bad behavior has
His excuse for such bad behavior cuts no ice with her little effect on her
58 You made an embarrassing mistake
You put your foot in it / in your mouth when … when you asked him where ...
put your foot in it (UK)
(US put your foot in your mouth)
to say something by accident that embarrasses or upsets someone LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
59 I feel I am not being treated fairly
I feel I am getting / being given a raw deal
bad or unfair treatment: He said that many children in
the city's schools were getting/being given a raw deal
by being taught in classes that were too large.
60 If children were allowed to do what
If children were left to their own devices, they would..
they wanted, they would probably play P: to allow someone to make their own decisions about games all day
what to do: He seemed to be a responsible person, so I left him to his own devices.
61 I don’t conceal my loathing for war
I make no secret of my loathing for war
/ˈloʊ.ðɪŋ/ C2 a strong feeling of hating someone or something 62 X and Y did not get on well X was not on good terms with Y
63 The fourth time he asked her to marry
Only on his fourth proposal did she accept (to marry) him, she accepted him
64 I shall never lend X any money, no
Under no circumstances will/shall I (ever) lend X any matter what happens money
65 Do you think X will be able to come
Is there any possibility that X will come here? here?
66 The likelihood of their having any
It is not at all likely that they have any work to offer
work to offer me in the foreseeable me.. future is nil ● nil = nothing
67 He shouted as loudly as he could, but
He shouted at the top of his voice, but nobody heard nobody heard him him
68 His French has improved so much that His French has improved to such a degree that he is he is virtually fluent now virtually (=almost) fluent now
69 X is not at all afraid about ... … holds no fear for X
70 X was the only member of staff not to
With the exception of X every member of / all the staff
attend the farewell party (tiệc chia tay) attended
71 Have you decided to enter the
Have you decided to go in for the ... competition?
( compete / enjoy / do sth regularly )
72 If I were you, I wouldn’t tell You had better not tell
73 It is thought that X is considering X is thought to be considering LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21 74 I was very annoyed by his What really annoyed me was his
75 I really like her voice but not her
Much as I like her voice, I don’t like her choice of choice of songs songs 76 Quite by chance, X met Y at X ran into Y at
● run into SB : meet by chance
● run across ST: find by chance
77 It took me a long time to recover from
It took me a long time to get over my illness my illness
78 You’ll just have to learn to accept the
You’ll just have to face up to the facts facts
79 It has always been her ambition to
She has always dreamt of writing a successful novel write a successful novel
80 You got lost because you didn’t do
It you had followed my instruction, you wouldn’t have what I told you got lost
81 I’ll only leave the waiter some money
I won’t tip the waiter unless he’s quick if he’s quick
82 Was it necessary for you to make a
You should not have made a song and dance about fuss ABOUT … ? ● make a fuss OF sb
P: To have an excessive reaction to
(mainly US make a fuss over sb) someone or something.
to give someone a lot of attention and treat them well
● make a song and dance about st
make something seem more important than it really is
so that everyone notices it (UK inf)
- I only asked her to move her car but she made
such a song and dance about it.
83 The laborers decided to take
The laborers decided to DOWN TOOLS in support of
industrial action to show support for their sacked workmate their sacked workmate P: an occasion when workers do
● down tools: to refuse to continue working,
something that is intended to force an
especially because you are not satisfied with
employer to agree to something,
your pay or working conditions (UK) especially by stopping work: - Workers at the plant are threatening industrial action.
84 You aren’t particularly cooperative.
Were you more cooperative, your colleagues would
That’s why your colleagues didn’t
have held you in high esteem (admire, very respect ) respect you
● particularly: very or very much; especially LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
85 He didn’t admit that he was the thief
Not until he was caught in the act did he admit that ... until he was caught red-handed
86 He is rumored to have had financial
Rumor has it that he felt / has felt the pinch problems
● feel the pinch: to have problems with money
because you are earning less than before (UK)
87 His amicable /ˈæm.ɪ.kə.bəl/ ( thân
That he behaved in an amicable way / amicably was not
tình) behavior was really out of his
in keeping with his character
character (uncharacteristic)
● in/out of keeping (with sth): suitable or not
suitable for a particular situation
88 The announcement of the takeover
The entire staff was thrown / caught off balance when
came as a surprise to the entire staff the takeover was announced
/ˈteɪkˌoʊ.vɚ/ a situation in which a
● catch/throw sb off balance: to surprise someone
company gets control of another
and make them confused or upset
company by buying enough of its shares (C1)
- They were involved in a takeover last year.
89 She tried to explain how to operate the She tied herself (up) in knots when she tried / trying to
photocopier to me and ended up being
explain to me how the photocopier operated perplexed
● tie sb (up) in knots
/pɚˈplekst/ confused, because st is
1. (inf) to confuse someone and make them unable to
difficult to understand or solve explain something clearly
2. to make someone upset, worried, or confused:
- Start watching the way his guilt ties him up in knots.
- Thinking too much just leaves you tied up in knots.
90 Customs officials / officers (Nhân viên An increased number of travelers are being searched
Hải quan) are stopping more travelers by customs officials this week than usual this week
91 Can you please stop causing trouble?
I’d / would rather/ sooner (that) you stopped making waves
● make waves (C2; inf): to be very active so that
other people notice you, often in a way that intentionally causes trouble:
- It's probably not a good idea to start making
waves in your first week in a new job.
92 I was quite (completely) shocked that
It came as a great/big shock to me that when they …,
when they broke the news, she stayed but she didn’t turn a hair
perfectly calm and controlled
● break the news: to tell someone about some important new information
93 That he decided to retire early marked His decision to retire early brought the curtain down / LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
the end of his distinguished career
down the curtain on his distinguished career
● distinguished: respected and
● bring down the curtain on st / bring the curtain admired for excellence down on st = to end st
94 We discovered in the end that they had In the end it transpired that they had been economical
deliberately (=intentionally) left some with the truth important facts
● be economical with the truth: literally means to
/trænˈspaɪɚ/: previously secret or
avoid revealing too much of the unknown fact becomes known (f) truth(humourous)
95 The chances are that by the end of
There is every indication (to suggest) that by the end the year the economy will have
of this year … will be (back) on its feet again recovered
● be/get back on one’s feet:
1. to have enough money again, or to be successful again after having problems
2. to be healthy again after a period of illness
96 X is nowhere near as good since there
X has really gone downhills since it changed hands was a change of ownership
● go downhills: to gradually become worse (C2)
97 You have the right to complain about it You are at liberty to lodge a written complaint about it in writing
● lodge a claim, complaint, protest, etc: to make
an official complaint about something
98 It is certain that he will compensate
He is bound to make it up to you for …
you for the damage he has done
● make it up to sb: to do something good for ● compensate for: den bu
someone you have upset, in order to become friends with them again
● bound to: certain to / obliged to
99 I believe the man you are looking for
I have a feeling that the man standing right next to you is standing right next to us is the one you are looking for
20 X think that hard work is good for you X think that hard work does you no harm 0
01 X is in complete opposition to
X flies in the face of mainstream thinking mainstream thinking
/ˈmeɪn.striːm/ considered normal, and
● the mainstream: the way of life or set of beliefs
having or using ideas, beliefs, etc. that accepted by most people:
are accepted by most people (c2)
The new law should allow more disabled people to
enter the mainstream of American life.
02 X won’t be happy till she gets Y
Nothing other than Y will satisfy X
03 You’re far more practical than I am
Nowhere else am I as practical as you are
04 There is a risk that he will miss the
He risks missing the plane if he waits plane if he waits LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21
05 The plain clothes officer’s boots
The plain clothes policeman’s real identity was given showed he was a policeman away by his boots
06 It would have been possible for Jane to Jane could have given us a lift / taken us in her car take us in her car
07 I can barely cook a meal for myself, so I would struggle to cook (a meal) for myself, let alone
I certainly couldn’t cook for 8 pp for 8 pp
● let alone: used to emphasize that something is
more impossible than another thing
08 I hope his story will help us to
Hopeful when he tells us his story it will shed light on
understand what happened what happened
09 If I’m being honest, I have to say the
The play fell short of my expectations, to be honest
the play wasn’t as good as I’d expected with you
10 I didn’t turn the TV on because I didn’t I didn’t turn the TV on for fear of waking the baby want to wake the baby
● for fear that/of st: (C2) because you are worried
that a particular thing might happen
11 X is unlikely to get the job that he
There is little prospect OF X’s getting the job that... applied for
12 X has been thinking about it all day,
It’s been on X’s mind all day, but ...
but he hasn’t made a decision yet
13 He still hasn’t recovered from losing
He still hasn’t got over being fired / made redundant / his job last year sacked / dismissed last year
14 X are much more prone to infection
X pick up infections much more easily than Y ● pick up:
● be prone to st/Ving: to often do
1. get an illness from st or somewhere something or suffer from 2. increase, improve something, especially st bad: I'm prone to headaches.
He's prone to forgetting things
15 You must try to accept that ….
You must come to terms with the fact that ...
16 No one really expected X to do so well Everyone was taken by surprise when X did so well in in his exams his exams
17 I explained clearly that I wasn't
I made it quite plain (that) … interested.
● Plain: obvious and clear to understand (c2)
● a plain Jane: a woman or girl who is not attractive
18 I don’t reckon much to/of (US) their I do not think they will win chances of winning LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21 LINH NGUYEN - 21