Vocabulary Building: Advanced English Words

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Questions and Answers

What does it mean to be hard-pressed?

To have achieved a great success

To be extremely confident in a situation

To be shying away from a challenge

To be in a difficult situation and under great pressure (correct)

Why might someone shy away from public speaking?

Because they are too busy

Because they are not hard-pressed to finish the project on time

Because they are not interested in the topic

Because they are not confident in their abilities (correct)

What is a trade-off?

A type of negotiation

A type of compromise

A balance between two desirable but incompatible features (correct)

A type of investment

What does it mean to vary something?

To change or differ in some way Signup and view all the answers

What is expertise?

Expert skill or knowledge in a particular field Signup and view all the answers

Why might someone use multiple hypotheses?

To test different explanations for a phenomenon Signup and view all the answers

Why might someone want to vary a menu?

To keep customers interested Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean to take someone's advice as gospel?

To accept it as absolutely true, without question Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of someone who is adept at solving mathematical problems?

They are very skilled or proficient at math Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean to carve time for a hobby?

To deliberately set aside or allocate a specific period for the hobby Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between adopt and adapt?

Adopt is about taking on something new, while adapt is about adjusting to a new environment Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean when two countries are allies?

They have joined together for a common cause or purpose Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of someone who is affable?

They are friendly, pleasant, and easy to talk to Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean when someone is rallying?

They are recovering and returning to action Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of table stakes?

To set the minimum requirements to enter or compete in a business or market Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean to gloss over something?

To ignore or minimize the importance of something Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between adopt and adapt in the context of a business strategy?

Adopt is about taking on a new strategy, while adapt is about adjusting to a new environment Signup and view all the answers

What might be the consequence of a professor's lecture being too diffuse?

Students will struggle to follow the main point Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Vocabulary List

Glossing over: treating or explaining something superficially, ignoring or minimizing its importance
Affability: being friendly, pleasant, and easy to talk to
As gospel: accepting something as absolutely true, without question
Carve (out) time: deliberately setting aside or allocating a specific period for a particular activity

Phrases and Idioms

Rallying: bringing or coming together for a common cause, recovering and returning to action
Table stakes: the minimum requirements to enter or compete in a business or market
Allies: countries, groups, or individuals that have joined together for a common cause or purpose
Hard-pressed: in a difficult situation, under great pressure to do something
Shying away from: avoiding or retreating from something due to fear, dislike, or lack of confidence
Trade-offs: a balance between two desirable but incompatible features, a compromise

Words with Multiple Meanings

Adopt: to take on or start to use something new; to legally take another's child as one's own
Adapt: to adjust or modify to suit different conditions or a new environment
Adept: very skilled or proficient at something

Miscellaneous

Diffuse: to spread out over a large area, to reduce tension or danger
Vary: to change or differ in some way, to make or become different
Hypotheses: proposed explanations for a phenomenon, used as starting points for further investigation
Expertise: expert skill or knowledge in a particular field

Diffuse Definition

As a verb, "diffuse" means to spread out over a large area or to reduce tension or danger.
As an adjective, "diffuse" describes something that is spread out over a large area and not concentrated.

Examples of Diffuse

In a verb context, "diffuse" can be used to describe reducing tension or danger, such as a mediator working to diffuse tension between two arguing parties.
In an adjective context, "diffuse" can be used to describe something that is spread out and lacks focus, such as a professor's lecture that covers too many topics and is hard to follow.

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Description

Test your knowledge of advanced English vocabulary with this quiz, featuring words like 'glossing over', 'affability', and 'as gospel'. Improve your language skills and learn new words!