logo search

Essential vocabulary

  • 1. shift vt/i to change the place, position or direction of: The boy shifted from one foot to the other. He kept on shifting his plate on the table until his mother looked at him. The wind has shifted to the west.

  • to shift the blame onto smb else to make another person bear the blame: Don't try to shift the blame onto me. It's not my fault.

  • to shift one's ground to change one's point of view, especially during an argument: He shifted his ground whenever it seemed to his advantage to do so.

  • shift n 1) a change in the position or direction, as a shift in the wind, in political opinion. 2) a group of workers which takes turns with one or more other groups: / work on the day/ night shift at the factory.

  • shifty a showing a tricky and deceitful nature: He had a shifty look in his eye that made me wary of him.

  • 159

    1. 2. elate vt (usu. pass.) to fill (smb) with pride and joy: He was elated by his son's success.

    2. elated a filled with elation: The people were elated by the victory.

    3. elation n (U) the state or quality of being filled with pride and joy as the people's elation at the good news: The parents were filled with great elation on hearing their child's results.

    4. 3. concentrate vt 1) to keep or direct (all one's thoughts, efforts, attention) (on, upon): If you don't concentrate more on your work you '11 make no progress. 2) to (cause to) come together in or around one place: The large buildings were concentrated in the centre of the town near the monument. Population tends to concetrate in cities.

    5. concentration и 1) close or complele attention: The book will need all your concentration. 2) (Q a close gathering: There is a concentra­tion of industry in the East of the country.

    6. 4. evade vt 1) to get out of the way of or escape from, as evade an enemy: The lion evaded the hunters. 2) (derog.) to avoid or avoid do­ ing (smth one should do), as to evade one's duty, paying one's taxes, debts, military service, police, rules: Criminals try to evade the law. 3) (derog.) to avoid answering (a question) properly: The clever politi­ cian easily evaded the awkward question.

    7. evasion n 1) (U) the act of evading, as the fox's clever evasion of the dogs. 2) (C/U) (derog.) an action or lack of action which evades: George is in prison for tax evasion. 3) (C) (derog.) a statement which evades: The minister's speech was full of evasions.

    8. evasive a (derog.) which evades or tries to evade, as evasive an­swer: They had all been evasive about their involvement in the firm.

    9. to take evasive action (formal) (of a ship, aircraft, etc. in war) to get out of the way or try to escape: During the Second World War many planes had to take evasive action while crossing the channel.

    10. 5. confirm vt 1) to support, make certain; give proof (of): Please confirm your telephone message in writing. The delegate confirmed that the election would be on June 20th. 2) to give approval to (a person, agreement, position, etc.), to agree to: When do you think the Presi­ dent will confirm you in office?

    11. confirmation и 1) the act of confirming: The confirmation of the agreement was received with satisfaction by the public. 2) proof, smth that confirms: Your news was really confirmation for my be­liefs.

    12. 160

    13. confirmed a firmly settled in a particular way of life, as confirmed drunkard, bachelor, opponent of (reforms): He will never get married: he is a confirmed bachelor.

    14. 6. store vt 1) to make up and keep a supply of, as to store food in the cupboard. 2) to keep in a special place (warehouse), as to store one's furniture. 3) to fill with supplies, as to store one's cupboard with food. 4) to put away for future use, as to store one's winter clothes: Where do you store your fur coat for the summer?

    15. store n 1) a supply for future use: This animal makes a store of nuts for the winter. 2) a place for keeping things: My food store is in the

    16. kitchen.

    17. in store 1) kept ready (for future use), as to keep a few pounds in store for a rainy day. 2) about to happen,. Who knows what is in store

    18. for us?

    19. set much (great, small, little) store by smth, smb to feel to be of (the) stated amount of importance: He sets great store by his sister's

    20. ability.

    21. storehouse n (used lit. and fig.): The storehouse was a large grey building stuffed with any kind of furniture. He is a storehouse of infor­mation.

    22. 7. overlook vt 1) to have or give a view of (smth or smb) from above: Our room overlooked the sea. 2) to look at but not see; not no­ tice: Every time the question of promotion came up, Smythe was always overlooked. 3) to pretend not to see; forgive: / overlooked that breech of discipline as you were concentrating on a very important job.

    23. Syn. open on, give on, face, miss

    24. 8. absorb vt 1) to take or suck in (liquids): A sponge absorbs water. Some materials absorb sound. 2) to take in (privilege, ideas, etc.), as to absorb smth from smth: He absorbed all the information on the text and was easily able to repeat it. 3) to take up all the attention, inter­ est, time, etc. (in, by): / was totally absorbed in a book and didn't hear her call. His film absorbed all his attention.

    25. absorbing a\) that absorbs, as a sound-absorbing surface. 2) tak­ing all one's attention; very interesting, as absorbing tale of adven­ture: It was such an absorbing mystery that I could not put it down.

      1. 161

    26. absorption n\) the act or action of absorbing or being absorbed: The absorption of different materials varies greatly. 2) the taking up of all one's attention, interest, time, etc: Their total absorption in the

    27. 6 3189 Аракин, 4 курс

    1. project lasted for three months. 3) the taking over of little countries business, etc., by big ones: It took very little time for the absorption of the town's small enterprises into one big business.

    2. 9. way и 1) a road or track {used lit. and fig.): Are you going my way?

    3. to block the way to make movement difficult or impossible: Will you step aside, you're blocking the way.

    4. to clear the way (for smth or smb): Clear the way for the car.

    5. to make way (for smth or smb) to allow freedom to pass: All traf­fic must make way for a fire-engine.

    6. to feel (grope) one's way to feel about with the hands; to search for in a hesitating way: We groped our way through the dark streets. "Have you come to any definite conclusion yet?" "No, I'm still feeling my way."

    7. to give way (1) to break; to fail to hold up: The branch gave way and I fell into the stream. His legs gave way and he fell on his side. The army gave way (= retired) before the advance of the enemy. (2) to surrender oneself to smth: Don't give way to despair. (3) to be replaced by smth: His anger gave way to curiosity.

    8. to go out of one's way to do smth, to make a special effort to do smth: He went out of his way to do me a kindness (a favour, an injury).

    9. out-of-the-way remote: Students come to Moscow from the most out-of-the-way parts of the country.

    10. 2) direction {used lit. and fig.): I was so ashamed, I didn't know which way to look.

    11. to know (see, find out) which way the wind blows to know what the state of affairs is: He always seems to know which way the wind blows (is blowing).

    1. progress; advance, as to make (push, fight, feel, force, elbow, shoulder, pick, etc.) one's way (along, forward, to, towards, back, home, etc.): He pushed (elbowed, forced, etc.) his way through the crowd.

    2. a method or plan; a course of action: Don't change anything, I like it that way.