IELTS Book 7 Test 2 Section 1

7 T2 S1

Anticipated verb Synonym: Forestall

To expect something

Anticipate something

· We don't anticipate any major problems.

· Our anticipated arrival time is 8.30.

· The eagerly anticipated movie will be released next month.

Anticipate doing something

· They anticipate moving to bigger premises by the end of the year.

Anticipate something doing something

· I don't anticipate it being a problem.

Anticipate that…

· We anticipate that sales will rise next year.

It is anticipated that…

· It is anticipated that inflation will stabilize at 3%.

To see what might happen in the future and take action to prepare for it

Anticipate something

· We need someone who can anticipate and respond to changes in the fashion industry.

Anticipate what, how, that, etc…

· Try and anticipate what the interviewers will ask.

Anticipate (doing) something | anticipate (something doing) something to think with pleasure and excitement about something that is going to happen

· We eagerly anticipated the day we would leave school.

· The more I anticipated arriving somewhere, the more disappointed I was.

Anticipate somebody (doing something) (formal) to do something before it can be done by somebody else

· When Scott reached the South Pole he found that Amundsen had anticipated him.

Counterparts noun Synonym: Match, Correspondent

A person or thing that has the same position or function as somebody/something else in a different place or situation

· The Foreign Minister held talks with his Chinese counterpart.

· The women's shoe, like its male counterpart, is specifically designed for the serious tennis player.

Craftsmen noun Synonym: Artist

A skilled person, especially one who makes beautiful things by hand

· Rugs handmade by local craftsmen

· It is clearly the work of a master craftsman.

Disastrous adjective Synonym: Catastrophic

Very bad, harmful or unsuccessful

· A disastrous harvest/fire/result

· Lowering interest rates could have disastrous consequences for the economy.

· It was a disastrous start to the season for the team.

Dispensed verb Synonym: Disburse

Dispense something (to somebody) (formal) to give out something to people

· The machine dispenses a range of drinks and snacks.

Dispense something (to somebody) (formal) to provide something, especially a service, for people

· The organization dispenses free health care to the poor.

· To dispense justice/advice

Dispense something to prepare medicine and give it to people, as a job

· To dispense a prescription

· (British English) to dispense medicine

· (British English) a dispensing chemist

Earthenware noun Synonym: Ceramics

An object or objects made of very hard baked clay

· The production of earthenware in Japan goes back many centuries.

Enormous adjective Synonym: Huge, Immense

Extremely large

· An enormous house/dogan

· Enormous amount of time

· Enormous interest

· The problems facing the President are enormous.

Erect adjective Synonym: Straight

(formal) in a vertical position

· Stand with your arms by your side and your head erect.

(of the penis or nipples) larger than usual, stiff and standing up because of sexual excitement

· While watching a nude scene in the movie, he got erection.

Flattened verb Synonym: Crush, Smash

[intransitive, transitive] to become or make something become flat or flatter

· The cookies will flatten slightly while cooking.

Flatten something

· These exercises will help to flatten your stomach.

· He flattened his hair down with gel.

· The bird is recognizable by its flattened beak.

· Roll the dough into balls and flatten slightly.

[transitive] flatten something to destroy or knock down a building, tree, etc.

· Most of the factory was flattened by the explosion.

· The hurricane flattened thousands of homes.

[transitive] flatten somebody (informal) to defeat somebody easily in a competition, an argument, etc.

· Our team was flattened this evening!

[transitive] flatten somebody (informal) to hit somebody very hard so that they fall down

· He flattened the intruder with a single punch.

· I'll flatten you if you do that again!

Flexes verb Synonym: Bend

[transitive, intransitive] flex (something) to bend, move or stretch an arm or a leg, or contract a muscle, especially in order to prepare for a physical activity

· To flex your fingers/feet/legs

· He stood on the side of the pool flexing his muscles.

Flimsiest adjective Synonym: Rickety, Feeble

Badly made and not strong enough for the purpose for which it is used

· A flimsy table

(of material) thin and easily torn

· A flimsy piece of paper/fabric/plastic

Difficult to believe

· A flimsy excuse/explanation

· The evidence against him is pretty flimsy.

· He keeps calling on the flimsiest of pretexts.

Grasp verb Synonym: Grip

Grasp somebody/something to take a firm hold of somebody/something

· He grasped my hand and shook it warmly.

· Kay grasped him by the wrist.

To understand something completely

Grasp something

· They failed to grasp the importance of his words.

Grasp how, why, etc…

· She was unable to grasp how to do it.

Grasp that…

· It took him some time to grasp that he was now a public figure.

Grasp a chance/an opportunity to take an opportunity without hesitating and use it

· I grasped the opportunity to work abroad.

Gushing adjective Synonym: Effusive

Expressing so much enthusiasm, praise or emotion that it does not seem sincere

· She gave an embarrassingly gushing acceptance speech.

Majestic adjective Synonym: Splendid

Impressive because of size or beauty

· A majestic castle/river/view

· The Rockies are majestic in size.

· The college is close to Edinburgh’s majestic castle.

Mystify verb Synonym: Baffle

Mystify somebody to make somebody confused because they do not understand something

· They were totally mystified by the girl's disappearance.

Pagodas noun Synonym: Temple

A temple (= religious building) in S or E Asia in the form of a tall tower with several levels, each of which has its own roof that extends beyond the walls

· Pagodas are used to pray in Budhism.

Resilience noun Synonym: Flexible

The ability of people or things to feel better quickly after something unpleasant, such as shock, injury, etc.

· He showed great courage and resilience in fighting back from a losing position to win the game.

The ability of a substance to return to its original shape after it has been bent, stretched or pressed

· The natural beauty and resilience of wool

Seemingly adverb Synonym: Apparently

In a way that appears to be true but may in fact not be

· A seemingly stupid questiona seemingly endless journey

· It was a seemingly impossible task.

(formal) according to what you have read or heard

· Seemingly, he borrowed the money from the bank.

· They were seemingly having an affair.

Slender adjective Synonym: Slim

(approving) (of people or their bodies) thin in an attractive or elegant way

· Her slender figurelong, slender fingersa slender young woman

Thin or narrow

· A glass with a slender stem

Small in amount or size and hardly enough

· To win by a slender margin/majority

· People of slender means (= with little money)

· Australia held a slender 1–0 lead at half-time.

· These claims are based on slender evidence.

Slither verb Synonym: Glide, Slide

[intransitive] + adv./prep. to move somewhere in a smooth, controlled way, often close to the ground

The snake slithered away as we approached.

+ adv./prep. to move somewhere without much control, for example because the ground is steep or wet

· We slithered down the slope to the road.

· They were slithering around on the ice.

Staircases noun Synonym: Banister

A set of stairs inside a building including the posts and railsthat are fixed at the side

· A marble/stone/wooden staircase

Sway verb Synonym: Influence

[intransitive, transitive] to move slowly from side to side; to move something in this way(+ adv./prep.)

· The branches were swaying in the wind.

· Vicky swayed and fell.

Sway something (+ adv./prep.)

· They danced rhythmically, swaying their hips to the music.

[transitive, often passive] sway somebody to persuade somebody to believe something or do something

· He's easily swayed.

· She wasn't swayed by his good looks or his clever talk.

Swept verb Synonym: Clean

Past tense sweep

With brush or hand

[transitive, intransitive] to clean a room, surface, etc. using a broom (= a type of brush on a long handle)

Sweep (something)

· To sweep the floorChimneys should be swept regularly.

Sweep something + adj.

· The showroom had been emptied and swept clean.

[transitive] sweep something + adv./prep. To remove something from a surface using a brush, your hand, etc.

· She swept the crumbs into the wastebasket.

· He swept the leaves up into a pile.

· She swept the clothes onto the floor and invited him to sit down.

Move quickly/with force

[transitive] sweep somebody/something + adv./prep. To move or push somebody/something suddenly and with a lot of force

· The little boat was swept out to sea.

· Their tent was swept away in the storm.

· She let herself be swept along by the crowd.

[intransitive, transitive] (of weather, fire, etc.) to move suddenly and/or with force over an area or in a particular direction+ adv./prep.

· Rain swept in through the broken windows.

· A fire swept through the store on Tuesday night.

Sweep something

· Strong winds regularly sweep the islands.

Of a person

[intransitive] + adv./prep. to move quickly and/or smoothly, especially in a way that impresses or is intended to impress other people

· Without another word she swept out of the room.

· (figurative) He swept into the lead with an almost perfect performance.

[transitive] sweep something + adv./prep. to move something, especially your hand or arm, quickly and smoothly in a particular direction

· He rushed to greet her, sweeping his arms wide.

Of feelings

[intransitive] + adv./prep. to suddenly affect somebody stronglyA wave of tiredness swept over her.

· Memories came sweeping back.

Of ideas/fashions

[intransitive, transitive] to spread quickly+ adv./prep.

· Rumours of his resignation swept through the company.

Sweep something

· The latest craze sweeping America

Look/move over area

[intransitive, transitive] to move over an area, especially in order to look for something+ adv./prep.

· His eyes swept around the room.

· The car headlights swept across the front of the building.

Sweep something

· Searchlights swept the sky.

· She swept the crowd with her binoculars.

Touch surface

[transitive] sweep something to move, or move something, over a surface, touching it lightly

· Her dress swept the ground as she walked.

Of hair

[transitive] sweep something + adv./prep. to brush, comb, etc. your hair in a particular direction

· Her hair was swept back from her face.

Of landscape

[intransitive] + adv./prep. to form a long smooth curve

· The hotel gardens sweep down to the beach.

In sport

[transitive] sweep something (North American English) to win all the games in a series of games against another team or all the parts of a contest

· The Blue Jays have a chance to sweep the series.

· New Jersey swept Detroit last season.

Tapers verb Synonym: Decrease

[intransitive, transitive] to become gradually narrower; to make something become gradually narrower

· The tail tapered to a rounded tip.

· She had long tapering fingers.

· The leaves are long, tapering to a point at each end.

Taper something

· The pots are wide at the base and tapered at the top.

Tightrope noun Synonym: Rope

A rope or wire that is stretched tightly high above the ground and that performers walk along, especially in a circus

· A tightrope walker

Toppled verb Synonym: Overthrough, Collapse

[intransitive, transitive] to become unsteady and fall down; to make something do this+ adv./prep.

· The pile of books toppled over.

· He toppled backwards into the river.

Topple somebody/something + adv./prep.

· He brushed past, toppling her from her stool.

[transitive] topple somebody/something to make somebody lose their position of power or authority

· A plot to topple the President

Transmitting verb Synonym: Brodcasting

[transitive, intransitive] transmit (something) (from…) (to…) to send an electronic signal, radio or television broadcast, etc.

· Signals transmitted from a satellite

· The ceremony was transmitted live by satellite to over fifty countries.

· A short-wave radio that can transmit as well as receive

[transitive] (formal) to pass something from one person to another

Transmit something

· Sexually transmitted diseases

Transmit something to somebody

· Parents can unwittingly transmit their own fears to their children.

[transitive] transmit something (specialist) to allow heat, light, sound, etc. to pass through

· Silver is a good conductor of heat, it can transmit the heat and energy.

Typhoons noun Synonym: Hurricane

A violent tropical storm with very strong winds

· There are a lot of typhoons in the Sahara.

Unscathed adjective Synonym: Unharmed

Not hurt

· The hostages emerged from their ordeal unscathed.

Wedges noun Synonym: Labour

A piece of wood, rubber, metal, etc. with one thick end and one thin pointed end that you use to keep a door open, to keep two things apart, or to split wood or rock

· He hammered the wedge into the crack in the stone.

· (figurative) I don't want to drive a wedge between the two of you (= to make you start disliking each other).

Something that is shaped like a wedge or that is used like a wedge

· A wedge of cakeshoes with wedge heels

A shoe with a wedge heel (= one that forms a solid block with the bottom part of the shoe)

· A pair of wedges

A golf club that has its face (= the part that you hit the ball with) at an angle

· I have bought a new wedge and today I will play golf with this wedge.