Lesson 9 - Against All Odds

1. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds Part Four Language Study ENTER

2. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds Language Study Contents • Word Study • Phrases and Expressions • Word Building • Grammar

3. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study Word list: • adapt • blossom • clumsy • cover • downplay • drag • enable • humiliation • nasty • odds • point • predict • recur • shut • slow • slur • span • stride 19. supervise

4. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study 1. adapt • v. to change (sth. or yourself) to suit different conditions or uses • Examples: • We had to adapt our plans to fit Jack’s • timetable. • David is busy adapting Paul’s latest novel for • television. • The good thing about children is that they • adapt very easily to new environments. To be continued on the next page.

5. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • a.adapted • Example: • Both trees are well adapted to London’s • climate and dirty air. • a.adaptable • Example: • The survivors in this life seem to be those • who are adaptable to change. • n. adaptability • adaptation

6. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study 2. blossom • v. & n.to produce flowers before producing edible fruit; (of a person) become more attractive, successful or complete • Examples: • The cherry tree is beginning to blossom. • She is suddenly blossoming into a very • attractive woman. • Sean and Sarah’s friendship blossom into love. To be continued on the next page.

7. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • Examples: • The grass was covered with white blossoms. • All along the road the trees are in full blossom.

8. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study 3. clumsy • a.awkward in movement or manner • ad.clumsily • n. clumsiness • Examples: • The first mobile phones were heavy and • clumsy to use but nowadays they are much • easier to handle. • I tried to excuse myself for missing her • party but my attempts were very clumsy. • (not said well)

9. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study 4. cover • v.a. to deal with or direct attention to • b. to report • Examples: • The new regulations cover precisely where • and when protest marches can take place. • She is covering the American election for the • BBC television. • n.coverage To be continued on the next page.

10. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • cover sth. up/ cover up sth.: to keep sth. unpleasant secret or hidden • Example: • The company tried unsuccessfully to keep • these embarrassing pollution statistics • coveredup.

11. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study 5. downplay • vt. to make sth. seem less important or less bad than it really is; play down • Example: • The government has been trying to downplay • the crisis. To be continued on the next page.

12. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • overplay • vt.to make sth. seem more important than it really is • Examples: • I think she’s overplaying the significance of • his remarks. • The findings of the research committee have • really been overplayed in the media.

13. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study 6. drag • v. to move (sth. heavy) by pulling it along the ground • Examples: • I had to drag the screaming child out of the • shop. • I’m ready to go home now but I don’t want • to drag you away if you’re enjoying yourself. • All that stress at work had begun to drag • him down and he was badly in need of a • holiday. (to make him feel weak or unhappy) To be continued on the next page.

14. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • Examples: • Don’t drag me into your argument, it’s • nothing to do with me. • You will never tell me how you feel—I always • have to drag it out of you. • to drag one’s heels/feet: to do sth, slowly because one doesn’t want to do it • Example: • I suspect the government is dragging its • heels over this issue.

15. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study 7. enable • vt.to make sb. able to do sth., by providing them with whatever is necessary to achieve it; make (sth.) possible • Examples: • Computerization should enable us to cut • production cost by half. • The increased volume of water enables large • areas to be irrigated.

16. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study 8. humiliation • vt. humiliate:to make (sb.) feel ashamed or lose their respect for themselves • Example: • How could you humiliate me by questioning • my judgment in front of everyone like that? • a.humiliated humiliating • Examples: • I’ve never felt so humiliated in my life. • The government suffered a humiliating defeat • in yesterday’s debate. To be continued on the next page.

17. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • n.humiliation (C/U) • Examples: • Being forced to resign was a great humiliation • for the minister. • After the humiliation of last week’s defeat, • the Mets were back on top in today’s game.

18. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study 9. nasty • a. very unpleasant to see, hear, smell, taste, touch or experience • Examples: • There’s a nasty smell—has somebody left • the gas on? • The car has a nasty habit of breaking • down just when I really need it. To be continued on the next page.

19. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • to have a nasty feeling about sth./that: to think that it’s likely to happen or to be true • Examples: • She’d always had a nasty feeling about • Geoff, and now events had proved her to • have been suspicious. • I’ve got a nasty feeling that I forgot to tell • Joe I couldn’t come. • ad.nastily • n. nastiness

20. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study 10. odds • n.[plural]the probability that a particular thing will or will not happen • Examples: • Judging by how ill she looked yesterday, I • think the odds are she won’t be coming in • today. • If you drive a car all your life, the odds are • that you’ll have an accident at some point. • What are the odds on him being late again? • (Do you think he will be late again?) To be continued on the next page.

21. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • give long odds on/against sth. happening: believe/not believe sth. will happen • Example: • I’d give long odds against that marriage • lasting more than a couple of years. • lengthens/shortens/increases/decreases the odds on sth.: to make sth. less/more likely to happen • Example: • If you want to live to a ripe old age, giving • up smoking does tend to shorten theodds. To be continued on the next page.

22. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • against all (the) odds: regardless of strong opposition or great disadvantages • Example: • Against all odds, he managed to walk again • after the accident. • odds-on: very probable • Example: • It’s odds-on she’ll be late and I’ve rushed • for no reason! To be continued on the next page.

23. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • at odds: in disagreement • at odds with sb. over/on sth. • Example: • He’s been at odds with his brother ever • since I’ve known him. • odds: noticeable difference • Examples: • I don’t mind whether you come or not—it • makes no odds to me. • Does it make any odds whether you use • butter or oil in this recipe? To be continued on the next page.

24. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • odds and ends: various items of different types, usu. small and unimportant or of little value • Example: • I’ve taken most of the big things to the new • house, but there are a few odds and ends • left to collect.

25. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study 11. point • n.purpose or usefulness • Examples: • I see little point in discussing this further. • I’d like to write to him, but what’s the point? • He never writes back. • What’s the pointof complaining now? • There’s no point arguingabout it—just do as you’re told. To be continued on the next page.

26. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • a.pointless: if sth. is pointless, it means it has no purpose and it’s a waste of time doing it • Examples: • It’s seemed pointless to continue. • It’s pointless arguing with him. • ad.pointlessly

27. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study 12. predict • vt. to say that (an event or action) will happen in the future, esp. as a result of knowledge or experience • Examples: • Nowadays it’s possible to predict the time of • eclipses with great accuracy. • Who could have predicted that within ten • years he’d be in charge of the whole • company? • The storms are predicted to reach the north • of the country tomorrow morning. To be continued on the next page.

28. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • a.predictable • ad.predictably • n.predictability • prediction • Examples: • We are not yet able to make a prediction • about when the next earthquake will happen. • No one believes her prediction that the world • would end on Nov. 12.

29. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study 13. recur • vi. to happen again; happen repeatedly • Examples: • The symptoms tend to recur. • The themes of freedom and independence • recur throughout much of his writing. • a.recurring • Example: • A recurring back problem has put him out of • action for most of this season. To be continued on the next page.

30. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • n. recurrence • Example: • The doctor told him to go the hospital if there • was a recurrence of his symptoms. • occur, incur, concur

31. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study 14. shut • v. to prevent (sb./sth.) leaving or entering a place • Examples: • He was so upset that he shut himself in his • bedroom and refused to come out for the rest • of the evening. • She pulled the quilt over her head to try to • shut out the light. • She finds it impossible to shut out the • memory of the accident. To be continued on the next page.

32. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • Example: • What are chances of peace if the terrorists are • shut out of the negotiations? • to shut away sb. or to shut sb. away: toput sb. in a place which he/she can not leave • Examples: • He was six years old when he was shut away • in an asylum for stealing an apple. • The jury was shut away for a week to consider • its verdict. To be continued on the next page.

33. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • to shut oneself away: to put oneself in a place that they are unwilling to leave and where they don’t want to be interrupted by other people • Example: • Andy shuts himself away in his studio for • hours on end when he’s recording a song. To be continued on the next page.

34. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • to shut off sb., to shut sb./sth. off: to separate them from their surroundings • Examples: • When her husband died she seemed to shut • herself off from her friends and family. • The houses are shut off from the outside • world by high walls and hedges. To be continued on the next page.

35. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • to shut up a person/an animal, to shut a person/an animal up: to keep them in an enclosed place • Examples: • She can’t spend her whole life shut up in her • office. • I think it’s cruel to keep animals shut up in • cages. To be continued on the next page.

36. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • to shut down: to stop operating • Examples: • Two thousand people will lose their jobs if the • factory shuts (down). • The company recently announced plans to • shut down two factories and reduce its • workforce by 4,000. To be continued on the next page.

37. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • to shut out sb., to shut sb. out: to prevent (the competitor in a sports competition) from scoring any points • Example: • She had shut out two of her first four • Wimbledon opponents by identical 6-0, 6-0 • scores. To be continued on the next page.

38. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • to shut (sb.) up: to stop talking or making a noise, or to make sb. do this • Examples: • I wish you’d shut up for a moment and listen • to what the rest of us have to say. • My dad never stops talking. It’s impossible to • shut him up!

39. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study 15. slow v. to reduce speed or activity • Examples: • The traffic slowed to a crawl at the road • works. • Slow down—I can’t follow what you’re saying • when you speak too fast. • The doctor has told him to slow down or he’ll • have a heart-attack. To be continued on the next page.

40. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • Examples: • If I run with Christina she tends to slow me • down. • They slowed the film down to see if they • could identify any of the faces. • antonym: speed up

41. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study 16. slur v. to pronounce (the sounds of a word) in a way which is unclear, uncontrolled or wrong • Example: • Her speech was slurred but she still denied • she was drunk. • n. slur (U) • Example: • The drug affected her vision and made her • speak with a slur. To be continued on the next page.

42. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study slur slur (C): a critical remark which is likely to have a harmful effect on the reputation of the person it is made about • Examples: • His comments cast a slur on the integrity of • his employees. • v. • The report fails to give a complete picture of • the school and slurs both the teachers and • pupils.

43. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study 17. span • n. (C usu. sing) the length or period between two points, esp. of time • Examples: • Over a (time) span of only 2 year, the new • government has transformed the country’s • economic prospects. • That child’s concentration/attention span is • poor—he only listens to the teacher for a few • seconds at a time. To be continued on the next page.

44. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • v. to include all of a period of time • Examples: • Tennis has a history spanning several • centuries. • Her knowledge spans the whole political • history of Senegal.

45. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study 18. stride • v.(strode, strode/stridden) to walk somewhere quickly with long steps • Examples: • She strode purposefully up to the desk and • demanded to speak to the manager. • After several difficult years, the company is • now striding forward into the future. • n. stride (C): a long step when walking or running • Example: • She attributes her record-breaking speed to the length of her stride. To be continued on the next page.

46. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • to get into one’s stride: to begin to do sth. with confidence and at a good speed after being slow or hesitating • Examples: • We ought to wait until she’s got into her stride • before we ask her to negotiate that contract. • She found the job difficult at first, but now • she’s really getting into her stride. To be continued on the next page.

47. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • to take a problem or difficulty in (one’s) stride:to deal with sth. calmly and do not let it have an effect on what you’re doing • Example: • When you become a politician, you soon learn • to take criticism in your stride. To be continued on the next page.

48. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study • stride (C): an important positive development • Examples: • The West made impressive strides in • improving energy efficiency after the huge • rises in oil prices during the seventies. • She made a giant stride toward power in last • year’s elections.

49. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study 19. supervise vt. to watch over sth./sb. to make certain that it’s done correctly • Examples: • The UN is supervising the distribution of aid to • those areas worst affected by the fighting. • Her new job involves supervising the • company’s operation in Japan. • The teachers take it in turn to supervise the • children at playtime. To be continued on the next page.

50. Lesson 9 - Against All Odds • Word Study n.supervision (under the supervision of…) supervisor a.supervisory • Example: • We need to employ more supervisory staff. The end of Word Study.