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Unit 2 Sailing the oceans Part Two: Teaching Resources Section 3: Words and expressions from Unit 2 Sailing the oceans mercy

noun (pl. -ies)

1. [U] a kind or forgiving attitude towards sb that you have the power to harm or right to punish

humanity: to ask / beg / plead for mercy

They showed no mercy to their hostages.

God have mercy on us.

The troops are on a mercy mission (= a journey to help people) in the war zone. 2. [C, usually sing.] (informal) an event or a situation to be grateful for, usually because it stops sth unpleasant: It’s a mercy she wasn’t seriously hurt.

His death was a mercy (= because he was in great pain. at the mercy of sb/sth not able to stop sb/sth harming you because they have power or control over you:

I’m not going to put myself at the mercy of the bank.

We were at the mercy of the weather.

leave sb/sth to the mercy / mercies of sb/sth to leave sb/sth in a situation that may cause them to suffer or to be treated badly: privatized companies left to the mercy of market forces

(humorous) I’ll leave you to the tender mercies of these ladies!

throw yourself on sb’s mercy (formal) to put yourself in a situation where you must rely on sb to be kind to you and not harm or punish you longside

prep.

1.

next to or at the side of sth:

A police car pulled up alongside us.

a lifeboat moored alongside the yacht

Much of the land alongside the river is below sea level.

2.

together with or at the same time as sth/sb: Traditional beliefs still flourish alongside a modern urban lifestyle.

exploration

noun [C, U]

1. the act of travelling through a place in order to find out about it or look for sth in it: the exploration of space

oil exploration (= searching for oil in the ground)2. an examination of sth in order to find out about it: the book’s explorations of the human mind accelerate

verb

1. to happen or to make sth happen faster or earlier than expected: [v] Inflation continues to accelerate.

[vn] Exposure to the sun can accelerate the ageing process.2.

[v] (of a vehicle or person) to start to go faster: The runners accelerated smoothly around the bend.

The car accelerated to overtake me. secure

adj. HAPPY / CONFIDENT 1. feeling happy and confident about yourself or a particular situation: At last they were able to feel secure about the future.

She finished the match, secure in the knowledge that she was through to the next round.

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2. likely to continue or be successful for a long time; safe: a secure job / income

It’s not a very secure way to make a living.

The future of the company looks secure.

3. ~ (against / from sth) that cannot be affected or harmed by sth: Information must be stored so that it is secure from accidental deletion. BUILDING / DOOR / ROOM 4. guarded and/or made stronger so that it is difficult for people to enter or leave: Check that all windows and doors have been made as secure as possible.

a secure unit for child offenders

The building is secure against intruders.

FIRM 5.

not likely to move, fall down, etc.; stable: The aerial doesn’t look very secure to me.

It was difficult to maintain a secure foothold on the ice.

(figurative) Our relationship was now on a more secure footing.

verb GET STH 1. ~ sth (for sb/sth)| ~ sb sth (formal) to obtain or achieve sth, especially when this means using a lot of effort: [vn] to secure a contract / deal

The team managed to secure a place in the finals.

She secured 2. 000 votes.

The delegation has secured the promise of a ceasefire.

[vn, vnn] He secured a place for himself at law school.

He secured himself a place at law school. FASTEN FIRMLY 2. [vn] ~ sth (to sth) to attach or fasten sth firmly: She secured the rope firmly to the back of the car.

The tables on board were secured firmly to the floor. PROTECT FROM HARM 3. [vn] ~ sth (against sth) to protect sth so that it is safe and difficult to attack or damage: to secure a property against intruders

The windows were secured with locks and bars.

(figurative) a savings plan that will secure your child’s future

A LOAN 4. [vn] to legally agree to give sb property or goods that are worth the same amount as the money that you have borrowed from them, if you are unable to pay the money back: a loan secured on the house random adj. [usually before noun] done, chosen, etc. without sb deciding in advance what is going to happen, or without any regular pattern: the random killing of innocent people

a random sample / selection (= in which each thing has an equal chance of being chosen)

The information is processed in a random order.

noun

at random without deciding in advance what is going to happen, or without any regular pattern: She opened the book at random (= not at any particular page) and started reading.

The terrorists fired into the crowd at random.

Names were chosen at random from a list. awkward adj.

1. making you feel embarrassed: There was an awkward silence.

I felt awkward because they obviously wanted to be alone.2. difficult to deal with:

Don’t ask awkward questions.

You’ve put me in an awkward position.

an awkward customer (= a person who is difficult to deal with)

Please don’t be awkward about letting him come.

It makes things awkward for everyone when you behave like that.3. not convenient, inconvenient: Have I come at an awkward time? 4. difficult or dangerous because of its shape or design: This box is very awkward for one person to carry.

This tool will reach into awkward corners, such as under kitchen units.5. not moving in an easy way; not comfortable: 第

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He tried to dance, but he was too clumsy and awkward.

I must have slept in an awkward position—I’m aching all over.

reference noun MENTIONING SB / STH 1. [C, U] ~ (to sb/sth) a thing you say or write that mentions sb/sth else; the act of mentioning sb/sth: The book is full of references to growing up in India.

She made no reference to her illness but only to her future plans.

the President’s passing reference to (= brief mention of) the end of the war

LOOKING FOR INFORMATION 2. [U] the act of looking at sth for information: Keep the list of numbers near the phone for easy reference.

I wrote down the name of the hotel for future reference (= because it might be useful in the future).

The library contains many popular works of reference (= reference books). ASKING FOR ADVICE 3. [U] ~ (to sb/sth) (formal) the act of asking sb for help or advice: The emergency nurse can treat minor injuries without reference to a doctor. NUMBER / WORD / SYMBOL 4. [C] (abbr. ref.) a number, word or symbol that shows where sth is on a map, or where you can find a piece of information: The map reference is Y4..

Please quote your reference number when making an enquiry. FOR NEW JOB 5. [C] a letter written by sb who knows you, giving information about your character and abilities, especially to a new employer: We will take up references after the interview. 6.

[C] a person who agrees to write a reference, for you, for example when you are applying for a job: My previous boss will act as a reference for me. IN BOOK 7.

[C] a note in a book that tells you where a particular piece of information comes from: There is a list of references at the end of each chapter. in / with reference to

(formal) used to say what you are talking or writing about: With reference to your letter of July 22... verb

[vn] (formal) to refer to sth; to provide a book, etc. with references: Each chapter is referenced, citing literature up to 2004.

precise

adj.

1. clear and accurate; exact: precise details / instructions / measurements

Can you give a more precise definition of the word?

I can be reasonably precise about the time of the incident.

2.

[only before noun] used to emphasize that sth happens at a particular time or in a particular way: We were just talking about her when, at that precise moment, she walked in.

Doctors found it hard to establish the precise nature of her illness.3. taking care to be exact and accurate, especially about small details: a skilled and precise worker

small, precise movements

(disapproving) She’s rather prim and precise.

to be (more) precise

used to show that you are giving more detailed and accurate information about sth you have just mentioned: The shelf is about a metre long—well, 98cm, to be precise. simplify

verb (simplifies, simplifying, simplified, simplified) [vn] to make sth easier to do or understand: The application forms have now been simplified.

I hope his appointment will simplify matters.

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portable

adj. that is easy to carry or to move: a portable TV

The equipment is lightweight, portable and easy to store.

(figurative) a portable loan / pension (= that can be moved if you change banks, jobs, etc.)

portable software

noun a small type of machine that is easy to carry, especially a computer or a television: The kids are upstairs watching the portable (= television). shortcoming

noun

[usually pl.] a fault in sb’s character, a plan, a system, etc.: She made me aware of my own shortcomings.

Despite a number of shortcomings, the project will still go ahead. update

verb [vn]

1. to make sth more modern by adding new parts, etc.: It’s about time we updated our software.2. ~ sb (on sth)| ~ sth to give sb the most recent information about sth; to add the most recent information to sth

bring up to date: I called the office to update them on the day’s developments.

Our records are regularly updated.

tendency

noun (pl. -ies)

1. [C] ~ (for sb/sth) (to do sth)| ~ (to / towards sth) if sb/sth has a particular tendency, they are likely to behave or act in a particular way: to display artistic, etc. tendencies

I have a tendency to talk too much when I’m nervous.

There is a tendency for this disease to run in families.

She has a strong natural tendency towards caution.

This material has a tendency to shrink when washed.2. [C] ~ (for sb/sth) (to do sth)| ~ (to / towards sth) a new custom that is starting to develop: There is a growing tendency among employers to hire casual staff.3. [C+sing./pl. v.] (BrE) a group within a larger political group, whose views are more extreme than those of the rest of the group: the militant tendency reliable

adj.

1. that can be trusted to do sth well; that you can rely on; dependable: We are looking for someone who is reliable and hard-working.

a reliable friend

My car’s not as reliable as it used to be.2. that is likely to be correct or true: Our information comes from a reliable source.

a reliable witness

How reliable are the local weather forecasts?

These tests are a reliable indicator of future performance.

swoop

verb [v]

1. [usually +adv. / prep.] (of a bird or plane) to fly quickly and suddenly downwards, especially in order to attack sb/sth; dive: The aircraft swooped down over the buildings.

A hawk swooped low over the field.2. ~ (on sb/sth) (especially of police or soldiers) to visit or attack sb/sth suddenly and without warning: Officers swooped on the vehicles as they left the ferry. noun 1. an act of moving suddenly and quickly through the air in a downward direction, as a bird does

dive 2. ~ (on sth/sb) an act of arriving somewhere or attacking sth/sb in a way that is sudden and unexpected: Large quantities of drugs were found during a police swoop on the star’s New York home.

peck

verb 1. ~ (at sth) (of birds) to move the beak forward quickly and hit or bite sth: [v] A robin was pecking at crumbs on the ground.

Hens pecked around in the yard.

[vn] A bird had pecked a hole in the sack.

Vultures had pecked out the dead goat’s eyes.2. [vn] ~ sb (on sth) (informal) to kiss sb lightly and quickly: He pecked her on the cheek as he went out.

She pecked his cheek.

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a / the pecking order (informal, often humorous) the order of importance in relation to one another among the members of a group: New Zealand is at the top of the pecking order of rugby nations.

to be first in the pecking order

peck at sth to eat only a very small amount of a meal because you are not hungry; pick at: She sat nervously pecking at her food. expedition

noun

1. an organized journey with a particular purpose, especially to find out about a place that is not well known: to plan / lead / go on an expedition to the North Pole 2. the people who go on an expedition: Three members of the Everest expedition were killed.3. (sometimes humorous) a short trip that you make when you want or need sth: a shopping expedition compulsory

adj. that must be done because of a law or a rule: It is compulsory for all motorcyclists to wear helmets.

English is a compulsory subject at this level.

compulsory education / schooling

compulsory redundancies

Survival noun

1. [U] the state of continuing to live or exist, often despite difficulty or danger: the struggle / battle / fight for survival

His only chance of survival was a heart transplant.

Exporting is necessary for our economic survival.

Continued trade in these products is a threat to the survival of the species.2. [C] ~ (from sth) something that has continued to exist from an earlier time: The ceremony is a survival from pre-Christian times.

the survival of the fittest the principle that only the people or things that are best adapted to their surroundings will continue to exist incident

noun

1.

[C] something that happens, especially sth unusual or unpleasant: His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident.

One particular incident sticks in my mind.2.

[C, U] a serious or violent event, such as a crime, an accident or an attack: There was a shooting incident near here last night.

The demonstration passed off without incident.3.

[C] a disagreement between two countries, often involving military forces: a border / diplomatic incident departure

noun

1. [C, U] ~ (from ... ) the act of leaving a place; an example of this: His sudden departure threw the office into chaos.

Flights should be confirmed 4.8 hours before departure.

They had received no news of him since his departure from the island.

2. [C] a plane, train, etc. leaving a place at a particular time: arrivals and departures

All departures are from Manchester.

the departure lounge / time / gate

the departures board

3. [C] ~ (from sth) an action that is different from what is usual or expected: It was a radical departure from tradition.

Their latest single represents a new departure for the band. deposit

noun MONEY 1. [usually sing.] a ~ (on sth) a sum of money that is given as the first part of a larger payment: We’ve put down a 5.% deposit on the house.

They normally ask you to pay £1.00 (as a) deposit.

All deposits are non-refundable.

2. [usually sing.] a sum of money that is paid by sb when they rent sth and that is returned to them if they do not lose or damage the thing they are renting: to pay a deposit

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of money that is paid into a bank account: Deposits can be made at any branch. 4. (in the British political system) the amount of money that a candidate in an election to Parliament has to pay, and that is returned if he/she gets enough votes: All the other candidates lost their deposits. verb [vn]

PUT DOWN 1.

[+adv. / prep.] to put or lay sb/sth down in a particular place: She deposited a pile of books on my desk.

(informal) I was whisked off in a taxi and deposited outside the hotel. LEAVE SUBSTANCE 2. (especially of a river or a liquid) to leave a layer of sth on the surface of sth, especially gradually and over a period of time: Sand was deposited which hardened into sandstone. MONEY 3. to put money into a bank account: Millions were deposited in Swiss bank accounts. reckon

verb

1. (informal, especially BrE) to think sth or have an opinion about sth: [v (that)] I reckon (that) I’m going to get that job.

He’ll be famous one day. What do you reckon (= do you agree)?

[v] It’s worth a lot of money, I reckon.

‘They’ll never find out.’ ‘You reckon?’ (= I think you may be wrong about that)

2. be reckoned (not used in the progressive tenses) to be generally considered to be sth: [vn to inf] Children are reckoned to be more sophisticated nowadays.

[vn-n] It was generally reckoned a success. [also vn-adj] 3. [v to inf] (BrE, informal) to expect to do sth:

We reckon to finish by ten.

He wasn’t reckoning to pay so much.4. ~ sth (at sth) to calculate an amount, a number, etc.: [vn] I could see him reckoning the cost as I spoke.

The age of the earth is reckoned at about 4.

6.00 million years.

[v (that)] They reckon (that) their profits are down by at least 2.0%.

[vn to inf] The journey was reckoned to take about two hours.

reckon on sth

to expect sth to happen or to rely on sth happening: They hadn’t reckoned on a rebellion.

[+ -ing] We’d reckoned on having good weather.

reckon sth up / reckon up sth

(especially BrE) to calculate the total amount or number of sth: He reckoned up the cost of everything in his mind.

reckon with sb/sth 1. [usually passive] to consider or treat sb/sth as a serious opponent, problem, etc.: They were already a political force to be reckoned with.2. (usually used in negative sentences) to consider sth as a possible problem that you should be prepared for; take sth into account: [+ -ing] I didn’t reckon with getting caught up in so much traffic.

reckon without sb/sth (especially BrE) to not consider sb/sth as a possible problem that you should be prepared for; not take sth into account: They had reckoned without the determination of the opposition. tension

noun 1. [U, C, usually pl.] ~ (between A and B) a situation in which people do not trust each other, or feel unfriendly towards each other, and which may cause them to attack each other: There is mounting tension along the border.

international / racial / political tensions

Family tensions and conflicts may lead to violence.

The incident has further increased tension between the two countries.2. [C, U] ~ (between A and B) a situation in which the fact that there are different needs or interests causes difficulties: There is often a tension between the aims of the company and the wishes of the employees.3. [U] a feeling of anxiety and stress that makes it impossible to relax:

nervous tension

We laughed and that helped ease the tension.

Walking and swimming are excellent for releasing tension.

a tension headache

4. [U] the feeling of fear and excitement that is created by a writer or a film/movie director: dramatic tension

As the movie progresses the tension builds.5.

[U] the state of being 第

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stretched tight; the extent to which sth is stretched tight: muscular tension

Adjust the string tension of your tennis racket to suit your style of playing.

When knitting, try to keep the same tension throughout.

Massage can relieve tension in your shoulders and back.

verb [vn] (technical) to make a wire, sail, etc. tight and stretched gradual

adj.

1. happening slowly over a long period; not sudden: a gradual change in the climate

Recovery from the disease is very gradual.

2. (of a slope) not steep foresee verb (foresaw, foreseen ) to think sth is going to happen in the future; to know about sth before it happens; predict: [vn] We do not foresee any problems.

The extent of the damage could not have been foreseen.

[v (that)] No one could have foreseen (that) things would turn out this way.

[v wh-] It is impossible to foresee how life will work out. [also vn -ing] thirst noun 1. [U, sing.] the feeling of needing or wanting a drink: He quenched his thirst with a long drink of cold water.

She woke up with a raging thirst and a headache.2. [U] the state of not having enough water to drink: Thousands are dying of thirst.3. [sing.] ~ (for sth) a strong desire for sth: a thirst for knowledge tear

verb (tore ,torn)

DAMAGE 1. to damage sth by pulling it apart or into pieces or by cutting it on sth sharp; to become damaged in this way; rip:

[vn] I tore my jeans on the fence.

I tore a hole in my jeans.

He tore the letter in two.

a torn handkerchief

[vn-adj] I tore the package open.

I tore open the package.

[v] Careful—the fabric tears very easily.2. [vn] ~ sth in sth to make a hole in sth by force; rip: The blast tore a hole in the wall. REMOVE FROM STH / SB 3. [vn + adv. / prep.] to remove sth from sth else by pulling it roughly or violently; rip: The storm nearly tore the roof off.

I tore another sheet from the pad.

He tore his clothes off (= took them off quickly and carelessly) and dived into the lake. 4. ~ yourself / sb (from sb/sth) to pull yourself/sb away by force from sb/sth that is holding you or them: [vn] She tore herself from his grasp.

[vn-adj] He tore himself free. INJURE MUSCLE 5. [vn] to injure a muscle, etc. by stretching it too much: a torn ligament

She tore a calf muscle playing squash. MOVE QUICKLY 6. [v + adv. / prep.] to move somewhere very quickly or in an excited way: He tore off down the street.

A truck tore past the gates. -TORN 7. (in adjectives) very badly affected or damaged by sth: to bring peace to a strife-torn country

a strike-torn industry tear sb/sth apart, to shreds, to bits, etc. to destroy or defeat sb/sth completely or criticize them or it severely: We tore the other team apart in the second half.

The critics tore his last movie to shreds.

tear at your heart / tear your heart out (formal) to strongly affect you in an emotional way

tear your hair (out) (informal) to show that you are very angry or anxious about sth: She’s keeping very calm—anyone else would be tearing their hair out.

(be in) a tearing hurry / rush (especially BrE) (to be) in a very great hurry

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be torn (between A and B)

to be unable to decide or choose between two people, things or feelings: I was torn between my parents and my friend.

tear sb off a strip / tear a strip off sb

(BrE, informal) to speak angrily to sb who has done sth wrong

that’s torn it (BrE, informal) used to say that sth has happened to spoil your plans—more at heart, limb, loose adj.

tear sb apart / tear apart sb

to make sb feel very unhappy or worried; rip sb apart: It tears me apart to think I might have hurt her feelings.

His distress tore me apart.

tear sth apart / tear apart sth 1. to destroy sth violently, especially by pulling it to pieces: The dogs tore the fox apart. 2. to make people in a country, an organization or other place fight or argue with each other: Racial strife is tearing our country apart.3.

to search a place, making it look untidy and causing damage: They tore the room apart, looking for money.

tear at sth

to pull or cut sth violently so that it tears: He tore at the meat with his bare hands.

tear yourself away (from sth)/ tear sth away (from sth)

to leave somewhere even though you would prefer to stay there; to take sth away from somewhere: Dinner’s ready, if you can tear yourself away from the TV.

She was unable to tear her eyes away from him (= could not stop looking at him).

tear sth down / tear down sth

to pull or knock down a building, wall, etc.: They’re tearing down these old houses to build a new office block.

tear into sb/sth 1. to attack sb/sth physically or with words: The wind tore into him.2. to start doing sth with a lot of energy: They tore into their food as if they were starving.

The band tore into their opening number.

tear sth up / tear up sth to destroy a document, etc. by tearing it into pieces; rip sth up: She tore up all the letters he had sent her.

(figurative) He accused the leader of tearing up the party’s manifesto (= of ignoring it).

hardship

noun [U, C] a situation that is difficult and unpleasant because you do not have enough money, food, clothes, etc.: economic / financial, etc. hardship

People suffered many hardships during that long winter.

The two men endured great hardship during their trek across Antarctica.

It was no hardship to walk home on such a lovely evening. background

noun

FAMILY / EDUCATION, etc. 1.

[C] the details of a person’s family, education, experience etc.: a person’s family / social / cultural / educational / class background

The job would suit someone with a business background.

In spite of their very different backgrounds, they immediately became friends. PAST 2. [C, usually sing., U] the circumstances or past events which help explain why sth is how it is; information about these: the historical background to the war

background information / knowledge

The elections are taking place against a background of violence.

Can you give me more background on the company? OF PICTURE / PHOTO 3. [C, usually sing.] the part of a picture, photograph or view behind the main objects, people, etc.: a photograph with trees in the background

LESS IMPORTANT POSITION 4. [sing.] a position in which people are not paying attention to sb/sth or not as much attention as they are paying to sb/sth else: He prefers to remain in the background and let his assistant talk to the press.

A piano tinkled gently in the background.

background music

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COLOUR UNDER STH 5. [C, usually sing.] a colour or design on which sth is painted, drawn, etc.: The name of the company is written in red on a white background. in the background (computing) (of a computer program) not being used at the present time and appearing on the screen behind programs that are being used roar

verb 1. [v] to make a very loud, deep sound: We heard a lion roar.

The gun roared deafeningly.

The engine roared to life (= started noisily).

The wind was roaring in my ears.2. ~ (sth) (out) to shout sth very loudly: [v] The crowd roared.

[vn] The fans roared (out) their approval.

He roared out James’s name.

[v speech] ‘Stand back,’ he roared.3. [v] ~ (with laughter) to laugh very loudly: He looked so funny, we all roared.

It made them roar with laughter.4. [v + adv. / prep.] (of a vehicle or its rider / driver) to move very fast, making a lot of noise: She put her foot down and the car roared away.

A group of young men on motorcycles roared past.5. [v] (of a fire) to burn brightly with a lot of flames, heat and noise: A log fire was roaring in the hearth. noun 1.

a loud deep sound made by an animal, especially a lion, or by sb’s voice: His speech was greeted by a roar of applause.

roars of laughter 2. a loud continuous noise made by the wind or sea, or by a machine: I could barely hear above the roar of traffic.

the roar of the Atlantic

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