Jun 4, 2007

BEFORE THE EXAM:


Arrive earlyTake all the materials you need
Stay relaxed - practise deep breathing
Don’t talk to other candidates about the exam
Feel confident - focus on the last time you did something well and live the feeling again

IN THE EXAM:
Answer the easier parts/questions first
In multiple choice questions ignore the answers you know are wrong
When you have no idea - guess!
In the Writing paper build in a few minutes to think and prepare what you are going to write
Make sure you have answered all the questions
Proofread your work for spelling, grammar, and punctuation
Fill in the answer sheets correctly and clearly

AFTER THE EXAM:Try not to compare answers with your colleagues - it’s too late to change your answer!
Go out and enjoy yourself!!

Jun 2, 2007

WAYS OF LOOKING



• look: give attention to what one is seeing; turn the eyes and see in a certain direction.
Look at that cute baby!
• see: use the power of sight.
See! Here she comes!
• watch: look at some activity or event; keep one's eyes fixed on something.
The boys watched television all the afternoon.
• gaze: look at something for a long time, in surprise or admiration.
She gazed at him in disbelief when he told her the news.
• stare: look at something for a long time with the eyes wide open.
She was staring into space.
• gawk = gawp: stare impolitely.
Many people gathered to gawp at the crashed car.
• gape: look at something with one's mouth open.
She gaped at him in surprise.
• glance: have a quick look at something.
She glanced at her watch.
• scan: look quickly at something without careful reading.
He scanned the newspaper over breakfast.
• glare: stare angrily or fiercely.
She didn't answered, but just glared silently at me.
• peer: look very carefully, as if not able to see well.
He peered at me over his spectacles.
• peep: look quickly and cautiously.
He was caught peeping through the keyhole.
• observe: watch carefully.
The police observed the man entering the bank.
• glimpse: have a passing view of something or someone. Usually used in the expression to catch a glimpse of.
He could catch a glimpse of the president among the crowd.
• spot: recognize someone suddenly among many others.
He was spotted by the police boarding a plane for Berlin.
• behold: old use of the verb to see.
Behold the king!
• view: (technical) look thouroughly; regard, consider.
That film hasn't been viewed by the censor yet.
• sight: see for the first time.
The men in the ship finally sighted land.
• leer: look in an unpleasant way, suggesting ill will or lust.
The man leered at the young girl
• blink: shut and open the eyes quickly.
How long can you stare without blinking?
• wink: close one eye briefly, as a signal to somebody.
He winked at me to show that he was just joking.
• frown: look in a worried or angry way, moving down the eyebrows together.
He read the telegram, frowning at its contents.
• scowl: frown angrily.
She was very angry and scowled at him while she talked.
• squint: look with eyes half shut or turned sideways, or through a narrow opening.
She squinted through the letter-box and saw an envelope.
• peek: look quickly and secretively.
She found her brother peeking at her diary.
• ogle: look or stare (at a woman) suggesting sexual interest.
Most women hate being ogled at.
• eyeball: look directly or closely.
Francis eyeballed a beautiful woman at the party.
• take a gander at something: (informal) look at something.
• cast an eye on/over something: look at something, examine something.
• scrutinize: examine thoroughly and carefully.
John scrutinized the painting at the museum.

WAYS OF WALKING


• walk: move on one's feet.
We walked to town.
• limp: walk unevenly because one leg is hurt.
That man is hurt, he's limping.
• hobble: walk with difficulty.
The old man hobbled along the street with the aid of his stick.
• stagger: walk unsteadily as if about to fall.
He was so drunk that he staggered all the way home.
• lurch: stagger.
The drunken man was lurching along the street.
• tiptoe: walk on the tips of one's toes.
She tiptoed to the bed so as not to wake the baby.
• stroll: walk for pleasure.
They srolled around the park.
• amble: walk at a slow, leisurely pace.
They ambled along for miles.
• saunter: stroll.
They sauntered around the park.
• wander: move without a fixed purpose or destination.
They enjoy wandering through the countryside.
• roam: wander.
They roamed through the streets for hours.
• ramble: walk for pleasure with no particular destination.
He likes rambling around in the country.
• mooch: wander, walk slowly without any purpose.
John mooched about the shops.
• meander: walk in a slow, relaxed way instead of taking the most direct way possible. (Rivers also meander).
As I was sitting in the park, I watched as couples seemed to meander around happily.
• stride: walk with long steps.
She strode across the fields.
• strut: walk in a proud way, with the chest out and trying to look important.
He strutted past us, ignoring our greeting.
• swagger: walk proudly, strut.
After winning the first prize, the player swaggered about proudly.
• trudge: walk slowly and with effort because one is tired.
We were very tired after trudging through the deep snow for two hours.
• stump: walk heavily and stiffly.
They stumped up the hill.
• plod: walk with heavy steps or with difficulty.
Labourers plodded home through the muddy fields.
• pace: walk with regular steps.
He paced up and down the platform, waiting for the train.
• march: walk with regular steps of equal length.
Demonstrators marched through the streets of the city.
• parade: walk or march together to celebrate or protest.
Demonstrators paraded through the streets of the city.
• crawl: move slowly with the body close to the ground or on hands and knees.
A baby crawls before he can walk.
• toddle: walk with short unsteady steps.
Her two-year-old son toddled into the room.
• edge: move gradually with small movements.
Paul decided to edge away from the crowd.
• creep: move slowly and quietly with the body close to the ground.
The cat crept silently towards the bird.
• sneak: go quietly and secretly in order to avoid being seen or heard.
The boy sneaked in without paying.
• pad: walk softly and quietly.
The child padded barefoot down the stairs.
• prowl: walk slowly and quietly because you are involved in a criminal activity or because you are looking for something.
Street gangs usually prowl this alley.
• slide: move smoothly over a surface.
I was sliding on the ice.
• slip: slide accidentally.
She slipped on the ice and broke her leg.
• dash: move quickly and suddenly, rush.
I must dash or I'll miss the train.
• dart: move quickly and suddenly in the specified direction.
She darted away when I came in.
• scamper: run quickly and playfully.
The children were scampering up the steps.
• sprint: run very quickly for a short distance.
The kids sprinted down the stairs.
• jog: run slowly and steadily, as a way of exercising.
She goes jogging everyday.
• trip over: catch one's foot on something and stumble or fall.
He tripped over the step and fell.
• scuttle: move quickly with short steps, because you are afraid or do not want to be noticed.
The mouse scuttled off when we entered the room.
• scurry: move quickly with short steps, because you are in a hurry.
He was late so he had to scurry off to work.
• skip: move forward with quick steps and jumps.
The child skipped with joy towards his father.
• lope: run with long steps.
The man loped off after the ball.
• lollop: run with long awkward steps.
The dog came lolloping down the path.
• tear: run or move quickly in a dangerous or careless way.
When the storm started, they tore back into the house.
• rush: hurry, move quickly because you need to get somewhere soon.
She was late so she decided to rush off down the hall.
• hop: move by jumping on one foot.
The man hopped down the road after hurting his foot.
• trip: walk with short quick steps, usually as young girls do.
The little girl tripped happily up the road.
• lunge: make a sudden movement towards somebody or something.
The boxer lunged forward and grabbed his opponent by the arm.
• scramble: climb up or down, or over something quickly and with difficulty.
They had to scramble up to the top of the hill to see the view.
• hike: take a long walk in the mountains or countryside, as an adventure.
The group hiked up to the top of the hill.
• trek: hike; make a long, difficult journey on foot.
For ten days she trekked across the mountains of China.
• paddle (GB), wade (US): walk for pleasure without shoes or socks in water that is not very deep.
The children were paddling in the lake.
• waddle: walk with short steps, moving the body from one side to another, used especially to talk about birds or people with fat bodies.
The fat man waddled off to the restaurant for lunch.
• prance: walk with high steps or large movements, in a confident way.
She pranced around her room, pretending to be an actress.
• frogmarch: force somebody to walk by holding his arms tightly by his side, usually because of bad behaviour.
The prefect frogmarched the boy to the detention room

WAYS OF SPEAKING


speak: make use of words in a normal voice.
May I speak to George?
talk: speak to give information, say things.
What are they talking about?
hesitate: be slow to speak (or act) because one is uncertain or unwilling to talk.
He hesitated before answering my question.
whisper: speak softly, without vibrating the vocal cords, privately or secretly.
She whispered the secret word in my ear.
hiss: say something in a loud whisper. (Snakes also hiss).
'Get out!' she hissed at me furiously.
mumble: speak unclearly, so that others can't hear.
He mumbled something at me which I didn't understand.
mutter: speak in a low voice, which is hard to hear.
She was muttering something to herself as she went out.
murmur: speak in a soft, quiet voice that is difficult to hear clearly.
The classmates murmured during the test.
hum: make a low continuous sound, when you take a long time deciding what to say.
She hummed at the beginning of the oral exam.
grunt: make short sounds or say a few words in a rough voice, when you don't want to talk. (Pigs also grunt).
She grunted a few words and left the table.
stammer: speak with pauses and repeating the same sound or syllable, habitually or from fear or excitement.
'P-p-please give me the p-p-pen,' he stammered.
stutter: stammer.
'P-p-please give me the p-p-pen,' he stuttered.
lisp: speak with /th/ sounds instead of /s/ sounds.
You're very thilly, Thimon. (You're very silly, Simon.)
babble = gabble: talk foolishly, in a way difficult to understand.
Her fever made her babble without stopping.
ramble: talk continuously, in a confused way.
Stop rambling and get to the point, please!
slur: speak unclearly, without separating the words correctly.
He was so drunk that he slurred to the bartender for more.
chat: have a friendly informal conversation.
They chatted away in the corner.
chatter: talk quickly and at length about something unimportant.
Please stop chattering, I'm trying to listen to the TV!
gossip: talk about the affairs of other people.
She was gossiping about her neighbours all day.
call: speak in a loud clear voice, shout, cry.
They called for help.
shout: speak in a loud voice, in anger or to get attention.
He had to shout because the music was too loud.
whoop: shout loudly and happily.
The children whooped when we entered the fair.
cry (out): make a sharp noise, in pain or surprise.
She cried out in terror when the old man appeared suddenly.
yell: cry out loudly, in fear, pain or excitement.
She yelled in terror when she saw the dead cat.
scream: cry out very loudly on a high note, in fear, pain, anger or laughter.
The baby was screaming the whole day.
shriek: scream.
The men shrieked with laughter.
bellow: shout in a deep voice.
The captain bellowed orders at the crew.
squeak: speak in a high-pitched voice.
She squeaked out a few words nervously.
squeal: speak in a high-pitched voice, with longer and louder sounds than in a squeak.
'Let me go!' she squealed.
cheer: shout because of happiness.
The public cheered when the team appeared.
croak: speak with a deep hoarse voice.
She had such a terrible cold that she could only croak.
blurt out: say something suddenly and tactlessly.
She blurted out the bad news before I could stop her.

WAYS OF SAYING "STRANGE"


Strange Not previously known, seen, felt; not familiar
Never accept gifts from strange men.

Odd Unusual, peculiar
She always wears odd clothes.

Bizarre Strange in appearance
This situation looks bizarre to me.

Funny Difficult to explain or understand; slightly insane
The car engine is making a funny noise.
A funny little man was walking down the street.

Queer Strange in an unpleasant way
This fish has a queer taste.

Weird Unnatural, unconventional
He has a weird hairstyle.

Eerie Causing a feeling of mystery and fear because it's strange
I heard an eerie scream coming from the house.
It’s eerie to walk through a dark forest at night.

Freak Very unusual event or action
It never rains like this here, it's a freak storm.
The region has been having a freak weather lately.

Quaint Attractively odd or old-fashioned
That lady has quaint old customs.

Peculiar Odd, in a troubling or displeasing way
I can distinguish that peculiar taste.

Whimsical Full of odd or playful behaviour
He's got a whimsical sense of humour.

Fishy (in slang) Strange, peculiar
This is a fishy business; I don't like it at all!

Uncanny Mysterious, not natural or usual
It was uncanny to hear his voice from such a distant place.

Fantastic Very strange
The painter drew fantastic shapes here.

Curious Strange and interesting
What a curious thing to say!

American and British English


American British
antenna aerial
apartment flat
cab taxi
can tin
candy sweet
chips crisps
closet wardrobe
cookie biscuit
corn maize
cuff turn-up
diaper nappy
drapes curtains
dungarees overalls
elevator lift
eraser rubber
fall autumn
faucet tap
first floor ground floor
flashlight torch
fries chips
garbage rubbish
garbage can dustbin
garbage collector
gas pedal accelerator
gasoline petrol gasolina
gear shift gear lever
highway motorway
hood bonnet
jello jelly
kerosene paraffin
license plate number plate
line queue
mail post
movie film
movie theater cinema
odometer milometer
pajamas pyjamas
pants trousers
period full stop
pinafore duster
Scotch tape Sellotape
side mirror wing mirror
sidewalk pavement
sneakers trainers
soccer football
splash guard mudflap
stove cooker
subway underground
suspenders braces
tire tyre
truck lorry
trunk boot
undershirt vest
vacation holiday
vest waistcoat
windshield windscreen
windshield wiper windscreen wiper
yard garden
zip code postal code
zipper zip