Unit 10

Palabra

Definición

Ejemplo

architect

someone whose job is to design buildings

The museum was designed by the architect Frank Gehry

design

to make a drawing or plan of (something that will be made or built)

The car is beautifully designed – I love the look of the front end!

work

something such as a painting, play, piece of music, etc. that is produced by a painter, writer or musician

Guernica is a famous work by Pablo Picasso

victory

a situation in which you win a battle, game, election or dispute

The battle was a decisive victory for the USA

activist

someone who works hard doing practical things to achieve social or political change

Malala Yousafzai is an activist for female education

athlete

someone who competes in sports competitions, especially running, jumping and throwing

Athletes have to take routine drug tests before and after competitions

gold medal

a prize made of gold that is given to someone for winning a race or competition

Phelps has won 23 Olympic gold medals

poet

someone who writes poems

Seamus Heaney was an Irish poet who won a Nobel Prize

explorer

someone who travels through an unknown area to find out about it

Potatoes were brought to England by explorers such as Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh

sail

to travel on or across an area of water in a boat or ship

She always wanted to sail around the world

philosopher

someone who studies and develops ideas about the nature and meaning of existence, truth, good and evil, etc

Plato, Aristotle, and other Greek philosophers still influence our thinking today

lawyer

someone whose job is to advise people about laws, write formal agreements or represent people in court

She is one of the country's leading criminal lawyers

defend

to be a lawyer for (someone who has been charged with a crime)

He had top lawyers to defend him

abolish

to officially end (a law, system, etc.), especially one that has existed for a long time

Slavery was abolished in the USA in the 19th century

discover

if someone discovers a new place, fact, substance, etc., they are the first person to find it or know that it exists

The Curies are best known for discovering radium

elect

to choose (someone) for an official position by voting

The country has democratically elected a government for the first time

form

to establish (an organisation, committee, government, etc.)

The World Trade Organisation was formed in 1995

introduce

to bring (a plan, system or product) into use for the first time

The store has introduced a new range of food for children

invade

to enter (a country, town or area) using military force, in order to take control of it

The Romans invaded Britain 2,000 years ago

invent

to make, design or think of (a new type of thing)

Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876

launch

to send (a weapon or spacecraft) into the sky or into space

A test satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral

sign

to make (a document, agreement, etc.) official and legal by writing your signature on it

France has just signed a new trade deal with Japan

transform

to completely change the appearance, form or character of (something or someone), especially in a way that improves it or them

Increased population has transformed the landscape

attract

to provoke or cause

The story has attracted a lot of interest from the media

opposition

strong disagreement with, or protest against, something such as a plan, law or system

They face opposition from local residents as well as from environmentalists

present

to show or describe (someone or something)

We'll present the information using a chart

evidence

facts or signs that show clearly that something exists or is true

Do you have evidence that this treatment works?

delay

to wait until a later time to do something

He delayed his decision on whether to call an election

volunteer

to offer to do something without expecting any reward, often something that other people do not want to do

Helen volunteered to have Thanksgiving at her house this year

gain

to get an advantage from a situation, opportunity or event

Who really stands to gain from these tax cuts?

persuade

to make (someone) decide to do something, especially by giving them reasons why they should do it, or asking them many times to do it

Don't let yourself be persuaded into buying things you don't want

force

to make (someone) do something they do not want to do

Bad health forced him into taking early retirement

deadline

a date or time by which you have to do or complete something

I'm always working under pressure to meet deadlines

achieve

to successfully complete (something) or get a good result, especially by working hard

Frances achieved very good exam results

disagreement

a situation in which people express different opinions about something and sometimes argue

The only disagreements we have are about money

extend

to continue for a longer period of time, or to make (something) last longer

The government has extended the ban on the import of beef until June

correct

if someone corrects another personˈs written work, he or she writes marks on it to show the mistakes in it

Correct my pronunciation if it's wrong

explode

to burst, or to make something burst, into small pieces, usually with a loud noise and in a way that causes damage or injury

The device was thrown at an army patrol but failed to explode

react

to behave in a particular way or show a particular emotion because of something that has happened or been said

He reacted angrily to the suggestion that he had lied

admit

to say that you have done (something wrong, especially something criminal)

A quarter of all workers admit to taking time off when they are not ill

value for money

good value, or the quality of being good value

Every customer is looking for value for money

a reasonable price

reasonable prices are not too high

The school cafeteria offers good food at a reasonable price

tough

not easily broken or made weaker

The device comes with a tough, durable plastic cover, suitable for all weather conditions

feature

a part of something that you notice because it seems important, interesting or typical

Airbags are a standard feature in most new cars

ideal

the best or most suitable that something could possibly be

The large buttons and speaker function make this phone ideal for the elderly

complicated

difficult to understand or deal with, because many parts or details are involved

I didn't realise programming the smart TV would be so complicated

leather

animal skin that has been treated to preserve it, and is used for making shoes, bags, etc

The inside of the bag was lined with soft leather

bargain

something you buy cheaply or for less than its usual price

In the market you can sometimes pick up a real bargain

have room

to have space somewhere for a particular thing, person or activity

My suitcase was so full I didn't have enough room for anything else

stylish

attractive in a fashionable way

The furniture looked very stylish and modern

decent

of quite a good standard or quality

It is actually a decent read – for a free, in- flight magazine

set up

to prepare (the equipment that will be needed for an activity) so that it is ready to be used

Can someone set the overhead projector up?

automatically

by the action of a machine, without a person making it work

The doors opened automatically as we approached

last

to continue to exist, be effective or remain in good condition for a long time

The batteries won't last very long if you leave it switched on all the time

be in the red

to owe more money than you have; to be overdrawn in your bank account

This is the airline's fourth straight year in the red

a white-collar job

a job in an office, bank, etc. rather than a job working in a factory, building things, etc

In the past, university graduates were more or less guaranteed a white-collar job

feel a bit blue

to feel quite sad and without hope

He's been feeling a bit blue since his brothers left home

give a plan the green light

to allow a plan to begin

The Council has given the green light to the proposed recycling scheme

a black eye

if you have a black eye, you have a dark area around your eye because you have been hit

I've got a black eye from walking into a lamp-post

a golden opportunity

a good chance to get something valuable or to be very successful

He wasted a golden opportunity when he missed from the penalty spot

out of the blue

if something happens out of the blue, it is very unexpected

The news of her illness came out of the blue; she seemed really well the last time I saw her