1. ache for • meaning: to want very much • example: Do you think that people in the countryside have the same opportunities as those living in cities? Not in my country. The people living in the cities have far more opportunities, particularly with regard to work and education. Many rural people ache for the chance to live in cities so that they can get better paid jobs and send their kids to better schools 2. add up • meaning: make sense • example: Do you often watch films with your friends? Sometimes. One of my friends likes watching films very much, but the problem is that he likes to point out the small mistakes that have been made with the story, with the props or with the actors’clothes. He tries to find the things that don’t add up and it spoils it for everyone else. 3. answer back • meaning: to reply in a cheeky or offensive way • example: when you were younger, did you get on well with your parents? Generally, I did. However, sometimes when they asked me why I did something wrong I answered back which made my parents very angry. 4. angle for • meaning: to try to get something, especially by praising a person • example: Do you get on well with your colleagues at work? I get on very well with most of my colleagues. The problem is that one guy is always angling for something. It might just be for someone to get him a cup of tea, but sometimes it ‘s for something bigger like a loan or even a promotion. 5. ask around • meaning: to ask many people the same thing • example: Do you like shopping in markets? Yes, I do. Usually, there are several people selling the same item, so I can ask around about the price and get a better deal. 6. back out • meaning: to withdraw from an activity or agreement. • example: Would you like to run your own business? Yes, I would. In fact, I almost had my own business, but my business partner backed out at the last minute and I didn’t have enough money to finance the business myself. 7. blow over • meaning: to become less important over time • example: In your country, does the media report on the private lives of famous people? Yes, they do that a lot. They love to report scandals, but these scandals usually blow over after a few days. Personally, I think it’s pointless. What famous people do with their private lives shouldn’t attract so much attention 8. blow up • meaning: to become angry • example: Tell me about one of your neighbours Well, one of my neighbours is an old man who blows up at the slightest thing. He gets so angry so often that people simply try to avoid him. If you even smile at him, he’ll probably start shouting at you for making a joke about him. 9. bounce back • meaning: to recover from a bad situation • example: why do you admire this person? Because she bounced back after having so many problems in her life. Her husband left her for another woman, she lost her position as one of the top actresses in the country and her son became a drug addict. But she refused to give up and now she is respected more than ever. 10.brighten up • meaning: improve • example: why do you like that book so much? Simply because the main character has so many problems, but through hard work and the help of some loyal friends his life brightens up and he becomes successful. 11.bring about • meaning: to cause • example: Does your country suffer from natural disasters? Yes, it does. The south coast has typhoons every year. Nationally, there are two main problems- earthquakes and flooding. In many parts of the country, rain tends to fall all at once rather than a little each day, which brings about flooding. 12.bring off • meaning: succeed • example: Do you often watch sports live? Not very often. The last time I went to see a sports event live was when I watched the Chinese women’s football team in the Women’s World Cup, I wanted to see if they could bring off a victory in the most important tournament. 13.brush off • meaning: ignore or pay little attention to • example: what can people do when they meet problems in their everyday lives? Well, they can try to brush off the problems. If that fails, they can ask friends or family members for advice or even take the professional advice if appropriate. 14.butter up • meaning: to praise someone with the aim of getting something from them • example: Can you think of any disadvantages of being famous? There’s the media attention. That’s the main reason I ‘d hate to be famous. I think another disadvantage might be that people will butter you up because they think you can help them in some way. 15.call off • meaning: cancel • example: Are you punctual ? Yes, I am. I almost always arrive for meetings and appointments early. One reason is that I leave plenty of time in case there is a traffic jam. Another reason is that I hate to be kept waiting when people are late. Some people don’t arrive late, but instead they call off the appointment just a few minutes beforehand. There is really annoying. 16.catch on • meaning: understand or discover • example: Tell me about a short course you have taken. Last year, I took a short electronics course. It took me several lessons to catch on to the subjects, as I hadn’t had any formal training in the field. By the end of the course I had learnt a lot and I took a further course a few months later. 17.chew over • meaning: think about, consider • example: How can individuals help to protect the environment? I think that everyone needs to chew over the things they can do to help. They can buy products that have less packaging. They can use less energy. Basically, they should try to consume less of everything. 18.chip in • provide information, help or money • example: Tell me about a project you worked on with a group of people. Last weekend, my wife suggested that we join a group of people who were planting trees on the outskirts of Beijing. It was great. There were actually hundreds of people, so we finished planting the trees much sooner than we had expected. Everyone chipped in. Kids held the trees whilst adults filled the holes with earth. 19. come away (with) • meaning: to receive or make money • example: why do you like working for your company? I like the people there and I enjoy the work verymuch. In addition, we usually come away with an end-of- year bonus. 20. come forward • meaning: volunteer • example: what kind of people do you admire? I admire people who come forward and help others. I think that they really contribute something to society and show the rest of us that each of us can do something to make society better. 21. come out with • meaning: to launch a new product onto the market • example: Do you shop on the Internet? No, I don’t. I prefer to buy from shops. However, the Internet is a great way to see what new products companies have come out with, so I do visit shopping websites. 22. crack down on • meaning: to make a strong effort to reduce something • example: Is credit card crime on the rise? I think credit card crime is becoming a widespread problem. For example, police in Shanghai are especially cracking down on card scammers during international events. Police will closely monitor ATMs and bank outlets to ensure that visitors have a safe time without being cheated. Recently, police arrested six people who used phony cards in the city’s ATMs. They are suspected of being part of an international credit card fraud ring. 23. cut back (on) • meaning: reduce • example: Should we reduce spending during financial downturns? I feel that, during hard times, consumers should cut back on expenses. But according to a new report, people are spending more time watching TV, using their mobile phone or accessing the Internet. The report showed that despite the pressure on spending, consumers were still prepared to pay for services such as digital video recorders, high definition television and mobile broadband. 24.die down • meaning: to become calm after much activity • example: Do you think that it is easy to become famous? I think it’s quite easy. For example, you can become famous by posting videos on YouTube or by appearing on a TV programme. I think that you can make yourself famous quite easily as long as you have a special skill or the right personality. However, I think that most people who become famous, do so only for a short time. Then the situation dies down and the person is usually quickly forgotten. 25.do over • meaning: repeat- usually in order to get a better result • example: Do you often have problems at work? Yes, I do. My boss is very demanding and so we must do everything to a very high standard. If we don’t, we have to do it over. For me, it’s a problem, but not a big one. Other people find it too difficult and leave the company after only a few months. 26. drag on • meaning: to last a long time- used when the situation is boring • example: what kind of films do you like? I like comedies. I find that the humour makes me forget about any problems I have. My girlfriend likes romantic films, especially classics like Gone With The Wind. I just don’t like these films and find that they drag on. Usually, I go and do something else midway through. 27. dredge up • meaning: to find information that has been forgotten or hidden • example: Are computers important to your work? Definitely. As a journalist, I find computers incredibly useful to dredge up useful information to include in my stories. Nowadays, of course, doing this is so easy with Internet search engines. 28. dress down • meaning: to dress casually • example: what do you like to do at the weekends? I like to dress down and go out with my friends. At work, I have to wear formal clothes, so it’s really nice to put on jeans and a T-shirt. We usually spend some time going around town in the afternoon and then we go to a bar in the evening. 29. drop in on • meaning: visit • example: Do you get on well with neighbours? Yes, I do. We live in an apartment block where the people are very friendly. It is quite common for neighbours to drop in on each other at the weekend for a chat and a cup of tea. Some people might not like this because they prefer their privacy, but I like it. 30.drop off • meaning: to leave someone or something at a place • example Do you often travel by car? Yes, I do. I love driving. I sometimes drive my friends to different nearby places if I can. For example, yesterday I dropped off a friend at the airport. I had a business meeting near there, so it was no trouble. 31. drop out of • meaning: leave, finish • example: Is dropping out of school a good choice for young people? Dropping out of school, in my opinion, only works for very few people. There are some who became famous actors or singers, others who founded Internet and other IT companies, and still others who ended up as famous athletes. However, these are more the exception rather than the rule, so it is advisable for all young people to continue studying hard in high school and university in order to increase their chances of having a bright future. 32. eat away (at) • meaning: to reduce through use- usually used when referring to money • example: How do governments raise and spend money? Well, they raise money through taxation- like income tax, duties on imports and exports and taxes on things people buy. They spen money on many things, including health services, education, defence, the police and public housing. There are other things that eat away at government budgets, such as bureaucracy. 33. end up • meaning: to eventually do – perhaps after a long time and/ or many difficulties • example: what kind of holidays do you like? I like adventure holidays. Last year, I went canoeing in North America with a group of friends. We had a great time. One day we decided to take a break from canoeing and go hiking. We got lost in the woods, but luckily we found a road and ended up in a small town where we found someone to drive us back to our staring point. 34. face up to ( especially used as part of ‘ face up to the fact that’) • meaning: admit, take responsibility for • example: Do you have a lot of homework while you were at school? Yes, I did. However, I didn’t do all of it. I was a little lazy. As a result I didn’t do too well in my exams. I guess I have to face up to the fact that I could have done better. 35. fall out with • meaning: to argue with someone and usually stop interacting with them • example: Do young people in our country get on well with their parents? Generally, yes. I’m sure that all children fall out with their parents sometimes. It’s natural. Kids want to do things and their parents want them to do something else. They fall out as a result. 36. fall through • meaning: fail, not reach agreement • example: Do you consider yourself a successful person? Not really. I’m not a total failure, but most of my plans fall through for one reason or another. However, I think it’s important not to give up. 37. feel up to • meaning: to be mentally or emotionally prepared for something • example: Do you take part in any sports? No, I don’t. I used to when I was at school and university, but now I simply don’t have the time or energy. I mean, when I finish work, I really don’t feel up to going to a gym or going jogging. 38. figure on • meaning: expect • example: what is the weather in your hometown like? It depends on the season – like in most other places. In winter, it’s quite cold and usually wet. In summer, you can figure on hot, sunny weather. 39. fill in for • meaning: to take over for another person • example: Do you ever work overtime? Yes, I do. At our company, we regularly have to fill in for other people when they are on holiday, away on business or ill. I don’t mind because I get extra pay for it. 40. get across • meaning: to communicate ( explain) an idea to another person • example: what are the qualities of a good teacher? I think that the most important quality of good teachers is that they can get the subject across to their students. They can communicate well and can help people to understand using examples, comparisons and suitable language. At schools, I think that good teachers are also good at maintaining classroom discipline. This is not usually a problem with adult students. 41. get by on • meaning: to live on a certain amount of money • example: Do you like your job? Yes, I do. It provides me with more than enough money to get by on and the work is very interesting. My colleagues are mostly nice people to work with and my boss isn’t too bad. 42. give in • meaning: to stop doing something and/or to stop fighting something • example: what are some of the problems rural people have in your country? I think that the main problem they have is that there is not enough well paid work for them to do. Many would like to stay in the countryside where their ancestors have lived for so many years, but the economic situation is such that they often give in to the temptation to live in cities. 43. go back on • meaning: not keep a promise or do something you said you would do • example: What kinds of people don’t you like? I don’t like people who are greedy or who go back on what they have said. But most of all I dislike dishonest people. 44. go under • meaning: to fail- used with a business or commercial venture • example: would you like to own your own business? Actually, I owned my own business a few years ago. Unfortunately, it went under and I lost a lot of money. 45. grow apart • meaning: to become less familiar over time( often used with friends or family members) • example: Are you still friends with people you went to school with? No. Now, I only know a few of the people I went to school with and I’ve even grown apart from those few. Many of us moved to different parts of the country to study or to work. 46. hand down • meaning: to pass from one generation to the next • example: Do stories play an important part in your culture? I think they play an important part in any culture. Stories are used to hand down morals, social norms, language and history. In the past, this was mainly done orally, but nowadays I think it is done more through books and films. 47. hold someone back • meaning: to prevent someone from doing something or to slow them down • example: Do you think that children of different abilities should be taught in one class at school? No, I don’t. Some people think it’s a good idea, because the slower children can learn from the faster ones. However, I think that the effect is to hold back the better learners, I think that they should be divided according to ability so that every child can learn at his or her own pace. 48. iron out • meaning: to resolve a problem • example: In a relationship, is it okay to quit when the romance wears off and reality sets in? I believe that perseverance in relationships is important. Many couples, especially during dating, find that they begin to have struggles in their relationship. Today, there are many books, seminars, and counselors who can assist couples to iron out their differences. If couples are commited to resolving conflict, they can have much healthier relationships. 49. jack up • meaning: to increase the price • example: what problems do you think foreigners have when they visit your country? I think that there are a few problems, but the main ones are the language barrier and the fact that many sellers jack up prices for foreigners. Unless the foreigner knows the approximate local price or has a Chinese friend with them, they can be cheated. 50. jump to (a conclusion) • meaning: to make a decision quickly, perhaps without enough facts or knowledge • example: Can you judge a book by its cover? [...]...When meeting people from other places or economic levels, I feel that it is important not to jumpt to a conclusion about one person’s character For example, some people are suspicious of people from a particular province or city, and keep a closer watch on their personal belongings Or, on the other hand, when a driver of a new luxury vehicle approaches, . colleagues. The problem is that one guy is always angling for something. It might just be for someone to get him a cup of tea, but sometimes it ‘s for something bigger like a loan or even a promotion. 5 find information that has been forgotten or hidden • example: Are computers important to your work? Definitely. As a journalist, I find computers incredibly useful to dredge up useful information. sunny weather. 39. fill in for • meaning: to take over for another person • example: Do you ever work overtime? Yes, I do. At our company, we regularly have to fill in for other people when they