Outcomes Advanced Vocabulary Builder  Unit 7

7 SCIENCE AND RESEARCH

Pages 62–63 devise  /dɪˈvaɪz/ Verb
if you devise something, you invent something new, or
backing  /ˈbækɪŋ/ Noun think of a plan for doing something
backing for a person or a proposal is support from
scientists have devised a way of predicting earthquakes
someone in a position of authority
| he has devised a number of vocabulary tests | we
Collocates:  financial backing devised a plan to keep the hospital open at weekends
with his backing, the project managed to get extra | engineers devised a way of replacing the broken
funding | the scheme has European backing | he has the mechanism | students are encouraged to devise their
unanimous backing of his party | the company received own research methods
strong financial backing | unfortunately, our main
sponsor withdrew his backing before we could finish disorder  /dɪsˈɔː(r)də(r)/ Noun
the project a disorder is a medical problem or illness
Verb:  back the genetic disorder was more common than they had
realised | our daughter had an eating disorder | the
the government has refused to back the scheme
hospital specialises in treating people with personality
breakthrough  /ˈbreɪkθruː/ Noun disorders | sleep disorders are very common
a breakthrough is an important discovery that is made,
duplicate  /ˈdjuːplɪkeɪt/ Verb
especially after a lot of effort
if you duplicate something, you do something that has
Collocates:  a breakthrough in something | make a already been done by you or by someone else
breakthrough
other scientists have yet to duplicate the results | the
a major breakthrough in the fight against AIDS | error was duplicated on both computers, suggesting
scientists said it was an important breakthrough | thanks it was a software issue | there’s no reason you can’t
to a recent medical breakthrough, the condition can now duplicate your sister’s success at university | we had
be treated | the laboratory made a major breakthrough duplicated work already done in the Manchester
breed  /briːd/ Verb laboratory
when animals breed, they have baby animals. If people Noun:  duplicate | Adjective:  duplicate
breed animals, they keep them and put them together so he looks like an exact duplicate of his father | the letter
that they will produce baby animals was lost in the post but luckily we had kept a duplicate
scientists have been breeding see-through frogs and | a duplicate copy of the contract | my neighbour has a
fish | the frogs were bred for educational purposes | they duplicate key in case I lose mine
bred dairy cows, horses, and pigs | two owls moved into
extract  /ɪkˈstrækt/ Verb
our shed and bred successfully
if you extract something from somewhere, you remove it
Noun:  breeder | Noun:  breed from there, often with some difficulty
a horse breeder | a family of cattle breeders | there are Collocates:  extract something from somewhere
many different breeds of rabbit around the world (many
they had to extract DNA from a banana | olive oil is
different kinds of rabbit)
extracted by pressing the fruit | salt and other minerals
conclusive  /kənˈkluːsɪv/ Adjective are extracted here | this process allows them to extract
conclusive evidence is evidence that proves something the fat from the animal bones
is definitely true Noun:  extraction
the evidence is pretty conclusive | the results were the land was sold for oil and gas extraction | an efficient
absolutely conclusive | there was no conclusive proof extraction method for obtaining coal
that Sneed had stolen the car | there is no conclusive
research on this topic yet | the report claimed to have fragrance  /ˈfreɪɡrəns/ Noun
found conclusive scientific evidence a fragrance is a very nice smell. Perfume can also be
called fragrance
Adverb:  conclusively | Verb:  conclude |
Noun:  conclusion || Opposite – Adjective:  inconclusive he liked the delicate fragrance of the flowers |
pineapples have a sweet fragrance when they are ripe |
a scientific theory is worthless until it has been
a lovely fragrance filled the room | please avoid wearing
conclusively proven | the evidence conclusively
strong perfume or other fragrances in the office
shows the effects of global warming | an investigation
concluded that the car manufacturers were to blame | Adjective:  fragrant
he concluded that population growth will cause poverty | the plants were highly fragrant | the leaves gave off a
the judge arrived at the conclusion that Tyrrell was guilty fragrant smell
| the results of the test were inconclusive

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 Outcomes Advanced Vocabulary Builder  Unit 7

insert  /ɪnˈsɜː(r)t/ Verb they want to build a sun shield in space to prevent
if you insert something into something else, you put it global warming | police started using riot shields in 1970
inside the other thing | the fence acted as a shield against the wind | a missile
Collocates:  insert something in/into something defence shield
they insert probes into the brains of rats | insert the new Verb:  shield
battery into the back of the phone | how can I insert my he used his hand to shield his eyes from the bright
signature into a pdf document? | the doctor inserted sunlight | thick walls effectively shielded the classroom
a needle into my arm | her hand shook slightly as she from the summer heat
inserted the key in the lock
slippery slope  /slɪpəri ˈsləʊp/ Noun
Noun:  insertion | Noun:  insert
if you say that something is a slippery slope, you mean
Collocates:  the insertion of something that a situation will become much worse or more
regular insertion and removal of the plug can make the extreme and it will be almost impossible to prevent that
wires come loose | careless needle insertion can cause from happening
bruising | some advertisers place inserts in the magazine to me, the whole experiment is a slippery slope | I
(loose pages carrying advertising) agreed to help out at weekends, but I was afraid this
was the top of a slippery slope
pave the way  /ˌpeɪv ðə ˈweɪ/ Phrase
if something paves the way, it creates the right stimulus  /ˈstɪmjʊləs/ Noun
conditions for a later situation to develop a stimulus is something which causes a particular
Collocates:  pave the way for something | pave the way reaction or activity
to something Collocates:  a stimulus for something
the findings could pave the way for new techniques | the development of the railways acted as a stimulus for
greater understanding of the disease will pave the way the Industrial Revolution | the workshop is intended to
for better treatments | his resignation paved the way provide a stimulus for creativity | research into how we
for new elections | cultural exchanges paved the way to process visual stimuli
better diplomatic relations
Verb:  stimulate | Noun:  stimulation
probe  /prəʊb/ Noun the policy failed in its attempt to stimulate the economy
a probe is a long thin medical instrument that doctors | these toys will stimulate your child’s imagination | the
put inside part of someone’s body in order to examine it. main aim is the stimulation of the global economy
A probe can also be an investigation into something
thin end of the wedge  /θɪn end əv ðə ˈwedʒ/ Phrase
they stuck probes into the brains of rats | the doctor
if you say that something is the thin end of the wedge,
inserted a probe into her ear | the probe was connected
you mean that although it is not seriously bad at the
to a computer screen | police conducted a probe into
moment, it will certainly lead to a situation becoming
the incident
much worse
Verb:  probe
to me, this experiment represents the thin end of the
my wound was probed and cleaned | she gently probed wedge | closing the canteen in the evening is the thin
the area for any sign of infection end of the wedge – they’ll shut it permanently next
procedure  /prəˈsiːdʒə(r)/ Noun undertake  /ˌʌndə(r)ˈteɪk/ Verb
a procedure is a set of actions that you follow in order if you undertake a task, project, job, etc., you agree that
to do something correctly. In a hospital, a procedure is a you should do it and you start to do it
particular medical treatment or operation
researchers undertook the survey to see if there was a
Collocates:  normal/correct/proper procedure link between attitudes and health | the new government
there are concerns about possible negative effects of undertook a programme of economic rebuilding | he
the procedure | that’s our normal procedure | what’s the gladly undertook the task of interviewing the candidates
usual procedure for making reservations? | you didn’t for the job | you’ll need to undertake further training if
follow the correct procedure | the company’s standard you want to get ahead in your career
procedures for taking on new staff | he underwent two Noun:  undertaking
procedures to repair his heart | the university had failed
building the railway during the winter was an ambitious
to follow proper procedures
undertaking | think before you buy a very old house – it
Adjective:  procedural can be a very expensive undertaking
the appeal was dismissed on procedural grounds
(because the proper procedure had not been followed) |
procedural irregularities (actions that are not part of the
Pages 64–65
correct procedure) accelerate  /əkˈseləreɪt/ Verb
if something accelerates, it starts to move or happen
shield  /ʃiːld/ Noun more quickly
a shield is an object that soldiers used to hold in front
the arms race accelerated in the 1950s | the pace
of themselves for protection when they were fighting.
of technological change is accelerating | we need to
A shield is also any object that protects people from a
accelerate our progress on this project | the arrival of the
particular danger
railway accelerated the growth of the town
Collocates:  a shield against something
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 Outcomes Advanced Vocabulary Builder  Unit 7

address  /əˈdres/ Verb the government is shown as being intent on disrupting

if you address a problem or difficult situation, you make the freedom of Internet users | she was intent upon
a serious attempt to understand it and solve it winning the election | he was so intent on finishing his
Collocates:  address a problem/issue book that he forgot to get off the train
I have some personal problems I need to address | Noun:  intention | Adjective:  intentional |
many countries still refuse to address the issue of global Adverb:  intentionally | Verb:  intend | Adjective:  intended ||
warming | we help patients address the challenge of Opposites – Adjective:  unintentional |
living with cancer | the committee failed to address the Adverb:  unintentionally | Adjective:  unintended
question Collocates:  intend to do something | intend doing
something
arms race  /ˈɑː(r)mz reɪs/ Noun
it was always my intention to move back to Scotland
an arms race is a situation where two countries are each
| surely not everyone in the room has bad intentions!
trying to build more weapons than the other
| I hope his dishonesty was not intentional | it was an
the arms race was accelerating at the time | nobody act of intentional destruction | Gordon denied that
believes the arms race will bring lasting peace | talks he intentionally left the door open | I would never
were held to try and slow down the arms race | both intentionally hurt anyone | I don’t intend going back
companies are in a technological arms race (each to school for another year | the two parties intend to
company is trying to get better technology than the work together after the election | several bombs missed
other) the intended target | who is the intended audience
for this book? | there were a few unintentional jokes
colonial  /kəˈləʊniəl/ Adjective
in the speech | the mistake was my fault, but it was
a colony is a country that is ruled by another, more
unintentional | the ending of the film was unintentionally
powerful country. Colonial means relating to a colony or
funny | he worries about unintentionally hurting his
its ruling country
children | the law of unintended consequences (the
the story had obvious parallels with colonial exploitation idea that when you try and achieve something positive,
| the old colonial powers left Africa in the 1960s | a something negative will also happen by accident) | the
rebellion against French colonial rule began in Algeria | announcement had the unintended effect of frightening
English place names reflect the city’s colonial past the older residents
Noun:  colony
lame  /leɪm/ Adjective
Georgia became a royal colony in 1752 | the last African
a lame argument, excuse, joke, etc. is one that is very
colonies were granted independence in 1972
weak and unconvincing
devastation  /ˌdevəˈsteɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun uncount Collocates:  a lame argument/excuse/joke
devastation is a lot of destruction and damage over a a chilling thriller became a lame comedy | saying your
wide area phone was in the other room is a rather lame excuse
it’s difficult for us to understand the sheer scale of the | it’s a pretty lame argument to come up with after
devastation | the storm caused widespread devastation such a long time | the film was full of the lamest jokes
across the region | a scene of utter devastation imaginable
Verb:  devastate | Adjective:  devastating |
metaphor  /ˈmetəfɔː(r)/ Noun
Adverb:  devastatingly | Adjective:  devastated
metaphor is a way of describing something by calling it
if there’s an accident it could devastate the whole something else which you think is the same in some way,
area | a bomb devastated the city centre | the country though not in all ways. For example, if you say you saw
has been devastated by war | we saw the devastating an army of children, you mean there were a lot of them,
effects of the bombing | the devastating consequences because an army has a lot of people in it, but you don’t
of flooding | the utterly devastating power of modern mean that the children were soldiers
weapons | a devastatingly powerful bomb | the attack
Collocates:  a mixed/extended metaphor
was devastatingly successful | aid was sent in to the
devastated region | the rebuilding of devastated cities Avatar can be seen as a metaphor for the struggles
after the war for control of the Internet | we create metaphors by
exploiting basic word meanings in order to refer to
hang  /hæŋ/ Verb something else | an extended metaphor (a metaphor
if something is left hanging, it has not been answered that carries on into the next sentence and beyond) | his
or dealt with properly. If people are left hanging, they writing was rich in metaphor | a mixed metaphor (one
have not been given enough information and are still which uses two different meanings in a confusing way)
wondering about something | the poem employs an extended metaphor in which
the film’s ending leaves several questions hanging | the anger is described as fire
last ten pages were missing, and I was left hanging | I Adjective:  metaphorical | Adverb:  metaphorically
can’t believe you just left us hanging with no explanation Collocates:  a metaphorical sense | metaphorically
at all speaking
intent  /ɪnˈtent/ Adjective the plot describes a journey in both a literal and
if you are intent on doing something, you are metaphorical sense | a highly metaphorical use of
concentrating very hard on it and determined to succeed language | she used the word ‘sugar’ metaphorically
| Russia is often metaphorically referred to as a bear |
Collocates:  intent on/upon (doing) something

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 Outcomes Advanced Vocabulary Builder  Unit 7

she has her head in the clouds again, metaphorically by liking our videos | Miller’s play still resonates strongly
speaking with many Americans | the truth and importance of his
words still resonate today
mutate  /mjuːˈteɪt/ Verb
Adjective:  resonant | Noun:  resonance
if a living thing mutates, it becomes different from how it
was before because of changes in its genes the rally ended with an emotionally resonant speech
from the president | his voice was resonant with menace
Collocates:  mutate into something
| music of great power and cultural resonance
a sea creature that had been mutated by radiation | the
two diseases combined and mutated into something revelation  /ˌrevəˈleɪʃ(ə)n/ Noun
much worse | the condition is the result of a number of a revelation is surprising information that suddenly
mutated cells becomes known after being secret
Noun:  mutation | Adjective:  mutant what emerged was a shocking revelation of misconduct
a genetic mutation that is found in 30% of the population at the highest levels of government | the revelation
| scientists were surprised to find mutant cells still alive caused considerable embarrassment | revelations
after a week emerged that the journalist had bribed several police
officers | revelations of an even more extraordinary
plug  /plʌɡ/ Verb nature were still to come
if people are plugged into something useful, they know Verb:  reveal | Adjective:  revelatory
about it and connect with it so that they can benefit from it
Collocates:  reveal that
the planet is a living network that the natives plug into
I can reveal that next week’s guest on my show will
through fibre-optic cables | several local businesses
be Lady Gaga | the article revealed the truth about
are already plugged into the scheme | how can we help
corruption in the police | travelling across Asia when I
those people who aren’t plugged into the community?
was 19 was a revelatory experience
prompt  /prɒmpt/ Verb
rouse  /raʊz/ Verb
if something prompts an action or prompts someone
if something rouses you, or if you are roused, you are
to do something, it is the reason for the action to start
made to feel a strong emotion, often with the result that
happening or for the person to start doing something
you feel very strongly that you have to take action about
Collocates:  prompt someone to do something something
the film prompted me to think about what makes sci-fi Collocates:  rouse someone to/into (doing) something
so great | the decision prompted loud protests from the
fear roused them into action again | the speech roused
unions | this large number of complaints prompted the
our spirit of cooperation | he roused himself for a final
creation of a quality control department | what he saw in
effort | she was roused to anger by what she saw
the classroom prompted him to write a textbook
Noun:  prompt send packing  /send ˈpækɪŋ/ Phrase
an on-screen prompt (something on a computer screen if you send someone packing, you tell them very firmly
that tells you it is ready for the next instruction) | Harry to go away or force them to go away
started yawning, which was my prompt to get up and leave the invaders were sent packing | he knew she’d send
him packing if she found out what he’d done | after
rebel  /rɪˈbel/ Verb a bad-tempered election campaign, voters sent him
if people rebel, they start to fight against or oppose the packing
people who have authority over them
Collocates:  rebel against something strand  /strænd/ Noun
a strand is one of several parts that make up an idea,
America rebelled against the high taxes on tea in 1773
plan, or story
| they rebelled against the cruelty of their working
conditions | when she was told she could not go to the ending leaves a number of plot strands hanging |
university, she openly rebelled | he eventually rebelled other cities didn’t take up the other strands of Bilbao’s
and left home without even saying goodbye regeneration project | there were two different strands
to his argument | this is an important strand in current
Noun:  rebel /ˈreb(ə)l/ | Adjective:  rebellious |
philosophical thinking
Noun:  rebellion
the town was attacked by rebels during the night | submit  /səbˈmɪt/ Verb
26 soldiers and eight rebels were killed in the battle | if you submit to something, you agree to allow it or obey
rebellious teenagers | his rebellious attitude caused him it because you do not have the power or authority to
problems at school | the rebellion was quickly crushed | refuse
an armed rebellion Collocates:  submit to something
resonate  /ˈrezəneɪt/ Verb in the book, the women all submit to their husbands’
if something resonates with people, it seems important wills | I had to submit to a thorough search at the airport
to them and has a special meaning for them | he had been taught to submit to authority | I wasn’t
prepared to submit to bullying
Collocates:  resonate with someone or something
Noun:  submission | Adjective:  submissive |
the film resonated with the political situation at the time
Adverb:  submissively
| if our message resonates with you, please let us know

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he demanded complete submission to his will | they anonymously  /əˈnɒnɪməsli/ Adverb

held their hands up in submission | his son was if you do something anonymously, you do it without your
obedient and submissive | I don’t want submissive name being known
employees – I want people who can make their own it was published anonymously on the Web | you can call
decisions | he crept submissively out of the room | she this number anonymously and get advice | the articles
bowed her head submissively were written anonymously | the newspaper will not
publish letters sent anonymously
test  /test/ Noun
a test is something that tries to find out how well Adjective:  anonymous | Noun:  anonymity
something works. If something stands a test, it is she won over £1m on the lottery and chose to remain
considered to be successful. To stand the test of time anonymous | an anonymous caller told the police where
means to have survived successfully over a long period to find the body | no need to register, so anonymity is
and still be considered good guaranteed | the witness demanded anonymity before
Avatar is one story that has stood the test of time | it agreeing to appear in court
looked all right at first, but it didn’t stand the test of
attribute  /əˈtrɪbjuːt/ Verb
proper examination | this theory cannot stand the test
if something is attributed to something else, the second
of serious reasoning | his nerves stood the test and he
thing is considered to be the reason for or cause of the
came through the interview well
first thing
unfold  /ʌnˈfəʊld/ Verb Collocates:  attribute something to something
if a story unfolds, events happen one after the other and Can the fall in murders be attributed to government
more becomes known about it policy? | the deaths were attributed to heart disease
Collocates:  a story/mystery/plot unfolds | to what do you attribute your success? | the union
as the plot unfolds, we discover that they are actually attributed staff shortages to low wages, which meant no
robots | reading the letters is like seeing a great mystery one wanted to work there | problems on the roads were
unfold | I want to see how the story unfolds | news attributed to a combination of fog and ice
websites were updated every few minutes as the crisis
belief  /bɪˈliːf/ Noun
unfolded
belief is certainty of the truth of something
utter  /ˈʌtə(r)/ Adjective Collocates:  belief in something
you use utter to emphasise how bad something is or my belief is that we will win the election comfortably |
how strong a particular feeling is contrary to popular belief, crime has been falling (most
I hate the utter stupidity of action films | everything people think the opposite) | she has a strong belief
you’ve just said was complete and utter nonsense | in God
I had never experienced such utter despair | Conroy
displayed utter contempt for his victims commission  /kəˈmɪʃ(ə)n/ Verb
if you commission someone, you formally ask them
Adverb:  utterly
to do an important piece of work, such as write an
this whole situation is utterly absurd | he felt utterly expert report, paint a portrait, or design a building. A
helpless commission is the job that has to be done. The group of
people who work on preparing such a report are also
wreak  /riːk/ Verb
called a commission
if something wreaks havoc or destruction, it causes a lot
of damage or disorder who was the report commissioned by? | we’ve
commissioned some research into the matter | audience
Collocates:  wreak havoc/destruction/devastation, etc.
figures were good and the BBC commissioned a second
(on something)
series | in 1998, NPG began commissioning portraits of
the storm wreaked widespread destruction along the presidents, starting with George H. W. Bush | according
coast | a second computer virus wreaked havoc on our to a report commissioned by Greenpeace, a serious
systems accident could occur
Noun:  commission
Pages 66–67 she has received several public commissions | another
anomaly  /əˈnɒməli/ Noun commission was established to investigate the bank’s
an anomaly is something that looks like a mistake failure | the commission had 30 days in which to submit
because it is different from what would normally be its report
expected
contract  /kənˈtrækt/ Verb
they look like a statistical anomaly | there appeared to if you contract an illness, you start to have it
be several anomalies in the accounts | it was several
weeks before anyone noticed the anomaly | scientists there are four common ways of contracting the disease |
were unable to explain these anomalies at least 20 people in the city contracted AIDS last year
Adjective:  anomalous counter-  /ˌkaʊnt(ə)r-/ Prefix
there was something anomalous about the test results | you use counter- in front of some adjectives to make an
the description seemed rather anomalous adjective that is the opposite. For example, something
that is counterintuitive is not what your intuition would

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expect. Something that is counterproductive does not a follow-up study confirmed the findings | a follow-up visit
produce the result that was intended to the doctor two weeks after the operation | patients
this statistic seems counterintuitive, but only if you with this condition require follow-up on a regular basis |
ignore the other evidence | too much time in the he refused to answer my follow-up questions
classroom can be counterproductive Phrasal verb:  follow up
all patients were followed up within six weeks | there
dump  /dʌmp/ Verb
were several aspects of the project that needed
if you dump something somewhere, you throw it there
following up
carelessly and untidily. When there is a lot of rain or
snow, you can say that it was dumped fundamentally  /ˌfʌndəˈment(ə)li/ Adverb
two feet of snow were dumped on the South of England fundamentally is used to emphasise that you are talking
last night | the storm dumped twice the usual annual about the very basic and most important aspects of
snowfall in only three days | the cold snap (period of something
cold weather) that hit Europe has dumped snow as far the research was fundamentally flawed | the analysis
south as Rome and even North Africa was fundamentally wrong | I fundamentally disagree
with him on the topic | he promised to fundamentally
empowering  /ɪmˈpaʊə(r)ɪŋ/ Adjective
transform the company | social media has fundamentally
if something is empowering, it helps you find the
changed the way our marketing department works
strength and authority to take control of a situation
Adjective:  fundamental
knowing the difference between good and bad stats is
empowering | I found the course empowering and life there is a fundamental difference between the two
changing | it was an extremely empowering moment approaches | this research is of fundamental importance
when I realised I could say no for the future of the university | housing has been
declared a fundamental human right
Verb:  empower | Noun:  empowerment
we educate and empower consumers about health grip  /ɡrɪp/ Noun
insurance decisions | the aim is to empower students to if you have a grip on something, you are holding it firmly
work independently | self empowerment has to come in your hand. If you have a grip on a problem or difficult
from within | the course gave me a sense of personal situation, you are in control of it and able to prevent any
empowerment problems developing. If you get to grips with something,
you make a determined effort to understand it or learn
end  /end/ Noun how to do it
an end is a result that someone wants to achieve, or the
Collocates:  get/have/take a grip on something | get to
purpose of what they are trying to do
grips with something
the company twisted the figures to suit its own ends |
we’ve got to get a grip on costs | Clara felt her grip on
the end justifies the means (if the result is important, it
the situation slipping | I’m finally getting to grips with
doesn’t matter how you achieve it) | he was accused of
social media | we need to get to grips with stats | he
misleading the public to achieve his own ends
needs to take a grip on himself (he needs to control his
exhibit  /ɪɡˈzɪbɪt/ Verb actions more) | luckily, he already had a grip on things by
if someone exhibits a particular quality, emotion, or the time I got back
behaviour, they are seen to have that quality or emotion,
hole  /həʊl/ Noun
or to behave in that way
if there are holes in a story, plan, or theory, there are
those kids who had been kept at home exhibited more serious weaknesses or faults in it
aggression | they’re simply exhibiting normal childhood
his account was full of holes | it was an interesting
behaviour | many of them exhibit signs of clinical
theory, but on closer scrutiny there were holes in it |
depression
there are more holes in his story than there are on a
flawed  /flɔːd/ Adjective golf course
if something is flawed, it has some mistakes
inflate  /ɪnˈfleɪt/ Verb
Collocates:  fatally/fundamentally/deeply flawed if you inflate something such as a tyre or balloon, you
the research was fundamentally flawed | he had a fill it with air. If you inflate the amount or influence of
flawed understanding of economics | there was a good something, you make it bigger or more important than it
deal of flawed reasoning in the article | his argument really is or than it is meant to be
was deeply flawed they were accused of inflating the figures | it is alleged
Noun:  flaw that he artificially inflated his fees | hotels inflate their
Collocates:  a fundamental/serious flaw | a minor flaw prices over the holiday period
the analysis had several fundamental flaws | we fixed a Adjective:  inflated
few minor flaws in the program he had an inflated sense of his own importance | we pay
inflated prices for our gas | British industry is suffering
follow-up  /ˈfɒləʊʌp/ Noun from inflated energy costs
a follow-up is something that is done to add to or
to check that earlier work was done properly and
successfully

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inform  /ɪnˈfɔː(r)m/ Verb the sample group wasn’t chosen at random | these were
if something informs a decision or development, it random events that were out of our control | English
influences it spelling often seems quite random | a set of completely
statistics are used to inform policy development | our random numbers | athletes have to submit to random
decision was informed by a desire to finish the project drug tests
as soon as possible | lack of resources informed the Adverb:  randomly | Verb:  randomise
later strategy the questions are randomly chosen | the computer
randomly selects six numbers | the participants were
lead  /liːd/ Verb
randomised into three groups | each time, the cards
if a newspaper or news broadcast leads with a story, that
appeared in a different randomised order
is the most important story and is dealt with first
newspapers led with the state visit of the Emperor of scrutiny  /ˈskruːtɪni/ Noun uncount
Japan | TV news led with the story about flooding in scrutiny is careful examination and consideration of
Cumbria something. If something does not stand up to scrutiny,
Noun:  lead faults become apparent when you examine it carefully
it was the lead story in every national paper that the figures don’t stand up to scrutiny | borrowers are
morning | the lead item on the news bulletin | the facing increased scrutiny from the banks | their intention
shooting made the lead on News at Ten was to avoid public scrutiny | none of their claims
survived scrutiny (they all turned out to be false)
leap  /liːp/ Verb Verb:  scrutinise
if a number or quantity leaps, it suddenly gets much bigger
the company figures were scrutinised by two
the number of injuries leapt suddenly | inflation leapt independent accountants | all the details of the land
to 20% purchase were closely scrutinised
Noun:  leap
time frame  /ˈtaɪm freɪm/ Noun
the cost of petrol has taken a big leap | there’s been
a time frame is a limited amount of time that is available
another leap in unemployment
for a task to be carried out
peer  /pɪə(r)/ Noun there was only a narrow time frame for the study |
your peers are people who are the same as you in terms the time frame for each lesson is between 30 and
of education, age, and status. If a piece of research is 40 minutes | you must send in your application within a
peer reviewed, it is examined by several people who are two-week time frame | all this had to happen in a five-
also expert in that field to make sure it is of good quality minute time frame | the time frame is too short for me to
Collocates:  peer review | peer pressure be sure we can do everything necessary
has the research been peer reviewed? | engineers in toss  /tɒs/ Verb
the UK are not as well paid as their peers in France | all if you toss a coin, you throw it in the air and let it fall to
submissions for the journal have to undergo peer review the ground, then you look to see which side faces up.
| he started smoking because of peer pressure (because The two sides are called heads and tails. You sometimes
he wanted to be like the other people he was friends do this to make a choice between two things. For
with and who smoked) example, if you can’t decide whether to go to the cinema
or a gig, you toss a coin, and if it’s heads you go to the
pressure  /ˈpreʃə(r)/ Verb
cinema, if it’s tails you go to the gig
if someone is pressured into doing something they do not
really want to do, they are forcefully persuaded to do it the probability of tossing a coin twice and getting two
heads is 25% | let’s toss a coin to see who goes first
Collocates:  pressure someone into doing something |
pressure someone to do something Noun:  toss | Noun:  toss-up
researchers may get pressured into finding positive the referee called the two captains over for the toss (at
results | over 70% of girls in that age group felt the start of a football match, to decide which team will
pressured to be beautiful | party officials pressured kick off) | it’s a toss-up where to go for the best food
several candidates to withdraw | the mayor pressured (several places are all equally good)
the police to make a swift arrest
trustworthy  /ˈtrʌs(t)ˌwɜː(r)ði/ Adjective
Noun:  pressure someone or something that is trustworthy is reliable,
Collocates:  under pressure | apply pressure | put truthful, and can be trusted
pressure on someone is the report trustworthy? | you need to appoint a
the council is coming under pressure to save money | my trustworthy person to the job | his memory is not
dad put a lot of pressure on me to get into Oxford entirely trustworthy | we took financial advice from an
independent, trustworthy source
random  /ˈrændəm/ Adjective
random things or events happen without being planned twist  /twɪst/ Verb
or without a known method so you cannot know in if you twist something such as the truth or someone’s
advance what is going to happen words, you present something in a slightly different and
Collocates:  at random untrue way

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 Outcomes Advanced Vocabulary Builder  Unit 7

the company twisted the figures to suit its own ends |

don’t twist my words, Jack | most politicians will twist the
truth if they think it will win them a few more votes
Adjective:  twisted
they’ll justify what they do with their own twisted logic

variable  /ˈveəriəb(ə)l/ Noun

a variable is something which is different in different
situations
a number of variables weren’t covered by the data |
water temperature is another independent variable | an
example of a measured variable would be the height of
a human being
Adjective:  variable | Adverb:  variably | Verb:  vary | |
Opposites – Adjective:  invariable | Adverb:  invariably
the quality of the paintings in the exhibition was variable
| the colour of the apples is quite variable | one of the
most variably sized mammals (there is a big range of
sizes) | the car behaved variably over the 24 hours of the
race | the cost varies according to the time of year | their
range of skills varied widely | it was his invariable habit to
wear a hat (he always wore a hat) | the effects of all the
other factors was invariable | he was invariably late for
meetings | the old man invariably wore a suit and tie

vested interest  /ˌvestɪd ˈɪntrəst/ Noun

if you have a vested interest in something, you want it
to happen or succeed because you will get a benefit or
advantage from it. Vested interests are people or groups
who will benefit from a particular situation
Collocates:  a vested interest in (doing) something
the government has a vested interest in removing
people from the unemployment figures | they have a
vested interest in making sure all the students pass the
exam | vested interests are eager for the war to continue
so they can sell more weapons | the proposal was
withdrawn following opposition from powerful vested
interests

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 Outcomes Advanced Vocabulary Builder  Unit 7

EXERCISES Collocations
E Match the adjectives (1–6) with the nouns (a–f).
Prepositions Look up the adjectives if you need help.
1 a trustworthy a) stupidity
A Choose the correct preposition. Look up the
word in bold if you need help. 2 random b) excuse
1 She was intent for / upon / with winning the election. 3 utter c) evidence
2 He rebelled against / about / for his strict upbringing. 4 a lame d) source
3 She refused to submit at / with / to their 5 conclusive e) numbers
unreasonable demands. 6 colonial f) powers
4 They attributed the problems about / to / over the F Circle the noun that DOESN’T collocate with the
terrible weather.
verb. Look up the verb if you need help.
5 The team was chosen with / after / at random.
1 a play / story / mystery unfolds
6 She has a vested interest for / in / about her sister
2 wreak havoc / destruction / a mess
winning the prize.
3 address a problem / issue / breakthrough
B Complete the sentences with the correct
4 twist the truth / figures / logic
preposition. Look up the word in bold if you
need help. 5 undertake a task / profession / job
1 A major breakthrough the fight against AIDS. G Complete the missing adjectives. Look up the
2 The oil has to be extracted the land. nouns if you need help.
3 The doctor inserted a needle my arm. 1 f _ _ _ _ _ _ _ l backing
4 This research will pave the way a better 2 a g _ _ _ _ _ c disorder
understanding of the disease. 3 follow the c _ _ _ _ _ t procedure
5 This cream is a powerful shield the sun’s rays. 4 a m _ _ _ d metaphor
6 His presentation will provide a stimulus 5 a s _ _ _ _ _ _ g revelation
discussion.
6 a d _ _ _ _ _ _ e fragrance

Word families
C Complete the expressions on the right with the
correct form of the word in bold.
1 send it anonymously an caller
2 flawed research 
there were some

3 stand up to scrutiny the results

4 an anomaly in the data provide
data
5 the genes mutated a genetic
6 undertake a task an expensive

D Tick the words in the unit that are both a verb

and a noun.
1 breed
2 duplicate
3 probe
4 shield
5 submit
6 empower
7 resonate

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