English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate » Unit 4: Guessing and explaining meaning

Word List
  • shell
  • shelled
  • reptile
  • famed
  • attain
  • lifespan
  • tended
  • hibernate
  • longevity
  • tortoise
Exercises

4.1 ‣ Look at the following text. Before you read it, see if you know what the underlined words mean.

A tortoise is a shelled reptile famed for its slowness and longevity. The Giant Tortoise of the Galapagos may attain over 1.5 metres in length and have a lifespan of more than 150 years. Smaller tortoises from Southern Europe and North Africa make popular pets. They need to be tended carefully in cool climates and must have a warm place in which they can hibernate.

Which of the underlined words can you guess from the context or using any other clues? First make a guess and then check your guesses in the Answer key.

Answer Key: The picture is a good clue to help you understand tortoise. You may recognise the word shell in shelled (as in egg shell, for example). Similarly, your knowledge of long and life together with the context should enable you to work out what longevity and lifespan mean. The whole context of the sentence should help you to work out the meaning of attain and tended. Some of the underlined words may be similar to words in your own language, which can be another useful way of working out the meaning of a word you have not seen before. The meanings of the underlined :words are provided here for you to check your answers.

shelled: with a shell or hard protective cover
reptile: kind of animal that lays eggs and uses the heat of the sun to keep its blood warm (e.g. crocodiles, snakes)
famed: well-known (famous) longevity: living a long life
attain: reach
lifespan: time from birth to death
tended: cared for
hibernate: go into a sleep-like state throughout the winter (as some animals and insects do)

4.2 ‣ Use the context to work out what the underlined words mean. Explain them using one or other of the expressions in B on the opposite page.

  1. Above the trees at the edge of the meadow, a buzzard hangs for a moment on the wind before soaring towards the hills.
  2. According to some sources, the water vole is one of the most rapidly declining creatures in Britain and a new survey is now being carried out to determine how serious the threat of extinction really is.
    _____
  3. Using a large chisel Jack managed to knock down the old garden wall.
    _____
  4. Sarah carried in a delicious chicken and noodle soup in a large tureen and we enjoyed several bowls each.
    _____
  5. We often used to walk up to the cliff top where we would clamber over the farmer's gate and go right to the edge where the view was better.
    _____
  6. Some people get really ratty when they haven't had enough sleep.
    _____

4.3 ‣ Use your knowledge of other basic English words to help you work out the meanings of the underlined words and expressions. Rewrite them using simpler words or explanations for the underlined words and phrases.

  1. It says on the can that this drink is sugar-free.
  2. I find Caitlina very warm-hearted person.
    _____
  3. I've been up to my eyes in work ever since I got back from holiday.
    _____
  4. We walked down a tree-lined street towards the station.
    _____
  5. The little boys were fascinated by the cement-mixer.
    _____
  6. More and more shops now have their own special store cards and offer you a discount if you use one of them.
    _____

4.4 ‣ Use your knowledge of prefixes and suffixes to suggest what these phrases mean.

  1. to redirect an envelope
  2. uncontrollable anger
    _____
  3. pre-dinner drinks
    _____
  4. bi-monthly report
    _____
  5. my ex-boss
    _____
  6. anti-tourist feelings
    _____
  7. to disconnect the telephone
    _____
  8. undelivered letters
    _____
Answer Key
A ‣ Working out meaning from context

There are a number of clues you can use to help you understand the meaning of an unfamiliar word.

The context in which the word is used

  1. Visual clues: for example, a picture in a book or film footage in a TV news broadcast.
  2. Your own background knowledge about a situation: for example, if you already know that there has just been an earthquake in a big city, then you will find it easy to understand the word 'earthquake' when you hear a news broadcast about it.
  3. The words around the unfamiliar word: for example, 'Suzanna picked one tall yellow gladiolus to put in her new vase.' Even if you have never seen or heard the word 'gladiolus', it is clear from the context that it is a type of flower.
  4. Grammatical clues: for example, it is clear that 'superstitious' must be an adjective in the sentence 'Alejandro is very superstitious and would never walk under a ladder', or that 'gingerly' is an adverb in 'Clare tiptoed gingerly down the stairs, trying to avoid all the broken glass.'

Similarity to other words you already know in English

A large number of words in English are made up of combinations of other words. You may never have seen the word 'headscarf', for example, but it is easy to work out that it is a scarf worn on the head. Units 73-75 will help you improve your skills in understanding how English uses everyday words to build up new concepts.

Structure

A prefix or suffix may give you a clue: for example, Units 69-71 focus on different aspects of word formation in English and should help you use those clues to make sense of unfamiliar words.

Similarity to a word you know in your own (or some other) language

If your first language is of Latin or of Germanic origin, you will come across many words in English that resemble words in your own language. However, English has taken many words from many other languages too. So make use of any other languages you know. But remember that some words are false friends - they sound as if they mean the same but in fact they have a different meaning. For example, gift in English means a present but in German Gift means poison.

B ‣ Explaining unknown words

The following expressions are useful when you are trying to explain what a word or expression means:
It's probably something (a bit) like (a chair) ...
It's got to be something you use for (painting pictures I cleaning the kitchen floor) ...
It's a kind of (bird I musical instrument I building) ...
I think it must I could mean ...

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