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Sports

114 cards to learn, plus a reading text that puts the key phrases in context.

114 cards

account

ccount for, (give) an account of, take into account, take account of, on account of, by all accounts, on sb's account

Collocation

associate

associate sth with

Collocation

balance

(hang) in the balance, strike a balance, upset/alter/ redress the balance, balance between/of, on balance, off balance

Collocation

basis

basis for, on a daily/temporary/etc basis, on the basis of/that

Collocation

belief

express belief(s), belief in/that, contrary to popular belief, beyond belief, in the belief that, popular/widely held/widespread/firm/strong/growing belief

Collocation

brain

pick sb's brain(s), rack your brain(s), the brains behind, brainless, brainchild (of), brainstorm, brainwash, brainwave

Collocation

conclusion

bring sth to a conclusion, come to / arrive at / reach a conclusion, jump/leap to conclusions, in conclusion, conclusion of, logical conclusion, foregone conclusion

Collocation

consideration

take into consideration, give consideration to, show consideration for, under consideration, for sb's consideration, out of consideration for

Collocation

doubt

doubt that, have your doubts about, cast doubt on, raise doubts, in doubt, doubt as to / about, beyond (any) doubt, (a) reasonable doubt, without a doubt, open to doubt

Collocation

dream

dream of/about/that, have a dream, a dream to, beyond your wildest dreams, a dream come true, in your dreams, like a dream

Collocation

focus

focus on, the focus of/for, in focus, out of focus, focus group, main/primary/major focus

Collocation

impression

have/give the (false) impression that, do an impression (of), create/make an impression (on sb), under the impression that, first impressions

Collocation

mental

make a mental note (of/about), mental arithmetic, mental illness; mental age; mental health

Collocation

mind

make up your mind, cross/slip your mind, have/bear in mind, have a one-track mind, take your mind off, bring to mind, in two minds about, on your mind, state of mind, narrow/broad/open/absent-minded

Collocation

misapprehension

under the misapprehension that

Collocation

perspective

put into perspective, from another / a different / sb's / etc perspective, from the perspective of, in perspective, out of perspective, a sense of perspective

Collocation

principle

have principles, stand by / stick to your principles, principle of sth, principle that, in principle, a matter / an issue of principle, against sb's principles, set of principles

Collocation

question

beg the question, raise the question (of), a/no question of, in question, out of the question, without question, beyond question, some question over / as to / about, awkward question

Collocation

sense

sense that, see sense, make sense (of), have the sense to, come to your senses, a sense of, in a/one sense, common sense

Collocation

side

side with sb, take sides, see both sides (of an argument), look on the bright side, on the plus/minus side, by sb's side, on sb's side, on either side (of)

Collocation

straight

set/put sb straight about, set/put the record straight, get/come straight to the point, get sth straight, think/see straight, straight talking, straight answer

Collocation

go to your head

if success goes to your head, it makes you think that you are better or more important than you really are

Don’t let all the praise go to your head.

have your wits about you

be able to think quickly and make sensible decisions

You’ll need to have your wits about you during the interview.

in the dark(about)

not knowing very much about something, because other people are keeping it secret from you

I’m still in the dark about the details of the project.

know what's what

know the important facts about a situation

Ask Sarah, she knows what’s what around here.

not have a leg to stand on

not have any way of proving that you are right about something

Without evidence, you don’t have a leg to stand on.

not see the wood for the trees

used for saying that someone cannot understand what is important in a situation because they are thinking too much about small details

You’re overthinking it and can’t see the wood for the trees.

put two and two together

guess what is happening or what something means based on what you have seen or heard

I saw them kissing, so I put two and two together.

quick/slow on the uptake

taking a very short/long time to understand or realise something

He’s quick on the uptake with new software.

ring a bell

something that rings a bell sounds familiar to you, although you cannot remember the exact details

That name rings a bell, but I can’t place it.

round the bend

to drive someone crazy

Waiting for the results is driving me round the bend.

split hairs

argue or worry about very small details or differences that are not important

Stop splitting hairs, it doesn’t matter that much.

brush up(on)

practice and improve your skills or knowledge of something

I took a class to brush up on my German before the trip

come (a)round(to)

change your opinion or decision because someone has persuaded you to agree with them

I didn't agree at first but I've come around to the idea now

come up with

think of something such as an idea or a plan

you never know what the children are going to come up with

face up to

accept something and try to deal with it

he was the only one who faced up to the problem

figure out

be able to understand something or solve a problem

we had to figure out the connection between the two events

hit upon

suddenly have an idea; discover something by chance

they hit upon the idea of celebrating the occasion with a concert

make out

see, hear or understand someone or something with difficulty

can you make out a face here in the photograph?

mull over

think carefully about something over a period of time

they'll need time to mull over the proposals

piece together

learn the truth about something by considering all the separate bits of information you have

the detectives are still piecing together the circumstances of the incident

puzzle out

solve a confusing or complicated problem by thinking carefully about it

she was trying to puzzle out who the caller was

swot up(on)

study something very hard, especially for an examination

I've got to swot up the French Revolution for tomorrow's test

take in

include something

the tour takes in some incredible scenery

think over

consider a problem or decision carefully

let's think over his proposal before we see him again

think through

consider the facts about something in an organised and thorough way

have you had time to think things through?

think up

invent or imagine something, especially an excuse

she had to think up a good reason for being late

academic(n)

someone who teaches or does research at a college or university

The meeting was chaired by a leading Japanese academic

academic(adj)

relating to education, especially education in colleges and universities

the book brings together several academic subjects

assess(v)

To carefully consider a situation, person or problem in order to make a judgment

we tried to asses his suitability for the job

assume(v)

to believe that something is true, even though no one has told you or even though you have no proof

Everyone accepted she was telling the truth, although it was a lot to assume

baffle(v)

if a problem, someone's behaviour, etc baffles you, you cannot understand it or solve it

detectives remain baffled by there murders

biased(adj)

preferring one person, thing or idea to another in a way that is unfair

It was a biased report

concentrate(v)

to give all your attention to the thing you are doing

I was sleeping badly and finding it hard to concentrate

conscientious(adj)

working hard and being careful to do things well

Simon is a very conscientious worker

consider(v)

to think about something carefully before making a decision or developing an opinion

She paused and considered for a moment

contemplate(v)

to consider doing something in the future

I'm contemplating retirement next year

cram(v)

to study hard in order to learn a lot in a short time

I'm cramming for my exams

curriculum(n)

he subjects that students study at a particular school or college

our mathematics curriculum is much broader now

cynical(adj)

someone who is cynical believes that people care only about themselves and are not sincere or honest, or expects things not to be successful or useful

I know that you are very cynical about the proposals

deduce(v)

to know something as a result of considering the information or evidence that you have

finding fossils far inland, he deduced that the area was once covered by water

deliberate(v)

to think about or discuss something very carefully, especially before you make an important decision

the judges delivered for an hour before choosing the winner

dilemma(n)

a situation in which you have to make a difficult decision

I'm in a dilemma over whether to tell him or not

discriminate(v)

to recognise the difference between things

Missile attacks cannot discriminate between military and civil targets

discriminate(v)

Treat someone unfairly because of their religion, race or other personal features

employers are not allowed to discriminate on the basis of gender

distance learning(n)

a system in which students work at home and send work to their teachers by post or e-mail

are you doing the course by distance learning?

estimate(n)

an amount that you guess or calculate using the information available

according to official estimates, over 25% of carbon emissions come from the EEUU

estimate(n)

a statement telling a customer how much money you will charge if they employ you to do a particular piece of work

The committee are currently getting estimates for repairs to the stonework

estimate(v)

to say what you think an amount or value will be

it is difficult to estimate the cost of building a website

faith(n)

strong belief in or trust of someone or something

I'm delighted to know you have such faith in me

gather(v)

to believe that something is true, although no one has directly told you about it

You're new here, I gather

genius(n)

someone who is much more intelligent or skillful than other people

She was a mathematical genius

graduate(adj)

someone who has a degree from a university

there aren't many careers for history graduates

graduate(v)

to complete your studies at a university or college, usually by getting a degree

he graduated from university in 1936

grasp(v)

to understand something

he was finding it difficult to grasp the rules of the game

guesswork(n)

the process of trying to find the answer to something by guessing

it was a theory based on pure guesswork

hunch(n)

a feeling that something is true or will happen,

I've got a hunch there will be an election soon

ideology(n)

a system of ideas and principles on which a political or economic theory is based

state control is an aspect of Marxist ideology

ignorant(adj)

not knowing something that you should know or need to know

I was ignorant of terms used in business

inattentive(adj)

not giving much attention to someone or something

I hate speaking in front of an inattentive audience

ingenious(adj)

an ingenious plan, piece of equipment, etc uses new and clever ideas

this is an ingenious device for opening bottles

inspiration(n)

a sudden feeling of enthusiasm or a new idea that helps you to do or create something

dreams are a rich source of inspiration for some writers

intellectual(adj)

relating to the ability to think in an intelligent way

students were asked which task represented the greatest intellectual challenge

intellectual(adj)

well educated and interested in art, science, etc at an advanced level

though not intellectual, my mom vas very intelligent

intelligent(adj)

good at thinking clearly and quickly, at understanding difficult ideas and subjects

surely an intelligent person like you can deal with this

intensive(adj)

involving a lot of teaching or training in a short time

it's an intensive language course for beginners

intuition(n)

an ability to know or understand something through your feelings

Archeologists often use their intuition to decide where to dig

justify(v)

to show that there is a good reason for something

you'll be expected to justify your actions

knowledgeable(adj)

knowing a lot about many different subjects or about one particular subject

he's extremely knowledgeable about business and finance

lecture(n)

a talk to a group of people about a particular subject, especially at a college or university

the course will be taught through a series of lectures

lecture(v)

to give a lecture or a series of lectures

She lectures on Greek Literature

mock exam(n)

n examination you take for practice before an important examination

we've got our mock exams next month

naive(adj)

a naive person lacks experience of life and tends to trust other people and believe things too easily

I was a naive 17-year-old at the time

notion(n)

an idea or understanding or something

I don't have the faintest notion what you're talking about

optimistic(adj)

someone who is optimistic is hopeful about the future

she said she was very optimistic about the future of the company

paradox(n)

a person, thing or situation that is strange because they have features or qualities that do not normally exist together

It's a paradox that people are migrating to an area where there is a high unemployment

pessimistic(adj)

someone who is pessimistic is not hopeful about the future

she said she was pessimistic about the future of the company

plagiarise(v)

to take someone else's work, ideas or words, and use them as if they were your own

They accused her of plagiarasing her spech

plausible(adj)

likely to be true, honest or suitable

a bomb was the only plausible explanation for the crash

ponder(v)

o think carefully about something for a long time before reaching a decision

I'm still pondering whether to tell Mark or not

prejudiced(adj)

to have an unreasonable opinion or feeling about someone or something

Laura's reporting was biased and prejudiced against the homeless

presume(v)

to think something is true because it is likely, although you cannot be certain

I presume you've already ordered lunch

query(v)

to ask a question about something

Who would do such a thing, he queried?

query(n)

a question that you ask because you want information

we have a number of queries regarding delivery

reckon(v)

to believe that something is true

I reckon there is something wrong with him

reflect(v)

to think about something carefully and seriously

Josue reflected on how easily she could've been killed

self-study

work that you do without the help of a teacher

I have to do a lot of self-study in this course

seminar(n)

a class at a college or unversity in which a small group of students discusses a subject with a teacher

we had a very interesting seminar on climate change

skeptical(adj)

having doubts about something that other people think is true or right

Mark approved the plan, but Laura remained skeptical

special needs(n)

the particular needs of people who are physically or mentally disabled

students with special needs will be offered additional classes

speculate(v)

o consider or discuss why something has happened

we can only speculate the reasons for his sudden resignation

suppose(v)

o believe that something is probably true

She is about 35, I suppose

tuition(n)

the work that a teacher does when they teach a particular subject

he's been getting a private tuition in French

tutorial(n)

a lesson in which a small group of students discuss a subject with a tutor

we had a very interesting tutorial on climate change

Sports in context

A short text using 34 of the key phrases. Tap a highlighted phrase for its meaning.

The first important collocation involving sports is when to use the verbs , and . We typically use for team sports – you . The verb is used for more individual sports – you , and . Also, in more general terms, you do exercise. Another common individual exercise is to .

The verb is used with most activities that end in –ing: you , and . With the team sports, we can use the word or : , etc. You can win the game, , or – that’s when the is 1-1 or 2-2, for example.

A team can play a – when they play in their own stadium or field – or an – when they play at the opposing team’s stadium or field. When there are many teams that are playing many games to see which one is the best, we call this a . When one team is winning in the middle of the game – for example, 3-1 – we say that team . However, the other team can make a comeback – score points from a losing position – and , 4-3.

With the sports that use “do” and “go,” we typically use the word – a , a , etc. The exception is sports where you go from one place to another – like running, biking, and swimming – in that case, we often call the event a .

Athletes can and try to win . Some athletes try to with illegal substances such as steroids. But if they , they’ll be disqualified from participating.

If the athlete is performing well, they may – and if they perform better than ANYONE ever has in the past, then they could even or . If they get injured, however, they might have to .

All 34 phrases from this text
  • play, do
  • go
  • play
  • play soccer, play basketball, play tennis, play baseball, and play golf
  • do
  • do yoga, do gymnastics, do martial arts
  • do aerobics
  • lift weights
  • go
  • go swimming, go biking, go surfing, go rock climbing, go bowling
  • go fishing
  • game
  • match
  • a soccer game, a basketball game, a tennis match
  • lose the game
  • tie the game
  • final score
  • home game
  • away game
  • tournament
  • has the lead
  • take the lead
  • competition
  • gymnastics competition
  • martial arts competition, a surfing competition, an ice skating competition
  • race
  • enter a competition
  • first place
  • enhance their performance
  • fail a drug test
  • achieve a personal best
  • break the world record
  • set a new world record
  • withdraw from the competitionvoluntarily leave the competition