Words & Expressions
1. punctual /ˈpʌŋktʃuəl/, arriving, happening, or being done at exactly the time that has been arranged=on time,
punctuality/ˌpʌŋktʃuˈæləti/ n.
eg. She’s always very punctual for appointments.
the punctual payment of invoices
2.conditioning, the process by which people or animals are trained to behave in a particular way when particular things happen
eg. Social conditioning makes crying more difficult for men.
After years of conditioning, most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway timetables.
3.dislocate/ˈdɪsləukeɪt/, a. to move a bone out of its normal position in a joint, usually in an accident. b. formal, to spoil the way in which a plan, system, or service is arranged, so that it cannot work normally=disrupt
eg. I dislocated my shoulder playing football.
eg. Communications were temporarily dislocated by the bad weather.
4.consult, [transitive] to look for information in a book, map, list etc.
eg. Have you consulted a dictionary?
5. mere adj.(superlative:merest)[only before noun, no comparative], a. used to emphasize how small or unimportant something or someone is. b. used to emphasize that something which is small or not extreme has a big effect or is important.
eg. She lost the election by a mere 20 votes.
He’s a mere child.
It can’t be a mere coincidence that they left at the same time.
eg. The merest little noise makes him nervous.
The mere thought of food made her feel sick.
The mere fact that the talks are continuing is a positive sign.
6. strike somebody as (being) something, to seem to have a particular quality or feature.
His jokes didn’t strike Jack as being very funny.
it strikes somebody as strange/odd etc that
It struck me as odd that the man didn’t introduce himself before he spoke.
7. lodge a complaint protest appeal etc （Br.E）to make a formal or official complaint, protest etc
lodge with
Eg. He lodged an appeal with the High Court.
lodge against
They lodged a complaint against the doctor for negligence
8. a note of triumph in my voice, note:a type of feeling or quality when someone speaks or does something
note of
Eg.There was a note of doubt in her voice.
9. in black and white, in written form, and therefore definite
Eg. Once it's down in black and white, you can't forget it
Sentences:
Neither was I surprised when the train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a few miles along the line. Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals. But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder. It suddenly dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour, but barely chugging along at thirty.
