Vocabulary
scramble verb
▶CLIMB◀
[intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to climb up, down, or over something quickly and with difficulty, especially using your hands to help you
scramble up/down/over etc
They tried to scramble up the cliff.
She scrambled down the tree as quickly as she could.
▶MOVE QUICKLY◀
[ intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to move somewhere in a hurried awkward way
scramble to/out/from etc
Alan scrambled out of the way.
Micky scrambled to his feet (=stood up very quickly and awkwardly) and hurried into the kitchen.
▶DO SOMETHING QUICKLY◀
[transitive] to try to do something difficult very quickly
scramble to do something
They were scrambling to give the impression that the situation was in control.
▶COMPETE◀
[intransitive] to struggle or compete with other people to get or reach something
scramble for
Thousands of people will be scrambling for tickets.
▶MIX ◀
[transitive] to mix words, ideas, sentences etc so that they are not in the right order and do not make sense
In this exercise, the words in each sentence are scrambled.
collapse noun
▶BUSINESS/SYSTEM/IDEA ETC◀
[singular, uncountable] a sudden failure in the way something works, so that it cannot continue
collapse of
the collapse of the Soviet Union
the threat of economic collapse
His business was in danger of collapse.
▶BUILDING/STRUCTURE/FURNITURE ETC◀
[uncountable] when something suddenly falls down
the collapse of an apartment building during the earthquake
▶ILLNESS/INJURY◀
[singular, uncountable] when someone suddenly falls down or becomes unconscious because of an illness or injury
The president said he was fine after his collapse yesterday.
She suffered a collapse under anaesthetic.
▶MONEY/PRICES ETC◀
[singular] a sudden decrease in the value of something
the collapse of the stock market
collapse in
a collapse in the value of pensions
in place
a) in the correct position
The chairs for the concert were nearly all in place.
The glass was held in place by a few pieces of sellotape.
b) existing and ready to be used
Funding arrangements are already in place.
in place of somebody/something
also in somebody’s/something’s place
instead of someone or something else
In place of our advertised programme, we will have live coverage of the special memorial service.
The company flag had been taken down and in its place hung the Union Jack.
If I refused to go, they would send someone else in my place.
take the place of somebody/something
also take somebody’s/something’s place
to exist or be used instead of someone or something else
ￚsynonym replace
Natural methods of pest control are now taking the place of chemicals.
I had to find someone to take Jenny’s place.
in somebody’s place
used to talk about what you would do if you were in someone else’s situation
What would you do in my place?
Try to put yourself in my place and think how you would feel.
fraud noun
1[uncountable and countable] the crime of deceiving people in order to gain something such as money or goods
tax/insurance/credit card etc fraud
He’s been charged with tax fraud.
electoral fraud
She was found guilty of fraud.
2[countable] someone or something that is not what it is claimed to be
I felt like a fraud.
The police exposed the letter as a fraud.
one-off adjective [only before noun] British English
happening or done only once, not as part of a regular series
American Equivalent: one-shot
It’s yours for a one-off payment of only ￡200.
loom [intransitive]
1[always + adverb/preposition] to appear as a large unclear shape, especially in a threatening way
loom up/out/ahead etc
Suddenly a mountain loomed up in front of them.
2 if a problem or difficulty looms, it is likely to happen very soon
An economic crisis is looming on the horizon.
3 loom large
to seem important, worrying, and difficult to avoid
Fear of failure loomed large in his mind.
recur verb[intransitive]
past tense and past participle recurred present participle recurring
1if something, especially something bad or unpleasant, recurs, it happens again
There is a danger that the disease may recur.
Love is a recurring theme in the book.
recurring dream/nightmare
2 technical if a number or numbers after a decimal point recur, they are repeated for ever in the same order .
