about(adv)
- It costs about $10.
- They waited (for) about an hour.
- He arrived (at) about ten.
- I’m just about ready.
- This is about the best we can hope for.
- The children were rushing about in the garden.
- Her books were lying about on the floor.
- People were standing about in the road.
- There was nobody about.
- There’s a lot of flu about.
- She’s somewhere about—I saw her a few minutes ago.
above(adv)
at or to a higher place
- Put it on the shelf above.
- Seen from above the cars looked tiny.
- I could hear someone calling out my name from up above.
- They were acting on instructions from above (= from somebody in a higher position of authority).
greater in number, level or age
- increases of 5% and above
- A score of 70 or above will get you an ‘A’.
- children aged 12 and above
about(prep)
on the subject of somebody/something; in connection with somebody/something
- a book about flowers
Tell me all about it.
What’s she so angry about?
There’s something strange about him.
There’s something about this business that is not quite right.
I don’t know what you’re on about (= talking about).
There’s nothing you can do about it now.
describe the purpose or an aspect of something
- Movies are all about making money these days.
What was all that about? (= what was the reason for what has just happened?)
above(prep)
at or to a higher place or position than something/somebody
- The water came above our knees.
We were flying above the clouds.
the people in the apartment above mine
A captain in the navy ranks above a captain in the army.
They finished the year six places above their local rivals.
more than something; greater in number, level or age than somebody/something
- Inflation is above 6%.
Temperatures have been above average.
We cannot accept children above the age of 10.
across(adv)
from one side to the other side
- It’s too wide. We can’t swim across.
The yard measures about 50 feet across.
in a particular direction towards or at somebody/something
- When my name was called, he looked across at me.
across from opposite
- There’s a school just across from our house.
across(prep)
from one side to the other side of something
- He walked across the field.
I drew a line across the page.
A grin spread across her face.
Where’s the nearest bridge across the river?
on the other side of something
- There’s a bank right across the street.
action(n)
the process of doing something in order to make something happen or to deal with a situation
- The time has come for action if these beautiful animals are to survive.
to threaten/demand/call for action
Firefighters took action immediately to stop the blaze spreading.
Divers were close at hand, ready to go into action if the stunt went wrong.
What is the best course of action in the circumstances?
She began to explain her plan of action to the group.
The men face disciplinary action.
a thing that somebody does
- Each of us must take responsibility for our own actions.
They sought to justify their actions.
things that workers do, especially stopping work, to protest to their employers about something
- Workers voted in favour of strike action(罢工行动).
They called off their action at 7.40 am after the meeting was arranged.
Unions said the action could be suspended early on Friday if talks between the two sides resumed.
The government began taking a hard line against labour actions.
a legal process to stop a person or company from doing something, or to make them pay for a mistake, etc.
- A libel action is being brought against the magazine that published the article.
action against somebody/something He is considering taking legal action against the hospital.
activity(n)
a thing that you do for interest or pleasure
- leisure/outdoor/recreational activities
a thing that somebody does in order to achieve a particular aim
- criminal/terrorist/illegal activities
He has decided to focus his time and resources on his business activities.
We met to review progress and to coordinate our activities.
a situation in which something is happening or a lot of things are being done
- Economic activity has taken a downturn this year.
The streets were noisy and full of activity.
Muscles contract and relax during physical activity.
There was no criminal activity involved.
The machines can monitor brain activity.
actor(n)
a person who performs on the stage, on television or in films, especially as a profession
- Both lead actors (= the ones who play the main parts) are outstanding.
She is one of the country’s leading actors.
a stage/film/movie actor
a Hollywood actor
The movie starred a bunch of relatively unknown young actors.
actress
a woman who performs on the stage, on television or in films, especially as a profession
- We will hold auditions to find a talented young actor or actress for the role.
The Oscar-winning actress has taken a break from acting.
In 1940 he married actress Jane Wyman.
add(v)
to put something together with something else so as to increase the size, number, amount, etc.
- add something Next add the flour.
The juice contains no added sugar.
As an added bonus, the book includes many black-and-white photographs.
Melt the butter, then add the onion.
The plan has the added (= extra) advantage of bringing employment to rural areas.
add something to something Shall I add your name to the list?
They are looking at ways to add further value to their products.
There are a number of ways to add emphasis to words on a web page.
A new wing was added to the building.
Chlorine is added to the water to kill bacteria.
to put numbers or amounts together to get a total
- He knew how to add and subtract.
add A to B Add 9 to the total.
add A and B together If you add all these amounts together you get a huge figure.
to say something more; to make a further remark
- add something to something I have nothing to add to my earlier statement.
add something Do you have anything to add?
add that… He added that they would return a week later.
