Lekcja 2

* "After two months of intense training, the athletes are primed to compete in the championship." * "The company is primed to launch its new product, having already secured all the necessary funding."

Intense feeling: He was acutely aware of the tension in the room. ​Severe pain: She felt an acutely sharp pain in her back. ​Severe problem: The company is acutely short of staff. ​Heightened perception: Dogs have an acutely sensitive sense of smell.

* The ancient poet would extol the virtues of the gods in his epic poems. * He extolled the benefits of a healthy diet, citing numerous scientific studies. * The company's press release extolled the new CEO's visionary leadership.

Examples of Vices: * Dishonesty: The habit of lying or being deceitful. * Greed: An excessive and selfish desire for more than one needs. * Envy: Resentment or discontent with someone else's success or qualities

*We're running out of time to discuss the budget, so let's put a pin in it and come back to it during our next meeting. * That's an interesting idea, but we need to focus on our current project. Let's put a pin in it for now and revisit it next quarter.

* "Before leaving for vacation, I need to tie up loose ends on all my projects at work." * "The lawyers are meeting to tie up loose ends on the contract before the signing ceremony."

* "The salary was the major sticking point in the contract negotiations, causing the deal to fall through." * "For the project to move forward, we need to resolve the major sticking point regarding the budget allocation."

* "After the surprise counter-attack, the smaller army got the upper hand and forced their enemy to retreat." * "The company's new product launch helped them get the upper hand in the market, leaving their competitors struggling to catch up."

* "We should probably start cooking now, seeing as the guests are arriving in an hour." * "Seeing as you've already finished all your homework, you can go out and play." * "I decided to walk to the store, seeing as it was such a nice day outside."

* I really get on with my new coworkers. * Do you and your brother get on well? * Hurry up and get on the bus before it leaves!

* "The speaker struggled to get his message across to the skeptical audience." * "I hope my report will get across the importance of this new strategy."

* "To get ahead in the corporate world, you need more than just hard work; networking is also crucial." * "She's been taking extra coding classes to get ahead in her career as a software developer."

* "She found her daily office work to be quite mundane and longed for a more creative job." * "His life became a series of mundane tasks: waking up, going to work, and coming home to watch TV."

* "After years of living in the city, she longed for the peace and quiet of the countryside." * "He often longed for the days of his childhood, when life was simple and carefree."

* The new peace treaty was hailed as a diplomatic triumph. * She was hailed as a hero after saving the child from the fire.

* "He delivered a compelling performance that earned a standing ovation." (An excellent performance that captivated the audience) * "The novel's plot was so compelling that I couldn't put it down." (An engaging and fascinating plot)

* "He was accused of spreading malicious rumors about his rival to damage his reputation." * "The company's network was brought down by a malicious cyberattack."* "Her laughter was not joyful, but rather malicious, as if she enjoyed his pain."

*I think we were taken for a ride by that car salesman; the engine started making strange noises as soon as we drove off the lot *He felt like he had been taken for a ride by his business partner, who had secretly been moving money into his own account.

* "The company is flying high after reporting record profits for the third quarter in a row." * "She's been flying high ever since she got engaged to the love of her life."

* "The manager has put in train the process for hiring new staff, with interviews starting next week." * "The government has put in train a new policy to address climate change."

* "The new director is on the gravy train; he gets a huge salary but rarely shows up for meetings." * "Some critics argue that lobbyists are on the gravy train, making a fortune influencing politicians with little accountability."

He was known for his dissipation, wasting his inheritance on gambling and wild parties. ​3. In General Use ​This refers to the act of scattering, dispersing, or breaking up. ​Example: The protest crowd began to dissipate as the police arrived.

​The government was criticized for its inaction in the face of rising unemployment. ​His inaction during the crisis led to a worsening of the problem.

1. "The manager tried to get the employees to buy in to the new company policy by explaining the benefits." 2. "The new investor is looking to buy in to the startup with a significant capital contribution."

​"They lost out on the contract to a rival company that offered a lower price." ​"He lost out on the promotion to a more experienced colleague." ​"If you don't submit your application on time, you'll lose out on the scholarship."

There is no point to being angry about it now; it's already done. ​There is no point to being afraid of failure if you never try. ​There is no point to being overly formal at a casual get-together.

​A veil of secrecy: "The project was launched under a veil of secrecy, and no one outside the company knew its true purpose." ​A veil of mystery: "The suspect's past was hidden behind a veil of mystery, making it difficult for the police to track him.

1. Tech is advancing so quickly that it's hard to keep up with the latest changes. 2. I try to keep up with the news by reading the paper every morning. 3. The company is growing so fast that the small support team can't keep up with the customer requests

​In a person: An actor with great versatility can play a wide variety of roles, from comedy to drama. ​In an object: The versatility of a smartphone allows it to be used for phone calls, taking photos, browsing the internet, and playing games.

​"The protest was attended by a motley crew of students, activists, and concerned citizens." ​"He wore a motley collection of clothes that seemed to come from different eras."

​"He squandered his entire inheritance on gambling and wild parties." ​"Don't squander this chance to travel; you might not get another one." ​"The company was criticized for squandering millions of dollars on a failed marketing campaign."

1. What breed of cat is that? 2. She is a new breed of leader—brave and unconventional. ​3. This new sports car is a different breed entirely from its predecessor.

1. The company has a rigid dress code that doesn't allow for any exceptions. 2. "She has a rigid belief system that makes it difficult for her to accept new ideas."

​"We plan to binge-watch all eight seasons of Game of Thrones before the final season airs." ​"After a long week of work, there's nothing I love more than binge-watching my favorite comedy show on the couch."

​As an adjective (perfect): ​"She has the ideal personality for a kindergarten teacher: patient and kind." ​As a noun (a perfect goal or standard): ​"The company was founded on the ideal that every employee should have a voice."

​"The apartment was so small that the family had to live in cramped conditions." ​"Soldiers on the submarine had to endure cramped conditions for weeks at a time."

"I accidentally left my phone behind in the taxi." ​"He left his family behind to go work in another country." "The war left behind a devastated landscape and a generation of trauma.""She was so fast that she left all the other runners behind."

1. ​Assembling something: "It took us hours to piece together the new furniture from the instructions." 2. ​Forming an understanding: "Detectives are still trying to piece together what happened at the crime scene from witness statements."

1. "I need to set aside a few hours to finish this report." 2. "They set aside their differences to work together on the project." 3. "He set aside the book he had finished and picked up a new one."

"He feels too tied down by his corporate job to travel the world." ​ "With three young children, she's tied down with responsibilities and can't go out much."

​In a formal context: "The committee weighed the merits and demerits of the proposed policy before making a decision." ​In a personal context: "His enthusiasm is a great asset, but his biggest demerit is his lack of attention to detail."

​"I need to stop procrastinating and really knuckle down on my final papers if I want to graduate." ​"The team realized they were behind schedule and had to knuckle down to meet the deadline."

"The manager noticed that several employees were slacking off after lunch." ​"You can't afford to slack off on your studies if you want to pass the exam." ​"He was accused of slacking off and not contributing to the group project."