in company Upper-intermediate

Case study: A winning formula

headword pronunciation translation/notes example sentence
address (v)
/'dres/
First of all the C!" addressed the meeting#
afloat (adv)
$eep sth afloat
/'flt/
/kip sm
'flt/
%& million is needed to keep the institution afloat#
approach (v)
/'pr/
' have already approached my (oss a(out a pay rise#
back down (phr v)
/bk 'dan/
)either side is willing to back down#
backer (n)
/'bk/
*e+re (usy preparing for a crucial meeting with our
financial backers#
backing (n)
/'bk/
*e have an excellent (usiness proposition, all we
need now is financial backing#
back seat (n)
ta$e a (ac$ seat
/bk 'sit/
/tek bk 'sit/
'+ll (e happy to ta$e a back seat when -o(in ta$es
over#
bid to be sth (phr v)
/'bd t bi sm/
.hey+re bidding to be top of the league for a second
season#
break away from sth (phr v)
/'brek we frm
sm/
/he+s trying to break away from the glamorous
image and prove she has (rains as well#
capitalise on sth (phr v)
/'kptlaz/
0e is trying to capitalise on popular discontent with
the government#
catch up with sb (phr v)
/k 'p w
smbdi/
.he police will catch up with you sooner or later#
challenge (n)
challenge to s(+s authority
/'ln/
/'ln t smbdz
.his is the first time since he (ecame C!" that there
'rti/
has (een a challenge to his authority#
character (n)
in character
/'krkt/
/n 'krkt/
't+s very much in character for /imon to offer to help#
commitment (n)
/k'mtmnt/
' am delighted with the level of commitment you have
all shown#
communicator (n)
/k'm!"nket/
.he ideal candidate will (e an excellent
communicator with good '. s$ills#
company (n)
part company with s(/sth
/'kmpni/
/p#t 'kmpni w
smbdi/
After seven years Anderson has parted company
with the team and moved to 1iverpool#
confidence (n)
have confidence in s(/sth
/'knfdns/
/$% 'knfdns n
sm/
I have complete confidence in our chairman.
conflict (n)
/'knflkt/
.he management team is $een to resolve the conflict
over wages#
conscientious (ad2)
/kn&'en&s/
0e is a (right conscientious student who should
perform well in the exams#
conspiracy (n)
/kn'sprsi/
.here are rumours of a conspiracy against the party
leadership#
control (n)
in control
/kn'trl/
/n kn'trl/
/ven managed to stay in control and not lose his
temper#
cost (n)
at no cost to s(
/kst/
/t n 'kst t
smbdi/
*ill you (e a(le to (ring the venture to a close at no
cost to the investors3
creditable (ad2)
/'kredtbl/
0e finished a very creditable fifth in the race#
debut (n)
/'deb!"/
Cooper made his debut at Covent 4arden in &565#
delegate (v)
/'del'et/
0e always delegates (oring tas$s to his assistant#
dependency (n)
dependency on sth
/d'pendnsi/
/d'pendnsi n
sm/
'n Formula & there is almost a dependency on
teamwork.
determination (n)
/d't(mne&n/
0e has overcome his difficulties with courage and
determination#
easygoing (ad2)
/iz''/
"ur history teacher manages to (e fun and
easygoing (ut still $eep control of the class#
elude (v)
/'l"d/
Financial success eluded him#
end (n)
to the (itter end
/end/
/t" ) bt 'end/
/he remained loyal to her hus(and to the bitter end.
expertise (n)
/eksp'tiz/
.he company is $een to develop its own expertise in
the area of computer programming#
explode (v)
/eks'pld/
.he tension which has (een (uilding all month finally
exploded yesterday.
faith (n)
have faith in s(/sth
/fe/
/$% 'fe n sm/
'+m delighted to $now you have such faith in me#
financier (n)
/fa'nns/
Financiers are (eing more cautious a(out investing
large sums of money in 'nternet companies#
focused (ad2)
/'fkst/
7ar$ was much more focused in his final year at
university#
frequent (v)
/'frikwnt/
.he suspect has (een seen frequenting a local (ar#
friction (n)
friction (etween
/'frk&n/
/'frk&n btwin/
.here is some friction between the various
departments#
get on (phr v)
get on with it
/'et 'n/
/'et 'n w t/
1et+s stop tal$ing a(out clearing up the office and 2ust
get on with it#
grudgingly (adv)
/''rli/
0e grudgingly accepted our help with carrying the
(oxes#
hands-on (ad2)
/'$ndzn/
"ur team manager prefers the hands-on approach
and is happy to help out at (usy times#
harassment (n)
/$'rsmnt/
*e encourage anyone who has (een the su(2ect of
racial harassment to report it#
hire (v)
hire and fire
/'$a/
/'$arnfa/
0is main responsi(ility is hiring and firing#
hold (n)
/$ld/
have a hold over s(
/$% '$ld %
smbdi/
!ver since she received that letter Ana has had a
hold over Carolina.
implement (v)
/'mplment/
.he agreement was signed (ut its recommendations
were never implemented#
interpersonal (ad2)
/nt'p(snl/
.he successful candidate should have strong
interpersonal s$ills#
late (adv)
of late
/let/
/% 'let/
*e have not seen him of late#
layout (n)
/'leat/
.he user gradually (ecomes familiar with the layout
of the $ey(oard#
legitimate (ad2)
(opposite 8 illegitimate)
/l'tmt/
9id he have a legitimate excuse for (eing late3
line (n)
line of (usiness
/'lan/
/'lan % bzns/
*hat line of business is 9ana+s hus(and in3
lookout (n)
(e on the loo$out for sth
/'lkat/
/bi n )
'lkat f sm/
:olice in ;righton are on the lookout for a gang of
car thieves#
low (n)
at an all-time low
/l/
/t n ltam 'l/
/hare prices are at an all-time low#
loyal (ad2)
(opposite 8 disloyal)
(e loyal to s(
/'ll/
/bi 'll t smbdi/
/he+s been loyal to her boss all through the court
case#
maximise (v)
/'mksmaz/
*e aim to maximise profits over the next year#
mentor (n)
/'ment/
All new employees are assigned a mentor to help
them settle in#
methodical (ad2)
/m'dkl/
<ou need to (e methodical when testing this
e=uipment#
misinterpret (v)
/msn't(prt/
0e insisted his views had (een misinterpreted (y his
critics#
mistrust (v)
(opposite 8 trust)
/ms'trst/
/he told herself she had no reason to mistrust him#
morale (n)
/m'r#l/
Morale is low and many people are disillusioned#
motivator (n)
/'mt%et/
After Alan retired we realised how important he had
(een as a motivator for the team#
mutterings (n pl)
/'mtrz/
'+ve heard mutterings that >i$tor is planning to resign#
mystery (ad2)
/'mstri/
/he won+t tell us what the mystery ingredient is#
nepotism (n)
/'neptzm/
7i$e is (etter =ualified to (e technical director, it+s
nepotism to give the 2o( to the C!"+s grandson#
newsworthy (ad2)
/'n!"zw()i/
?ournalists waited outside his house hoping for a
newsworthy story#
no-nonsense (ad2)
/n'nnsns/
0er no-nonsense attitude has sha$en up the
department (ut it+s already getting results#
oppose (v)
(opposite 8 support)
/'pz/
.here was a ma2or campaign to oppose the (uilding
of a nuclear reactor#
paparai (n pl)
/pp'rtsi/
0undreds of paparai were waiting for them to come
out of the hotel#
parallel (n)
/'prlel/
.here are many parallels (etween the two attac$s#
patriarchal (ad2)
/petr'#kl/
.he chairman is a patriarchal figure who has (een
with the company since it was founded#
perfectionist (n)
/p'fek&nst/
Catherine wor$s very slowly (ecause she+s such a
perfectionist#
picture (n)
out of the picture
/'pk/
/at % ) 'pk/
' could have as$ed /hane to help (ut he was out of
the picture (y then#
press (n)
go to the press
/pres/
/' t ) 'pres/
.he president+s assistant went to the press with his
story#
pride yourself on sth (phr v)
/'prad !self n
sm/
*e pride ourselves on the quality and
thoroughness of our wor$#
prodigy (n)
/'prdi/
At fifteen the cellist is the latest musical prodigy#
promising (ad2)
/'prms/
.he foundation funds promising young artists#
prove (v)

/pr"%/
For ten years he has (een fighting to prove his
innocence#
prove yourself to s(
/'pr"% !self t
smbdi/
0e+s always tried to prove himself to his father.
publicity (n)
/pb'lsti/
.he two stars arrived at the airport amidst a (la@e of
publicity.
pull out of sth (phr v)
/'pl at % sm/
.he firm is pulling out of the personal computer
business.
question (n)
in =uestion
/'kwesn/
/n 'kwesn/
.he photograph in question was ta$en long (efore '
met you#
! " # (n) (8 research and
development)
/#rn'di/
*e+re need to spend more of the (udget on ! " # in
order to improve our (ra$ing system#
rankings (n pl)
slip in the ran$ings
/Arnkz/
/slp n ) Arnkz/
.he team has slipped in the rankings and may even
lose its place in the first division#
redeploy (v)
/ridApl/
*e need to redeploy some of our sales reps to the
south-east region#
reluctantly (adv)
/rAlktntli/
/he reluctantly decided to sell her home#
remuneration package (n)
/r'm!"nre&n
pk/
.he post has an attractive remuneration package
which includes relocation costs#
resentment (n)
/r'zentmnt/
0is promotion caused widespread resentment among
the other lawyers#
rival (ad2)
/'ra%l/
.wo men were shot in a fight (etween rival drug
gangs#
rivalry (n)
/'ra%lri/
.here is friendly rivalry (etween the two teams#
seriously (adv)
ta$e s( seriously
/'srsli/
/tek smbdi
'srsli/
Until .om negotiated this deal no(ody at the
company took him seriously#
sexist (ad2)
/'seksst/
)ic$ has (een told off for telling sexist 2o$es#
shot (n)
a shot at sth
/&t/
/ '&t t sm/
.his is her first shot at an international title#
shrewd (ad2)
/&r"d/
0e+s a shrewd politician who was instrumental in
getting the peace treaty signed#
sight (n)
have your sights set on sth
/sat/
/$% ! 'sats set n
sm/
Charles has his sights set on the role of financial
director#
sign up (phr v)
(e signed up for sth
/san 'p/
/bi sand 'p f
sm/
*e+ve been signed up for the scheme for five years#
sleeve (n)
roll up your sleeves
/sli%/
/rl p ! 'sli%z/
*e+ve got a deadline to meet so it+s time to roll up
your sleeves and get to wor$#
smoke (n)
go up in smo$e
/smk/
/' p n 'smk/
*ithout a scholarship her dreams of college would
go up in smoke#
spark (n)
spar$s flew
/sp#k/
/sp#ks 'fl"/
$parks flew when the two women met#
step down as sth (phr v)
/step 'dan z
sm/
/andra stepped down as treasurer#
storm out (phr v)
/stm 'at/
4ianni stormed out (efore they could explain why
they+d made the decision#
struggle (v)
/'&tr'l/
.hey+ve had to struggle with the painful process of
moderni@ation#
summarily (adv)
/'smrli/
0e was summarily dismissed and told to leave the
office within an hour#
support (v)
(opposite 8 oppose)
/s'pt/
!veryone came together to support him in his
campaign for 2ustice#
tension (n)
with tension mounting
/'ten&n/
/ w 'ten&n mant/
%ith tension mounting the two teams made their
way onto the pitch#
threatened (ad2)
feel threatened (y sth
/'retnd/
/fil 'retnd ba
sm/
' feel threatened by the proposed restructuring of
the company#
thrill (n)
/rl/
*inning in /ydney gave her the (iggest thrill yet#
undisclosed (ad2)
/nds'klzd/
.he company was sold for an undisclosed sum#
venture (n)
/'%en/
.his is their first venture into e-commerce#
vow (v)
/%a/
'+ve made a vow that '+m going to study harder#
wilfully (adv)
/'wlfli/
!laine feels that the sales director wilfully
misunderstood what she said#
wrong (n)
can do no wrong
/r/
/)" n 'r/
0is parents thin$ he can do no wrong#
wunderkind (n)
/'wndknd/
*e+ve ta$en on a BB year-old programming
wunderkind#
ero (n)
from heroes to @eros
/frm '$rz t
zrz/
.he team went from heroes to eros in three days:
first they won the championship then they were
dis=ualified#