Sports Questions

messes upmess something ↔ up to spoil or ruin something, especially something important or something that has been carefully plannedIt took me ages to get this right - I don't want some idiot to mess it up.Who messed up the kitchen?to make a mistake and do something badlyI think I messed up on the last question.

arrangementI've agreed to help with arrangements for the party.come to an/some arrangement (with somebody) (=make an agreement that is acceptable to everyone)It would usually cost $500, but I'm sure we can come to some kind of arrangement.

suspectto think that something is probably true, especially something badsuspect (that)I suspected that there was something wrong with the engine.to think that something bad has happened or is happeningThe doctors suspected pneumonia.suspect murder/foul playThe position of the body led the police to suspect murder.

orientedgiving a lot of time, effort, or attention to one particular thingA lot of the younger students don't seem to be politically oriented at all.

took advantage oftake advantage of something/somebodyto make use of something well; to make use of an opportunityShe took advantage of the children's absence to tidy their rooms.We took full advantage of the hotel facilities.

sue to make a legal claim against someone, especially for money, because they have harmed you in some wayIf the builders don't fulfil their side of the contract, we'll sue.The company is suing a former employee

expose expose yourself to ridicule/criticism etc (=say or do something that may make people laugh at you, criticize you etc)to put someone in a situation where they are not protected from something dangerous or unpleasantexpose somebody to somethingThe report revealed that workers had been exposed to high levels of radiation.to make it possible for someone to experience new ideas, ways of life etcexpose somebody to somethingSome children are never exposed to classical music.

orientationthe type of activity or subject that a person or organization seems most interested in and gives most attention toorientation towards/tothe political opinions or religious beliefs that someone hasa period of time during which people are trained and prepared for a new job or course of studythe angle or position of an object, or the direction in which it is facing

disorientedconfused and not understanding what is happening around you2 confused about where you are or which direction you should goWhen he emerged into the street, he was completely disoriented.

civilizationa society that is well organized and developed, used especially about a particular society in a particular place or at a particular time → civilizedmodern American civilizationthe dawn of civilization (=the beginning of civilization)

striking1 unusual or interesting enough to be easily noticedstriking contrast/similarity/parallel etca striking contrast between wealth and poverty2 attractive in an unusual way that is easy to notice

hindsightthe ability to understand a situation only after it has happened → foresightwith/in hindsightWith hindsight, I should have seen the warning signs.

mentoran experienced person who gives advice to less experienced people to help them in their workHe now runs his own company and is a mentor to other young entrepreneurs.

draw a conclusion to decide that a particular fact or principle is true according to the information you have been given

configureto arrange something, especially computer equipment, so that it works with other equipment

amidstwhile noisy, busy, or confused events are happening - used in writing or news reportsThe dollar has fallen in value amid rumors of weakness in the US economy.Demonstrators ripped up the national flag amid shouts of 'Death to the tyrants!'

steerto control the direction a vehicle is going, for example by turning a wheelHe was steering with only one hand.steer for/towards etcsteer somebody towards/away from/through etc somethingTeachers try to steer pupils away from drugs.Helen tried to steer the conversation away from herself.

prospectthe possibility that something will happenparticular event which will probably or definitely happen in the future - used especially when you want to talk about how you feel about it

get by without a plan/ to succeed in doing something with difficulty, or not in a very satisfactory way: There were some difficult questions but I managed to ...

forcefula forceful person expresses their opinions very strongly and clearly and people are easily persuaded by them SYN strongforceful arguments, reasons etc are strongly and clearly expressed SYN powerfulhaving a powerful effect that is likely to change a situation