Evolve Digital Level 5A

Vocabulary lists
Unit 1, Lesson 1............................................................................................................... 2
Talking about facing challenges....................................................................................2
Unit 1, Lesson 2............................................................................................................... 4
Describing annoying things...........................................................................................4
Unit 2, Lesson 1............................................................................................................... 6
Space and ocean exploration.......................................................................................6
Unit 2, Lesson 2............................................................................................................... 8
The natural world..........................................................................................................8
Unit 3, Lesson 1............................................................................................................. 10
Describing personality.................................................................................................10
Unit 3, Lesson 2............................................................................................................. 12
Strong feelings............................................................................................................12
Unit 4, Lesson 1............................................................................................................. 14
Describing supportive relationships............................................................................14
Unit 4, Lesson 2............................................................................................................. 16
Assessing ideas..........................................................................................................16
Unit 5, Lesson 1............................................................................................................. 18
Dealing with emotions.................................................................................................18
Unit 5, Lesson 2............................................................................................................. 20
Willingness and unwillingness.................................................................................... 20
Unit 6, Lesson 1............................................................................................................. 22
Describing unexpected fame......................................................................................22
Unit 6, Lesson 2............................................................................................................. 24
Reporting verbs.......................................................................................................... 24

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Unit 1, Lesson 1
Talking about facing challenges

accept (v.) – to admit that something is true, often something unpleasant

"They just accepted their relationship was over and decided to separate."

adapt (v.) – to change your behavior so that it is suitable for a new situation
"There was no public transportation, but they quickly adapted to the situation and used
their scooters instead."

be a step forward (v. phr.) – to be an improvement or to indicate progress (toward

success)

"His promotion to assistant manager was a big step forward in his career."

be capable of (v. phr.) – to have the ability or qualities to be able to do something

"With enough training and preparation, human beings are capable of doing
extraordinary things, such as climbing to the top of the highest mountains."

be frightened of (v. phr.) – to be afraid of

"My sister is totally frightened of flying, but her husband is not. In fact, there aren't many
things he is afraid of."

can't take (v. phr.) – to not be able to deal with an unpleasant situation

"Laura has been really stressed out lately. She just can't take all the pressure at work."

cope with (v.) – to deal quite successfully with a difficult situation

"Scientists who work in the Arctic have to cope with extreme temperatures and other
dangerous circumstances. I don't know how they do it."

get a grip (v. phr.) – to make an effort to control your emotions and behave more calmly
A: Jon! What have you done to the living room? It's completely destroyed!
B: Ellen, get a grip. It's really not that bad. But, Jon, you do need to clean this up right
now.
get through (phr. v.) – to succeed in a difficult or testing situation

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"The trip was really difficult. They experienced floods, long hikes, and lots of
mosquitoes. But they kept going, got through it all, and eventually reached their
destination."
resist (v.) – to refuse to accept or be changed by something
"That old donkey was being really stubborn and resisted any attempts to make it move.
It only moved when it wanted. Nobody could force it to."
survive (v.) – to continue to exist, and not to fail or be destroyed
"Camels can survive without water for several weeks. They don't need as much water
as humans do to stay alive."
tackle (v.) – to try to deal with something or someone
"It took him days of hard work and calculations, but he was finally able to tackle the
problem and solve the equation."
underestimate (v.) – to fail to guess or understand the real cost, size, difficulty, etc. of
something
"He underestimated the number of boxes they would have to transport. But he was glad
he found room for all of the extra ones."
welcome (v.) – to be pleased about and encourage or support something
"Luke has always welcomed change, so he keeps trying new things, moving to new
places, and starting life anew."

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Unit 1, Lesson 2
Describing annoying things

awkward (adj.) – difficult or causing problems

"It was definitely awkward to carry the mattress on a bike, but my cousin managed to!"
be a waste of time (v. phr.) – to be a bad use of time, especially when time is limited
"Flying home through Chicago was a waste of time. I had to wait six hours for my
connection, couldn't work much at the airport, and the trip ended up taking much
longer."
be hard to operate (v. phr.) – (of a machine) to be difficult to use or make work
"When I first started working here, all these machines seemed so complicated and hard
to operate. But once I got trained on how to use them, it was actually pretty simple."
clumsy (adj.) – (referring to a thing) too big or complicated to be dealt with easily;
(referring to a person) awkward in movement or manner, or likely to have accidents
because they do not move in a controlled way
"The first commercial cell phones sold in the 1980s were really clumsy. They were
huge, heavy to carry, and didn’t really work that well."
complex (adj.) – involving a lot of different but connected parts in a way that is difficult
to understand
"The problem was so complex that it took our professor several classes to explain it."
drive somebody crazy (v. phr.) – to make someone feel angry or annoyed
"The girl kicking the back of his seat and singing out loud was simply driving Frank
crazy."
frustrating (adj.) – making you feel annoyed because things are not happening in the
way that you want or in the way that they should
"My last project at work was very frustrating. Every day there was a new problem, and it
never seemed like we were making any progress."

get on somebody's nerves (v. phr.) – to annoy someone, especially by doing

something again and again

"These kids are starting to get on my nerves. I just wish they could be quiet for a
second. Just one little second..."

infuriating (adj.) – extremely annoying

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"The traffic in this city can be really infuriating – especially when you get stuck behind
bad drivers. And don't tell me I need to control my anger. They are the ones who need
to learn how to drive!"

lose patience (v. phr.) – to stop being patient and become annoyed

"I'm starting to lose my patience with this guy. If he doesn't stop playing soon, I'll just
leave."

time-consuming (adj.) – needing a lot of time

"Doing the laundry can sometimes be really time-consuming. It can take me over two
hours to get all my clothes clean and dry."

tricky (adj.) – difficult to deal with or do

"Assembling the dresser seemed pretty simple at first, but it ended up being quite tricky
as the instructions were not very clear."

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Unit 2, Lesson 1
Space and ocean exploration

atmosphere (n.) – the layer of gases around the Earth

"The Earth's atmosphere is mostly made of nitrogen, oxygen, and argon. This layer of
gases that surrounds our planet also makes life possible on it."

come across (phr. v.) – to discover something or meet someone by chance

"When my children were exploring the backyard, they came across this beautiful
mushroom. They were delighted with such a discovery."

exploration (n.) – the action of going around a place where you have never been in
order to find out what is there

"Remote places have always fascinated Brendan. So, a few years ago, he went on an
exploration of the southern-most point of the polar ice pack."

investigation (n.) – the action of trying to discover all the facts about something

"In their long investigation of the disease, in which they used sophisticated equipment
and methods, the scientists discovered a very peculiar virus."

launch (v.) – to send a spacecraft into the sky, or a ship into the water

"The Apollo 16 spacecraft was launched from Florida on April 16, 1972. A lot of people
watched with wonder as the powerful rocket went into the sky."

monitor (v.) – to watch something carefully and record your observations

"She is in charge of monitoring some of the machines in the factory. Every day she has
to check that they are all working properly."

observe (v.) – to watch someone or something carefully

"The great thing about safaris is that you can observe some animals in their natural
habitat. Even if you usually have to watch them from a distance."

preserve (v.) – to keep something the same or prevent it from being damaged or
destroyed

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"One of the missions of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is to preserve
endangered species by providing a safe area where they are protected from hunters."

resources (n.) – something that a country, person, or organization has that they can
use

"The uncontrolled use of natural resources, such as wood for construction or fuel, might
cause deforestation and pollution."

satellite (n.) – a piece of equipment that is sent into space around the Earth to receive
and send signals or to collect information

"Satellites around the Earth are used, among other things, for communication,
observation, navigation, and weather forecasts."

species (n.) – a group of plants or animals that share similar characteristics

"The white tiger belongs to the same species as the orangish ones, Panthera tigris, but
it is a more uncommon variant."

surface (n.) – the top or outside part of something

"The surface of the lake was like a mirror, reflecting the mountains and the clouds in the
sky."

use up (phr. v.) – to finish a supply of something

"The great thing about wind energy is that we can't use it up. It's not like oil or natural
gas, where one day we'll run out of it."

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Unit 2, Lesson 2
The natural world

adaptable (adj.) – able to change to suit different situations or environments

"Tardigrades are probably the most adaptable animals in the world. These tiny aquatic
creatures can live both in boiling water and freezing temperatures."

animal life (n. phr.) – animals collectively, especially those from a particular area

"A national park was created to preserve the animal life of the region, such as giraffes
and zebras."

creature (n.) – any large or small living thing that can move independently

"Jellyfish are beautiful sea creatures, but some of these animals can be extremely
dangerous."

endangered (adj.) – (of animals or plants) that may soon not exist because there are
very few now alive

"The zebra shark has become an endangered species. Due to intensive fishing for its
meat, fins, and liver oil, these rare animals might soon disappear."

environment (n.) – the air, water, and land in or on which people, animals, and plants
live; the conditions that you live in

"Humans can survive in nearly all environments, even in more difficult ones like deserts
and mountains."

form of life (n. phr.) – type of animal or plant

"Reefs are the natural habitat of various forms of life, such as fish and anemones."

habitat (n.) – the natural environment in which an animal or plant usually lives

"Most penguins live in the cold coast of Antarctica. As the ice melts, they might have to
move or adapt to other habitats to be able to survive."

origin (n.) – the beginning or cause of something

"The origin of most edible plants is a seed or bean. That is where their roots, stems, and
leaves grow from."

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plant life (n. phr.) – plants collectively, especially those from a particular area

"Scientists keep discovering new forms of plant life in the tropical rainforests."

poisonous (adj.) – very harmful and able to cause illness or death; (of an animal) that
uses poison in order to defend itself

"The spitting cobra is a poisonous snake that projects a powerful venom to defend itself.
If their venom reaches your eyes, it can cause blindness."

pond (n.) – an area of water smaller than a lake, often artificially made

"The pond in the Japanese garden near my house has a lot of colorful koi fish."

sea life (n. phr.) – animals and plants that live in the ocean, collectively

"The diver was fascinated with the variety of sea life in that part of the ocean. There
were so many different types of fish, coral, and other creatures."

survivor (n.) – someone or something that is able to continue living despite

experiencing difficulties or danger

"The tiny plant was definitely a survivor in such a dry and hot environment. How it
managed to live and grow in such a place was a mystery for most of us."

territory (n.) – an area that an animal or person tries to control or thinks belongs to
them

"Some species of deer rub their head against trees to mark their territory. All the marked
trees enclose the area they fight to protect."

volcano (n.) – a mountain with a large, circular hole at the top through which lava (hot
liquid rock), gases, steam, and dust are or have been forced out

"The Tungurahua in Ecuador is a very active volcano. It has erupted several times in the
past decades."

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Unit 3, Lesson 1
Describing personality

attract attention (v. phr.) – to make someone or something notice you

"Peacocks display their colorful feathers to attract the female's attention. Of course, it
probably doesn't work if the female is not looking at the male."

be an extrovert (v. phr.) – to be an energetic person who enjoys being with other
people

"Jenny is an extrovert and just loves hanging out with her many friends."

be an introvert (v. phr.) – to be a shy, quiet person who prefers to spend time alone
rather than often being with other people

"My daughter is a bit of an introvert. She doesn't even like posing for photos."

be the life of the party (v. phr.) – to be someone who is energetic and funny and at the
center of activity during social occasions

"Brian is always the life of the party. Everyone tends to gather around him to listen to his
stories and jokes."

enjoy the company of (someone) (v. phr.) – to like being with a person or people

"Diane really enjoys the company of her best friends. Whenever possible, she even
prefers to travel with them."

feel left out (v. phr.) – to feel excluded or that no one wants to be your friend

"Lily often feels left out when she goes out with some of her classmates. Sometimes
they just seem to ignore her completely."

interact with people (v.) – to communicate with or react to someone

"I interact with a variety of professionals at work, and I'm fortunate that they are all very
easy to work with."

reserved (adj.) – (of people) who do not often talk about or show their feelings or
thoughts

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"Kelly is an extrovert and very outgoing. Her sister Megan, however, is more reserved
and doesn't usually talk much at parties."

show off (phr. v.) – to behave in a way that is intended to attract attention or
admiration, and that other people often find annoying

"Ivan exercises a lot and is very muscular, so he is always showing off. Luckily for him,
his friends don't usually mind his frequent displaying of muscles and strength."

socialize (v.) – to spend time when you are not working with friends or with other
people in order to enjoy yourself

"College students tend to socialize all the time, even if that sometimes means just
sharing a pizza with friends."

speak softly (v. phr.) – to speak in a quiet or gentle way

"My client spoke very softly, so I couldn't hear her and had to keep asking her to repeat
what she had just said."

speak up (phr. v.) – to speak in a louder voice so that people can hear you; to express
your opinion

"Doug always speaks up at work. He's never afraid of expressing his views."

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Unit 3, Lesson 2
Strong feelings

bizarre (adj.) – very strange and unusual

"Some of the dogs in the competition looked a little bizarre. I had never seen a dog with
dyed fur, or with a pink and zebra pattern!"

creepy (adj.) – strange or unnatural and making you feel frightened

"On some foggy winter nights, their house looked a little creepy, as a haunted one."

disgusting (adj.) – extremely unpleasant or unacceptable

"After two weeks away, Beth opened the refrigerator and got an unpleasant surprise:
some fruit she had forgotten about had gone pretty bad. The smell was simply
disgusting."

fabulous (adj.) – very good; excellent; wonderful

"The house they rented for vacation was wonderful. The views from the swimming pool
were absolutely fabulous."

impressive (adj.) – causing someone to feel admiration or respect

"The scenery was really impressive. I couldn't stop admiring the spectacular mountains,
the beautiful forest, and the pristine lake in front of me."

irritating (adj.) – making you feel annoyed or angry

"Our next-door neighbor can be pretty irritating. She decided to learn the electric guitar
and now plays it really badly throughout the weekend. It's so annoying."

satisfying (adj.) – making you feel pleased by providing what you need or want

"That cup of coffee was totally satisfying. It was exactly what I needed to start my day."

stunning (adj.) – extremely beautiful or attractive

"I don't think we've ever seen anything so beautiful as we did at the lantern festival. The
night sky just looked stunning with all those lights."

tense (adj.) – anxious, unable to relax, or causing anxiety

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"Last week I took my final exams, sent my résumé to a lot of companies, and asked the
bank for a loan. Waiting to hear back from them all has made me very tense, and I
simply can't sleep this week."

uneasy (adj.) – uncomfortable or anxious I always feel a little uneasy before an

interview. But then I usually relax once I start answering the questions.

weird (adj.) – very strange and unusual, unexpected, or not natural

"They were just wearing animal costumes, but there was something weird about it.
Maybe it was the fact that they were all adults and the costumes seemed more
appropriate for kids."

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Unit 4, Lesson 1
Describing supportive relationships

act as (v. phr.) – to do a particular job, especially one that you do not normally do
"I act as an accountant for my family, as I'm in charge of the budget and of paying all
the bills."

assist (v.) – to take action to help someone or support something

"I'm a member of an organization that assists elderly people with their shopping and
housework. They are always so grateful for our help."

build a relationship (v. phr.) – to create a connection with other people, company,
country, etc., especially over time

"By visiting them often and gladly playing with them, Zach has built a great relationship
with his nephew and niece."

build trust (v. phr.) – to gradually believe that you can depend on someone or
something

"Some activities can help teams build trust, making them feel they can depend on each
other and work better together."

contribute (v.) – to be one of the reasons why something happens; to give something,
especially money, in order to provide or achieve something together with other people

"At some point during the project, we got stuck and decided to hold a brainstorming
session. Everyone contributed their ideas and our project ended up being a very
successful one."

demonstrate (v.) – to express or show that you have a feeling, quality, or ability

"Since he was a child, Jeff has demonstrated a great talent for cooking. Now he is a
famous chef and shares his experience and skills with his students."

enable somebody to (v.) – to make somebody able to do something

"His tutor's support enabled Jason to learn how to use a variety of helpful apps. Now he
is pretty good at them and has even been teaching a few friends how to use some of
the apps."

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keep an eye on (v. phr.) – to watch or take care of something or someone

"Although I live on my own, my children always keep an eye on me. I feel really cared
for."

oversee (v.) – to watch work as it is done in order to make certain that it is done
correctly

"As the manager, Martha oversees all the work in the warehouse and helps other
employees with more complex issues."

steer somebody away from (phr. v.) – to guide someone to avoid something,
especially something bad

"My dad's advice has always steered me away from some bad situations. I've avoided a
lot of trouble because of him."

take on (phr. v.) – to accept a responsibility

"She took on too much work, and now she doesn't know if she can get everything done
in time."

turn to (phr. v.) – to ask someone for help or advice

"One of the great things about my family is that I can always turn to them for assistance.
My brother, for example, just helped me move into a new apartment."

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Unit 4, Lesson 2
Assessing ideas

aspect (n.) – one part of a situation, problem, subject, etc.

"Each person on a team usually sees a different aspect of the problem that others don't
notice."

assess (v.) – to make a judgment about the quality, size, value, etc. of something

"We hired inspectors to assess the condition of the house we were planning to buy.
They found so many problems that we gave up purchasing that one."

consequence (n.) – the result of an action or situation, especially a bad result

"Any action has a consequence. We do something, and then something else always
happens because of that."

constructive (adj.) – helpful or useful

"Our teachers always give us constructive feedback, so we can always learn from our
mistakes."

destructive (adj.) – causing a lot of damage; negative and not helpful

"Destructive criticism can sometimes be very bad for a team's confidence and
productivity."

draw attention to (v. phr.) – to make someone notice something

"I was unaware of the problem in my report until a coworker drew my attention to it. And
it was just in time for me to correct it and avoid a major embarrassment."

point out (phr. v.) – to tell someone about something, often because you think that they
do not know it or have forgotten it

"As we were discussing the project, our boss pointed out that we had forgotten to
include a summary."

strength (n.) – a good characteristic

"Amanda has always known that one of her strengths is her creativity. It has usually
helped her solve a number of problems."

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think through (phr. v.) – to carefully consider the possible results of doing something

"She tried to think through all aspects of the plan and every possible consequence. She
was really careful about it."

unreasonable (adj.) – not based on or using good judgment; not fair or acceptable

"The number of things she bought seems pretty unreasonable to me. Especially
considering that she doesn't have a lot of money right now."

valid (adj.) – based on truth or reason; able to be accepted

"Pamela made some valid points during the presentation, so the team decided to revise
a few aspects of the project."

weakness (n.) – a particular part or quality of someone or something that is not good or
effective

"One of the weaknesses of the project is that it doesn't have enough staff. The team
members are simply exhausted, and the project has been progressing much slower."

weigh the pros and cons (v. phr.) – to consider the advantages and disadvantages of
something, especially something that you are considering doing

"In the next phase of the project, the team should weigh the pros and cons of every
aspect. If there are more positive points than negative ones, we can go ahead with the
current plan."

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Unit 5, Lesson 1
Dealing with emotions

anxiety level (n. phr.) – how much someone feels worried or nervous

"Every time she watches her team play in the finals, her anxiety level gets pretty high."

be conscious of (v. phr.) – to notice that a particular thing or person exists or is present

"He was conscious of the time, but he just wanted to sleep in for a few more minutes."

be in control of (v. phr.) – to control something or have the power to control something

"The road was slightly dangerous, but fortunately he was in total control of the car and
no accidents happened."

be rational (v. phr.) – to show clear thought or reason

"When you are making important financial decisions, you need to be rational and not let
your emotions interfere."

be scared to death (v. phr.) – to be extremely frightened/afraid

"I don't know why Susie watches horror movies. She is scared to death every time an
actor screams."

breathing technique (n. phr.) – a way of taking air into your lungs and releasing it that
requires skill

"When Josh gets too anxious, he uses a breathing technique to relax. He sits in a quiet
place and breathes in and out very slowly."

calm down (phr. v.) – to stop feeling upset, angry, or excited, or to stop someone from
feeling this way

"I was really nervous that day, but as I walked under the blooming trees, I slowly calmed
down."

cure (an illness or disease) (v. phr.) – to cause an illness or disease to go away

"The doctors have done everything to cure her disease, and thanks to them she is now
feeling much healthier."

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overcome my fear (v. phr.) – to defeat or succeed in controlling or dealing with
something

"He overcame his fear of heights by practicing on the climbing wall in the gym. After one
year, he was able to climb a mountain – although a lower one."

panic (about something) (v.) – to suddenly feel so worried or frightened that you
cannot think or behave calmly or reasonably

"She was feeling uneasy because the parking garage was dark and empty. So when
she noticed the man in the hood, she panicked. In the end, he was just another driver
looking for his car."

regain control (v. phr.) – to take control of something again

"When I'm too anxious or panicking, I do yoga to regain control of my emotions."

try a therapy (v. phr.) – to test a treatment that helps you feel better, stronger, etc.,
especially after an illness

"For a year, Paul has been trying a new therapy to cure his panic attacks. He feels he's
getting better."

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Unit 5, Lesson 2
Willingness and unwillingness

be against (v. phr.) – to disagree with a plan or activity; to be opposed to something

"I don't know why Becca and Tim are against using the GPS on their phones when they
go hiking. They can never find their way with a paper map."

be/feel anxious (about) (v. phr.) – nervous and worried

"Let's meet early because my mom is anxious about driving at night."

be anxious to (v. phr.) – nervous and excited; eager

"I think Tom is going to love the present I got for him. I'm anxious to give it to him!"

be anxious to (v. phr.) – be wanting very much for something to happen

"By the time I get home from work, my dog is usually so anxious to go for a walk that he
practically pulls me down the sidewalk."

be dying to (v. phr.) – to be extremely eager to have or do something

"He was dying to go to the new water park. He asked his parents every day until they
finally agreed to take him."

be eager to (v. phr.) – to want very much to do or have something, especially

something interesting or enjoyable

"She was eager to meet her new brother. She simply couldn't wait any longer."

be more than happy to (v. phr.) – (polite) to be willing to

A: If you need anything, I'll be more than happy to help you.

B: Thank you, dear. That's very kind of you.

be passionate about (v. phr.) – to have very strong feelings about something

"Jun is really passionate about music. He says he couldn't live without it or his violin."

be prepared to (v. phr.) – to be willing, or happy to agree to do something

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"I hate doing housework, but I'm prepared to do chores as long as everybody helps."

be reluctant to (v. phr.) – to not want to do something and therefore be slow to do it

"He paid a lot for the skydiving lesson, but now he's reluctant to jump. That's pure fear!"

be unwilling to (v. phr.) – to not want to do something

"The actor said he would give us an interview, but now he is unwilling to do so."

have no desire to (v. phr.) – to not want to do something

"This place is so boring. I have no desire to work here for much longer.

have no intention of (v. phr.) – to not want or plan to do something

"I like jogging, but I just do it to keep fit. I have no intention of running a marathon or
competing in any way."

hesitate to (v.) – to pause before you do or say something, often because you are
uncertain or nervous about it

"She needed some cheese, but she hesitated to buy that brand because she had never
heard of it."

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Unit 6, Lesson 1
Describing unexpected fame

catch somebody's attention (v. phr.) – to make someone notice you

"The candidate's plan for protecting the environment quickly caught the attention of
reporters. Soon, she was giving three or four interviews a day about it."

do a/the broadcast (v. phr.) – to send out a program on television, radio, or the internet

"They do a broadcast of her show every day at 1 o'clock p.m. She usually interviews
famous businesspeople and artists."

get hits (v. phr.) – to receive a request to use a web page on the internet, which is then
counted to calculate the number of people looking at the page

"When she started posting videos of her trips to famous places, her blog got a lot of hits.
More than a million people watched them online."

get publicity (v. phr.) – to attract a lot of interest or attention from many people

"When her new album was released, she got a lot of publicity. The press just went crazy
about her."

have a good/bad reputation (v. phr.) – when you have a good/bad reputation, people
have a positive/negative general opinion about you, usually based on your character or
past behavior

"Derek has a good reputation as a team player. People always enjoy playing and
working with him."

have (never) heard of something (v. phr.) – (never) to be told or informed about
something

A: This is a yellow-banded poison dart frog.

B: A poison dart frog? I've never heard of that.

A: Yeah, they are only found in the rainforests of South America.

make an appearance (v. phr.) – to be present somewhere for a short time

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"The famous writer wasn't supposed to make an appearance at the conference. So
when she showed up, everyone was very surprised and wanted to take a selfie with
her."

make (something) entertaining (v. phr.) – to make something amusing/funny and

enjoyable

"The stories my brother tells always make our Sunday lunches very entertaining. He
makes me laugh really hard."

make headlines (v. phr.) – to appear in the news for being very important, popular,
fashionable, etc.

"When the issue of medical costs made headlines, her photo appeared in several
newspapers. She became instantly famous."

praise (somebody) (v.) – to express strong admiration for or approval of a person or

something done

"The audience loved the performance and reviewers all over the internet praised it
highly."

raise awareness (of something) (v. phr.) – to increase the knowledge and
understanding of a particular activity, subject, etc.

"With the project, the teachers wanted to raise the students' awareness of the
importance of recycling."

seek fame (v. phr.) – to do things in an attempt to become famous

"Jerry spent a number of years seeking fame. But when he finally became famous, he
realized that he didn't really enjoy it."

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Unit 6, Lesson 2
Reporting verbs

announce (v.) – to make something known or tell people about something officially

"At last night's awards ceremony they announced who had won the Best Actor of the
Year award."

argue (v.) – to give the reasons for your opinion, idea, belief, etc.

"At the meeting, Elena calmly argued that they should approve the investment and go
ahead with the project."

boast (v.) – to speak too proudly or happily about what you have done or what you own

A: Have you seen Chris's new car?

B: No. But he called me yesterday to boast about it. He kept talking about how
expensive it was. It was kind of annoying.

claim (v.) – to say that something is true or is a fact, although you cannot prove it and
other people might not believe it

"She claimed the accident was not her fault, but nobody believed her."

confirm (v.) – to prove or state the truth of something that was previously not
completely certain

"After carefully checking his receipts, he confirmed that all the expenses were his."

deny (v.) – to say that something is not true

"The little girl denied taking a cookie, but her mother could obviously see that was not
true."

estimate (v.) – to guess or calculate the cost, size, value, etc. of something

"As you can see in this graph, we expect sales to decline again this year. We aren't sure
by how much, but we estimate at least a 20% drop in sales."

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have doubts about (v. phr.) – not to be certain about something, especially about how
good or true it is

"He had doubts about the quality of those cycling shoes, so he decided not to buy
them."

hope to (v.) – to want something to happen or to be true, and usually have a good
reason to think that it might

"She'd always hoped to travel to the Yucatan to see the pyramids there. So, when she
finally got to see the Kukulkan pyramid, it was the trip of a lifetime."

insist (v.) – to say firmly or demand forcefully, especially when others disagree with or
oppose what you say

"Both players insisted that they were the one who had been fouled. The referee had a
lot of trouble keeping them apart."

propose (v.) – to offer or suggest a possible plan or action for other people to consider

"The architect proposed a small change to the project, but the engineer was not sure
that was possible."

swear (v.) – to promise or say firmly that you are telling the truth or that you will do
something or behave in a particular way

"A witness always has to swear to tell the truth in court."

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