Weight and density CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE ADVANCED

CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE ADVANCED

UNIT 64

Weight and density

A	Synonyms for heavy There are a number of adjectives similar in meaning to heavy. Note their typical contexts. adjective typical contexts example weighty abstract and physical things; usually includes the idea of ‘seriousness’ a weighty tome [large book] discuss weighty issues unwieldy abstract and physical things; usually includes the idea of ‘difficult to handle’ unwieldy system/bureaucracy an unwieldy object, e.g. a big box cumbersome often used for machines and equipment that are difficult to handle; also used for systems, structures, etc. a cumbersome weapon a cumbersome process burdensome usually used of abstract things a burdensome duty ponderous slow and clumsy because of weight, but usually used for dull and excessively serious abstract things a ponderous style, e.g. way of writing or speaking a ponderous thesis lumbering usually used of physical things; often suggesting ‘heavy movement’ a lumbering truck a lumbering bea
B	Phrasal verbs with weigh I hate being weighed down with heavy suitcases when I travel. [carrying very heavy things] She looked tired and weighed down with problems. We’ll have to weigh up the alternatives before deciding. [consider and compare] She weighed out a kilo of nuts and put them in a bag. [weighed a quantity of loose goods] I have to confess something to you. It’s been weighing on me for ages. [troubling my mind] The discussion was getting heated, and then Kate weighed in with some uncomfortable financial arguments. [added more points to the argument]
C	Making things more/less dense You can put some flour in to thicken the soup, but you should sift it first, or it will go lumpy. [make thicker] [shake it in a sieve to separate the grains] [have solid pieces in it] The soup has been in the fridge so long it’s all congealed. [become thick and solid] This curry powder is years old. It has completely solidified in the packet. [become solid] Do you have some white spirit? I need to thin this paint. [make thinner] As the rush hour ended, the traffic began to thin out. [become less dense] The hairdresser thinned my hair out and it feels much lighter now. [made it less thick] This fruit juice is very strong. Let’s dilute it / water it down a bit. [add water]
D	Adjectives connected with density Many of the words above can be used both literally and metaphorically. More examples:

EXERCISES

64.1	Based on the typical contexts in A opposite, use the words in the box below to fill the gaps in the sentences. There may be more than one possible answer. lumbering cumbersome weighty unwieldy burdensome ponderous 1 Applying for a visa is often a rather ________ process and can mean filling in long, difficult forms. 2 He gave a very ________ lecture on economic history that just bored everyone. 3 It is a really ________ historical novel of over 1,000 pages, but it manages to instruct and entertain. 4 Seeing a great ________ herd of elephants was the highlight for the tourists on safari. 5 She had so many ________ obligations; her life was not her own. 6 The exam system was being increasingly criticised for becoming ________ and overly bureaucratic.
64.2	Fill the gaps with a word from A that could collocate with all three nouns. 1 ____________________ dinosaur vehicle goods train 2 ____________________ equipment procedure suitcase 3 ____________________ encyclopedia topic issue 4 ____________________ tone of voice sermon narrative
64.3	Correct the wrong uses of phrasal verbs with weigh in these sentences. 1 I weighed on a kilo of flour and then added water to it. 2 He’s very irritating. When you’re trying to have a rational discussion, he always has to weigh through with his own selfish point of view. 3 I owe Gina £250; it’s been weighing over my mind for weeks. I must pay her back. 4 We were weighed up with huge suitcases and bags, and the airport was terribly crowded; it was a nightmare. 5 I have to weigh in the various options before I decide which job to accept.
64.4	Answer these questions. 1 What does a hairdresser use thinning-out scissors for? 2 If there is dense fog, then it gets even denser, what verb could you use to describe the change? 3 What happens if you leave some coffee in the bottom of your cup for about a week? 4 What does ‘Do not drink undiluted’ mean on the instructions on a bottle of juice? What must you do before drinking it? 5 What might you sift when you are cooking? 6 If someone is impervious to insults, is it easy to upset them by calling them stupid? 7 If something is ‘unwieldy’, is it likely to be large or small? 8 If someone says a book is ‘impenetrable’, what do they mean? 9 What do you think it means to say that someone’s philosophy is ‘rather lightweight’? 10 Which verb can be used to describe a situation where heavy traffic is becoming less heavy?

ANSWER KEY

64.1 1 cumbersome / unwieldy 2 ponderous 3 weighty 4 lumbering 5 burdensome 6 cumbersome / unwieldy 64.2 1 lumbering 2 cumbersome 3 weighty 4 ponderous 64.3 1 I weighed out a kilo of flour and then added water to it. 2 He’s very irritating. When you’re trying to have a rational discussion, he always has to weigh in with his own selfish point of view. 3 I owe Gina £250; it’s been weighing on my mind for weeks. I must pay her back. 4 We were weighed down with huge suitcases and bags, and the airport was terribly crowded; it was a nightmare. 5 I have to weigh up the various options before I decide which job to accept. 64.4 Suggested answers: 1 To thin out the customer’s hair. 2 thicken, e.g. The fog has thickened. 3 It will probably congeal and be difficult to wash out. 4 It means you must add water. You have to dilute it / water it down before using it. 5 You might sift flour (in a sieve) when you are cooking, so there are no lumps. 6 No, because insults do not worry them. 7 It is likely to be large and difficult to handle. 8 The story or argument is so dense, you cannot begin to understand it. 9 It lacks complexity and seriousness. 10 thin out, e.g. The traffic is thinning out.