(1) a delay of two hours/a two-hour delay
(2) There's no time for delay.
(3) Report it to the police without delay (= immediately) .

(1) plants that are resistant to disease
(2) Elderly people are not always resistant to change.
(3) disease-resistant plants

(1) learning by repetition
(2) We do not want to see a repetition of last year's tragic events.
(3) Today the city government has taken measures to prevent a repetition of last year's confrontation...

(1) The submarine had had time to submerge before the warship could approach.
(2) The fields had been submerged by floodwater.
(3) Doubts that had been submerged in her mind suddenly resurfaced.

(1) They'll be offended if you don't go to their wedding.
(2) Neil did not mean to offend anybody with his joke .
(3) A TV interviewer must be careful not to offend.

(1) the spring/fall semester
(2) By the end of the semester, I will not fear math.
(3) We are trying to pull through the toughest time of the semester.

(1) He scanned the horizon for any sign of land.
(2) She scanned his face anxiously.
(3) I scanned the list quickly for my name.

(1) a bomb/nuclear/gas explosion
(2) There were two loud explosions and then the building burst into flames.
(3) Bomb Squad officers carried out a controlled explosion of the device.

(1) The journey soon became tedious.
(2) We had to listen to the tedious details of his operation.
(3) Such lists are long and tedious to read.

(1) a speech defect
(2) a defect in the glass
(3) There have been several defections from the ruling party.

(1) policies to promote economic growth
(2) a campaign to promote awareness of environmental issues
(3) The band has gone on tour to promote their new album.

(1) a fox with its leg in a trap
(2) A trap was laid, with fresh bait.
(3) She had set a trap for him and he had walked straight into it.

(1) He makes unpredictable, arbitrary decisions.
(2) the arbitrary powers of officials
(3) The leaders of the groups were chosen arbitrarily.

(1) Young children will usually compete for their mother's attention.
(2) Small traders cannot compete in the face of cheap foreign imports.
(3) He's hoping to compete in the London marathon.

(1) exercises to develop the flexibility of dancers' bodies
(2) [不可数名词]Computers offer a much greater degree of flexibility in the way work is organized.
(3) flexible plastic tubing

(1) The city is best explored on foot.
(2) They explored the land to the south of the Murray river.
(3) As soon as we arrived on the island we were eager to explore.

(1) safety precautions
(2) precautions against fire
(3) You must take all reasonable precautions to protect yourself and your family.

(1) tourists from every corner of the globe
(2) ...a globe of the world...
(3) Three large globes stand on the floor.

(1) a change of career
(2) That will be a good career move (= something that will help your career).
(3) a career soldier/diplomat , etc. (= a professional one)

(1) It was an inevitable consequence of the decision.
(2) It was inevitable that there would be job losses.
(3) A rise in the interest rates seems inevitable.

(1) Fish are abundant in the lake.
(2) We have abundant evidence to prove his guilt.
(3) Birds are abundant in the tall vegetation.

(1) What a splendid idea!
(2) We've all had a splendid time.
(3) splendid scenery

(1) a nuclear power station
(2) the nuclear industry
(3) nuclear-powered submarines

(1) a ban on the importation of ivory
(2) customs imported from the West
(3) goods imported from Japan into the US

(1) the internal organs
(2) the sense organs (= the eyes, ears, nose, etc.)
(3) the sexual/reproductive organs

(1) prompt action was required as the fire spread.
(2) prompt payment of the invoice would be appreciated.
(3) Please be prompt when attending these meetings.

(1) You deserve a rest after all that hard work.
(2) The report deserves careful consideration.
(3) One player in particular deserves a mention.

(1) Jones was the architect of the team's first goal.
(2) He was one of the principal architects of the revolution.
(3) ...Russia's chief architect of economic reform.

(1) application/system software
(2) design/educational/music-sharing, etc. software
(3) to install/run a piece of software

(1) Do be careful, for goodness' sake.
(2) Oh, for heaven's sake!
(3) For pity's sake, help me!

(1) The human brain needs to be without oxygen for only four minutes before permanent damage occurs.
(2) They loaded themselves with food, medical supplies, and oxygen equipment.
(3) He took the dogs for an airing.

(1) parallel lines
(2) The road and the canal are parallel to each other.
(3) a parallel case

(1) a moral issue/dilemma/question
(2) traditional moral values
(3) a decline in moral standards

(1) the administration of public utilities
(2) an all-round utility player (= one who can play equally well in several different positions in a sport)
(3) Belief in the utility of higher education is shared by students nationwide...

(1) The proposal has generated a lot of interest.
(2) to generate income/profit
(3) We need someone to generate new ideas.

(1) the ebb and flow of the tide
(2) The tide is in/out .
(3) Is the tide coming in or going out?

(1) He laughed coarsely at her.
(2) coarsely chopped onions (= cut into large pieces)
(3) coarse manners/laughter

(1) to retain your independence
(2) He struggled to retain control of the situation.
(3) The house retains much of its original charm.

(1) I owe you a great debt of gratitude (= feel extremely grateful) .
(2) a deep sense of gratitude
(3) She was presented with the gift in gratitude for her long service.

(1) The prisoner had to be restrained by the police.
(2) They have obtained an injunction restraining the company from selling the product.
(3) He placed a restraining hand on her arm.