(1) She needed to find an outlet for her many talents and interests.
(2) Sport became the perfect outlet for his aggression.
(3) The business has 34 retail outlets in this state alone.

(1) atomic structure
(2) atomic energy/power
(3) the atomic bomb

(1) He scolded them for arriving late.
(2) [常用单数形式]I got a scolding from my mother.
(3) If he finds out, he'll scold me...

(1) Inflation continues to accelerate.
(2) Exposure to the sun can accelerate the ageing process.
(3) The runners accelerated smoothly around the bend.

(1) a car/jewel, etc. thief
(2) The thieves snatched the camera.
(3) ...car thieves.

(1) He lay there, unable to move.
(2) I tried to contact him but was unable to.
(3) The military may feel unable to hand over power to a civilian President next year...

(1) a widely held belief
(2) The idea is now widely accepted.
(3) He has travelled widely in Asia.

(1) She spoke with characteristic enthusiasm.
(2) characteristically, Helen paid for everyone.
(3) The need to communicate is a key characteristic of human society.

(1) She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death.
(2) The earthquake plunged entire towns over the edge of the cliffs.
(3) Stock markets plunged at the news of the coup.

(1) She's in a good mood today (= happy and friendly) .
(2) He's always in a bad mood (= unhappy, or angry and impatient) .
(3) to be in a foul/filthy mood

(1) solid brass fittings/door handles
(2) a brass plate (= a sign outside a building giving the name and profession of the person who works there)
(3) to clean/polish the brass

(1) Turn the box on its side.
(2) Have you any idea of its value?
(3) The dog had hurt its paw.

(1) to trumpet sb's achievements
(2) Their marriage was trumpeted as the society wedding of the year.
(3) The government has been trumpeting tourism as a growth industry...

(1) Tents come in various shapes and sizes.
(2) She took the job for various reasons.
(3) There are various ways of doing this.

(1) to receive a letter/present/phone call
(2) to receive information/payment/thanks
(3) He received an award for bravery from the police service.

(1) What's the next item on the agenda?
(2) Can I pay for each item separately?
(3) The computer was my largest single item of expenditure.

(1) There is an acute shortage of water.
(2) acute pain
(3) the world's acute environmental problems

(1) The sight of her son graduating filled her with pride.
(2) I take (a) pride in my work .
(3) We take great pride in offering the best service in town.

(1) an earnest young man
(2) Despite her earnest efforts, she could not find a job.
(3) The work on the house will begin in earnest on Monday.

(1) social/economic ills
(2) Don't speak ill of the dead.
(3) We're wasting valuable time, time we can ill afford.

(1) The film studio is transferring to Hollywood.
(2) How can I transfer money from my bank account to his?
(3) The patient was transferred to another hospital.

(1) We are waiting to hear the final outcome of the negotiations.
(2) These costs are payable whatever the outcome of the case.
(3) We are confident of a successful outcome.

(1) This skirt needs some new elastic in the waist.
(2) an elastic headband
(3) elastic materials

(1) afterward the Rocket exchanges him Magic and trades rye, hereafter he changes to Nikesidui.
(2) He dissected the plan afterward to learn why it had failed.
(3) Newspapers printed extra editions and filled their columns with detail for days and weeks afterward.

(1) 'Is something wrong?' he enquired...
(2) 'Who are you?' he enquired of the first man...
(3) Inspectors were appointed to inquire into the affairs of the company.

(1) a barrel/bottle/glass of beer
(2) beers brewed in Germany
(3) a beer glass

(1) You need brains as well as brawn (= intelligence as well as strength) to do this job.
(2) one of the best scientific brains in the country
(3) He's always been the brains of the family.

(1) a little house
(2) a little group of tourists
(3) a little old lady

(1) Please wipe your feet on the mat.
(2) He wiped his hands on a clean towel.
(3) She was sniffing and wiping her eyes with a tissue.

(1) a muddy field/track
(2) muddy boots/knees
(3) muddy water

(1) He built up his multimillion-pound music business from small beginnings .
(2) The birth of their first child marked the beginning of a new era in their married life.
(3) I've read the whole book from beginning to end and still can't understand it.

(1) why were you late?
(2) Tell me why you did it.
(3) ‘I would like you to go. ’ ‘ why me? ’

(1) a large circle of friends
(2) Seagulls circled around above his head.
(3) The plane circled the airport to burn up excess fuel.

(1) We spent a week on the Greek island of Kos.
(2) a remote island off the coast of Scotland
(3) ...a wonderful day trip to the picturesque island of Gozo...

(1) The next train to Baltimore is at ten.
(2) The next six months will be the hardest.
(3) the next chapter

(1) stars invisible to the naked eye
(2) a wizard who could make himself invisible
(3) She felt invisible in the crowd.

(1) a relevant suggestion/question/point
(2) These comments are not directly relevant to this enquiry.
(3) Do you have the relevant experience?

(1) a birth/marriage/death certificate
(2) a Postgraduate certificate in Education (= a British qualification for teachers)
(3) ...the Post-Graduate certificate of Education.

(1) I'm sorry that your husband lost his job.
(2) We're sorry to hear that your father's in hospital again.
(3) No one is sorrier than I am about what happened.

(1) The German parliament is called the ‘Bundestag ’.
(2) a Member of parliament
(3) the issue was debated in parliament