(1) a comic monologue/story
(2) The play is both comic and tragic.
(3) She can always be relied on to provide comic relief (= sth to make you laugh) at a boring party.

(1) I gave you specific instructions.
(2) ‘I'd like your help tomorrow. ’ ‘Can you be more specific (= tell me exactly what you want) ? ’
(3) children's television programmes aimed at a specific age group

(1) Attempts are being made to solve the problem of waste disposal.
(2) to solve an equation/a puzzle/a riddle
(3) to solve a crime/mystery

(1) Police are trying to establish the cause of death .
(2) Do you believe in life after death ?
(3) a death camp (= a place where prisoners are killed, usually in a war)

(1) I thought she might be interested in Paula's proposal.
(2) to be interested in wildlife conservation
(3) I casually mentioned that I might be interested in working abroad.

(1) "Thank you very much for speaking with us." — "not at all."
(2) He's not at all worried about his car's reliability.
(3) "Sorry. I sound like Abby, don't I?" — "No. not at all."

(1) insect species
(2) insect repellent (= a chemical that keeps insects away)
(3) an insect bite

(1) Oppose extravagant eating and drinking and pay attention to thrift and economy.
(2) pay attention to the following and your candles will bring you hours of serenity and pleasure.
(3) In order to avoid subsequent amendment, please pay attention to the following.

(1) Flying terrifies her.
(2) It was a terrifying experience.
(3) Flying terrifies him...

(1) It may be necessary to buy a new one.
(2) It doesn't seem necessary for us to meet.
(3) Only use your car when absolutely necessary.

(1) a French grammar
(2) bad grammar
(3) English grammar

(1) unfair criticism
(2) It seems unfair on him to make him pay for everything.
(3) It would be unfair not to let you have a choice.

(1) to be terrified of spiders
(2) Yet the patient may be terrified of something terrible going to happen, he knows not what.

(1) a quietly spoken man
(2) Kedesun is an agent that provides air conditioning, industry refrigeration, liquid control products.
(3) Without a word spoken, he hurried away, with his hoary head bending low.

(1) I didn't realize (that) you were so unhappy.
(2) The moment I saw her, I realized something was wrong.
(3) I don't think you realize how important this is to her.

(1) They arrived in Belgium by airplane .
(2) an airplane crash/flight
(3) a commercial/jet/military airplane

(1) For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?
(2) Do not hesitate to laugh at anything you find amusing.
(3) Lysenko gave a deep rumbling laugh at his own joke.

(1) You won't get paid for time off unless you have a doctor's note.
(2) I won't tell them─not unless you say I can.
(3) unless I'm mistaken, she was back at work yesterday.

(1) Very few people can pronounce my name correctly.
(2) The ‘b ’ in lamb is not pronounced.
(3) to pronounce an opinion

(1) soft margarine
(2) soft feather pillows
(3) The grass was soft and springy.

(1) "Steve, what do you want?" — "Coke, Pepsi, it doesn't matter."
(2) "Did I wake you?" — "Yes, but it doesn't matter."
(3) it doesn't matter if you win or lose.

(1) secret information/meetings/talks
(2) He tried to keep it secret from his family.
(3) Details of the proposals remain secret.

(1) Please pay attention (= listen carefully) to what I am saying.
(2) Don't pay any attention to what they say (= don't think that it is important) .
(3) She tried to attract the waiter's attention .

(1) It was clear that she wanted to discuss some private matter...
(2) Until the matter is resolved the athletes will be ineligible to compete...
(3) If your ordinary life is out of control, then retreating into a cosy ritual will not improve matters...

(1) a close/lasting/lifelong friendship
(2) friendships formed while she was at college
(3) He seemed to have already struck up (= begun) a friendship with Jo.

(1) Attempts to find a solution have failed.
(2) There's no simple solution to this problem.
(3) Do you have a better solution?

(1) I used to be a very heavy gambler, but not any more. It's a mug's game.
(2) This behaviour is not any more becoming among our politicians than it is among our voters.
(3) Not any more, mocked the crows from shady pine bough perches.

(1) She never took a taxi, even though she could afford to.
(2) He couldn't afford the money to go on the trip.
(3) (formal)They could ill afford to lose any more staff.

(1) to waste time/food/energy
(2) Why waste money on clothes you don't need?
(3) She wasted no time in rejecting the offer (= she rejected it immediately) .

(1) Steps taken now to maximise your health will pay dividends later on.
(2) This is only going to cause me more problems later on.
(3) later on I learned how to read music.

(1) The project is still causing him a lot of problems.
(2) The poor harvest caused prices to rise sharply.
(3) deaths caused by dangerous driving

(1) He drew out his notebook and began to take notes.
(2) Do you usually take notes in class with a pen or pencil?
(3) take notes during the consultation as the final written report is very concise.

(1) She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page.
(2) to look up a number in the telephone directory
(3) look up the trains to Beijing in the timetable.

(1) cancer patients
(2) He's one of Dr Shaw's patients.
(3) She's very patient with young children.

(1) a fast car/horse
(2) the world's fastest runner
(3) the fastest rate of increase for years

(1) a candy bar
(2) Who wants the last piece of candy?
(3) a candy store

(1) to move slowly
(2) Please could you speak more slowly?
(3) The boat chugged slowly along.

(1) an educational psychologist
(2) a clinical psychologist (= one who treats people with mental disorders or problems)
(3) psychologists tested a group of six-year-olds with a video.

(1) a jail/prison sentence
(2) a light/heavy sentence
(3) to be under sentence of death