(1) an ants' nest
(2) an ant colony
(3) ants swarmed up out of the ground and covered her shoes and legs.

(1) The story was completely untrue and was successfully challenged in court.
(2) She does not like anyone challenging her authority.
(3) This discovery challenges traditional beliefs.

(1) the temple of Diana at Ephesus
(2) a Buddhist/Hindu/Sikh temple
(3) (North Amercian English)to go to temple (= to a service in a synagogue , where Jews worship)

(1) a steep hill/slope/bank
(2) a steep climb/descent/drop
(3) a steep flight of stairs

(1) This is an old snack bar. It has prospered through time, and is still in operation.
(2) When does the snack bar open?
(3) I have my lunch in a snack bar nearby.

(1) Polish banks can still take two or three weeks to clear a cheque...
(2) Sotomayor, the Cuban holder of the world high jump record, cleared 2.36 metres.
(3) After that they drove clear over to St Paul.

(1) ...a tense psychological thriller.
(2) Honeymoon was named International thriller of the Year 2005.
(3) Let yourself away by the delectable girls appearing in Pierre Woodman's latest thriller.

(1) a maternity/surgical/psychiatric/children's, etc. ward
(2) He worked as a nurse on the children's ward .
(3) The child was made a ward of court .

(1) a severe handicap
(2) His injuries are severe.
(3) severe weather conditions

(1) medical staff
(2) (British English)teaching staff
(3) (British English)We have 20 part-time members of staff .

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

(1) A welcoming fire was burning in the fireplace.
(2) Fires were burning all over the city.
(3) By nightfall the whole city was burning.

(1) a monarch without political power
(2) He was a political prisoner (= one who was put in prison because he was thought to be harmful to the state) .
(3) a political debate/party/leader

(1) Read through your work and correct any mistakes that you find.
(2) [不可数名词]The correctness of this decision may be doubted.
(3) He was looking correctly grave.

(1) There's room for one more piece of luggage.
(2) You stay there with the luggage while I find a cab.
(3) Leave your luggage in the hotel...

(1) to issue/extend an invitation
(2) to accept/turn down/decline an invitation
(3) an invitation to the party

(1) an annual income/subscription/budget
(2) an average annual growth rate of 8%
(3) annual rainfall

(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 helicopter pilot
(2) a police helicopter
(3) He was rushed to the hospital by helicopter .

(1) The council has committed large amounts of money to housing projects.
(2) She was committed to a psychiatric hospital.
(3) She committed the instructions to memory.

(1) The majority of people interviewed prefer TV to radio.
(2) The majority was/were in favour of banning smoking .
(3) This treatment is not available in the vast majority of hospitals.

(1) modest improvements/reforms
(2) He charged a relatively modest fee.
(3) a modest little house

(1) She sent her provisional licence with the test certificate to have it upgraded to a full licence.
(2) Italian plum tomatoes have a full flavour, and are best for cooking.
(3) The Juno Collection specialises in large sizes for ladies with a fuller figure.

(1) I'll get round to mending it eventually.
(2) She hopes to get a job on the local newspaper and eventually work for ‘The Times ’.
(3) Our flight eventually left five hours late.

(1) Its most recent eruption began in 1992 and ended in 2002.
(2) Most shopping centers have knocked ten percent off the price.
(3) Sales of new models have skided 60 percent.

(1) Have you been invited to their party?
(2) I'd have liked to have gone but I wasn't invited.
(3) They have invited me to go to Paris with them.

(1) She closely resembles her sister.
(2) So many hotels resemble each other.
(3) The plant resembles grass in appearance.

(1) wheat flour
(2) ...farmers growing wheat, corn, or other crops.
(3) ...wheat flour.

(1) I learnt to ride as a child.
(2) They rode along narrow country lanes.
(3) He was riding on a large black horse.

(1) He's a very tense person.
(2) She sounded tense and angry.
(3) I spent a tense few weeks waiting for the results of the tests.

(1) He was denounced as a foreign spy.
(2) a police spy
(3) a spy plane/satellite (= used to watch the activities of the enemy)

(1) The research shows that computer games may cause aggression.
(2) unprovoked military aggression
(3) ...the threat of massive military aggression.

(1) Each pack contains a book and accompanying CD.
(2) The singer was accompanied on the piano by her sister.
(3) strong winds accompanied by heavy rain

(1) illegal immigrants/aliens
(2) It's illegal to drive through a red light.
(3) an illegally parked car

(1) He said he would appeal after being found guilty on four counts of murder.
(2) The company is appealing against the ruling.
(3) The prospect of a long wait in the rain did not appeal.

(1) long-haired
(2) a chilling tale that will make your hair stand on end
(3) dark-haired

(1) the mental process of remembering
(2) Do you have a mental picture of what it will look like?
(3) I made a mental note to talk to her about it.

(1) He started the magazine with a schoolmate...
(2) He was a favorite with his schoolmasters but not his schoolmates.
(3) That tall student who wears a pair of glasses is my schoolmate.