(1) Most information was collected by direct observation of the animals' behaviour.
(2) results based on scientific observations
(3) We managed to escape observation (= we were not seen) .

(1) We encourage all members to strive for the highest standards.
(2) striving against corruption
(3) Newspaper editors all strive to be first with a story.

(1) His lawyers are poring over the small print in the contract.
(2) The size of your pores is determined by the amount of oil they produce.
(3) A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.

(1) One tablet will purify a litre of water.
(2) Hindus purify themselves by bathing in the river Ganges.
(3) [不可数名词]a water purification plant

(1) Is this plug fused?
(2) I've fused the lights.
(3) The lights have fused.

(1) Load the program into the computer.
(2) an intense training program
(3) the university's graduate programs

(1) your full postal address
(2) the postal service/system
(3) postal charges

(1) The faint smell of her perfume lingered in the room.
(2) The civil war lingered on well into the 1930s.
(3) She lingered for a few minutes to talk to Nick.

(1) a calibration error
(2) ...instructions on how to calibrate a thermometer.
(3) ...a calibrated hypodermic syringe.

(1) a grass verge
(2) He was on the verge of tears.
(3) They are on the verge of signing a new contract.

(1) They went about their business in a systematic way...
(2) They had not found any evidence of a systematic attempt to rig the ballot.
(3) The wine racks had been systematically emptied.

(1) Which journals does the library subscribe to?
(2) We subscribe to several sports channels (= on TV) .
(3) He subscribed to a newsgroup (= on the Internet) .

(1) a leaflet on local places of interest
(2) We did a lot of leafleting in the area.
(3) Campaigners handed out leaflets on passive smoking.

(1) as proud as a peacock
(2) ...peacocks strutting slowly across the garden.
(3) ...peacock feathers.

(1) the longitude of the island
(2) He noted the latitude and longitude, then made a mark on the admiralty chart.
(3) The difference in longitude between two positions as a result of movement to the east.

(1) They refused to comply with the UN resolution.
(2) The commander said that the army would comply with the ceasefire...
(3) Some beaches had failed to comply with European directives on bathing water...

(1) to go up/rise/increase in value
(2) to go down/fall/drop in value
(3) rising property values

(1) scarlet berries
(2) She went scarlet with embarrassment.
(3) ...her scarlet lipstick.

(1) a superb player
(2) The car's in superb condition.
(3) His performance was absolutely superb.

(1) an area of high/low unemployment
(2) rising/falling unemployment
(3) It was a time of mass unemployment .

(1) the sudden realization of what she had done
(2) There is a growing realization that changes must be made.
(3) It was the realization of his greatest ambition.

(1) He clutched the child to him.
(2) She stood there, the flowers still clutched in her hand.
(3) I clutched on to the chair for support.

(1) dispatches from the war zone
(2) Troops have been dispatched to the area.
(3) A courier was dispatched to collect the documents.

(1) Give the toilet a flush.
(2) in the first flush of youth/enthusiasm/romance
(3) Make sure the paving stones are flush with the lawn.

(1) the main/primary/principal objective
(2) to meet/achieve your objectives
(3) You must set realistic aims and objectives for yourself.

(1) The troops crossed the country, plundering and looting as they went.
(2) The abbey had been plundered of its valuables.
(3) They plundered and burned the market town of Leominster...

(1) She fell into a deep and peaceful slumber.
(2) He had fallen into exhausted slumber...
(3) He roused Charles from his slumbers.

(1) It took me ten hours to tabulate the results.
(2) Using the sketch, it is now possible to tabulate the coordinates of all the nodes.
(3) Do you like to use a chart to tabulate the data?

(1) He denies that the movie glorifies violence.
(2) [不可数名词]the glorification of war
(3) We are all committed to serving the Lord and glorifying His name in the best way we know.

(1) Draw a line down that page's center.
(2) ...a dotted line...
(3) He has a large, generous face with deep lines.

(1) It was fun working there at first but the novelty soon wore off (= it became boring) .
(2) There's a certain novelty value in this approach.
(3) Electric-powered cars are still something of a novelty.

(1) solar radiation
(2) the solar cycle
(3) solar power/heating

(1) a trivial detail
(2) I know it sounds trivial , but I'm worried about it.
(3) I'll try to fix it ─ but it's not trivial (= it may be difficult to fix) .

(1) (figurative)The language of teenagers is often completely inaccessible to (= not understood by) adults.
(2) The temple is now inaccessible to the public.
(3) They live in a remote area, inaccessible except by car.

(1) In the dark I bumped into a chair.
(2) The car bumped against the kerb.
(3) Be careful not to bump your head on the beam when you stand up.

(1) Below him was nothing but a black void.
(2) (figurative)The void left by his mother's death was never filled.
(3) The sky was void of stars.

(1) I saw this pretty blouse and bought it on sight.
(2) Do you like that black blouse?
(3) A yellow blouse goes with her blonde hair.

(1) His role has always been ambiguous.
(2) an ambiguously worded agreement
(3) an ambiguous word/term/statement

(1) What's for dessert ?
(2) a rich chocolate dessert
(3) a dessert wine

(1) the synthesis of art with everyday life
(2) a synthesis of traditional and modern values
(3) protein synthesis