(1) The report underlines the importance of pre-school education.
(2) Her question underlined how little she understood him.
(3) The report underlined his concern that standards were at risk...

(1) to extend a fence/road/house
(2) There are plans to extend the no-smoking area.
(3) to extend a deadline/visa

(1) plenty of eggs/money/time
(2) ‘Do we need more milk? ’ ‘No, there's plenty in the fridge. ’
(3) They always gave us plenty to eat.

(1) compressed air/gas
(2) Her lips compressed into a thin line.
(3) The main arguments were compressed into one chapter.

(1) ...the boys' dormitory...
(2) The latest refugees were housed in makeshift dormitories.
(3) She lived in a college dormitory.

(1) a positive attitude/outlook
(2) the power of positive thought
(3) She tried to be more positive about her new job.

(1) Cathy did a rough calculation.
(2) By my calculation(s), we made a profit of £20 000 last year.
(3) Our guess was confirmed by calculation.

(1) a sympathetic listener
(2) I did not feel at all sympathetic towards Kate.
(3) I'm here if you need a sympathetic ear (= sb to talk to about your problems) .

(1) There is an equal number of boys and girls in the class.
(2) One unit of alcohol is equal to half a pint of beer.
(3) two pieces of wood equal in length/of equal length

(1) aural and visual images
(2) aural comprehension tests
(3) He became famous as an inventor of astonishing visual and aural effects.

(1) to spread a cloth on a table
(2) Sue spread the map out on the floor.
(3) The bird spread its wings.

(1) an iron gate
(2) He pushed open the garden gate.
(3) A crowd gathered at the factory gates.

(1) Their house is very similar to ours, but ours is bigger.
(2) No, those are Ellie's kids. ours are upstairs.
(3) He's a friend of ours.

(1) to set off at a steady/gentle/leisurely pace
(2) Congestion frequently reduces traffic to walking pace .
(3) The ball gathered pace as it rolled down the hill.

(1) The BBC has just successfully demonstrated a new digital radio transmission system.
(2) successfully merging two banks requires a fast and ruthless attack on costs.
(3) Health officials have successfully confined the epidemic to the Tabatinga area.

(1) We occasionally meet for a drink after work.
(2) This type of allergy can very occasionally be fatal.
(3) I've had occasional mild headaches all my life...

(1) The city of Chengdu lies some seven hundred miles to the South-East.
(2) ...the regional electricity company serving the South-east of England...
(3) The heaviest snowfalls today are expected in the south east.

(1) the legal profession/system
(2) to take/seek legal advice
(3) a legal adviser

(1) Don't distress yourself (= don't worry) .
(2) It was clear that the letter had deeply distressed her.
(3) It is a rule of the sea to help another boat in distress .

(1) The family jewels are locked away in a safe.
(2) ...a golden box containing precious jewels.
(3) Walk down Castle Street and admire our little jewel of a cathedral...

(1) a confused state of mind
(2) He was in a state of permanent depression.
(3) anxieties about the state of the country's economy

(1) The tour will include games against the australian Barbarians.
(2) He has coached and played in Italy during the australian off-season.
(3) The australian team will be seated in business class.

(1) I looked after my father's financial affairs.
(2) She wanted to put her affairs in order before she died.
(3) How I spend my money is my affair.

(1) She sat upright in bed.
(2) He managed to pull himself upright.
(3) an upright posture

(1) an around-the-world voyage
(2) a voyage in space
(3) The Titanic sank on its maiden voyage (= first journey) .

(1) excess baggage (= weighing more than the limit allowed on a plane)
(2) baggage handlers (= people employed to load and unload baggage at airports)
(3) (North Amercian English)We loaded our baggage into the car.

(1) a specialist in Japanese history
(2) a cancer specialist
(3) [只用于名词前]specialist magazines

(1) Strikes have led to a halt in production.
(2) They decided it was time to call a halt to the project (= stop it officially) .
(3) The car skidded to a halt.

(1) South africa was going through a period of irreversible change.
(2) He was taken prisoner in North africa in 1942.
(3) Athletics South africa was formed by an amalgamation of two organisations.

(1) a floor of cement
(2) a cement floor
(3) dental cement (= for filling holes in teeth)

(1) the best thing to do when entering unknown territory is smile.
(2) the world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are stronger at the broken places.
(3) Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.

(1) a peculiar smell/taste
(2) There was something peculiar in the way he smiled.
(3) I had a peculiar feeling we'd met before.

(1) She looked out of the window .
(2) to open/close the window
(3) the bedroom/car/kitchen, etc. window

(1) a species of insect previously unknown to science
(2) He was trying, for some unknown reason , to count the stars.
(3) The man's identity remains unknown.

(1) He offered $4 000 for the car.
(2) Josie had offered her services as a guide.
(3) He offered some useful advice.

(1) He took his son Christopher to the zoo.
(2) ...the penguin pool at London zoo.
(3) How can I get to the zoo?

(1) He declared that he was in love with her.
(2) Few people dared to declare their opposition to the regime.
(3) She declared herself extremely hurt by his lack of support.

(1) people from diverse cultures
(2) My interests are very diverse.
(3) ...shops selling a diverse range of gifts...

(1) a woollen/silk scarf
(2) He reached up to loosen the scarf around his neck.
(3) Jamie snugly wrapped in a white woolen scarf.

(1) The children were having fun, chasing each other's shadows.
(2) The ship's sail cast a shadow on the water.
(3) The shadows lengthened as the sun went down.