(1) skim the scum off the jam and let it cool.
(2) skim the jam and let it cool.
(3) We watched the birds skimming over the lake.

(1) the voters' identification of the Democrats with high taxes
(2) their increasing identification with the struggle for independence
(3) Can I see some identification, please?

(1) a noticeable improvement
(2) This effect is particularly noticeable in younger patients.
(3) It was noticeable that none of the family were present.

(1) The organization distributed food to the earthquake victims.
(2) The newspaper is distributed free.
(3) The money was distributed among schools in the area.

(1) Give her a big round of applause !
(2) The audience broke into rapturous applause.
(3) ...a round of applause.

(1) a candidate for the degree of MPhil
(2) Our team is a prime candidate for relegation this year.
(3) Your father is an obvious candidate for a heart attack.

(1) an important piece of legislation
(2) New legislation on the sale of drugs will be introduced next year.
(3) legislation will be difficult and will take time.

(1) the geometry of a spider's web
(2) ...the very ordered way in which mathematics and geometry describe nature.
(3) They have tinkered with the geometry of the car's nose.

(1) a pleasant working/learning environment
(2) An unhappy home environment can affect a child's behaviour.
(3) They have created an environment in which productivity should flourish.

(1) Sam shrugged and said nothing.
(2) ‘I don't know, ’ Anna replied, shrugging her shoulders.
(3) [常用单数形式]Andy gave a shrug. ‘It doesn't matter. ’

(1) presumably this is where the accident happened.
(2) You'll be taking the car, presumably?
(3) I couldn't concentrate, presumably because I was so tired.

(1) I'm acting as deputy till the manager returns.
(2) the deputy head of a school
(3) The president appealed to deputies to approve the plan quickly.

(1) Which is the best route to take?
(2) Motorists are advised to find an alternative route.
(3) a coastal route

(1) the sophisticated pleasures of city life
(2) Mark is a smart and sophisticated young man.
(3) highly sophisticated computer systems

(1) Sexual attraction is a large part of falling in love.
(2) Buckingham Palace is a major tourist attraction .
(3) The main attraction at Giverny is Monet's garden.

(1) Leaving them in sight will signal your honorable, or favorable, intentions.
(2) Experts believe that, Shanxi province has many favorable conditions for attracting foreign investment.
(3) The product for your company to create favorable conditions for takeoff.

(1) to undergo tests/trials/repairs
(2) My mother underwent major surgery last year.
(3) Some children undergo a complete transformation when they become teenagers.

(1) a gap in a hedge
(2) Leave a gap between your car and the next.
(3) a gap in the conversation

(1) chilli powder
(2) lumps of chalk crushed to (a) fine white powder
(3) The snow was like powder.

(1) She has beaten her opponent in all of their previous encounters.
(2) It was his first sexual encounter (= first experience of sex).
(3) I've had a number of close encounters (= situations that could have been dangerous) with bad drivers.

(1) John yawned and scratched his chin.
(2) The dog scratched itself behind the ear.
(3) Try not to scratch.

(1) Valium is usually prescribed to treat anxiety.
(2) He may be able to prescribe you something for that cough.
(3) The prescribed form must be completed and returned to this office.

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

(1) The photochemical reactions transform the light into electrical impulses.
(2) A new colour scheme will transform your bedroom.
(3) It was an event that would transform my life.

(1) These styles can be adapted to suit individual tastes.
(2) We have had to adapt quickly to the new system.
(3) A large organization can be slow to adapt to change.

(1) a factory producing a range of textiles
(2) the textile industry
(3) a textile designer

(1) She has acquired a good knowledge of English.
(2) He has acquired a reputation for dishonesty.
(3) I have recently acquired a taste for olives.

(1) They became suspicious of his behaviour and contacted the police.
(2) a suspicious look
(3) You have a very suspicious mind (= you always think that people are behaving in an illegal or dishonest way) .

(1) The officers had exceeded their authority.
(2) She was exceeding the speed limit (= driving faster than is allowed) .
(3) His achievements have exceeded expectations .

(1) She expended all her efforts on the care of home and children.
(2) Children expend a lot of energy and may need more high-energy food than adults.
(3) Plan to expend our China factory to meet extensive requirement.

(1) to break/crack a code (= to understand and read the message)
(2) It's written in code .
(3) Tap your code number into the machine.

(1) a child abuser
(2) He had abused his own daughter (= had sex with her) .
(3) The boy had been sexually abused.

(1) volunteer helpers
(2) Schools need volunteers to help children to read.
(3) Are there any volunteers to help clear up?

(1) an employment bureau
(2) the Federal bureau of Investigation
(3) ...the Federal bureau of Investigation.

(1) The Church became increasingly identified with opposition to the regime.
(2) You should not identify wealth with happiness.
(3) He was not the ‘tough guy ’ the public identified him with.

(1) a casual acquaintance
(2) a casual friendship
(3) to have casual sex (= to have sex without having a steady relationship with that partner)

(1) In his plays he takes simple traditional tales and elaborates them.
(2) [不可数名词, 可数名词]The importance of the plan needs no further elaboration.
(3) She went on to elaborate her argument.

(1) a nylon fishing line
(2) This material is 45% nylon.
(3) Europe's largest producer of nylon is based in Belgium...

(1) cultural/natural/social phenomena
(2) Globalization is a phenomenon of the 21st century.
(3) ...scientific explanations of natural phenomena...

(1) We are concerned about the child's welfare.
(2) The state is still the main provider of welfare.
(3) child welfare