(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) I'll call the restaurant and make a reservation .
(2) We have a reservation in the name of Grant.
(3) I have serious reservations about his ability to do the job.

(1) the central/inner courtyard
(2) They walked through the arch and into the cobbled courtyard.
(3) In the courtyard of plants has become a culture of thinking, of course, have aesthetic needs.

(1) a baby's development in the womb
(2) the development of basic skills such as literacy and numeracy
(3) career development

(1) Oh well, no news is good news, to coin a phrase.
(2) a euro coin
(3) notes and coin

(1) Mr Harris and Mrs Bate and three other teachers were there.
(2) Are there any other questions?
(3) I can't see you now─ some other time , maybe.

(1) They were prepared to fight to the bitter end for their rights.
(2) A pint of bitter, please.
(3) gin with a dash of bitters

(1) emotionally damaged children
(2) The allegations are likely to damage his political career.
(3) Smoking seriously damages your health.

(1) a glass of water
(2) drinking water
(3) water pollution

(1) (British English)a right-angled triangle
(2) (North Amercian English)a right triangle
(3) Cut the sandwiches into triangles.

(1) She sat back in her seat.
(2) He put his shopping on the seat behind him.
(3) Please take a seat (= sit down) .

(1) If you don't do it now, you'll only regret it .
(2) The decision could be one he lives to regret .
(3) ‘I've had a wonderful life, ’ she said, ‘I don't regret a thing. ’

(1) The ironing board folds flat for easy storage.
(2) She gently folded the baby in a blanket.
(3) She folded a blanket around the baby.

(1) the anti-terrorist branch
(2) the branch of computer science known as ‘artificial intelligence ’
(3) a branch of the Rhine

(1) september is here, bringing with it a chill in the mornings.
(2) He left the company by mutual consent last september.
(3) New owners will have to wait until september before moving in.

(1) I could only feel pity for what they were enduring.
(2) a look/feeling/surge of pity
(3) I took pity on her and lent her the money.

(1) The real headache will be getting the bank to lend you the money.
(2) I have a splitting headache (= a very bad one) .
(3) Red wine gives me a headache.

(1) a patchwork quilt
(2) ...an old patchwork quilt.
(3) The writer writes the white book quite quietly in quilt.

(1) I wrote to them last month and I'm still waiting for a reply.
(2) Mum, I'm still hungry!
(3) Do you still live at the same address?

(1) He finally won his freedom after twenty years in jail.
(2) freedom from fear/pain/hunger, etc.
(3) I was given the freedom of the whole house.

(1) There aren't enough books for everyone to have one each.
(2) They lost $40 each.
(3) each day that passed he grew more and more desperate.

(1) What do you think is the chief charcteristic for a stewardess?
(2) The stewardess hurried the passengers onto the plane.
(3) Please show your ticket to the stewardess when you board the plane.

(1) I just called in for a chat.
(2) I had a long chat with her.
(3) That's enough chat from me─on with the music!

(1) a wedding present
(2) a wedding ceremony/reception
(3) Have you been invited to their wedding?

(1) French air traffic controllers have begun a three-day strike in a dispute over pay...
(2) Staff at the hospital went on strike in protest at the incidents.
(3) ...their recognition of the workers' right to strike...

(1) Travel is by coach overnight to Berlin.
(2) a coach station (= where coaches start and end their journey)
(3) a coach party (= a group of people travelling together on a coach)

(1) the modern industrial world
(2) modern European history
(3) modern Greek

(1) There is an urgent need for more hospital beds.
(2) hospital doctors/nurses/staff
(3) a psychiatric/mental hospital

(1) We have two sons and a daughter.
(2) They have three grown-up sons.
(3) He's the son of an Oxford professor.

(1) He was filled with anger at the way he had been treated.
(2) Jan slammed her fist on the desk in anger .
(3) the growing anger and frustration of young unemployed people

(1) At the next crossroads, turn right.
(2) (figurative)He has reached a career crossroads (= he must decide which way to go next in his career) .
(3) Turn right at the first crossroads.

(1) Why waste £50 when you could get it for free?
(2) I wasn't expecting you to do it for free...
(3) If you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask me.

(1) But it was the Spanish explorer Cortes who understood that chocolate could be a valuable investment.
(2) This branch will allow the explorer to conduct espionage into enemy territories.
(3) The explorer organized an expedition to the North Pole.

(1) Speech is the fastest method of communication between people.
(2) All channels of communication need to be kept open.
(3) Doctors do not always have good communication skills .

(1) a precious vase
(2) The crown was set with precious jewels─diamonds, rubies and emeralds.
(3) Clean water is a precious commodity in that part of the world.

(1) a moment of panic
(2) They were in a state of panic.
(3) Office workers fled in panic as the fire took hold.

(1) ...industrial dinosaurs.
(2) Fine, no more dinosaur stuff. Can I talk about fossils?
(3) They're a robot, a plane, and a dinosaur.

(1) I turned left automatically without thinking.
(2) You will automatically get free dental treatment if you are under 18.
(3) The heating switches off automatically.

(1) He tied a scarf around his neck.
(2) Giraffes have very long necks.
(3) She craned (= stretched) her neck to get a better view.