January 2013 FCE

I'm certain he'll be delighted to see you. The children were especially delighted that there were enough cookies for each of them to have two. /dɪˈlaɪtɪd/

If there is a fine/thin line between one thing and another, they are very similar although the second thing is bad (often + between) There's a thin line between courage and foolishness.

Her daughter is just adorable! They live in an adorable little cottage. /əˈdɔrəbəl/

He and his father are alike in many ways. The houses in our street are very alike. /əˈlaɪk/

Good publicity can help enhance your company's image. An arrest for drunk driving is bad publicity for any celebrity. /pʌˈblɪsɪti/

They moan about high taxes and the crushing burden of bureaucracy. Stop moaning, would you? /moʊn/

Sceptics claim that this burden of responsibility is crushing the spirit of scientific inquiry. /krʌʃ/

The conditions in the prison were appalling. He sounded very cheerful despite the appalling injuries he had suffered. /əˈpɔlɪŋ/

She was lounging on the sofa. If you get to the hotel before us, just wait in the lounge. /laʊndʒ/

They gave the sailor 50 lashes for disobeying orders. The disobedient sailors were threatened with the lash. /læʃ/

An emotional reunion between mother and son. He dreamed of a reunion with his son. The reunion happened the way these things usually do, with a birthday cake. /riˈyunyən/

We tend to make the tea the night before and keep it warm in a vacuum flask. A hip flask is a thin flask for holding a distilled beverage. /flæsk, flɑsk/

She scoured the shops for a suitable dress. I was scouring the dirty pots for hours. /skaʊər/

Is this a tricky question? The lock is tricky to open. He's a tricky person. /ˈtrɪki/

If you're having a terrible day, you probably wish you could just go home, get in bed, and cuddle with your cat. To cuddle is to embrace in a loving, affectionate way. /ˈkʌdl/

It was a tremendous mistake. Wasn't it a tremendous movie! The engine's power is tremendous. /trɪˈmɛndəs/