HỌC TRƯỚC-DẠY SAU-HỌC TRÒ MAU HIỂU! (3)

COLLOCATIONS FOR FLUENCY 3




LESSON 11
FAILURE

I. Verb + failure
Use the correct form of these verbs:
admit - put (...) down to - blame - criticise - end in feel
1. I ........such a failure! That’s the third time I’ve tried to pass my driving test.
2. The government has been widely.......for its failure to cut hospital waiting lists.
3. The attempt to climb K2 without oxygen ........failure.The climbers had to turn back when they were only three hundred metres from the summit.
4. The easy way out is to........others for our failures.We should all face up to our own shortcomings.
5. Men are often too proud to........failure and ask for help.
6. He......the failure of his business.......bad luck, not bad management.

II. Adjective collocations.
We use a number of adjectives to emphasise failure. Match the two halves of these situations:
1. The office block had cost millions, but nobody was interested in renting offices so far from the city centre.
2. My older brother always did brilliantly at school and university.
3. The hospital simply wouldn’t listen to what we had to say about the treatment of our baby.
4. After three hours of heated discussion, we had got nowhere, so we all went home.
5. It used to be that if you hadn’t got married by the age of twenty-five.
6. The scheme to recruit more business people into teaching never got off the ground.
a. you were considered a total failure as a woman.
b. It was a complete failure. The pay simply wasn`t high enough to attract them.
c. The meeting had been a dismal failure.
d. We were frustrated by their total failure to understand the nature of our complaint.
e. The whole enterprise was a costly failure.
f. so, although I did quite well, I always felt a comparative failure.

III. Noun + of + failure.
Use these nouns in the following sentences:
risk - sense - catalogue - history - fear
1. The health service in this country has a long.........of failure.
2. ........of failure is one of the main reasons many students don’t perform in examinations to
the best of their ability.
3. I have to admit there is a slight.......of failure with this type of operation. It’s only about 5%, but it’s still a risk.
4. Sir Michael’s time as Minister has just been one long.......of failures.
5. It’s very important not to give children a....... of failure.



IV. Noun + failure.
Complete the sentences below with these nouns:
business - heart - power - crop
1. A series of.........failures has led to widespread famine.
2. It was a.........failure which plunged the town into darkness last night.
3. She died of........failure.
4. The decline in the economy led to an increase in.......failures of over 50% last year.
Notes.
1. In I-3 ‘resulted in’ is also possible.
2. Note the underlined expressions:
- The attempt to save the men trapped on board the submarine was doomed to failure right from the start.
- Frank is still coming to terms with the failure of his marriage.
3. Accidents are often caused by ‘mechanical failure’ of some kind:
- The official report on the rail crash blamed mechanical failure as the main cause of the accident
4. Note the preposition “as” in this expression:
- My father was a complete failure as a salesman.

LESSON 12
DIFFICULTY
I. Verb collocations.
Use the correct form of these verbs:
be in - cause - foresee - get into - overcome - present
1. Credit cards make it extremely easy for young people to........difficulty with debt.
2. We’re confident that these difficulties will be........before the play starts.
3. It was in the six o’clock news that a large oil tanker........difficulties off the coast of
France. It’s in danger of breaking in two.
4. My father’s had a mild stroke and it has........difficulties with his speech.
5. The task should........no difficulty for someone of his ability.
6. I don’t.........any difficulties so long as we keep to our planned route.

II. Common adjective collocations.
Complete the sentences with these adjectives:
current - financial - learning - main - marital - technical - unforeseen
1. The President’s live broadcast was delayed because of........difficulties.
2. W e offer a free counselling service to couples with.......difficulties.
3. The.......difficulty with this new approach is that it takes twice as long as the