career noun

/kԥ r ԥr / /- r r/ n [C]
the job or series of jobs that you do during your working life, especially if you continue to get
better jobs and earn more money
He's hoping for a career in the police force/as a police officer.
When he retires he will be able to look back over a brilliant career (= a working life which has
been very successful).
It helps if you can move a few rungs up the career ladder before taking time off to have a baby.
I took this new job because I felt that the career prospects were much better.
Elaine has become a real career woman/girl (= is interested in and spends most of her time on
her job).
Judith is very career-minded/-oriented (= gives a lot of attention to her job).

chance noun ( OPPORTUNITY )

/t nÔ s/ /t ænÔ s/ n
[C] an occasion which allows something to be done; an opportunity
I didn't get/have a chance to speak to her.
[+ to infinitive] If you give me a chance to speak, I'll explain.
Society has to give prisoners a second chance when they come out of jail.
He left and I missed my chance to say goodbye to him.
I'd go now given half a chance (= If I had the slightest opportunity).

improve verb
/ m pru v/ v [I or T]
to (cause something to) get better
He did a lot to improve conditions for factory workers.
I thought the best way to improve my French was to live in France.
Her health has improved dramatically since she started on this new diet.

improve on/upon 2
phrasal verb

phrasal verb
to do something in a better way or with better results than before
Last time she ran the race in twenty minutes, so she's hoping to improve on that.

progress verb
 /prԥ gres/ v [I]
‡
to improve or develop in skills, knowledge, etc
My Spanish never really progressed beyond the stage of being able to order drinks at the bar.
Compare: regress
‡
to continue gradually
As the war progressed more and more countries became involved.
We started off talking about the weather and gradually the conversation progressed to politics.

period noun ( TIME )

/ p ԥ.ri.ԥd/ / p r.i-/ n [C]
‡
a length of time
Her work means that she spends long periods away from home.
Unemployment in the first half of 1993 was 2% lower than in the same period the year before.
Fifteen people were killed in/over a period of four days.
The study will be carried out over a six-month period.
‡
in school, a division of time in the day when a subject is taught
We have six periods of science a week.
‡
a fixed time during the life of a person or in history
Most teenagers go through a rebellious period.
The house was built during the Elizabethan period

multinational adjective
/ m l.ti næ .ԥn.ԥl/ /-t i-/ adj
involving several different countries, or (of a business) producing and selling goods in several
different countries
The UN has sent a multinational peace-keeping force.
a major multinational food company

multinational noun
/ m l.ti næ .ԥn.ԥl/ /-t i-/ n [C]
a large and powerful company that produces and sells goods in many different countries
Are multinationals now more powerful than governments?

career break noun

 n [C]
a period of time when you choose not to have a job, for example because you want to travel, or
look after your children
I took a career break for a year and travelled around the world

adventurous adjective
/ԥd ven.t ԥr.ԥs/ /-t -/ adj
willing to try new or difficult things, or exciting and often dangerous
I'm trying to be more adventurous with my cooking.
She led an adventurous life.
He's not very adventurous sexually.

adventurously adverb
sailing noun
/ se .l ŋ/ n
‡
[U] the sport or activity of using boats with sails
the sailing club
She loves to go sailing.
‡
[C] when a ship leaves a port
There are frequent sailings from Dover.

trek verb
/trek/ v [I usually + adverb or preposition] (-kk-)
to walk a long distance, usually over land such as hills, mountains or forests
We spent the day trekking through forests and over mountains.
informal I trekked (= walked a long and tiring distance) all the way into town to meet him and he
didn't even turn up.

join verb ( CONNECT )

/d n/ v
‡
[T] to connect or fasten things together
A long suspension bridge joins the two islands.
Join the two pieces together using strong glue.
The island is joined to the mainland by a road bridge.
If you join (up) the dots on the paper, you'll get a picture.
‡
[I or T] If roads or rivers join, they meet at a particular point
The A11 joins the M11 south of Cambridge.
The River Murray and the River Darling join east of Adelaide.

rapid adjective
/ ræp. d/ adj
fast or sudden
The 1990s were a period of rapid change/growth.
I was startled by a rapid movement to my left.
His response to the accusation was rapid.

rapidity noun
/rԥ p d. .ti/ /-ԥ.t i/ n [U] formal

rapidly adverb
/ ræp. d.li/

offer verb ( AGREE TO GIVE )

/ f.ԥr/ / .f / v
‡
[I or T] to ask someone if they would like to have something or if they would like you to do
something
[+ two objects] I feel bad that I didn't offer them any food/offer any food to them.
She was offered a job in Paris.
Can I offer you (= Would you like) a drink?
"Would you sell me that painting?" "What are you offering (= What will you pay) for it?"
[+ to infinitive] My father's offered to take us to the airport.
[+ speech] "I'll do the cooking, " he offered.
"I could help." "No, it's all right, thanks." "Well, don't say I didn't offer."
‡
[T] (also offer up) to say a prayer or make a sacrifice (= an act of killing or giving up something)
to a god
Dear Lord, we offer up our prayers...
c