concrete; definite; specific; material; substantial
to have a talk; to tell a story
ninth day of the month; nine days
the following week; the next week
great; excellent; very troublesome; awful; tiring; tough
although I say; although one might say; although called
tedious; lengthy; overlong; long-winded
pretext; history; past; according to ...; ... says
second-year student; biennial
isn't it?; let's ...; why don't we ...; how about we ...
may; might; perhaps; may be; possibly
economic slump; hard times; poor (business); dull; gloomy; cheerless
academic background; academic credentials; academic record
learning; acquisition (of a skill, knowledge, etc.)
so; therefore; accordingly; consequently; on those grounds; that is why
thereabouts; vicinity; that area; that situation; those circumstances
exactly; precisely; closely; tightly; properly; without fail
future (usually near); prospects
plan; project; schedule; scheme; program; programme
head of year; teacher in charge of all classes for a whole year
ronin; masterless samurai; high school graduate waiting for another chance to enter university after having failed the yearly entrance examination; person out of work; jobless person; (arch.) wanderer
natural; reasonable; obvious; usual; common; ordinary
lack of self-reliance; depending on others
yokozuna (highest rank in sumo); grand champion; best in its field; crème de la crème; cream of the crop
effort; exertion; endeavour; endeavor; hard work; striving
ranking wrestler in the makuuchi (senior-grade) or juryo (junior-grade) divisions
second highest division; wrestlers of the second highest division
society; public; community; social studies
meeting up; gathering; assembly; set
approximately; about; promise; appointment; shortening; reduction
(not) in any way; in no way; at all
spirit; drive; vigour; ambition; aspiration
tedium; boredom; dullness; to feel bored; to get bored with; to get tired of
so much (something) as to (e.g. so moved as to cry); overwhelmed; carried away; because of too much
niddle-noddle; nid-nod; nodding off
to keep in mind; to bear in mind; to try; to aim to do; to endeavor; to endeavour
materials; data; document
to take; to carry (something) away; to bear
breaking up (e.g. meeting); dispersing (e.g. crowd); dissolving (company, organization, etc.); liquidating; dissolving (diet, parliament, etc.)
one class; one set; a pair; a suite; a series
in order; in turn; one by one
the way back; the way home; return trip