genius; prodigy; natural gift
unflaggingly; steadily; untiringly; knocking; tapping; clicking
to pile up; to make a heap; to lay (e.g. bricks); to acquire (e.g. experience); to build (a reputation)
cram school; private tutoring school; juku
to reach; to amount to; to be up to the task; to come up to; to compare with; to be a match (for)
loss of (self-)confidence; inferiority complex
pride; self-confidence; thinking highly of oneself; being proud of one's abilities or achievements
to squash; to crush; to flatten
fear; dread; dismay; terror; horror; scare
to taste; to savor; to appreciate; to enjoy; to experience; to go through
to pile up; to stack; to load (car, ship, etc.); to pack; to acquire; to accumulate
commonplace (of people or animals); ordinary; typical; ubiquitous; run-of-the-mill; found around every corner
hard worker; hardworking person
hopeless; futile; no use; beyond help; cannot be done
I wonder; do you think?; I might; some kind; some stage; somehow
beyond that point; after that
to gulp down; to swallow deeply; to understand; to take in; to engulf; to swallow up
pretty; lovely; clean; clear; completely; entirely
a dime a dozen; two a penny
by all means; no matter what; at any rate
quick on the uptake; quick to catch on; perceptive; intuitive
suddenly; unexpectedly; by chance; accidentally; lightly; nimbly
never mind that; don't worry about that; listen up
sleek; smooth; thin (of a liquid); without hesitation or delay
slanting; tilted; sloping; distorted (feeling); slanted (e.g. view of the world); bad (mood)
bound hand and foot; hedged in (e.g. by restrictions); immobile
artificiality; pretence; contrived act; commission (of a crime); feasance
contrived; false-sounding
way (of doing); manner; method; means
song lyrics; words of a song; libretto
utterly (unknown; esp. of someone's whereabouts); completely; (no information) whatsoever; at all
forcing; enforcement; forced; enforced
serious; earnest; real sword (as opposed to a wooden practice weapon)
method; process; manner; way; means; technique
point; tip; head (of a line); front; first; before; (the way) ahead
on the contrary; far from it; if anything; in fact; instead
department of a university; undergraduate (course, program, etc.)
selection; choice; option
mock exam; practice exam; practice test