failing college entrance exams and retaking them a year later
broken; interrupted; disconnected; intermittent; fragmentary; discontinuous
though; although; notwithstanding; while; as; at the same time as
thought; imagination; mind; desire; wish; love
to talk; to chat; to chatter
to hold; to carry; to embrace (in one's arms)
still more; even more; much more; increased; greater
painful; bitter; tough; difficult; cruel; harsh
to rely on; to depend on; to count on; to turn to (for help)
long ago; a long time ago; already
to try all possible means
hopeless; futile; no use; beyond help; cannot be done
what's the best thing to do?; what to do?
to hold (in one's hand); to take (into one's hand); to own; to obtain
to stand in the way (esp. with legs spread out); to block the way; to stand in the way (e.g. of progress); to obstruct
to let pass; to allow through; to transmit (e.g. light, sound, etc.); to conduct (electricity); to stick through (e.g. a hole); to force through (e.g. an opening); to connect (e.g. two places)
one's way (ahead); one's path
clicking one's tongue; tut-tut; smacking one's lips (with relish)
with a plunge (of something sharp into something soft); with a thrust; with a stab
edge (of a knife or sword); blade; prong (of an electrical plug)
to hang; to droop; to give (e.g. lesson, instruction, scolding) (to someone of lower status); to confer; to drip; to ooze; to leave behind (at death)
astonishment; amazement; surprise; fright; shock
intracerebral; inside the brain; (occurring) in the mind; mental (e.g. image); imaginary
usually; ordinarily; always; continuous; 24-hour (operation, care, etc.); constant
light; light (colour, food, comedy, etc.); right; right field; right fielder
heel (of a shoe); heel; bad guy; player of villain roles
to wipe; to mop up; to get rid of (an impression, feeling, blemish, etc.); to dispel (e.g. shame); to erase
(opening of a) wound; cut
to be closed; to be blocked; to be clogged; to be plugged up; to be occupied; to be taken (e.g. accommodation)
query; interrogation; enquiry; question; inquiry
change; variation; variety; diversity; inflection; declension
serious disease; intractable disease; difficult-to-recover-from illness
to reach the point where ...; to come to ...; to come to be that ...; to start to ...; to begin to ...
since some time ago; for some time; for quite a while
something; something or other; so-and-so; somehow (handling, dealing with something); anyhow; one way or another
more than usual (usu. time)
dramatic (improvement); remarkable (difference); marked; (far) better; exceptional
fast; quick; easy; simple; as soon as ...; the moment ...
exaggerated; overdone; overblown; hyperbolic; bombastic; grandiose
ordinary person; member of the general public; non-celebrity