openMind

LEVEL 3 WORD LIST

UNIT seven
Word / Phrase

Translation

Part of Speech Phonetic Spelling Definition

assume

verb

/sum/

to believe that
something is true,
even though you have
no proof

Dont assume that you

will play on the team,
since there are a lot of
good players.

assumption

noun [count]

/smp()n/

something that you

think is likely to be
true, although you
cannot be certain

Its important not to

make assumptions
until we know all the
facts.

blind

adjective

/bland/

unable to see. Some

people prefer to use
the expression visually
impaired.

Blind and sighted

children attend the
same school.

brain

noun [count]

/bren/

the organ inside your

head that allows you
to think and feel, and
controls your body

The human brain

is divided into two
halves.

challenge
yourself

verb

/tlnd
jrself/

to push yourself to do
more difficult things

Shes studying for

another degree to
challenge herself.

child prodigy

noun [count]

/tald prddi/

a child who is
extremely skillful at
something that usually
only adults can do

His five-year-old son

plays the piano better
than most adults;
he could be a child
prodigy.

crucial

adjective

/kru()l/

something that is
crucial is extremely
important because
it has a major effect
on the result of
something

Hard work is crucial to

exam success.

deaf

adjective

/def/

Hes a little deaf in one

not able to hear
ear, but he can cope at
anything or not able
school.
to hear very well.
Many deaf people
wear a hearing aid to
help them hear. Deaf
people often use their
hands to communicate
in sign language and
many can lip-read
what other people are
saying.

develop an
ability

phrase

/dvelp n
blti/

to become skillful at
something

We develop abilities
in many things as we
grow older.

exceptional

adjective

/ksepn()l/

extremely good or
impressive in a way
that is unusual

Only very exceptional

students get into MIT
to study.

exist

verb

/zst/

to be real or to
appear in the real
world

Shes twelve, and

she still believes that
fairies exist!

Macmillan Publishers Limited 2014

Sample Sentence

openMind
Word / Phrase

Translation

Part of Speech Phonetic Spelling Definition

explore the
possibilities

phrase

/ksplr
psbltiz/

to examine or discuss
all the different
options

figure out

phrasal verb

/fjr at/

to be able to
We had to figure
understand something out the connection
or to solve a problem between the two
events.

find a solution

phrase

/fand slu()
n/

to think of a way to
solve a problem

UN leaders are
working hard to find
a solution to the
conflict.

genius

noun [count]

/dinis/

someone who is much

more intelligent or
skillful than other
people

There are very few

geniuses in the world,
but Leonardo da Vinci
was one of them.

gifted

adjective

/ftd/

a gifted person has

an impressive natural
ability

My daughters teacher
says she is a gifted
child.

glass

noun
[noncount]

/ls/

a small container
made of glass used
for a drink

You should serve

champagne in a tall,
narrow glass.

go back over

verb phrase

/o bk ovr/

to do something again
from the beginning,
or to check what you
have done

In this online test, you

cannot go back over
the questions. Once
you have clicked on
an answer, you cannot
change your mind.

hard and fast

adjective

/hrd nd fst/

fixed, and not able to

be changed, or to be
different

Its not a hard and fast

rule; its not true for
everyone!

hopeful

adjective

/hopfl/

believing that
something will happen
in the way that you
want it to

In spite of our
differences, we remain
hopeful that a solution
can be found.

hopeless

adjective

/hopls/

very unlikely to
succeed or improve

Im hopeless at playing
tennis. I always lose.

illustrate

verb

/lstret/

to show what
something is like,
or to show that
something is true

The following
examples illustrate our
approach to customer
service.

incredibly

adverb

/nkredbli/

extremely

It was incredibly
difficult to fit everyone
in because the room
was so small.

intelligence

noun
[noncount]

/nteldns/

the ability to
understand and
think about things,
and to gain and use
knowledge

Maria had humor and

intelligence, as well as
beauty.

inventor

noun [count]

/nventr/

Leonardo da Vinci was

someone who has
invented something or a scientist, an inventor,
whose job is to invent a writer, and an artist!
things

IQ

noun
[noncount]

/a kju/

intelligence quotient:
a number that
represents someones
intelligence

Macmillan Publishers Limited 2014

Sample Sentence
She has explored all
the possibilities, but
she hasnt found any
nice apartments.

He has a very high IQ,

but no common sense!

openMind
Word / Phrase

Translation

Part of Speech Phonetic Spelling Definition

keyboard

noun [count]

/kibrd/

a musical instrument
that has keys,
especially an electric
piano

left-brain

adjective

/left bren/

left-brain thinkers rely Left-brain thinkers

tend to like art and
more on the part of
their brain that is used music at school.
for thinking creatively
and intuitively

left-handed

adjective

/left hndd/

someone who is lefthanded is born with

a natural tendency to
use their left hand to
do things, especially
things such as writing

According to studies,
left-handed people
are more artistic than
right-handed people.

lift

verb

/lft/

to move something to
a higher position

I cannot lift the

suitcase; it is too
heavy.

like

preposition

/lak/

used for introducing

an example of
something or
someone that you
have just mentioned

You should avoid fatty

foods like cake and
cookies.

logic

noun
[noncount]

/ldk/

the way that someone

connects ideas when
they are explaining
something or giving a
reason

Logic is useless in
understanding how
we fall in love with
someone.

matchstick

noun [count]

/mtstk/

a single match made

of wood

He used to build
things out of
matchsticks when he
was a child.

of some kind

phrase

/v sm kand/

a type of person or
thing

Shes working on a
business deal of some
kind in France.

ordinary

adjective

/rd()neri/

normal or average,
and not unusual or
special

Most ordinary people

need a calculator to
do that equation.

originality

noun
[noncount]

/rdnlti/

the quality of being

new, interesting, and
different

His writing shows real

originality.

overlook

verb

/ovrlk/

to fail to consider
someone or
something, or to fail
to recognize success

She was overlooked

for the job because
she was considered
too old at 55. The
successful candidate
was only 30.

painful

adjective

/penf()l/

making you feel upset, I have a sore throat

ashamed, or unhappy and its really painful
when I swallow.
or causing physical
pain

painless

adjective

/penls/

not causing any

physical pain, or less
difficult or unpleasant
than you expected

I was very worried

about the interview,
but in fact it was
pretty painless.

perhaps

adverb

/prhps/

used when you are

making a suggestion,
giving advice, or
making a polite
request

Maybe you should stay

home if you dont feel
well?

Macmillan Publishers Limited 2014

Sample Sentence
I can play the
keyboard and the
piano because they
are really similar.

openMind
Word / Phrase

Translation

Part of Speech Phonetic Spelling Definition

poor

adjective

/pr/

of low quality

The teacher said his

schoolwork was poor.

powerless

adjective

/parls/

not able to control or

prevent something

She was powerless to

stop him.

raise

verb

/rez/

to make people start

to think about or
realize something

The accident raises a

number of questions
about the safety of the
system.

range

verb

/rend/

to be included in a
group of numbers,
ages, measurements,
etc. with particular
fixed limits

The scores ranged

from 4298%.

reader

noun [count]

/ridr/

someone who reads,

especially someone
who reads a particular
newspaper, book, or
magazine

Readers of our
magazine will be
familiar with her
column.

right-brain

adjective

/rat bren/

right-brain thinkers
rely more on the
part of their brain
that is used for
thinking logically and
systematically

Right-brain thinkers
are often good at
math.

right-handed

adjective

/rat hndd/

naturally tending to
use your right hand
rather than your left
hand to do things
such as writing

Hes right-handed, but

all the other members
of his family are lefthanded.

rock star

noun [count]

/rk str/

a famous singer
or musician who
performs rock music

Rod Stewart is a
famous rock star from
the 1980s and 90s.

speculate

verb

/spekjlet/

to consider or discuss
why something has
happened or what
might happen

We can only speculate

on the reasons for his
sudden resignation.

straight

adjective

/stret/

without a bend or
curve

Use a ruler to draw

straight lines.

successful

adjective

/sksesfl/

achieving the result

that you want or
doing well in your
career

The team has had a

very successful season.

systematically

adverb

/sstmtkli/

in a way that is
according to a careful
plan

The collection has not

been systematically
updated.

talented

adjective

/tlntd/

someone who is
talented is very good
at something

He is a very talented
artist; his paintings are
amazing!

test

verb

/test/

to examine something
to find out if it is
satisfactory or if it has
a particular quality

It is only a theory until

you test it.

thoughtful

adjective

/tf()l/

kind, and showing

that you think about
what other people
want or need

Thank you; the flowers

were a very thoughtful
gift.

Macmillan Publishers Limited 2014

Sample Sentence

openMind
Word / Phrase

Translation

Part of Speech Phonetic Spelling Definition

thoughtless

adjective

/tls/

not thinking about

what other people
want or need

It was thoughtless of
Michael to take the car
without asking.

upside-down

adjective

/psad dan/

with the top part at

the bottom or lower
than the bottom part

She made a bench

with two upside-down
pots and a plank of
wood.

useless

adjective

/jusls/

not effective in
achieving the purpose
that something was
intended to achieve

Why do you keep this

completely useless
umbrella? It doesnt
open!

well-known

adjective

/wel non/

known by many
people or by the
people involved in a
particular situation

Hes a well-known
actor in Russia, but
nobody knows him
here in the U.S.

work of art

noun [count]

/wrk v rt/

something such as a
painting or sculpture
that is of very high
quality

The museum was full

of priceless works of
art.

Macmillan Publishers Limited 2014

Sample Sentence