A Tiger’s trek - The life and times of golf’s biggest star (Biography)

By Ben Church, Ben Morse and Steven Poole, CNN

https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2021/02/sport/tiger-woods-golf-career-moments-spt-intl-cmd/


#B2+ #IELTS #Reading #CNN #Biography #Golf

1. break (n) (informal) an opportunity to do sth, usually to get sth that you want or to achieve success; a sudden or unexpected chance to do sth that allows you to become successful in your job

I got my lucky break when I won a 'Young Journalist of the Year' competition.
We've had a few bad breaks (= pieces of bad luck) along the way.
If you just give me a break, you won't regret it.
Kiefer's big break came with the movie Stand By Me.
There are hundreds of young musicians out there looking for their first break.

2. shot (n) the action of hitting, kicking or throwing the ball in order to score a point or goal in a game

Taylor scored with a low shot into the corner of the net.
Goood shot!
You get tired and you start playin bad shots.
That was another fine shot from Tiger Woods.
Shaw took a shot at the goal from the halfway line, but missed.

3. apt (adj) suitable or appropriate in the circumstances

a particularly apt description/name/comment
The song would have been more apt for a bass voice.
It was a particularly apt name for someone with his skills.
That question seemed quite apt in the circumstances.

syn: appropriate, timely, right, fitting, related, suitable, relevant, proper, to the point, applicable, pertinent, apropos

4. storming (adj) (only before noun) (of a performance) very impressive; done with a lot of energy; exciting and extremely successful

Arsenal scored three late goals in a storming finish.
They did a storming gig at Wembley last month.

5. bebut /ˈdeɪbjuː/ (n) the first public appearance of a performer or sports player

make one's debut = He will make his debut for the first team this week.
the band's debut album
She's making her New Your debut at Carnegie Hall.
one's acting/singing/movie/directorial debut = Medonna's movie debut in Desperately Seeking Susan
Their debut album was recorded in 1991.

syn: entrance, beginning, launch, introduction, inauguration

6. slam (n) (A) a severe criticism

(B) one of the competitions that make up a grand slam 2, especially in tennis

7. pinnacle (n) the most successful, powerful, exciting, etc. part of sth

the pinnacle of academic achievement
She had reached the pinnacle of her political career.
The bank was then at the pinnacle of England's financial system.

syn: height, top, crown, crest, meridian, zenith, apex, apogee, acme, vertex

8. tally /ˈtæli/ (n) a record of the number or amount of sth, especially one that you can keep adding to

He hopes to improve his tally of three goals in the past nine games.
Keep a tally of how much you spend while you're away.
With 85% of the vote counted, unofficial tallies showed Ramos leading his closest rivals.
The final tally was $465,000.
the two goals that took his tally for Scotland to 15
Keep a tally of (= write down) the number of cars that pass.

9. glimpse (of sb/sth) | Glimpse (at sb/sth) (n) a look at sb/sth for a very short time, when you do not see the person or thing completely

He caught a glimpse of her in the crowd.
I came up on deck to get my first glimpse of the island.
Fans crowded the street outside waiting for a glimpse of their hero.
brief/fleeting/quick glimpse (= a very short look)
We only had a fleeting glimpse of the river.

10. rookie (n) (US) a member of a sports team in his or her first full year of playing that sport

Don't be too hard on the guy, he's just a rookie.
Lisa Hackney is the LPGA's Rookie of the Year.

11. maiden /ˈmeɪdn/ (adj) (only before noun) being the first if its kind

a maiden flight/voyage (= the first journey made by a plane/ship)
a maiden speech (= the first speech mady by an MP in the parliaments of some countries)
The Titanic sank on its maiden voyage.

syn: first, initial, inaugural, introductory

12. PGA, the (the Professional Golfers' Association) a US organization for those who make money from golf either by playing it, running golf courses, or teaching. The organization runs the PGA Championship, a golfing competition.

13. stroke (n) the action of hitting the ball in games such as tennis, golf, and cricket

He slammed the ball over the net with a powerful backhand stroke
What a beautiful stroke!
He won by two strokes (= in golf, by taking two fewer strokes than his opponent).

14. Ryder Cup, the /raɪdə/ an important golf competition held every two years, in which two teams compete, one representing Europe and the other the US

15. tie (v) (of two teams, etc.) to have the same number of points

~ (with sb) = England tied 2-2 with Germany in the first round.
~ for sth = They tied for second place.
Jane and I tied (for first place) in the spelling test.
~ sth = The scores are tied at 3-3.
Last night's vote was tied.

syn: draw, be even, be level, be neck and neck, match, equal

16. grand slam (n) (A) (also Grand Slam) a very important sports event, contest, etc.

a Grand Slam tournament/cup/title
Melbourne's Australian Open is the first Grand Slam tournament of the year.

(B) the winning of every part of a sports contest or all the main contests in a year for a particular sport

Will France win the grand slam this year? (= in rugby)

17. cabinet (n) a piece of furniture with doors, drawers and/or shelves, that is used for storing or showing things

kitchen cabinets
a medicine cabinet
The china was displayed in a glass cabinet
a bathroom/filing cabinet

18. roll in (v) (informal) to arrive in great numbers or amounts

Offers of help are still rolling in.
Thousands of dollars rolled in on the first day of our fundraiser.
Once our business gets started, the money will be rolling in.

19. bumper (adj) (only before noun) (approving) usually large; producing an unusually large amount

a bumper issue (= of a magazine, etc.)
We hope readers will enjoy this bumper issue of 'Homes and Gardnes'.
a bumper crop/harvest/season/year
Farmers have been celebrating bumper crops this year.
It's been a bumper year for car sales.

syn: exceptional, excellent, massive, abundant, bountiful

20. set (adj) (not before noun) likely/ready; likely to do sth; ready for sth or to do sth

~ for sth = The team looks set for victory.
~ to do sth = Interest rates look set to rise again.
Be set to leave by 10 o'clock.
Are you all set for the trip?
Get set (= get ready) for a night of excitement.
On your marks, get set, go (= said to start a race).

21. sideline (v) (usually passive) if you are sidelined, you are unable to play in a sports game because you are injured, or unable to take part in an activity because you are not as good as someone else

Owen was once again sidelined through injury.
The player has been sidelined by a knee injury.
The vice-president is increasingly being sidelined.
Quarterback Dan Marino is sidelined with a bad knee injury.
Some delegates complained of being sidelined.

22. stunt sb/sth (v) to prevent sb/sth from growing or developing as much as they/it should

The constant winds had stunted the growth of plants and bushes.
His illness had not stunted his creativity.
Poor diet can stunt a child's growth.
Drought has stunted (the growth of) this year's cereal crop.
Lack of sunlight will stunt the plant's growth.

syn: hamper, restrict, curb, slow down, hold up, hinder, impede

23. astronomic/astronomical /ˌæstrəˈnɒmɪkl/ (adj) (informal) (of an amount, a price, etc.) very large

the astronomical price of land for building
The figures are astronomical.
an astronomical rent/bill/price/fee

syn: huge, great, giant, massive, enormous, immense, gigantic, boundless, immeasurable

24. plague (n) (informal) annoyance or nuisance; problem, pain

Those children can be a real plague at times.

25. extramarital /ˌekstrəˈmærɪtl/ (adj) happening outside marriage

an extramarital affair

26. collision with (sb/sth) | collision (between/of A and B) (n) an accident in which two vehicles or people crash into each other

a collision between two trains
Stewart was injured in a collision with another player.
a head-on collision (= between two vehicles that are moving towards each other)
a mid-air collision (= between two aircraft while they are flying)
His car was in collision with a motorbike.
Wind and ice were blamed for the collision involving up to 12 vehicles.

syn: crash, impact, accident, smash, bump

27. hydrant/fire hydrant(n) a water pipe in a street from which water is taken to stop a fire

In 1906, a fire hydrant saved the city.
Water had to be ferried from the nearest hydrant using a bowser.

28. transgression /trænzˈɡreʃn/ (n) an act that goes beyond the limits of what is morally or legally acceptable

She was unable to forgive his latest transgression.
their transgression of social and cultural boundaries
Who is supposed to have committed these transgressions?

syn: crime, wrong, fault, offence, breach, violation, misdeed, encroachment, misbehaviour

29. tie (n, usually pluarl) a strong connection between people or organization

the importance of close/strong family ties
the ties of friendship
economic/diplomatic/persoanl ties
The firm has close ties with an American coropration
emotional ties
Both sides agreed to strengthen political ties.
Although he was raised as a Roman Catholic, he has cut his ties with the Church.

syn: bond, relationship, connection, liasion, affinity, kinship

30. infamous /ˈɪnfəməs/ (adj) (formal) well known for being bad or evil

a general who was infamous for his brutality
the most infamous concentration camp
(humorous) the infamous British sandwich
He's infamous for his bigoted sense of humour.

syn: notorious, shocking, outrageous, disgraceful, monstrous, shameful, vile, scandalous, loathsome, disreputable

syn: notorious

31. patch sth up (v) to try to improve a relationship afte there have been problems
Jackie and Bill ae still trying to patch up their marriage.
Did you manage to patch things up with Jackie after your row?

32. cite sth (as sth) (v) to mention sth as a reason or an example, or in order to support what you are saying

He cited his heavy workload as the reason for his breakdown.
Bates pulled out of the competition, citing personal reasons.
The judge cited a 1956 Supreme Court ruling in her decision.
Several factors have been cited as the cause of the unrest.

33. niggle (n) a slight pain

He gets the occasional niggle in his right shoulder.
a niggle in his knee

(v) to irritate or annoy sb slightly; to make sb slightly worried

Something was niggling her.
It niggles me that we can't go home yet and get warm.

34. tumble (down) (v) to fall suddenly and in a dramatic way

The scaffolding came tumbling down.
(figurative) World records tumbled at the last Olympics.
Oil prices have tumbled.

syn: fall, drop, topple, plummet, stumble

35. fusion /ˈfjuːʒn/ (n) the process or result of joining two or more things together to form one

the fusion of copper and zine to produce brass
The move displayed a perfect fusion of image and sound.
Leonardo represents the fusion of art and science.

syn: merging, uniting, mixture, blend, integration, synthesis

36. DUI = driving under the influence; the crime of driving after you have drunk too much alcohol

There were a large number of DUI arrests on New Year's Eve.
McKay was charged with DUI.
Best of all: No DUI worries.

syn: DWI (driving while intoxicated)

37. odds (n-pl) sth that makes it seem impossible to do or achieve sth

They secured a victory in the face of overwheling odds.
Against all (the) odds, he made a full recovery.
enormous/considerable/incredible odds
He survived a night in the cold water against incredible odds.
We must hope that, despite great odds, we can achieve a peaceful settlement.

38. trickle (sth) + adv./prep. (v) to go, or to make sth go, somewhere slowly or gradually

People began trickling into the hall.
News is starting to trickle out.
The first few fans started to trickle into the stadium.

39. ignite /ɪɡˈnaɪt/ (v) (formal) to start a particular feeling in sb

His teaching ignited my interest in Russian literature.
Tempers ignited when the whole family spent Christmas together.
His words ignited their anger.

40. (down) to the wire = right up to the last moment; until the last moment that it is possible to do sth

I think the election will go right down to the wire (= be won at the last moment)

41. stampede /stæmˈpiːd/ (v) if a group of large animals or people stampede, they suddenly start running together in the same direction because they are frightened or excited

a herd of stampeding buffalo
Children came stampeding out of the school doors.

syn: rush, dash, bolt, run

42. stride + adv./prep. (v) (not used in the perfect tenses) to walk with long steps in a particular direction; to walk with energy and confidence

~ across/onto/up/down/towards
We strode across the snowy fields.
She came striding along to meet me.
She strode onto the stage.
A tall dark figure was striding up the path

43. blockbuster (n) sth very successful, especially a very successful book or film/movie

a Hollywood blockbuster
The company has clinched a blockbuster deal.
"Roots" became a blockbuster TV series.
Bruce Willis's new blockbuster took $10.6 million in its first weekend.

44. culmination /ˌkʌlmɪˈneɪʃn/ (n-singular) (formal) the highest point or end of sth, usually happening after a long time

The reforms marked the successful culmination of a long campaign.
This agreement is the culmination of weeks of negotiations.
Winning first prize was the culmination of years of practice and hard work.

syn: peak, top, crown, summit, perfection, pinnacle, apex

45. clinch sth (v) to succeed in achieving or winning sth; to manage to win or achieve sth by doing one final thing that makes it certain

to clinch an argument/a deal/a victory
They clinched a place in the semi-finals.
Tm Johnson scored the goals that clinched the victory.
~ a match/championship/victory, etc.
A last-minute touchdown clinched the game.

syn: win, get, gain, achieve, accomplish, attain

46. steal the show (v) (no passive) to attract more attention and praise than other people in a particular situation

As always, the children stole the show.
British bands stole the show at this year's awards.
steal the show (= be the most impressive performer)
Tonight the featured actor stole the show, making the audience forget the star.
steal the show/limelight/scene

47. captivate sb (v) to keep sb's attention by being interesting, attractive, etc.

The children were captivated by her stories.
Men were captivated by her charm.
Their romance captivated the whole country.

syn: enchant, charm, attract, fascinate, absorb, entrance, sedue, allure, enslave, mesmerise, infatuate

48. median/median strip (US) (n) a narrow piece of ground that separates the two sides of a highway or other main road. The British word is central reservation.

49. curb (UK kerb) the edge of the raised path at the side of a road, usually made of long pieces of stone

The bus mounted the curb (= went onto the sidewalk/pavement) and hit a tree.
A car drew up to the curb and stopped.
Scot pulled the car over to the kerb, his right hand slipping inside his jacket.
 
50. brush (n-U) land covered by small trees or bushes

The deer disappeared into the brush.
We spotted a jackrabbit hidden in the brush.
The dry weather has increased the risk of brush fires.

syn: scrub, undergrowth, thicket, shrubs, bushes

51. sheriff /ˈʃerɪf/ (n) (US) an elected officer responsible for keeping law and order in a country or town; the most senior police officer in a country

The sheriff had pictures of Benny.

52. deputy /ˈdepjuti/ (n) (US) a police officer who helps the sheriff of an area

53. lucid (adj) able to think clearly, especially during or after a period of illness or confusion

In a rare lucid moment, she looked at me and smiled.
a patient with occasional lucid moments

syn: clear-headed, sound, reasonable, sensible, rational

54. pry (n) (A) a tool for raising or moving sth by leverage; lever, crobar, etc.

(B) leverage

55. backboard (n) (A) a board that is placed behind sth to form or support its back

(B) a board worn to straighten or support the back, as after surgery

56. splint (n) a long piece of wood or metal that is tied to a broken arm or leg to keep it still and in the right position

The doctor put a splint on the arm and bandaged it up.
After five days we removed the packing around the splint.
His arm is weak, and he has to wear a splint on his leg.