The key to exercise solutions in chapter 3.2 - A good read for the textbook New Total English Advanced - Students' Book with authors JJ Wilson with Antonia Clare from Pearson Education
Question
Read sentences 1-8 below. Work in pairs and explain in your own words what the underlined compound adjectives mean.
Are the compound adjectives positive, negative or neutral?
Answer
a)
single-minded = determined / never gives up
self-sufficient = doesn't rely on other people / looks after herself
thick-skinned = doesn't get upset when criticised / doesn't take criticism personally
kind-hearted = good to other people / generous
stand-offish = not friendly / doesn't talk to other people
career-orientated = always thinks about his career / does a lot of things to enhance his career
level-headed = calm (in good and bad situations) / not too excitable
absent-minded = forgetful
b)
positive
positive
positive (in this context, though it can also be negative in other contexts)