Cover of the textbook New Total English Advanced - Students' Book

The key answer of exercise 10

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

  1. Read sentences 1-8 below. Work in pairs and explain in your own words what the underlined compound adjectives mean.
  2. Are the compound adjectives positive, negative or neutral?

Answer

a)

  1. single-minded = determined / never gives up
  2. self-sufficient = doesn't rely on other people / looks after herself
  3. thick-skinned = doesn't get upset when criticised / doesn't take criticism personally
  4. kind-hearted = good to other people / generous
  5. stand-offish = not friendly / doesn't talk to other people
  6. career-orientated = always thinks about his career / does a lot of things to enhance his career
  7. level-headed = calm (in good and bad situations) / not too excitable
  8. absent-minded = forgetful

b)

  1. positive
  2. positive
  3. positive (in this context, though it can also be negative in other contexts)
  4. positive
  5. negative
  6. neutral
  7. positive
  8. slightly negative