English Vocabulary in Use: Advanced Book with Answers and Enhanced eBook Vocabulary Reference and Practice 3rd Edition

dilute it / water it down a bit. 
[add water]
Adjectives connected with density
Many of the words above can be used both literally and metaphorically. More examples:
word
meaning
literal use
metaphorical use
impenetrable
impossible to move 
through
an 
impenetrable jungle/
forest
impenetrable jargon
impervious (to)
liquid cannot pass 
through
an 
impervious material, 
e.g. glass
a person who is 
impervious 
to criticism
A
B
C
D

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Exercises
135
English Vocabulary in Use Advanced
Based on the typical contexts in A opposite, use the words in the box below to fill the gaps in 
the sentences. There may be more than one possible answer.
lumbering cumbersome weighty unwieldy burdensome ponderous
1 Applying for a visa is often a rather 
process and can mean filling in long, 
difficult forms.
2 He gave a very 
lecture on economic history that just bored everyone.
3 It is a really 
historical novel of over 1,000 pages, but it manages to instruct 
and entertain.
4 Seeing a great 
herd of elephants was the highlight for the tourists on safari.
5 She had so many 
obligations; her life was not her own.
6 The exam system was being increasingly criticised for becoming 
and overly 
bureaucratic.
Fill the gaps with a word from A that could collocate with all three nouns.
dinosaur
1 
vehicle
goods train
equipment
2 
procedure
suitcase
encyclopedia
3 
topic
issue
tone of voice
4 
sermon
narrative