Vocabulary

The factory was heavily guarded because it produced munitions for the military.

The hiker carefully navigated the craggy path up the mountain.

She was seemingly calm, but inside she was very nervous.

The beach was untouched, with pristine white sand and clear blue water.

The lake was placid, reflecting the mountains and sky like a mirror.

The exterior of the building was renovated to match the historical style.

The country has kicked off a competition with a cash prize of 50,000 Swiss francs.

Regular monitoring of the lake water and sediments currently shows no negative effects from the dumped munitions.

After the heavy rain, the streets were covered in thick sludge.

The benefits of the new policy outweigh the drawbacks.

The military base was equipped with a wide range of ordnance for training exercises.

Please dispose of the old batteries at the designated recycling center.

The condition of the old building began to deteriorate after years of neglect.

“It would be a painstaking process,” he said.

Metals degrade and chemicals seep, which can be toxic for the water, animals and humans.

The suspense in the movie kept everyone on the edge of their seats.

He finally decided to own up to his mistake and apologize.

She couldn't help but resent the way he dismissed her ideas.

He was completely oblivious to the fact that everyone was talking about him.

The entrepreneur launched a new tech startup that quickly gained attention.

She was meticulous in her research, checking every detail twice.

The detective worked tirelessly to unravel the mystery of the missing necklace.

The two sides agreed to a truce to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The warring nations called for a ceasefire to allow for humanitarian aid to reach the affected areas.

The amount they offered for the project was just chicken feed compared to the real value of the work.

The onlooker watched in amazement as the magician performed his tricks.

The upstart company quickly gained market share and surprised many established players in the industry.

They discovered that the new employee was a lemon, causing more trouble than they solved.

The bustle of the city streets made it hard for her to concentrate on her work.

The new project will entail a significant amount of additional work and resources.

She came into a large inheritance after her aunt passed away.

Smartphones have become ubiquitous in modern society, with almost everyone owning one.

He was afraid that if he didn't cooperate, his accomplices would rat him out to the authorities.

The accountant was scrupulous in his work, ensuring that every detail was accurate and transparent.

The region decided to secede from the country and form its own independent state.

In trigonometry, the secant of an angle is the reciprocal of the cosine of that angle.

Many companies are jumping on the bandwagon of eco-friendly practices to attract environmentally conscious consumers.

The startup of the new software system went smoothly, thanks to the thorough testing conducted beforehand.

The new product quickly took off, exceeding all sales expectations in its first month.

They decided to defer the meeting until next week to allow more time for preparation.

He was framed for the crime; someone had set him up to take the fall for their actions.

The stock prices soared after the company announced its record-breaking profits.

Whatever we do, we must try to maintain moderation.

Many school districts, health providers, health advocates and Democratic and Republican lawmakers have backed the bill.

High mortgage rates, limited housing supply and historically poor affordability have kept buying a home stubbornly out of reach for Ms. Gallagher, an economic researcher who is expecting her third child.

Housing supply is failing to meet demand, helping to push home prices to levels that are out of reach even for middle-income families.

Affordability problems have been exacerbated by high central bank interest rates, which officials across the globe have been using to tackle rapid inflation.

Those policy rates trickle through financial markets to elevate mortgage rates.

But those rate cuts are unlikely to be a panacea for housing affordability.

Experts also warn that long-running market trends — including high labor costs, more expensive materials and regulations that limit the pace and scope of building — will continue to hinder the supply of affordable homes.

And that is spurring calls for action.

The Chinese economy is more dependent on exports, making tariffs more potent, yet it’s less reliant on American markets and increasingly bent on self-sufficiency.

Mr. Trump now prepares for his second stint in the White House.

He is pressuring a country that has been chastened by a powerful combination of overlapping forces.

Trum is vowing to intensify trade hostilities with China by imposing additional tariffs of 60 percent or more on all Chinese imports

The decline of fortunes at home has made Chinese companies especially focused on sales abroad.