english collocations /
Character & Behavior 

When I was a teenager, I was painfully shy (extremely shy). I loved reading books, and I had a vivid imagination (a creative and colorful imagination). My best friend had a more outgoing personality (she liked to be friendly and sociable) and a good sense of humor (ability to make other people laugh). Unfortunately she was also brutally honest (extremely honest), and sometimes her comments hurt my feelings (made me sad, upset, or angry).

Although I was fiercely loyal to her, she showed her true colors (revealed her true personality) when she played a prank (did a trick) that humiliated me in front of the class. I bore a grudge (continued feeling angry) against her for years afterwards. Now that I look back on it, I can see that she had low self- esteem (she considered herself inferior) and a bit of a mean streak (a “streak” is a tiny bit of someone’s personality).

I've come out of my shell (become less shy) since those days; I have a thicker skin (less sensitive to criticism) and it doesn't bother me when people speak their minds (say exactly what they think, without considering the effects of the words on others).

My biggest flaw is that I have a tendency to be arrogant – some say I have a superiority complex (consider myself superior to others). I’ll admit that it is hard for me to swallow my pride (stop being arrogant) and recognize when I've been mistaken about something. My resolution for the New Year is to make a more concerted effort to put others first (consider the needs of other people more important than my own). 

 

collocation Quiz 

Choose the correct word (A, B, C or D) to form the proper english collocation for each space
 

  1. A lot of successful entrepreneurs have not only a [vivid / lucid/ bright / light ]... imagination, but also the willingness to work hard. 

  2. She really hurt his [feelings / emotions / senses / mind ]... when she called him an idiot. 

  3. His superiority [ complex / belief / tendency/ idea ]... makes him impossible to work with because he won't listen to suggestions. 

  4. I had to [swallow / chew / eat / hide ]... my pride and apologize to Janet for overreacting to her criticism. 

  5. Jane likes to date men with a great [sense / feel / touch / flip ]... of humor. 

  6. In some cultures, it's considered very rude to [speak / say / talk / tell]... your mind. 

  7. It's good to [ put / set / get / leave ]... others first, but not at the expense of your own well-being. 

  8. Most people who work as comedians have very [outgoing / tendency / upcoming /easy ]... personalities. 

  9. My brother is [painfully / brutally / carefully / diligently ]... shy, but I'm trying to encourage him to come out of his [shell / case / skin / nest ]. 

  10. My daughter gets along with her classmates, but she has a competitive [streak / spot / strip /place ]... when it comes to academics. 

  11. My husband forgives other people very easily; he's not one to [bear / hurt / swallow / keep]... a grudge. 

  12. She would never cheat on her husband; she's [fiercely / angrily / brutally / readily ]... loyal to him.

  13. The students were suspended for playing a [ prank / grudge / streak / case ]... on the teacher - they put a live snake inside her desk. 

  14.  Working with a therapist has helped me overcome my problems with [low / deep / small / narrow ]... self-esteem. 

  15. You need to develop a [thicker / fatter / harder / better ]... skin; you can't let every little comment upset you. 

    [answer-table]