September 2012 FCE

The thieves got a lot of loot in the robbery.  He told his wife where the loot was hidden. /lut/

Science has found no evidence that mermaids exist, a US government scientific agency has said. /ˈmɜrˌmeɪd/

Hard to pinpoint the source. She felt a pressure from inside, but she could not pinpoint what was wrong. /ˈpɪnˌpɔɪnt/

Her daughter described the needle prick as feeling like a bee sting, Smith said. /prɪk/

Baby, the more you fidget, the longer it takes. Gomez replied that it was nothing and began to fidget, looking back and forth. /ˈfɪdʒɪt/

She showed dignity in defeat. They gave him a ceremony and the dignity he deserved. /ˈdɪgnɪti/

Her parents punished her for trying to deceive them. He was accused of deceiving the customer about the condition of the car. /dɪˈsiv/

The clothes are still damp. The boxes were left outside in the damp. /dæmp/

As soon as they learned of his arrest, the media vultures started circling. /ˈvʌltʃər/

They stripped the wallpaper off the wall. He stripped in front of her. /strɪp/

It's hard to predict voters' whims. In the executive offices, you can say what's on your mind and fire people at whim. /wɪm/

I chained the door to the roof with a padlock. /ˈpædˌlɒk/

This report should dispel any doubts you have about the plan. The wind dispelled all the clouds. /dɪˈspɛl/

Some have defaulted on private student loans, too. He defaulted on $12,000 in federally backed loans in 2009. /dɪˈfɔlt/

I needed to break free from the limits imposed by my own fear of failure. The judge imposed a life sentence. /ɪmˈpoʊz/

All our efforts proved futile. Trying to find the winners is futile if victory is determined largely by luck. /ˈfyutaɪl/

These insects are capable of inflicting a painful sting. The need to return the pain inflicted upon him. /ɪnˈflɪkt/

There are faults in every piece of weld. You can weld two pieces of metal. /wɛld/

Traveling through the sands of Sahara we can encounter Bedouin camps. We've just had a very strange encounter with a civil servant! /ɛnˈkaʊntər/

I think you're nuts.

Come inside, Tim, before you get sunstroke! Numerous casualties are caused by sunstroke on either side. /ˈsʌnˌstroʊk/

Serving on a criminal jury exposes one to unpleasant realities about the legal system and human nature. /ˈdʒʊəri

She strolled happily through the dark streets of Brighton. They had been strolling along, but now they stopped. /stroʊl/

They keep tally on what's theirs and what's not because they have learned to count. /ˈtæli/

There are three ways to stump: you can ask someone a question they can't answer, you can travel making political speeches, or you can stomp. /stʌmp/

He felt he had disgraced himself by failing at school. That worthy tradition has been disgraced over the past three weeks. /dɪsˈgreɪs/

If you found dozens of reels of old home movies in your grandparents' attic, you'd search for a projector. /ril/

If you stubbornly refuse to change your mind about something, you are adamant about it. We've tried to talk him into coming with us, but he's adamant about staying here. /ˈædəmənt/

The first link provides the fable and moral of the story. Perhaps they're part fable, perhaps their part fantasy. /ˈfeɪbəl/

Do you know any Russian proverbs? It is a popular English proverb. /ˈproʊˌvɜrb/

In earlier days such a plan would have generated immense interest and large political waves. /ɪˈmɛns/

From time to time he pauses to hone his curved steel blade on the stone he keeps in a belt pouch. /hoʊn/

The hotel also boasts a fine-dining restaurant on its premises and picturesque scenery on the grounds of the hotel. /ˌpɪktʃəˈrɛsk/

When the recipient opens the email, the first thing they see is their own name spelled wrong. Then the receiver lateraled the ball, and the recipient lateraled it again. /rɪˈsɪpiənt/

Something sacred is holy, devoted to a religious ceremony, or simply worthy of awe and respect. /ˈseɪkrɪd/

The tooth evidence provided no clear indication for either meat-eating or omnivorous habits. /ˌɪndɪˈkeɪʃən/

It was a gross offence. Historians might take some offence at having their subject treated with such cavalier disregard for reality. /əˈfɛns/

The mental structure is even less determinate than the bodily. <a determinate order of succession to the throne> /dɪˈtɜrmənɪt/

Susan, can you get the summary of today's meeting ready by five? It's not the entire report, it's just a summary. /ˈsʌməri/

The police had a warrant for his arrest. There was no warrant for such behavior. /ˈwɔrənt/

The room was filled with hideous furniture. <the hideous way in which she treated her maid after she discovered her ring was missing> /ˈhɪdiəs/

Additional information about each agency is forthcoming. /ˈfɔrθˈkʌmɪŋ/

<we called in an exterminator because the house was infested with ants> The verb infest means to invade in large number, often and causing damage. /ɪnˈfɛst/

And when you're infatuated, you sometimes can't think straight. She's infatuated by a guy who may be dead, and who certainly isn't a good boyfriend either way.  /v. ɪnˈfætʃuˌeɪt; adj., n. ɪnˈfætʃuɪt/

He would have drowned if he hadn't had a life jacket. /draʊn/

In the new organization, the worker is no longer a cog in the machine but is an intelligent part of the overall process. /kɒg/

It is one of my most vivid memories. He had a vivid imagination. Vivid is an adjective that describes a bold and bright color, an intense feeling, or an image in your mind that is so clear you can almost touch it. /ˈvɪvɪd/

I can't imagine a circumstance in which I would do that. The circumstances of his death are suspicious. /ˈsɜrkəmˌstæns/

They are kind and hospitable. She was just trying to be hospitable. The people of that country are very hospitable. /ˈhɒspɪtəbəl/