1. [Match]

Link the definition of the words with the sentences.

(Crack
Get cracking – informal – hurry, get started. If you want to catch the 10.0 bus you’ll have to get cracking – informal.
Crack on – informal – proceed or progress quickly.
I’m afraid we’ll have to go – we’ve got to crack on.
Crack – a narrow opening. Eg Open the window just a crack.
The crack of dawn – daybreak. Eg We’ve got to be up at the crack of dawn.
a fair crack of the whip – an equal chance to do / of doing something:eg
It’s a pity she didn’t get into Parliament, but she’s had a fair crack of the whip. All the interviewees thought they had been given a fair crack of the whip.
To crack of a voice – suddenly change in pitch, indicating emotion, usually because the person is upset. Eg All of a sudden, her voice cracked and you could see the strain she was under. Her voice cracked with emotion as she told the story.
Crack – a thin and usually jagged space opened in a previously solid material
eg There’s a crack in this glass.
A crackdown – a series of measures against undesirable or illegal behaviour. Strict measures taken after something has been lax, or not strict enough.
Eg There’s been a crackdown on rowdy behaviour in town centres.
rowdy – adj – noisy and disorderly
Cracking – excellent. Eg Last night’s football final was a cracking one.
crack – verb – 1) make a sudden, sharp, short noise, or to cause something to make this noise, or 2) actually to break. Eg 1) The whip cracked over the horses’ heads. 2) The gas pipe has cracked. You can hear the branches cracking in the wind.
Crack a problem – solve a problem. Eg We’ve cracked the problem.
To be cracked up to be – informal, often used with a negative – be portrayed as. He was cracked up to be highly competent.
Not all it’s cracked up to be – not as exciting / positive / enjoyable as it is portrayed. Eg He said life in the circus isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. She went to see a flat, but it wasn’t as good as it had been cracked up to be.
Have / take a crack at sth / ….ing informal – make an attempt at.
Just have a crack at the exam and see how you get on.
)

Answers for Quiz [1].

• 1. proceed or progress quickly (correct)
• 2. a narrow opening (correct)
• 3. daybreak (correct)
• 4. an equal chance of doing sth (correct)
• 5. suddenly change in pitch, indicating emotion, usually because the person is upset (correct)
• 6. a thin and usually jagged space opened in a previously solid material (correct)
• 7. a series of measures against undesirable or illegal behaviour (correct)
• 8. excellent (correct)
• 9. make a sudden, sharp, short noise or actually to breaki (correct)
• 10. solve, have a breakthrough on some difficulty (correct)
• 11. as good as it is portrayed (correct)
• 12. attempt (correct)