English Listening Practice: Easily Master Direction Expressions

noun

1. the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level
often used for storage

Synonym: cellar

2. the ground floor facade or interior in Renaissance architecture

adj

1. difficult to analyze or understand

e.g. a complicated problem
complicated Middle East politics

noun

1. the act of setting and holding a course

e.g. a new council was installed under the direction of the king

Synonym: steeringguidance

2. the act of managing something

e.g. he was given overall management of the program
is the direction of the economy a function of government?

Synonym: management

3. the concentration of attention or energy on something

e.g. the focus of activity shifted to molecular biology
he had no direction in his life

Synonym: focusfocusingfocussingfocal pointcentering

4. a general course along which something has a tendency to develop

e.g. I couldn't follow the direction of his thoughts
his ideals determined the direction of his career
they proposed a new direction for the firm

5. something that provides direction or advice as to a decision or course of action

Synonym: guidancecounselcounselingcounselling

6. a message describing how something is to be done

e.g. he gave directions faster than she could follow them

Synonym: instruction

7. a formal statement of a command or injunction to do something

e.g. the judge's charge to the jury

Synonym: commissioncharge

8. a line leading to a place or point

e.g. he looked the other direction
didn't know the way home

Synonym: way

9. the spatial relation between something and the course along which it points or moves

e.g. he checked the direction and velocity of the wind

adv

1. at or to or toward the back or rear

e.g. he moved back
tripped when he stepped backward
she looked rearward out the window of the car

Synonym: backbackwardrearwardrearwards

2. in a manner or order or direction the reverse of normal

e.g. it's easy to get the `i' and the `e' backward in words like `seize' and `siege'
the child put her jersey on backward

Synonym: backward