Expressions, synonyms and binomials

Expressions from the text:

• to name a few = these are only some examples;
• came into existence = began to exist;
• in full glory = at its most splendid;
• in disbelief = unable to believe what you see;
• to no end = endlessly ('arouses curiosity to no end');
• age-old problem = a problem that has existed for a very long time (like crossing Meghalaya's rivers).

Synonym groups:

• mysterious, puzzling, baffling → enigmatic;
• mighty, gigantic, huge → colossal;
• breath-taking, stunning, awe-inspiring → spectacular;
• peaceful, calm, tranquil → serene;
• unusual, peculiar, foreign → exotic.

Synonyms are close but not always the same. 'Enigmatic' has a hint of charm that 'baffling' does not.

Binomials. A fixed pair of words joined by and or or. The text has hide-and-seek and flora and fauna.

The order never changes: nobody says 'seek-and-hide' or 'fauna and flora'.

Their meanings:

• odds and ends: small, unimportant things;
• on and off: sometimes, now and then;
• mix and match: put different things together in different ways;
• all or nothing: completely, or not at all;
• part and parcel: a necessary part of something;
• pick and choose: select only the best;
• sooner or later: at some time in the future;
• leaps and bounds: very quickly ('her English has improved by leaps and bounds').