to remain unsurpassed	when no one does better, to be the best
dweller	a person that lives in a particular place
propensity	penchant, inclination, tendency
practitioner	a doctor to whom you go first when you're ill
to desist from sth	to stop sth
to detract	to retrace
scope for sth	an opportunity for sth
to bring out	to elicit, to issue
to condition	to teach, to train
advent	arrival, appearance of sth important
to come down to sth	to be a matter of sth
desolate	deserted, miserable
arid	extremely dry
remote	distant
to attain	to achieve
sparse	not dense
to go with sth	to match sth
a golden handshake	money/gift given to sb who retires
a shop floor	an area in the factory where goods are made
just the job	exactly what is needed
to take sth as read	to treat sth literally
a good job	a fortunate state of affairs
at all events	whatever happens
to say sth under one's breath	to say sth very quietly
to take it out on the dog	to be deliberately unkind because one is angry
crude	natural in form
to live at subsistence level	to have barely enough money to survive
to replenish	to refill
to overflow	to go beyond
eyesore	a thing that is unpleasant to look at
blemish	a mark that spoils the beauty of sth
to crow	to boast in a noisy manner
to wolf sth down	to eat sth quickly and greedily