VOCABULARY FOR IELTS SPEAKING

FURTHER EDUCATION = COLLEGE  Education at a college for people who have left school but are not at a university.. Ex: We value the diversity of work and life experience that mature stud

UNIT 1 : EDUCATION 3

UNIT 2: WORK 21

UNIT 3: PEOPLE 30

UNIT 4: TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT 34

UNIT 5: FOOD 37

UNIT 6: MEDIA 41

UNIT 7: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 46

UNIT 8: FRIENDSHIP & CO-OPERATION 52

UNIT 9: LIKES AND DISLIKES 55

UNIT 10: EFFORT, PLAN, & DECISION 57

UNIT 11: CLOTHING AND FASHION 62

UNIT 12: READING AND WRITING 65

UNIT 13: MONEY 66

UNIT 14: MUSIC 72

UNIT 15: TRAVEL 78

UNIT 16: SPORTS 83

UNIT 17: SKILL 87

UNIT 18: CRIME, LAW & JUSTICE 89

UNIT 19: NATURE 96

UNIT 20: HEALTH & FITNESS 101

UNIT 21: CULTURE 106

UNIT 22: BUILDINGS 112

UNIT 23: PARTIES & FESTIVALS 115

UNIT 24: GOVERNMENT 118

UNIT 25: ENVIRONMENT 124

UNIT 26: ANIMALS 136

UNIT 27: HOME APPLIANCES 139

UNIT 28: DEVELOPMENT 141

UNIT 29: FAMILY/CHILDHOOD 148

UNIT 30: SOLUTIONS 153

UNIT 31: ADVERTISING 157

UNIT 32: SHOPPING 164

UNIT 33: WEATHER 170

UNIT 34: TOWN AND CITY 178

UNIT 35: PHYSICAL APPEARANCE 185

Functional Expressions: Expressing Thoughts and Opinions in Task 2 191

Some Commonly-Used Phrases and Expressions for Task 1 Essay 193

Essential Adverbs for Task-2 Essays 196

UNIT 1 : EDUCATION

WISE

 A wise decision or action shows good judgement and is the right thing to do

Ex: It’s always wise to see a doctor if you’re worried about your health

FLUNK /flʌŋk/

 To fail an exam or a course of study

Ex: I flunk my Biology exam

SAIL THROUGH

 To succeed very easily, especially in a test or a competition

Ex: She sailed through her exam

PASS WITH FLYING COLORS

 To pass an exam with a high score, with great or total success

Ex: She came through the examination with flying colors

HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE

 Knowledge or skills that someone gets from doing something rather than just reading about

it or seeing it being done

Ex: He always said that he learned more about newspapers from hands-on experience than he did in the classroom

FURTHER EDUCATION = COLLEGE

 Education at a college for people who have left school but are not at a university

Ex: Universities mainly offer higher education courses, but many also offer a range of further education courses

HIGHER EDUCATION / TERTIARY EDUCATION

~ UNIVERSITY EDUCATION Ex: 60% of children now go into higher education after they finish school

 When male and female students are taught together in the same school or college

rather than separately

Ex: Co-educational schools prepare students for their future better than single-sex schools

REVIEW YOUR NOTES

 To study or look at your notes again

Ex: I review my notes at the end of every weekend

WIN A SCHOLORSHIP

 To receive an amount of money that is given by a school or organization… to help them pay

for the school fee

Ex: She won a scholorship for her dissertation

 Write down important points in a lecture or lesson

Ex: It’s important to take notes when you are listening to a lecture

BE QUALIFIED TO DO STH

BE QUALIFIED FOR STH

 To have necessary skill, experience, or knowledge to do a particular job or activity; having

the qualifications to do something

Ex: I am qualified to teach English

Ex: The candidate has demonstrated that he is amply qualified for the position

POST-GRADUATE SCHOOL

 University for students studying beyond degree levels

BE STRICT ON STH

 Demanding that students obey rules or behave in a certain ways

Ex: Teachers are really strict on cheating in exams The exam invigilators won’t even let you have your bag in the exam room.

FALL BEHIND WITH STUDIES

 Fail to keep pace with the school or university work To make less progress, fail to

develop as quickly as someone else or fail to reach the same standard as other people

Ex: Paul has been ill and he has fallen behind with his studies.

ACROSS THE CURRICULUM

 In all or most subjects

Ex: Pupils use computers across the curriculum

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

 Past experience in education

Ex: To become an engineer in Electronics you need to have a scientific educational background

SCHOOL UNIFORM

 A special kind of clothing that is worn by all the students of a school

Ex: It is obligatory that students wear school uniforms in some schools.

AN INTENSIVE COURSE

TAKE AN INTENSIVE COURSE

 A course that offers lots of training in order to reach a goal in as short a time as possible

Ex: Extensive courses aim at achieving long-term, ongoing language acquisition Ex: I’m taking an intensive course at a local private language school

ATTEND CLASSES

 Regularly go to classes Be present

Ex: I usually attend classes three times a week

MEET A DEADLINE # MISS A DEADLINE

 Being able to finish something on time # not have sth finished at fixed time

Ex: You have to work under pressure to meet a deadline

I’m pretty good at meeting deadlines

KEEP UP WITH MY STUDIES

 Not fall behind, to do whatever is necessary to stay level or equal with someone or

something

Ex: Whether you’ve just studied accounting skills for your business management degree, details of kings and empires for your graduate thesis in history, or computer programming methods for a computer science course, keeping up with your studies

will help you retain that knowledge so that you can apply it in other courses and in your career.

LEARN SOMETHING BY HEART

 To memorize it

Ex: I find it quite easy to learn things by heart which is useful when learning a

language

LEARN SOMETHING BY ROTE

 To learn something in order to be able to repeat it from memory, rather than in order to

understand it

Ex: She learned the equations by rote

STATE SCHOOL / ORDINARY STATE SCHOOL

 A school paid for by public funds and available to the general public

Ex: It is surely of little importance whether a college's students are drawn from a public school or a state school.

Ex: It was a medium sized village with a public school and a state school.

A SINGLE-SEX SCHOOL

 A school where only girls or boys attend ( as opposed to a mixed-sex school )

Ex: Students from single-sex schools find it difficult to adjust themselves to a co-ed work atmosphere after they graduate

STUDENT LOAN / SUBSIDIZED LOAN

 A student loan is designed to help students pay for university tuition, books, and living

expenses.

Ex: Undergraduates are eligible for subsidized loans, with no interest while the

student is in school

PLAY TRUANT / PLAY HOOKY / SKIP CLASSES

 To stay away from classes without permission

Ex: Most parents are horrified when they discover their children have been playing truant from school

Ex: I have lots of friends and I never play truant like some pupils here

A TRUANT BOY

 a boy that usually skips classes

A MATURE STUDENT

after a period at work.

Ex: Mature students are anyone over the age of 21 who didn't go to university after school or college.

Ex: We value the diversity of work and life experience that mature students bring to the university community.

BACHELORS DEGREE

Ex: I was doing a Bachelors Degree and it was a bit of a challenge

TAKE A YEAR OUT

Ex: Taking time out after your degree course can give you a chance to further develop your skills, as well as giving you the opportunity perhaps to travel and work in a different country.

TO WORK YOUR WAY THROUGH UNIVERSITY

for educational fees or maintenance as a student by working

Ex: They are used to students working their way through college and graduates starting work with big loans to repay.

Ex: Most students in the US work their way through college.

Ex: A larger group consists of overseas students working their way through college.

TO SIT AN EXAM

 To take an exam

Ex: Sitting exams at the end of each year was a new experience for me

A GRADUATION CEREMONY

Ex: I had my graduation ceremony last year in the local cathedral and I know my parents were really proud

MASTERS DEGREE

undertaken by someone regarded as capable of a higher-level academic course.

Ex: I’m thinking of doing a Masters Degree soon

Some online master’s degree programs are designed to provide students with the skills and expertise needed to succeed in today’s highly competitive marketplace

DISTANCE LEARNING DEGREES

 Degrees that you can get by studying online

Ex: The online Masters degree format has proven to be the most effective vehicle for delivering distance learning degrees Students earning their Masters degree online have the flexibility to complete assignments any time during the week, day or night, with no required log-in times

DISTANCE LEARNING

Ex: Many undergraduate students are taking their first degrees via distance learning, together with thousands of postgraduate students

SUBJECT SPECIALIST

Ex: A good teacher should be patient and subject specialists and be able to explain the subject clearly.

GIVE FEEDBACK

 To offer guidance for students’work

Ex: Students should be given a constructive feedback for the outline of their projects to help them improve their performance

DISTANTLY DELIVERED TUITION AND STUDY

 An online course that helps you study everything through the Internet

Ex: In recent years, the advent of the Internet and widespread use of the computher has led to a huge growth in distantly delivered tuition and study

HANG ON

 To wait for a short period of time

Teachers should give feedback quickly, not hang on to essays for ages

TUITION FEES

 The money that you paid for an online course

One of the advantages of distance learning courses is the tuition fees are usually cheaper It’s a more flexible way of studying especially if you have a job

FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES

colleagues and a teacher.

Studying on a distance learning course requires you to be very motivated to keep up with the classes I would imagine that many people will fall behind with their studies compared to face-to-face classes.

BOARDING SCHOOL

Most people who go to the top universities have studied at public schools … you have

to be very rich to study in a school like that … they’re usually boarding schools as well so the fees are enormous …

making someone feel satisfied

ex: teaching can be a very rewarding career it allows teachers to have an input in the development of young lives

SOMEONE'S ASPIRATION / PURSUIT

 someone's strong wish for achievement

ex: the educational aspirations/ pursuits of rural youth tend to be different from those

of students living elsewhere

CONCENTRATE ON STH

 direct sb's thoughts or attention towards sth

ex: some people think it is more effective to educate boys and girls in single-sex schools because they believe this environment reduces distractions and encourage pupils to concentrate on their studies

FORM THE BASIS OF STH

 provide the ideas or actions from which sth can develop

ex: traditional ways of teaching form the basis of the lesson

USE LATERAL THINKING

 think in a creative way = use a creative approach to solving problems

ex: using lateral thinking , the students can solve problems in an unconventional manner

RELY ON LINEAR THINKING

 depend on habits of thought in which one idea follows directly from another one

ex: the students should not rely on linear thinking habits Instead, they should think more innovatively

BREAK THE MOULD

 change a situation by doing sth unprecedented

ex: he made an attempt to break the mould of British politics

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

 how good or bad a student is academically

ex: Tyler's academic performance has been disappointing

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

 the degrees, diplomas and certificates that someone has acquired

ex: today academic qualifications are essential for getting a reasonable career

STANDARDISED TEST

 tests that are designed to give each test-taker the same questions in the same format

ex: High scores on standardised tests are not necessarily the best indicator of

giftedness

ex: lessons last for a standardised 50 minutes and are always followed by a 10-minute break, which gives the pupils a chance to let off steam

TO BE GIFTED / BE TALENTED

 has an impressive natural ability

ex: the process of being educated we can learn from the achievements of those more

gifted than ourselves

 learn sth so that you can remember it perfectly

ex: the view of repetitively boring lessons and learning the facts by heart may be unfair and unjustified

 cause students to prepare hastily for an examination

ex: It concerns some parents that these examinations may induce cramming

IGNORANCE

 lack of knowledge about a particular subject

ex: No one minds mistakes or ignorance as long as you are prepared to learn from the,

STANDARD OF UPRIGHT CONDUCT

 to judge what is right and wrong = standard of honest and responsible behaviour

ex: At school students should be taught respect for the rights of others and standards

of upright conduct

STUDENTS' AUTONOMY

 students' right to organise their own activities

ex: students' autonomy should be encouraged when there are not enough teachers to

ex: My elder brother has always been a role model for me

SET A GOOD EXAMPLE

 encourage or inspire people to do the same thing as one does

ex: his dad was always telling him to set a good example for his younger

MEET SB'S EXPECTATIONS

 be as good as expected

ex: His academic performance failed to meet his parents' expectations

FALL SHORT OF SB'S EXPECTATIONS

 be disappointing to sb

ex: Jamine kept falling short of my expectations

CANNOT BE GUARANTEED SUCCESS

 there is no assurance that something will be a success

ex: so far no teaching methods can be guaranteed success

COVER A LOT OF GROUND

 learn a great amount of information in a class = ( of subjects or courses ) deal with much information and many facts

ex: we've covered a lot of ground in this class in the past couple of months

BE WELL-ROUNDED

 have a variety of experiences in life

ex: she's a well-rounded person who not only works hard but also has a varied social life

COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF STH

 include many details or aspects of sth

ex: the impression is that the logical nature of the textbooks and their comprehensive coverage of different types of examples renders work

SELF-PACED LEARNING/ EDUCATION

 study at one's own speed = learning whose rate of speed can be set or regulated by the students themselves

ex: self-paced distance learning offers students convenience and flexibility

CORE CURRICULUM

 the set of common courses that are require of all students

ex: the core curriculum provide the necessary general education for students,

irrespective of their fields of interest

THE AIMS OF EDUCATION

 the purpose of education

ex: the aims of education should not be restricted to the development of knowledge or skill

ACADEMIC ATTAINMENT

 sth that students succeeded in doing in class.

ex: Japan has a significantly better record in terms of average mathematical

attainment than England and Wales

SPECIALISE IN STH

 be an expert of a particular part of a subject

ex: Grant Freeman, a biologist who specilises in identifying insects, has come to talk to

us about his current research work

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

 activities that are not part of the course that a student is doing

ex: these extra-curricular activities offer students an outlet for creativity and solving

problem-PROMOTE EQUALITY

 ensure the same conditions, possibilities and rights

ex: some people believe that uniforms can promote equality and encourage better behaviour at school

REPRESS INDIVIDUALITY

 discourage qualities that make someone or something different from all others

ex: school uniforms may repress individuality and deny students the freedom of choice

CO-EDUCATION

 a system in which students of both sexes are educated together

ex: some people believe that co-education can make children feel more comfortable in the company of the opposite sex

A SINGLE SEX SCHOOL

 an all-boys or all-girls school

eX: some people arugue that single-sex schools impose abnormal conditions upon children

MIXED-ABILITY CLASS

 class involving students of different abilities

eX: it is remarkable that large mixed-ability classes could be kept together for maths throughout all their compulsory schooling

DISTINGUISH SB/STH FROM

 recognise differences between people or things

eX: importantly, our commonly held feelings can help distinguish us from other cultures

 behave in a polite or socially acceptable way

ex: apart from a very small minority, the students are well-behaved

ADOLESCENCE

 the period of your life from in which you develop from being a child into being an

adult

ex: The book deals with the joys and sorrows of adolescence

A HEALTHY / POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON LIFE

 a healthy / positive way of understanding and thinking about life

ex: A healthy outlook on life can help students to succeed both academically and socially

WELL-ADJUSTED ADULTS

 adults who can act with good judgement

ex: Educators should ensure that today's students will become productive and adjusted adults of tomorrow

well-DROP OUT OF SCHOOL

 quit school before graduation

ex: in this country, each year many students are forced to drop out of school

SKIP SCHOOL

 avoid attendance at school

ex: some students skip school because they dislike the material taught in class

COME OF AGE

 become an adult

ex: in some country, to come of age means to reach the age when someone is legally recognized as an adult and is legally responsible for his/her own behaviour

BE BILINGUAL

 be able to speak two languages well or involve two languages

ex: Donna appreciates she had the chance to be bilingual DOnna

BE MONOLINGUAL

 speak or use only one language

ex: experts believe that people who speak two languages have a clear learning advantage over their monolingual schoolmates

SLACK OFF

 make less of an effort than usual

eX: it's about time you stoppped slacking off and did some work

APPLY ONESELF

 work hard with a great deal of attention for a long time

ex: I'm sure you can solve the problem if you apply yourself

UNRULY STUDENTS

 students who are difficult to control

eX: Megan had an unruly class of adolescents on Thursday

ACT UP

 behave badly, misbehave

ex: Ricky sometimes likes to act up in class

INDISCIPLINE

 a lack of control or obedience

ex: the coach apologised for his team's indiscipline

MEET THE DEMAND OF

 answer the need of = satisfy a certain need or desire

ex: economic globalization requires more culturally-competent university graduates who can meet the new market demands

BE GEARED TO STH

 to be in accordance with another thing

ex: education should be geared to the students' needs and abilities

INFORM SB ABOUT STH

 give information about sth

ex: studying geography informs us about the different kinds of relationships that develop between a particular environment and the people who live there

PUT THEORY INTO PRACTICE

 start to use a theory and see if it is effective

ex: the workshop helps students to put theory into practice they can test their ideas

or plans for practical applications there

FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE

 experience that has been gained by doing sth yourself

ex: by doing experiments, students acquired first-hand experience with the periodic table of the chemical elements

THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR STH FALLS ON SB

 sb is responsible for sth = sb's duty is to do sth

ex: the responsibility for educating children used to fall both on parents and on teachers

THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR STH RESTS WITH SB

 sb's duty is to do sth

ex: the responsibility for limiting children's access to violence on TV rests with the parents

SHIRK ONE'S RESPONSIBILITIES FOR STH

 deliberately avoid doing sth that one should do

ex: parents should not shirk their responsibility for educating their chidlren

FULFIL ONE'S RESPONSIBILTIES

 perform or carry out one's responsibilities

ex: parents should fulfil their responsibilties and monitor their children's TV viewing and Internet use

DENY SB THE FREEDOM TO DO STH

 do not allow sb to do sth = do not give sb the opportunity or the power to do sth

ex: there is no reason to deny students the freedom to choose subjects that interest and motivate them

COMPULSORY SUBJECT

 a subject that must be studied by all students

ex: It is recognized as an important compulsory subject throughout schooling

KINDLE SB'S INTEREST IN STH

 make sb interested in sth

eX: the students' interest in mathematics was kindled by Emma's excellent teaching

OPTIONAL SUBJECTS/ COURSES

 subjects / courses that may be chosen or not chosen

ex: They believe that at the secondary level, all students should take Math and

English, but other subjects can be optional

THERE IS NO SUBSITUTE FOR SB/STH

 an agreement between two sides who have different opinions or different needs //

risk losing sth important

ex: all classroom learning is, in fact, a compromise between the different needs of various students

ex: the modifications might compromise safety in some way.

A HAPPY MEDIUM

 a middle position

ex: there's a happy medium between studying all the time and not studying at all

BE SB.'S MENTOR

 an experienced person who gives advice to sb

ex: Freya was my teacher, my mentor and my friend

SB'S PEER

 someone who is of the same age as sb else

ex; they are entering a wider community where teachers and peers will have just as much influences as their parents do at home

TAKE SB UNDER SB'S WING

 help someone, especially someone who is younger and less experienced

ex: My mentor took me under her wing at a time when I needed her the most

BURN THE MIDNIGHT OIL

 work very late into the night

ex: Abigail has to get the report finished by tomorrow so she'll be burning the

midnight oil tonight

STUDY INTENSIVELY

 study in a highly concentrated manner

ex: Many parents are concerned that exam-oriented education may restrict students' creativity and cause students to study too intensively

UNIT 2: WORK

JOB SECURITY

 being free from the threat of losing one's job

ex: It's a choice between higher pay and job security

BE UNEMPLOYED

 be without a job

ex: women who were unemployed were included in the research

VOLUNTARY WORK

 A job that you are not paid for

Ex: Voluntary work is great way to get work experience, learn new skills and help a community You don’t get wages, but for some projects you can still get your benefit and you may get extra allowances.

Ex: You can combine activities, for example, a temporary job to raise some money, followed by some travelling and a period of voluntary work

CAREER PROSPECT

 The probability or chance for future success in a profession

Ex: She was jealous of her daughter’s intelligence and her career prospects in

journalism

The training awards can improve career prospects for trainees and apprentices

JOB SATISFACTION

 the pleasant feeling you get from a job

ex: the sense of belonging to a team contributes towards job satisfaction

BE ENTITLED TO STH

 be given the right to do sth

ex: the majority of the workers have been entitled to paid holidays.

A SENSE OF FULFILMENT

 having the opportunity to develop one's abilities and interests

ex: Madison found a sense of fulfilment and joy as a teacher

FRUSTRATION

 the feeling of being upset because you cannot achieve sth

ex: all her efforts met with frustration

BRAIN DRAIN

 a situation in which professionals go to another country in order to improve their

living or working conditions

ex: this brain drain was caused by highly-skilled people only offering their services to the highest bidder

WORK EXPERIENCE

 the experience and skills that a person gains in doing a particular job ( likely to be

written incorrectly as "working experience" by non-native English speakers )

ex: Paul decided to get work experience in South America because he wanted to learn about Latin American life

VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATION

 The skills or experience that you get for a particular type of job

Ex: We offer a wide range of vocational and technical qualifications as well as the most comprehensive range of apprenticeships

WORK-BASED TRAINING

 The process of learning the skills that you need to do for a particular job

Ex: The UK offers a wide range of work-based training for students seeking to build careers in specific industries

137 EXCESSIVE WORKLOAD

 have too much work to do = work overload

ex: the employees have been complaining about the excessive workload - they had to

do too much in too little time

BE LABOUR INTENSIVE

 be a process that requires a lot of effort

ex: However, the process took a long time and wa labour intensive

139 AN OPPRESSIVE DEADLINE

 a deadline that is too short and difficult to meet

eX: working to oppressive deadlines can increase the risk of a heart attack.

TO WORK UNDER ENORMOUS STRESS

 Work under great pressure

Ex: Jasmine is very resilient and effective at working under enormous stress

AN EMPLOYEE-FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT

 An environment that emphasises the happiness and self-fulfilment of employees

Ex: the company will build an employee-friendly environment , with various

programmes from childcare and family care to leisure support.

WORKPLACE

 The place where you work ( likely to be incorrectly written as “work unit” by

non-native English speakers)

Ex: it is in everyone’s interest to maintain a high level of security in the workplace

WORK LONG HOURS FOR LOW PAY

 Work many hours a day for very little money

Ex: in this country, many nannies work long hours for low pay

LEISURE ACTIVITIES

 Recreational activities carried out when someone is free from work or other duties

Ex: a wide range of leisure activities is available to students outside class time

A DEMANDING JOB

 A job that requires a lot of time, energy and attention

Ex: the work was too physically demanding.

CONTRACT

 A legal agreement between two people or two businesses that says what each

should do for the other

Ex: it may be that your contract gives you better rights, or your holiday rights might be specified in a collective agreement

WORK ETHIC

 The belief that hard work is good for developing one’s moral character

Ex: Riley is a perfect example of dedication We really admire his work ethic

FLEXIBLE ARRANGEMENT

 A plan that can be changed easily according to the situation

Ex: telecommuting may give employees very flexible work arrangements with their employers

 The things a person does in a fixed order

Ex: he found doing the routine work boring

BE WELL-STAFFED

 Have capable staff

Ex: a properly designed programme should be well-staffed and well-managed

BE SHORT-STAFFED

 Do not have sufficient members of staff

Ex: now the company is seriously short-staffed because business is picking up

HAVE ACCESS TO

 Have the right or opportunity to use sth

Ex: in the course of your work you may have access to information relating to the company’s business

CAUSE FRICTION BETWEEN … AND…

 Cause disagreement between…and…

Ex: this decision has caused friction between the employees and the manager

CONFLICTS ARISE

 Has caused angry disagreement

Ex: sometimes conflicts arise between older and younger employees

STRESS-INDUCED DISEASES

 Become ill because of too much stress = diseases caused by great worry

Ex: there has been a continuous search for the cure for stress-induced diseases

THE PACE OF WORK

 The speed at which someone works

Ex: successful professionals tend to work at a steady pace

OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD

 A risk for people doing a particular job

Ex: every company should have goals to eliminate occupational hazards in the workplace

OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE

 A disease commonly acquired by people in a particular occupation

Ex: noised-induced hearing loss is one of the most common occupational diseases in the UK

BACKBREAKING TASKS/ LABORIOUS TASKS

 Tasks that are hard and need a great deal of effort

Ex: the toughest part of Katie’s job is not the laborious/ backbreaking tasks

MANUAL WORK/ MANUAL LABOUR

 Physical work

Ex: there is a big demand for manual labour in the construction industry

MENTAL WORK

 Work that involves a great deal of thinking

Ex: many people feel that mental work can be physically exhausting

BE IN CHARGE OF STH

 Have control over and be responsible for sth

Ex: Mr Thompson is in charge of this department

HAS AN ATTITUDE PROBLEM

 Does not take someone’s own job seriously

Ex: Justin has a real attitude problem In fact, he’s just a slacker.

BE AN EAGER BEAVER

 A person who is willing to work very hard

Ex: who’s the eager beaver who came in at the weekend to finish this work off?

BE AN INDICATOR OF ABILITY

 Be something that can be regarded as a sign of ability

Ex: Age is not of itself an indicator of ability

FEEL OUT OF ONE’S ELEMENT

 Feel uncomfortable with the new situation = feel uncomfortable in a particular

Ex: most British companies still aren’t really attuned to the needs of this market

WORK AROUND THE CLOCK

 Always work = work all day and all night

Ex: Katie said she was already working around the clock

WORK CONTINUOUSLY / WORK NON-STOP

 Work without interruptions

Ex: the construction workers worked non-stop to build a new school for the children

DISTRACT SOMEONE FROM SOMETHING

 Make sb Stop giving his/her attention to sth

Ex: he was distracted from his work by the noise.

DIVERT SOMEONE’S ATTENTION FROM…

 Take someone’s attention away from sth

Ex: nothing could divert his attention from work

LEAD A BUSY LIFE

 Lead a life full of activities

Ex: Keira leads a busy life She doesn’t even have time to sit down to enjoy a relaxing meal

BE TIED UP AT WORK

 Be prevented from doing sth because of being busy at work

Ex: Connor was completely tied up at work

A STRESSFUL AND TIME-CONSUMING JOB

 A job that takes a lot of time to do and cause a lot of pressure

Ex: being an art director is a stressful and time-consuming job

A CUSHY JOB

 An easy and pleasant job

Ex: Theo decided to quit his cushy job at a holiday resort

JOB PROSPECTS

 Chances of success in a job or career

Ex: learning a second language fuels children’s intelligence and makes their job prospects brighter

INCENTIVE

 Sth that encourages a person to fulfil a task

Ex: if you allocate these tasks to specific days, there’s more incentive to tackle them

MOTIVATION

 Willingness to do sth

Ex: Rebecca has no motivation to succeed

INSPIRE SOMEONE’S FOLLOWERS

 Make someone’s supporters feel that they can do sth Well

Ex: you migt inspire some of our students to conduct some similar experiments

BUILD A CLOSE RAPPORT

 Develop close agreement or sympathy with each other

Ex : a close rapport was built between Nathan and me

GLASS CEILING

 An invisible barrier that prevents women from entering the ranks of senior level

management

Ex: many women complain about the glass ceiling that bars them from upper

management in large corporations

DISCRIMINATE AGAISNT SB

 Treat sb Unfairly because of their beliefs, race or other features

Ex: in this country, employees are not allowed to discriminate on the basis of gender

UNIT 3: PEOPLE

BE SELF-RELIANT

 Feel that you can do things well and that people respect you for that.

Ex: he’s determined and self-reliant.

BE SELF-SUFFICIENT

 Be able to provide everything that you need by yourself

Ex: The increased productivity from farmland made some countries self-sufficient in grain.

BE A SELF-MADE MAN / WOMAN

 Be a person who has become successful without help from other people

Ex: The young entrepreneur is a self-made man.

SHOW INITIATIVE

 Show the ability to use one’s own judgment to do things

Ex: when Joseph began the job, he showed initiative.

DO STH OF ONE’S OWN ACCORD

 Do sth without being asked or forced to do it

Ex: James apologised of his own accord.

Ex: It takes strong willpower to overcome the temptation.

KEPP ONE’S WORD

 keep one’s promise

Ex: Anita is an honourable person who always keeps her word.

AN UPRIGHT CITIZEN

 An honest and responsible person

Ex: Lewis behaved as any upright citizen would have under those circumstances.

 Wishing to seem interested in everything connected with art

Ex: Max is very arty and a bit of a dreamer.

SET THE BENCHMARK FOR STH.

 Set the standard that other people can ue for judging how good or bad sth is

Ex: The Last Dinner by Leonardo da Vinci set the benchmark for religious painting.

WORSHIP SB.

 Love and admire sb very much

Ex: As a child, Layla worshipped her older sister.

MEET SB IN PERSON

 Meet sb face to face : meet in each other’s presence

Ex: do you think it is possible to be friends with someone if you never meet them in person?

A REANISSANCE MAN / WOMAN

 Someone who knows a lot about many different subjects and has many practical skills

Ex: Christopher is a writer, composer and actor - a real Renaissance man.

BE VERSATILE

 Be capable of doing many different things well

Ex: Georgia is a very versatile young artist.

BE ARTISTIC

 Sensitive to art and able to enjoy it

Ex: Early results show that creative and artistic people do much better than average.

WORLD-RENOWNED

 Very famous for a special skill or achievement

Ex: He’s a world-renowned artist.

AN OVERNIGHT SUCCESS

 An instant success

Ex1: Most overnight success actually take years.

Ex2: Pilkingston’s frist full-scale plant was an instant commercial success.

SB.’S LEGACY LIVES ON

 Sb.’s influnce continues

Ex: The war hero’s legacy lives on.

SB HAS A LARGE FOLLOWING

 Has many admires

Ex: The actor has a large following on Twitter.

A GO-GETTER

 Someone who is likely to be successful because he/she is very determined and has a lot of energy

Ex: Joshua is real go-getter.

A CONSUMMATE ACTOR / ACTRESS/ ATHLETE

 A very skillful actor / actress/ athlete

Ex: Joseph is a consummate leader.

A PRODIGY

 A young person who has a natural ability to do sth extremely well

Ex: There has always been an interest in geniuses and prodigies.

PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE

 people of different backgrounds

Ex: People from all walks of life voted for him but he still lost the election.

PEOPLE WHO LIVE NEXT DOOR TO YOU

 people who live in building, room or position next to yours

Ex: How well do you know the people who live next door to you?

GO FROM RAGS TO RICHES

 Start your life very poor and then later in life become very rich

Ex: Rags-to-riches stories tend to be very inspirational.

IS A SUBJECT VERY CLOSE TO ONE’S HEART

 Is a subject someone has strong feelings about

Ex: Poverty is a subject very close to Olivia’s heart.

Ex: In my work, a laptop is an absolute neccessity.

IS PART AND PARCEL OF BING FAMOUS

Ex: Being recognised in the street is part and parcel of being famous.

 A famous person, especially in entertaiment or sport

Ex: A lot of celebruties were at the film premiere

 Lifestyles of spending a lot of money, especially more than is reasonable

Ex: They live extravagant lifestyles with huge mansions and luxury cars.

UNIT 4: TRAFFIC AND

 A large road system consisting of many similar parts that are connected togerther

Ex: Some people complain that the quiet countryside has been ruined by road networks.

TRAFFIC BOTTLENECK

 A place where a road is narrow or blocked

Ex: The traffic bottlenecks make goods transport difficult.

INCH ALONG

 Move very slowly

Ex: The traffic was stalled and we inched along across the bridge.

BE OUT OF BOUNDS TO SB.

 Be a place you are not allowed to enter

Ex: Certain areas are used for particular experiments and are therefore temporarily out of bounds to the public.

BUMPER-TO-BUMPER

 (of traffic) very close together and moving slowly

Ex: A new study shows that the daily struggle of bumper-to-bumper traffic is getting worse.

THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC

 The total amount of traffic

Ex: The volume of traffic on the roads has increased dramatically.

TRAFFIC DENSITY

 The amount of traffic in a place

Ex: Aerial photos can show traffic density.

BE JAM-PACKED

 Full of people or things that are very close together

Ex: The bus terminal was jam-packed with commuters.

COMMUTER

 Someone who has to travel a long distance to work everyday

Ex: The bus was jam-packed with complaning commuters.

PETROL

 A liquid that is used to supply power to vehicles

Ex: The report give monthly summaries of regional petrol prices for the UK.

HYBRID CAR

 A car that uses two or more power sources

Ex: These experts argue that a hybrid car is a reliable as nay traditional car.

FUEL CONSUMPTION

 The burning of coal, gas or oil to produce heat or power

Ex: Driving at high speeds significantly increases your fuel consumption.

A GAS GUZZLER

 A car that is expensive to drive because it uses a lot of petrol

Ex: Big cars tend to be gas guzzlers Small cars are more fuel-efficient.

RECKLESS DRIVING

 Driving without worrying about the possible results

Ex: He was found guilty of reckless driving, fined heavily and disqualified from driving for three months.

IMPAIR A PERSON’S DRIVING ABILITY

 Reduce one’s driving ability

Ex: Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can impair a person’s driving ability.

GET SOMEWHERE SAFE AND SOUND

 Get somewhere unharmed

Ex: It was a difficult drive but we arrived home safe and sound.

TWISTS AND TURNS

 A complicated situation or plan of action

Ex: It was difficult to figure out the twists and turns in the plot

A FREE-FOR-ALL

 A completely uncountrolled situation

Ex: During the afternoon rush hour, the traffic was a, messy free-for-all.

 At a place where roads join or cross each other

Ex: One way of making sure that the pedestrians are safe is to increase signage at the intersections.

JAM ON THE BRACKES

 Suddenly stop the car

Ex: Chloe jammed on the brakes when the lights turned red.

GO OVER THE SPEED LIMIT

 Drive a car faster than the fastest speed legally allowed

Ex: Going over the speed limit is particulary dangerous when it snows.

UNIT 5: FOOD

HYGIENE

 The practice of keeping yourself or your surroundings clean

Ex: Max doesn’t care much about food hygiene.

COOKING UTENSILS

 something that you use for cooking with

Ex: This hardware store offers a wide range of cooking utensils.

BE NUTRITIOUS

 Contains things that your body needs to stay healthy

Ex: Raw vegetables are actually more nutritious than cooked vegetables.

GOOD NUTRITION

 Food that is considered good for your health

Ex: More people attain an advanced age as a result of developments in medical care and better nutrition (Cambridge IELTS 8 )

FATTENING

 (of food ) making people fat

Ex: Take more exercise and try to avoid fattening food.

BE IN SEASON

 Currently available for selling

Ex: Strawberries are in season.

BE OUT OF SEASON

 Not the time of year when certain vegetables or fruits become ready to eat

Ex: The technological breakthrough will allow UK retailers to cut down on importing out-of –season pears from Spain.”

FOOD SUPPLIES

 The food that is available

Ex: Fish were a vital commodity in growing towns and cities, where food supplies were

a constant concern ( Cambridge IELTS 8 )

FROZEN FOOD

 Food that is preserved by freezing

Ex: Many people feel that frozen food is inferior to fresh food.

CANNED FOOD

 food that has been preserved in a metal container without air

Ex: Canned vegetables usually contain a lot of salt.

TV DINNER

 A frozen prepared meal that you buy in a container

Ex: Some manufacturers are trying to make TV dinner low in salt and additives-free

REFRESHMENTS

 Something to eat or drink during a party or a meeting

Ex: What can be bought to cut down on the waste produced by staff refreshments? (Cambridge IELTS 8)

A WHOLESOME DIET

 The healthy food that someone eats each day

Ex: Some people believe a salt- free diet is wholesome.

AN UNHEALTHY DIET

Ex: public awareness of the dangers of an unhealthy diet should be raised.

GREASY

 Prepared with a lot of oil or fat

Ex: Evan can shed more pounds if he eats less greasy food.

CUT DOWN ON STH.

 Reduce the amount of sth That you eat or drink

Ex: My doctor told me to cut down on carbohydrates

INTAKE

 The amounof sth, that you eat or drink

Ex: Ruby should reduce her intake of salt and sugar.

A FAST FOOD JUNKIE

 Someone who likes junk food very much

Ex: Fast food junkies should be made aware of the psychological reasons fo fast food addiction.

CARBONATED DRINKS

 Drinks that have small buddles of air in them

Ex: Carbonated drinks can destroy the proective enamel around teeth.

DIETARY HABITS

 What we eat and how we eat

Ex: Dietary habits can be very difficult to change.

EATING DISORDER

 A medical condition in which a person does not eat a normal amount of food

Ex: The family have a history of eating disorder.

TRACE ELEMENT

 Chemical element that a living thing needs in only extremely small amounts in order

to grow and develop normally

Ex: Iron and zinc are two important trace elements that the human body needs.

PROTEIN-RICH

 ( of food ) high in protein

Ex: Many dieticians believe that protein-rich diets are best at keeping weight.

HAVE A SWEET TOOTH

 Love to eat food with sugar in it

Ex: It’s things like cakes and candy bars that I can’t resist I’ve got a sweet tooth.

BE A GOURMET /ˈɡƱR.MEɪ/

 Be a connoisseur

Ex: Molly is a gourmet She’s an excellent judge of good food and drinks.

GOURMET (ADJ)

 (of food) very high quality

gourmet coffee / a gourmet meal

 producing or serving food that is very high quality: