Verbs
cultivate
sneeze
Adjectives
fragrant
sweet-scented
Idioms
in bloom (= when flowers are opening)
give off (= smell)
Roses
give off
a sweet fragrance when they are
in bloom.
reminiscent of (= reminding sb. of)
The fragrance of flowers in blossom is
reminiscent of
spring.
Topic 42: Buildings
Nouns
What types of buildings are there in your city?
Do you prefer old or new buildings?
Are historical buildings important?
Would you like to live in an old building?
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architecture
structural design
skyscraper
office
block
residence
Verbs
construct
erect
renovate
demolish
Adjectives
elegant
well-designed
unsightly
contemporary
Idioms
put up (= build)
They are
putting up
loads of unsightly office blocks.
do up (= repair)
They should
do up
some of the old-fashioned residences.
pull down (= demolish)
They are
pulling down
older neighbourhoods to make way for the new skyscrapers.
Topic 43: Rains
Nouns
drizzle
shower
torrential rain
downpour
Verbs
pour down
spit (= rain lightly)
Adjectives
showery
damp
waterlogged
(clothing)
waterproof
soaked
Idioms
Do you like rains?
What do you usually do when it rains?
How do people feel about rain where you live?
What do you think is worse, too much rain or not enough rain?
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chuck it down (=rain heavily)
In spring it often
chucks it down.
get well
I really hate
getting wet.
put off (= cancel a planned activity)
If it’s pouring down with rain I will usually
put off
any
clear up (= stop raining)
outdoor activities until it
clears up.
Topic 44: Museums
Nouns
Natural History Museum
antique
artifact
fossil
Verbs
put on display
put on show
exhibit
Adjectives
rare
antique
prehistoric
primitive
Idioms
take sth. in (= look at sth.)
It takes about a full day to
take
in all the museums.
make a day of sth. (= spend a whole day doing sth.)
I’m quite into
making a day of
walking around the science museum.
on view / on display
There are loads of prehistoric fossils
on view.
Do you like museums?
How often do you visit museums?
What types of museum can be found in your country?
Why are museums important?
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Topic 45: Relaxation
Nouns
break
rest
Verbs
unwind
recuperate
Adjectives
soothing
comforting
calming
Idioms
take a breather (= relax)
I’ve mowed the front lawn, and I’m just
taking a breather
before taking the back lawn.
chill out (= relax)
Stop working; let’s
chill out.
take it easy (= relax)
Don’t worry;
take it easy.
put one’s feet up (= relax)
On weekends, we always
put our feet up.
Topic 46: Cycling
Nouns
pushbike
mountain bike
biking
bike-riding
Verbs
peddle
slow down
speed up
What do you usually do to relax?
How much time do you usually have to relax?
What do people usually do to relax in your company?
Do you think it’s important for people to relax?
( Note: Most sporting activities are not ―relaxing‖, so do not talk about sport for
this topic.)
Do you like cycling?
Is cycling popular in your country?
What are the advantages of cycling?
How often do you walk to places
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Adjectives
invigorating
energetic
environmentally-friendly
Idioms
had it (= broken)
My old pushbike has
had it
so I’m saving up to buy a new mountain bike.
run the risk of
If you leave your bike in public place, you
run the risk
of
having it stolen.
Topic 47: Healthy eating
Nouns
calory
cholesterol
vitamin
mineral
Verbs
munch (= eat)
lose weight
put weight on
Adjectives
nutritious
nourishing
wholesome
harmful (to one’s health)
Idioms
in good shape/ in good condition (= having a healthy body)
She’s
in good shape
after months of training.
pig out (= eat a large amount of food, usually unhealthy food)
We
pigged out
on pizza last night.
a Big Mac Attack (modern slang for eating Macdonald’s fast food)
The Child is having
a Big Mac Attack.
junk food (= un healthy fast food)
Junk food
has little or no nutrition.
a fast-food joint (= a restaurant which serves fast food)
There’s
a fast-food joint
in the strect corner.
Do you like eating healthy food?
Do you think it is important to eat healthy food?
Is fast food popular in your country?
Do you think people eat healthier food nowadays compared with people in the
past?
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Topic 48: Hotels
Nouns
Hostel
hotel-chain (= holiday inn)
room service
Verbs
In English we do not usually ―live in a hotel‖. The common verbs are:
Reside in a hotel
stay in a hotel
be a good guest or resident
Adjectives
Spartan (= basic and simple)
luxurious
exclusive
Idioms
Get the royal treatment (= be treated as if one is a king or queen)
If you stay in an exclusive hotel, you usually
get the royal treatment
At one’s beck and call (= ready serve sb.)
In most luxury hotels there are loads of staff
at your beck and call
Creature comforts (= things that make people comfortable)
In 5-star hotels there are usually loads of
creature comforts
Topic 49: Outdoor activities
Do you like doing outdoor activities?
How often do you do outdoor activities?
What outdoor activities are popular in you country?
Do you think it’s important for people to spend time outdoors?
(Use the same vocabulary as Topic 3: Hobbies/ Free-time activities and Topic 4:
Sports.)
Nouns
Outdoor
interest
leisure
pursuit
Verbs
Breath fresh air
feel the wind in other’s face
Adjectives
Bracing
refreshing
revitalising
Do you like staying in hotels?
How often do you stay in hotels?
What types of hotels can be found in your city/ country?
What are the advantages of staying in a hotel?
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Idioms
Out in the open air
We always have a picnic out in the open air.
Topic 50: Memories of the past
Do you like to think about the past?
How do you feel when other people talk about their memories?
Do you keep photographs to remind you of past events?
What can people learn from the past?
Nouns
Recollection
childhood
early years
Verbs
Reminisce
muse over
recall
Adjectives
Reminiscent
(memories) amusing
Idioms
Hang on to old memories (= remember sth. for a long time)
I’m not really the sort of person who likes to
hang on to old memories
– I
prefer to look to the future.
Hark back to (= remember sth. in the past)
Some of my friends often
hark back to
out childhood memories.
The here and now (= the present day)
I think that the past is history; I prefer to live for
the here and now.
Rake up old memories (= remember past events. Usually bad memories)
Some people often
rake up old memories.\
Topic 51: Childhood
Did you have a happy childhood?
What party of your childhood do you remember most?
What makes a happy childhood?
What would you like to change about your childhood?
(Use the same vocabulary as Topic 50: Memories of the past.)
Nouns
Early years
infancy
formative years
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adolescence
Verbs
Grow
develop
Adjectives
Childish
adolescent
Idioms
In the prime of one’s life (= in one’s early years)
In the prime of my life
, I gained lots of prizes
Vim and vigour (= energy)
During my adolescence I used to always have so much
vim and vigour.
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