Travel and adventure (English Collocations in Use (Advanced),UNIT 26)

A An exciting trip
Read Catherine's account of her trip to South America.

I'd always had a thirst for adventure and often get itchy feet so I could hardly contain my
excitement when I set off for South America for a year. After a 12-hour flight to Sao Paulo,
Brazil, I had another long flight to Manaus in the Amazon. Then I went by bus to a smaller town. It
was a very arduous' journey. I should have broken the journey2 somewhere but I did it all in one
go. Next time, I'll have a stopover1 in Sao Paolo, have a bit of a rest and do the sights there
before travelling on.
After two fantastic weeks in the Amazon I got a flight on a low-cost airline to Rio de
Janeiro. I then tried to get a flight to Peru but they were all full, so they put me on standby4.
Luckily I got a seat on the flight I wanted.
In Peru I went trekking in the Andes with a group. The guide took us off the beaten track
and I felt like an intrepid5 explorer from another century in some unexplored wilderness. There
was a real sense of adventure. One day we actually got hopelessly lost. It was getting dark and
we were afraid they'd have to send out a search party to look for us. But then we met some locals
who were very friendly and helped us get back on to our path. It was a great trip.
1
difficult, tiring, needing a lot of effort 2 stopped for a short time 3 have a brief (usually)
overnight stay in a place when on a long journey to somewhere else, usually by air
4
made me wait to see if a seat became available 5
brave, with no fear of dangerous
situations
В Articles about travel adventures
Note the collocations in these brief magazine items about travel adventures.

Some longed-for sunny spells have boosted the spirits' of three British women hoping to set a polar trekking
record. The women have faced severe weather conditions since setting off to walk to the North Pole 18 days ago.
However, the team's base camp manager said she had spoken to them yesterday by satellite phone and they had been
relieved to report the weather was sunny and their spirits were high2.

London to Tangier by train: Whilst this journey may not compare in terms of sheer epic grandeur to some of the
great American train journeys, it does have a special charm all of its own. It may not be cheap but if you keep your
eyes peeled3, you can find some surprisingly good deals. If your budget doesn't quite stretch to 4 a sleeping
compartment, you can always just curl up in your seat for the night. Let the rhythmical motion and the dull rumbles of
the train lull you to sleep. The first leg of the journey gives you very little indication of what lies ahead ...
1
made feel more cheerful 2 they were in a positive mood 3 (informal) keep
your eyes open
4
you can't afford
.

Exercises
 26.1 Complete these descriptions of TV using a word from
documentaries the box.
arduous beaten intrepid sense sights trekking unexplored
 1) John Howes presents essential holiday tips for those heading off the track, while Anneke Zousa does
the.............................of New York in record time.
2) In this fascinating film, Grieshaus gives us a picture of the largely..................wilderness of the Kara
Kum Desert.
3) In 1957, Anna Trensholm went ............................ through the mountains of North-Eastern Turkey
and filmed every step of her way.This unique footage reveals the harshness of
her...................................... journey.
4) This film conveys a genuine........................ of adventure, as we travel with its makers
through the dense jungles of Guyana.
5) Like a(n)..............................explorer of the nineteenth century, James Westly travelled with only two
companions
 .

26.2 Choose the correct collocations.

I have always had itchy (1) hands/ feet/ fingers and last summer had
the amazing opportunity to travel to the - for me at least - (2) unexplored/
unplanned/ unprepared'territory of the Gobi Desert. My budget wouldn't (3)
spread/ stretch 1 affordto travelling on a normal flight but 1 couldn't find a
(4) low-cost 1 low-key 1 low-cut airline to fly me there. In the end, 1 got a (5)
stand-up 1 stand-off 1 standby ticket and it was not too expensive. Once there
1 joined a group and we made a journey on horseback into the desert. You
wouldn't believe the sheer (6) very 1 mere 1 epic grandeur of the region. If you
keep your eyes (7) peeled! scaled! washed you can see all sorts of
amazing plants and creatures. We were lucky with the
weather. We were told that the previous group had had to (8) meet 1 face 1
address severe weather (9) circumstances / coincidences / conditions. Our
main problem was that one day we got (10) hopelessly /fearlessly / carelessly
lost and they had to send out a search (11) group / party / st to find us.
We felt so stupid. Anyway, the Gobi Desert may not be everyone's choice
of holiday destination but 1 can assure you that it (12) does/ gets/ has a
very special charm of its own.
26.3 Rewrite each sentence using the word in brackets.
1 At the beginning the journey was straightforward, (LEG)
2 I couldn't afford to travel first class, (STRETCH)
3 After we arrived at our base camp we felt more cheerful, (BOOSTFD)
4 There will be periods of sunshine in most areas today, (SPELLS)
5 We broke our journey to Australia in Singapore, (STOPOVER)
6 Jack has always longed to have adventures, (THIRST)
7 Grandmother is very cheerful today, (SPIRITS)
8 The movement of the ship helped me to fall asleep, (LULLED)
 English Vocabulary in Use (Advanced)

Travel and accommodation

A Booking travel and holidays

Here are some choices you may make when booking travel/holidays:
 first, business or economy class
scheduled route (e.g. via Amsterdam)
flight fare type (e.g. Apex, Budget)
By air -
charter inclusive/all-in package
flight flight only
extras (e.g. airport taxes/insurance)
A scheduled flight is a normal, regular flight; a charter flight is a special flight taking a group of
people, usually to the same holiday destination. Apex fares normally have to be booked a fixed
number of days in advance and they offer value for money. Budget fares are usually cheaper but
may have restrictions (e.g. you can only travel on certain days) and are usually non-refundable
[you can't get your money backl or if you cancel, you may have to pay a cancellation fee. Some
tickets allow a stopover lyou may stay somewhere overnight before continuing to your destination].
All-in packages normally include accommodation and transfers [e.g. a bus or coach to and from
your hotel].
Sea travel is normally on a ferry, and the journey is called a crossing, but you
can have a holiday on the sea if you go on a cruise. For some people a luxury
cruise is the holiday of a lifetime [one you will always remember].
You may decide to book a berth in a shared cabin [a bed in a cabin with
other people], or to have a single or double cabin. For more money, you can often get a deluxe
cabin, perhaps on the upper deck [the higher part of the ship, which is often bigger and more
comfortable]. Cruises often go to exotic [unusual or exciting] islands where you can get away from
it all [escape your daily life and routines]. Car hire is another way of getting around [informal:
travelling to different places]. When you book it, you normally choose
whether you want unlimited mileage [ maihd3 you can travel as many
miles as you like for the same price). There may also be extras to pay
such as accident insurance. If you hire a car it gives you the freedom to go as you please [go where
you want when you want].

Accommodation
Some people prefer hotels. Others prefer self-catering [where you do your own cooking]
accommodation, such as a holiday apartment or chalet [ J i l c i small cottage or cabin specially built
for holiday-makers). In Britain and Ireland, guest houses |private homes offering high standard
accommodation] and inns |similar to pubs, but also offering accommodation; usually beautiful old
buildings] offer good accommodation which is often cheaper than hotels, and there are many private
homes offering bed-and-breakfast [often called B and B]. Some types of accommodation offer half
board [usually breakfast and one other meal] or full board [all meals].

Exercises

31.1 Use vocabulary from A opposite to express these sentences more briefly, as in
the example.
EXAMPLE It was a regular flight which the airline runs every
day. It was a. scheduled -flight.
1 I hate those special flights where everyone is booked to the same holiday
destination.
2 It was a ticket you had to book 30 days in advance to get the cheaper fare.
3 The ticket allowed us to spend up to three nights in Singapore on the journey
from London to Sydney.
4 You can get a bed on the ferry in a little room with three other beds.
5 We hired a car, with as many miles as we wanted free.
6 When you get there, the bus or taxi to your hotel is included in the cost of the
holiday.
7 It was a special cheap fare, but there were some things you were not allowed to
do.
3 1.2 Match the words on the left with their collocations on the right.
1 bed catering
2 full for money
3 self- mileage
4 unlimited island
5 exotic and breakfast
6 value board
31. 3 Which expressions in the box do you associate with each of the holidays
below? Use a dictionary if necessary. Each expression may go with more than
one type of holiday.

to rough it an exhilarating experience to be out in the wilds

to lounge around to keep on the move to sleep under the stars
a real learning experience to be your own boss to just drift along
a cosy atmosphere to go as you please to spend a fortune on entrance fees

1 self-catering holiday 5 trekking holiday

2 camping trip 6 cruise
3 staying in an inn or a guest house 7 sightseeing holiday
4 skiing holiday 8 holiday with car hire
31.4 Use the correct expressions from 31.3 in these sentences.
1 It was a lovely cruise; we just........................................................all day.
2 I prefer self-catering because I like to.........................................................
3 Camping is OK if you don't mind..........................................................
4 Skiing is always such..........................................................
5 Sightseeing's great but it's easy.........................................................
6 The guided tour of the ancient ruins was..........................................................
7 Inns and guest houses usually have quite.........................................................

English Vocabulary in Use

TOURISM (p 82)

A General descriptions of tourist destinations

FOR TOURISTS YEARNING to escape the crowd1, wander off the beaten track 2 and get back to nature3, Suriname
increasingly looks a promising choice4. Nobody in Suriname claims that the country boasts5 the best sand, sea and sun in the
Caribbean. But that, in a way, is precisely the point: there aren't hordes6 of people either.
As Henk Essed, director of the Suriname Tourism Foundation, observes: We don't really need masses of tourists like we have
in the rest of the Caribbean. Instead, Suriname's modest tourism sector7 focuses on what

go where there are not many people go to places tourists don't normally go live a natural, rural style of life a choice which
could be a very good one this use of boast is for listing the good qualities of a place (formal) crowds, in a negative sense
tourist industry (formal) makes the country different. The biggest attraction for visitors seeking something out of the
ordinary8 is the wealth of9 wildlife. Large tracts10 of the country are still covered by virgin" rainforest, home to a huge range
of flora and fauna12.
There is great potential to develop eco-tourism13 as one of the major sources of income in the near future, says Harold Sijlbing,
managing director of Stinasu, an organisation which promotes conservation of wildlife and ecological awareness.

1 go where there are not many people 2 go to places tourists don’t normally go 3 live a natural, rural style of life 4 a
choice which could be a very good one 5 this use of boast is for listing the good qualities of a place (formal) 6 crowds, in a
negative sense 7 touist industry (formal) 8 common collocation: looking for
something different/unusual 9 large amount of (formal) 10 areas of land, collocates with large, vast,
huge 1' original and natural 12 plants and animals (Latin); a fixed phrase 13 holidays that
respect the environment
 Travel advertisements Guided tours for the
discerning* traveller.
Ancient Sites in modern Rambles, hikes and treks"
comfort. Unrivalled1' programme /
Send for our brochure
Taste of the bush3: all travel in air- ~- HI i i <r
conditioned 4x44 vehicles
Unwind1 in Estera,
recharge2 in Postalia, all
from under £500
Stunning7 locations. Unbeatable8
prices. Phone now.
Waterfront5 villas, self- | Savour12 the renowned
Awe-inspiring9 landscapes in our heartland1
catering, sleep up to six I national parks ;
 1 relax, reduce your general level of stress
2 get back your energy (like recharging a battery)
3 a term for the wild, tree- or grass-covered areas of Africa or Australia
4 pronounced four by four; vehicles with driving power on all four wheels
5 on the edge of the sea or of a river
6 who knows what he/she wants in terms of good quality
7 extremely beautiful
8 no other company can offer cheaper ones for the same service
9 it fills you with a sense of the power and beauty of what you are looking at
10 These three words represent a scale of length and difficulty. A ramble is a long, pleasant
walk, not too demanding. A hike is more demanding, suggesting more difficult terrain. A
trek is usually of several days over wild country.
11 no other holiday programme can match this
12 a word typically used in advertisements meaning enjoy
13 the inland areas furthest away from the sea or from borders with other countries

Exercises English Vocabulary in Use (Advanced)

32.1 Complete the expressions and collocations in these sentences, using words from A.
1 Malaysia........................some of the loveliest beaches in Asia.
2 The tourism........................is very important to the economies of many
developing
countries.
3 It is vital that tourism should not damage the flora and......................of beautiful
areas of wildlife.
4 Most tourists like to feel free to.......................off the..........................track.
5 Nobody likes to travel to a place where there will be...................of other tourists.
6 People who spend all their time in big cities often like to....................back to
........................when they go away for a holiday.
7 If you're.........................something out of the.........................why not try a
snowboarding holiday? It's certainly different!
8 When I travel I always try to.......................the crowd and find somewhere quiet.
9 There are vast........................of unspoilt land in the north of the country, with
........................rainforests and a.........................of wildlife.
10 We've studied the brochures and Tasmania looks a...................choice for this
year.
32.2 Look at these extracts from travel and tourism advertisements and, in your own
words, say what they mean. Use a dictionary if necessary.
1 Itinerary includes three shore excursions and 10 nights at sea
2 Flights subject to availability
3 Single room supplement £30 per night
4 For instant bookings or quotations, call 01785 67844532
5 Fly-drive option available on request
32.3 Use words from B opposite to fill the gaps, based on the words given in brackets.
1 This company is excellent and their prices are......................(RIVAL)
2 You should go into the......................to see the true culture of the country,
(HEART)
3 There are some absolutely......................beaches to the north, (STUN)
4 I think Suntravel is.......................when it comes to cheap destinations. (BEAT)
5 The mountains were so.........................Many were over 5,000 metres high, (AWE)
6 We rented a.......................villa. It was nice to be so near the beach, (WATER)
7 I just want somewhere quiet and relaxing to.....................for a week, (WIND)
8 Everyone needs to......................their batteries now and again. (CHARGE)
32.4 Answer these questions.
1 Order these words from the most physically demanding to the least physically
demanding: ramble, trek, hike
2 What verb might you find in travel advertisements meaning enjoy?
3 What adjective can be used with traveller to mean one who knows exactly what he
or she wants in terms of quality and value?
4 Where would you find the bush?
5 How do you say this and what does it mean? 4x4
Film and book reviews English Collocations in Use Advanced 62

Note the collocations in these reviews of the same film from different publications.

Quality newspapers

Larissa is an excellent film. It tells the story of what happens when a young woman decides to try
to find out what really happened to her grandmother, who disappeared in Russia in the 1930s under
mysterious circumstances. As the suspense builds up, Larissa sets off an amazing chain of
events. It's an incredibly gripping film and its direction shows startling originality.

It was certainly a bold experiment1 to cast Jenni Adams as a woman twice her age, but Jenni is a very
accomplished actor and a consummate professional2, and she carried it off brilliantly. And the rest of
the star-studded cast gave a dazzling display of their talents too. The film, which documents an
extraordinary series of events, was spectacularly successful in the US - the New York Times gave it
glowing reviews', and not without good reason.
1
a brave and risky thing to do 2
(formal) complete professional 3
very positive reviews
Popular (tabloid) newspaper

Whoever decided to cast Jenni Adams thing was the theme music. Perhaps
in the role of the disappearing grandma they'll release the CD of it - that would
in Larissa must have been out of their be something. The cinema next door was
mind. An unmitigated disaster4, strongly showing Screech of the Vampire - now
influenced' by the very worst kind of that I would highly recommend6 ... if you
Hollywood sentimentality. The only good can bear the suspense7!
4
total disaster s or heavily influenced, but NOT highly influenced 6
thoroughly recommend is also possible 7 can stand the excitement
Entertainment magazine
I usually think highly of Joel Hanson's films but this one, based on a novel by Slevan Gorsky, is a dismal
failure. In spite of the all-star cast, the film just didn't hold my attention the way the book did. I was a
college student when I read it, but it made a lasting impression8 on me. It fired my imagination more than
any other book has ever done, and awakened my interest in Russia in the 1930s so much that my poor old
bookshelves are groaning with books on Russian history! The film, however, simply failed to create9 the
atmosphere of Leningrad in the 1930s which the book achieved so successfully.
8
We can also say an indelible impression, meaning a permanent one 9 also evoke an atmosphere
 ERROR Someone can have a considerable reputation or a well-deserved reputation, but NOT high reputation.
WARNING
Exercises
English Collocations in Use Advanced 63
29.1 Complete the review using words from the opposite page. The first letter is given to help you.
The recently released film, 1,000 Nights, does not have a (1) s....................................................................cast
but it will not fail to make a (2) I.......................................................impression with its startling
(3)o............................................and its dazzling (4)d.....................................................of new talent.
Jon Hayden is cast in the (5) r.....................................................of Tim Alexon, a man
of principles trying to make his way in the world of big business. It is Hayden's first
appearance on the big screen, but he shows himself as an
exceptionally (6) a.................................................actor playing the little man caught
up in an intriguing and at times terrifying (7) s..............................................................of
events. The use of unknown actors was a bold (8) e................................................................
but it turned out to be (9) s.......................................................successful. 1,000 Nights
will (10) f.............................................the imagination of even the most cynical
of viewers.

29.2 Cross out the option which cannot be used in each sentence.
1 Alia Repina has a high I considerable I well-deserved reputation as a character actor.
2 The all-star I star-studded I starring cast is set to make the film a box-office success.
3 My cousin highly I spectacularly I thoroughly recommended the play.
4 The plot is based on an extraordinary series I burst I chain of events that happened in New
York in the early 1800s.
5 The stage sets were obviously strongly I highly I heavily influenced by the work of the
surrealist artist, Salvador Dali.
6 The film made a(n) consummate I lasting I indelible impression on me.
7 The author evoked I created I wrote a magical atmosphere.
29.3 Complete each sentence using a word from the opposite page.
1 I admire that producer because he is such a consummate.....................................
2 We all began to feel increasingly nervous as the suspense built...................................
3 All that writer's books have received glowing...................................
4 The central character's actions set off an amazing chain of .....................................
5 To my mind the play is an unmitigated...................................
6 Making a film lasting six hours was quite a bold....................................
7 I'm afraid the novel didn't really succeed in holding my....................................
8 I couldn't watch the film at the most exciting point - I just couldn't bear the
29.4 Name the following:
1 a CD that has been recently released.
2 a film director whom you think highly of.
3 a film that has recently been spectacularly successful.
4 a book that has awakened your interest in a different place or period of history.
29.5 Two of the collocations on the opposite page are strongly negative ways of saying that
something did not succeed. Which are they?

68 English Vocabulary in Use (Advanced)

The performance arts: reviews and critiques

A Useful adjectives for describing works and performances
adjective meaning example

overrated not as good as people say It's an overrated film/play.

hackneyed done so often it is boring The plot was so hackneyed!

impenetrable complex and impossible to understand His films are impenetrable.

disjointed unconnected and not in a clear order The play was disjointed and difficult to
follow.
far-fetched impossible to believe The film Green Aliens from Mars was a bit far-
fetched.

risque ikeiy slightly immoral and likely to shock some The play was a bit risque, and some
people religious leaders criticised it.

gripping exciting and keeping your attention the It was a gripping film from start to finish.
whole time

harrowing extremely upsetting It was a harrowing documentary about war and

refugee camps.

moving making you feel strong emotion, It's a moving story about a child whose mother
especially pity or sadness dies.
memorable you remember it long after That was a memorable performance.

understated done or expressed in a simple but The whole ballet is really understated.
attractive style
B Success and failure
His latest opera was panned [very negatively criticised] by the critics, which is strange,
since
all his previous works have been universally lauded [highly praised].
The play bombed in London's West End, but was more successful in New York, [was a
failure]
Her latest CD has won three awards, [prizes/honours, e.g. 'Best CD of the Year']
Anthony O'Donnell won the award for 'Best up-and-coming actor' of 2001. [likely to
become very famous or successful]
The critics generally agree that her new symphony is a masterpiece, [very great work
of art]
Novak was definitely miscast as the father in that film, [was the wrong person for the
role]
She has become typecast as a middle-aged mother, [always associated with that type of
role|
He was given several encores for his performance of the violin concerto. [ 'nrjk.->:/
calls from
the audience to repeat it]
She got a standing ovation for her performance of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, [the
audience
stood up and applauded]

C Nouns relating to performing

I liked her interpretation of the song 'Yesterday', [way of understanding and
performing it] I prefer the original version by the Beatles, [one of several
performances that exist] He gave an excellent rendition of Hamlet's speech,
[performance on a specific occasion] The actor's portrayal of the mother in the
film was very tender, [the picture she created |

Exercises
25.1 From memory, give an adjective from A which is opposite in meaning to the
following words.
1 credible/believable
2 original/novel
3 underrated
4 exaggerated
5 coherent/smooth-flowing
25.2 Now use other adjectives from A instead of the underlined words in these sentences.
Make
any other changes that are necessary to produce a correct sentence.
1 The musical shocked some people because they thought it was immoral and
was attacked by several politicians and religious figures.
2 Her performance was one of those you will never forget, simply marvellous.
3 I can't remember the last time I saw such a film that keeps you in suspense and
totally absorbed all the time.
4 It was a play that aroused very deep emotions in me.
5 It's a film that is difficult to watch without getting very upset.
6 Some of his films are absolutely impossible to understand because they are so
dense and obscure.
25.3 Answer these questions.
1 Would you like to go to a play that was universally lauded by all the critics?
Why / Why not?
2 Good performers deserve an encore. True? Would you give one?
3 Would you like to see a film that was panned by the cinema critics? Why / Why
not?
4 What are the top Hollywood awards for films normally called? What is their
more correct name?
5 Do most actors like to become typecast? Why / Why not?
6 A standing ovation shows that the audience disliked the performance. True?
Why / Why not?
25.4 Read the text and underline the words or phrases that match the eight definitions. Use

i a dictionary if necessary.
1 the way an actor creates a
picture of a person
2 he/she is the wrong actor for
that part
3 a film/book/play that keeps
you in suspense
4 keep you in suspense /
constantly excited
5 up-and-coming
6 a film which huge numbers
of people will go and see
7 a police or crime theme
8 a very great work of art
Cliffhanger not to be missed
In this latest blockbuster cops-and-robbers movie from the Holdart Studios, budding
Hollywood star Florida Packline plays country-boy Ricky Smart, who gets involved with a
gang of criminals intent upon stealing ten million dollars from a Chicago bank. However,
their plans are spoilt by the discovery of a dead body in the tunnel they are digging through
to the bank. Who is the mystery dead woman? Is she a stranger, or someone from Ricky's
own past? Packline's portrayal of the confused boy from a small town caught up in big city
crime is convincing, but Julia Fischer as his long-lost sister is somewhat miscast. Not a
masterpiece, but it will certainly keep you on the edge of your seat.
English Collocations in Use Advanced

Appearance and personality

Describing how people look and behave
Note the collocations in these interviews where famous people discuss their own or other
people's personality traits (or personal characteristics).
Film star Jerry Bowen
Interviewer: You seem to have had such a special relationship with Kara Hanson over many
years. What is it about working with her? Bowen: Kara's wonderful. She just seems to
have boundless energy1 and she's always been able to boost people's confidence 2,
especially new young actors. She has a wonderful, bubbly3 personality and she's got a
dazzling smile. She bears a striking resemblance to 4 Ingrid Bergman, one of the great
cinema beauties. She has some wonderful personal qualities that are so rare in stars
nowadays.
1
lots of energy 2
make more confident 3
lively 4
looks very like
Ex-rock star Eddie Stewart
Interviewer: You always had a troubled relationship with your drummer, Kaz Porter,
in the days of your band, The Loop. Kaz died in 1987. How do you
remember him now?
Stewart: Well, Kaz was not an easy person to work with. He had a very thinly
disguised5 dislike of the music industry and the people in it. Politeness
wasn't his strong point! He had a real stubborn streak 6 that made him
unpopular with managers and agents. But, you know, behind that gruff 7
exterior he had a sharp wit8.
Interviewer: You say gruff, some would say downright rude. Would that be too harsh?
He always seemed full of pent-up anger9 towards the world in general.
Stewart: Well, 'rude' is a bit unfair. Yeah, he had a forthright 10 manner, and he was
capable of open hostility if he thought we were being manipulated. Interviewer:
Yes, he did display some rather scary characteristics.
5
barely hidden 6 a stubborn side to his character 7 rude and unfriendly
8
was very amusing in a clever way 9 anger which he didn't express l0 direct
Retired golfer Andy Barstow
Interviewer: Andy, you're retired, you're a senior citizen, but everyone would agree you certainly
don't look your age11. What's your secret? Barstow: Well thanks. I'm sure some people would say I
don't act my age12 either! Interviewer: Oh, that's not necessarily a bad thing! You do always seem to
be bursting with energy! Barstow: That's what golf does for you!
11
look as old as you are l2
behave in a manner expected of your age

B Other useful collocations for behaviour and appearance

She had a blank expression on her face, (showing no understanding or emotion]
He always gave everyone a warm, friendly smile.
Tracy's new colleagues gave her a rather cool reception, [unfriendly welcome]
You have been guilty of unacceptable behaviour.
I'm surprised you find Jack unfriendly. He's always been perfectly friendly to me.
Angela has a rather abrasive manner, [rude and unfriendly manner]
Exercises
45.1 Match words from each box to form collocations from the opposite page.
Then match them to the definitions below.

blank personality
gruff streak
striking reception
cool exterior
stubborn resemblance
bubbly expression
1 two things or people which look very similar
2 a very lively person
3 a person's face which shows no emotion
4 when someone is being inflexible
Amanda often had a blank
expression on her face.
5 an apparently rude and unfriendly personality
6 a rather unfriendly welcome
45.2
Which of these things that people say would usually be compliments?
1 He/She certainly looks his/her age. 5 He/She has a very abrasive manner.
2 He/She's downright rude. 6 He/She has a warm smile.
3 He/She's bursting with energy. 7 He/She's full of pent-up anger.
4 He/She has a bubbly personality. 8 He/She has boundless energy.
45.3 Complete this conversation using collocations from the box in the appropriate form so that
Nell always agrees with Zoe.
bear a striking resemblance to boost your confidence burst with energy
forthright manner has a lot of admirable qualities strong points
1 Zoe: Tom looks a bit like Brad Pitt, doesn't he?
Nell: Yes, he does. He..............................................................him.
2 Zoe: And he's very good at making you feel more confident, isn't he? Nell: Yes, he's
great at........................................................................................
3 Zoe: Though of course he does say what he thinks directly to you.
Nell: Yes, he sometimes has a rather...............................................................but I like that.
4 Zoe: Me too. In fact, I think that it might be one of his best characteristics.
Nell: Yes, you could say it is one of his..............................................................., I suppose.
5 Zoe: Well, he has a lot of good points.
Nell: Yes, I'd certainly agree that he.................................................................
6 Zoe: He's very energetic, for example.
Nell: Yes, I love the way he's always......................................................It's very attractive.
45.4 Complete each sentence using the word in brackets in the appropriate form.
1 Teresa is always...............................friendly towards me. (PERFECT)
2 Can you see how Holly is looking at him with open...................................? (HOSTILE)
3 I refuse to put up with such.................................behaviour, (ACCEPT)
4 He displays a lot more attractive..................................than his brother does, (CHARACTER)
5 The woman looked at the official with..................................disguised contempt, (THIN)
6 The star was upset that his home town gave him such a cool...................................(RECEIVE)
English Phrasal Verbs in Use Advanced
Character and personal qualities
 А Talking about negative qualities
Dina: What do you make of Natasha's new boyfriend? He's getting on1 a bit, isn't he?!
Becky: Yes. He must be at least ten years older than her. I must say I didn't like him very much.
His eyes were boring into2 me and it made me rather nervous.
Dina: I'm glad you felt like that too. He really scared me.
Becky:Scared you? You need to toughen up3 a bit! You shouldn't let anyone scare you. It not just
his eyes, though, is it? He's so outspoken4! In fact, he's rude.
Dina:He swore at me the other day. I didn't answer back though. I wouldn't descend to" his level.
And how about the way he speaks about his sister?
Becky:No wonder she's a bit odd. Having a brother like that would screw anyone up6!
Dina: I'm amazed Natasha's so keen on him. I had her down as7 a sensible person.
Becky: You know, sometimes I think she's like a teenager who needs to grow out of8 her immature
ways. I mean, she's 21, not 13!
1 (informal, always continuous) becoming old
2 looking very hard at
3 become stronger and more able to deal with
problems (also transitive: toughen sb up)
4 having a tendency to express opinions even
though they may offend people
5 behave so badly
6 (informal) make someone feel confused and
unhappy about their life
7 (informal) thought that they were a particular
type of person (especially when they are not
in fact like that)
8 stop doing something as you get older
 B Talking about positive qualities
.Look at this speech by a company manager at a party for a colleague who is retiring

Jack is leaving us today and I want to wish him a happy retirement. Having
worked closely with him, I can personally vouch for1 his unswerving loyalty to
the company over the last 21 years and his extraordinary skills as a personnel
manager. Right from the beginning, his ability to handle people shone through2.
He prided himself on3 the good relations he enjoyed with junior staff; he knew
that good relationships mean everything in the workplace. It was always such a
pleasure to see how his face would light up4 whenever he managed to solve a
tricky personnel issue; for him, resolving a difficult situation was its own reward.
Jack was also excellent at drawing out5 younger, less experienced members of
staff and he showed that rare talent for bringing out6 the best in all his colleagues.
I'm sure everyone would agree that he always came across7 as calm, professional
and committed to his staff. His departure will be a great loss to the company, and
I wish him
 1
say that you know someone and that you can promise that they have a good
character or good skills
2
became apparent
3
took pride in
4
look very happy
5
helping people to feel more confident
6
making qualities more noticeable
7
appeared to be
EXERCISE
Complete these annual appraisal summaries, written by a personnel manager, with the correct particles.
1 Tyra sometimes comes.....................as a little aggressive, but in general she has good
relations with her colleagues and seems to bring........................the best in the staff she
manages.
2 Jane has had to overcome a great deal due to her physical disability, but her determination and will to succeed
always shine.............................................................................., despite the difficulties.
3 Luke prides himself.....................his ability to cope with huge amounts of stress and
to meet deadlines. He has always met deadlines, though I can't personally vouch
....................his ability to deal with a major crisis.
4 It's always so nice to see how Donald's face lights........................whenever he is praised for
his achievements, and he has had some notable successes in the last 12 months. Let's hope it continues that way.
5 Tina is very good at drawing.......................the shyer and less confident members of staff.
She seems like an excellent candidate for promotion in the next round.

English Vocabulary in Use (Advanced)

Talking about yourself

A Chinese astrology organises years into cycles of twelve with each year named after
an animal. The Chinese believe that the year you are born in affects your character.
animal year characteristics 1 using situations for own benefit
RAT
2 systematic, careful
1972. 1984. Imaginative, charming, generous, 3 too patriotic
1996 quick-tempered, opportunistic1 4 become too excited and lose control
BUFFALO
1973. 1985. Conservative, methodical2, conscientious, 5 ready to help
1997 chauvinistic3, a born leader 6 (of man) polite to women
TIGER 7 not caring about serious things
1974, 1986. Sensitive, emotional, tend to get carried
1998 away4, stubborn, rebellious
8 inclined to say things that upset or
offend people
RABBIT 1975.1987. Affectionate, obliging5, gallant6, 9 wise
1999 sentimental, superficial7 10 understanding instinctively
DRAGON 1964. 1976. Fun-loving, popular, perfectionist, gifted, 11 delay doing something
1988 may sometimes be tactless8 12 hard-working
SNAKE
13 calm, does not easily become
1965. 1977. Sagacious9, charming, intuitive10, stingy,
excited or angry
1989 inclined to procrastinate"
14 troubled or distressed by
HORSE 1966. 1978. Diligent12, independent, placid13, friendly, 15 personality that attracts people to
1990 can be selfish and cunning you
GOAT- 1967,1979. Elegant, artistic, always ready to
16 wanting to gain advantage for
1991 complain, plagued by14 worry oneself
17 having good judgement
MONKEY 1968, 1980. Witty, magnetic personality15, can be self- 18 expensive or impressive
1992 seeking16 and distrustful 19 thinking of others rather than
ROOSTER, 1969, 1981. Industrious, shrewd17, decisive, very oneself
1993 extravagant, a flashy18 dresser 20 gloomy
DOG_
21 inclined to speak in a severe and
1970. 1982, Down-to-earth, altruistic , morose , sharp-
19 20

1994 tongued21, a fault-finder22

critical way
22 critical person
1971. 1983, Intellectual, tolerant, naive23, downfall24 could 23 without enough experience of life,
pig 1995 be desire for material goods trusting too easily
24 cause of destruction
B Charming, witty, wise - recognise yourself? Stingy, selfish, sly - must be
somebody else!
Some words in the chart above have positive associations, others negative ones.
Here are some words from the chart together with other words that share some
aspects of their meaning. The table shows which have positive and which have
negative associations.
positive negative positive negative

generous, unstinting extravagant, immoderate shrewd, astute cunning, sly

resolute, dogged stubborn, mulish sober, serious morose, sullen

thrifty, frugal stingy, parsimonious witty, pithy sharp-tongued, terse

diligent, industrious work-obsessed, (a) tolerant, broad-minded unprincipled,

workaholic unscrupulous

ExercisesI 3.1 Match the words on the left with their opposites on the
right. Use a dictionary if necessary
 1 altruistic unsystematic
2 diligent generous
3 intellectual thick-skinned
4 methodical unhelpful
5 morose flexible
6 obliging low-brow
7 quick- selfish
8 sensitive cheerful
9 stingy placid
1 stubborn lazy

I 3.2 Answer these questions.

1 Which animal represents you? To what extent do the characteristics apply to you?
2 Think of a friend and find their animal in the chart. Give examples of why you think each
characteristic is appropriate or not.
EXAMPLE My -friend. Is a rooster. I tHwk Vie is industrious because He worked very
Hard to -find a Lot of in-formation -for a research project He Had, to complete at college. I
don't tHlnk He Is sHrewd because someone tricked Him into Investing In a. non-existent
company.
I 3.3 Arrange all the adjectives and descriptive phrases from A into three columns under the
following headings.
describe me might describe me do not describe me

I 3.4 Which people does the speaker have a positive opinion of and which a negative one?

Let me tell you about my new colleagues. Pat, my boss, seems very astute and witty.
I find her deputy, Vince, a bit parsimonious and work-obsessed. I share an office with
Julie who's a bit sullen and mulish. I also do a lot of work with Sam who's very
tolerant and generous.
I 3.5 Now imagine that someone else is talking about the same people, but sees them in a
different light. How might he or she describe them?
EXAMPLE Pat Is very sly and terse.
I 3.6 What are the abstract nouns from these adjectives? Use a dictionary if necessary.
1 altruistic 3 diligent 5 industrious 7 gallant 9 morose
2 parsimonious 4 placid 6 sagacious 8 terse 10 unscrupulous
I 3.7 The words in 13.6 are more unusual words and arc most likely to be found in writing.
Give a synonym for each word that would be more likely to be used when speaking.
EXAMPLE altruistic - unselfish

English Vocabulary in Use (Advanced)

Observing others: appearance and mannerisms

 A Words connected with size, weight and general appearance
word meaning example

scrawny unattractively thin and bony-looking He was too scrawny to be a football

player.
lanky very tall and thin, and usually moving awkwardly A lanky teenager walked in.

gangling/ with long, thin arms and legs and rather awkward A gangling/gangly youth
gangly movements; often used of men and boys approached him.

portly with fat stomach and chest; often used A portly figure stood near the ticket
humorously about older men desk.
stout with a quite fat, solid body; used of men and She's the stout woman wearing glasses,
women over there.
corpulent fat (formal, literary word) She introduced me to a rather
corpulent gentleman.

B Aspects of facial appearance and complexion

I've noticed Robert has put on weight; he's getting a double chin [fat around the chin]. His hair always
looks so unkempt [untidy; scruffy]. I don't know why he doesn't look after it. His sister is the opposite:
never a hair out of place [her hair is always neat and tidy]. He has a rather swarthy [dark-coloured, used
about skin] complexion. His sister's complexion is more sallow [yellowish and unhealthy-looking]. He
works incredibly hard; he often looks haggard [his face shows tiredness and age, with the skin hanging in
folds] and exhausted.
Facial expression
Look at those models pouting1 for the photographers!
[positioning their lips in a sexually attractive way]
If she doesn't get what she wants, she pouts for the rest of the
day. [positions her lips in a look of annoyance]
You don't have to grimace2 every time I eat raw garlic. I happen to
think it's delicious, [make an expression of pain or strong dislike]
I arrived late and she just scowled3 at me. [gave a bad-tempered,
angry look]
He was leering'* at us. I felt very uncomfortable and wanted to
leave, [looking in an unpleasant, sexually interested way]

Mannerisms and actions with the hand

I asked him for advice but he just shrugged his shoulders, [lifted his shoulders up and
down to show he didn't know or couldn't answer]
He folded his arms [crossed one arm over the other close to his body] and crossed his legs
[crossed one leg over the other while sitting] and waited for me to speak.
She bites her nails and picks her nose all the time. It drives me crazy!
She clenched her fist and told him to get out of the room at once, [closed her hand as if to
hit him]
He just tapped his fingers and waited, [made quick, light hitting movements, e.g. on a table]
 Exercises

I 8.1 From memory, put these words into two groups: 'fat' words and 'thin' words.
stout corpulent scrawny portly gangling lanky
18.2 Rewrite these sentences using one of the words from 18.1 instead of the underlined words. Use each
word once only, and make any other necessary changes.
1 She looks as if she needs a good meal; her body is so thin and bony.»
2 Marian and Frank are very suitable for each other; they're both very tall and thin individuals.
3 A rather round, overweight, middle-aged man offered to show us the way.
4 A very tall, thin, bonyT awkward-looking boy carried our bags for us.
5 She's become quite fat these days, ever since she stopped playing tennis.
6 A rather overweight gentleman ascended the stairs, red-faced and breathless.
18.3 Use words from B opposite to write a sentence describing each of these pictures.

I 8.4 What are these people doing?

EXAMPLE He is grimacing.

I 8.5 Answer these questions. Use a dictionary if necessary.

1 The verb to pout had two meanings on the opposite page. What were they?
2 If someone scowls at you, how are they probably feeling?
3 What is the difference between a swarthy complexion and a sallow complexion?
4 What do we mean when we talk about someone's gait}
a) their way of looking b) their way of walking c) their way of talking
5 Give two reasons why someone might scratch their head.
6 Why might someone raise their eyebrows?
7 When would you clench your fists?
8 When do people normally shrug their shoulders?
9 What might you do with your fingers if you were nervous or impatient?
10 In what situations do you (a) fold your arms (b) cross your legs?

English Vocabulary in Use (Advanced)

Observing others: character traits

A Visible behaviour: some useful adjectives
word meaning example
impetuous acts on a sudden idea without thinking first; He's so impetuous; 1 wish he would consider
generally negative things first.
impulsive similar to impetuous, but can be used in a more His impulsive generosity led him to give
positive way away most of his money.

effusive gives exaggerated expression of pleasure, praise or She always gives you such an effusive
gratitude welcome.
excitable easily excited by things He's a very excitable child; he needs to calm
down.

pushy always selfishly promoting one's own She's so pushy, it's typical of her to demand
position or interests (informal) an interview for the new job.

garrulous talks too much, especially about Freddie's so garrulous; it's impossible to get
unimportant things any work done.

taciturn reserved or says very little (generally 1 thought he was rather taciturn when 1 first
negative) met him. He hardly spoke.
B
Sociability
Jean's such an introvert |inward-looking and quiet], and her brother Mark is such an
extrovert [outward-looking and sociable]. Strange, isn't it?
Mr Rogers is such a diffident man. [lacks confidence; has a low opinion of himself)
English people are traditionally thought of as rather reserved, [not immediately sociable]
Barbara tends to be rather aloof. 1 don't know if she's just shy. [unfriendly and not sociablel
My aunt Annie can be very haughty [unfriendly and thinks herself better than others] and
disdainful [does not believe others deserve respect] at times, but she's lovely really.
I've always found Professor Mactoft very unapproachable [not easy to be sociable with or
start a conversation with], but his colleague Dr O'Daly is very approachable.
Nancy is so conceited [thinks herself wonderful] and self-important [has an exaggerated
sense of her importance], but Flora is such a modest person, [prefers not to exaggerate her
own qualities]
My boss is such a flirt, though I would never call her that to her face. Nobody in the
office is safe. ]makes constant romantic approaches]

Character traits
Joss is a somewhat naive person; he thinks love can solve all the world's problems.
[willing to believe simple things perhaps because of inexperience]
Telephone salespeople often take advantage of gullible people, [easily deceived]
My father was a very conscientious man; he never took time off work unless he was really
sick. [ knnji'enjnv always took his work very seriously!
You are so obstinate [unwilling to change, despite persuasion] and pig-headed! [similar to
obstinate but stronger, more disapproving] Why don't you listen when people give you
good advice?
He's quite an unscrupulous character; 1 should be very careful if I were you. |lacking in
moral principles, prepared to do very bad things]

Exercises

19.1 Answer these questions.

1 What is the opposite of approachable}
2 What word is a stronger way of saying obstinate}
3 If someone is diffident, do they have lots of or little self-confidence?
4 How could you describe a greeting that showed exaggerated pleasure?
5 Is scrupulous the opposite of unscrupulous} (Use a dictionary if necessary.)
6 Which tends to be more negative, impetuous or impulsive}
19.2
Complete the following tables by writing the noun forms of the adjectives. Use a
dictionary if necessary.
adjective noun

excitable excitability
disdainful

impetuous

obstinate

modest

adjective noun

gullible
reserved

garrulous

conceited

pig-headed
19,3 Fill the gaps with adjectives from the opposite page. The first letter of each word is given.
I remember my grandmother so well. Her i_____________ (1) generosity meant she was always
giving money to beggars and other poor people. She was very a _____________(2), never
a_______________ (3), and would always chat to strangers; in fact she was quite an
e_______________ (4) and would sing and dance at parties. But when it came to work she was
very c______________ (5) and never missed a day in forty years. She was a very determined person,
indeed she could be quite o___________________ (6) and p _______________(7), and
could not be persuaded to do something she didn't want to. She
was proud but never c_________________(8) or s__________________(9), talkative but never
g______________ (10), self-confident but never p ________________(11), always wishing

success for everyone else before herself. She was always d ____________________(12) of
u______________(13) people, since she was a person of great moral principles.
19.4 These sentences contain words from the opposite page, but in a different form. Rewrite the sentences using
words from the opposite page. For example, use a noun instead of an adjective.
1 She's a flirtatious sort of person, and doesn't care who knows it.
2 He's always had a tendency to be introverted.
3 Larry shows a lot of reserve, while his sister is known more for her approachability.
4 I'm a person who buys on impulse rather than thinking about what I really need.
5 He was a man of great garrulousness, and taciturnity is a word I would never associate with him.

English Collocations in Use Advanced

References

A Note the useful collocations to use in reference letters in the texts below. A reference

for a student

I am happy to act as a referee for Ilona Hradetska, who has applied to do a course in archaeology at your university. Ilona has a keen
interest' in archaeology and although she lacks experience, she makes up for this in her enthusiasm for the archaeology of the
classical world. She has an encyclopaedic knowledge2 of Ancient Greece and Rome. However, she has already managed to
accumulate some practical experience3 as she worked on a dig for two weeks in Greece last April, and she is looking forward to
honing4 her practical skills at the same dig over the summer holiday. Her dream of pursuing her interests in archaeology is of
paramount importance5 to her and I am sure she has the ability to meet the challenges6 of the course.
 1
very strong interest 4
making perfect
2
very extensive knowledge 5
(formal) extremely important
3
(formal) gain experience 6
deal with the difficult aspects

B A job reference
It is my pleasure to provide a reference for Phil Lee, who has applied for the post of Marketing Manager in your
company. I can wholeheartedly recommend Mr Lee for this position as I have every confidence in his ability to
perform the tasks' indicated in your job description. He has remarkable financial acumen2 and excellent interpersonal
skills. He is a good team player and while working here has revealed a remarkable talent3 for handling difficult
situations. It goes without saying that you can trust him implicitly4. I am confident that if you were to offer him the
position he would quickly become an invaluable member of your team.
1
perform tasks is a more formal way of saying carry out tasks 3
(formal) showed a talent
2
talent in financial matters 4
trust him totally

Common errors
There are a number of errors which are frequently made when students are required
to write a reference as an exam task.
error correction

He has high computer skills. He has good/advanced computer skills.

He yas a high education He is highly educated.

He has a good level of education.

A secretary with high qualifications is A well-qualified secretary is required,

A secretary with good qualifications is required.
required.

He has a high knowledge of English. He has a good / an advanced knowledge of English.

He has a wide knowledge of all subjects. He has an extensive / a comprehensive knowledge of

all subjects.

He has big/great/wide experience of teaching. He has considerable experience of teaching.

He managed to get a good relationship with his boss. He managed to establish/develop a good relationship
widi his boss.

Mr Day is a hughly appreciative member of staff Mr Day is a highly valued member of staff.

Exercises

44.1 Complete each sentence using a collocation from A. The first letters are given
to help you.
1 Jason takes a k............................... i...............................in all his school subjects, but
particularly in the sciences.
2 Suzie is looking forward to h................................her computer s................................on
a course next month.
3 We set the job applicants a particularly difficult task in order to discover who would best be
able to m....................................the c.................................
4 You can rest assured that your happiness will always be of p..................................
L............................to me.
5 My brother chose that university because it was the best place for him to p
................................his i...............................in marine biology.
6 Over the years I have managed to a................................plenty of e................................of
working with young people.
44.2 Rewrite each sentence using the word in brackets to make it more formal.
1 Paul knows a lot about African history, (ENCYCLOPAEDIC)
2 Karen is very good at dealing with people, (SKILLS)
3 Eric did a lot of work on farms when he was in Canada, (ACCUMULATED)
4 Toyah has an excellent teaching qualification but she hasn't done much work in the
classroom yet. (LACKS)
 5 I have total trust in Dr Robinson, (IMPLICITLY)
6 This job will offer you the perfect opportunity to become more skilled at working with a
computer, (HONE)
7 I am totally confident you will be able to complete the course, (CONFIDENCE)
8 It was Duncan's talent for making money that led to his promotion, (ACUMEN)
44.3 Correct the reference letter below by replacing the underlined words with more appropriate
collocations.

I am happy to do as a referee for James McBrlde, who has applied for a teaching post at your
language school. I take every confidence in Mr McBride's abilities as a teacher. He spent last
summer working at the school where I am Principal and he was a very appreciated member of
our staff. He was very successful in getting a good relationship with both students and staff. He
has a high education with a particularly wide knowledge of English literature. He combines
high teaching qualifications with wide experience of teaching students at all levels of English.
He also has high computer skills, which should certainly prove useful in a technologically
advanced school such as yours.
44.4 Choose the correct collocation.
1 Jenny revealed I provided some surprising talents during our expedition.
2 I'd wholeheartedly I implicitly recommend Mr Lee for promotion.
3 Mehmet has every ability to meet I run the challenges of the position.
4 I am delighted to provide I act a reference for Meena Mistry.
5 The position would require you to perform I hone a wide range of tasks.
6 Your contributions to the project are highly I wholeheartedly valued.

English Vocabulary in Use (Advanced)

We are what we eat

A This article is about the language used to label food products.
 A s a food label is often nothing
more than an advert to tempt you
to buy the product, you should pay
standard versions of the same product.
The terms 'light' or 'lite' are
meaningless since they could refer to
particular attention to the choice of texture, fat content, sugar content or
words used. Always watch out for even colour.
the word 'flavour', as this may mean
that the product contains synthetic1
ingredients. Chocolate -flavour
topping, for example, will not
contain chocolate, even though
chocolate-flavoured topping will
contain a small percentage - so read
carefully. Many manufacturers also
use a range of meaningless
descriptions. Feel-good words, such
as 'wholesome2', 'farmhouse',
'original' and 'traditional' do not mean
anything. Other words such as 'farm
fresh' and 'country fresh' also
intentionally blur the true nature of a 1
made from artificial substances , 2
product's source. 'Fresh egg pasta',
for example, means that the pasta good for you, physically or morally,
was indeed made with real and not 3
containing all the natural substances
powdered eggs, but maybe months in the grain with nothing removed,
ago. Words that you can trust are 4
refers to products such as coffee, tea
'organic', 'wholemeal3', 'natural
mineral water', 'Fair Trade4', 'free- or chocolate marketed in such a way
range5* and the 'V vegetarian that the small farmers in developing
symbol. countries who produce them get the
Consumer pressure over GM6 profits rather than large multinational
foods has led to better labelling but
loopholes7 still exist. GM product companies
derivatives8, such as starches, 5
relating to farm animals that are not
sugars, fats and oils where no kept
genetically modified protein or DNA
material still remains, still go in cages
unlabelled in many products such as
6
genetically modified, i.e. the genes
cereal bars, fish fingers, jellies and (DNA)
vegetable burgers. of a natural product have been
Take particular care over low-fat and altered in some way
low-sugar products. Guidelines state 7
ways of getting round regulations
that 'low-fat' foods must not have (usually because they have not
more than 5 per cent fat, while been
'reduced fat' means that the total fat written in a precise enough way)
content is 25 per cent less than the 8
things produced from
B Food metaphors
Inviting Joe and his ex-wives to the same party was a recipe for disaster, [situation
sure to
lead to]
The film has all the ingredients of a box office hit. [all the necessary characteristics]
Let's invite lots of friends to our wedding to dilute the relatives a bit. [make less
dominant]
I'm not going to call him. I'm going to let him stew for another few days at least,
[worry
or suffer especially about something you think is his fault)
The police grilled the suspect for hours, but eventually let him go. [asked a lot of
questions]
I'm sure this is going to be another of his half-baked schemes that never comes to
anything, [unrealistic or not thought through properly!
Let's hire a karaoke machine - that'll spice up the office party, [make more lively]
Rick has started hanging around with some unsavoury characters, (unpleasant,
morally
offensive]
They started their business with high hopes but things soon turned sour, [went
wrong)
Let's go for a coffee and you can tell me all the juicy gossip, [exciting and
interesting]
 Exercises

28.1 Answer these questions about the text in A. You may need a dictionary to help you
with some of your answers.
1 Are food labels meant to provide information or to advertise the products?
2 Why do manufacturers try to hide the fact that foods contain synthetic ingredients?
3 In the phrase fresh egg pasta, does fresh refer to egg or pasta}
4 What do organic, wholemeal and vegetarian mean when describing food?
5 What does GM stand for? Explain what it means.
6 WhatisDNA?
7 Cereal bars, fish fingers and vegetable burgers are all types of fast food. Describe
them.
8 This text is from a British magazine, so what does the word jelly mean? What
would it mean in a US text?
9 How much fat would there be in low-fat cheese? And how much would there
be in reduced fat cheese?
28.2 Which do you think would be tastier and why?
1 strawberry flavoured yoghurt or strawberry flavour yoghurt
2 orange drink or orange juice
3 raspberry jam or raspberry flavoured jam
4 farmhouse chicken or free-range chicken
28.3 As pointed out in the text, light is an ambiguous word, i.e. it can be understood in
different ways. Explain these phrases. Where possible, suggest an opposite to
light.
1 light coloured hair 6 a light aircraft
2 a light wind 7 the light of my life
3 a light comedy 8 Got a light?
4 a light sleeper 9 to light on the solution
5 to light a fire 10 In the light of the reports ...
28.4 Explain the literal meanings of the words used metaphorically in the sentences in B.
EXAMPLE recipe - instructions for cooking a. dish
28.5 Rewrite these sentences using the metaphors from B.
1 My mother asked me a lot of very searching questions about where I had been last
night.
2 Let's make the evening more interesting by organising some party games.
3 What's been happening while I was on holiday? You must fill me in on all
the interesting gossip.
4 Don't tell her that her briefcase has been found. Let her suffer for a bit longer -
perhaps she'll be more careful with it in future.
5 It might be a good idea to make these investments a bit less dominant in your
portfolio by exchanging some of them for others in a different line of business.
6 They lived together happily for many years, but things changed for the worse when
his mother came to live with them.
7 Patience combined with interest in your pupils is bound to lead to success for a
teacher.
8 Lance's ideas are never thought through properly.

English Vocabulary in Use (Advanced) Dinner's on me: entertaining and eating out
A Paying the bill
We'll split the bill, shall we? [each person will pay for him/herself]
Lunch is on me today, [informal: I am paying for you]
Will you join us [come with us] for dinner at the City Plaza hotel? We'd like you to be our
guest. J formal: we will pay]
Let me get this, [informal: pay the bill this time]
I was wined and dined every night by our New York office, [invited out to restaurants]

B Describing service
A new Italian restaurant called Bella Roma has just opened ' perfect, cannot be faulted
in the High Street, and we went there the other night to try 2
rather slow
it. I couldn't help comparing it to the Casa Italia, where we 3
polite
ate last week. In the Bella Roma, the service was 4
too confident / too inclined to
impeccable1 and quick; at the Casa Italia it's always a bit tell people what to do
sluggish2. In the new place the waiters are courteous3 s
bad-tempered / unwilling to
and friendly without being overbearing4. In the other place ;
smile
they tend to be sullen5 and the service is rather brusque6, 6
quick and rude
which I find very off-putting7. But at Bella Roma they'll go 7
makes you feel you do not want
out of their way8 to give you what you want. to go there again
8
do everything possible

C Food preferences
1 have a sweet tooth and can never say no to cakes or biscuits, [love sweet things]
I won't have dessert, thanks. You're lucky being so slim; but I'm afraid I have to count the
calories /1 have to be a bit calorie-conscious these days, [be careful how many calories I eat]
I like to end the meal with something savoury like cheese, [salty in flavour or with herbs]
Ben's a bit of a fussy eater, [person who has very particular demands when eating]
No, thanks, I won't have wine. I'm teetotal, [never drink alcohol]
Before I book the restaurant, do you have any particular dietary requirements? [formal:
special needs or things someone cannot eat]
I won't have any more wine thanks. I don't want to overdo it. [eat or drink too much)

D Entertaining at home
A: Why not come home and eat with us? You'll have to take pot luck.
[eat what we're eating, nothing special] B: Thank you. Shall I bring a
bottle? |usually means a bottle of wine]
A: Should I wear a suit on Friday?
B: No, no, it isn't a dinner party [rather formal dinner with guests], it's just an informal get-
together, [informal group of people meeting for a meal/drinks/etc. |
A: Does anyone want seconds? [a second helping/serving of a dish] B:
Oh, yes please. It was delicious.
A: Can I pour you some juice? Say when. Itell me when I have served enough]
B: When! [That's enough, thanks.]
A: Help yourself to some nibbles, [things like nuts, crisps, etc., before a meal]
A: We leave at six. We can grab a bite to eat on the way. [have a quick meal]
B: Or we could get a takeaway when we get there, [ready-cooked meal bought to take home]
 Exercises

29.1 Rewrite the underlined parts of these sentences using expressions from A.
1 No, please. Put your credit card away. I'm inviting you for dinner. (Use an informal
expression.)
2 Let me pay for this one. You can pay next time. (Use an informal expression.)
3 Visitors to the company's head office in London are always taken out to the best
restaurants. (Use a phrase with two words which rhyme with each other.)
4 Fancy coming with us for lunch tomorrow?
5 When we eat out as a group, each person usually pays for their own food and drink. (Use a
shorter expression meaning the same.)
6 I'd like to pay for you at the theatre tomorrow night. (Use a formal expression.)
29.2 Rewrite the underlined parts of these sentences using expressions from the opposite page
to describe food and drink preferences.
1 I never drink alcohol. (Use an adjective.)
2 I don't really like sweet things. (Use an idiom.)
3 Are there things vou can't or mustn't eat? (Use a formal/polite expression.)
4 Just a small portion for me, please. I don't want to eat too much. (Use an expression that
means the same.)
5 She's become very careful about how many calories she's eating. (Give two different ways
of saying the same thing.)
6 Sasha is such a choosy person when it comes to food. It's difficult to find things she likes.
(Use an expression that means the same.)
29.3 Give words from the opposite page which contrast with or are the opposite of ...
1 a sweet dish 4 rude staff
2 a friendly waiter 5 quick service
3 a formal gathering 6 dreadful service
29.4 Which expressions on the opposite page mean ...
1 eat whatever your hosts are eating at home, not a special dish for you?
2 tell me when I've poured enough in your glass?
3 get a quick meal or some other food that does not take a long time?
4 small items you eat before a meal, or perhaps at a reception?
5 another portion of what you have just eaten?

a semi-formal party or reception in someone's house, probably not a meal?

English Phrasal Verbs in Use Advanced

Food and drink

Eating
 Have fun with your food
Readers' tips for enjoying mealtimes.
It's better to have good big meals than just pick at1 things all day.
Don't gobble your food down2 - take your time, enjoy it. If you wolf it down3, you won't even
taste what you're eating.
Don't just eat in4 every day; spoil yourself at least once a week by having a meal in a restaurant.
Or if you feel like staying at home, send out for5 something.
Have friends round and serve up something special.
For an easy meal, just buy lots of pizzas, slice them up and let everyone help themselves to 6
what they want.
Make sure you're aware of what foods agree with you and what don't. Avoid anything that
disagrees with7 you - even if it tastes good. You'll regret it later.
Cut out8 fry-ups9 and eat more salads -
you're bound to feel healthier.
Eat lots of raw vegetables - they will
fill you up10 without making you put
on weight.
eat small amounts (informal) eat very 6
put on a plate for oneself
fast (informal) eat very fast eat at home 7
makes you feel slightly ill or
5
phone a restaurant and ask for food to uncomfortable
be delivered to you 8
stop eating
9
(UK, informal) quick meal made
of
fried food
10
make you feel that you've eaten
enough
B Drinking
phrasal verb
example definition of phrasal verb
wash down sth or
Have a drink of milk to wash down the tablet. help you swallow it
wash sth down
drink to sb/sth Let's raise a glass and drink to the happy couple! hold up your glass before drinking
from it in order to wish someone
success or happiness
dip sth in (sth) She loves dipping a chocolate biscuit in her tea. quickly put it in and take it out again

soak up Cook the lentils until they soak up half the liquid, absorb

water down Neat whisky is very strong - you should water it down. make it less strong by adding water
or odier liquid

spill over Harry darling, hold your juice properly. It's spilling over flow over die edge
the edge of the glass.

English Phrasal Verbs in Use Advanced Exercises

Complete these dialogues using phrasal verbs from the opposite page so that the
second speaker agrees with and repeats more or less what the first speaker says.
1 Tina: The kids eat so fast! I'm sure it can't be good for them.
Ron: Yes, they do tend to....................../......................their food.......................
(Give two possible answers.)
2 Vivian: Polly just eats tiny amounts, no wonder she's so thin.
Ed: Yes, she just...........................................her food like a bird.
3 Bill: Those prawns made me feel a bit sick.
Jenny: Yes, they...........................................me too. I don't feel too good either.
4 Arthur: I think we should stop eating burgers; they're not good for us.
Shona: You're right. We should......................them......................and eat more
5 Ahmed: salads.
Louise: These trousers don't fit me any more. They must have shrunk.
6 Tim: No, I'm afraid you've.............................................a bit of weight.
Harriet: Shall we eat at home tonight? We could order something from a
takeaway.
Yes, let's.............................................We can
...........................................................for a
pizza or something.
Read the remarks by different people and then answer the questions below.
Roger: 1 enjoyed it, but 1 couldn't eat one bit more.
Liz: We toasted Kevin and wished him well in his new job.
Aine: The smoked salmon made me feel unwell. 1 shouldn't have eaten it.
Gavin: She gave me some sushi. It was the first time I'd ever tasted it.
Zubaida: I took a big slice of cake.
1 Who ate something that didn't agree with them?
2 Who helped themselves to something?
3 Who ate something that filled them up?
4 Who was served up something new?
5 Who drank to someone?